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All I want for Christmas: Pastelitos
The communal kitchenette in my
I am not sharing this to paint people from
The story is shared more to illustrate that the shipping and sending of Cuban foods is a two decade tradition. My parents generously have shipped me food since I left home and ventured to these places forsaken of dulce de leche and guava paste.
When I moved to
Each time my parents prepare to drive here (they don’t fly), they call to ask what I want. In years past, there usually was something I was craving, but could not find. Eventually, the list has gotten shorter. The fabulous little market expanded its Latin foods as the community here has grown and then in 2003 the most glorious of all things happened: Publix opened not too far from my Boonie house. I was pregnant then and despite swollen feet, I would stand in front of the frozen Goya foods section, complete with cut-up yuca and mamey pulp, and grin como una loca. I just loved looking. I have a love of Publix that goes very deep. My husband believes me to be ill.
But anyway, my parents will be here in a few days and I am sure my father already is packing up the car. The call will come any minute. “Que quieres? Café? Yuca? Guayaba? Platanitos? Mojo?’’ Our kitchen will look like a Sedano’s.
Truth is, I can get most anything Cuban in a can or package. My requests now are for pastelitos and Cuban bread. (The Publix baker sheepishly confessed he doesn’t make traditional Cuban bread because the Americans didn’t like it. He sticks French bread in the paper sleeves labeled “Cuban Bread.” Personally, I think that’s a crime and one day I will send my mom in there to wag a finger at him.)
So in a matter of days, my box of pasteles and my soft, lardy bread will be here. I will eat as many as I can and then swipe my husband’s if I can. And, as usual, I will begin my year hoping some Cuban from Miami moves here and opens a real bakery…(know anybody?)…and of course, thanking my parents for two decades of transporting the goods across state lines.
Pastelitos would be my vote for “food of the gods.”
Your parents are to be praised with great praise.
Mom and I decided to make the long drive (about an hour, maybe an hour and a half) to Porto’s in Glendale on the 23rd so we have pastelitos for Noche Buena and Christmas morning. I can’t wait! ;-)
My mom always brings me croqueticas de jamon. Mmm. Croqueticas. Mmmm.
This year, no Christmas turrones. And maybe not ever again. Maria has a nut allergy, so stuffing myself with jijona (is that how you spell it?) won’t be happening.
Amy 90 minutes is worth the drive for sure. And oh, croquetas. Never been on the list for travel, but consumed at ventanitas when I’m home…que rico!
OMG - my father used to own a Cuban bakery in Miami years ago. If he knew back the, he probably would have moved and opened another one. I bet he would visit your baker at Publix and tell him how to make ‘masa’ for pastelitos de guayaba. Mmmmmmm!
You don’t really appreciate how wonderful and amazing Publix is until you leave Florida. I just took it for granted, and then I went to school in Chicago and learned that the vast majority of moderately priced supermarkets in the rest of the country are just bad. So I totally understand where you’re coming from. People have called me crazy as well for getting all teary-eyed over a supermarket, but seriously, Publix is great.
And I totally miss those pastelitos, even now that I live about a half block from Union City, NJ. Churros are the thing here, and if you can find a pastelito, it’s usually not very good. So whenever friends from Miami come to visit, I always offer use of my couch in return for a boxful of pasteles de guayaba y queso from La Suiza Bakery.
Someone told me that there is a Cuban bakery in Charlotte, NC. If anyone knows, please publish the name and/or address.
I live in Blowing Rock, NC, but would drive to Charlotte or any other town nearby to get guava pastries . . . only thing I miss from Miami.
I’m in New York and you’d think that with all the Boricuas and cubans in the area there would be a bakery some where but there’s not=( I love pastelitos and it’s what I miss most from Miami. I would say flan too but thank goodness I know how to make it or I’d really be lost. Recently my mom went to Miami and the first thing I asked her was to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE bring me a big box full of pastelitos. I couldn’t wait till she came back. When she did, I was so excited because she brought pastelitos de carne, de guayaba y de guayaba y queso. They were soooo good! She even brought me pan cubano. Now they’re all gone and hopefully I won’t have to wait too long before I can get my hands on some pastelitos again. I guess we’ll see. Until then, I’ve deceided to try and learn how to make them myself. BY THE WAY, I don’t know if they’re in all the stores that sell frozen goya products but in my area there’s a Hannaford Supermarket and they sell pastelitos from Goya. They don’t compare but they’re good, in case anyone would like to try them =)
If anyone is still reading this blog and/or are interested, I own a bakery in Miami and am interested in shipping pastelitos throughout the US.
These can keep for a few days and our pastries are baked fresh many times a day so freshness would not be an issue.
It also may be a source for all of you yearning for pastelitos and Cuban Bread - a new business maybe - a storefront and an oven is really all you need.
If anyone is interested please contact me [email protected]