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Caribbean Grilled Steak

Grilling steaks can be the easiest or the most difficult thing depending upon how you go at it. The result can be a charred-burnt out piece of leather, or a raw, bleeding mess. The trick is to watch it carefully as it grills. The recipe given below is the Boricua way of grilling meat. That is, it uses all the herbs associated with Caribbean cuisine. Of course, you can add other spices as you desire. It’s all in the taste buds.

The recipe can be termed a peppercorn steak, or as they say in fancy-dan argot, “au poivre.” This consists of steak, normally filet mignon, cooked with cracked pepper, usually green peppercorns. In our cooking its black whole peppercorns.

Here we go again: in traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, we crush the spices in a mortar and pestle, to give it that extra zing. In you don’t own or have a mortar, then substitute ground pepper and salt to taste along with 1 tablespoon oregano, add 1 teaspoon garlic powder—and you’re set to go.

In terms of what meat to use, if you can afford filet mignon, go right ahead, and more power to you. Those of us who are less well-heeled can use other variety meats like strip steaks, cut about 1 1/2-inch thick. I use porterhouse steaks—believe it or not, I got them on sale.

CARIBBEAN GRILLED STEAK

4 porterhouse steaks, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds
3/4 cup whole peppercorns
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teasppoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 cups beef broth
1 (3 1/2-ounce) jar capers, rinsed

1. In a mortar, crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano, and salt. Mix in olive oil and vinegar. Brush steaks on both sides with this mixture.
2. Place steaks on grill, cover with lid, and cook on each side 4-5 minutes or until desired doneness.
3. Melt butter in a skillet or fry pan. Add scallions and sauté about 1 minute. Add broth and capers, and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes. Serve over grilled steaks.
Yield: 4 servings.

Dressing Up Potato Salad

July 21, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Potato salad is everywhere during the summer—in Church socials, picnics, barbecues, outdoor grilling, you name it. And usually it’s always the same: boiled and cubed potatoes drenched in mayonnaise with some salt and pepper. But there are ways to dress up this favorite so it doesn’t get boring.

Basic potato salad involves placing 1-2 pounds potatoes (could be either new potatoes, russets, or specialty potatoes) in cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (10-15 minutes, depending on size). Drain under cold running water, cut in half, quarter or slice, and gently toss with the desired dressing. My preference is for the potatoes not be peeled. They should be cooked with their skins on. Nothing could be easier. It’s how you dress them up that counts. Following are some ways to dress up the spuds and give this common dish some new zing.

Basic Salad Dressing

In a bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried), and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the potatoes and serve.

Chimichurri Potato Salad

To the basic Salad Dressing above, add 1 small red or green chili; 1 clove minced garlic; 1/4 cup chopped scallions; and 4 strips of lemon zest, thinly sliced.

Potato Egg Salad

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons sour cream; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon white vinegar; 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped. Stir in 4 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped; and 2 half-sour pickles, cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Toss with the potatoes, and serve.

German Potato Salad (an Old World favorite)

In a large bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Toss lightly with the potatoes and serve.
Note: In some recipes, 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber is added to the potatoes. Then paprika is sprinkle over the dish and served.

Waldorf Potato Salad

(Presumably created by chef Oscar Tschirky of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York sometime in the 1890s)

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons sour cream; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard. Toss with the potatoes and add 1 cup small red grapes (cut in half); 4 stalks thinly sliced celery; and 1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts.

There you have it. Go at it, and enjoy.

Fish Rubs for Grilling

July 12, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Grilling season again. Temperatures rise and so does the need for al fresco cooking. In my circle I’m the oddball since I prefer grilling seafood. The usual burgers, hotdogs, chicken is alright, but to me, the height of ecstasy is a good grilled fish steak, or fillet. It’s amazing what one can do grilling-wise with something from the sea.

A great method of grilling fish is via seafood rubs. Simply rub the herbs and condiments into the fish, let the mixture stand 5-15 minutes, and cook. In every case, it’s always best to cut large steaks or fillets into meal-size portions so that they will be easy to turn when grilling. Brush the fish very lightly with olive oil before cooking; and always start grilling with the skin side up. Turn the fish once during cooking. It’s easiest to slide a metal spatula under the fish and turn. And most important, cook fish about 5-8 minutes per inch of thickness. Of course, if it’s a thin fillet, use less time. Cook until it’s sightly opaque in color. To be sure, jab the fish with a fork in the thickest part to check for doneness. Always remove from heat soon as it turns translucent.

