Three Guys from Miami:Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo on the Travel Channel

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Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo on the Travel Channel

Relaxing on Jorge's patio after a long day of taping. (L-R, Back) Jorge Castillo, Glenn Lindgren. (L-R, Front) Mark DeCarlo, Raul Musibay.

OK, he's a little weird and a little wacky, but hey -- we really like the guy! The Travel Channel's Mark DeCarlo recently visited us in Miami to tape a couple of segments for his new series, "Taste of America." The show, which premiered last month, takes viewers on a culinary tour of the United States.

Each episode features a different city and highlights several local foods. In Boston, it's chowder; in New York, it's cheesecake. For Miami, the show's producers wanted to feature tamales, and somehow they thought of us. (Maybe the giant tamal on the cover of our Cuban cookbook had something to do with it?)

Mark and Jorge break out their "Bobbsey Twins" routine. Looks like they both were having a yellow shirt day.

An Italian from Chicago, Mark is a well-known comedian whose show takes a lighthearted look at food. Some diehard foodies might cringe, but the Three Guys From Miami have never taken themselves seriously so we got a big kick out of Mark and his antics. Mark is a guy after our own hearts and the way he likes to goof around in the kitchen (as we do) -- well, let's just say if we ever need one, he could easily be the FOURTH Guy From Miami!

Jorge and Glenn spent most of the day with Mark, although the first half of our segment features Jorge showing Mark around Little Havana.

Stops included a fruit and vegetable market and a Little Havana cigar maker, an opportunity for Mark to indulge one of his passions.

Jorge also brought Mark to the Palace of Juices near Raúl's house in Westchester, one of our favorite haunts -- we have several pictures of the Palace on both of our Cuban cookbooks.

Shopping for cigars at El Credito on Calle Ocho.

Just when it looks like it's becoming the "Mark and Jorge Show," the two arrive at Jorge's house where Raúl and Glenn show Mark how to make Cuban tamales from a recipe in our first Cuban cookbook, "Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban."

We had a lot of fun in the kitchen and we even had a tamal stuffing and wrapping contest. Glenn was the fastest tamal stuffer, although Mark quickly got the hang of it.