The Smithsonian and Chef Pernot will host the four-course luncheon at Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar in Penn Quarter (801 9th St., NW) on Wednesday, November 14th at noon. Chef Pernot’s newest cookbook, Cuba Cooks: Recipes and Secrets from the Cuban Paladares and Their Chefs, was inspired by his frequent travels to Cuba, and event attendees can look forward to learning about his time in Cuba and trying his newest recipes during the luncheon. 

The best food in Cuba can be found in paladares, small private restaurants generally run out of family homes. From Old Havana to Santiago de Cuba, these tiny, hard-to-find places are acclaimed for the bold flavors and fresh ingredients found in a wide range of tempting dishes, from the homey sopa de tamal to the exotic green mango-chayote escabeche. The dishes from Cuba’s paladares have been collected in Chef Pernot’s Cuba Cooks.

Copies of Cuba Cooks will be available throughout the event - be sure to get your copy signed by Chef Pernot before the end of lunch!  

Tickets for the luncheon can be purchased NOW through the Smithsonian’s Website ($65 member/$75 non-member). 

CUBA LIBRE LUNCHEON MENU

Canapés:  Fritura de Bacalao (with Aji sauce), Buñuelo de Espinaca (with goat-cheese ranch), Croqueta de Pollo Cachucha (with cachucha allioli) 

Entrada (Appetizer):  Sopa de Tamal (fresh roasted vegetables and Cuban corn tamal, “golden” vegetable broth)

Principal (Entrée):  Pez de Manglar (pan-roasted Black King fish, green mango-chayote escabeche, black bean broth

Para la Mesa (sides, served family style): Arroz con Calabaza (West Indies calabaza squash-jasmine rice pilaf); Caponata Cubana (warm garden vegetable stew)

Postre (Dessert):  Tarta de Chocolate (fallen chocolate soufflé tart, dulce de leche, and chocolate-orange