Oswald Rivera

Author: Oswald Rivera (page 75 of 83)

Nouveau Grilling

June 15, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Summer time an’ the livin’ is easy—which means that the grilling/barbecue season is here. But, you know what, kiddies—is it going to be the same old franks, burgers and half-burnt chicken? Now, not that there’s anything wrong with franks, burgers and half-burnt chicken. But why not try something different and out-of-the ordinary, like grilling fish? You heard it right: fish, like in seafood. Fish is perfect for barbecuing and grilling. It’s moist, delicious and easy to cook. Probably easier than grilling a steak.

Definitions are in order here. To my mind, grilling is just that: roasting meat outdoors over an open fire, grill, framework, or pit. Barbecue is when you add a highly seasoned sauce. So, wanna barbecue fish? Just add your favorite BBQ sauce. It’ll probably be better for you than some contaminated, e-coli meat.

Below are given two simple but scrumptious (I love the word) fish dishes. Both are made with what in the Old World is known as “al salmoriglio”—with an oil and lemon sauce. Better tasting and healthier for you, believe me. Both recipes can be cooked on a charcoal grill, brazier, or gas grill. In each case, preheat the brazier or grill. If you don’t have an backyard and a grill, you can also cook the fish in a broiler. In the first recipe given, you have to marinate the fish. This gives it a richer flavor. In the second recipe, marinating is not necessary, if you’re in a hurry. Both recipes will yield about 4 servings.

PESCE AL SALMORIGLIO (Fish steaks with oil and lemon sauce)

Recipe I:

In a covered bowl or container, combine 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add to the marinade 2 pounds fish steaks (swordfish, salmon, cod, halibut, or tile fish) cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Refrigerate for 3 hours or, better yet, overnight. Turn fish several times in the marinade. Preheat grill; and brush grill with a little olive oil. When grill is quite hot, place fish steaks on grill and cook quickly over high heat. The fish should be close to the surface heat, and it should take about 2 minutes to cook on one side. Turn over quickly but carefully and cook about 2 minutes or slightly longer on the other side. Do not overcook or fish steaks will become too dry. Remove fish from grill and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Recipe II:

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. (Note: in this recipe, the basil is optional.) Mix well and set aside. Preheat grill; and brush grill with a little olive oil. Grill fish as noted above in recipe I. Transfer to a warm platter and pour oil and lemon sauce over the fish.

There you have, friends. Now you can truly impress your neighbors and loved ones the next time you use the old grill.

Wok Cooking – Part II (Steaming)

A wok is a perfect tool for steaming foods. The whole idea is to cook food rapidly using hot most air. This cloud of steam evenly cooks the food without need to boil it in water or broth. It’s perfect for cooking seafood since it preserves the delicacy of the fish. In the process one uses as much water as in necessary to steam the dish and, if the water boils away during the steaming, more water can be added to the wok.

Any food can be cooked by steaming, be it meat, sliced or in big chunks, or vegetables, either frozen or fresh. If the food is frozen, it should be brought to room temperature otherwise condensation will result and the food will become too moist and watery. Slow steaming takes about 40 minutes to an hour. Quick steaming of cut or sliced food can take 5 to 15 minutes.

Most woks come with a steamer attachment: a small round, serrated metal stand on which you can place the food. If you don’t have one, then you can make a homemade version by piercing holes in a metal pie plate. The wok is filled with 2-3 cups of water. A small can is placed into the water and the pierced pie plate rests on the can. The food is laid on the pie plate and the wok is covered with the lid after the steam starts rising. You start steaming the food when the water reaches a fast boil. When steaming delicate foods such as fish, timing is very important. Too long a time steaming will toughen the food. It’s best to remove steamed foods a minute before they are completely cooked. That way the heat of the steamer will complete the cooking process and the food will come to table hot and perfect.

The recipe given is for steamed chicken. The chicken can be steamed as is, in water, and a sauce poured over it before serving. My recipe calls for the chicken in a marinade (makes it more flavorful that way).

BASIC STEAMED CHICKEN

12 ounce chicken (with bone and skin), cut into approximately 1-inch pieces

Marinade:

2 tablespoons light or dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Rinse chicken pieces under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a bowl, mix marinade ingredients. Add chicken pieces and let marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
3. Arrange the pieces on a plate in a single layer and steam at medium-high for 10 minutes. Serve with boiled rice.
Yield: 4 servings.

