the colors of the dominican republic

I am not sure if I have made it clear that I LOVE TO TRAVEL! I think I may have said that a few times in this blog already. I was afraid I was not going to be able to travel this year...afraid that I was going to break my momentum that I have had since 2005. Fortunately, and with some little luck, I was able to make it down to Joshabel's wedding in the Dominican Republic, sweet!

Most of my time was spent helping finalize the wedding, but after it was all over, we were able to take a day trip to a beach town. On our way there we stopped to purchase some fruit...oh, how lovely the colors! I went crazy taking pictures of the tantalizing and coquettish fruit! I think everyone thought I was insane..."hasn't she seen fresh fruit before?"

I have to admit that I became partially blinded, all I could see was the colorful fruit. No wonder I did not notice when Joshabel and Oscar purchased a mortar and pestle for me as a departing gift...sneaky!

As in all the Dominican Republic, music was blasting and the love birds would forget about all of us and just dance under the trees...very romantic! It made me miss my Tony...

Since I was a little girl I was addicted to mangoes. I can eat them all day long and thus I was given the nickname, the Mango Queen. Joshabel's dad saw how happy I got when I saw the mangoes so he bought me 10! He kept on offering me more and more to eat...my tummy just couldn't have any more. Now I wish I had one of those mangoes right in my hand! They tasted incredible!

So the mortar and pestle is used to make mofongo. It is a traditional dish from the Dominican Republic (they have it in Puerto Rico as well). It is made with fried plantain that is then mashed with chicharron (fried pork rind). This is the traditional mofongo, but it can also be made with garlic, shrimp, yucca, instead of plantain, etc... it is a delicious treat and I cannot wait until I make it at home...if only I could find the time to cook! (more on that on a later post). 

Oh how I love the bright color of the mango! At the beach we were able to relax, take a dip in the water, and just enjoy each other's company. The family we visited made us some fried fish, garlic rice and tostones. It was delicious!!!!! I love fried fish and the best I have ever had has been at the beach here in the DR and in  Puerto Vallarta. Both times local families have cooked the freshly caught fish for us.

I have a few dishes I want to try to make from the Dominican Republic...I guess I will start with the easiest one, tostones! This dish is made with green plantains that are twice fried. They are crunchy and go well with just about everything. I made an aioli sauce to dip the tostones in. 

Tostones

2 unripe plantains
1/2 cup of oil
salt

Peel the plantain and cut into 1 inch thick slices. In a deep frying pan, heat the oil and fry the plantains until golden brown. Flatten the plantains using the bottom of a flat glass (or anything with a flat surface). Fry the plantains again from 30-60 seconds on each side. Season with salt and serve.

gabe eating solids for the first time!

The day that I have been waiting for finally arrived! Gabe is now eating solids and his first time was so fun to watch! Tony and I were so excited, and after it was all over, we could not stop smiling and feeling so proud of our little munchkin. We decided to start with apple...I don't know why I started with this but I do know he really loved it. I made a homemade applesauce, very easy to make and I have to say it is way better than any store bought apple sauce. It was the simplest thing to make and the flavor was nothing but true apples, no preservatives, sugar, etc....

We started with very little since I did not expect he would eat much, then we gave him seconds, and then some more. He really loved it! I am really keeping my fingers crossed he is not a picky eater! I have to repeat that this homemade applesauce tastes way better than anything you can purchase at the store. The following is a recipe for making this quick apple sauce...honestly, it is really just mashed apples. Make it for your baby, your kids or yourself. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon if you like and enjoy!

Homemade Applesauce

2 medium apples (Gala apples), peeled, cored and chopped

2 Tbs of water

Put the apples in a saucepan and add the water. Cover and cook over low heat until tender (6-8 minutes). 

Transfer the apples and cooking liquid to a blender or food processor and puree. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold. Add a pinch of cinammon if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

gabe and the abuelitas

Gabe is growing up so fast! It is so amazing to watch him develop,watch him discover his hands, watch him work hard to roll over, see his interest in color...the list goes on and on. Every second with him is so interesting. I really love being a mom, especially a mom to Gabe.

