Mom's in Town

First let me begin by apologizing for neglecting my blog this past month. I can only excuse myself by saying that my mom's in town visiting and we've been spending time just enjoying each other's company. I didn't realize how much I missed her. It's great to have her to go shopping, to help cook dinner, to just sit and watch my dog play in the backyard.

Since I have a great source of Cuban food around me now, I've trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible. It hasn't been easy because even though I have repeatedly asked her to wait for me to start cooking, it doesn't always happen. I'll go outside to water the plants and she's already started dinner so I missed all the preparation. When I ask her what she put in the dish, she'll say, "a little bit of this and a little bit of that." I then ask what is "a little bit?" She says, "you know a little bit."


Like most great cooks there really isn't any measuring, everything is by instinct. Therefore, when I do have the opportunity to watch her in action, I have my measuring cups and spoons on hand. Having said that I have been able to write down two great recipes which I will undoubtedly share with you.

But today, I would like to share a few things my mom taught me about Cuban cooking these past few weeks:

1) A rice cooker is THE essential tool in Cuban cuisine. Every household should have one. Any size will do. My mom walked into my kitchen the first day and asked, where's the rice cooker? I said I didn't have one. She proceeded to turn several shades of pale white. When the color returned to her checks she took me by the hand and lead me to the nearest Bed, Bath and Beyond. Now I have a rice cooker and all is well in the Bandiero kitchen.

2) A pressure cooker saves time and helps soften pork and beef. It also makes a Flan in 30 minutes. I didn't have a pressure cooker...now I do.

3) Yellow onions, garlic, green onions, green and red peppers, salt pepper, oregano and cumin. These seem to be the base for most Cuban dishes. It varies but that's what I see my mom preparing most of the time. Other important ingredients are, bijol, parsley, and cilantro.

4) MARINADE, MARINADE, MARINADE! For Cubans that would mean using mojo.

Finally, my mom taught me that it's not what you prepare for dinner, but that you prepare it with love. I feel guilty when I see her cooking us dinner. It is after all, my home and she's on vacation. But then I see her smile when she sets the table and calls us in for dinner. She's doing what she loves to do...taking care of her children, even though we are old and married. A child is a child no matter the age, and a mom is always a mom. Having my mom around is my greatest joy.

The picture on top is of my mom when she turned 15. That would be her Sweet 15. (Cubans don't do 16 they do 15). Obviously, the other pic. is of me when I turned 15.

Chicken in Sherry Sauce

In 1969, my mom, dad and I left Cuba for Spain and eventually the United States. At the time, my mom and dad thought they would never return to their beloved homeland. They believed they would never see their parents, siblings, or friends again. It must have been terrifying, especially for those Cubans who had never been anywhere outside the island of Cuba. My parents were like that. My mom and dad had never left their country, had never even been to Miami, only 90 miles away. I can only imagine the fear, the uncertainty and the desperation they felt when they boarded that plane in January 1969 bound for Madrid, Spain.
For many fleeing Cubans, Spain was just a pit stop on their way to the golden streets of the USA. We lived in Madrid for 2 years awaiting our US entry visa. During those 2 years, my mom and dad struggled to maintain a roof over our heads and I'm sure to maintain their own sanity. I don't remember Madrid. I have flashes of images but no cohesive memory. But my mom loves to tell me stories about our time in Spain, especially, my time at the Tapas bar located on the street level of the apartment building where we lived. Here is a picture of me sitting on my mom's lap at the bar. (European culture does not consider it a crime for a child to enter a bar or to take a sip of wine or beer.) My mom loves to tell me stories of how I would go downstairs, sit at the bar and order Tapas and beer. In reality, it was more like a plate of olives, crackers, cheese and a shot class full of the mildest beer available. She said there was never any fear that I would be kidnapped by some deranged psychopathic child molester. It was a different time and a different place from today's world.
Anyway, getting to the point of my blog, which is food, I made this recipe today from an old Tapas recipe book. The original recipe calls for chicken livers and much less Sherry. But there is no way I'm making chicken livers so I substituted it with chicken breasts. It works wonderfully. Here is my homage to Spain...OLÉ!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, washed and cut into 3 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion sliced into long pieces
3 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 cup Spanish Sherry
salt and pepper for taste
handful of green olives
handful of chopped parsley

In a large sauce pan eat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook until very soft.

