Oswald Rivera

Author: Oswald Rivera (page 67 of 83)

Super Bowl Munchies

It’s that time of year again, kiddies, Super Bowl Time! That great American extravaganza. And this time it’s DIFFERENT! You have two brother as rival coaches. Think about sibling rivalry in all it’s glory. One brother coaches the San Francisco 49ers, the other, the Baltimore Ravens. I’ve always had a soft spot for the 49ers, but the coach for the Ravens (John Harbaugh) made his way up through the ranks via a regular coaching career, working his way up from assistant to head coach; while his brother (Jim) was a quarterback in the NFL before going into coaching. Yet, despite the differences, and the game, the other most important part of Super Bowl lore is FOOD.

So, for this Sunday ritual I’m recommending three dishes that have become a part of the experience. These are not definitive since there are probably scores of favorite munchies for this hallowed sporting event, with everything from finger foods to succulent dinners catered for the occasion. But these dishes are something the average Jane or Joe can serve along with the beer and Bloody Marys.

The three I’ve chosen are: guacamole (what would Supper Bowl Sunday be without guacamole?) It’s said that guacamole has pushed avocado sales to 30 million pounds twice a year: on Super Bowl Sunday, and Cinco de Mayo (on both sides of the border). To accompany the guacamole, I’ve chosen nachos which, by the way, was invented in 1943 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya who had a restaurant just across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas. Mr. Anaya created the snack for the wives of U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass. The other dish is that great all-American classic, pigs in a blanket, which some sources claim originated in the 1960s in a diner along the fabled Route 66 in Oklahoma.

GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados

¼ teaspoon fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, peeled and mince

Juice of ½ a lime

Salt to taste

1. Peel and mash avocado in a medium serving bowl.

2. Stir in cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt. Chill for ½ hour to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips.

NACHOS

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

1 (14-ounce) bag tortilla chips

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Spread about half of tortilla chips in a single layer onto a baking pan or sheet. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the green chilies over the chips. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the chips. Repeat with the remaining chips, and top with another teaspoon of the chilies. Top with second cup of cheese.

3. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with guacamole (and sour cream, if desired).

PIGS IN A BLANKET

1 (5-ounce) can Libby’s Vienna Sausage or 1 package small cocktail wieners

American processed cheese slices

2 packages crescent rolls or refrigerated biscuit rolls

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Unroll crescent rolls and cut each one into thirds, making 3 small, long triangle strips.

3. Wrap a slice of cheese around each sausage and then each crescent roll around that.

4. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve as is or with your favorite salsa, barbeque sauce, or ketchup.

Piñon

January 21, 2013 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Among the many favorite Puerto Rican dishes in the Caribbean, there are the usual suspects: arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), pasteles (meat pies), mondongo (a hearty stew), pernil (roast pork shoulder), etc. We also have piñon, which is not that well known. Piñon is a beef/plantain casserole. The word itself, “piñon”, is Taino in origin. The Tainos were native to the Caribbean. An they were more peaceful than their other tribal brethren, the Caribs, who were cannibalistic. Our culture is replete with Taino words, such as mofongo (plantains and pork crackling), guanimes (cornmeal sticks), bianda (root plants), gandinga ( a mixed dish of hog’s liver, kidney and heart), and my favorite, sambumbia (pronounced sam-boom-biah—basically, any leftovers cooked together in one pot). You’ll notice that most of these words have to do with food, that being a significant part of our cultural heritage and makeup.

What makes pinon unique is that the dish calls for ripe plantains, also known as yellow plantains since that’s the color they acquire during the ripening process. Luckily for most of us, plantains can be found almost anywhere in urban settings. If you can’t get ripe ones, simple, buy green plantains, put them in a cool, dark area and let them ripen (usually 2-3 days). This dish also calls for beans as part of the casserole. My mother always used canned beans. Now, I know the purists out there will balk at this. But let me say, the reason my mom used canned beans is because they were easier, and she always used kidney beans. If you still want to use dry beans, remember you have to soak them overnight before cooking, cover with water and simmer until tender (about 40-45 minutes).