I have to confess that I totally melt when he smiles at me...it must be pretty cheesy to watch. My face lights up and my smile feels bigger than normal. I wonder what Tony thinks when he sees me melt that way, I think it is a bit embarrasing! I am afraid I will be one of those mothers that cry for everything that their kids do. Just watching him smile makes a few tears fall from my eyes. I am such a proud mama! A quick update on Gabe: he is almost 5 months, weighs 16.6 lbs and is 26 inches long. He is at 50 percentile weight and 75 percentile height. He rolls over so smoothly, he coos like crazy, giggles from tickling and he wants to walk with Abuelita Amanda's help. On Wednesday I will start him on solids...I can't wait!

As of now I am still working part-time. Abuelita Terrie takes care of Gabe on Mondays and Abuelita Amanda takes care of him on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is such a treat for Gabe as he gets to spend time with these two amazing ladies!

Every time the abuelitas are over I try to make some delicious dinner. This recipe is one that I made for Terrie one Sunday night. I love it because it is easy and oh-so-fresh! I serve everything in seperate little bowls and I allow everyone to prepare their tacos just the way they like them. Because I had included a spiced peach jam, I decided to make lemon shrimp to give the tacos a sweet and sour touch. It turned out outstanding and I recommend you try this easy recipe!

Spiced Peach Jam

1 lb fresh peaches, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you want the jam)

Follow the technique here for blanching and peeling the peaches (first step of recipe).

In a heavy medium-size saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes 2 cups.

Shrimp Tacos

1 lb of jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, cleaned and patted dry
2 Tbs of olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
half lime
salt and pepper to taste

For sides you can chop any of the following: tomatoes, onion, cilantro and avocado. I also saute corn in a bit of olive oil. I also provide sour cream, queso fresco and limes. Don't forget the tortillas!

Place shrimp in a large bowl and add olive oil and garlic. Toss to coat. Grill shrimp or cook on a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Shrimp are done when they turn pin and are no longer translucent.

Plase shrimp in serving bowl. Add cilantro, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

canning and TSS reunions...my new obsession!!

Recently I have spent a lot of time canning jams and preserves. I have always wanted to do it in the past but never got around to it. This year I decided not to slack off and I have invested a lot of time in learning how to prepare the fruit and how to can it to preserve it for the months to come. In reality, this is not hard at all, just a bit time consuming getting all the jars sterilized. I started with a very basic recipe...strawberry preserves. I decided to cut the sugar in half because of how much it required. in the middle of it all I was reading up on the technique of making jams without added pectin and I realized that  there is a science to it. You really need all that sugar to make sure it gels up. How dumb of me not to follow directions! Oh well, I decided to proceed since it was too late.

Fortunately the fruit did gel up for me and the jam came out delicious! It is very spreadable and it works just like any other jam. I am not sure what experts would say about this, all I know is that both Tony and I loved it! I spread some of this jam on a slice of homemade brioche...the thought of this combination makes my mouth water! I have made other recipes as well and I will post them soon. Just to tease you here is a preview of a few: fig, orange and rosemary jam; vanilla spiced pear butter; and spiced peach jam.

I had some leftover strawberries and I decided to use it to make a strawberry and apple galette for my reunion with some members of The Scholar Ship. Quick summary, back in 2007 I traveled on a cruise around the world with 200 international students for one semester. I met a lot of great people on this trip and I am fortunate to now have friends all over the world. Every once in a while I meet up with a few of them and it is such a special treat. I think the bond that we created on the boat is so strong that we will continue to keep it as we grow old. It is now 2011 and we are still meeting up across the world. I have been fortunate to meet up with many here in the Bay Area, in New York, Paris, London and soon in the Dominican Republic.

This time around it was Jarin and her lovely parents who came to visit us and of course we showed her a great Bay Area time! I hosted the lunch at my place and we ate Tony's amazing paella (I love this dish and it feeds a lot of people!) This day was truly an amazing one...I really love my TSS buddies!

