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Cuban family cooking in a vegetarian kitchen
Vegetarian Journal, May-June, 2006 by Cecilia Peterson
THERE ISN'T ANY QUESTION about it--food ties families together. Recipes are passed down through generations. Family history is recorded in the dishes we prepare when all of the relatives get together under the same roof. We remember a familiar smell wafting from the kitchen, enticing people to gather around the table to share sustenance and love--of which there is no difference.
I am a college student who lives at school most of the year. Eating with the family, let alone eating good food in general, has become a rare treat. Whenever I come home, familiar aromas welcome me back--black beans simmering in a large pot, fresh garlic and onions, cumin, and caramelized plantains.
It used to be that I would walk in the door and welcome something else--the smell of some sort of meat roasting in the oven. My mother is Cuban, and Cuban food is not exactly vegetable-based. Meat, especially pork, is a staple in the Cuban household. Imagine being a half-Cuban daughter, trying to explain to your Cuban mother why you don't eat meat anymore. First, she'll give you a look, raising her eyebrows in disapproval. You know what she's thinking--"What have they been teaching you in that liberal arts school of yours?" Then, she'll ask you what you're planning on eating if you don't eat meat. She'll remind you that it's not exactly a common thing for a person in this family to become vegetarian. "What will you eat when we go to abuela's (grandmother's) house?"
This got me thinking. Though meat is no longer an option in my diet, that shouldn't mean I have to give up my family's cooking. I can be vegetarian and still continue preparing and eating traditional dishes. It just required a little experimenting. I discovered that, in addition to a few things that were already vegetarian, many Cuban dishes translate perfectly into vegan dishes. Here are a few of my favorites.
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