I was flipping through José Andrés’ Made in Spain when I came across a recipe for olive oil pancakes. I’ve been on a pancake tear lately and was intrigued by his emphasis on Spanish products to make all-American pancakes – olive oil, chocolate, and honey. I’d always preferred Spanish olive oil, but I had never thought about Spanish chocolate. That morning, I found a 2 kilo bar of dark artisanal chocolate from Aragon at the Co-Op. I don’t know how I could have missed it , it was enormous. I heaved it into my bag and headed home.
Continue reading ‘Olive Oil Pancakes’
Archive for February, 2010
Olive Oil Pancakes
Published 28 February 2010 Breakfast/Brunch , Spain 4 CommentsTags: Aragon, Artisinal Spanish chocolate, Caro Chocolate, José Andrés, Made in Spain, Olive Oil Pancakes, Park Slope Food Coop, Tortitas de Aceite de Oliva
Catching Up in February
Published 25 February 2010 Catching Up , General Leave a CommentTags: Alain Ducasse, Astor Hotel, Best Chef semifinalist, Cuban home cooking, Daily Beast, Daniel Boulud, David Kaufman, Douglas Rodriguez, Douglas Rodriguez's Cuba, El Bulli closing, Frank Bruni, Grant Achatz, Hoboken, James Beard awards, Lydia Martin, Maricel E. Presilla, Miami Herald, Mix on the Beach, New Jersey, New York Times, New York Times Diner's Journal, South Beach Food and Wine Festival, Ultramarinos, W Spa and Resort on Vieques
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve talked about what I was reading, but I didn’t want to let February go by without pointing to some really interesting articles. Of course, the El Bulli story has continued to develop with the announcement that it would close permanently in 2012 and re-open as a non-profit foundation 2014. There were two interesting pieces in the New York Times Diner’s Journal by Grant Achatz and Frank Bruni about the very different emotions the restaurant inspired. Continue reading ‘Catching Up in February’
The Latin American Cafeteria
Published 23 February 2010 Cuba , Miami Leave a CommentTags: Cuban sandwiches, Cubanos, Latin American Cafeteria, Latin Cafe, Medianoche, Miami lunch counters, Sergio's
If you ask Miamians for their favorite sandwich counter, they’ll often mention the Latin American Cafeteria on Coral Way. The fact that it’s been closed for almost a decade doesn’t seem to have diminished its popularity. While researching the Cuban sandwich, I had to deliver the sad news to friends that the original Latin American no longer existed. People were so surprised that I had to wonder how many of us had driven down Coral Way and projected the giant arches and wrap-around counter onto the generic Sergio’s franchise that had taken its place. Though there are still eponymous Latin American locations throughout the city, it’s just not the same. There are many contenders for second, but it’s only what someone will settle for when they can’t get what they really want. Continue reading ‘The Latin American Cafeteria’
Frituras de Malanga
Published 19 February 2010 Appetizers , Cuba , Light Lunch , Vegetarian 2 CommentsTags: A Taste of Old Cuba, Fritters, Frituras, Malanga, Maria Josefa Lluria de O'Higgins, yautia
I bought the malanga by mistake. I’d considered adding it to my garbanzos last week but left it out at the last minute. Not wanting to let it go to waste, I decided to try making fritters instead. I’d stopped by a friends house unexpectedly when he was finishing a batch for salt cod fritters, and it looked so easy and simple that I wanted to try this variation. They’re the kind of last minute side dish that could be whipped up in a few minutes. I looked through a few different recipes that were very similar – malanga, eggs, a little garlic, maybe parsley. Reading A Taste of Old Cuba, I was reminded that frying 0f any kind was always left for last so that the fritters, plantains or croquetas could be served hot and crisp, never greasy . I hadn’t thought about it before but realized that I do associate the crackle and sizzle of frying with a great meal about to be had – a little music drawing everyone to the table. Continue reading ‘Frituras de Malanga’
Last Call
Published 16 February 2010 Beverages , Brazil , Drinks 6 CommentsTags: Brazilian drinks, Cachaça, Caipiríssima, Caipirinhas, Caipiroskas, Pitu, Rio Carnaval
Life inside the snow globe is pretty but it’s February and I’m tired of feeling (and looking) like a nesting doll. It’s the final day of Carnival in Rio and I’m not there. It’s hard to believe that there are people thinking, not about how many layers they can wear under their overcoat, but how many feathers they can get on their headdress – a headdress and little else. I looked for coverage of the parades that have been going since Saturday but haven’t found very much. While I hate to miss out, I love knowing that there are still events so wonderful, people don’t stop to upload. Hoping to bring a little bit of carnival to my site, I asked a Brazilian friend for any good recipes made for the festival. Her answer was immediate and simple – caipirinhas – the fuel behind the celebration and apparently, the unusually high November birth rate in Brazil. As she put it, it is a country of Scorpios.