I prepared my burnt milk with toasted coconut ice cream (recipe to come soon) the day before our reunion as I knew it would compliment the strawberry and apple galette. It sure did! Viewing all my friends eat this dessert made me feel warm and fuzzy as I could tell in their face that they loved every bite! Hope you enjoy this recipe and the one for the strawberry preserves!

Whole Strawberry Preserves
1.5 lbs fresh, medium sized and perfectly ripe strawberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Remove stems from strawberries and place in a large bowl and cover with 1.5 cups of sugar. Toss to coat and set the strawberries aside for 2-3 hours until the sugar starts to dissolve and the strawberries start to juice.

Place the berries in a colander over a large saucepan. Leave the juices in the pot and set the berries aside. Add the remaining 1/5 cup of sugar to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until dissolved. Add the berries into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

Take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Transfer the berries to a large shallow dish and allow the berries to cool. Cover and leave overnight.

The next day return the berries to a large pot, bring to a boil and simmer until it reaches 230 F.
Ladle the preserves into sterilized jars, cool and cover. Store the preserves in the fridge for 2-3 months or seal and process the jars to store the jam for up to a year.

Makes two 8oz jars

Strawberry and Apple Galette

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut in pieces
2 eggs

2 cups of strawberries, sliced

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

powdered sugar

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add one egg and process for no more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Roll dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Press down to flatten the dough, into a disk. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before using.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut large circles of dough with a cookie cutter or make one galette. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place some apples on top, then strawberries. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle galette with  sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 20 minutes for small galette and around one hour for a large one (make sure to check galettes as they cook to ensure you don't burn them). Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Makes one large galette or 5 small ones.

where does the time go?

Things have picked up for me, which is not good as I no longer have enough time to cook much these days. I went back to work at the beginning of July, although just part time, it still takes three days away from my baby, my husband and my kitchen. I am in the process of changing gears at work and I am extremely excited, but a bit scared that this transition will take A LOT of time away from the things I love to do. At least the transition period wont last long...I hope!

Baby Gabe is getting so big! I wish I could be by his side every second to watch him grow. It is hard for me to leave him when I go to work, but I do feel good he gets to spend time with both abuelitas while I am gone. However, I can tell that as he gets older and more alert, I am having a harder time being away from him, even if he is with family. He is growing so quickly and every day there is a new thing he does or discovers...oh, I love my son!

Oh....it is almost time to start feeding Baby Gabe solids! I am so excited as I will be making his food from scratch. Again, I am very fortunate to have very generous people around me. Lindsey gave me a few things that I will be using to prepare the food and one of Tony's ex co-worker, Marika, gave us a Baby Cook machine, the one that sells at William Sonoma. All of that combined with the hand mixer that Terrie's boss, Jimmy, gave us will make creating baby food so much fun. I can't wait to get Monkey (that is what we call Baby Gabe) to try all different kinds of food, especially food cooked by mommy. All I hope for is for him to be a good eater and an adventurous one as well. We have been very fortunate that little Michayla has turned out exactly that way. She loves everything and loves to try all kinds of food. We can take her to eat Indian food and she enjoys every bite! 

  

I hope to raise Gabe in a very healthy environment with delicious and nutritious food prepared at home, but I will also make him some special treats once in a while that may be a little naughty...such as this Apricot Clafoutis. I will make sure to pair this delightful clafoutis with some homemade burnt sugar ice cream. It is truly an amazing combination!

Apricot Clafoutis

1 lb. apricots, quartered, halved or a combination and pitted

2 tsp. brandy or cognac

2 eggs

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. milk

6 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. confectioners sugar 

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter baking dish. Place the apricots in the bottom of the dish, dividing them evenly, and sprinkle with the brandy.

In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, salt and flour. Process until smooth. Pour the batter over the apricots.

Bake until clafouti is puffed and golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Dust the top with confectioners sugar and serve. 

Serves 6.

it is good to dream...

