Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway



It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler and the nights are getting spookier. Yes, it's time for tricks and treats, goblins and ghouls, chills and thrills and huge amounts of sugary sweets. But at the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog it's also time for the 5th annual Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway. Join Laughing Vixen Lounge and our bewitching co-hosts The Kids Did It, The Mommy Island, Herding Cats and Burning Soup, The Hopping Bloggers, Mama Smith's Reviews and Women and Their Pretties for a spooktacular Halloween event.



Enter to win a $250 Prize Pack filled with goodies from 10 wickedly fabulous shops. All shops are offering Gift Cards or your choice of item(s) so there will be something for everyone. You'll find lots of unique, handcrafted and custom designs to choose from.



Visit the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog daily during the giveaway for the Halloween Movie Marathon. Test your movie knowledge with the Guess the Movie Game. Then try to solve the Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt, if you dare! Each event will get you daily entries in the giveaway plus a special giveaway for the Scavenger Hunt. Find full details for these events HERE.


You can start by entering the Rafflecopter widget below. To experience all the games, movies, shop features, giveaway info and all around awesome fun make sure to stop by the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog HERE.& nbsp;
 


The giveaway runs October 18th - November 1st and is open worldwide to anyone 18+. 1 winner will win the Prize Pack and 1 winner will win the Scavenger Hunt Prize Pack. Laughing Vixen Lounge is responsible for all giveaway details. Click HERE for full details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, October 7, 2016

Cuba! Recipes and Stories from the Cuban Kitchen by Dan Goldberg, Andrea Kuhn and Jody Eddy



So I thought this book would be a great look into the Cuban life and cuisine. I am Puerto Rican so it's always nice to learn about other Spanish cultures which are close to mine. This book has vivid imagery which captures the eyes to delight. It was so wonderful looking at all the different families and how they cook their meals. Just like rice and beans for Puerto Rican meals it is the bread and butter for Cuban cuisine. I think a difference I can see is Cubans may use more black beans for their beans. I totally LOVE black beans but I usually use Pinto beans for my meals which is more of a favorite as a whole at home. So in the very beginning of the book you have a full page which gives you the recipe to make rice and beans. There's also another recipe for yellow rice which is popular for us as well.

Moving on through the book you will learn how to make various stocks and sofrito. Fried plantains, yuca fries, fried green plantains and mojo is also introduced.

I'll make a little list here of all the wonderful things you can make:


  • Fried Plantain Chips
  • Crispy Pork
  • Mango Salsa
  • Papas Rellenas
  • Picadillo
  • Tortilla Espanola with Chorizo and Potatoes
  • Codfish Fritters
  • Hot sauce
  • Tostones Stuffed with Lobster Conch
  • Fresh Corn Tamales with Poblano Sauce
  • Cuban Sandwich
  • Hamburger with Crispy Shoestring Potatoes
  • Ropa Vieja Sliders
  • Pickled Onions
  • Jibarito with Braised Chicken and Green Olive Aioli
  • Caribbean Black Bean Burger
  • Pnieapple Avocado Salsa
  • Squid Ink Empanadas
  • Charred Red Pepper Sauce
  • Vedado Lobster Roll
  • Shrimp and Scallop Seviche with Shredded Plantain Chips
  • Chile and Garlic Langostinos
  • Grilled Shrimp with Sugarcane
  • Grilled Octopus with Jicama slaw and Yuca Fries
  • Paella
  • Shredded Beef with Fried eggs, mojo and Crispy Yuca
  • Roasted Pork 
  • Ribs with Guava BBQ Sauce
  • Braised Garlic Chicken with Yellow Rice
  • Pork Chops with Warm Grapefruit Vinaigrette
  • Chicken Stew with Corn
  • Pureed Plantain Soup with Crispy Shallots
  • Sopa De Pollo with Plantain Dumplings
  • Spicy Black Bean Soup with Lime Crema
  • Cream of Malanga Soup with Pistachio Pistou
  • Fisherman's Stew
  • Crab Dumplings with Cilantro Dipping Sauce
  • Cuchillo Street Egg Rolls
  • Cuban Fried Rice
  • Steamed Cuban Beef Buns
  • Havanese Pork Loin
  • Sweet and Sour Lobster
  • Fried Whole Snapper with Salsa Verde
  • Savory Goat Stew
  • Island Style Chicharrones
  • Cuban Fried Steak
  • Frituras De Maiz
  • Crispy Twice Cooked Lamb
  • Guava Hand Pies
  • Churros
  • Pumpkin Flan
  • Coconut Tres Leches Cake
  • Rice Pudding
  • Caramelized Grilled Pnieapple with toasted coconut ice cream
  • Cuban Coffee Flan
  • Mojito Cake with Rum-infused whipped cream and lime zest
  • Chiviricos


A ton of drinks towards the end of the book polishes these meals off.








This is one of the best Spanish cooking books I have seen so if you're interested in Spanish cuisine in general then I can highly recommend picking this up.



You can purchase this book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Cuba-Recipes-Stories-Cuban-Kitchen/dp/1607749866/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=




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