Add the chicken, salt and pepper and cook until brown on all sides and well cooked.

Removed chicken from pan and place in a warm plate.

Add the sherry to the pan and deglaze using a wooden spoon to scrap the bottom of the pan. Add the olives and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces to the pan again and stir together.

Serve the chicken over yellow rice. Toss the chopped parsley over the chicken and rice. Serve.

Easy to make and delicious!

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
This dish is really not fattening. Replace the yellow rice with brown rice or just serve with a salad.

Chicken Piccata

Today, I'm in an Italian mood. This is one of my time tested recipes that never fail. You can be assured that you can serve this dish at a dinner party or just on any old night. I first had this dish in Italy (of course) but with veal. I like it best with chicken. (If you are wondering, the picture is of Sorrento, Italy.)

Ingredients:
3/4 extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless chicken breasts (each breast cut in 2 pieces for a total of 8)
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 Chicken stock (or broth)
Juice of one lemon
Salt and Pepper
1-2 tablespoons of capers (drained of liquid)

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour covering them completely. Place each piece in the oil and brown on all sides. When they are done, set them aside on a warm plate.

Drain the oil from the pan. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, return the chicken and it's juices to the pan. Raise the heat and pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and then add the chicken stock or broth and lemon juice. Stir together.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove them from the pan and place on a serving platter. Add the capers (1 or 2 tablespoons, that's up to you. Remember, capers are salty so think before you add too many). Add the pepper and salt if you feel you need to. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat.

Pour the liquid over the chicken pieces and you are ready to serve.

I like to serve this dish with a fine spaghetti. You can serve it just with steamed vegetables or rice. Choice is yours.


HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Don't add the butter. Just use a little more olive oil. Avoid the flour and just brown the chicken in the olive oil. Sauce, however, will be thinner than the version with the flour. Serve with brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

La Cerveza Cubana (Cuban Beer)

Cubans love a good beer. They love "una buena cerveza fría" (a good cold beer). Most of my childhood memories of Sunday dinners or backyard BBQs involve women in the kitchen cooking, gossiping and men sitting at a table playing dominoes ingesting "chicharrones" (fried pork grinds) and beer until dinnertime. I love those memories. Growing up in the US I saw my dad and uncles drinking Heineken or Budweiser. I never knew that Cuba also had their own beer and that it was actually good. It wasn't until my teens when my mom brought home Hatuey beer that I was introduced to "la cerveza Cubana." In fact, there are about 2 fairly well known Cuban beers. Here they are:



HATUEY BEER pronounced "ah-tway", was launched by the Santiago Brewing Company (part of the BACARDI Company) in Cuba in 1927. The beer was named after a Dominican Indian chief known as "El Cacique de Guajabá", who headed a local resistance to Diego Velazquez in Cuba's Oriente Province in the early sixteenth century and had ultimately been burned at the stake in Baracoa, Cuba in 1514. Throughout Cuban history, his name has been synonymous with the struggle for Cuban independence from the Spanish. Hatuey beeer is perhaps the best known of the
Cuban beers. By 1959 Hatuey controlled 50% of Cuba's beer market. It was so popular that in 1956 Earnest Hemingway featured the beer in his book For Whom the Bells Toll. But after Castro's regime confiscated BARCARDI's assets in 1960, the popularity and quality of Hatuay beer began to fade. Today, you can find the Hatuay beer in Spanish markets across the US. If you want to read more about the history of the Hatuay beer go to their website www.hatuey.com


CERVEZA TROPICAL was born in the late 1880's in Cuba by the Blanco Herrera family in a small brewery. In time, La Tropical as it was known, became Cuban's largest brewer, producing 58% of the island's beer production with brands such as La Tropical, Cristal,Tropical 50 and Maltina. But everything came to an end when in 1960, Castro's Communist regime confiscated and nationalized La Tropical. For more than 38 years La Tropical disappeared from the world's beer market. But in 1998, a Cuban-American named Manuel J. Portuondo and Ramón Blanco Herrera (grandson of La Tropical's founder) reintroduced it to the world market. Learn more about La Tropical at www.cervezatropical.com

I'm sure there are other Cuban beers that I've missed. But these are the two that stand out in my mind and my memory. Next time you have a party try some Cuban beer instead of the ones you are used to. Throw on some Beny More or Buena Vista Social Club and have "una cerveza Cubana."