Tony and I fell in love with New Zealand when we traveled there on our honeymoon. We loved the scenery, the people, the food, the wine and the experience. Luckily, I found some marvelous places to stay as we traveled Auckland, Waihike Island and the Matakana region. I did two posts on the trip a while ago and you are more than welcome to read it here and here. I don’t remember why I chose to stay at a Bed and Breakfast but I am sure happy I did; the hospitality was amazing and the breakfasts were outstanding!

While we were staying in Waihike Island, Tony and I took a kayak trip to a secluded part of the island to have a picnic. While there, we began discussing the idea of owing a Bed and Breakfast someday in the future. We were enjoying our experience so much and we both knew that with our love of cooking and hosting, we would be able to have a successful B&B one day. Everyone knows I am such a planner so I quickly took out my journal and a pen and I began making notes of this great dream. What should we call this place? What are some possible locations? How should we design the house? The list went on and on. Dreaming about this future became so much fun. I think our crazy selves even drew the plans for the house layout. A few things I know we wanted were the following: an olive grove, an outdoor pizza oven, a workshop, and an outdoor area where to cook a large paella for our Paella Fridays! Yes, we want to have a festive night where we can serve great food and local wines as well as listen and dance to salsa music.

All this planning was getting too exciting and I quickly realized that in order to accomplish this dream we needed to make it into a goal by creating a plan. So we sat down and decided to make a 3 year plan, a 10 year plan, and a 20 year plan. There is no way we can afford something like this unless we are smart with our money. First step—to pay our debt, we need to be debt free! We gave ourselves three years to pay off our debt, a challenging task as our combined debt was not pretty, but with discipline and commitment it’s doable. So far we are doing fabulous and we expect to accomplish this goal early.

So back to the B&B idea, I made some delicious Pain Perdu and we loved it so much we decided to add this recipe to our list of breakfast to serve to our future guests. I used the Brioche loaf I baked the day before; it made this dish taste incredible! I also used some of the peaches I had made in brandy syrup and I almost fainted in delight at the combination of it all. Lastly, I had some Brioche left; in order not to let it go to waste I made an apple, honey and brioche pudding that would be best served as a desert topped with vanilla bean ice cream or some plain Greek yogurt (it is a bit on the sweet side).

Pain Perdu

Sliced bread or slice brioche

2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup cream

2 table spoons of caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

butter

Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in a shallow dish. In a pan, melt a knob of butter. Dip the bread in the mixture making sure both sides are coatted and place on the pan to cook. Fry the bread on both sides until deeply golden and crisp. Serve with fresh fruit and dust with some icing sugar.

Apple, Honey and Brioche Pudding 

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon allspice

4 large apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup raisins

2/3 cup diced brioche

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup diced chilled butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Warm the honey, 1/3 cup butter, vanilla extract, and all spice in a sauce pan. add the apples and raisins and combine. Tip into a baking dish.

In a food processor, coarsley pulse the brioche, sugar, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spinkle over the fruit and bake for 40 minutes. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream or plain greek yogurt.

my mission to find james' peach

I read James and the Giant Peach as a little girl and I remember how much my mouth watered while reading that book. The description of the peach just left me full of desire to run to the market and bite into the first peach I could find.  I wanted to feel drunk by the peach the way James felt as he explored that gigantic mass of fruit. I could not stop thinking about the darn peach and I dreamt of the moment that we would one day meet face to face.

As my mom got ready to go to the store I thought “this is my chance” and I requested some peaches. “How many?” “umm…a dozen, please.”  This was definitely not my first time eating a peach, but it sure felt like it. Once she got home I almost trampled her like a hungry dog that smelled fresh meat. I grabbed the first peach I could find and I carried this priced fruit to my room where I could eat it without interruption. “Umm, I have been waiting for you…”

I have to admit that although the peach was quite delicious, it did not live to the hype that I had created in my head. The peach tasted fresh and had a perfect sweetness to it, but it was definitely not as sweet as James’ peach. I have continued to eat peaches all my life but I have never come across one that compares to the mythical peach in the book.