Let me add, this recipe is from my first cookbook Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Avalon Press – Thunders Mouth Books)

PIÑON (BEEF/PLANTAIN CASSEROLE)

1 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
6 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
3 ripe yellow plantains
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, or more as needed
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put garlic cloves, oregano, peppercorns and salt in a mortar. Pound until crushed. Add olive oil and vinegar, and mix thoroughly. (note: if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, just combine garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, and salt in a cup. Then add olive oil and vinegar).
3. Place meat in a bowl and combine with seasoning.
4. Stir-fry the beef in a very hot skillet (no oil is necessary) until meat loses its red color. Set aside.
5. Peel the plantains and cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices. In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil and fry plantains over moderate heat until golden.
6. Grease a 2-quart casserole and arrange half of the plantains on the bottom. Then top with beef. Layer the beans over the meat. Top with the remaining plantains. Pour the beaten eggs over the layers.
7. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Yield: 6 servings.

Photo: Courtesy of hispanickitchen.com

Legends of Chimichanga

January 9, 2013 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

What the hell is a “chimichanga?” That’s a question I asked myself years ago when I cam upon the veritable dish on the West Coast. To me, it sounded Mexican. And I thought I was right since it’s basically a deep-fried burrito. As with most things, I was wrong. Chimichanga is an American dish. It’s of the rubric of what is known in the Southwest as New Mexican Cuisine. It’s akin to what in hailed in Texas as Tex-Mex cooking. But it’s different in that New Mexican Cuisine is a blend of Spanish, Mediterranean, Mexican, Native American (mainly the Pueblo Indian influence) and Cowboy Chuckwagon traits. As noted, in the Southwest, they love this kind of cooking.

There are numerous claims as to who invented the chimichanga. The earliest claim goes back to 1922 when Ms. Monica Flin, owner of the El Charro restaurant in Tucson, accidentally dropped a burrito into a deep-fat fryer and uttered the Spanish curse word chingada but, being in mixed company, stopped herself and said instead “chimichanga,” equivalent to “what’s-it” or “thingamajig.” Other sources claim that it was John Woody, owner of EL Nido restaurant in Phoenix, who dropped the burrito into a deep fryer in 1946. Others say that its roots are in Pima County, Arizona, and from there the dish spread outward throughout the Southwest. Whatever its genesis, chimichangas have caught on all over the place.

CHIMICHANGA

8 flour tortillas (6 inches)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground hamburger beef

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup tomato sauce

Vegetable oil for frying

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 cup sour cream or 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

½ cup diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped scallions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stack the tortillas in aluminum foil, wrap close, and heat in oven for 15 minutes. Or you can warm in microwave: stack in paper towels, wrap tightly, and warm on high setting 6-7 minutes per tortilla.

2. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan or skillet. Add meat and cook, stirring, until brown.

3. Add onion, garlic, chili, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt, and tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes or until most of the sauce has evaporated.

4. Spoon ¼ cup meat mixture into the center of each warm tortilla. Fold, tucking in the ends to make a secure fat tube. Fasten ends with wooden toothpicks to completely secure the filling.

5. Add at least 4 inches of vegetable oil to a large pot or deep fryer; and heat oil over medium heat until very hot (375 to 400 degrees F.). Slowly and carefully lower chimichangas into oil, two at a time, and fry until golden brown, about 3-4minutes. Using tongs or spatula, remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

6. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce, top with a dollop of sour cream or top with cheddar cheese, and sprinkle with tomatoes and scallions.

Yield: 8 servings.

Hangover Cures for the New Year: Re-visited

December 29, 2012 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

“My brain is melting into my feet.”

—Mel Brooks

It’s that time of year again, kiddies. New Year’s is just around the corner; and you know what that means: the perpetual New Year’s eve hangover. Yes, New Year’s revels have been with us since the beginning, and so have hangovers cures. The ancient Romans recommended eating deep fried canaries as a sure-fire cure. The ancient Libyans quaffed a mixture of sea-water and wine. The ancient Greeks recommended eating sheep’s lungs. The ancient Chinese swore that eating horse’s brains was the cure. In the 1800s in the U.S. it was thought that soaking your feet in mustard would do it. Among our Irish brethren it was thought that burying the person up to the neck in moist river sand would generate a cure.

