Picadillo Cubano a la Criolla

[Raquel M]

You cut garlic, onions,green peppers,green olives, capers, you add ground
beef, dry wine, tomato sauce, parshley, you mix all together and put it
in a pan ( without oil ) you just cook it all together and it will cook in its
own juices....
I add some raisins...The only condiment I add is some cumin and
a splash of oregano...I do not put salt on it because the olives and
the capers have salt.
You serve it next to the white rice....so people will start eating and
mixing both.
Some people like to add ham or chorizo, etc...but then it will be
a variation of the original recipe.
Cuban food is not spicy, we don't even use pepper!
____________________________________________________________
Usted pica en trozos pequenos el ajo, la cebolla, el aji verde, le agrega aceitunas verdes, alcaparrado,carne molida, vino seco, salsa de tomate, perejil, todo esto se mescla y se pone en la sarten ( sin aceite), se cocina
todo junto en su propio jugo. Se le puede agregar pasas...El unico
condimento que yo le agrego es el comino y muy poquitico de oregano.
Yo no le agrego sal porque ya las aceitunas y las alcaparras tienen sal.
Se sirve al lado del arroz blanco...las personas cuando comienzan a
comer comienzan a mezclarlos.
Algunas personas les gusta agregar jamon, chorizo, etc....pero ya esto
es una variacion de la receta original.
La comida Cubana no es picante, nosotros no usamos ni pimienta!

[Art]

Hi, Raquel,

What does "a la Criolla" mean?

-----------------------------

Hola, Raquel,

¿Qué significa "a la Criolla"?

[Bob]

My understanding is that it refers to native (i.e. regional or local) style. The English cognate "creole" has implications (in Louisiana culture at least) of multiracial and multicultural. This certainly might apply to Cuba as well.

Several of our local restaurants here in New Haven sell "Cuban" sandwiches - a huge amount of thinly sliced roast pork and ham with pickle and cheese on a hard roll. One of my favorites, although I can never finish one in a single sitting.

In linguistics, "creole" is a pidgin that has achieved the status of a native language. Not sure whether or not "criollo" is used with this meaning.

[Raquel M]

Creole.....Criollo...tipico...original

Ok, we say something is criollo meaning something original...native...
Picadillo criollo...means Picadillo original.


Ok, nosotros cuando decimos algo es criollo, queremos decir es algo
original....Picadillo criollo....es el Picadillo original, tipico, nativo del lugar.

Buenas noches!!! Good night!

[Art]

In linguistics, "creole" is a pidgin that has achieved the status of a native language.

Yeah, that's why I asked.

At first this usage seems like a different meaning altogether, but now that I think about it, it may be a reference to the "local style" being (I assume) heavily influenced by Spanish, African, and possibly Latin traditions. In other words, it's a "pidgin" cuisine. What do you think Raquel?

I also wonder if this usage with food is specifically Cuban?

----------------------

En lingüística, la "criolla" es un pidgin que se ha alcanzado al estatus de una lengua nativa.

Sí, y por eso pregunté.

Al primer momento me parecía ser un uso de un sentido totalmente distinto, pero ahora que pienso otra vez, puede ser una referencia al "estilo local" siendo (supongo) muy influido por las tradiciones española, africana y, posiblemente latina. En otras palabras, es una cocina "pidgin". ¿Qué crees Raquel?

¿También me pregunto si este uso con la cocina sea específicamente cubano?

[Raquel M]

The " true Cubans" were the Indians...and they were all killed by the
Spaniards...they ate fruits and simple meals...so...anything else is
a mix of the Spanish style of cooking and the African cooking, also
the Chinese cooking, because those were the three different groups
in the island.

Los " verdaderos Cubanos" fueron los Indios....y todos ellos murieron
a causa de los Espanoles...ellos comian frutas y comidas sencillas...
entonces...todo lo demas es una mezcla del estilo Espanol de cocina,
la cocina Africana, tambien la comida China, porque esos fueron los
tres grupos diferentes en la isla.

[Bob]

In fairness, although the Spaniards and English and French did kill Indians (native americans, who also killed one another), the infectious diseases that they inadvertently introduced caused the vast majority of deaths.

An examination of modern populations also shows that the Spaniards interbred with native americans far more than the English.

Woodcuts and texts from the time suggest that some of the Caribbean natives practiced cannibalism, but it is hard to rule out a political component for justification of conquest. A paper published in Science a few years ago suggests that there is a genetic remnant of resistance to prion disease (transmitted by cannibalism) in European and Asian populations, and that therefore cannibalism was not uncommon in many ethnic groups. There are other possible interpretations of the data that have been published. I have fun using the original paper with my first year biology class. It shakes the students up a bit to consider that they may have cannibal ancestry.

[Raquel M]

Whatever...there were too many things involved, the illness, the hard
work they never used to do before, different causes contributed.
The Indians in Cuba were peaceful Indians, they were not cannibals.
I do believe in the " genetic memory" when I went to Cancun, Mexico
and I saw the indians dancing dressed like owls and snakes....I felt
so bad I ran, my whole body was cold and shaken...may be one of
my ancestors had a bad experience with those indians that used to
practice cannibalism!

Pudiera ser cualquiera de las cosas...habian muchas cosas envueltas
( en el asunto ) como las enfermedades, el trabajo duro que ellos nunca antes habian tenido que hacer, diferentes causas contribuyeron.
Los Indios de Cuba eran Indios pacificos, ellos no eran canibales.
Yo creo en la " memoria genetica" cuando yo fui a Cancun, Mexico y
yo vi a los indios bailando vestidos como lechuzas y serpientes....yo me
senti tan mal que corri, mi cuerpo completo estaba frio y tembloroso...
pudiera ser que alguno de mis antepasados tubo una mala experiencia
con esos indios que acostumbraban a practicar el canibalismo!!!!

[Eric Smith Fernandez]

As I understand it, "Criollo" was used to in colonial times to signify someone of Spanish descent born in the Americas. I'm not sure if it is relavent to your discussion.


--------------------------------------------

Al entendimiento mío la palabra <criollo> había usado en los tiempos coloniales para significar algiuén de herencía española que nació en las ámericas. No estoy seguro que tiene ninguna relación con esa dicusión.

[Raquel M]

Si, es algo correcto lo que dices.

Los " criollos " son los nativos o nacidos en las Americas ....tambien en el
lenguaje "Cubano" se le dice " rellollo" para decir que algo es tipico.
No te preocupes de las faltas de ortografia que equivocandose es que
se aprende.

Yes, it is correct.

The " criollos" are the ones born in the Americas... also in the " Cuban"
language they are called " rellollos" when you want to say it's something
typical of the place. Do not worry for the mistakes, you always learn from the mistakes.