As I flipped through my favorite magazine, Dish, I came to the Nectarines and Peaches in Brandy Syrup recipe and decided to give it a try. The recipe is quite simple and fast. As I prepared the peaches, I smelled them and the scent took me back to the day that I craved James’ peach. They smelled divine! I even called Eddy and Cho, who happened to be visiting, to come and smell the peaches. Once the peaches had bathed in the brandy syrup, I decided to give it a try. I was shocked to discover that they tasted exactly the way I had imagined as a little girl. This was James’ peach!

Now, if I would have know about brandy as a young girl I would have fulfilled my craving for that saccharine peach…don’t know how good of an idea that would have been as I would have probably ended up drunk.

Nectarines and Peaches in Brandy Syrup
adapted from Dish (NZ)

  

3 lbs of small nectarines or peaches, or a combination of both.
2 cups of water
1 1/2 cup of caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 cup brandy

With a knife, lightly score the skin along the groove of the fruit. In a saucepan bring water to boil. In batches, drop the fruit into the boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove the fruit and place in a bowl of cold water. Carefully peel off the skin of the fruit.

In a large saucepan combine water, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and peppercorns stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring back to a boil for 5 minutes then add brandy and simmer for 3 minutes. Add fruit, increase heat and once boiling immediately remove from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fruit to a hot, sterilized jars and and pour over the syrup totally cover. Seal the jars immediately, cool completely then refrigerate.

the smell of baking brioche

I have wanted to make bread for a while but have been putting it aside out of fear of the difficulty and time it requires to make it. This weekend I decided to go for it and I chose a recipe from the Cheese Board Collective Works book. I wanted to make a rosemary focaccia but when I saw how long it takes to make the starter (12 days!) I decided to set that aside for a future time. I looked for another recipe…something that was doable in one day.

I opened up the book once again and it landed on the page with the recipe for brioches. “Now this is more like it” I thought and proceeded to work on the dough, “maybe I can make some Pain Perdu with it?” Honestly, this was not hard to do at all, it just required some time as you need to let the dough rise. I was really anxious and excited to throw the dough in the oven and let it bake, but I quickly told myself “patience Tita.” So I proceeded to sing the song that I always sing to my little Gabe, “Patience, is an 8 letter word. Patience, for every boy and girl. Patience, 'cause I want milk in my tummy. Patience, 'cause it’s really yummy.”  Just like it calms him, it calmed me down and it reminded me that patience is key to ensuring that this bread comes out yummy.



I found it really exciting when it came time to separate the dough and make the knots as I knew I was getting closer to baking time. They knots looked so pretty and shinny once I coated them with the egg mixture and I couldn’t resist but to stare at them in awe. Now the best part came when the brioche was baking in the oven...OH MY GOD, did the house smell good! Tony and I were motionless as we inhaled the tantalizing scent of baking bread.

I am delighted at the idea of making fresh brioche for Gabe. I know he will love waking up on those mornings that the bread is baking in the oven. I hope that the sweet aroma of baking brioche will remind him of mommy’s love for him.  

Brioches

Preparation time including rising and baking: 3 1/4 hours;

active time: 50 minutes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2/3 cup golden raisins

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small sauce pan, heat the cream and buttermilk over low heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Pour into the bowl of a sand mixer or a large bowl. Let cool until just warm, then whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

If using a stand mixer, add the flour, butter, sugar, 1 of the eggs, and the salt to the bowl. With a paddle attachment on medium speed, mix until the ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes. If the dough is too soupy, add extra flour by the tablespoon until the dough forms a loose ball around the paddle. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 7 minutes, on until the dough is smooth, silky and elastic. Add the raisins and knead just long enough to incorporate them. 

Form the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Or, refrigerate the dough to rise slowly overnight. the next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand in a warm place for at least 1 hour. 

