The Cuban Arroz Con Pollo

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Arroz con Pollo  is one of the most traditional and beloved of all Cuban recipes.  It is usually served for Sunday lunch,  family gatherings and festive events.  Contrary to what you might think, it is not a hard dish to make and that is perhaps one of its major appeals.

I confess that I was a bit scared to try it myself as, for years, it had been the domain of one of my aunts.  Whenever one of us wanted to have it,  all we had to do was ring her up.  No way would any of us step up to the plate.  A couple of months ago my nephew came up for a visit and begged me to make his favorite dish.  Maybe it was the vodka, or the fact that it had been a long time since I had it,  but it was time for one of us to man up and meet the challenge.  So the next day, with my aunt on the line every step of the way, I finally conquered the fear and can now say that the "torch has been passed to a new generation."  Phewey!!

As with black beans, every Cuban cook has his or her own version of this famous recipe.  Aside from the chicken and the Cuban sofrito, the traditional ingredients are saffron, Valencia rice, pimentos and peas.  My grandmother also added canned asparagus to finish the dish and my aunt adds a bit of pimenton to the rice.  This is a new twist and a welcomed addition.  Pimenton is one of the key ingredients of the Spanish paella and it definitely adds depth to the flavor of the rice. Wine is not traditional and beer is debatable, but they also add to the flavor and I would not omit.  Just like I add a dash of vodka on the rocks at the end of some of my recipes,  I am sure there was a time when some Cuban did the same with the beer he had been drinking and that's how it became a part of the recipe.

Last December,  for the second time since I've been in Georgia, I invited my son's in laws for a family gathering on the Sunday before Christmas.  The first year I served them the Roast Pork and the Cuban Black Beans with a Flan for dessert.  This year they had the Arroz Con Pollo with Fried Bananas, Avocado and Pineapple Salad and mother's Merengon for dessert.  I am flattered my daughter in law's grandmother asked me for the recipe.  Not only is she a fabulous cook but also one of the most gracious and charming of Southern ladies and the epitome of the old South.  It is a pleasure to share this recipe with her.

Cook's Notes:

The recipe is for 8 to 10 servings.

I usually figure on a cup of rice for 3 people and a piece and a half of chicken each.

It is best to buy a whole chicken and cut it up, as the pieces will be uniform in size.  If you buy pieces, buy legs and thighs, bone in and skin on, as they have more flavor.  Don't use breasts as the meat is too dry.  If you must, only add a breast or two and cut them in half.

Valencia rice can be found in most supermarkets.  I buy mine at Publix under the brand Mahatma.

Saffron can be found sometimes in the Latin section of the supermarket for less than you would normally pay in the Spices section.

If you cannot find pimentos unsliced in a jar, look for roasted red peppers.

Try to use Spanish olive oil.  Remember what grows together goes together and olive oils differ in taste.

Pimenton is Spanish paprika and can be found in Specialty stores.  I buy mine at HomeGoods!  Don't substitute with regular or Hungarian paprika.

Buy the canned small peas and white or green asparagus, not frozen.

Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera

    

Ingredients

12 pieces of chicken, bone in and skin on, preferrably legs and thighs
Spanish olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 green pepper diced
3 lg cloves of garlic, mashed and finely diced
2 laurel leaves
1/2 tsp. Pimenton de la Vera (Spanish Paprika) 
1/2 cup Pomi tomatoes crushed
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp saffron threads
2 1/2 cups Valencia rice
5 cups good chicken stock heated
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can or bottle of beer (I used Heineken, but any good beer, not lite, will do)
1 can whole Pimentos
1 large can small Petite Peas (I use Le Seur)
1 jar or can white or green asparagus

 Directions:

Marinade the chicken in lemon juice, sliced onions and some garlic at least for a couple of hours.  Remove from the marinade and dry in paper towels before browning.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the saffron.  Turn off but keep warm.

In an oven proof deep skillet add 3 TB olive oil and slightly brown the chicken.  Remove to a plate.

In the same skillet make a sofrito by adding the onions, green peppers, garlic and bay leaves.  Cook until the onions are translucent.  Add the wine and 1 cup of the heated  broth and saffron. Bring to a boil,  Reduce the temperature to medium and add the Pomi tomatoes.   Add the chicken and braise until tender and almost cooked.

Taste the sauce and correct for salt and pepper.

Add the rice, a pinch of pimenton and the remaining 3 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil.  Place in the preheated oven and cook until the rice is almost done.  Add  half of the beer and continue cooking.  If the rice absorbs most of the beer and is still hard, add the other half and continue cooking until done.  You want to make sure the rice is tender and moist  and the consistency is similar to that of a risotto.  Cooking time is approximately 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven.  Cover the top with the pimentos halved, the petit pois and the asparagus in a decorative way.

All photos Lindaraxa 

Guess Who's Coming For Lunch...

