Back in the early 1960’s to be more exact 1964, (I was only 4 years old and still have vivid memories) my family was making the annual pilgrimage to Bethlehem……….. Pennsylvania in this case…. When I say my family; I mean my Mom, Dad, me, four sisters, Tio Fermin, Titi Millin (Tio and Titi means Uncle and Auntie), Aileen, Debbie and our Cousin Cuqui. Yes, Twelve passengers in a dusty blue and chrome (plus suitcases and food for the travel!), Ford Deluxe Station Wagon! A state of the art masterpiece, a modern day American ingenuity, with full size sofas serving as seats and no seat belts keeping you restricted. It was like a jetsetter limousine! Every year we would travel to visit my father’s Cousins Carmen, Ismail and children Ida Maria “Pebbles” and Junior. Yes, you are counting alright - it adds up to 16 creature’s cohabitating under the same roof. And we are not taking into account the other cousins and family that lived in the area that will come over for dinner. Now can you understand, with all the food being cooked, why I had to become a “Foodie”
I digress, back to my story! There we were all seven children bouncing and playing while dad was the captain of that vessel. Cuqui would try to keep order in the back of the wagon or as I would call it “economy section”, Tio Fermin was in charge of the middle section of the wagon “Business class” and Mom and Titi Millin (with perfectly matching outfits) traveled in front of the wagon “first class”. While Mom spoke with Titi Millin, Dad tried to carry a conversation with Tio Fermin; meanwhile Miriam, Vivian and Wanda would sing “ I'm Henry the Eighth I am, Henry the Eighth I am, I am…” Debby would delight us with one of her original compositions, a masterful solo performance that would go something like this… “My husband is a millionaire…My Husband is King Kong… My husband has an airplane… and so on! Aileen, Zonia and I were in charge of playing punch buggy and making funny faces to the other cars passing buy!
After a 2.5 hour drive of songs, laughs, screams and sobbing we would arrive to “La Familia”, but before exiting the car, the famous arrival ceremony would begin! Mother and Titi would start praying and blessing the car starting in First class and ending at economy. By the way, it’s the same ceremony they would officiate before departure!!!
Being with the “familia” is the best gift a child could receive. Knowing that you are loved, that you are important and that you are a vital piece of the puzzle, an integral part of that grand scheme. Knowing that no matter what happens they will always have your back; and that the love offered is unconditional. You can laugh, cry, get angry and even disagree with each other; but the love will always be there -this type of love is forever!
Puerto Rico
Pigeon Pea Soup
Ingredients
4 ounce lean salt pork dice
1 cup chopped spanish onions
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 large tomato, peeled chopped
1 to 2 Leaves of cilantro
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp crumble died oregano
a pinch of saffron
6 to 10 green spanish coctail olives
1 teaspoon of capers
1 med green pepper finely chopped
4 ounces lean cooked ham cut into dice cubes
1 pound of calabaza (pumpkin) cut into cubes
1 quarts chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
Fry the salted pork in skilletover moderate heat until crisp. Add the onion and garlic, cook until soft and transparent, pour all into a 4-quarts cassarole. Add 1 quarts of chinkenstock .*(optional add 1 cup of rice at this time if desired.) Add the chopped tomatoes, green peppers and ham, cook about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin cubes, olives, caper,bay leaf, oregano, saffron, cilantro, capers and green pigeon peas ("gandules"), bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover tightly and let simmer for 20 minutes.Season with salt and pepper to taste.
TOSTONES FRITOS (Fried green plantains)
Ingredients
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 3 plantains, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
• salt to taste
• garlic powder to taste
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place a few plantain slices in the oil, and cook until lightly golden in color, about three minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining slices.
2. While the plantain slices are still warm, place them one at a time between two sheets of wax paper, and flatten by hand to 1/4 inch thick. Return flattened slices to the skillet, and continue frying until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and season with salt and garlic powder.
PLATANOS AND HOW TO PEEL THEM:
The wonderful thing about plátanos (plantains) is that they truly are a versatile food. As a plátano ripens, its high starch content changes to sugar. Plátanos are good at any stage; it just depends on what you want to make. Plátanos are a relative of the banana, but are bigger, less sweet and need to be cooked before they are eaten. Plátanos also keep their shape when coo ked, unlike bananas, which get mushy.
