cuban dinner

[ Cuban sandwiches served with coleslaw and kettle cooked potato chips ]

Hot and humid summer weekends are all about late, leisurely dinners outside. Inspired by repeated requests for mojitos, Cuban sandwiches seemed like the perfect choice. For a cool treat to end the night, I prepared a Watermelon Lemonade Sorbet from Jeni Britton Bauer’s book, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream at Home.

The beauty of sandwiches for dinner is that it doesn’t require more effort than a trip to your local deli. Although I didn’t have a Cuban sandwich in Havana, I made sure to pick up some kettle cooked potato chips as a nod to those sold by street vendors throughout the city.

Gather:
- roast pork, thinly sliced
- ham, thinly sliced
- swiss cheese
- dill pickles
- buns
- mustard

[ a mojito, recipe from here ]

[ watermelon lemonade sorbet, served with a sprig of mint ]

pa amb tomàquet

This traditional Catalan dish is perfect for lunch on a hot day. Since it is best served as soon as it has been prepared, I like to lay out the ingredients at the centre of the table so that everyone can assemble their own. To complete this meal, serve with mixed greens with a light vinaigrette, olives, thinly sliced jamón serrano, cheese and fresh fruit.
Gather:
- the best baguette you can get
- ripe tomatoes
- garlic
- olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper

Serve:
- Cut the baguette and toast lightly under the broiler
- Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub it on the toasted baguette, do the same with the tomato.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Drizzle with olive oil

…finish your meal with local fresh fruit (here it’s strawberry season). Enjoy!