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I guess Fall is the time of the year to entertain distinguished guests.  Almost a year ago, on a visit to New York City, I had the pleasure of cooking for my dearest friend Reggie Darling. This year, I am thrilled to be making lunch this Sunday for another dear friend, Blue from The Blue Remembered Hills,  a popular blog here in Atlanta.  Blue, the Celt and I have been meeting for dinners in several restaurants in Atlanta but this will be the first time that both of them will be entertained by Lindaraxa at her home.

Believe it or not, it is difficult to choose a menu for first time guests, particularly when they are readers of your blog.  So many things to choose from...that's what usually drives me crazy.  In Reggie's case I narrowed it down to the fact that he was coming back from a weekend at Darlington Hall and New Yorkers love nothing more than comfort food on a Sunday night.  What better than  lasagna bolognese and apple crisp for dessert.  A strange combination but apples were in season.

This time I asked the guests to choose a menu.  French, Italian, German or Cuban.  It never fails that they will opt for Cuban and seeing that it's Sunday lunch and not dinner it is the perfect choice.  So I sent another email...picadillo or pork and black beans?  They replied, both! Well, unless it's the last dinner or you are angling for cardiac arrest both is not an option.  So after much soul searching and back and forth consultations amongst each other they chose the pork and black beans.  So here's the menu:

A Cuban Lunch At The Lake

Chorizo in Sherry And Onions

Manchego Cheese

Yucca Chips

Roast Pork Tenderloin, Marinaded in Adobo Sauce 

Black Beans and White Rice

Baked Plantains with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and Sherry

Green Salad

Caramel Flan

Baked Meringues

Cuban Coffee

It is going to be a glorious day tomorrow with temperatures in the 60's and no clouds. You couldn't ask for more. Everything is ready and all that is left is a bath for Lucy, the sous chef, to meet her Scottish friends!



Who? Me? Bath? WHY???!!

 

Plates from Gien, France

photos Lindaraxa

Empanaditas de Guayaba... Baked Cuban Guava Pastries

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You could say that guava is the national fruit of Cuba.  We eat it morning, noon and night.  There is nothing like stopping at a Cuban joint mid morning and getting a cup of Cuban coffee with a small guava pastry.  I had an uncle who ate nothing else for dessert but guava paste* with cream cheese and Cuban crackers.  Every single night. My personal favorite is guava shells in syrup with cream cheese but these little guava pastries are a very close second.


Unlike the guava pastries you buy from street vendors or coffee shops which have a flaky "millefeuille" type of pastry and are called pastelitos, the ones we make at home are baked in a pie like crust...with cream cheese!  For some reason which I haven't been able to decipher, the kind sold in the streets are not made at home and these you can't find on the streets.  Go figure

This is my mother's recipe and the one I have been making for years.  It is so easy, you can make it with your eyes closed.  The only drawback is you must make the dough the day before and refrigerate for 24 hrs. If you think of them at the last minute, you can't make them that day.

Tomorrow night we have a friend of my daughter's for dinner.  He is studying at the Cordon Bleu to be a chef.  When I asked him what he wanted for dinner, without missing a beat, he said Cuban.  That is always the case when I ask and it is a wise choice.  Cuban food is at its best when cooked at home; so find yourself a Cuban friend who will make it for you.  The menu tomorrow? Picadillo with white rice, green banana chips and Cuban Guacamole salad.  I think these guava pastries will make a great dessert.

I will prepare a full dough recipe today, use half for the guava empanadas tomorrow, and freeze the other half to make savory empanadas  (with leftover picadillo) at a later date. They are great for cocktails or to bring along on a picnic.


 Ingredients

 3 cups flour
 1/2 lbs. butter
 1 regular cream cheese

 2 egg yolks

 guava paste*

Directions:

Prepare the dough the day before.  Mix everything except the guava in a food processor or with a pastry blender.  The dough will look like pie dough. 

Roll into a ball, wrap in Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight.  If you are saving some for a later date, divide the dough and put  half in the freezer.

Bring the dough out and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Roll it out using a floured rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thick.

 Cut the dough into circles, with a cookie cutter or small bowl. (I use a coffee cup). Size the circle according to how large you want your empanadas. I like a 4-inch diameter circle.

Put a small quantity of guava paste in the center of the circle (about 1/2 inch square) and fold over to make a half circle. Don't over-fill!

 Seal the edges with a fork to make a scalloped edge. Pierce them once in the middle with the fork tines.

 Brush with egg yolk and place in preheated 350 degree oven until brown... about 30 minutes, depending on your oven.

 * you can find guava paste in the Latin section of most grocery stores or order online

Guava paste is a combination of guava pulp, sugar, pectin and citric acid, which is cooked slowly until exceedingly thick and rich. It comes in individually wrapped bars that are firm enough to slice. Guava paste can be found in Latin markets and some specialty gourmet stores. Slice and serve this low-fat, low-cholesterol sweet as a snack or with cheese for dessert.

Photos Google

A Cheese Souffle

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Did you know I am a closet cook? Yep, sometimes when I am all by myself I practice stuff that I'm not good at, like souffles.  About a month ago my friend The Corinthian Column, an art collector, put me to shame with a gorgeous blue cheese souffle that he posted on his site.  Well!  Little did he know that souffles have always been my Achilles heel and just the thought of having to make one makes me weak at the knees.

