Oswald Rivera

Author: Oswald Rivera (page 82 of 85)

Quick Meat Patties in Mustard Sauce

August 28, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Sometimes, the best meals come out of necessity. You know, those times when you have to whip up something with a particular item, and use what’s available in the fridge. Recently, me and my beloved mate acquired some bison patties. Yup, bison patties—as in buffalo meat. We’ve become partisans of bison because of its nutritious element and minuscule cholesterol content. But this recipe I conjured up can be done with beef , turkey, chicken or lamb patties. Or you can Take some hamburger meat and cook it the same way.

QUICK MEAT PATTIES IN MUSTARD SAUCE

4 patties, beef or other (see above)

Salt and black ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons mustard (if you have Dijon, great. If not, any good mustard will do)

1. Season patties with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add patties and cook over medium heat about 1-2 minutes on each side. The cooking time will vary depending on type of meat used. Bison patties take less time to cook than regular burger patties. Just trust your judgement.

3. Stir in sour cream and mustard. Cover and cook until sauce is heated (about 1minute longer).

4. Serve over rice, boiled potatoes, kasha, or couscous.

Yield: 2 servings for big eaters; or 4 servings for regular eaters.

Summer Salad

Waning days of summer, but it’s still hot out there. Cooking is the last thing on your mind. So how about a nice summer salad? Unfortunately, some of us do not know how to make a nice summer salad. I am not an expert at this but, through trial and error, I’ve configured what I consider to be a fairly reasonable salad dish. Given the cheese used, it can be called a French summer salad (if using chervre cheese), a Spanish summer salad (if using manchego cheese), an American summer ad (if using a sharp cheddar), a British salad (if using stilton), or a Greek salad (if using feta cheese). In fact, you can garnish it with whatever ingredients you want.

BASIC SUMMER SALAD

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt to and ground black pepper to taste

1 head lettuce (can use romaine, chicory, red leaf. etc. or, if you prefer, fresh spinach)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups cheese, crumbled, sliced or diced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Green or red bell pepper, sliced
1 seedless cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup black, pitted olives

1. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic and oregano.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, add remaining ingredients, and drizzle oil dressing over it.
4. Toss and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

By the way, if you’re a fan of Caribbean Jerk Chicken, like I am; there’s a scrumptuous recipe for Jerk Chicken with Lime and Potato Wedges at https://bcukrecipes.blog.co.uk/

Mushrooms Make You Feel…Good

August 19, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I am a mushroom lover. Have been since I was a kid. There’s something about their earthy flavor that just grabs me. Mushrooms have been around since antiquity. Depending on your source, there are anywhere from 10,000 to 38,000 types of mushrooms. Only about 3,000 are edible.

The ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans loved mushrooms. Sometimes with fatal consequences. As was the case with the Roman Emperor Claudius. In Ancient Rome, when an emperor died they would automatically declare him a god and put him in their pantheon of deities. Well, old Claudius, at a banquet was fed some poisonous mushrooms. The minute he tasted them he knew something was up. So he rose and addressed the assembled audience, declaring, “I think I am becoming a god”—and keeled over.
As you can tell, some varieties can be deadly: such as the famous “toadstools of the amanita genus, commonly known as amanita phalloides or “death cap.” Other varieties can be used for medicinal purposes, inclusive of the reishi, which is highly prized in Chinese medicine. And some can give you a trip, literally, such as the psilocybin mushrooms, which are hallucinogenic. Of course, these are illegal.

But we know mushrooms mainly for their dining pleasure. Today, apart from the white button mushrooms of my youth, there are numerous gourmet types such as enoki, crimini, porcini (often used in soups and sauces), oyster mushrooms (known to reduce cholesterol), chantarelle, shitaki, portobello, and , of course, the ultimate fungi, truffles—which can cost you anywhere from $130 to $390 per pound for black truffles, and $1350 to $2700 per pound for the white variety.