Coconut - Mango Tiramisu

Tiramisu (tih-ruh-mee-SOO), which means "carry me up" in Italian is my favorite dessert.

Also known as Tuscan Trifle and Zuppa Inglese. Tradition tiramisu is a pudding-like dessert that usually consists of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a liqueur, then layered with grated chocolate and rich custard. Tiramisu was originally made as a loose custard, it is only in recent years that using mascarpone cheese has come into fashion.

The first time I had this magnificent dessert was in Italy. My friend's sister made a huge platter for a family dinner. The moment I took my first bite I thought I had found dessert paradise! From then on whenever I was in a restaurant back in the US and I saw it on the menu I had to order it. But nine times out of ten I was disappointed with the Italian/American version of this dessert. Here in the US, tiramisu has become a cake-like dessert and in reality, it is NOT supposed to have a structure. It is supposed to be a custard so it should almost fall apart when served. Here is a tip for everyone out there that loves this dessert and wants to have the "real" thing. If you see a platter with what looks like a cake and they call it tiramisu, you are not going to get the authentic dessert. If they say that the dessert comes in individual cups, then you are probably getting the real thing or when you see it on a plate and it is slightly falling apart then you are getting the real thing.

I have made several types of tiramisu. Giada DeLaurentis has a great Chocolate Tiramisu in her Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes. Recently, I tried to "Cuban up" the tiramisu recipe that I've been making for years. Here is my version of a latin style tiramisu:

Ingredient:
3 full demi tasse espresso
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Coconut Rum (Malibu Rum is fine)
1 ripe Mango chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz. Marscapone cheese
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
20-24 ladyfinger cookies
6 x 10 baking dish
grated coconut
Chocolate powder

In a dish combine espresso, water and Rum. Mix and set aside

In a food processor combine mango and heavy whipping cream and blend until smooth. Take the cream mixture out of the processor and set aside. Wash it clean.

In the processor combine the egg and egg yolk with the sugar until smooth. Add the marscapone cheese and blend until it looks like a smooth custard. Fold in the mango cream mixture and blend until well combined.

Dip the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture one at a time and place them onto the baking dish to make one entire layer of cookies. Then pour some of the custard over the ladyfingers. Add some grated coconut on top. Now do another layer of ladyfinger then pour more custard on top. (Think of layers in a Lasagna). Cover the tiramisu with some foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. When you are ready to serve the tiramisu, cover the top with the chocolate powder and more grated coconut.

This dessert is fairly easy to make and everyone will love it.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Does not exist....and why would you want one!

Paella with an Italian twist

Paella (pronounced "pa-e-ya"), is one of my favorite meals. It is not really a Cuban dish. It is essentially Spanish from the provence of Valencia. In fact, the term "la paella" refers to a cooking pot traditionally made of iron. You can trace the origin of this term back to Roman times and the latin term "patella". It found it's way to Spain as the Roman's conquered Gaul and brought with them their traditions. The earliest known origins of what is now known as Paella the dish, is in Valencia, Spain. As cooking rice became popular in this region, peasants would use the paella pan to cook rice with ready available ingredients of the countryside like tomatoes, onions, snails, rabbit and duck. The more affluent peasants would also use chicken. Today, the most popular incarnation of this dish is with seafood, which is known as Paella Marinara. But the original is the Paella Valenciana which incorporates seafood with chicken and pork.

It is obvious to me how Paella found it's way into the Cuban culinary repertoire. The Spaniards, having conquered the island, brought with them not only their cultural traditions but their culinary tastes as well. Today, Paella can be found on almost every Cuban restaurant's menu.

I LOVE this dish. My mom makes it with seafood and leaves the rice slightly soupy, which is known as Paella asopada (Soupy Paella). She also uses tomato sauce when cooking the rice. I have tried to make it the way my mom does and it never comes out as good. So I gave up and tried my own thing. I think I have found a nice compromise between the traditional version and my own concoction. I like to make my Paella in stages and then mix all the ingredients together. I also like to incorporate some Italian ingredients into the mix. Here is my version. I hope you will like it.

