The Versailles Restaurant Cookbook - Tapa dura

For over four decades, Versailles Restaurant has been the heart of the Cuban-American community in Miami. Presidents, politicians, and pop stars routinely stop in for a meal and a photo op. When rumors surfaced that Fidel Castro was ill, the streets around the restaurant became impassable with revelers and news trucks jockeying for position. Versailles has been featured on the Food Network, the Travel Channel, and CNN, and it was named by Time as one of the top ten places to visit in Miami. Ask the die-hard patrons of Versailles why it is their favorite restaurant for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a post-party snack at 2 a.m., and they'll tell you they keep coming back for the tortilla (potato omelet), the plantain chips with mojo, the croquettes, the moros (mixed black beans and rice), and the rabo encendido (oxtail stew). These flavorful recipes have been passed down through the Valls family for generations; they are the traditional dishes abuela used to make. The Versailles Restaurant Cookbook features some of the most beloved recipes from this Miami institution, including fried yucca, vaca frita (shredded beef with onions), lechon asado (roast pork), ropa vieja (shredded beef in tomato sauce), guava pie, and, of course, the one, the only, the original Cuban sandwich.

Ana Quincoces, author of Sabor!: A Passion for Cuban Cuisine and Cuban Chicks Can Cook, has cohosted ABC's The View, and has appeared on The Chew and The Today Show. She starred in seasons one and two of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Miami. Nicole Valls is operations manager and public relations director for Valls Group, Inc., which is the family-owned and operated parent company for the Versailles Restaurant.