The best way to cook mushrooms, I’ve discovered, is the old Roman method: sliced and sauteed in olive oil with slivers of garlic. But for you adventurous types, below is a perfect dish for summer: portobello mushroom sandwiches.

And, no, you don’t need truffles for this. But be aware that you’ll need large portobello mushroom caps. Done right, they taste like a steak.

BASIC PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM SANDWICH

2 large portobello mushrooms, washed, cleaned and stemmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices (about 1 ounce each) mozzarella or Swiss cheese
2 bagels or sesame seed buns, toasted
Oregano to taste

1. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil.
2. Add portobellos, stem face down, and cook for approximately two minutes. Note that the cooking time will vary depending on size or thickness of mushrooms.
3. Turn mushrooms over, add slices of cheese on top, and cook 2 minutes more or until cheese melts.
4. Sprinkle with oregano and serve on toasted bagel or bun.
Yield: 2 servings.

Summer Dishes

August 14, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Image via Wikipedia

Mid-August and it’s sizzling out there. This is no time for elaborate meals and dinners. We want something fast, nutritious and cool. Below are some quick summer dishes one can create in minutes. All dishes should be served at room temperature.

Mushroom Salad: Wash and clean a bunch of mushrooms (about 1-2 pounds—you can choose whatever you want: white mushrooms, criminis, portabellos, etc.); cut in half or quarter any large ones. Steam about 5 minutes. While still warm, toss with sliced shallots or onions; add olive oil, minced garlic, ground black pepper, coriander, chopped fresh cilantro, and red wine vinegar.

Combination Beans: Combine cooked or canned beans, drained. You can mix any variety: black beans, red beans, chickpeas, etc. Add diced red and green pimentos, and a minced jalepeno or tabasco pepper (make sure you remove seeds). Season with juice from one lime, chopped marjoram, oregano and ground black pepper to taste.

Horta (a seasoned salad): Steam or poach two pounds of dark leafy greens (spinach, collards, kale, etc.). Drain, cool, squeeze dry and chop coarsely. Add olive oil, oregano, ground black pepper, and fresh lemon juice to taste.

Basic Green Salad: Wash and cut plum tomatoes into slices. Lay in a circle on a big plate with mixed greens, black olives cut in half, and cubes of goat cheese (preferably manchego—if you can get it). Season with ground black pepper, salt and oregano. Drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Garnish with a sliced boiled egg.

Aioli is a sauce popular in Provence that’s served with seafood, shellfish, boiled eggs, and potatoes. In a blender or food processor, blend 3 cloves peeled garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl (preferably wood), and very slowly add 3/4 olive oil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens. Traditional Aioli included a raw egg, but nowadays that’s not recommended due to health reasons.

Whichever recipe you prefer, enjoy. Or you can try making up your own summer snack. The possibilities are endless.

Rabbit Cookery

August 8, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

There are certain foods that in this part of the world have a negative connotation. By that I mean such items as calves brains, deer (remember Bambi?), and snails. Into this category goes rabbit. I know individuals who, on pain of death, would not eat rabbit. Maybe it has to do with the pet thing. Like, “How can you eat the Easter Bunny?” Simple. Because the Easter Bunny tastes good.

Fortunately, the denizens of the Mediterranean countries have no such qualms. In Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Eastern Europe, rabbit is a prime staple. And, cooked well, it is something to relish. Paired with crusty bread, a good Pinot Noir or, even, beer, it is a delight.

You won’t find rabbit in your local supermarket. It is often carried in Asian or Caribbean markets, poultry markets, or you may order it from your local butcher. We get our rabbit from stores in New York’s Chinatown. Wherever you get it, the rabbit will come skinned and, they say, dressed for cooking. It is as easy to prepare as chicken, although it doesn’t taste like chicken. It has its own unique flavor, deep, smoky.

So, people, get over it. Enjoy something out of the ordinary. You won’t be disappointed.

The rabbit recipe that follows is from my cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Avalon Books). It’s for a Rabbit Fricassee—think of any stewed dish with savory ingredients, and you get the idea.