Ingredients:
1 small onion sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons bijol (bijol is available in all spanish markets. You can use Saffron. In fact, you should use Saffron, but it's expensive. I have found that bijol works just as well.)
salt and pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas thawed
3 sweat italian sausages with casings removed
1 lb. extra large shrimp cleaned
1 lb. little neck clams scrubbed cleaned
1 lb. mussels (beards removed)
14 oz. rice
Roasted red peppers (the type you buy in a store ready made in a jar)

In a large pot heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Put in the sliced onion and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add the oregano and thyme.

Add the clams and mussels and pour in the wine. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the clams and mussels open. Don't over cook them.

Turn off the heat and removed only the seafood from the pot and place onto another large pot and cover so they remain warm. Set that pot aside.

Turn the heat back on the pot with the broth. Cook the shrimp until just pink. Again, don't over cook them. Take the shrimp out and place in the pot with the other seafood and cover.

Run the broth through a strainer so you are left with only the liquid (no onions, garlic or herbs.) Set the liquid broth aside.
You can discard the onions, garlic, etc.

Return the pot to the stove and heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Start cooking the sausage. As the sausage cooks, chop it up into pieces with your spatula. Transfer the cooked sausage into the pot with the seafood and cover again.

Now we are going to make the rice. In the pot that you have been using to cook all your ingredients, put the broth (which should equal one cup, if it does not, add some water to make a full cup), an additional 2 1/2 cups of water, rice, bijol, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook the rice according to the instructions. Best to use a rice cooker, if not, do what I do, buy Uncle Ben's Instant Rice.

When the rice is done, add the thawed peas and stir. Now combine all your ingredients (rice, seafood, sausage) in your serving platter.

Just before I serve my Paella, I sprinkle just a touch of white wine over it and place pieces of roasted red peppers over it. The red peppers give it a nice touch.

These ingredients should be enough for 4-6 servings.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
I have made this dish using Italian turkey sausage and brown rice. The bijol will turn brown rice yellow and nobody will notice you are serving brown rice. In fact, I just did that last night!

If you are interested in trying different versions of Paella (and there are MANY versions) I highly suggest this book by Penelope Casas:

Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke)

In light of today's declaration by Fidel Castro that he would not be seeking re-election as president when the National Assembly meets this Sunday, I find myself contemplating Cuba's future. But what future? That is the million dollar question. I do not believe that Cuba will become a true democratic society anytime soon. In fact, I find it hard to believe that it will ever be a completely democratic country. The history of dictatorship, first by Prio Socarras, then Batista and finally Castro, is so prevalent that I can't conceive of a Cuban nation that can fully grasp the concept of true elections. Perhaps I am wrong. I hope I am wrong. Nothing would be more satisfying than a free and democratic Cuba.

But the politics should be left for another day. For the time being, let's imagine a free Cuba...like the drink...Cuba Libre.

I did a little research on the history of this famous drink and according to Wikipedia, Bacardi claims ownership. I also found out that some Cuban exiles call this drink Mentirita (little lie) because Cuba is not free. I had never heard it called that. Anyway, here is the story according to Bacardi:

"The world's most popular drink was born in a collision between the United States and Spain. It happened during the Spanish-American War at the turn of the century when Teddy Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and Americans in large numbers arrived in Cuba. One afternoon, a group of off-duty soldiers from the U.S. Signal Corps were gathered in a bar in Old Havana. Fausto Rodriguez, a young messenger, later recalled that a captain came in and ordered Bacardi (Gold) rum and Coca-Cola on ice with a wedge of lime. The captain drank the concoction with such pleasure that it sparked the interest of the soldiers around him. They had the bartender prepare a round of the captain's drink for them. The Bacardi rum and Coke was an instant hit. As it does to this day, the drink united the crowd in a spirit of fun and good fellowship. When they ordered another round, one soldier suggested that they toast ¡Por Cuba Libre! in celebration of the newly freed Cuba. The captain raised his glass and sang out the battle cry that had inspired Cuba's victorious soldiers in the War of Independence."

Okay, sounds good to me.