Today in Mexico the national cure is menudo, a broth made of boiled tripe. In Haiti, it’s sticking 13 black-headed pins in the cork of the bottle you drank from that will deliver you from the hangover. In Puerto Rico, at one time, it was said that rubbing a lemon under your drinking arm would be the cure. In Poland, it is still recommended that drinking pickle juice is a good remedy (I would think twice about that one). A more modern cure among scuba divers is taking a blast from an oxygen tank. Some say a steam sauna is the best way to get rid of a hangover. But what if you don’t have access to a sauna?

My experience with hangovers comes from my wild and misspent youth when I was known for more than my share of imbibing. The following remedies are what I consider to be tried and true options, as far as the primordial hangover is concerned.

1. Drink plenty of fluids. Booze dehydrates you. Replenish your system with fruit juices and water. Orange juice with its vitamin C content is especially good.

2. Take a hot shower. This relaxes constricted blood vessels and tense neck muscles.

3. Avoid caffeine. It dehydrates you more. Drinking black coffee will probably make you sicker.

4. Tray good ole Alka Seltzer the next morning. Avoid aspirin, Tylenol or Ibruprofen. Aspirin is a blood thinner, and just like alcohol it can intensify the affects of a hangover. Tylenol (acetamoniphen) can adversely affect the liver. Ibuprofen can cause stomach bleeding.

5. Sweat it out. Exercise the toxins out of your system. But beware that too strenuous exercise may dehydrate you more. I do a series of breathing exercises from our Kung-Fu Wu-Su system called 8 silk weaving. This is marvelous for easing a hangover.

6. Pop some vitamins. B vitamins (especially B6) help the body metabolize alcohol. B vitamin supplements also provide a boost of energy. Vitamin C helps detoxify the body naturally, reducing the affects of the poisons in your system.

7. Ginkgo Biloba (ginkgo seeds) is considered a good herbal remedy since ginkgo contains an enzyme that speed up the body’s metabolism of alcohol.

8. Drink skullcap tea made from an herb (skullcap) that eases withdrawal from the alcohol. It can be found in capsule or tablets in health food stores. I like skullcap tea sweetened with pure, raw organic honey. Believe me, you’ll feel better in an hour or so.

9. Another good tea drink is peppermint. The mint contains antioxidants which is a natural stomach soothener and digestive aid.

10. Ginseng tea or ginseng root (steeped in hot water) soothes the stomach and helps with stomach troubles (endemic to hangovers). I prefer Korean Panax ginseng tea (which contains fructose).

11. Which leads us to the next cure, fructose (or fruit sugar), which speeds the body’s metabolism of alcohol by 25%. Or try putting some raw honey in your tea (it’s more than 40% fructose). Recall that among old time bartenders the favored hangover remedy was just honey in hot water.

If nothing works you can always try the time honored “Hair of the Dog.” That is, having a shot on booze, preferably gin or vodka. Something about the blood stream dealing with the new alcohol and thus ignoring the old alcohol, and the hangover in your system. For the record, I have never tried this, and I don’t think I ever will. And then there’s offering prayers to Saint Viviana, patron saints of drunkards and, concurrently, hangovers.

But my best hangover cure of all is simply, rest, peace, and quiet. Just sleep it off.

Sugar Cream Pie

December 18, 2012 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

The Holiday Season, whether Christmas, Hanukkak or Zwanza, is a time for sweets. Plum pudding, jelly doughnuts, sweet potato pie, are some of the traditional weight gainers during this time. With that in mind, let me offer another sweet that is not that well known outside of a certain region. What I’m talking about is sugar cream pie, a dish almost exclusive to Indiana. I don’t know anywhere else where it’s so popular.

