I recently visited my friend Humberto in Miami and we were sitting at his dining room talking about living in exile, life in Miami vs. growing up in his native Cuba or me in Puerto Rico. This was a nice light conversation for a Sunday afternoon. Well... the other topic was terrorism and war. Humberto has been purchasing music from the 50’s, 60’ and 70’ from Cuban performers that were banned in Cuba when he was growing up. I found this point very interesting because most of those Cuban performers moved to Puerto Rico in the early 60’s after Cuba became communist, and that was part of the music I remember as a child. Sitting in his living room, I closed my eyes, immersed myself in the music, and permitted my imagination to take flight and I was back in San Juan. I remember sitting in front of the TV watching “El Show del Medio Dia” (The Noon Variety Show) Listening to Carmen Delia Dipini, Blanca Rosa Gil, Lucy Fabery, Olga y Tony, Silvia de Grace, and Mirta Silva. I always would be able to overhear my mother singing along and even my neighbor Milagros Nuñez as the backup singer from her house. Mom would walk by the TV and I would stand up and take a few dance steps with her; I would laugh and she would twirl me around; I would go back to the chair and continue eating my lunch and enjoyed the show. Thinking about it, music was always playing, on TV, the radio, the car, the stores and even live music at the restaurants. You would always see a trio walking between the tables singing the music of “Los Panchos”, “ Los Hispanos” or el Trio Vegabajeño”. They say that even the rocks sing in Puerto Rico.
In the Metropolitan area of San Juan they had many party venues such as the Hotels or Clubs one of the Clubs was called “El Club Yaucano” located in the town of Carolina. This was the “in place” where all of the orchestras were playing and big parties took place. The year was 1966, during the winter season; this only means that it was ‘not that hot’. Remember it is in Puerto Rico and it was during the Christmas celebrations; you also have to keep in mind that Christmas celebrations start in Puerto Rico the day after Thanksgiving and end eight days after Epiphany (January 14th). The Ocasio’s were going to “El Club Yaucano” for a wedding celebration! I really don’t remember who was getting married, but I do remember that all of our close neighbors were at the party. I, smartly dressed with a sports jacket ,white shirt, tie, and shorts (I was six years old)…handsome lad; my sisters with party dresses and dad and mom, dressed to the hilt. I remember arriving with my family in our station wagon. As soon as we entered the ball room, I said to myself..”Wow, this is how grownups party”, and now I was one of them…sweet! A section of the room was reserved for my family, our neighbors (yes, I am in the VIP section) the Vegas, The Toros, The Nuñez, the Zambranos, and the Felix family… I almost forgot Teresa the widow and her husband Monchin the bass player (as you can notice, no matter if you remarried, you will still be known as the widow). Once all the kissing (everybody would kiss you!) was over, my dad sat my sister Zonia and I at a table in which we could have a prime view of the dance floor. He brought us two champagne saucers with 7-up and a splash of cola (for the color effect) and a plate full of goodies. Zonia and I toasted and spent the night listening to the music, eating little pastelillos (AKA empanadas), Potato balls stuffed with picadillo, little sandwiches, sorullitos de maiz (corn fritters) and other delights. Occasionally a neighbor, my sisters or my parents would pass by and take us out to the dance floor and dance with us. Lydia (My neighbor that was like another sister) not only would dance with me but she would squeeze me and kiss my neck until I could not laugh any more. Everybody was dancing with each other, the tables were empty and the dance floor was packed from beginning to end. I bounced from person to person and even danced with Doña Juanita, a retired nurse, the elder of the neighborhood, but she danced like a pro. It was a night of enchantment, excitement, and full of brotherly love. It was a night like so many nights we passed together.
The music stopped, I opened my eyes and I still could feel the laughter, the squeezes and the tickling kisses on my neck, the faces of all the loved ones that have passed away and specialy all the love that existed among us!
A night at the Yaucano… unforgettable!Pastelillos
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2 tablespoon shortening, chilled
1 egg - well beaten
3/4 cup cold water
oil for frying
These may be stuffed with shredded cheese, guava paste, or carne guisada (ground beef - seasoned)
Procedure:
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut shortening into the flour mixture. Using a blender mix egg and water well. Add liquid mixture to flour and mix well using a fork. Divide the dough into 10 pieces.
Work each piece at a time with a rolling pin until it is the size of a small plate. Add about a tablespoon of stuffing in the middle, fold in half. Secure edges by pressing with a fork. Make sure to use plenty of oil to fry them in so that they expand.
Place on paper towels to absorb extra oil. Serve hot. Makes 10 pastelillos.
* You can also use ready-made dough sold at Hispanic markets."
Pastelillos or Empanadas, are as much fun to make as they are to eat. Flaky pastry, packed with your favorite filling, from meat to cheese to fruit paste. Enjoy as an appetizer, main dishes or even dessert.
Picadillo recipe
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. sofrito
1 packet Sazón with Coriander and Annatto
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
6 large stuffed olives, diced
In a skillet, heat oil on medium.
Stir in beef and cook until browned.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except discos and frying oil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Spoon about 1 tbsp. meat mixture into middle, fold over; moisten edges and seal with a fork.
Heat 2½ inches of oil in a deep saucepan on medium. Cook empanadas in batches, turning to brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Rellenos de Papa
Makes about 15
This recipe uses instant mashed potatoes
1½ cups water
7 tbsp margarine
salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 cup milk
4 cups instant potato flakes
1 egg
3 tbsps. corn starch (for dusting rellenos)
Picadillo or other filling
oil for frying
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add margarine, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and milk. Stir until the margarine is melted. Add potato flakes. The mixture should be pretty thick and dry (should stick to spoon), if not let it cook uncovered for a bit longer. Cool slightly then add a slightly beaten egg and mix well. Let the potatoes sit to cool down.
This is the method of assembly . . .
You can evenly divide the potatoes first by half, then each half in half, etc, until you achieve the size ball you like. Oil your hands and pick up one ball at a time, rolling it into shape first, then make an indentation for the stuffing. Place a tablespoon of prepared picadillo in the middle carefully folding the sides over the meat until it is completely sealed. Roll the stuffed balls in corn starch - this will help keep the mixture together during frying. Now you can refrigerate until ready to fry.
Fry over medium-high heat until golden. Serve as appetizers, as a side dish, or for lunch with a salad.
Use an ice cream scoop to measure the potatoes and make even size balls. They can be prepared a day ahead and fried before serving. If you wait until the mixture has cooled down it will be easy to roll into a ball.
Use a small pan to fry using enough oil to cover the balls at least half way so they only have to be turned over once. Use a smaller frying pan or pot to save in oil.
Yes, sometimes the rellenos will begin to come apart in the oil, just push it together with a large spoon. This happens when the potato is not dry enough - too much liquid was added. Make the potatoes pretty dry.
To use fresh potatoes. Peel, boil, and cube 1½ lbs. potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and mash, and add the rest of the ingredients - go easy with the milk and only use what you need
Sorullitos De Maiz
1¼ cups corn meal
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups water
1 cup shredded cheese (in Puerto Rico they use Queso de Bola) -
In a medium saucepan boil the water. Add salt, sugar, and corn meal and stir until it forms a soft ball that separates from the sides of the pot. Remove from heat. Add the cheese and stir. Cover with clean dishcloth and wait 5 minutes or so. Then form the sorullitos by scoping about a heaping teaspoon, forming a ball first, then rolling on your hand into a sorullito. Fry in plenty of oil.
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