Note: A bigger (2 1/2 to 3 pound) chicken can be use. In this case, increase soy sauce to 3/4 cup, and marinate with other ingredients as given. Place chicken pieces on a plate and arrange in a heaping shape with skin side on top. Steam for 10 minutes, remove lid from wok and, using tongs or a fork, rearrange chicken pieces so that skin pieces are on bottom and other pieces on top, and steam for another 10 minutes.

Wok Cooking – Part I

May 31, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

The wok is one of the oldest cooking utensils known to humankind. The Chinese have used it for centuries. Here in the West it’s gained prominence in the last generation, with more and more people applying it to their cuisine. The uses of a wok are almost limitless. It can be used as a steamer, or double broiler. It’s also good for making sauces and soups, for stewing, sauteing, smoking foods, and even baking (like egg-cake baked in a wok). But it’s most popular use is for stir-frying.

A wok is nothing more than a deeply-dished basin made of metal. Its components could be steel, aluminum, or cast-iron. These days they are even made of ceramic. I prefer the cast-iron version. Problem is, they are hard to find. You may have to go on the web or via a catalog place to get one. Once you acquire a wok, if it’s made of metal, it has to be seasoned. This ensures the wok is in prime working order. The procedure is simple enough. First, wash the wok with hot water and soap to remove the special anti-rust coating. Rinse and dry with a clean towel or paper towels. Rub the inside surface with a thick film of peanut, corn, or soybean oil. Heat the wok over low heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until the oil steams. Turn off the heat and allow the wok to cool. Wipe away excess oil with paper towels, and your wok is now ready to use. After cooking, the wok should not be washed with soap or detergent. Just rinse it with hot water and, if need be, scrub it with a plastic (not metal) pad or you can purchase special bristle scrubbing brushes sold in Chinatown or most Asian stores. Wipe wok thoroughly dry and apply a light coat of vegetable oil to keep the wok from rusting.

As to using a wok in your kitchen, in the old days woks came with a round adapter ring. You put the wok on top of the ring to balance the round surface of the wok. This made woks work well with a gas range. It did not work that well with an electric one. Today there are woks made with a flat base so that you don’t need the adapter ring. Also, the adapter ring has a tendency of leaving a burn mark on the surface of the range after constant use. That’s why I prefer using a wok without the adapter ring.

Most woks come with a spatula (wok chan) and a long spoon (siu hok), for ease of cooking. It goes without saying, you’ll also need a sharp knife or, better yet, a sharp heavy cleaver for cutting, slicing and chopping. A good chopping block is another necessity. These can be made of treated plastic or wood. There is an argument about this. Old timers still prefer the heavy wooden chopping block that can be found in stores in various sizes and shapes. Some claim the non-wooden chopping boards are best since they minimize the danger of bacteria build-up (even after cleaning with chlorine bleach). What type of cutting board or block you use? That’s something you’re going to have to decide for yourself.

Below is the easiest stir-fry recipe I know. Served over steamed rice, it makes a great vegetarian dish. But be aware that you can cook fish, meat, poultry, whatever, in a wok. Usually the ingredients are cut in such a way that all the pieces will be of uniform size; and the food which takes the longest time to cook will be put in the wok first. Another thing, most Chinese dishes call for soy sauce, of which there are two types: light and dark. Light soy sauce has more of the aroma of soybeans and is best used in soups, with white meat and cold dishes. Dark soy sauce has a stronger flavor and more sugar and is best in fried dishes and stews.

STIR-FRIED TOMATOES, ONIONS AND GREEN PEPPERS

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large onion cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
2 green peppers, diced into 1-inch squares
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 large tomatoes, each cut into eight wedges
1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Blend the cornstarch in water.
2. Add soy sauce and mix. Have it ready beforehand. Chinese stir-frying goes very quick.
3. Preheat wok over high heat. Do not heat the oil in the wok before adding food, otherwise the food will stick to the wok.
4. Add peanut oil and heat over medium flame.
5. Add onion and stir-fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Add peppers and garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
7. Stir in tomatoes. Add the cornstarch-soy mix, and stir to to thicken (about 1-2 minutes).
8. Remove from heat, and add sesame oil. The function of sesame oil is to give the food a pleasant aroma. If it is included too soon, the aroma is lost. In general, it should be added before the food is served.
Yield: 4 servings
Note: If you want a more Asian flavor, add 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root to the vegetables while cooking; and garnish the finished dish with chopped scallions.