The origins of sugar cream pie can be traced to Indiana’s Amish community in the 1850s. Other sources credit the Shaker community for its invention. The Shakers were a religious sect that migrated from England to America in the 18th century. They were an interesting lot. Their actual name was “The United Society of Believers in Christ‘s Second Coming.” So why were they called the “Shakers?” Apparently this came about due to their fervor during their religious communal meetings where they would sing, shout and dance, twitching and shaking all over the place. Apart from this shaking business, they are remembered for the quality of their craftsmanship, especially in the style know as “Shaker furniture,” which today because of its workmanship and quality is rather expensive to acquire.

The Shakers believed in frugality and good, honest labor. They also believed in celibacy—which became a sticking point since they couldn’t reproduce themselves. According to The Independent, a publication in the United Kingdom, as of December 2009 there were only three members left in the continental U.S. But, as with their Amish brethren (who don’t believe in celibacy) they left us such a delight as sugar cream pie. Both groups believed in good, hearty, healthy food. But that does not preclude their sweet tooth as exemplified by this dessert.

SUGAR CREAM PIE

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter

8-inch unbaked pie shell

1. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg.

2. Gradually add cream, vanilla, and butter; and stir until smooth.

3. Pour into pie shell and bake 35 minutes at 450 degrees F., or 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Photo: Courtesy of Food Frenzy

Jelly Doughnuts

December 5, 2012 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Hanukkah (or Chanukah) celebrates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days during the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over pagan Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E. Legend has it that the victors had only enough oil for one day but, miraculously, it lasted eight days. The Jewish Menorah commemorates this. My father, who held all religious symbols suspect, would often quip as to what kind of oil they were using: was it Progresso olive oil or Goya? Be it as it may, since oil is the cornerstone of the holiday, fried foods are often served during this time, the most popular being latkas, or potato pancakes. But one of my favorite treats at Hanukkah is sufganiyot, or jelly-filled doughnuts.

Jelly-filled doughnuts has an interesting history. They are variously called Berliners by German and paczki by Poles. No one really knows where or how they originated. Although some trace it to a 1485 cookbook, Kuchenmeisterei (Mastery of the Kitchen), which gives a recipe consisting of jam sandwiched between two rounds of yeast dough bread and deep-fried in lard. Then, sometime later, someone got the idea of injecting jelly into deep-fried doughnuts. In the upper Midwest jelly doughnuts are called “jam busters, and are extremely popular. If you’re fan of any kind of doughnut, these suckers are delicious.

JELLY DOUGHNUTS

2 envelopes (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting baking sheets or surface

1/3 cup butter, softened

5 cups vegetable or canola oil for frying, plus more for coating a bowl

1 (13 1/2 ounce jar) strawberry jelly, fruit jelly or jam

Powdered sugar (as much as needed)

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy.

2. In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. mix ingredients until smooth and soft but not sticky. If using a mixer, mix on low speed for a few minutes until a shaggy dough forms. Add butter, increase speed to medium, and mix until dough is smooth.

3. Grease another large bowel with oil. Form the dough into a ball. Place dough in the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Set aside in a warm spot and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4. Lightly flour a baking sheet or surface (a large wooden square block is perfect for this). Turn the dough onto the floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out until about 1/2-inch thick. Using a lightly floured 2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible (should have 25 or more). Place on a lightly floured sheet or surface, spacing them apart. Again, loosely cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 20-30 minutes.

5. Heat oil in a deep fryer, large skillet or large pot to 350 degrees F. Using a flat spatula, carefully slide the dough rounds into hot oil and, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, fry until they rise to the surface, then turn over and fry until puffy and golden brown (2-3 minutes). Drain on paper towels.

6. When doughnuts have cooled, using a paring knife, cut a small slit in the side of the doughnut and fill this center with jelly (about 1 tablespoon), using a pastry injector, syringe, piping bag, or small spoon. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Yield: 25 or more jelly doughnuts.

