Food for Thought

As I've looked back over my blog, I realized it reads more like a regional food review than anything else.  I am happy to report that if you get off the crumbling interstate system when traveling across this great country of ours, there's still plenty of regional flair and flavor.  The food is one of the things I love best about Tampa.  There are a plethora of great ethnic restaurants to match the population.

I am a coffee drinker. As I sit writing this, I am sucking down Starbucks.  And while I love, love, love my Grande Non-Fat Latte, there is nothing in this world to compare to a properly made Cafe con Leche. Nothing.  There are secrets to the perfect cup of joe that is famous in Tampa  and Miami.  First, start with full-bodied expresso beans.  Cafe Bustelo is one of the famous brands.  Next, steam whole milk.  I made the mistake of asking if I could have my cafe con leche with skim milk.  The waitress at the restaurant made a face like she didn't understand me.  When I repeated my request, she scrunched up her face as if she were fighting off dry-heaves.  I got whole milk.  After they steam the milk, they put regular old white sugar in it until it's just sweet enough.  You can't use stevia, equal, splenda, raw sugar or any other substitute (same response as above).  To the table comes a cappuccino-size cup and saucer filled with sweet milk and a separate little pitcher of expresso.  Pour the expresso into the milk to the desired strength, and voila! So good.

Cuban food, for me, is comfort food.  My daughters grew up eating it.  One of my favorite restaurants in Tampa is a little place called Arco Iris on Columbus St. On a recent visit I had ropa vieja (which is kind of like a pot roast) and yellow rice and black beans.  Larry had roast pork that is so tender and full of flavor.  If you have room, you can get flan for dessert, but why bother when cafe con leche is on the menu...