Green or "unripe" plátanos are starchy vegetables. They can be used in soups, stews, boiled and mashed. Most Puerto Rican recipes that use plátanos call for green plátanos and need to be VERY green without a hint of yellow.
The next stage of ripeness is when the skin is mostly yellow with a few black speckles. In this stage of ripeness, the plátanos has lost some of its starch and is slightly sweet. Plátanos "amarillos" are usually fried but can be boiled and baked as well. To fry them just peel, slice, and fry. In Puerto Rico both green and amarillos are served with meals as a side dish.If you need ripe plátanoss and only have green ones, they ripen at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, in a few days.
When peeling plátanos, moisten hands and rub with salt to prevent the juices from sticking to your hands.
Cut off about 1 inch from both ends as in figures 1 & 2.
Using a sharp knife, make 2 lengthwise cuts at opposite ends of the plátano (fig. 3)
Now drop them in very hot water for easier peeling. Just let them sit in the water for a few minutes or so.
While holding the plátano steady with your left hand, use your right hand to slide the tip of the knife under the skin and begin to pull it away, going from top to bottom. (fig 4).
Soak the peeled plátanos in salted water. Drain on a paper towel to use in your recipe.
In Puerto Rico we also eat green unrippened bananas - the same bananas we get at the grocery store, but still green. We boil them or fry them, and use them in many recipes. The peeling process for green bananas is the same as shown here.
Arroz Con Pollo
2 cups uncooked rice
1 lb. chicken parts (you can use chicken thighs, the dark meat has more fat and will taste better) use whole pieces.
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of sliced Spanish Olives, use a bit of the liquid and the red peppers too.
1 teaspoon alcaparras
½ cup sofrito
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
4 cups of boiling water
In a large caldero brown the chicken parts in the oil, 5 minutes each side.
Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Don't put them on paper towels - we want any grease to back in the pot.
Leave the chicken drippings inside the pot and add all the other ingredients except for the rice, water and chicken.
Mix well and cook sofrito for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the chicken and rice to the pot and stir.
Add the boiling water until the water is about 1 inch above the rice, stir once only.
Boil uncovered, over high heat, until water is absorbed.
Once the water is absorbed gently stir from bottom to top. Just a couple of turns only.
Cover and continue to cook over LOW heat for another 30 - 35 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Hints . . .
Don't concern yourself with weighing the meat too much. If you are serving 5 people just use 5 - 8 pieces of meat.
Too much stirring causes the rice to become "amogollao" or sticky. Resist the temptation to stir.
It is traditional to cook the chicken with bones and all. People will just pull the meat off the bones with their fork.
If you have cilantro add some to the top of the pot once it is done, for decoration.
Don't let your rice get "ahumado" or smoked from over cooking at too high temperature.
For great pegao just cook a bit longer keeping an eye on it.
For a lot of peagao use a larger caldero (it will just be half empty).
Some people prefer to use deboned chicken. Cook the chicken in a crockpot all day with seasonings and when you get home from work debone and use the broth to make the rice.
Coconut-pumpkin Flan
Caramel:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Mix sugar and water in saucepan, cook on high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar caramelizes. Pour immediately into a 13-by-9-by-2 inch glass baking dish swirling the caramel very carefully to coat the sides.
Custard:
1 stick (1/2cup) butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1- 15oz. can cream of coconut
12 oz. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
14oz. sweetened condensed milk
6 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 tbsp rum
30 oz. canned pureed pumpkin
1/8 tsp. of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves
Melt butter and cool. In a large bowl whisk together flour and water until smooth and whisk in butter.
Combine cream of coconut, evaporated milk, vanilla, condensed milk, eggs, and rum. Mix well.
Mix pumpkin with sugar add flour- mixture, salt and spices. Mix well.
Pour into prepared mold. Place mold in a pan of water (baño de María)
Bake for one hour in preheated oven (350 degrees), until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Remove from water and cool and then refrigerate for several hours.
Cut into squares. Serves 8 -12.
¡Um, sabroso!
1 comment:
YUMMY!
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