For the grilling itself, common sense always applies. Seafood cooks best over a medium-hot fire. Also, make sure the grill is hot before cooking; and brush some vegetable oil on the grill prior to cooking.

Below are given four rubs for seafood. The seafood can be either 4 fish steaks (about 6 ounces each; fish fillets (about 1 1/2 pounds); or a whole fish, cleaned and scaled (2-3 pounds). If you need more condiments or herbs, adjust accordingly. Still, it’s up to you. Don’t go by what I say. If you’re adventurous, try to create your own blend. Almost every culture has a seafood rub. Experiment and enjoy.

Basic Caribbean Rub

Squeeze juice of half lemon over fish. Rub fish with 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried) ; 3 cloves garlic, finely minced; salt and ground black pepper to taste. Brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and grill.

Indian Rub

Blend 1 tablespoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; and salt to taste. Run onto fish; sprinkle with olive oil and cook.

Chipotle Rub (For those who like it hot)

Blend 1 tablespoon chipotle chilies (can use canned chilies, if desired, and remove seeds if you want reduced heat); 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 3 cloves minced garlic. Rub into fish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons white vinegar, and grill.

Asian Rub

Combine 2 tablespoons honey; 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; juice of half a lime; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 clove finely minced garlic; and 1/2 cup sliced scallions. Rub into fish and grill.

Biftec Empanado – Breaded Beefsteak

July 5, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

For the longest time in Puerto Rico, before the advent of American style fast food joints, breaded steaks were a popular staple in mom-and-pop takeout places. These emporiums were called cafetines or “little cafes,” and almost every town had one. Here the breaded steaks were enjoyed by the regulars. The idea transferred to the mainland and the cafetines became cuchifrito places, and they abounded at one time in what was called Spanish Harlem in New York. Today the term used is East Harlem, and most of the cafetines are gone, along with the migration of second generation Puerto Ricans to Florida.

I’m nostalgic for those old take-out places. They would serve the breaded steaks with french fries, or as a sandwich in a roll or Italian bread. At home we would have it as an entrée with rice and beans. In the old neighborhood, biftec empanado was prepared two ways: either with bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. I knew of one individual who mixed cracker crumbs with corn flakes. And the rule of thumb was always that the meat should be cut thin. Some neighbors pounded the meat into the thinness of scalopine. In my family, we preferred thicker bictec empanado–and I still make it this way. Let me add that, for those who are shy of beef, chicken breasts or cutlets can be substituted.

In the recipe given, we do it the traditional criollo way by pounding all the spices in a mortar and pestle. If you’re a modernista, or don’t own a mortar and pestle, you can blend minced garlic cloves, the oregano, black pepper and salt to taste, along with olive oil and vinegar, and rub that onto the steaks. Then follow the rest of the recipe as given.

BIFTEC EMPANADO
(Breaded Beefsteak)

4 club steaks or beef round steaks (8 ounces per steak, about 1/2-inch thick)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
12 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Rinse meat under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Put garlic cloves, oregano, peppercorns and salt in a mortar. Pound with a pestle until crushed.
Add olive oil and vinegar and mix thoroughly.
3. Rub the seasoning into the steaks.
4. Dip each slice in the eggs, then coat with bread crumbs, pressing crumbs into both sides with the heel of the hand.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet, frying pan or deep fryer until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes depending upon thickness). Drain on absorbent paper towel and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Calamares Frito – Fried Squid

June 25, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

In Puerto Rican cuisine the main dish involving squid is arroz con calamares or rice with squid. Or, as we call it in our family, “black rice.” The reason for that is that the ink from the squid gives a dark color to the rice. This was my father’s favorite dish. It combined two things he loved: seafood and rice. We also have calamares frito or fried squid.

Fried squid is popular in Mediterranean cooking. Both Greek and Italian cuisine have a version of it. Ours is not that much different: the squid, both tentacles and body, is cut into small pieces or ringlets, dredged in seasoned flour or bread crumbs, and deep fried. The seasoning varies. We add oregano and parsley to ours, other recipes may use cilantro or thyme. It’s all a matter of taste.