In a wide, shallow bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. let rest for 5 minutes. Using your palms, roll each piece into a 10-inch-long length with slightly tapered ends. toss the lengths in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place the end of the length over the other, creating a loop with 2 tails. Grasp the bottom tail and threat it through the loop from top to bottom. Fold both tails underneath the knot and push them gently up into the center while using your thumbs to pull down on the outside edge of the roll. 

Place the brioche on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. Cover them with a floured kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour, or until increased in size by one-third.

Fifteen minutes prior to baking, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops and sides of each brioche with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown, Transfer the brioches to a wire rack to cool. 

mas por favor!

One of my favorite Guatemalan dishes is this white bean stew. I LOVE it! Every time my grandma made it for us I would always ask for seconds, “mas por favor abuelita” I would say. I enjoy the color of the stew…a beautiful burnt orange color that compliments the soft white of the floating beans; and the smell of the fresh culantro (cilantro as we call it in Guate) mixed with the comino that floats to my nose is intoxicating to say the least. I love the combination of all the flavors and the warmness of the stew. This is a perfect dish for me.

When I began exploring in the kitchen I asked my mom for the recipe of this unforgettable dish. It is pretty simple to make and does not require much attention at all. Yet, every time I make it I stand next to the stove inhaling the aroma to ensure that the flavor is just right. Like any recipe learnt from my family, the exact quantities are unknown. You cook with your five senses; somehow the dish always comes out right. This time around I tried measuring every ingredient and it was certainly challenging but I think I got it down. I still recommend tasting it and adjusting the salt and the cumin to get the right balance once it is done cooking…how do you know you have reached it, well…the stew just tastes right.

I have to mention that this is one of Tony’s favorite dishes; he enjoys the flavors as much as I do. I can’t wait for Gabe to try it and I hope that one day he too asks for “mas por favor!”

Guatemalan White Bean Stew

1 lb white beans 

1½ lb of pork shoulder (best flavor with bone)*

6 cups water

4 tomatoes, sliced into four pieces 

1 yellow onion , slices into 4 pieces

1 red bell pepper, sliced into 4 pieces 

2 garlic cloves 

1 tablespoons cumin 

¼ cup of chopped cilantro
2 ½ teaspoons salt

Spread beans in a single layer on a large sheet tray; pick through to remove and discard any small stones or debris and then rinse well. 

Soak the beans using one of these two methods: 
Traditional soaking method: In a large bowl, cover beans by 3 inches with cold water, cover and set aside at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight. 

Quick soaking method: In a large pot, cover beans by 3 inches with cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, for 1 hour. 

Drain soaked beans and transfer to a large pot and add 2 cups of water. Blend 2 tomatoes, half the onion, half the bell pepper and one garlic clove with 2 cups of water, add to the pot. Repeat with remaining 2 cups of water. Add salt, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add meat and cumin and stir well. Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to blend the flavors.  Taste beans to ensure they are fully cooked. Add more salt and/or cumin if needed. Once fully cooked add cilantro and stir.

Serve stew with warm corn tortillas and be careful not to burn your tongue!

Cook's tip: You can use beef as a substitute for pork. I have made this dish with oxtail as well.

the beauty of fruit

I love fruit…A LOT! Growing up we always had fruit at home, it was the perfect substitute for any sweet cravings I may have had. Pears—love them! Blueberries—love them! Mangos—ADORE THEM! Really, I don’t think there is any fruit I do not like. I can think of multiple ways of eating my fruit: in my yogurt, in my cereal, in my crepes, in my ice cream, in my salad, in my wine, with my meat…yeah, with meat! The possibilities are endless. However, the best way of eating them for me is fresh—there is nothing better than fresh fruit. It is marvelous to admire the multiple colors on the skin of a fresh peach, or listen to the crunch of an apple as you take your first bite, or even enjoy the ceremony of peeling a banana as you gently try to keep it intact. Sincerely, it is all of this that makes eating a fresh fruit such a pleasant experience.

However, when you are seeking to do something different with fruit, Fruit en Papillote is one of the many ways you can get creative. It is a perfect way to combine the flavors that fruit has to offer and embellish it with a hint of spices.  This is really quick and easy to do. 

