ey yo Cuban!...

normally, you'd expect a native New Yorker (cue the music...) to drone on about what he misses about the biggest and best city in the world, his home. but that's just not going to be the case here, 'cause i got that scouting spirit up in brain...

sure, i miss the tons of snow, the black ice and ungodly cold. that corner of 71st and metro that seems to be the coldest place in Queens, or that turn on 31 st on the way to the Garden, where the boys and i used to hit the now-shut Blarney Stone between 6th and 7th...

in all seriousness, its peculiar what it is you do miss...

friends? of course, i've been away before and the world still turns. everybody's got their something, mine is Tucson...

pizza? not really, i had my fill on the way out and there is a place downtown that does the trick...

deli? diner? what have you, Tucson has more good places to eat than you'd think...

nightlife? Mostly Bears aren't playing in New York, neither is Tom Walbank. you don't know them, but you should...

what i do miss? semolina bread, so i baked it. and it was good...

what else? i thought of something i wasn't able to grab before my way out the door via Delta...

a Cubano, pan con lechon, a cuban sandwich, the sandwich that makes all other sandwiches jealous. so i went to the lab and got to work...

the lab...

first thing to do was to get myself some bread that could fit the bill. since i had great success with baking semolina, i figured i'd take a shot at baking some Cuban bread. after picking up a recipe to take heed of i went to work putting the bread together...

kneeding, martini optional...

then it was on to the pork. i had the damndest time finding myself some roast pork to use along with the traditional ingredients of ham, swiss and pickles. i bought small piece of pork and seasoned it up and sent it into the oven...

a little garlic (fresh only you scalawags), rosemary, thyme, lemon and lime stuffed into small slits cut into the meat. currently i'm buying fresh herbs and letting them dry out on their own as i go through them. until i can get the garden up and running it will have to do. i added some salt and pepper along with some extra virgin olive oil and dry vermouth (in lieu of white wine). i let it sit for a bit and preheated to 350. martini optional...

a note on the martini. i prefer a gin martini fairly dry, with a twist. i stir my martinis, i have since my bartending days, because who wants a watered down shot of gin and vermouth? i prefer Bombay Saphire or Hendricks, but will settle for a Tanquery and even slum with a New Amsterdam when the wallet is light. the vermouth is Martini & Rossi. my trick is to shake the vermouth in a mixing glass with ice and then pour out the majority of the vermouth. it sticks to the ice, and gives you more room for the gin...

after letting the bread and pork cool, i sliced the pork and stored it for the night in the refrigerator and put the bread in the microwave. i slept with one eye open in anticipation of putting all together the next day...

you know the recipe. i choose mustard over mayo any day and twice on Tuesday. i set up a pan on medium heat with butter and placed the sandwich in the pan. i compressed the sandwich with another, heavy pan, a la the GW grilled cheese technique. flip it, repeat, and plate...

the product, primitive crudite optional...

who needs New York? you guys have snow and ice, i have a cubano...