CONEJO EN FRICASE (Rabbit Fricassee)

1 rabbit, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, cut into serving pieces

1 lemon, cut in half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1 packet Sazon Accent—the Goya brand has one with Culantro Y Achiote (Coriander & Annatto)

1/2 pound lean cured ham

10 stuffed Spanish olives

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 bay leaves

1 cup dry red wine

1 6 1/2-ounce jar pimentos, drained and cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 pounds Maine or Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed

1. Wash rabbit pieces under cold running water and pat dry. Place rabbit in a bowl and squeeze lemon over it. Set aside for 5 minutes, and drain.

2. Place rabbit pieces in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven and add salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil.

4. Add Sazon Accent, ham, olives, tomato sauce, bay leaf and 1/2 cup warm water.

5. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

6. Add wine, pimentos, potatoes plus another 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on moderate heat until sauce has thickened and meat is tender (about 20 minutes).

7. Remove bay leaves and serve with steamed white rice or, better still, green boiled bananas (yes, we Puerto Ricans love green boiled bananas. It’s part of a dining mystique we call bianda— which includes root plants).

Yield: 6 servings.

Healthcare – The Empire Strikes Back

August 6, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

As was to be expected, the forces of the Evil Empire have massed a counterattack on President Obama‘s Health Care Plan. No surprise there. What’s surprising is the tactic they’re currently employing—right out of the Nationalist Socialist playbook: drown out the opposition with goon squads at public forums, megaphone in hand. Apparently this is the conservatives’ counterpart to the old brown shirt bully boys stifling opposition whenever possible. Even though a majority (70%) of all Americans welcome a change in our current health care system, and two-thirds of all doctors would prefer a national health care plan, these yahoos, by shouting down and intimidating their local representatives want to make it seem like there is a groundswell movement opposing revamping health care.

Their argument is thus: we like our current health care plan. We don’t want socialized government run health care with, heaven forbid, rationing of supplies. Hey, kiddies, we already have a nationally run health care plan, two, in fact. One is the VA (Veterans Administration); an entity of hospitals and doctors. Let me tell you, as a Vietnam era veteran, I’ve never had any complaints with the service I’ve gotten from them, and most vets would agree. The other is Medicare/Medicaid. Seniors love this plan, so much so that President Obama himself commented on one lady who, in a letter, railed against the prospect of socialized medicine, but warned him not to touch her Medicare. Wow. Talk about misguided assumptions.

It’s not rocket science. It very simple. On one side you have the American public, who are being drowned in a health care system with ever increasing premiums for less and, yes, rationed service. On the other side, the forces of evil: the private health insurers (whose livelihood depends on obliterating a national, competitive health plan), the pharmaceuticals, their lobbyists in Congress, and dubious politicians beholden to them. Be aware that the insurance industry, alone, is spending $1.4 million a day to defeat the health care plan. They want to maintain what they’ve always had—to enroll healthy people in their plans and not pay for treatment.

One of the most visible counterattacks on TV has been ads proferred by the so-called Conservatives for Patients’ Rights organization (CPR). So, let’s have a look. CPR, whose stated goal is opposition to Obama’s health care policy goals, was founded by one Richard L. Scott. Mr. Scott founded the Columbia Hospital Corporation in 1987, but was ousted by the company’s board of directors in 1997 in the midst of the nation’s biggest health care fraud scandal which involved allegations of Medicaid and Medicare fraud. It all had to do with improper billing practices and procedures. Not only that, Mr. Scott left with a $10 million severance package, when he was forced out, and $10 million shares of stock, most of which were from his initial investment before the company went public.

Mr. Scott, who is the most visible spokesman on the CPR ads, states that he “wants to enact health care legislation based on free-market principals.” Read that: kill the public health option so that he and his fellow weasels can continue to make millions out the present broken system, and the public be damned.

This is what we are up against. A well-coordinated, well-financed campaign of smears, lies and innuendo. Admittedly, at this point, it seems like an uphill battle.

The New York Bagel

August 2, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

To me, bagels are like a religious experience. And that’s saying a lot for a non-believer. For every New Yorker, bar none, bagels are a rite of passage. This delicious savory transcends race, creed, gender, ethnicity, political affiliations,whatever. If you’re a newcomer in the city, or been here all your life, bagels are part of your psyche. For most, it is the morning meal that defines your day.

Nothing compares to a New York style bagel, boiled, chewy, and crusty. Eastern European Jewish immigrants brought the bagel with them to North America at the turn of the twentieth century. And they settled all over, not only in New York. Many went to Canada so that today you have the Toronto and Montreal-style bagel. I’ve had Canadian bagels. They’re not bad. But there’s something about a New York bagel that just makes it different. Some say it’s the water and, to a certain extent that may be so. Supposedly, the water from New York reservoirs is among the best in the nation. All I know in that I’ve had bagels (or facsimiles thereof) in other parts of the nation and Europe. It ain’t the same.

However, I did discover that when the genuine thing is not available, there are passable substitutes. About fifteen years ago I took a trip to Bozeman, Montana, a beautiful part of the country. No New York bagels. But I discovered that, in a pinch, Lender’s Frozen bagels aren’t that bad—especially if you’ve got nothing else.

And of course, we all have our preferences in types and flavors. We know that bagels are often topped with seeds (the most popular being poppy and sesame), or infused with other ingredients. My wife, Holly, prefers onion bagels. I prefer pumpernickel. We both love our bagels topped with whitefish. Although, from what I’ve seen, the all-time favorite is still bagels with lox and a schmear (cream cheese). Lox is cured salmon. I prefer Nova, or Nova Scotia lox, which is cured in a milder brine solution. Some aficionados prefer gravlax (gravad lox), which is not smoked and coated with a spice mixture.

Most Midwesterners out there are saying, What’s with this bagel thing? Well, it’s like an egg-cream soda, another New York staple. If you’ve never had it, you just don’t know. When I was in Buffalo one time, I had a beef on wek. It’s a local thing that once you try it, you get hooked.

Oh, if you can find a genuine shop that makes their own bagels on premises, like Bagel Works on First Avenue, then you’ve struck gold. Bagels have become a big industry and most are now made for distribution nation wide. So, if you have to, wherever you may be, look out for the local product. Believe it or not, they are out there. We discovered local bagel joints even in the wilds of Vermont. If it’s made on site, you’re in heaven.

Lt. Brian Bradshaw – R.I.P.

August 1, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

About a month ago, on the same day that Michael Jackson died, Lieutenant Brian N. Bradshaw of Steilacoom, Washington, was killed by a roadside bomb in Kheyl, Afghanistan. Lt. Bradsahw was assigned to the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

Except for some notices in his hometown paper, in the media madness regarding Michael Jackson’s demise, Lt. Bradshaw’s sacrifice went largely by the wayside.

I find it unsettling that the public goes on this media frenzy regarding Michael Jackson while the death of a true hero like Lt. Bradsahw goes unnoticed. Yes, this says a lot about our society. And, anyway you look at it, there’s something wrong with this picture.

Hot Weather Relief – Gazpacho

July 27, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Summertime and the livin’ is easy. The same with dining; and cold soups are a welcomed relief from the dog days of summer. Forget about hot, sturdy stews. Those are for midwinter. We want cool relief. And cool soups, weather at room temperature or chilled, have been with us since soups were invented. The most renowned of these, of course, is Vichyssoise (pronounced “vihsh-ee-SWAHZ” or “vee-she-swahz”). It’s a rich creamy potato-leek soup that is served cold. And, no, it ain’t French. It’s AMERICAN! Its creator was Chef Louis Diat of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York City, and he conjured it up in 1917.

