El Nuevo Caribeno Restaurant

We just happened to be in East Harlem to buy fabric for my friend’s halloween costume. Reluctant to give up a chance to taste authentic spanish food, we went to “El Nuevo Caribeno Restaurant” (roughly translates to The new Caribbean restaurant).There were many empty tables, a huge menu with tons to choose from; soup, salad, meat- grilled, sautéed, or fried. The portions were huge and the price was very reasonable.

Fried Pork chop! Really crispy and juicy. I think pork chops are really hard to cook, usually it’s dried as paper if not cooked properly.

Comes with a side of rice and beans!

Sauteed chicken and pepper- the chicken alone was a bit dry but with the sauteed, it’s fine.

Side of plantains

You will definitely get your money’s worth. The meal was satisfying and we had leftovers to bring home. if you’re expecting something unique in flavor you’re at the wrong place, but if all you want is a huge authentically spanish cuisine, this is the place.

The Shadow of The Wind

I had trouble deciding what to post about; after all, it’s the 100th posts of this blog! Not that numbers mean more than its content; however I still wanted to celebrate this huge milestone for this petite blog of ours.

I could be an avid reader from time to time; the book that had got me really excited after five pages and prompted me to buy it from the actual store at retail price when I was a broke college student, was The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron, a Spanish author. The novel is translated (the translator did a great job, not that I know spanish but the fluidly of the sentences and stories prove it all).

The story starts with a bookstore owner telling his son he must not tell anyone of this place he is going to bring him too; apparently it’s a place of forgotten books. The whole novel is a tribute to the love of books intricately weaving mystery stories of history and following the flow of time. The three books are set in parallel universe; sharing characters and a family owned bookstore that spans across generations.

I do not want to spoil the books for anyone. But if you’re out of ideas as what to read, The Shadow of the Wind is very awesome. I like the first two the most The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s game. The Angel’s game reminds me of Alan Judd’s The Devil’s Own Work which is also one of my favorite works. Years ago, I lent my copy to a friend and have not seen it.

It is about the art of writing; how the young writer naively sells his soul to the devil to create great works of Art. As an artist, to create art is excruciating; you work with so many uncompromising elements including your artist’s ego. Don’t get me wrong, there are also times when you’re so excited about your project, you’re myopically ecstatic in your own dream land. Those moments are irreplaceable and memorable; a feeling that could barely be described but wonderfully felt.

The last book, The Prisoner of Heaven is about the author of The Angel’s game. Some mysteries are solved and some are not. I am not sure if there will be another after the last book! But I am such a fan, I think if there is a 4th book coming out, I’d definitely get it in a heartbeat.