I have Chispa!

Chispa: The spark that emits when you're working with iron and heat, or the spark you see right when a match is lit.

The Real Academia Española (the absolute go-to for the Spanish language) defines that someone has chispa if they are on the ball and ready for action (ser muy vivo y alerto).

Last month, I submitted a video for the Chispa Marketing Chispa Challenge. The winner would be rewarded with a pair of tickets to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Grand Tasting Village on Saturday, February 26th.

I was making the last few croquetas from Croquetapalooza with the Burger Beast and my house was a nuthouse (usual). I asked my hubby to capture a quick :30 spot I could submit for the challenge




The results came in yesterday and thanks to my personal family and La Cocina's Facebook family, I'm going to the SBWFF next Saturday. I've downloaded my SoBe Fest iPhone App, started researching who I'd like to meet in order to influence The Project and have my festival cookbook and Sharpie ready for signatures.

It's like Christmas in February for this sofrito kid!

Flan: a perfect, complete, nutritious meal

My grandmother (carne fria) hasn't been feeling too well lately. She's been pretty under the weather for a few months now and today, I got such a kick from a comment she made, I had to post it on my Facebook page.

Mi abuela was telling me about how much my kids love sweets (no kidding). She then went on to tell me about how flan is the perfect food.

Huevos, leche y azucar - ¿que más quieres?

She does have a point, of course. And many of you agreed with her. Enough to add your own family items to the list of perfect foods - filling, nutritious, wholesome (most of the time) and perfect for a merienda (afternoon snack):

1. Vino Sanson with an egg yolk (Danny tells me Vino Sanson is a dessert wine from Spain; this is one of those mythical foods I would only hear of, but never see, whilest growing up).


2. A shot of Bailey's is good for the mothers-in-waiting (not enough alcohol according to Mrs. P's abuela).


3. Whiskey, honey and lemon, slightly heated, cures a bad cough. Mayra has been having that at her grandma's house since she was a kid.


4. Croquetas, according to Grecia. Complete meal indeed - protein, starch, maybe a veggie (if you count the onions in the bechamel).


5. Puré de malanga, calabaza and all other root vegetables. My grandmother used to make mashed potatoes, butter only, for me whenever I was sick. Any type of sick. And it is the one thing I still crave when I'm sick and have no ganas (no desire) to eat.


6. Beets for good blood. Really, Dina?


7. Malta con leche condensada. This was given to kids that were "too skinny". Seriously? When did you ever meet a Cuban that was "too skinny"?

I thought today's commentary was worth a post. I hope you did, too. Of course I left some of your family's perfect foods out. Share them with us here. Who knows, I may have to jump on it for The Project!