Cuban Fusion Cooking: Spice Up Your Life

Dabble in Cuban fusion cooking in your own kitchen.
The kitchen isn't a scary place. You can create a fusion with your food by using locally sourced foods and a few spices.

Cilantro is being used like parsley in the United States but it's used a lot in Cuban cooking. Cubans work with foods native to the area. You'll find lots of barley, quinoa and rice in Cuban food because it's locally abundant.

To develop your own Cuban flavor, make a sofrito sauce. The sofrito is the beginning of your dish. It can be the base of a stew or a marinade for meats and vegetables. Thicker meats can sit in the sofrito longer, and sliced steaks don't need as long. Saute red peppers, green peppers, onions, cilantro, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Try combinations of meats, vegetables and whole grains to create your own dish.

Be a chef and experiment in your own kitchen. Check your local farmers' market to see what flavors you'd like to add to your sofrito.

Listen in as Chef Ronaldo Linares joins Dr. Mike to share how you can create Cuban fusion food in your own home.

Additional Info

  • Segment Number: 2
  • Audio File: code_delicious/1627cd3b.mp3
  • Featured Speaker: Ronaldo Linares, Chef
  • Guest Facebook Account: www.facebook.com/ChefRonaldolinares
  • Guest Bio: Ronaldo LinaresRonaldo Linares is a Cuban/Colombian/American, salsa-dancing, MMA-fighting, Cross Fit training, former U.S. Marine, classically trained chef and restaurateur living his dream. Born in Colombia during the turbulent Cartel wars of the 1980s, cooking has been the main ingredient in Ronaldo’s journey from young immigrant to rebellious teen to successful chef and media personality. Ronaldo has showcased his Cuban-inspired, passion-infused culinary style on Food Network’s Chopped, BBC America’s cross-country chef competition Chef Race, and appearances on Better TV, Fox News and Telemundo. When not in the kitchen, Ronaldo is active in the community, speaking to schools, youth groups and corporations about his life's journey and healthy living.
  • Waiver Received: No
  • Host: Dr. Mike Fenster