Dec 16
A few weeks ago, I decided to make Cannelle et Vanille‘s Aran Goyaga’s Swiss Chard, Pear and Gruyère Tart from her new cookbook, Small Plates and Sweet Treats. I’m not sure how to describe this beautifully photographed book except to say that it glows. It actually glows. Read more
Dec 16
I don’t usually address national news on this site. It’s not that kind of forum, and I’d never want to trivialize a serious event. On Thursday night, I was writing about the busyness before the holidays to post the next day. Of course, for me, like many of you, the clock stopped on Friday morning when I heard about the tragic events in Newton, Connecticut. Starting up again has been harder than I imagined, and impossible without acknowledging what we’re all feeling – heart broken. In these situations, you’re never quite sure where relief will come from, but I thought the opening of Saturday Night Live, broadcast last night, was lovely and worth sharing. If you’re looking for ways to help the victims of Sandy Hook, please click here for more information.
Dec 8
How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?
~ Dr Seuss
At first I thought this quote perfectly captured the short day anxiety I’ve been feeling this winter, but really, it sums up my whole year. Case in point – this should have been my catching-up post for November. Not that I’ve been wasting time. This month, I was thrilled to be part of SAVEUR’s 2012 Cookie Advent Calendar. It’s full of amazing recipes, and I loved flipping through the cabinets and looking under the lampshades for more suggestions. If you prefer musical advent experience, the New York Magazine Les Miserable Advent Calendar is a second (albeit close) favorite. Here’s a quick list of links that may tell you where the rest of my time has gone. Read more
Nov 29
When I first opened the Cuba chapter in Chef Jose Garces’ The Latin Road Home: Savoring the Foods of Ecuador, Spain, Cuba, Mexico and Peru, I held my breath for a moment. It’s always a little strange to see yourself through someone else’s eyes – well not me exactly but the food I grew up which can feel like the same thing. My first instinct was to jump ahead to the recipe for the sandwich Cubano – not only did he keep his version free of chipotle mayo, but mentions Miami’s Latin American cafeteria and includes directions for sugar-cured pork. I kept reading. Read more
Nov 12
These may seem like ordinary pancakes, but to me – they are pre-historic. I was training for the NYC Marathon and developed a recipe for amaranth pancakes for the Cooking Channel‘s Devour, to run on the days leading up to it. Normally, I rely on pre-run quinoa, but amaranth, the other Latin-American nutritional super food with an ancient – not to say mythical – history, made sense. Using amaranth flour combined with white whole-wheat and a good dose of honey, they were tender and nutty with a slight tang from the buttermilk. I was really happy with the way they’d turned out and thought it would be a quick link and write-up while I rested for the race. The recipe ran as scheduled with the small post-script that I’d be running my second marathon. By then, everything had changed. Read more
Nov 5
As a ritual based, Latin American food holiday, el Dia de los Muertos has kept me busy. After stopping through some my favorite Sunset Park’s Mexican bakeries, I did my first piece for Edible Brooklyn’s Notable Edibles: Bread of the Dead. Visiting el Museo del Barrio, I was also able to cover this years altars, on display through November 11, for the Daily News Viva section. The Latin Kitchen posted my empanaditas de calabaza recipe and I made pumpkin atole for the Cooking Channel’s Devour. Lingering over baroque altars and autumnal spices seemed strange at times, but as always it was lovely visit.
Nov 1
It was the wind howling against the windows that really unnerved me. The un-ignorable fact that the smallest pebble hitting the pane at the wrong spot would shatter it completely and bring the full force of the hurricane inside the house kept me sleepless. When the storm had finally passed, I left the interior room we’d huddled down in and dared to look out the window. Most of the surrounding houses were still standing, but I couldn’t make them out – it was all white sky and black water. Knowing we were safe, I allowed myself to sleep, unless I was wrong and had been dreaming the whole time. Read more
Oct 28
October was a whirlwind even before there was a Frankenstorm on the way. While we wait to wait it out, I thought it was a good time to catch-up for October. To start, I was thrilled to be part of an article written by Rachel Swarns – In the Kitchen, Holding on to Heritage Before It Slips Away – for the New York Times. I’ve also been spending a lot of time at The Latin Kitchen – building up a virtual spice rack both sweet and savory. To top it all, my sister Carmen (also my partner at La Filosofia) were included in a travel story for New York Magazine that metaphorically sent us to Norway. Read more
Oct 18
A week ago, I got tired of playing kitchen Jenga in my overcrowded pantry. Deciding to clear the decks, I went through every can and bottle, checked expiration dates, and relined the shelves. While there weren’t as many items to throw away as I’d feared, there were enough to make me feel more than a little ashamed and wasteful. I hate throwing away food to the core, and there’s no excuse for it. Read more
Oct 4
I’d almost given up on the stuffed chayotes when I put them in the oven. Bright green and plump, they’re available year round and go by christophene (France), mirliton (Caribbean), chu-chu (Brazil), güisquil (Central America), depending on where you find them. Bought the week before, they kept well so it was easy put them off for another day. I’d had them sauteed and lightly dressed and filled with chorizo before, but there was a sweeter variation I came across in older Cuban cookbooks that I decided to try. Read more
Finalist for the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award in the International Cookbook Category for The Cuban Table
hungry sofia 