Ingredients:
2 shots white Rum (BACARDI PLEASE!)
Coca-cola
ice
Squeeze a lime wedge on top

(recipe courtesy of www.drinkalizer.com)

Enchilada de Camarones (Shrimp Creole)

As far back as I could remember, I've always thought my mom was a fantastic cook. Everything she made (with the exception of liver, which I was forced to ingest because I was anemic!) was top notch. She could invent a meal in 10 minutes and have it taste and look like it took her all day. One thing that always fascinated me about my mom was how many times she would make seafood for the family even though she disliked it immensely. My dad, sister and I are seafood fanatics, especially shrimp and lobster. Ironically, they are at the bottom of my mom's food list. But because she was a wonderful mom and because she spent her entire life trying to make us happy, our mom would make enchilada de camarones every weekend. To this day, when I go back home to visit, I ask her to make it for me. Here is her recipe.
By the way, yes, that's me and mom circa 1972 in our first apartment in NYC.

Ingredients:
1 14oz can whole tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 red pepper diced
1 green pepper diced
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dry oregano
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (or more depending on how spicy you want it)
salt and pepper for taste
2 lbs shrimp shelled and deveined

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic, red and green pepper until just soft, about 3 minutes.

With your hands crush the whole tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, oregano, and tabasco sauce.

Cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Add the shrimp and basil and cook until the shrimp are done.

Add salt and pepper to your taste. Remove and serve immediately. Can be served over white rice or with orzo for an Italian touch.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
This dish is not really high in fat. You can substitute white rice for brown rice. That will work very well.

Individual Warm, Soft Chocolate Cake

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!
Since it is Valentine's Day and chocolate is considered an aphrodisiac I thought this recipe might get you in the mood.....
I would like to give professional chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten full credit for this one. I have made this recipe MANY MANY times and it is always a huge hit.

Ingredients:
4 4 oz. ramekin molds
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, keep some extra butter on the side to coat the ramekin molds.
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, Ghirandelli works well but Jean-George recommends Valrhona (too hard to find)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons floor

Place a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Heat the chocolate and butter together until everything is completely melted. Set aside.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Then add the sugar and whisk by hand or with an electric beater until light and thick.

Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate and quickly mix in the flour. Mix until combined.

Butter the four ramekins. Make sure you cover the entire inside of the ramekin completely. (You can refrigerate the desserts at this point. But you MUST bring them back to room temperature before baking.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degree F.

Put the molds on to a try and place them in the oven. Bake for ONLY 7 minutes. You may feel the need to bake for more because they might not look done, but DON'T! Take them out after 7 minutes and let stand for 2 minutes.

Invert each mold onto a plate and let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold as the cake falls out on the plate. Serve immediately.

Since I like to add my own touch to most recipes. I will give you some of my suggestions for spicing up this dessert:
1. You can add 1 tablespoon of any coffee liquor like Kahlua to the chocolate mixture before you add the eggs.
2. Cut up some strawberries and place them on the side of the finish dessert. Then sprinkle some confectioner's sugar on top.
The dessert will look like it has snow on it.

If you want to give your dessert a tropical twist try the following:
1. Instead of adding coffee liquor add 1 tablespoon of a coconut liquor. Then sprinkle coconut flakes on top instead of the confectioner's sugar.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Are you kidding me?

Here is Jean-Georges' cooking book for reference.

Pollo alla Milanese Cuban style

I"m sure most of you are aware of this dish. It is very common. In fact, I bet some of you make this and don't even realize you are making it. Why? Because Pollo alla Milanese is basically breaded chicken. In this case it would be breaded boneless chicken breast. There is no science to this dish, no need to have a recipe book on hand, no need to have a degree in culinary arts. However, I'm going to give you a Cuban touch to this recipe that will give it a BAM! like Emeril Lagasse would say. Cuban's call this dish pollo empanizado which obviously means breaded chicken. How could we make this very basic simple dish into a Cuban style gem? Well we do what Cubans do best, we marinade!!!!! That is the secret. Cubans will marinade just about everything and the secret marinade is called MOJITO. Yes, like the drink, but the marinade and the drink differ greatly.

Mojito the marinade consists of garlic, onions, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and bitter oranges. That is the secret ingredient that makes Cuban style mojito so special. It is the bitter oranges. Bitter oranges are very difficult to get and if you try this with regular oranges, it's not going to taste the same. So, don' try it.