Mofongo

May 24, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 1 Comment

Mofongo, just like Mondongo, is a word of African origin. And like Mondongo, I love the word. “Mofongo,” pronounced just like it’s spelled. Mondongo, as described in a prior post, is a hearty stew. Mofongo is simply a mix of crushed green plantains with fried pork crackling, usually served with a sauce. I know, fried pork gets a bad rap now and then but, from time to time, this is a superb dish. Once you’ve taste it, you’ll be come back for more, I’m sure.

We Puerto Ricans adore mofongo. And we prepare it as individually shaped mofongo balls, similar to meatballs. Cuban mofongo differs from ours in that the mixture is shaped into one large ball which is served in a bowl. Modern variations have this type of mofongo stuffed with beef or seafood. Whatever method you prefer, it is a delicious appetizer, side dish or meal on its own. By the way, the recipe given is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books Group).

Note that plantains these days are very easy to find. Almost every supermarket carries them. We even get them in our summer place in Vermont. They are a traditional root plant well known in the Caribbean, and are quite healthy for one. They are high in Vitamin A, potassium and fiber. They contain similar nutritional benefits as bananas. Can’t go wrong there.

MOFONGO (Plantains and Pork Crackling)

5 green plantains
1/2 pound salt pork, washed and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Peel plantains and cut into diagonal slices about 1-inch thick
2. Place plantains and diced salt pork in a pot with water to cover. Let soak for 10 minutes.
3. Drain and wipe both plantains and salt pork with paper towels.
4. Place salt pork in a hot skillet or frying pan (no extra oil is necessary). Stir-fry over high heat until pieces are browned and crisp (about 5 minutes) and set aside. This is know as the chicharron or pork crackling.
5. Deep fry plantains in hot oil until golden. Drain well on paper towels.
6. Crush plantains and pork crackling together in a wooden bowl or mortar. This may have to be done in batches depending upon the size of the bowl or mortar. Set aside.
7. Crush garlic cloves, and blend in olive oil. This is best done in a mortar, if you have one, or any small bowl will do.
8. Add garlic-oil seasoning to the plantains and crackling, and mix thoroughly.
9. Scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture and shape into a ball (about 2-inches in diameter, or larger if desired). Repeat until mix is used up.
10. Serve by itself or with favorite sauce or gravy.
Yield: 12 or more mofongo balls.

The Hooker’s Special – Pasta a la Puttanesca

May 17, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Yup, you read it right. Hooker’s style pasta. And it’s no too far off the mark. During the Italian campaign of World War II, when hordes of horny GIs reach Naples, the local working girls (and by that I mean the pros) found themselves swamped with customers. Now, it takes a lot of effort to keep the brothel running under such trying conditions. The ladies need sustenance that will provide enough energy to keep them going at full tilt. So, some enterprising individual came up with this recipe that could be prepared with a minimum of effort and provide a quick supper for the girls, in-between turning tricks, or servicing the servicemen, as it were.

American soldiers are no longer crawling all over Napoli, but the dish remained, and is now claimed by almost every Italian city where the ladies of the night ply their trade. And yes, the name has remained, Pasta a la Puttanesca, “Whore’s Style Pasta.”

PASTA A LA PUTTANESCA

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, slice into rings
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped (can use good quality Italian canned tomatoes, if preferred)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can (2 oz.) anchovies packed in oil, chopped fine
1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pound fusilli or rigatoni (or other large tube-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Freshly grated Romano, Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan (I prefer cast iron). Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two.
2. Add tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the anchovies along with their oil. Stir in olives, capers, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to mix and simmer over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Toss with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Top with the Puttanesca sauce, sprinkle the parsley on top, and serve with the grated cheese.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Fried Rice

May 10, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Nothing speaks to us more of what we consider “Chinese” cuisine than fried rice. Problem is, it ain’t Chinese, it’s an American invention. It’s part of that overall catchphrase of what in known in the trade as “Chinese-American” cooking. Think of chop suey, egg foo young, chow mein, etc. They did not originate in China. The were invented in the good ole U.S.A (just like fortune cookies). And it all has to do with the Cantonese influence on American cooking.