When I was learning to cook, souffles were the domain of the great French chefs.  When my mother came back from her lessons at the Cordon Bleu, she could make two things that I know of...French Onion soup and a cheese souffle.  To watch her set up for tackling a souffle was like watching a general plan strategy for an important battle.  That kind of put a damper for me but I knew that if I ever wanted to be a real cook, sooner or later I would have to make a decent souffle.  Not spectacular...just decent.

Throughtout my cooking career, every time I tackled a new recipe it was never good enough in my eyes.  The more I tried, the more disappointed I became, so I stopped.  That is, until a couple of days ago.  Going through one of the French cookbooks at Barnes & Noble,  this recipe caught my eye mainly beause it was for a small souffle;  secondly, because it was so simple...well, even a caveman could do it; and third because it was by none other than Francoise Bernard the grande dame of French popular cuisine.

I quickly jotted down the ingredients in a piece of paper, together with the oven temperature and the time and off I went to conquer the beast.  The result...well I don't need to tell you, just look for yourself.  As for the taste...as good as any souffle I've had in France or at La Grenouille where they serve it with a cheese sauce on the side (we'll tackle this later).

The recipe is really for two and was made in two 5 inch souffle dishes, buttered and coated with grated Gruyere cheese.

Oven Temperature 350 degrees for 25 minutes

First make a cup of bechamel with 2 TB. butter, 2TB flour and 1 cup of milk.  Melt the butter, add the flour cook for a minute and add 1 cup of hot whole milk.  Cook until it almost comes to a boil.  The sauce will be nice and thick.

Add 3/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese to the sauce, salt and pepper.  I added a little cayenne pepper also.

Separate 3 eggs and add the yolks to the bechamel sauce. Mix well.

With a portable mixer*, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks.  Make sure you beat well or souffle won't rise.  With a wooden spoon take some of the whites and incorporate into the sauce and then fold the rest carefully so as not to deflate.  Don't do this too much, it's okay if you have some patches of white "clouds".  

Fill the two souffle molds leaving about 1/2 inch at the top. I inserted a finger in one and went around the rim.  I didn't do it with the second and it really didn't make a difference.  Place in the preheated oven.

Pour yourself a glass of rose and mix a simple green salad.  By the time you are finished, your souffle will be done.

The moral of the story...When making a souffle, don't over think it!

 Note:  Do not open that door! turn the light on and watch to your heart's content.  When you see that it looks like mine, you have conquered the beast!

*It is better to beat this small quantity of egg whites with a portable mixer, if you have one.

Natilla...Custard With Meringue and Ladyfingers

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This is what every Cuban child of my generation grew up eating for dessert and what I made for my American children when they were growing up.  The original natilla is very simple to make and is rather a common dessert just like custard is in this country.  I would say natilla is softer and this recipe is somewhere in consistency between American custard and creme anglaise.  As to flavor, the combination of lemon rind and cinnamon gives it an addictive taste that keeps you coming back for more, sometimes in the middle of the night!

The only problem you have when you make the classic natilla is what to do with all the leftover egg whites. You can either freeze them or make baked meringues.  I did this for awhile until I wisened up and decided to incorporate them into the dessert.  The ladyfingers were a natural addition and once the dessert  cools completely they become as soft as cake.

I usually make the chocolate variation which I encourage you to try and only requires the additional step of melting some chocolate on  the stove or microwave.  It is very rich and very, very good!

A new generation of grandbabies will definitely grow up on this if Lindaraxa has any say in the matter!

 
Ingredients

1 quart milk

1 piece of lime or lemon rind

1 cinnamon stick

Pinch of salt

8 egg yolks

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

4 TB corn starch

Cinnamon

8-10 ladyfingers (optional)

Meringue (optional)

Directions

Add salt, lemon rind and cinnamon stick to milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the stove and let cool. Remove cinnamon and lemon peel.

Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until they are fluffy. Continue beating and gradually add the cornstarch mixed with the water and the sugar until it is completely mixed. Gradually add milk to mixture until you have a smooth consistency.  Pass through a sieve into a pan and cook in low heat, stirring occasionally until it's thick and begins to bubble.  Add vanilla and stir. Pour into individual serving bowls or one big bowl. . Chill completely in refrigerator. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top just before serving.

This is where the traditional natilla stops and mine begins.

Submerge about 8-10 ladyfingers in the natilla.  They will come back to the top but don't worry.  You will be covering with meringue.

Make a meringue with the 8 leftover egg whites a dash of salt and about 3TB sugar per egg white.  With a big serving spoon drop in dollops over the custard.  Return to refrigerator and serve well chilled!

Chocolate Variation:  Melt 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate and add to egg yolks and sugar. Proceed as with rest of recipe..