Fruit en Papillote

Place fruit on a large piece of parchment paper. Add any seasonal fruits to your liking. Sprinkle some sugar over the fruit, add a cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, and some lemon zest. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Create a pouch with the parchment paper, closing it over the fruit and flipping the sides under. Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. I served the fruit over some Greek yogurt with honey. Yum, enjoy!

a confession...

Arroz con leche (Rice with milk)

me quiero casar (I want to get married)
con una señorita que sepa bailar (with a young lady who knows how to dance)
que sepa coser, que sepa planchar (who knows how to sew, who knows how to iron)
que sepa abrir la puerta para ir a jugar. (who knows how to open up the door to go out and play).


I would always sing this song as a little girl with my sister and my mom. I was never sure what the meaning behind this song was…was it meant to teach little kids what was expected from a good wife? Who knows! All I knew was that my abuelita  Maria del Carmen,  a gentle woman with soft skin and long salt- and-pepper hair, was not going to teach me to be a good wife because she refused to teach me to cook (granted, I was only five years old) .  She was known for being an amazing cook; her dishes always displayed a simple perfection, a good balance of flavors and always a sprinkle of affection. She was able to take her meager food allowance and multiply it to feed an army; there was always enough food for a hungry wanderer.



Abuelita gracefully dominated the kitchen as the most talented orchestra conductor; stern conductor that is. She had rules that were never to be broken; rule number 1: no kids in the kitchen, period! We all know how enticing such a kitchen can become to a curious little girl like myself…especially one with such a rule! My mission became to sit by the kitchen door and ask my abuelita over and over “can I help?” Of course I knew the answer, but I figured if she saw how badly I wanted to cut the onion, she would one day cave in. Truth be told, I wanted to experience the same emotions that everyone experienced when they cut the sweet crystal ball. Somehow it evoked aching memories of past loves and sweet tears would roll down their check as they laughed and blamed it on the innocent onion. Did I have a past love at the age of five…yeah, I had three. Two twins from my classroom that were cute and chubby with black curls sprouting from their head. I could not decide which one I liked so I decided I had a better chance if I liked them both. My third love, a handsome light-haired boy I would call canchito (little blond one) who lived a block away from abuelita’s house. How was I going to learn to become a good wife and marry one of my three loves if abuelita did not teach me to cook? I asked again, “can I help?” mildly annoying abuelita as I was distracting her from the task of accomplishing rule number 2: do not burn the tortillas! I was as persistent as I was curious, but I was facing a woman whose rules were NOT meant to be broken.

Now, at the age of 27, I must confess to abuelita that I did break into her kitchen one day. She was out running an errand and my Tia was in charge of making diner. I knew my Tia would cave in, and she easily did as she saw no fault in letting three young girls help in the kitchen. My sister, my cousin and I enjoyed every second of it! I don’t know what they were thinking, but I know I was delighted to be participating in the concert of cooking dinner. I even wore abuelita's cooing apron as I danced around the kitchen with a toothless smile.

Unfortunately, abuelita passed away and I was never able to record her recipes. Luckily my mother knows a few of them. When I visited Guatemala back in 2005 (after 15 years of being gone) I tried to ask my Tia for some of abuelita’s recipes, but as expected, her response was, “just add a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” In order not to let the few of the recipes I know banish…I am committed to record them in this blog.

The following is the recipe for my abuelita’s Arroz con Leche. Depending on her mood she sometimes added raisins to this lovely treat.

Arroz con Leche

This recipe takes more than 11/2 hours to cook.

4 oz of short-grain rice
4 cups of water
4 cups of hot milk
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground cinnamon

Boil water with cinnamon stick and salt. Bring down to a simmer and add rice and sugar; cook for 45 minutes stirring frequently. Add hot milk and continue to cook at a simmer for 45-60 minutes. Don;t forget to stir the rice every so often.

Divide the Arroz con Leche in bowls or cups and top with ground cinnamon. Buen provecho!