Large scale immigration from Canton in southern China to the U.S. in the 1800s assured that this Americanization of Chinese cooking would take hold. The Chinese immigrants who flooded to California to work on the Pacific Railroad were constrained by the lack of authentic ingredients and vegetables that had represented their diet back home. They had to make do with what was available. Not only that, if they went into the restaurant business they had to make their dishes palatable to Western tastes. It’s amusing to think that someone from the Chinese mainland would come to this country and go in search of genuine American chop suey, chow mein, or fried rice.

Fried rice is a very easy dish to make. All you need is rice. And there’s an argument here. Some people swear that genuine fried rice should be done only with the sticky Chinese style of rice or something like Nishiki premium grade rice (I know, it’s Japanese, but some consider it of better quality). I cook fried rice with the good old long grain variety such as Carolina brand or even Uncle Ben’s. That’s what my friend Eddie Hor, of late memory, always used. This is his recipe.

It should be noted that, in some fried rice recipes, the eggs are cooked along with the rice. Eddie would cook scrambled eggs separately and then add the eggs to the rice. Also, one can use light soy sauce or dark soy sauce if you want a darker color.

You can add other ingredients to this basic recipe, and make it vegetable fried rice, or shrimp
fried rice, or whatever (you can even cook it with Spam). Be creative, let your imagination reign.

BASIC FRIED RICE

4 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil (I prefer the olive oil)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Ground black pepper to taste
4 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 scallions, or as many as desired, washed and coarsely chopped

1. In a wok or frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled, seasoning with pepper. Remove the eggs to a dish and set aside.
2. Clean out the wok or pan with paper towels. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and, when hot, add the rice. Stir fry for a few minutes over medium-high heat, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to evenly cook the rice.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and scallions. When rice is heated through and has achieved desired color, spread the scrambled eggs over the top. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.

Food and Revolution

May 4, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

“A shortage of bread has been suggested as the cause of the fall of
Rome, the French Revolution, and the Russian Revolution of 1917.”
—The Story of Bread by Ronald Sheppard and Edward Newton

While doing research on my latest book, which covers the topics of food and war, I was really taken by how food, or the lack of it, can cause social distress. By that I mean, chaos and revolution. We fat Americans are really lucky. We’ve never had to face a nationwide shortage of food. Even during the Depression there were mechanisms to keep most of us fed. Charities and other social structures provided if, nothing else, soup kitchens and other food outlets. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the discrepancy between the very rich and the very poor became such that millions of us died of starvation. I tell you what happen: mass revolt.

There is no more vivid example of this than the French Revolution. Many myriad causes are attributed to that upheaval but most prominent was the class differences in that society. Especially in terms of food consumption. It was the contradiction of great excess and terrible poverty. The monarchs and aristocrats feasted royally while the starving peasants, well, starved. When a catastrophic famine hit in the late 18th century, the price of bread rose up nearly 90 percent. The peasants depended on bread to sustain themselves, but there was none to be had; and food shortages in 1788-89 finally ignited the revolution.

The profligate lifestyle of the royals became glaring. While people died of hunger on Parisian streets, the excesses and arrogance of the royals, aristocrats and the clergy (yes, the Church was part of the problem) continued unabated.

In good times peasant food consisted mainly of bread and gruel (a pottage made of ground beans or soup with vegetables and perhaps a little meat thrown in). When famine hit, even this was no longer available. In contrast, the royalty had it better, much better. Below is a menu for a supper given for Marie Antoinette, the consort of King Louis XVI. Yeah, you could say she ate well. The menu comes from the imperial archives as quoted by L’Almanach des Gourmands pour 1862, by Charles Monselet. Here is her majesty’s dinner:

Four soups: Rice soup, Scheiber soup, Croutons with lettuce, Croutons unis pour Madame

Two main Entrees: Rump of beef with cabbage, Loin of veal on the spit

Sixteen entrees: Spanish pates, Grilled mutton cutlets, Rabbit on the skewer, Fowl wings a la marechale, Turkey giblets in consomme, Larded breasts of mutton with chicory, Fried turkey a la ravigote, Sweetbreads en papillot, Calves’ head sauce pointue, Chickens a la tartare, Spitted suckling pig, Caux fowl with consomme, Rouen duckling with orange, Fowl fillets en casserole with rice, Cold chicken, Chicken blanquette with cucumber

Four Hors D’Oeuvre: Fillet of rabbit, Breast of veal on the spit, Shin of veal in consomme, Cold turkey

Six dishes of Roasts: Chickens, Capon fried with eggs and breadcrumbs, Leveret, Young turkey, Partridges, Rabbit

Sixteen small entremets (menu stops here)

And all this for one person. Supposedly, when a group of starving women marched on the palace at Versailles, demanding bread, Marie Antoinette’s response was that if they didn’t have bread, “Let them eat cake.” Whether she ever said such a thing is open to question. It did seal her fate , and that of the king. At the height of the revolution, in 1793 they were both sent to the guillotine and had their heads chopped off.

Moral of the story: Beware. Piss off the people, take away their food and their sustenance, and you reap the whirlwind.

Mondongo

April 26, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

“MON-DON-GO.” If rolls off the tongue. It sounds African, just like its origin. Some claim the term may have been coined by the Carib Indians of the Antilles. But most likely it was labeled by the black slaves imported to Puerto Rico during the Spanish colonization. It is a unique dish in our culture since it incorporates tripe in the recipe. And what you get is a deliciously thick stew that invigorates body and soul. Now, tripe is in the category of such unconventional foods (to some) as sweetbreads, calf’s brains and octopus. Not only that, in Mondongo, the tripe is teamed up with another not so sophisticated comestible: calf’s feet. The first response is “Yuck!” But, given a chance, you’ll come back for more, believe me.

To Puerto Ricans, Mondongo, is ubiquitous. Especially on Sundays mornings when all those wasted partygoers line up for orders of Modongo in San Juan and Spanish Harlem. My relatives claim it’s the best thing for a hangover the day after. I recall that on the island, in the city of Ponce, there are two or three hole-in-the-wall joints whose claim to fame comes from the fact they make Mondongo not with calf’s feet but with pig’s feet. Legions of aficionados seek out this special platter—and at a buck-fifty the price is just right.

If you’re not familiar with tripe, today it can be found in most supermarkets. It looks like a white sheet patterned with honeycombs. First you trim the excess cartilage, and follow the recipe below as given. As to calf’s feet, it normally comes packaged in pieces so you don’t have to bother cutting it up. The dish also includes yautia (tanier or dasheen) and name (pronounced nyah-meh). Both are roots plants (collective called bianda) and found in Caribbean stores or markets.

The recipe comes from my first cookbooks, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Thunder’s Mouth Press). An added note: some cooks add macaroni to the dish. In my family we do not, we keep it traditional. Still, if the yen is there, a half pound of macaroni can be added to the stew during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

MONDONGO

3 pound beef tripe, trimmed
1 pound calf’s feet, cut up in serving pieces
4 lemons or limes
1/2 pound pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound yautia, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound name, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 packet Sazon Goya (Coriander & Annatto)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt

1. Rinse tripe and calf’s feet under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside calf’s feet.
2. Rub tripe with lemons and place in a large kettle or pot. Squeeze juice of lemons over tripe and add water to cover by about 2 inches. Cook in boiling water over moderate-high heat for 15 minutes.
3. Drain water and remove tripe. Rinse again under cold running water and place tripe on a cutting board. Cut tripe into 1 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips.
4. Return tripe and calf’s feet to kettle and add fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, until tripe is tender (1 1/2 to 2 hours).
5. Add pumpkin, yautia, name, yams, Sazon Goya, tomato sauce and salt. Cover and continue simmering at a low boil until vegetables are tender (about 1/2 hour). If a thicker stew is preferred, simmer, uncovered, during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Yield: 8 servings.

The Tea Party – The Real Story

April 19, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Town hall meetings where elected officials are shouted down. Pro-gun rallies in the nation’s capital on the same day that Americans are mourning the Oklahoma City bombing. People carrying signs depicting out first black president as a pigmy with a bone in his nose. Demagogues exhorting the populace. And all attributed to this so-called tea party movement. As I understand it, these people fear the government. They want it to get out of the way. The government that governs least governs best. An enticing principle. These folks model themselves on the original tea party organizers that preceded the American Revolution. Well, let’s have a historical look at the original tea party people. As Paul Harvey use to say in his radio show: “And now, for the rest of the story.”

The famous Boston Tea Party was an outgrowth of the budding tensions between the original colonists in North American and the British Crown. Prior to the Revolution, during the French and Indian War, the British had spent a lot of money defending the thirteen colonies. By war’s end the British were 140 million pounds in the hole, an astronomical sum for those days; and they still had 10,000 troops in North America. Conversely, the colonists felt that, with the French threat neutralized, they didn’t need protection. Also they wanted to expand westward into Indian territory. The British had issued a proclamation to protect the Native Americans from further encroachment by the colonists. But what really riled the colonists was the fact that the British had decided to impose a series of taxes in order to cover the expense of the British troops stationed in America.