This is one of the easiest dish to prepare—that is, if you buy already cleaned squid, which can be found these days in almost any supermarket or food shop. If you do have access to already cleaned squid, then purchase a whole squid from your fishmonger (note that one pound whole squid yields about 1/2 pound of cleaned calamari). Rinse the squid, tentacles and all, under cold running water. Cut the tentacles, which are near the eyes, and remove from the head. Reserve the tentacles since they are considered the choicest morsel. Remove and discard the mouth which is located in the center of the tentacles. Next, rub off the purplish outer skin of the body under cold running water with your hands. Hold the closed end of the body (also called the mantle) in one hand and with the other squeeze out the innards, pushing out the viscera, head and translucent backbone. Turn body inside out. Discard viscera, head and bone. Wash the inside of the body thoroughly. Lay the body on a flat surface and slice down the center from the bottom. Spread open and cut into bite-sized pieces or strips. Cut tentacles into rounds. That’s it. Another way of removing the viscera from the squid is to feel inside the body with one hand and simply pull out the innards, rather than using the toothpaste method of squeezing forward. Whichever way you do it, after washing and cutting the squid is set for cooking.

CALAMARES FRITO
(Fried Squid)

1 1/2 pounds cleaned squid with tentacles, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried
Salt an freshly ground back pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, oregano, salt, pepper, and parsley.
2. Toss squid in floor mixture to coat, shaking off excess flour.
3. Pour oil in a heavy bottomed pan or skillet to about the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat. Working in batches, add squid and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 1-2 minutes.
4.With tongs or slotted spoon, transfer calamares to a plate lined with paper towels
Yield: 4 servings.

Creole Burgers

June 1, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Long before the advent of McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King, hamburgers served in Puerto Rico came replete with onions, lettuce and tomatoes. And on plain rolls, not the usual hamburger buns. This transferred over with the first great migration to the mainland in the 1950s. This was the essence of what of what we call “Creole Hamburgers.”

Naturally, this all changed with the coming of the fast food joints. So that today on the island, just as in the mainland, wherever you go, it’s the trendy fast food abomination that rules. Thank the gods that in my tribe we still prefer burgers the old fashioned way—large and spicy. The archetypal “hamburgesa criollo.” And, yes, traditionally, we crush the spices in a mortar, a cooking instrument ubiquitous in our cuisine. For the newer foodies out there, a mortar and pestle, weather, stainless steel, aluminum, or wood, can be found in any Asian or Caribbean food market, or even in a good hardware store.

CREOLE BURGERS

1 pound lean ground beef (can substitute ground chicken or turkey, if preferred)
10 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1. Place meat in a bowl.
2. In a mortar, crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano and salt. Blend in one tablespoon of the olive oil and vinegar.
3. Add spices to the meat and mix thoroughly.
4. Shape into hamburger patties.
5. Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet. Add patties and cook over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes per side for rare and 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
6. Serve on plain or seeded roll, or toasted English muffin. Top with tomato slices and lettuce, and go at it. What we kids did (which use to drive my mother nuts) was splatter gobs of mayonnaise on the bun rather than use ketchup or mustard. To each his own.
Yield: 4 servings.

Pollo Al Gallego – Galician Style Chicken

May 21, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

This recipe is a contribution from our beloved Uncle Phillip. In our family, Uncle Phillip was the black sheep, and he was bigger than life. A von vivant, ladies’ man, and raconteur extraordinaire. And also a fabulous cook. Uncle Phillip was a merchant seaman, and he was a cook aboard ship. That’s how he learned about cuisine. He was always on the lookout for unique recipes. Yet, like Puerto Ricans of the old school, he had this thing about Spain. To the Boricuas of his and my parents generation, Spain was the “Mother Country.” Figures since Spain owned Puerto Rico for hundreds of years before the coming of the Americans in 1898. So anything having to do with Spain, was sacrosanct, especially its cuisine. For instance, to this day, the measurement of any restaurant in Puerto Rico is not its paella or pasteles but caldo gallego, a smooth, vigorous soup.

Galicia is a maritime province in Northern Spain, thus the Gallego appellation, as in the chicken dish given below. We assumed that’s where Uncle Phillip picked up the recipe, and it has remained a favorite in our family for ages. What’s interesting about this recipe is that originally it was prepared with bone-in chicken breasts. After the chicken breasts were roasted, the meat was removed from the bone. That’s how Uncle Phillip did it. I’ve discovered that whole, boneless chicken breasts work just as well, are easier to prepare, and are just as tasty.

Here it is. For dinner tonight take a trip to the Iberian peninsula. In our family, the dish was traditionally served over steamed rice. But it can also complement any other grain, potatoes, or even pasta. The dish calls for paprika. I prefer Hungarian paprika which is medium-hot. Uncle Phillip preferred the milder Spanish paprika. Use whatever suits you best. With a good Rioja wine, the dish is heaven.

