Cuban Breakfast Tostada and Cafe con Leche

Buffet on Table: Breakfasts across Countries

Day 20: Cuban Breakfast Tostada and Cafe con Leche

We are going to stop in Cuba today for a Cuban Tostada and coffee. It does not any simpler than this one -- toasted sandwich with Cuban style coffee and fruit -- this is a typical breakfast served in Cuba.

Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish and Caribbean cuisines. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish cooking with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor.

Cuban breakfast consists of a platter of scrambled eggs and bacon, usually with potatoes or a bowl of fruit with papayas and mangoes. The tostada can be served on the side or can be served all by itself.
Even though the name sounds like 'toasted', the bread in the Cuban tostada is actually grilled until nice and crispy with butter. The sandwich is then dipped in the coffee or milk and eaten.
I made my own Cuban bread and here's the recipe for it.  This sandwich takes just a few minutes to make. Serve hot with Cuban Cafe con Leche.

Cuban Tostada:
Ingredients: Makes 2 sandwiches
Cuban Bread - 1 small loaf, cut in half (Here's the recipe for homemade Cuban bread. French or Italian bread can also be used.)
Soft butter - 2tbsp or more

Method:

• Split the loaf horizontally. Close the halves and butter the outside on both sides. Place it on a hot nonstick or cast-iron skillet or a sandwich press or panini grill. 
• If using a skillet, put some weight on the sandwich (I use a foil wrapped brick or a heavy can or cast iron skillet) and cook till the bottom is crispy and toasty, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat for another 1~2 minutes. Serve with Cafe con leche. Enjoy!!

Cafe con Leche:
Cubans love their coffee and make it in a special way. I'm not a coffee person, but I am willing to try it out once in a while. This Coffee with milk and sugar sounded just the way I like to drink my coffee. I followed the recipe from here. I made this Cuban coffee for myself and liked how frothy and sweet the coffee tasted. I have to make it for my coffee loving husband some time.

Recipe from here:

Ingredients: Serves 2~3

Cuban Coffee - 3~4tbsp (Cafe Bustelo brand preferred)

Sugar - 3~4tbsp (adjust as taste)

Milk - 1cup

Method:

• You will need a percolator or other similar device to make the coffee concentrate (called decoction in India). Pack the percolator with coffee. Then fill the tank with about 1cup of water. Place the percolator on the stove and cook till the coffee is ready.
• In the meantime warm your milk until steamy. Keep aside.
• Put sugar in a measuring cup and when the coffee is ready, pour 1~2tbsp of it into sugar. Now beat this mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved and it starts getting light and frothy. This is the key ingredient for the Cuban Coffee.
• Now slowly pour in the remaining coffee into the sugar mixture and the foam or froth rises to the top.
• Now pour the coffee into the milk and top with a few spoons of the foam. Mix well and enjoy with Cuban tostada!!

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