Glenn Lindgren: Cubans really got it right when they invented Cuban bread.
Jorge Castillo: With a crisp crust on the outside and a lightly textured inside, a warm, fresh- baked loaf of Cuban bread is the next best thing to heaven.
Glenn Lindgren: Although there are some limited areas of the country where you can get a decent loaf of Cuban bread...
Jorge Castillo: ...cities like Chicago and Union City New Jersey...
Glenn Lindgren: ...the best Cuban bread is made in South Florida. In fact, the "Cuban Bread Line" (the Mason Dixon line of Cuban pastry) stretches across the state just north of Tampa.
Raúl Musibay: If you go anywhere north of the Cuban Bread Line you have two chances of getting a decent loaf: slim and none.


The Miami bakery loaf is about twice as wide as the slimmer version found in other cities. At some bakeries, you might even find a charred remnant or two of a palmetto leaf, used during baking to create a distinctive cracking along the leaf line. Most Miami bakeries achieve the same effect by slitting the top of the loaf with a knife. After baking, bakeries keep the bread fresh and warm in a huge heated rack right behind the counter. You will never get a cold loaf of bread at a Cuban bakery.

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The original -- still great! 100 classic Cuban recipes as they are eaten in Miami today.
More than 100 Recipes!
Now available in paperback with a soft, kitchen-counter-friendly cover!