The Smithsonian and Chef Pernot will host the four-course luncheon at Cuba Libre in Penn Quarter (801 9th St., NW) on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at noon. Chef Pernot’s newest cookbook, Cuba Cooks: Recipes and Secrets from 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.
As Chef Pernot will discuss, 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).
FEATURED LUNCH MENU:
Canapés
Tapa de Salmón
Mojito-cured salmon, piquillo allioli
Buñuelo de Espinaca
Spinach fritters, goat cheese ranch dressing
Ropa Vieja de Pato
Braised pulled duck with sweet peppers, grilled onions, and Hawaiian tostón
Entrada
Papa Rellena
Potato croquettes filled with goat picadillo, served with sweet guajillo pepper sauce, crispy onions, and Manchego crema
Principal
Pez en Salsa de Coco
Pan-roasted corvina in a fresh coconut milk–cilantro sauce
Para la Mesa
Ensalada de Calabaza
Steamed West Indian calabaza squash, Spanish olive oil
Puré de Boniato
Double-whipped white sweet potato, ginger, and peppers
Postre
Flan de Queso
Cheese flan, candied guava