Adapted from Nitza Villapol
Photos Lindaraxa

Yellow Rice Pilaf With Raisins & Almonds

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This is a much simpler version of Colin Cowie's Aromatic Basmati Rice or as I like to call it, Basmatic Rice.  It is the one I use for family and casual weeknight entertaining when I'm cooking certain chicken or fish recipes and want something sweet and sour to complement the dish.

Rice is the traditional accompaniment in most Latin dishes and as such, we have as many recipes as Americans have for potatoes.  If my mother could have gotten away with it, we would have had rice every night of the week.  White, yellow, with vegetables, mushrooms or chicken bouillon... any combination she could think of.  So I grew up eating lots of rice and not as many potatoes.  Saffron used to be the traditional spice we used in those days but with the astronomical price you now have to pay for a few threads, well, you just have to be creative.  I found some at Marshall's a few weeks ago and bought the entire lot.  It is safely tucked away in the back of my jewelry box.

Saffron threads an saffron powder

I have started using turmeric as a less expensive alternative for coloring the rice and almost have the family convinced that they like it.  But it's been an uphill battle so if you don't care for turmeric, by all means, substitute saffron.  In that case, I sometimes add a teaspoon of tomato paste for a different dimension and omit the cinnamon stick!  You will be left with essentially a Cuban yellow rice with raisins and almonds...not a bad combination!

Tumeric root and tumeric powder

Monks in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon

Yellow Rice Pilaf With Raisins And Almonds

Servings: 8


Ingredients

2 TB butter

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 bay leaf

3 cups light chicken stock

2 cups long-grain rice

1/2 cinnamon stick

One 1-inch piece of tangerine or orange zest, white pith removed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sliced almonds (about 2 ounces)

1/2 cup raisins or yellow raisins(about 3 ounces)

Chopped Parsley


 Directions

1.In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and sautee the chopped onions until translucent.  Add the bay leaf halfway through.  Combine the chicken broth with the rice, cinnamon stick, tangerine zest, salt and turmeric. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over very low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 15 to 17 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the raisins and remove from the heat. Add to rice together with the chopped parsley.  Fluff gently with a fork to combine. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

If you want a little flair in your presentation, sprinkle a little shredded coconut on top

Cooks Note.

If you want to keep this simpler, saute the almonds and raisins first and transfer to a plate.  Wipe the pan and proceed to step #1.  I hate cleaning up so I am always thinking of ways to cut back on pans


Photos Getty Images
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Boliche...The Cuban Pot Roast

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When I fly to Miami, my Cuban genes start percolating the minute the plane touches down at the airport.  I make a mental list of all the things that I want to eat or buy when we take off so that I can hit the city running.  First thing is a good cup of Cuban coffee at the airport that will keep me flying high at least for the next 24 hours.  Next comes all the things I haven't been able to find in the markets where I live although that is getting easier all the time.  Even though I can make a lot of this stuff at home, they are really best when enjoyed in situ. I remember once smuggling fruit from Brazil through US customs in New York, no less, only to find that it didn't taste as good in the middle of winter in Connecticut as it did on Ipanema Beach.  That could have been an expensive lesson!

Most of this trip, unfortunately, was spent eating at the hospital cafeteria but I did manage to have some boliche, or carne asada, on the last night of my trip.  Made by me, but directed by my mother (from her bed!).  Boliche, or carne asada, is essentially a Cuban pot roast very similar to the one we have here in the States except with a very traditional cuban marinade of onions, garlic, and naranja agria (bitter orange).  You will not find the latter in your neck of the woods, so just add a small amount of lime or lemon juice to the orange juice to make it bitter.

The recipe below is essentially the same one published by the Cuban Betty Crocker of the 40's and 50's, a lady by the name of Nitza Villapol.   It is as traditional and authentic as you can get.  I usually stuff it with prunes as the recipe says, but it can also be stuffed with ham or chorizo as the photo above.  Either way, it's divine. Serve with white rice, black beans, and fried bananas (tostones or maduros)  Will you believe that the whole reason for making this dish was to have it with black beans and I forgot all about them until I started typing this post?

Printable Recipe

8 portions

Ingredients

1 boliche (about 3 pounds) or eye round roast

1 large onion

1 green pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 sour orange (or juice of three or four limes)

6 prunes, no seeds

1/4 pound sweet ham, sliced

-------------

2 slices of bacon

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup dry white wine (preferably Spanish) or dry sherry*

3 or 4 oranges (sweet, not sour)


Directions


Clean the boliche, prick with a fork.

Perforate the meat with a sharp knife, making six holes. Place the prunes wrapped in the ham slices.

Prepare a marinade with the mashed garlic, black pepper, sour orange juice.

Pour over the meat adding the sliced onion and sliced green pepper.

Marinade overnight.

Heat a pot and fry the bacon slices until the fat is rendered. Drain the boliche and brown in the fat until it is browned. Add the wine,  the juice of two oranges, salt and pepper and a few drops of Worcestershire Sauce.  Cook well, covered, at a low heat until it is tender.This will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. depending on the meat.  Make sure  a large fork goes all the way through when pierced and the meat is very tender.  It will be very similar to pot roast.   While cooking, add orange juice as needed to make sure it does not scorch.  If you do not have enough sauce, add more wine and another cup of water about 1/2 hour before it is done.