POLLO AL GALLEGO
(Galician Style Chicken)

3 pounds whole chicken breasts
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bay leaf
Pinch of cayenne pepper (about 1/8 teaspoon)
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken broth or bouillon
8 pimento stuffed Spanish olives for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Wash chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each breast in half lengthwise.
3. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Place in a shallow roasting pan and bake approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, in a small pan or skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic and bay leaf. Sauté until garlic turns brown (do not burn). Add remaining paprika, cayenne pepper, flour and salt. Mix well and slowly add chicken bouillon or broth. Bring to a boil, gently stirring to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly. When the sauce is done, remove bay leaf.
5. Arrange breasts on a serving platter and pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with olives, either whole or sliced in half, and serve.
Yield: 4 or more servings.

Pork Chop Casserole

May 4, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

If you have some pork chops on hand, this is one of the easiest recipes to prepare. Back on the block, when we made this dish, it was called chuletas en caserola. And it was something we did when we got tired of the usual pan-fried or stewed pork chops we served with the traditional rice and beans. It was a change-of-pace dish that the whole family enjoyed.

The dish is simplicity itself: layered potatoes, broccoli (you can substitute green beans or asparagus), and pork chops on top. Then everything is baked till chops are tender, and that’s it. The dish calls for the seasoning ingredients to be pounded in a mortar. That’s traditional in Nuyorican cooking. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can simple mix 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the 3 garlic cloves (minced), the oregano, salt and olive oil in a small pan or cruet, and then rub the seasoning on the pork chops. It’ll give you the same affect, although the flavor will not be as pronounced.

Notice that in the dish, we sometimes sprinkle grated cheddar (or whatever cheese you have on hand) on top of the veggies. This is optional. In our clan some liked the cheese included and some did not. Your call. That said, this is a one-pot entreé that goes well with a light red wine such as a Bardolino, Valpolicella, Beaujolais, or Gamay.

CHULETAS EN CASEROLA
(Pork Chop Casserole)

4 loin pork chops
12 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium potatoes, washed, scrubbed, and cubed (do not peel)
1 large head broccoli
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse pork chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Crush peppercorns, garlic, oregano and salt in a mortar. Blend in olive oil.
4. Rub each chop thoroughly with the seasoning. Set aside.
5. Place potatoes in bottom of a casserole dish (I prefer cast-iron).
6. Wash the broccoli in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut off the broccoli florets and arrange on top of potatoes. You can reserve the stems for another use (such as broccoli soup). Pour chicken broth over vegetables. Place pork chops on top and bake for 45 minutes.
8. If using cheese, bake the chops for 40 minutes, sprinkle cheese on broccoli, and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Punjab Eggplant

April 26, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I’m an eggplant aficionado. This is most obvious in my prior posts on the subject: Tuscan Eggplant (2/6/15), and Prized Eggplant Recipe (2/20/10). That means I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative eggplant dishes. Recently I was at the neighborhood deli getting my bagel with whitefish when, pursing the store shelves, I happen upon a package of something called “Punjab Eggplant.” It had a nice looking picture on it, and a caption that claimed it was the easiest thing to make: just heat and serve. I thought, why not? In retrospect, I should have listened to my wife who always cautions me about buying processed, pre-cooked stuff. But, being a hard-head, I didn’t listen. I bought the stuff, took it home, and heated it up.

It was terrible! It had this metallic aftertaste that just clung to my tongue. The thing was awful.

I decided then and there that I would make my own Punjab eggplant. It couldn’t possibly be as bad as the store-bought thing. So I queried my Indian friends as to how to prepare the dish. This being the age of the internet, most said, Go on-line, see what you can find. I did just that and came upon a plethora of excess information on Indian eggplant, baingan bharta, burtha bharta, baingan ka bharta, and a host of other arcane trivia that boggled the mind. Generally speaking, “Bharta” refers to a type of North Indian cuisine where ingredients are chopped or mashed before or after the dish is prepared. Punjabi Bharta is Eggplant Bharta prepared in this way. I finally found an acquaintance who gave me a reasonable recipe which I tweeked here and there to come up with the dish given below.

Thus here is my version of Punjab Eggplant, using fresh ingredients, no chemicals, and it sure as hell is better tasting that the packaged stuff. I’m informed that, traditionally, this dish is served with steamed white rice. It makes for a great vegetarian meal.

PUNJAB EGGPLANT

1 large eggplant
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 green chili, chopped
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (about 1 tablespoon)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Wash the eggplant under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Pierce eggplant in 4-5 places with a sharp knife or fork. Rub with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and bake eggplant until soft, about 30-40 minutes. You can tell the eggplant is soft because it will start to cave in on itself once it’s done. Cool, peal the skin, and chop up the flesh, then set aside
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until they start to crackle and turn golden brown (be careful not to burn the seeds).
4. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, chili, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add eggplant to skillet and cook for 5 minutes more. If the moisture evaporates or it gets too dry, you can sprinkle a little water on it. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.

