A Taste of Cuba

When Feast contributor Tuan Lee embarked on a cultural trip to photograph the people and customs of Cuba with his mentor, noted photographer Michael Eastman, he returned bearing a number of savory stories. His collection of sights, sounds and flavors surrounding the country's cuisine are rarely experienced by the average American traveler.

One of Havana's few family-owned restaurants, La Cocina de Lilliam is a culinary gem and a true reflection of owner Lilliam Dominguez Palenzuela's lifelong passions. Exquisitely composed and pleasantly presented, each recipe has been honed, tested and retested until the sagacious chef is satisfied it can no longer be improved upon. She began cooking as a teenager, learning from her mother and a neighbor who shared her kitchen and her culinary knowledge openly with Palenzuela. Fifteen years ago, the Cuban government allowed, for the first time, the opening of small private businesses as a way to combat increasing economic problems caused by the lack of political and financial support from the U.S.S.R. Palenzuela took the opportunity to leave her then-career as a fashion designer and open her own restaurant, bringing with her an eye for detail and visual appeal. Today, Palenzuela happily cooks alongside her daughter Cleo and brother Carlos, while her sons and her husband Ulloa help keep the restaurant running smoothly. Every visit is a new experience, as Palenzuela continuously changes the menu, furnishings, plants and atmosphere to meet her evolving vision of perfection. 

Cuban cuisine has its origins in Spanish, Portuguese, Creole and Chinese traditions, with its geography introducing seafood and indigenous tropical fruits and root vegetables into the mix. Authentic Cuban cooking focuses on natural ingredients with predominant flavors and includes distinctive (but difficult to acquire) spices, most notably garlic, cumin and oregano. Markets and street food are central to Havana's culinary scene, filling the cityscape with brightly colored produce and freshly butchered meats. Aromas of traditional Cuban sandwiches cooking in a sandwich press waft past lines of people chatting as they wait their turn at the windows of popular juice stands.

St. Louis photographer Tuan Lee has been traveling the world, expanding his artistic and culinary repertoire, for 12 years. As an editorial and commercial photographer, he specializes in photographing people. Tuan would like to thank Havana producer Luis Lago Diaz for his generous assistance and Carlos Urdanivia for his gracious company.

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Join chef-instructor Matt Borchardt and FEAST publisher Catherine Neville for an authentic Cuban cooking demo on Wed., Sept. 15 at 6:30pm. Call 314.587.2433 to reserve your space today!