New food truck brings Cuban food to Evansville
EVANSVILLE – Are you ready for some Cuban food right here in Evansville? Make a stop at the Love at First Bite by Taste of Cuba truck.
Owner Barbara Gutierrez DeJarnett was born and raised in Miami by Cuban parents. She and husband Don DeJarnett moved to Evansville 15 years ago to find a slower-paced life and to be closer to Don’s family, who lives here.
Don is currently the pastor at the Berlin Heights Church of Christ, but you’ll find him helping on the truck as well. Barbara is an employment specialist at The ARC of Evansville, helping people with disabilities find and keep jobs.
The DeJarnetts began serving food at local Latin festivals about seven years ago under the name A Taste of Cuba.
“Most of the Latin food here is Mexican, and we wanted to show people the difference in the cultures and how we cook differently,” Barbara said.
Cuban and Mexican cuisine both are Latin in that they were influenced by Spain; but in Mexico, the Spanish-European style is layered over indigenous Mexican foods and cooking techniques that developed in a predominately dry environment where chilies, beans and corn were staples. Areas along the Gulf Coast are wetter, but the Mexican food we're most familiar with here is from central and northern Mexico.
In Cuba, Spanish cooks landed on a Caribbean Island with lush vegetation, tropical fruit and staples of sweet potatoes, yuca root, plantains and lots of seafood. Layer on more influence from the African population of the Caribbean and the cuisine becomes very unique. There are even more, newer, Cuban specialties that have developed within the dense Cuban population of Miami.
Both cuisines feature beans and rice, but even those are cooked differently.
“We use very different seasonings than they do in Mexico,” DeJarnett said. “There are a lot of lemons and limes, a lot of olives, bell peppers, pimentos and onions. I love Mexican food, but the flavors are different.”
On the menu at Love at First Bite
Ropa vieja – This is one of Cuba’s most famous dishes. Flank steak is boiled until tender, then shredded and simmered gently in a sauce of tomato paste, sofrito (a reduced cooked mixture of peppers, onion, garlic, tomato and spices) garlic, cumin, olives, raisins and onions.
Lechon asado (roasted pork) – Think of this as Cuban pulled pork. Pork shoulder is marinated overnight in a mojo sauce of orange and lemon juice, garlic and special spices, then roasted in the oven until falling apart tender. It’s finished on the grill at the last minute with caramelized onions.
Fried plantains – These big starchy bananas are a Cuban staple. Fried while semi-ripe, they’re mostly savory and a little sweet, and best sprinkled with garlic salt.
Black beans – To make black beans Cuban-style, DeJarnett adds sofrito, onions, peppers and garlic and cooks it all down with a little vinegar to taste.
Pastelitos – Puff pastry rounds filled with tropical guava paste and mild white cheese.
Pastelitos with meat – Puff pastry rounds filled with a finely minced mixture of ground beef, onion, bell pepper, raisins and olives.
Empanadas – These fried turnovers have the same beef filling as the Pastelitos, but are enhanced with cheese, red sauce and sour cream.
In the future
The menu will grow over time. Look soon for a Cuban steak sandwich called Pan con Bistec, which is topped with caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato, and crispy potato sticks. The truck is called “Love at First Bite by A Taste of Cuba,” because Barbara plans on adding non-Cuban entrees sometimes. Eventually, American dishes such as chili and barbecue will be added.
You will often find Love at First Bite by A Taste of Cuba at 1204 E. Missouri St. at North Fares, in the parking lot of Kempf Cabinet Company, but it will travel to other places and events as well.
Watch the Facebook page and Evansville Food Trucks on Facebook for times and dates of service, or call 812-901-3392 for more information.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Love at First Bite by A Taste of Cuba is serving in Evansville