Slice across, half to three quarter inches thick slices. Pour the gravy on top before serving


* If you go to the Spanish section of most supermarkets, you will find a very inexpensive vino seco that you should use in this recipe

Image Photobucket
(I didn't bring a camera along but I will post my photo when I next make it)

Poolside With The Ladies Who Lunch

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An Elegant Summer Menu for the Ladies Who Lunch was such a popular post that you will definitely be hearing from these ladies again, as in right now.

There is no question that we plan differently when we have our girlfriends over than when it is a mixed bag.  Although it's been proven to be incorrect, supposedly men don't eat quiche. Ha! Wrong! it was a favorite of husband #2.  And girls, eh ladies, don't like to bother with ribs or Sausage, Peppers, and Onion Sandwiches.  Wrong again! This lady loves both.  But I have to admit that there are some menus that definitely are more apropos not only for the different sexes but for the time and place.

The ladies who lunch usually take a break in the summer when they relocate to the Hamptons, Newport, Maine, the Riviera and other marvelous summer getaways.  Some husbands have to work and get only to enjoy their summer houses on weekends;  but we don't worry about them, we know they too look forward to their yearly vacation* in the city (*wink).  So, on these summer days, when it's too hot to get out of the house, why not have a fun group of close friends over for a simple and casual lunch by the pool?  This is your chance to show off that new bathing suit (Size 0), bring out the big floppy hat, lather yourself with the new sun block #250 and get ready for some fun time.

I know I'm taking a lot for granted, like you don't work, have no children, have a pool and can take a few hours to loll away the afternoon eating and gossiping with your friends.  Well, if you live in Georgia and are on your 53rd day of mid 90's degree weather, even if you are not part of this lucky group,  you are entitled to that and more.   Now remember, this is a very casual and intimate lunch, the gossipy kind!

Poolside Lunch

Campari Orange Spritzers

Pimiento Cheese Spread

Shrimp With Avocado Mango Salsa

Chewy Butterscotch Bars

Espresso

Other menus you might want to check out:

An Elegant Summer Menu For The Ladies Who Lunch 
Let's Do Lunch In Cap Ferrat
Poolside With The Ladies Who Lunch
An Elegant Fall Menu For The Ladies Who Lunch
Mother's Day Lunch, Retro Style  

Images Getty (McKellar) 

Cuban Black Beans...My Mother's Secret Recipe!

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If you only learn to cook one Cuban dish, make it black beans.  I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't liked them.  They are typically eaten with white rice on the side and if you are lucky, a nice order of fried plantains.  Black beans are also served as soup and are wonderful with a slice of avocado and chopped onions on top. 

I have tried as best I could to get my Mother's recipe into fairly concise form.  As I mentioned in the last post, taste, taste, taste and add if need be.  Make sure you use fresh oregano, that is one of her secrets.  We do not use cumin something which is added in most recipes for black beans.  Do not add more tabasco than specified, except for maybe a couple of drops more.  These are not Mexican beans!  If you like more heat,  you can add it to your hearts content at the table but you will not be eating Cuban black beans.

The beans will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer so make extra, you won't be sorry!

Serves 12-16

Ingredients

2 lbs Goya black beans
1 laurel leaf
4 slices bacon cut in one inch pieces
3 onions
4 cloves garlic
2 large green peppers
3 TB Olive oil
1/2 Cup Catsup
8 dropsTabasco sauce
1 tsp.Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps. sugar
2 TB FRESH oregano
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Soak beans in 8 cups of water and one laurel leaf overnight, after washing them thoroughly. Keep the water for cooking and add more water to cover plus one inch on top.  Add 1 green pepper and 1 onion cut in half (so that they are easy to remove), salt,  and cook until the beans are soft, about 1 1/2  to 2 hours, depending on the beans.

In a separate skillet, add olive oil, bacon, 2  finely chopped onions, 1 finely chopped green pepper, garlic cloves and fresh oregano.  Saute until onion is translucent.  This is called the sofrito.  Remove a little of the grease before you add to the beans.

When the beans are done, remove the original onion and green pepper, add the sofrito to the beans, the catsup, and check for salt.  Add about 8 drops of tabasco, black pepper, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tsps. of sugar.  Try again and correct for salt, pepper, sugar or tabasco.  These are not supposed to be hot! The tabasco just brings out the flavor.

Cook the beans covered in medium heat for about another hour.  Check often as they may be done in 45 minutes. Skim the foam off the top periodically. The beans are done when they are completely soft and the sauce is thick.  If the sauce has not thickened, remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes. Adding 3 - 4  tablespoons of olive oil at this stage helps to thicken the sauce. Make sure you stir often so they don't stick to the bottom. Remove the laurel leaf before serving.

The beans are definitely better the next day, so cook one day ahead and refrigerate.  Take them out the next day a couple of hours before warming them.   Heat in  low to medium heat and bring almost to a boil.  Stir often!