Cooking with Garlic

April 18, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Back in January 2010 I did a post on the wonders of garlic, inclusive of a recipe, Chicken with Garlic Sauce, which called for 12 garlic cloves in the ingredients. That’s right, twelve. Now, you’re saying to yourself, Twelve garlic cloves? This Rican is crazy. And, yes, guilty as charged—for garlic. I’ve decided to revisit this wondrous perennial. One can never go wrong or tire of garlic. It was use as a medicinal herb in Ancient Egypt. Greek warriors ate garlic before a battle (it increased their physical strength). Slaves ate garlic while building the pyramids since it enhanced their endurance. Think of that the next time you see the movie version of The Ten Commandments while Charlton Heston and company struggle to erect the pyramid tomb of Sethi.

It’s common knowledge that garlic promotes cardiovascular health. It has a high Vitamin C content, and prevents the accumulation of LDL (bad) cholestteral in the arteries. But more, it can reduce the chance of developing common cancers like breast and colon cancer. So, what’s there not to like about it? Yeah, I know, you’re saying, How am I gonna kiss my significan other after eating garlic? Get over it. If she or he doesn’t like it, get another partner

Cooking with garlic is the easiest thing. Crushed, chopped, minced or roasted, it gives a marvelous flavor and depth to any dish. A little garlic goes a long way, but a lot of garlic, to my mind, is better. Yes, I am a fanatic when it comes to the glorious bulb. But, as the following recipes show, garlic can enhance any dish, transforming it into a softer, sweeter, nutty-like rendition. And, you’ll never have to worry about vampires invading your home.

GARLIC BUTTER

Combine one stick melted butter with 3 cloves finely minced garlic over medium heat until the butter absorbs the garlic. Stir in one teaspoon chopped parsley, and that’s it. Great for eggs, omelets, brushed on bread or warm biscuits; or spread over steamed or baked fish, or cooked chicken. Even a juicy steak will benefit from garlic butter.

GARLIC OIL

Heat 1/2 cup sunflower oil in a small pan. Add 3 cloves crushed garlic. Cook, strring gently. for about 5 minutes until garlic is lightly golden. Do not let garlic burn or it will turn bitter. Cool, strain, and use oil as a flavoring or for frying. Very popular in Asian dishes.

GARLIC SAUCE

This is very popular in Greek cuisine. In a blender or food processor, blend 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 2-3 slices bread, soaked on water, 1/2 cup olive oil; juice of half a lemon; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; salt and ground black peppper to taste. In some recipes they add 1 cup mashed potatoes for greater consistency. Your choice. This sauce is great with cold or hot meat or fish dishes. If you like it stronger, you can add more garlic.

GARLIC POTATOES

2 pounds Idaho or Yokon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, washed and scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch
wedges
6 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or tarragon

1. Place potato wedges in a pan with about 1&1/2-inch water. Bring water to a boil, cover, lower heat and steam until wedges are very tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pan or skillet, heat 5 tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and sauté unitl golden, about 5-6 minutes.

3. Add potatoes and thyme (or tarragon) to pan or skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute more. Drizzle with ramianing olive oil and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

OMELET WITH GARLIC

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
6 eggs, beaten
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup mushrooms (button, shitake, or portobello), thinly sliced
1/2 cup grater cheddar or Swiss cheese

1. Heat oil in medium non-stick pan or skillet over moderate heat. Manwhile, mix salt and pepper with eggs. Add to pan and cook until top begins to set.
2. Add garlic, mushroons, and cheese. Place a lid on the pan to help the top part of the omelet to cook.
3. Starting from the edge of the pan, use a spatula to fold one-third of the omelet toward center of the pan and cointinue until the omelet is roll-shaped. Cook for about 1 minute more; and slide the omelet off the pan onto a serving platter.
Yoeld: 4 servings.

SHRIMP WITH GARLIC SAUCE

1 pound medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for garmish

1. Combine shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl or a large ziplock bag. Stir to conbine, cover (if using bowl), and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or, for at least 4 hours.
2, Heat a pan or skillet (I prefer cast-iron) on medium heat. Add butter and, when sizzling, add shrimp. Cook until pinkish red. More garlic can be added, if desired, during cooking (but don’t let the garlic burn). Serve with lemion wedges
Yield 3-4 servings.
Note : This dish is great with steamed white rice.

Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher