With all that is happening there these days, anything related to Cuba makes for a hot dish.

Fortunately, we in the Boston area have been able to get hot Cuban dishes for some time, thanks to Steve Peljovich, owner of Michael’s Deli in Brookline (www.michaelsdelibrookline.com).

Born in Miami to Cuban-born parents, this lovable Dolphins fan craftily combines kosher-style favorites (like the best corned beef this side of…anywhere!) with Latin licks that make your tongue want to dance the Rumba.

“I was the first of my family born in the States,” Steve says, noting that, though he has stayed on American continental soil, many members of his family have returned. “My folks have been back and my brother and his family went with my folks two years ago,” he recalls, noting that they visited his family’s ancestral home, school and even the synagogue.

“My parents grew up in what could best be described as a Latin Ghetto,” Steve says, noting that his grandparents had fled another ghetto across another body of water. “They witnessed lots of bad stuff.”
As the United States was not so welcome to the huddled masses yearning to breathe free around the time of World War II, Cuba became a safe haven for many Jews and other would-be immigrants. “Cuba opened their arms to them,” Steve explains, noting that, due to “fears of being separated, the Jews of Cuba flocked to specific neighborhoods across the Island.” There, they built inclusive cultural enclaves, most of which were centered around strong, often Orthodox synagogues.

“They were the centers of each neighborhood,” Steve says. “It was where everyone hung out.”

Some of these religious and cultural centers were so strong that they have survived even the recent regimes.

“And the game of Jewish Geography is at a whole new level when you play Cuban-Jewish geography,” Steve adds.

Speaking of synagogues, Steve recently helped put together an evening Minyan at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, where he is a devoted member and contributor who often caters meetings and events with delicacies from the deli.

“It is a great place to be,” he says.

Though he went to school to study economics, Steve quickly realized that desk-bound life was not for him. So, despite the early and long hours, he now goes to the Deli nearly every day, driven by his desire to share the flavors and values his family instilled in him.

“I wanted to recreate with every meal I serve the memories of all the meals of my childhood,” he explains. “There is no better compliment someone can give me, than to tell me that my food reminded them of a moment with their family. I love that I can do that multiple times everyday!”

Speaking of recreating meals, Steve says that the mix of flavors that have helped him take Michael’s to a new level were actually not as difficult to devise as some may think.

“It sort of comes naturally,” he smiles, explaining that he simply applies the “melting pot” of cultures and flavors that he grew up with to his own pots and pans.

“I enjoy integrating the Latin and Jewish flavors into all of my cooking,” he says, citing such popular combinations as a Thanksgiving turkey toped with bourbon, sweet potato and caramelized pecan noodle kugel, and his Abuela’s (Grandmother’s/Bubbe’s) kasha varnishkes with a touch of fresh cranberries. “I regularly cook with Mojo,” he explains, noting the popular Latin citrus and garlic marinade), as well as platanos (plantains), arroz y frijoles (rice and beans), and I love to introduce folks to ropa vieja, which is the Cuban version of brisket.”

When asked what his familial culture is like, Steve suggests it is a “mix” of African and Latin.
“Family and friendship bonds were tight,” he explains. And while the music and rhythms were African, “the food was very typically Latin/Caribbean.”
It is this mix of cultures and flavors that Steve has brought to Brookline. In the process, he has very well revolutionized Deli as we (northern) Americans know it. For Steve, however, it is not so revolutionary.

“I really believe that Latin and Jewish cultures are eerily similar,” he observes, citing such apparent similarities as the “family traditions, bonds, celebrations [that] are drilled into every inch of your being.

“There is no small event in anyone’s life in both cultures,” he suggests. “All the milestones are highlighted and celebrated in very big ways – lots of friends and family, lots of food.”
In Cuba, just as in America, the Jewish home was focused on one thing- food.

“Imagine going over to your Cuban-Jewish Grandmother’s house,” Steve smiles. “All you did was eat!”

That may be why Steve has been able to make such a success of himself, even at an already legendary place like Michael’s. In any case, Steve continues to learn from his family, his culture and his customers and to mix the right amount of Cuban spice into his corning machine and his worth-the-trip knishes.

“Food was the center of everything as a kid,” he explains. “My dad could recall every meal he ate, who he ate it with and where he was. He could recall the conversations and the laughter and the tears he shared at these meals. For my folks, food was not for sustenance, it was their way to express love and friendship – it strengthened the bonds with each other and their community. We all grew up in the kitchens of our parents and grandparents and the cooking brought the stories and tightened the family bonds.”
Speaking of family (as he so often does), Steve also hopes that he is able to pass on his traditions (both in the kitchen and elsewhere) to his own children.

“I wish I spent more time teaching my kids Spanish,” Steve muses, “but the values and traditions that my family instilled in me, I can only hope I am doing the same for my kids. Compassion for others, the strongest of bonds with friends and family, the importance of who they are with respect to the way their ancestors lived, both as Europeans and Cubans and as Jews.”