Episode Description

Season 3

In this episode of More Than Rice and Beans, Miguel and Tania talk with Frias about his journey to connecting with his Cuban heritage, which later inspired his memoir, his views on the Miami food scene, and his favorite coquito recipe of all time. Plus, we learn what makes a meal genuinely great, hear about his time in Cuba, and gain insight into his latest James Beard Award win.

SHOW NOTES

Season 3 | Episode 7

More Than Rice and Beans Podcast®

The Miami Voice of Food & Culture Meet Carlos Frias

Episode Description:

Carlos Frias’ life has been shaped by food from his father’s work as a prison cook to earn his exit visa from Cuba to his childhood spent watching Cuban men gather at Miami’s coffee windows to his six years as food Editor at the Miami Herald. In this episode of More Than Rice and Beans, Miguel and Tania talk with Frias about his journey to connecting with his Cuban heritage, which later inspired his memoir, his views on the Miami food scene, and his favorite coquito recipe of all time. Plus, we learn what makes a meal genuinely great, hear about his time in Cuba, and gain insight into his latest James Beard Award win.

Highlights:

Miguel and Tania chat with two-time James Beard Award winner Carlos Frias.

A look at Frias’ connections to the Cuban food that shaped his childhood and helped him understand his parents’ life before America.
A peek behind the triumphant rise of Frias from sportswriter to Editor.
A selection of the best food Miami offers and some of the food trends Carlos Frias wishes would disappear.
A discussion on the difference between Cuban food and food in Cuba- no, they are not the same!
Carlos names the best coquito of all time, and Tania humbly accepts her crown.
The story behind La Ventanita, the podcast that brought Carlos closer to his community during the pandemic

About the guest:

Carlos Frias is the host of Sundial, a daily show on the South Florida NPR affiliate station WLRN. Frias served as Food Editor at the Miami Herald for six years and is a two-time James Beard Award winner for his stellar journalism. A Miami native who grew up with parents exiled from Cuba, Frias spent much of his life dreaming of a homeland that existed only in his family’s stories. A 2006 work assignment in Cuba inspired his memoir, Take Me With You: A Secret Search for a Forbidden Family in Cuba.

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