Caption: courtesy of petemonico.com

Coquito , A Puerto Rican Holiday Drink

November 22, 2012 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

A Puerto Rican Holiday Drink similar to Eggnog, or egg nog.
Available in my book: Page 255. https://www.amazon.com/Puerto-Rican-Cuisine-America-Nuyorican/dp/1568582447

The Reuben Sandwich

November 3, 2012 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

The famed Reuben Sandwich claims many fathers. One account states that Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer from the Dundee neighborhood located west of midtown Omaha, Nebraska, invented the sandwich. Another version holds that it was created in 1914 by Arnold Reuben, owner of Reuben’s Delicatessen in New York. Still another version says that it was Alfred Scheuing, Reuben’s chef, who created the sandwich for Reuben’s son, Arnold Jr., in the 1930s. I first had the sandwich when I traveled to Indiana years ago, and discovered its popularity in the Midwest. Today, the Reuben Sandwich is ubiquitous from coast to coast.

REUBEN SANDWICH

8 slices dark rye bread

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup Thousand Island dressing or Russian dressing

8 slices Swiss cheese

8 slices corned beef, sliced thin (about ¼ pound)

1 cup drained sauerkraut

1. Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.

2. Lightly butter one side of bread slices. Spread 1 tablespoon Thousand Island dressing (or Russian dressing) on the other 4 bread slices. Follow with a layer of 1 slice Swiss cheese, 2 slices corned beef, 2 tablespoons sauerkraut, and an additional slice of Swiss cheese. Top with the buttered bread slices, buttered side up.

3. Grill both sides of sandwiches until bread is slightly toasted and cheese begins to melt, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with sweet or dill pickles.

Yield: 4 servings.

Sweet Potato Pie

October 22, 2012 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

My uncle Phillip, of late memory, had a lady friend, Margie Jones, who made the best sweet potato pie I ever tasted. When I was a youngster, we would trot over to her place in Harlem and feast on this delicacy. Uncle Phillip, who was a lady’s man extraordinaire, apparently appreciated the many attributes Miss Jones brought to the table, including her delicious pie. At the time I didn’t know that it was a traditional southern dish. I knew I just loved the dessert.

2-3 sweet potatoes, about 1 pound

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup milk

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup whipped cream.

1. Boil sweet potatoes whole in their skin for 40-50 minutes, or until done and tender. Run cold water over the potatoes and when cool, remove skin.

2. Place in a medium bowl and break apart with a fork. Add butter and mix well. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla. Combine and mix well until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into pie crust.

3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes, or knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a soufflé, and then will sink down as it cools. Serve garnished with whipped cream.

Yield: 6 servings or more.

Photo: courtesy of photobucket

Ham Hocks and Beans

October 11, 2012 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Back in my Marine Corps days one of the most memorable persons I met was Staff Sergeant Hollins. He was a warrior and lifer grunt who loved two things: the Marine Corps and ham hocks and beans. He would rhapsodize about the dish and how it was his favorite meal from boyhood onward. We knew that in the southern U.S., whether you were white or black, ham hocks and beans was, and is, a rite of passage. When I discovered how tasty it was I also became a fan of the dish.

I’m pretty certain Staff Sergeant Hollins would approve of the recipe given below. With a beer or, if you prefer, a hearty red wine such as a Cabernet or Chianti, nothing could be better.

1 pound dry pinto or navy white beans

4-6 smoked ham hocks (about 4-5 ounces each)

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 bay leaves

1. Soak beans in cool water for about 45 minutes. Drain, picking out any bad ones, gravel or rocks.

2. Place beans, ham hocks, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaves in a large Dutch oven or pot. Fill with water until an inch to cover beans. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 4 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally, adding more water if needed. Remove ham hocks when they are tender and meat fall off the bones. The longer you simmer the thicker the broth will become.

3. Remove ham hacks from the broth, and allow to cool so they can be handled. Remove meat from the ham hocks, discarding fat and bones and return to the stockpot. Remove bay leafs, adjust seasonings to taste, if necessary, and serve (I prefer it with steamed rice).

Yield: 4 servings or more.

Photo: Courtesy of heatherchristo.com

Author, Warrior, and Teacher