But since I'm all about saving time and doing things the easy way I buy the mojito already made. My recommendations would be either the Goya or the mojo from La Lechonera. Either one is good. Make sure you buy the bottle that says MOJO on it. Goya sells another marinade made from bitter oranges, but it's NOT mojito. (Mojo and mojito are the same thing) So please don't make the mistake of buying that one. So here is how I make Pollo alla Milanese Cuban style.

Ingredients:

4 pieces of boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Mojito (Mojo)
1 1/2 cups italian style bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 eggs
salt and pepper for taste
1 lemon

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. You want the chicken pieces to be on the thin side so mash them down. Put them in bowl and pour the mojito over them. Flip them around in the bowl making sure that the mojito has coated all the pieces back and front. Let them sit in the marinade for at least 4 hours. I've even kept them in overnight.

After they've sat for a while, take them out and pat dry. Now you can start up the oil in a frying pan. I use extra light virgin olive oil for frying but you can use vegetable oil if you like. Combine parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on one plate. Put the eggs in another plate. Mix them up with a fork. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Now arrange the plates in this order; chicken breasts first, egg mixture second and bread crumbs third.

Now dip chicken in egg mixture and coat both sides. Then dip the chicken onto the bread crumb plate. Make sure you get a really nice coat of bread crumbs. Then place in the oil and fry them up! When the oil is really hot, they will cook fast. Remember to flip them so you get a nice golden brown top. When the chicken is done, place them on a plate with a paper towel so it can soak up the extra oil.

Place the chicken on your serving dish. Cut up the lemon in 4 pieces and place one piece next to each of the 4 pieces of chicken. I like to serve this dish with a green salad. Nice and simple.

Well that's it. You will see how much more flavorful the chicken is when you bite into it. Here's another tip for a topping. Buy some Chimichurri sauce. Also available in spanish markets. Instead of the lemon use this sauce.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Don't add cheese to the bread crumbs and use egg whites instead of the whole egg. Also, you can bake the chicken in the oven. When they are just about done, flip on the broiler for a few minutes so you can get a nice brown topping.

Buñuelos de Abuelita (Grandma's Fried Dough)

Maria Trinidad Suárez was born on June 3, 1917 in Matanzas, on the island of Cuba. She was one of 6 children. Trina, as she was known to her family and friends, was a beloved wife, mother, sister, friend, grandmother and great-grandmother. She had spent all her life taking care of everyone she loved. Her sole purpose in life was to make sure that her children, friends and assorted family members were happy and well fed. Trina died on January 29, 2008 in North Bergen, NJ far from her beloved Cuba but close to those people that she worked so hard to take care of. She was my mother's mom and of course, my grandmother.

In memory of my beautiful grandmother, I would like to share with everyone her famous recipe for Buñuelos, which is essentially, fried dough. My grandma would make these primarily around the Christmas holiday but she would also make them for me whenever I felt homesick. All I needed to do is tell my mom I was craving grandma's buñuelos and I would have them within a week. I love to have them in the morning with my coffee so I could dunk them. But if you want to be really adventurous try dipping them in melted chocolate!!! YUM!!! So here is my abuelita's recipe. Besitos abuelita linda. Te queremos mucho.


Ingredients:

3 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 can of condensed milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons anise seeds

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until you get a dough. You can use an electric mixer if you want. Once you have the dough, place it on a board and roll it into a log about 1 inch thick. Cut 1/2 inch pieces of the dough and roll them out into strings about 6 inches long. Fold one side onto the other to create a ribbon like shape. (Think of the ribbons people wear on their chest for breast cancer, etc.) Or if you want to be different, make them into circles. Be daring, find different shapes if you want. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan. When the heat is really hot, very carefully start putting them into the oil. They cook quickly so please stay alert. It's really easy to burn them. This I tell you from experience. My first attempt at this recipe the buñuelos came out crispy black. You don't want them crispy. You want them to be a gold brown color on both sides, so stay on top of them. When they are done, place them on a dish covered with absorbent paper towels so to remove any excess grease. Let them cool and then ENJOY! Buen aprovecho! Buon appetito!

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Fugget abbout it!

Garlic Shrimp (Camarones al Ajillo)

This is a really easy and quick recipe. You can spice it up as you like just by adding or subtracting garlic.