Among the new taxes imposed by the British was a tax levied on all rum produced or manufactured in the Colonies (the Molasses Act 1733). Note that rum was the life-line of the colonies. New England and the middle colonies depended on the rum trade for their survival. There was the Sugar Act (1764), which was a modified version of the Molasses Act, and increased enforcement of existing taxes; the Stamp Act (1765)which imposed a tax on documents; and the Townsend Act (1767) which taxed imports.

The final straw was the Tea Act of 1773, designed to save the floundering East India Company of Britain, by shipping tea directly to the colonies, and sold at bargain rate prices. Problem was, the direct sale of tea was by British agents only, undercutting the business of local merchants, who stood to lose a good deal of cash. Colonists in Philadelphia and New York turned the ships back to Britain. In Charleston the tea was left to rot in the harbor. In Boston the royal governor was a stubborn one and he held the ships in port. No one was allowed to unload the tea. Cargoes of tea filled the harbor and British crews were grounded in Boston, looking for work and finding trouble. So, a bunch of colonists, dressed as Indians, boarded the ships and dumped the tea in the harbor. The Revolution was about to begin.

What should be noted today is that, compared to other industrialized countries, we are among the least taxed. There is no Sugar Act, or Stamp Act, or Townsend Act; and more, tellingly, there is no Quartering Act where we have to house and feed government troops in our homes. Yes, we do pay taxes, but as Justice Oliver Wendel Holmes declared, Taxes are the price we pay for civilization. Believe me, I hate paying taxes, but it’s nothing like America in 1773. People who make a parallel between now and the original tea partyers should look up their history.

Spices and Herbs

April 14, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Spices and herbs. Without them dining, and eating in general, would be a dull affair indeed. Spices and herbs are what make food palatable, luxurious, even exotic. The men and women of the late Middle Ages experienced this at first hand. Since the fall of the Roman Empire they had been bereft of spices and herbs. It was the Muslim East that contained all the great spice stores. Medieval man lived on foods that had been preserved by salting or drying. That’s it. One of the main reasons Christopher Columbus sailed for the New World was in order to find a direct route to what were called “The Indies,” or the Spice Islands south of Indonesia. Any country who controlled the spice trade at the time controlled the world. In the contract charter for Columbus’ voyage, it was agreed he would get ten percent of any profits from gems, gold, silver or spices that he found. Spices were listed alongside gold and silver. That’s how important they were. Spices were used as a measure of currency. They were used to pay mortgages and fines, to buy property and to pay taxes,.

Today spices can be found at your local market in any variety. But some of us are still stuck in the salt and pepper rut. We may even add oregano to a dish once in a while. But ever consider using balm, a perennial garden herb with a sharp lemon scent? Or mincemeat spice (a mix of cloves, allspice and cinnamon used to flavor cakes, cookies and sauces)? There’s more to spices than you think. Below is a listing of common and not so common herbs and spices and their uses.

Allspice – The dried berry of pimento trees found in the West Indies. Used as a condiment. The name is due to a flavor that resembles a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

Anise – The fruit of a small annual plant which dries into the form of a seed. Best varieties are grown in Spain, Mexico and India; and used in breads, cakes and cookies and as a flavoring for medicine and licorice products.

Basil – An annual plant whose leaves are dried, ground and powdered. Cultivated in Western Europe and used to flavor stews, sausages, soups and sauces. It combines well with tomatoes.

Bay Leaf – The aromatic leaf of the sweet-bay or laurel tree. Dried whole and used to flavor soups, meats and pickles.

Capers – The flower buds of Capparis spinosa grown in Mediterranean countries. Pickled and used as a condiment.

Caraway – A biennial herb with an aromatic fruit known as caraway seeds. Marketed whole or ground and used in breads, cookies, cakes, candies, salads and cheese.

Cardamon – The aromatic fruit of zinziberaceous plants grown in Ceylon, India and Central America. Sold in a whole pod, as whole seeds, or ground seeds, and used as a condiment.

Cayenne pepper – Powdered pod and seeds of various capsicum peppers that yields a hot, savory flavor. Used in meat and gravies, and grown mainly in Africa. In it one of the chief ingredients in Tabasco sauce

Celery Seed – Seed of a small plant similar in appearance and taste to celery. Used whole or ground to flavor soups, stews, cheese, pickles and salads.