A combination of limes, sugar, and cachaça, the Brazilian liquor made from fermented sugar cane, you can also use vodka to make a caipiroskas or light rum for a caipiríssima. I briefly considered holding my glass out the window for a caipisnowcone. However, you mix it, it’s worth the Fat Tuesday effort lest you wake up on Ash Wednesday all repentance and no sin. Continue reading ‘Last Call’
Tiger’s Tale
Published 15 February 2010 Cuba , Manhattan 2 CommentsTags: Babalu! Favorite Recipes from the World's Top Latin Chefs and Celebrities, Camarones Jengibre, Celia Cruz, Chinese New Year, Cuban-Chinese Restaurants, Ginger Shrimp, Year of the Metal Tiger
Like most people, I’ve been overwhelmed by the perfect storm of holidays we’ve had this weekend. Being stared down by Cupid, I could barely make out the Metal Tiger and Abe Lincoln standing behind him. Throw my birthday into the mix and I barely have enough time to get my guilt in order before Ash Wednesday. Nevertheless, I wanted to commemorate the Chinese New Year in some small way. When I first came to New York for school, Chinese-Cuban restaurants were my link to authentic Cuban food. Chinese staff speaking hyper-speed Caribbean Spanish serving roast pork with bean curd or fried rice with maduros over Cuban map placemats. I realized this winter that the reverse was also true. When I was considering buying some heavy tropical fruit to bring back with me from Miami, I realized I’d be better off looking for the same items closer to home in Chinatown. Continue reading ‘Tiger’s Tale’
Heart Break
Published 13 February 2010 Food Breaks Leave a CommentTags: iseehearts, Kat Lee, Park Slope, Valentine's Day
I know a Kat who sees hearts. In leaves and trees, sidewalks and shadows, waffles and gelatos and a million other places, she spots them and posts them here at iseehearts. I’ve sent her a few that she’s included. Less poetic than Kat’s, they typically involve food – like the heart shaped olive over my papas a la huancaína or a piece of garlic in a jar of marinara sauce – so I was very proud when I spotted this album cover in Park Slope. Once you’re looking, they pop up everywhere. If this Valentine’s Day doesn’t bring you all the hearts and flowers you’d wished for, you’ll keep an eye out for some unexpected ones.
Potaje de Garbanzos
Published 10 February 2010 Cuba , Light Lunch , Main Course , Soups/Stews 2 CommentsTags: Garbanzos, Potaje de Garbanzos, Chickpea Stew, Cuban Garbanzos, Chickpea Soup, Winter Stews
I make beans with an accent. I understand all of the elements, but they don’t always flow together as easily as I would like. A staple of Latin American cooking, I should know them better than I do. Having only developed a taste for them as an adult, I refused all forms of frijoles, lentejas, or garbanzos when I was younger. Now that I appreciate what I’ve been missing and want to make them all the time, I feel like I’m being punished for my earlier brattiness with inconsistent batches of beans. If only I’d paid better attention when my grandparents were cooking, I’d have a freezer full of stews and soups to get me through the winter. With a blizzard on the way, I knew I’d be home bound so I thought it would be the perfect day to make a big, slow-cooking pot of garbanzos. Despite the declared snow day, I sent myself to chick-pea school and looked through every garbanzo recipe I had. By comparing, I was able to pick up tips and see where I’d gone wrong before. I knew I wanted chorizo but not ham, pimenton but not saffron, and something heartier than soup but lighter than stew. Worried less about the perfect result and more about just figuring it out, it was a good batch day. Continue reading ‘Potaje de Garbanzos’
Tennis Anywhere?
Published 7 February 2010 Brooklyn , Cuba , Desserts 2 CommentsTags: Beverly Cox, Brazo Gitano, Eating Cuban, Eating Cuban: 120 Recipes from the Streets of Havana to American Shores, Guayaba/Guava, Jelly Roll Cake, Martin Jacobs, Orange, Palacio de los Jugos, Peoplemovr
When I first found this recipe for a Brazo Gitano de Guayaba in Eating Cuban, I couldn’t wait to make it. Then strangely enough, I waited almost a year for the right occasion. I always associate brazo gitano (or jelly roll cakes) with my childhood, mostly because it was the object of a big sister-little sister showdown over a last bite that got us both in trouble (I’m sure I’ve been forgiven by now, though technically I may still be grounded). When my friend Aaron sent an invite for ORANGE, the opening of a tennis inspired playroom installation, I thought this orange-rum-guava rolled cake would be a good choice to bring. An avid tennis player, Aaron decided to create an indoor court in his Brooklyn apartment. Last night, the usual conversations-careers, politics, art- didn’t seem so adult when broken up by turns in a bright orange light-box court, smashing foam tennis balls around. A little summer, no waiting. The perfect tonic on a brutally cold day.
ORANGE from Aaron Cedolia on Vimeo.
Picking Peppers
Published 5 February 2010 Breakfast/Brunch , Cuba , Light Lunch , Mexico Leave a CommentTags: Chiles/Chilis, Chipotle, Diana Kennedy, Eggs Poached in Chile-Tomato Broth, Huevos en Rabo de Mestiza, Poblanos, The Essential Cuisine of Mexico
I’m not used to very much heat in my food. Though most people associate chili peppers with Latin America, food in the Caribbean is more often spicy than hot. While I love having a choice on one menu between caipirinhas and mojitos or lomo saltado and carne asada, trendy pan-Latin restaurants can add to the confusion. Friends insist that chipotle belongs in a Cuban sandwich, and ask me if I had elotes covered in chili powder growing up because they ordered it at Habana Outpost. The answers are complicated. I don’t want chipotle anywhere near my Cubano, but I look forward to my chili covered corn every summer (though not because I had it growing up, but because it’s so good).