But the king of cold soups, in my humble opinion, is that Spanish classic, gazpacho. Gazpacho has Moorish origins. In 711 the Muslims of Northern Africa, known as the Moors because of their mixed Berber and Arab lineage, invaded Spain. It wasn’t until 1492 (date sound familiar?) that the last of the Moors were expelled from Spain. But they left a lasting influence, especially in their cuisine. Gazpacho evolved from an Arabic dish. The word itself derives from the Arabic word for soaked bread. And the initial recipe called for soaked bread, olive oil and garlic. The Spaniards referred to this as ajo blanco, or a garlic soup. When tomatoes and peppers were brought back to Spain from the Americas, these were added to the soup, so that today we have the famous tomato-based gazpacho that originated in Andalucia in Southern Spain. In Malaga, a province in the region of Andalucia, they boast of their Malaga-style gazpacho which includes crushed peeled almonds and red wine vinegar.

The recipe included is the traditional Moorish type gazpacho and it comes from my cookbook, The Pharaoh’s Feast, which is a history of cooking through the ages from day one to the present. For those of you who have been brought up on the tomato-base gazpacho, give this one a try. Its simplicity and natural flavors are a revelation.

GAZPACHO CON AJO BLANCO

1 cup untrimmed fresh bread, cubed

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

Cold water

1. Soak the bread in water. Drain and squeeze to extract excess moisture.

2. In a mortar (preferably earthenware), pound the garlic until crushed.

3. In a wooden bowl, mix the garlic, bread, and salt, and stir in the olive oil.

4. Add cold water as desired, to get the smoothness of a soup. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell—Don’t Like!

July 21, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 1 Comment

Okay, kiddies, I am going to get on my soapbox again. And this time it’s a topic that makes no sense to me at all. It concerns the military policy of “Don’t, Ask, Don’t Tell” with regard to homosexuals serving in the military. Now, I’ll admit, given my background and culture, I’m not as tolerant as I’d like to be when it comes to the subject of homosexuality; but that shouldn’t come into play when it concerns our national well-being. Right now, our military is understaffed and overstretched. We have serious problems in recruiting and retaining troops, especially when they have to serve multiple tours of duty in a combat zone. To deny someone the right to serve the country is just plain crazy.

According to Change. Org, it is estimated that at least 65,000 homosexuals and lesbians are currently serving in the U.S. military. More than 30,000 have been discharged under the current policy; and according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) this has cost as much as $1 billion. It takes a lot of moolah to train a pilot, or a specialist, or even an infantryman. And to have all that money and effort go to waste simply because the person admits to being homosexual is not too cost effective in my book.

The common argument given for this policy is that to have openly homosexual or lesbian troops would undermine morale and “unit-cohesiveness.” Well, let me ya, as a Vietnam combat veteran, I’m sure there were homosexuals in my platoon and, naturally, they kept it to themselves. When we were in a firefight, nobody asked who was screwing whom back stateside. Our mission was to survive (and kill the bad guys), plain and simple. The British Army doesn’t have this idiotic Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Neither does the Israeli Defence Force, one of the best fighting forces in the world. The Israelis know that they need every able-bodied person they can get, regardless of sexual preference.

The novelist, Colleen McCullough, in one of her novels about ancient Rome has a scene where a Roman general, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, when faced with the same problem, gives a succinct answer: “I don’t care who you sleep with as long as you serve Rome.” Well, as long as one serves the nation, ethnicity, race, religion, gender and, yes, sexual preference should not be factor. The only factor should be if the person can do the job required.

The fact is, from purely a nationalistic level, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” weakens our national security. Again, according to the GAO, nearly 800 specialists with critical skills have been fired—including more than 300 interpreters, most of whom 60 specialized in Arabic! An estimated 4,000 service members annually choose not to re-enlist because of this cockamamie policy. The gay-bashers talk about “unit cohesiveness.” Yeah, think about that when a good sniper or bomb-disposal specialist is ripped away from his or her unit and see how that affects morale and combat readiness.

My friends, it is time for a change. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” as a policy, has to go. Someday our politicians well have the courage of their convictions.

Author, Warrior, and Teacher