ONCE UPON A TIME IN CUBA

There was a woman, known to all in the Island for her great beauty,

her sensual dancing, her love for chickens, and her passion for cooking.

Her name was Juana....Juana "la Cubana".

She was the direct descendant of a Spanish conquistador, Gabriel de Aragon, who had

broughthis wife Carmen de Bernal to live in the new colony...Gabriel and Carmen, fell in love

with Cuba. So much so that they disobeyed the order of his Royal Highness King Ole

Flamenco to return whence they came from. Spain. Gabriel and Carmen went inland and

hid... never to be seen again.

Centuries later, their great- great- great- great- great-great-great-great-great-great-grand-

daughter, Juana, was born. She was a special child. She danced before she walked, and

chickens would follow her everywhere she went...

By the time she was a teenager, Juana, was known in her town of Matanzas as the

"Chicken whisperer"...

However, she grew into a mesmerizing woman, and a great dancer. By the late 1930's she

was the hottest attraction at the Copa Cabana. She swayed her hips like the palm trees in

the beach during a hurricane. Men from all over the world came to admire her talent ...and

buy her chocolates. But, she refused them all...Thus, becoming even more desirable!

One of those men...was Ernest Hemingway. Yes, Juana, was the real reason why he hung

around Cuba drinking mojitos and writing books...

He longed to kiss her juicy, ruby red lips...and, as he sipped his mojitos he would imagine

Juana in all her splendor dancing...dancing...dancing...just for him!!!

Nevertheless, Juana was waiting ...and waiting....and waiting...

Yes, she waited a lot...for good things come with time!!!

As I was saying...She waited for that one aspecial man to conquer, not only her heart,

but to quench her appetite for..."Ropa Vieja", a Cuban beef stew!!!

That was the key to her heart. Hemingway, not knowing this, asked her out to dinner

after her last show at the Copa Cabana. She was always very hungry after dancing

and she accepted, hoping that he would take her to eat Ropa Vieja...Instead...he took

her to a very popular restaurant called "The Fisherman and the Sea". Not Good.

She looked at the menu. Disappointed, she cried. The server, a young man called Pepe,

spoke to her in a soft voice that sounded like Antonio Bandera's...

-"Miss Cubana, do you not see what your heart desires

in our menu?"

-"Ay chico, no I don't"!!!" she said sobbing.

-" Come with me Miss Cubana ...leave this old man, and I

will take you to my house where I have all the fixings for

Ropa Vieja!

Simmered flank steak until it's tender...onions...peppers...

garlic and bay leaf

I will first saute the garlic...

then add the onions and peppers...

and will let it play in the pan a little...

Then I will add the shredded beef...

and if you like...some roasted peppers...

I will finish it off with some tomato sauce!!!

How is that sounding, my Cubanita? Oh, and then I splash some

red Spanish wine ...you know...we could drink some too....

And finally...I will let it simmer like my passion for you ...

And ...I will serve it to you with hot, steamy white rice and

sweet plantains!!!

Juana got up so fast from the table, that she knocked it over! Then

waived goodbye to Hemingway as she ran away with Pepe. The rest

is history. When Juana tried Pepe's Ropa Vieja she knew he was the

one she had been waiting for!!!

After dinner she smoked a cigar.........

and danced for Pepe..