AN EXILE AND THE FLAVORS OF HIS NATIVE LAND

In the sprawling Cortadito, Enrique Fernández explores Cuban cuisine through memories of growing up on the pre-revolutionary island. In his sensual journey through the origin and evolution of staples of Cuban food, Fernández wonders what shapes flavor: is it the soil or the community--whether at home or abroad? As an exile, he affirms, "I will continue to sample the crumbs that fall from [Cuba's] table and be thankful and resentful at the same time."