Mika Leon Teaches the History of Cuban Cuisine in 100 Dishes in Her New Cookbook, 'Cuban Soul'

Mika Leon is the future (and present) of Cuban cuisine. If you don’t know her for serving the “best tacos in Florida” at Caja Caliente, you might recognize her as a Food Network Hot List 2025 honoree and from her appearances on Chopped and Guy’s Grocery Games. Or, most notably, a pair of Round 1 victories on Beat Bobby Flay.

Her first Round 2 faceoff against Bobby didn’t go as planned, with the picadillo showdown ending in his favor. But when the chance for a rematch presented itself, she brought out the big guns with a ropa vieja recipe the judges couldn’t resist.

What began with Mikabites, a dessert business founder in her mother’s garage, has blossomed into a career as a restaurateur, influencer, Beat Bobby Flay champion and, now, storyteller.

Her new cookbook, Cuban Soul: 100 Vibrant Recipes From Mi Cocina, is a love letter to the generations of Cuban cuisine that helped her become the rising star she is today. Chef Mika’s compendium of family recipes isn’t just the sous chef you need to make authentic vaca frita — it’s a history lesson on the dynamic nature of Cuban cuisine and its mountain of cultural influences.

Your recipes are written in a more narrative style rather than in numbered steps. Did anything about your background or cooking mindset influence this approach?

Probably that I look at cooking through the lens of storytelling rather than strict instructions. I’ve always used recipes as a guide rather than a set of rules. My style is very casual and rustic, and I never want cooking to feel overwhelming or intimidating. I wanted the recipes in the book to feel the same way, like I’m right there in the kitchen with you, walking you through it.

You’re hosting a dinner party. Walk me through the menu, cadence and any essential tips every host needs to know.

I always build the menu around the people coming over. Who are they, what are we celebrating, what kind of mood do I want the night to have? From there, I think about the flow of the meal and make sure nothing is too complicated. Maybe one dish can just be popped into the oven, while another is something I’m assembling at the last minute. I like to balance it out so I’m not stuck in the kitchen the whole time. The goal is to keep it delicious but simple so you can actually enjoy the night with everyone.

My biggest hosting tip is to do as much as possible ahead of time. Have your serving dishes out, your glassware clean, the table set and as much of the food prepped as you can before the day even starts. I don’t want to be chopping onions or washing wine glasses an hour before people arrive.

How did you decide which recipes made it into the cookbook? Were any withheld because they’re just a little too special for people outside the family?

I really wanted this book to have all of the Cuban classics, almost like a go-to guide to Cuban food. I felt like that was something missing, and I wanted to make sure the recipes I grew up with and the dishes people really associate with Cuban cooking all had a place in the book.

I didn’t really hold anything back. If there was one recipe I maybe hesitated on, it was my grandfather’s lechón asado because it’s been in my family for three generations and was always the secret recipe at Caja Caliente, my previous restaurant. It’s a whole pork shoulder marinated in garlicky, citrusy mojo and roasted until it’s tender and falling apart. We make it every Christmas Eve, but honestly, lechón is something Cubans eat year-round.

But in the end, I wanted to put it all on the table. The whole point of this book is preserving these recipes and sharing them, so it didn’t feel right to keep the best ones to myself.

Which component of your cooking style would you (or your family) say is ‘least Cuban’?

Honestly, I don’t know if there’s much about my cooking that feels “least Cuban.” So much of my style comes directly from my family, and that’s still the foundation of how I cook. I’m a really rustic home cook. I’ve picked up more techniques along the way, but I still love cooking in a way that feels intuitive and unfussy.

If anything, the biggest difference is probably that I make a lot of my own sazónes and spice blends instead of relying on the ones my family grew up using. I like having a little more control over the flavor and adjusting things depending on what I’m making. But even then, the foundation is still very Cuban.

You and Bobby Flay are currently tied one-to-one across your two appearances on Beat Bobby Flay. If he had the misguided confidence to invite you back in the arena, what signature dish would you choose to take a two-one lead?

I probably shouldn’t give away my strategy in case I get the call to go back! But I’d probably come in with either my arroz con pollo a la chorrera or my rabo encendido.

 Arroz con pollo a la chorrera is a really brothy, almost risotto-style chicken and rice that my family is known for. We finish it with beer, which gives it this creamy texture and so much flavor. Rabo encendido is also another one that I know I can win with. It’s a rich, spicy oxtail stew with lots of spices, capers and this really deep, savory sauce. 

Your book delves into the dynamic nature of Cuban cuisine and how welcoming it is to new elements from other countries, regions, cuisines and cultures. Have you noticed any recent trends that you think could have a lasting impact on the future of Cuban and Cuban American cuisine?

Cuban food is definitely evolving, and I think social media has accelerated that. Here in Miami especially, you see so many different cultures influencing each other, and that naturally shows up in our food. You can see that in my book as well. I have mashups that pull from Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Latin cuisines.

Cuban food has always evolved through migration. In many ways, the cuisine has stayed alive because Cubans carried it with them, preserving those recipes while adapting to new places, new ingredients and new influences. Especially when access to ingredients in Cuba has been limited, that ability to adapt has been such a big part of keeping the food and traditions going. To me, the blending we’re seeing now is really just a continuation of what Cuban cuisine has always done.