Black beans are found in the Latin section of all supermarkets.  The Goya brand is the one we like best.

Serve over white rice.

Nochebuena...A Cuban Christmas in Georgia!

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Being a hyphenated American, in my case, Cuban American (I hate the terminology), is a great excuse to celebrate two wonderful Christmas traditions within 24 hours of each other. I would have to be in Siberia to  think of skipping one of them even though it involves quite a lot of work. Luckily,  I can always count on a close relative to celebrate one or the other. Not this year.

This week my mother arrives and she is the queen of the black beans. No one can touch her, it's not even close. Her sisters, being younger and very smart, always defer this part of the meal to her and believe me, she relishes every minute of it.  She's shown me the ropes a few times, but every time she makes them, it's a different routine.  As with all good cooks, there is no recipe for my mother's black beans, just a matter of tasting and adding to an otherwise very simple recipe.

As in the case of the Classic Cuban Picadillo, I see all kinds of recipes calling for esoteric ingredients that have nothing to do with the original.  Most Cuban recipes entail making a classic spanish sofrito which is onions, green peppers, garlic and sometimes parsley sauteed in olive oil.  That's it. You then add this to the pre soaked cooked beans, add a few more things and cook until done.  The trick is the beans.  Sometimes, if they are fresh, they take less time to cook than beans that have sat in a supermarket for a long time because they are not popular in that area.

As to the pork, here again, the secret is in the marinade and the time it sits soaking up all that garlic and onions!  It doesn't have to be a whole pig in a pit like in the old days.  A nice roast which can be simply cooked in the oven is very tasty and very Cuban.  Nowadays,  Cubans in Miami, and everywhere else where they can find it, have revived the caja china which is a contraption made of a box with wheels where they cook the pig.  It's an all day/lots of beer affair with friends and relatives dropping in and giving advice on how best to season and cook the pork! I don't have a caja china at the lake nor do I have any intentions of getting one.  My roasted pork in the oven is yummy enough for this family!

Yuca, is an acquired taste.  If you are not Cuban forget it.  I have been working on my children for 30 years and they still don't like it.  I'm afraid it might disappear with my generation.  It is a fairly insipid root quite stringy and buttery and I can't think of any other time when it is served in my house.  That is why lots of mojo with garlic is added for flavor.  Don't even think of kissing anybody afterwards! Now fried yuca is something else, and I can have that any day of the year!

If you can get through this wonderful but heavy meal at midnight, more power to you.  I can't.  In my house, we celebrate the other part of the hyphen, my American part, on Christmas Eve and my Cuban side Christmas Day.  It makes for a better digestive experience, even though most Cuban families will cringe at the thought!

For dessert we usually have turrones of all kinds, jijona, alicante and yema are my favorites.  You can find them at any Latin supermarket at this time of the year or by mail order.  By the time you get to dessert you are in such an acute food coma, especially if you ate at the traditional hour of midnight, that you don't care what you are served.  All you can think of is going home and tearing off whatever you are wearing.  Not that its easier during the lunchtime hour, but there you have the siesta alternative.

A red Rioja or Ribera del Duero is a nice wine to have with this meal, but to me, a cold beer is the best! Try Presidente or Corona.

Nochebuena Menu

Lechon Asado - Roast Pork

Frijoles Negros -Black Beans

Arroz Blanco - White Rice

Yuca con Mojo

Turrones

The black bean recipe is coming up tomorrow and I'll try to post the roast pork also sometime this week.

Poinsettias, pictured above, are called Flor de Pascua or Flor de Nochebuena in Spanish.

The Real Cuban Mojito

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Mojito at Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana

If you're looking for the classic Cuban Mojito, the way Ernest Hemingway drank it in Old Havana, you've come to the right place!

For starters, a real mojito is a very simple and delicious cocktail, if you make it the right way. One trick is the sequence in which you add the ingredients; the other is the addition of the sprigs as well as the mint leaves (or yerbabuena) Aside from that, it consists of 5 simple ingredients, sugar, limes, mint, soda water, good rum (make mine Bacardi!) and ice cubes, NOT crushed ice. Use a tall cylindrical glass. To make several mojitos, line up the glasses and follow this sequence.

Ingredients

2 Tsps Sugar

1/2 Lime

2 Sprigs of Mint

1 Part Soda Water

2 Parts Bacardi Rum

Ice Cubes

To the glass, add the sugar and coat with the juice of the 1/2 lime (save the wedge). Add the mint, leaves and sprigs, soda and leftover lime wedge. Muddle well with a pestle. Add the rum and top with ice cubes.


The craddle of the Cuban Mojito is a place in Old Havana named La Bodeguita del Medio. Originally an old warehouse in the middle of a side street near the cathedral, it later became a bodega and eventually a restaurant in the 1940's. There is an old saying of Hemingway's on a wall, "Mi mojito en La Bodeguita y mi daiquiri en El Floridita," another legendary Cuban establishment. Hollywood celebrities such as Errol Flynn, Nat King Cole and Ava Gardner where notable visitors in the 50's.





