Spent most of today bouncing between staying busy by bringing order to the house and moping.  No, I'm not bipolar...we lost my mother-in-law on Tuesday.  My husband was having a particularly difficult day so when the opportunity presented itself to get out of the house and take our son to see his girlfriend, we decided this was a good time to shake off the doldrums and, since we had to eat anyway, check out a Cuban restaurant we pass on our journeys to and from Cocoa Beach. 

I'm a big fan of Cuban tamales and use them as my culinary litmus test when it comes to Cuban cuisine, so I had to start with one.  It didn't disappoint - light and fluffy with a little bit of Chorizo sausage in the filling, steamed (and presented) in a corn husk, drizzled with a vinegary Mojo, and topped with Ropa Vieja.  From there I moved on to the Pollo Enchilado, a Cuban representation of a Creole Chicken.  The chicken was a bit dry but the sauce was fantastic.  I found myself bidding adios to the chicken and filling in the empty places with yellow rice, letting it soak up all that spicy goodness.  The sweet plantains or, maduros, added a great balance of sweetness to offset the spice of the pollo sauce.  Yet, the winner of the night was the flan. Delicate and delicious with a great caramel sauce!  Okay, my next mission is to learn how to make Cuban tamales and then put my own twist on them.

A funny thing happened on the way home...

I stopped at the store on the way home from dinner and picked up some Visine and a bottle of wine.  In retrospect, I realize how that might have looked.  The checkout girl must have been thinking, "Man, that chick is really planning ahead!"  Well, I've always been a multi-tasker!  Came home, took a hot bath, put on my jammies that say, "Fatigued" across the...um, front, popped the cork on that wine, and started blogging. 

So I leave you tonight with a sweet treat...

Buenas Noches!