Newark, New Jersey

This is the recipe I've been using to bake brownies for well over a decade now, even before I attended culinary school! I notice the latest reviewer complained about the gritty taste of the sugar in the product. I suggest she try either butter or if she wants to cut out butterfat in her diet, use a 1/4 cup of butter and make the rest vegetable oil, or stick to all vegetable oil, but do the following anyway: Microwave it for 1-2 minutes or until it melts(or oil is warmed). Add the sugar to the warm/hot butter/oil, and this melts the sugar. Better yet, try honey! I've also taken out as much as a half cup of sugar out of the recipe, and it works fine. Microwaving or heating the oil causes the sugar to melt slightly, and if she uses a wire whisk to mix, it can also help to blend the butter, sugar and eggs together more smoothly. Don't ever give up on a recipe after one try, because it's not a fair assessment of it. Anything can cause a recipe to "fail" (the temps outside, the oven too hot/cool, not familiar with the recipe) in the first try. I urge her to try again, and maybe try some of my tips.

This is the real thing folks. I'm of Cuban descent and live in Miami and this is a wonderful recipe. I would argue that mayo is not an original ingredient in a Medianoche or a Cuban Sandwich but you can always leave it out. I make these for parties, cut the sandwich into fours, put toothpicks through them and place them on platters. They are always the first to go. Great Recipe!

I used this recipe as the base for my spanakopita, but grafted on some of a different one. I added 1/2 cup green(spring)onion and a medium leek(cleaned and chopped)to the white onion in the recipe. Instead of making one big pie, I made individual ones by using (at least)3 layers of phyllo(each one brushed lightly with a mix of butter and olive oil)and wrapping them into a triangle. It's a great dish, and a good way to get veggies into the kids!