Celery salt – A mixture of ground celery seed and fine white salt. Used in meats and salads.

Chervil – A plant with aromatic leaves used to flavor soups and salads.

Chili Powder – A mixture of ground red peppers, cuminseed and other spices. Used as a base for chili sauce and other spicy dishes.

Chives – Similar to green onions (scallions) though smaller and milder.

Chutney – A spicy pickle of compound fruit and seasonings.

Cinnamon – The inner bark of Cinnamon zeylancium (the best grows in Ceylon). It has a very mild flavor though Cassia cinnamon grown in the Far East has a more full-bodied flavor. Sold in sticks or ground.

Cloves – Sold whole or ground. The flavor buds of a tree grown in parts of the Caribbean, Zanzibar an Madagascar.

Coriander – An herb with aromatic seeds. Used for cookies, pickles and meat products.

Cuminseed. Dried fruit of Cuminum cyninum. Used for favoring meats, sausages and pickles, and as an ingredient in curry powder.

Dill – An annual herb grown for its aromatic seed. Used in pickles and sauces, and grown mainly in India. It goes great with scrambled eggs.

Fennel – Seeds of a ground herb used to flavor sauces and apple pie. It has a fragrance and taste similar to anise. Its young stalks are also used as a salad green.

Ginger – The root of a herbaceous perennial grown in semi-tropical countries. It also produces white ginger which is the scraped and peeled rootstock of the plant, often candied.

Leeks – Strong flavored plant similar to onion.

Mace – The stuff around the nutmeg kernel. The aroma is similar to nutmeg but has a different flavor. Sold whole as “blades” or ground and used to flavor sauces, gravies and cakes.

Marjoram – A fragrant annual of the mint family whose leaves are dried or used fresh or powdered to flavor soups, salads, meats and stuffings. It is grown in Northern Africa and Chile though the best grade comes from France.

Mint – A fragrant plant whose leaves are used, fresh or dried, to flavor soups, vegetables, fruits and beverages (think of a Mint Julip).

Mustard – A plant whose seeds are used either whole or ground. Its usually combined with spices and vinegar to make prepared mustard (the type you buy in the supermarket).

Nutmeg – The fruit kernel of the Myristica tree grown in the Caribbean. The whole fruit resembles an apricot in shape and size. The outer husk is the mace (see above), and the seed is the nutmeg. Sold whole or ground.

Paprika – A sweet red pepper which is dried and ground after seeds and stems are removed. Its mild flavor goes good with shellfish, fish and salad dressings. The best brands come from Hungary and Spain.

Parsley – A biennial herb used to flavor meats, vegetables and salads. It is also frequently used as a garnish.

Pepper – The king of spices. In olden days pepper was used a tonic, a stimulant, and even as an insect repellent and an aphrodisiac. It’s made from peppercorns which are the dried berry of a vine, Piper Nigrum. Black pepper is made from the whole berry. White pepper is made from what is left of the fully ripened berry after the outer coat had been removed.

Pimento – The fleshy fruit of the Spanish paprika. In the Caribbean, pimento is used to describe large green peppers. The Spanish pimento is often canned or stored in jars and used in vegetable dishes and salads.

Poppy Seed – Seed of one variety of the poppy plant (but not the opium poppy—so don’t get any ideas). Used for breads, rolls, cakes and cookies. Oil is also extracted from the poppy seed and used in salads or frying. Mostly imported from Central Europe.

Rosemary – An evergreen plant whose flowers and leaves are used to flavor and garnish fish, stews and sauces.

Saffron – The most expensive of them all. The residue of a flower similar to a crocus, gives a rich-orange yellow hue that is used to flavor foods and meats and to give color.

Sage – A perennial of the mint family. The leaves are dried and used in stuffings and meats.

Savory or Summer Savory – Annual of the mint family. May be used fresh or dried in sauces, stews, stuffings and croquettes. It is a major ingredient used in prepared poultry seasonings.

Scallions – Small green onions

Sesame – An herb whose seeds are used to flavor rolls and cookies. After baking the flavor resembles toasted almonds.

Tarragon – A perennial herb. Its leaves, either fresh or dried, are used to flavor salads, pickles and vinegar.

Thyme – The leaves of an herb, either powered or dried, which is used to flavor meat, poultry and clams.

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