Homemade Garlic Plaintain Chips--Mariquitas!!

Mariquitas are a Cuban snack commonly enjoyed throughout Latin America.  In Miami, fresh mariquitas can be found at many Cuban restaurants, bakeries, and sandwich shops.  They're crispy, salty, and absolutely delicious whether eaten alone or with some tangy and flavorful mojo sauce.  Enjoy my version of mariquitas with a tasty garlicky twist :).

Mariquitas (plaintain chips)

1small  pot of oil 

1 plantain, sliced thinly, either on a bias or in rounds

1 clove of garlic cut into three pieces

salt

water

Heat oil with garlic slices over medium high heat.  Meanwhile, soak plantain slices in salt water to remove sticky residue and flavor the chips.  Once the oil is ready, pat the plantain slices dry and add the one-by-one into the oil, stirring constantly.  Let the chips fry until golden brown and crispy.  Be sure to stir constantly as they can and will stick if you don't.  After the first minute or so of frying, remove the garlic, as it has already released it's flavor and you don't want it to begin to become bitter.

Remove the chips from the oil and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.  Enjoy their crispy, garlicky goodness!!  No need to add salt since they were soaked in salt water and are already perfectly seasoned ;).  

If you so desire, serve with Cuban mojo sauce.  Here is a recipe http://www.tasteofcuba.com/mojo.html.  Just be sure that you're using mariquita mojo (not the one with all of the herbs that you use to marinade).

Authentic Spaghetti Alla Carbonara Take II

Rich, creamy, a little salty, and slightly smokey--traditional spaghetti alla carbonara is simple.  It's made with only 6 ingredients--pork jowl bacon, egg yolk, pecorino cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper.  Although you may not be familiar with it right off, it is super cheap and easy to find.  It is exactly what's used in the traditional carbonara sauce in Italy, where it is called guanciale (wahn CHA Leh).  Pork jowl is the cheek meat of the pig.  It is very flavorful and is similar to regular bacon in the way that it cooks and tastes.  

Spaghetti alla carbonara falls into the category of primi piatti in Italy.  Primi piatti are things like rice, pasta, and other starches that are eaten alongside a meat dish.  Although we are accustomed to having the chicken mixed into our spaghetti  alla carbonara here in the U.S., it is traditionally served alongside a chicken main course.

Traditional spaghetti alla carbonara contains absolutely no cream, nor does it contain pancetta.  The pancetta piece is changing and some people have become more flexible on that aspect.  For those who are lactose intolerant, the technique used for this recipe is a great way to get creamy sauces without the use of milk or cream.  The creaminess comes from the combination of egg yolks and Parmesan cheese.  Since Parmesan is a much drier cheese it generally does not cause a negative reaction in those who have a lactose intolerance.  Even for those who are not lactose intolerant, you get the benefits of a nice, rich, and creamy sauce without the gross feeling that cream-based sauces often leave you with.  

Recipe

Ingredients: 350 grams of pasta, 150g (~1cup) of pork jowl bacon, 2TB of olive oil, 1 egg, 4 egg yolks, 100 grams  (~1cup) of pecorino cheese*, cracked black pepper to taste + salt, and 1 garlic clove, sliced 

*I use grated parmesan in the can because that's what I have around, and it's more economical

Cook pasta until al dente in salted water with the sliced garlic clove.  The pasta soaks up all of that yummy garlickiness, mmm!  You can leave the garlic pieces behind once you strain the pasta.

Fry pork jowl  over medium heat in a TB or two of olive oil.  Yes, this is necessary because otherwise it will stick to the pan.

Continue frying until crisp

Whisk the 1 egg and four yolks.  Once eggs are broken, whisk in parmesan until evenly blended.  Add in cracked black pepper to taste.

Once jowl bacon is crispy, immediately whisk it, along with all of the fat from the frying pan, into egg and parmesan mixture until homogeneous.  

Once the pasta is al dente, strain it lightly, leaving in some of the pasta water.  Immediately toss into into the egg mixture until the sauce has time to thicken and cook.  You must add the pasta immediately after cooking to fully cook the sauce.  Add more pasta water for a thinner sauce.  

Don't worry raw egg police, there is not an egg in the world that won't cook once you pour boiling hot oil, pasta and water over it.  Since the sauce is mostly yolk, and since it's mixed with Parmesan, no curdling! 

 Enjoy :)!

Before you comment on my unconventional method of cooking pasta, let me explain.  When I first moved to my new apartment, all of my things were still in storage because I waited until the last minute to schedule the delivery of my storage cube.  During that time, of course I was itching to cook, so I purchased a couple of cheap pans to hold me over.  I wanted to make pasta one day but I had not pots, so I improvised and made my pasta in a large pan.  The water reaches a boil much more quickly, thus it saves energy, and it holds the perfect amount of water to cover the pasta if you're only cooking for one or two people.  I've been cooking my pasta in a pan ever since.

