DISCOVEIIY OF WEST TAMPA


 This painting by Anthony Cardoso, "The Discovery of Tampa Bay, retumed to the scene. The Inrdians considered it an invasion, a struggle
April 15, 1528. Callusa Indian Chief Casique Carlos Parleys with Pan- ensued and Narvaez'lost sight in his right eye.
filo de Nrvaez of Spain," depicts the discovery of Tampa Bay. Captain The artist,- Anthony Cardoso,i was born and raised in West. Tampa.
Cook's visit to the Pacific Islands followed the steps only when he He has exhibited his workalloverthe world, from Tampa, Texas, Geor-
returned he was killed. gia, Tennessee, Indiana, Virginia, Minnesota, London, Italy, Belgium
 This original painting depicts the first peaceful visit by Narvaez and New York t Paris, but he still calls Tampa home. He is married
after returning to the ship to rest and pick up supplies, the Spanish with two daughters and resides in West Tampa.


Latin fimerican Culinarf Identitu in We


 (Continued from page 6)
 two are even offered together
 in one dish at Happy Fish:
 tacu-tacu con lomo saltado,
 which consists. of fried rice
 and beans topped with beef
-that has been sauted with
onions, tomatoes and herbs.
 Spanish Caribbean
 Takes West Tampa
 No discussion of Latin
American cuisine and cer-
tainly no discussion that
takes place in West Tampa
- would be complete without
first covering what may argu-
ably be the most influential of
all Latin American cuisines:
Spanish Caribbean cuisine.

 : .: ~ ~ .''".'


 As the first colonies settled
by the Spanish so many centu-
ries ago, the islands of Puerto
Rico, the Dominican Republic
and especially Cuba possess
some of the closest cuisine to
that of Spain than any other
region in Latin America due
in part to a paler indigenous
foundation. Natives to the is-
lands were quickly wiped out
or enslaved when the Spanish
made their settlement in the
Caribbean islands.
. Notably absent from Span-
ish Caribbean cuisine is the
use of chilies for heat (as can
be found in much of the cui-
sine of Mexico and Peru), and


Arco Iris.
Page 14 Section B/LA GACETA/Friday, May 8,2009


Arco Iris' freshly baked Cuban bread is stacked and
ready to be buttered every morning.
in its stead is a balance of salty have never left, such as oreg-
and sweet foods and ingredi- ano, anise, cumin and even
ents. In arroz con pollo (chick- cinnamon and brown sugar.
en and rice, a Latin American While the culinary similari-
standby if ties in the
ever there rl COM L'l f\66 1 O u c Spanish
was one), R co'5 Wo0 o LO^ i Caribbean
the saffron r are numer-
seasoning and salty flavor of ous, less well known are the
the chicken and rice is offset differences between them.
by the addition of sweet peas Puerto Rican cuisine, for
and tomatoes, which gives the example, makes use of red
dish its signature, well-bal- beans far more often than the
anced flavor. Dominican Republic or Cuba,
 Raisins, figs, capers and both of whom favor black
olives are also widely used beans. Even in countries
throughout the region in many where the red bean is used
dishes alongside a number of prolifically (like Honduras
spices which came directly or Nicaragua), Puerto Rican
from Spain centuries ago and cuisine still retains its indi-


st Tampa
viduality. In Central Ameri-
can countries, red beans are
not cooked as long as those
in Puerto Rico, thereby giv-
ing the beans a firmer texture
than would be found in Puerto
Rico. And used almost exclu-
sively in Puerto Rican cuisine
is the pigeon pea, which can
be eaten separately or mixed
with rice, just as red, black or
Mexican refried beans would
be. Pigeon pea rice, one of
Puerto Rico's most popular
dishes, is a rare Puerto Ri-
can specialty best left to the
experts in West Tampa, and
there is no shortage of those.
Mambo's Caf on N. Armenia
Ave. offers the dish daily, and
La Cason on N. Armenia Ave.,
Mi Pueblo Cafeteria on Lin-
coln Dr. across from Macfar-
lane Park and El Nio on N.
'Dale Mabry Hwy. are all sure
bets as well.
 When speaking of Puerto
Rican cuisine, however, it
would be a crime to omit its
chief culinary staple: mo-
fongo. The dish is made from
fried green plantains that
have been seasoned with
garlic, olive oil, bacon and a
variety of other meats, then
mashed all together. Mofongo
is indicative of one culinary
rift between Puerto Rico and
Cuba: the plantain. As Luis
Capedevila, owner of one of
West Tampa's most renowned
eateries, the expanding La
Teresita, explained, Cubans
prefer their plantains rip-
ened and sweet. Puerto Ri-
cans, however, more often eat
their plantains unripe and
accompanied by another gas-
tronomic element for flavor.
Though its fare is traditional-
ly Cuban, Capedevila knows
how to serve up fried green
plantains, and at La Teresita
they arrive at the table ac-
companied by a garlic dip-
ping sauce.
 (Continued on page 15)