I have enclosed a link to La Bodeguita del Medio in Old Havana which is wonderful. I have to take my hat off to the Cuban government. Sometimes it takes a bit to load (It is a Cuban link!) but wait..you will be delighted you did. Make sure you click on the link to the bar and watch a Cuban bartender make a real mojito! Unfortunately, the chain of Bodeguitas that you find around the world, including one in Miami and another in California, have nothing to do with the old place. They are just tourist traps with bad food and horrendous prices.

I hope you enjoy your mojitos and your visit to La Bodeguita del Medio!



http://www.havana-mojito.com/en/la_bodeguita_del_medio

Picadillo Stuffed Manicotti in a Bechamel Sauce

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My kids, like Pavlov's dog,were conditioned to expect a certain sequence to their meals. If we had artichokes with hollandaise sauce one night, it was a sure bet that the egg whites would be used for meringues as dessert. On those weeks when Picadillo appeared one day, they could bank on their favorite, Little Pigs in a Blanket, to appear a couple of days later. They are still so conditioned, at ages 35 and 37, that on my last trip to Atlanta last week, and after a meal on Friday of Picadillo with the works, the famous pigs were requested for my last night. Now my daughter in law, as well as her grandparents who received the leftover leftovers, are the latest fans of the dish.

I really don't know where they got the name, but I can certainly see why. They are delicious, but definitely not for people on a diet or with a heart condition.

Ingredients

Serves 6 

1 box manicotti (tubular shape pasta), preferably Barilla
4 cups leftover Picadillo
8 TB butter
8 TB. flour 
4 Cups hot milk 
2 oz leftover tomato paste
1 TB fresh oregano or 1/2 TB dry

1 1/2 Cup. Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste.

You can make the full recipe or half depending how much Picadillo you have left. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Rinse in cold water and dry with paper towels.

In a skillet warm the Picadillo and add the 2 oz leftover tomato paste and the oregano.

If you are making the full recipe, melt 8TB butter, add 8 TB flour, cook for about a minute and add the 4 cups of hot milk, a little at a time, to make the Bechamel sauce. I use a whisk to stir. When the sauce comes to a boil, it is done. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese.

Add a couple of TBs to the Picadillo plus the tomato paste, mix and stuff the manicotti.

Butter a 9 X 13 casserole dish, add a couple of TB of the white sauce to the bottom of the pan and lay the stuffed manicotti, side by side in one layer. The ones that don't fit can be placed in another 8x8 glass pan or 2 individual dishes of two each.

Cover the pigs with the rest of the white sauce, add the rest of the Parmesan cheese on top, dot with butter and put in the oven at 350. Once the sauce starts to bubble, in about 30 minutes, put the dish in the broiler until browned, 5-10 minutes. Watch it, it depends on your oven.

Serve with a green salad and an Italian red wine.

The Classic Cuban Picadillo

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Everyone has been waiting for me to crack open the family safe and publish some of my grandmother's recipes. The problem is that they are too complicated for this day and age and people just don't have the time to cook like that. Recipes nowadays have been simplified and shortened and, in most cases, they taste just as good.

After Castro came to power, our family was separated for a while. My parents came first with us and it wasn't until almost 12 years later that my grandparents, on my mother's side, were able to get out. Throughout all those years, my grandmother mailed out, little by little, all her recipes. They were meticulously handwritten by her. That is how much pride she took in them. As they arrived in this country, we would read them and giggle at the thought of ... " Three days before you kill the chicken, you feed it bread soaked in milk and brandy...!" She never travelled, yet she had recipes from all over the world, and loved American food. When my mother was growing up, she remembers coming home to a house full of the smell of cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls in Cuba in those days were like eating Beluga caviar now in this country. Not a one to be found. What I remember the most, though, was the ice cream machine and the dry ice for mantecado, the Cuban vanilla ice cream. Life in that house revolved around food and canasta parties and boy do I miss her. All her recipes are still kept and cherished by her three daughters and all her granddaughters, including me.

Her recipes are complicated, but as far as the everyday Cuban classics like Picadillo, not a chance. You see, Picadillo is a simple and common dish eaten traditionally at lunch, preferably with white rice, a fried egg and fried bananas, either maduros or tostones. This new thing of having it for dinner all dressed up in heaven knows what is an insult to a wonderful dish. I have seen everything from cinnamon to chili powder added to it. As I always tell my daughter, "don't guild the lily!"

In memory of a wonderful cook and to please some of the audience, here is the first of what, I hope, will be many Cuban recipes...good, simple and authentic.

Serves 6-8 (depending if they are Cuban or American!)