References: http://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Spaghetti-alla-Carbonara.html (in Italian).  I learned this wonderful recipe thanks to my favorite Italian chef, Sonia Peronaci of GialloZafferano.it :).

Mommy's Southern Style Greens

Sauteed the pork jowl and onions after adding seasoning. I later found out that no one sautees the onions.  They just cook with the greens. 

Stuff, stuff, stuff the greens into the pot!

Just after compressing the greens down and turning on the heat

After 15 minutes of cooking 

All done :).

Everyone who knows me always says that I'm a great cook, but that I never make American food. The thing is, I know the American food like the back of my hand.  I could make it in my sleep. Although it's fun to get creative and put new twists on the traditional dishes, it's more challenging to venture out into new culinary realms.  Just the same, soul food is very dear to my heart.  Growing up, my mom and I would cook together while swapping tips and talking some good old fashioned trash over the stove.  When I was in my early teenage years and going through that stage of distancing myself from my parents, my mom would make me come downstairs to watch her make certain dishes so that I wouldn't lose our family traditions. 

Although I like to make foods from all over the world, the smell of candied yams in the oven and greens or cabbage on the stove still brings back memories of my childhood.  So for those who are always asking my why I don't make more American food, and for all of the wonderful mothers out there who so lovingly pass their recipes down to their children, keeping strong the ties to our past, this recipe is for you.

Ingredients:
1 2lb bag of greens (collards are the most common or kale, but turnip greens are also very good)

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced (traditionally ~ 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

2-4 slices of jowl bacon, chopped coarsely ( I ran out of ham hocks.  Traditionally you use 1 smoked pork neck bone or ham hock or even a smoked turkey leg--for these large cuts of meat, score the meat with a knife. )

1/2-1 tsp (or to taste) of hot pepper flakes

1-2 TB of sugar (likely 2)

salt to taste (may 1 TB or two)

water in a large stock pot (about 2" of water)

Procedure:
Wash the greens well.  Drain them and set aside.

Fry the jowl bacon over medium low to medium heat in a large stock pot.  If you are using smoked turkey or ham hock or neck bones, you do not need to do this step.  *Just be sure to score those larger cuts of meat.

Once the meat is browned, fill the pot with 2" of water. Add the seasoning and the greens.

You will likely have to compress the greens to stuff them into the pot.  Don't worry, they will cook down in 15 minutes.  If all of your greens do not fit in the pot, just add in more after the greens cook down to make enough room.

Cook for about an hour and a half until tender.  Depending on the time of year, it may take up to as much as two hours or so.

*This process can also be done the crock pot.

Homemade Houska (Challah) Bread

Loaf I

 

Loaf II

Hi everyone!

A few weeks ago I made the most delicious bread!  It was a modified version of a houska that more closely resembled challah bread.  A number of cultures have sweet egg breads in the culinary repertoire, many of which are consumed as holiday treats.  Among these breads is houska, a czech Christmas bread.   Traditionally, houska is made with sliced almonds and golden raisins, but as I am still recovering a GI issue, I've left the nuts and raisins out.  The result was still an incredibly rich and flavorful bread!  If you've never heard of houska, it is pretty much the same as challah bread, but with nuts and golden raisins.

 I've never actually had houska before, and I've only had challah as french toast in a restaurant, but I can assure you that you will absolutely love this bread!  I happened to have a a few guests over the weekend that I made my houska and they all absolutely loved it!  I served it with this wonderful raspberry rhubarb preserves from World Market that I highly recommend that you try.  I've never had rhubarb before either and neither had my guests, but we all fell in love with the stuff!  It had just the right sweetness with a slight pop of tartness to balance out the sweetness, and the raspberry flavor was very fresh and not a bit artificial, yum!

As for the houska, it's a rich, flavorful bread that you will fully enjoy, even on its own.  And let me just tell you, this bread makes the absolute BEST french toast I've ever had.  Try it with the technique recommended by Chef John of FoodWishes.com (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zyJT-PiqUA).  I added lemon zest, a little lemon juice, vanilla, allspice, cinnamon, and a couple tablespoons of sugar to my batter.

You can find the houska recipe that I used here (http://soilisforlovers.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/houska-a-very-special-recipe-posted-by-my-dad/).  Enjoy!!

TIPS:

Two eggs are for the batter and 1 is for the egg wash.  

I highly recommend getting toothpicks before baking this bread so that it keeps its shape.  

Also, be sure to braid tightly to get a nice shape.  This was my first attempt at doing a braided bread, and I braided a bit loosely, so the loaf turned out a little different from the intended shape, although I still find it appealing.

I needed significantly more flour than the recipe called for to get the dough to the non-sticky point that is recommended, so don't be afraid if you find yourself needed to add a significant amount of extra flour.

Before Baking

References: http://soilisforlovers.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/houska-a-very-special-recipe-posted-by-my-dad/, http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/breads/r/eggbraid.htm