Ingredients:

1 lb. medium shrimp cleaned.
1/4 cup extra light virgin oil
10 garlic cloves minced. (Here is where you can add more if you want it with a big kick)
1 tablespoon brandy
salt and pepper for taste
1-2 tablespoons sofrito (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and saute the garlic for 1 minute under medium heat. Pour the brandy in and ignite the mixture with a lighter or match. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOUR KITCHEN DOWN!!! Trust me, I am speaking from experience. When the flames are almost completely gone throw the shrimp in. Cook until done. Should be ready in 5 minutes. Shrimp cook really fast. Salt and pepper to your liking. Now, when the shrimp is cooked you can add the Sofrito. Sofrito is a latin sauce/marinade made with garlic/onions/tomato sauce/olive oil/green peppers. Here is a recipe for Sofrito if you want to make it yourself. Sofrito Recipe

But if you are like me and prefer to buy it already made the best is from Goya. If you can't find it in your supermarket here is a link for a Cuban supermarket that will ship it to you. Cuban Store

You can serve this dish with Yellow Rice for a Cuban flavor or Orzo for an Italian touch. I like it either way.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION :
Serve it along with a side salad. Works just as well.

Traditional Flan

Here is my mom's recipe for Cuban Flan. I know that flan is not just Cuban but I've had the French version, Creme Brule and the our Flan beats them hands down. This recipe will make a medium sized Flan.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cans condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees
2. Put the sugar into a small sauce pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. Keep turning the pot from one side to the next until the sugar has melted completely.
3. Once the sugar has melted completely, pour the liquid into a 2.5 quart metal mixing bowl. Tip the bowl back and forth so the melted sugar spreads evenly over the bottom and sides of the bowl. Set it aside.
4. In a heavy pot over low heat whisk together all the remaining ingredients. (milk, eggs, vanilla, salt)
5. Pour the liquid into your bowl.
6. Place the bowl in a large pan and pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come halfway up the sides of the bowl.
7. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil.
8. Cook for about 1 1/2 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the Flan comes out clean.
9. Remove the bowl from the pan and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes or so. Once it has cooled, flip it over unto a serving try or dish. Cover it again with foil and place it in the refrigerator until it has chilled completely. My mom usually will make the Flan a day ahead. It's really better that way. I've tried to do it the same day it's just not as good.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
Okay, you can make a lite version but I wouldn't recommend it. I tried it once when my dad came to visit me. He was watching his weight so I made it with fat free/lite condensed and evaporated milk. It came out really soft. The taste was okay, but I say if you are going to have Flan then really have FLAN!

Picadillo (Pee-ka-dee-yo) Minced Beef

Here is a classic Cuban dish that I LOVE. My mom used to make this whenever she was in a hurry because it only takes about 20 minutes. The Italian version which is basically Bolognese sauce requires a lot more tomato sauce and obviously no olives and peppers. Traditionally my mom would add potatoes and serve this over white rice. But I thought of combining the Picadillo with spaghetti so the potatoes are carbohydrate overkill.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra light virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 stuffed (with pimientos) green olives sliced
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon dry oregano
salt and pepper for taste
Thin spaghetti
roasted peppers for garnish

1) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions and
green peppers until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about another 2 minutes or so. Add the white wine and cook for about 3 minutes.
2) Add the beef and chop it up so there won't be any lumpy pieces together. Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, oregano, salt and pepper (the amount of these two is up to your own individual taste). Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
3) While that is cooking, start boiling your water for the pasta. When the water is boiling, don't forget to add some sea salt. Add the pasta. Use as much or as little pasta as you like. I like to use thin spaghetti (not Angel hair!) But you can use whatever you like.

When the pasta is done, drain and pour it into a serving dish. I like to drizzle the pasta with some extra virgin olive oil just because my friends in Italy used to do this. I'm sure there's a culinary reason for it. I just think it makes the pasta no sticky. Anyway, pour your Picadillo over your pasta. Garnish with some chopped roasted peppers on top.

HEALTHY/LITE VERSION:
For all you health conscious people out there, just substitute the beef with dark meat Turkey (please use dark meat, it will have a better taste). Instead of regular pasta, try using brown rice or whole wheat pasta. I'd recommend the brown rice pasta over the whole wheat. I think it has a better consistency and it's usually gluten-free.