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

3 TB olive oil

3-4 garlic cloves, mashed

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 lb ground meat, preferably chuck (80-20)

3 oz. tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white Vermouth or dry white wine

1/2 C water

1 tsp.Worcestershire Sauce

1 cup pimiento stuffed olives

1/2 cup of raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet and in medium heat, sautee the garlic, onion, green pepper and bay leaf in the olive oil for about 15- 20 minutes. Add and brown the meat. Turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato paste, the wine and the water. Bring to a slight boil, and reduce temperature again to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minute. If the liquid is absorbed, add more water 1/4 Cup at a time. While it simmers, cut the pimiento stuffed olives in half. After the 30 minutes are up, remove the lid, add the olives (I add some of the olive brine) and the raisins and cook, uncovered, in a slow simmer for another 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. I like my picadillo runny. Here again, everybody is different. If you like it dry, control the water you add to the tomato paste. Serve over fluffy, white rice.

Cook's Note

If you really want to be Cuban, fry an egg or two, lay it over the white rice, and put the picadillo on the side. My favorites with this dish are fried ripe bananas, a beer and a siesta.

Leftovers can be frozen or saved to make what my family calls Pigs in a Blanket coming up next on the blog.

Huevos al Plato...Baked Eggs

Pin It This is a simple version of Huevos a la Madrilena. My mother has been serving them at home ever since I can remember. I like it for a simple lunch any day, but if you want to dress them up for brunch on Sunday or a small lunch party, serve with a green salad, a baguette and the Perfect Bloody Mary. You can make Arun's Quick Cake for Tough Times for dessert , which I recommend you make the day before, and serve with vanilla ice cream. The whole lunch should take you less than 30 minutes to prepare. A very economical and simple meal that will delight everyone, particularly ladies.

For 2

Preheat oven to 400 Cooking time: 10 Minutes

4 large eggs
4 TB Le Sueur's petit pois (small early peas)
4 TB chopped ham or prosciutto
2 TB Heinz Catsup
Salt and Black Pepper
Butter for greasing molds.

Grease two gratin dishes with butter. Break two eggs in each. Add 2 TB petit pois to each serving, together with the ham or prosciutto. Squirt about 1 TB catsup over each plate and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-11 mins. Remember, the eggs will continue to cook once you take them out of the oven, so make sure you under cook them a little so they don't become hard boiled. Everyone should be at the table and ready to eat before you serve them.

Chicken Croquettes

Pin It This is, hands down, my children's, and all their friend's, favorite recipe. You can imagine how many times it has been requested ever since I mentioned I was going to do a cooking blog. It is also one of my bridge table's favorite lunch. They are rich enough to stand alone next to a nice green salad, so don't waste your time making anything else. Yes, they take time, and it takes two days to complete the process, but they are well worth it, freeze beautifully and delight everyone, including children. If you have a captive audience eager to eat your croquettes, they will volunteer to help you shape and bread them, which is the nasty part of the deal. But keep and eye on your little (and big) helpers, because as they get tired and bored, they end up shaping them like torpedoes! The original recipe is my aunt Martha's, who forgot it was her recipe until she tasted them here a few weeks ago.


1 small chicken (use white and dark meat)*
3 TB butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Dash Worcestershire Sauce
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 cans evaporated milk
10-12 TB flour
Salt & Pepper
3 eggs beaten
breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil

Day 1

Remove the meat from the chicken and cut up in small pieces. If you make the croquettes from yesterday's roast chicken and only ate one leg and some of one of the breast's, you will have enough meat for this recipe. Otherwise, you can buy a small roast chicken.

In a skillet, melt the butter and cook the onions until translucent. Add the parsley and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. In a blender, add the chicken, the 2 cans of milk and the flour. Do this in batches, 1/2 the chicken, 1 can of milk, and half the flour. Blend until thickened and smooth. Add to the skillet with the onions. Repeat with the other half. With a wooden spoon blend the two batches into the onions and parsley. Add the lemon juice, the Worcestershire Sauce, and salt and pepper and continue to stir in medium or medium low heat. Be careful, if you see that it starts to stick to the bottom, lower the heat. You are going to stir for about 15- 20 minutes, stopping and starting again until it begins to separate from the edges and starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Once it is cooled, stick in the refrigerator until tomorrow, and I mean tomorrow! Mix needs to rest and cool in the refrigerator at least overnight so it will harden.

Day 2

Set up a breading station consisting of 1 bowl for the eggs, and 1 bowl for the breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs in one bowl, place about one cup of breadcrumbs in the other. Take one big soup spoonful of the dough and using your pretty little hands, shape into croquettes, pass through breadcrumbs, then the eggs and breadcrumbs again. Set aside in a cold plate. Repeat until all are shaped. I place the ones I am going to eat that night at least an hour in the refrigerator before I fry them. The rest are frozen and will yield at least two or three more meals. Freeze them in tin foil paper, in one long row, side by side. I usually make packets of eight and a couple of packets of 4 for an impromptum snack or lunch. Wrap tight.

Frying

Place about an inch of vegetable oil in a skillet and fry on all sides until golden brown. Drain in a paper towel. If they are frozen, fry straight from the freezer, but lower the heat to make sure they completely cook inside. Otherwise you will end up with beautiful croquettes on the outside but cold inside.

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family has for the last 40 years!

Ham Croquettes
Substitute 1 lbs. ham for the chicken