Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

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CHULETAS CON LIMON (Lemon Pork Chops)

January 24, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This recipe came about because my wife made a batch of cornbread, and it was delicious: “Splenfiferous” as Zorba the Greek would say. When I ventured down south, corn bread and pork chops was a natural combo. My wife’s singular cornbread made me hark back to those great gustatory memories. Now, as to the cornbread, you can use whatever family recipe you have or you can go on-line where there are hundreds and pick the one you like.

Chuletas con Limón was one of our family’s go-to dish during lean times.  It has minimal ingredients, is fairy inexpensive, and still gave you a great meal. We would serve it with rice or potatoes, and it never failed.  My father called it “chuletas hervidas,” or boiled pork chops because the chops are steamed in water. Therefore, going back to what was referenced above, it is a healthy dish, no deep frying other than the initial browning. In our family that was not the main concern. We just wanted something cheap and good tasting.

This dish can be done with either center-cut pork chops or boneless tenderloin (which I prefer). Let your taste and pocketbook decide. Also, you can use the pork fat itself for cooking or you can use olive oil or vegetable oil. Your choice. I know, those among us who are health conscious, and that is a worthy endeavor, can forgo the pork fat. But there is no argument that the chops taste better if using the pork fat. I figure, using the latter method once in a while will not kill you; and it’ll give you a great tasting meal.

CHULETAS CON LIMÓN
(Lemon Pork Chops)

Ingredients:

Four pork chops (1-inch thick)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
4 slices lemon rings, seeded
1 cup water

Instructions:

1. Trim some of the fat that remains around the edge of the pork chops and melt in a large heavy skillet or pan. If the chops are well-trimmed, use one or two tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil. You can also substitute shortening, if desired.
2. Sprinkle chops with salt, pepper and oregano on both sides. Add to skillet and brown on both sides slowly, using medium-low heat.
3. Top each chop with a lemon slice and pour in water. Cover tightly and simmer gently until chops are very tender, about 45 minutes. Serve with pan juices
Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

SWEDISH SHRIMP

January 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As a shrimp aficionado I’m always on the lookout for good non-traditional shrimp recipes. And the one given below fits that bill. I did not know there was something called Swedish Shrimp until I came across this recipe. It is a hearty shrimp dish. I’m told that in Sweden, it’s usually served over rice with peas. But the sauce with it came out so rich that I served it over angel hair pasta. This is one of those recipes that can go with your favorite grain (apart from rice) or almost any pasta, be it shell or string. With a good red wine, let’s say a Cabernet, Chianti, Merlot, or Zinfandel, it’s a winner.

 

SWEDISH SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon corn starch
¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried
Juice of half a lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
2. Add ¾ cup of the chicken broth, bring to a boil. Add shrimp, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes.
3. Whisk together ¼ cup broth, sour cream, mustard and cornstarch in a cup until smooth. Whisk into skillet. Cook, stirring to thicken.
4. Stir in pepper, dill and lemon juice, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings or more.

 

 

 

 

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS (OSSO BUCO)

January 5, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Osso Buco (or Ossobuco) is famous in Lambard cuisine.  It’s basically braised veal shanks with vegetables, white wine and broth. What I did not know is that my mother had been cooking this dish for years in our humble adobe in Spanish Harlem. She called it  Carne Ternera Guisada, or Braised Veal Shanks. All that time she was cooking a Northern Italian specialty, and we didn’t know it. It just shows the cross-currents of regional cuisines, and how they influenced each other.

Depending upon her whim, my mom would add carrots or potatoes to the dish; and we would serve it with yellow rice. Not the traditional risotto or polenta as done in Lombardy.

This is a hearty meal permeated with herbs, spices and wine. This time around we served it atop couscous, one of our favorite grains. You can use whatever grain is favored, or pasta. Add a good Chianti, Zinfandel or Cabernet, and you’re set.

BRAISE VEAL SHANKS
(Osso Buco)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 medium-sized veal shanks
3 tablespoons flour
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can whole or diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 cup Chablis or Rhine wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a Dutch oven or heavy kettle, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and lamb shanks dusted lightly with flour; and brown on all sides.
  2.  Add onion, carrots, tomatoes, bay leaves and wine. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook very slowly until tender, about 1½ to 2 hours.
  3.  Stir in parsley and grated lemon rind. Add salt and pepper, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

 

STUFFED EGGPLANT (Melitzanes Yemistes)

January 2, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This recipe came about because of a wine I had just acquired. I belong to a wine club (Leithwaite’s Wine) and they had sent me a Greek wine, but made in Lodi, California, no less. It’s a Koroni Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. This gorgeous wine is produced by the Koroni family, who emigrated from Greece to Canada in 1959, and thence to California in 1966.   And they brought with them four generations of wine making expertise from Koroni, their hometown in Greece.

The wine is everything I admire in classic Cabernets: deep-colored with rich current and black cherry flavors. Naturally, I had to pair it with Greek cuisine, which I love. What came to mind was Melitzanes Yemistes, or Stuffed Eggplant. This is no ordinary stuffed eggplant.  Along with tomatoes, and onion, it contains olives, anchovy fillets and cinnamon. As an accompaniment, I included rice with fides noodles, Pilafi me Fides. Back in Spanish Harlem, my mother would cook with fideos, fine noodles that she added to soups. I was pleasantly surprised that in Hellenic cuisine, fideos can be added to rice. It gives the grain a unique crunchy structure.

Oh, yes, the above make a great vegetarian dinner

So, for a treat tonight, cook this glorious meal and imagine you’re in Athens or Crete, or Mykonos, or Santorini. And if you can’t find a Koroni, any good quality wine with do, or even beer. The quest is to enjoy the meal—and you will.

STUFFED EGGPLANT
(Melitzanes Yemistes)

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants (about  ¼ to ½ pound each)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 pound tomatoes, rinsed and chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 2-inch stick cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
12 black olives
8 anchovy fillets

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Remove stems and caps from the eggplants
  3.  Heat the olive oil in a large pan or skillet, add the eggplants and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan. Cut in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin shell. Chop the eggplant pulp coarsely.
  4.  Heat the butter in the same pan or skillet. Add onions and cook until golden. Add the tomatoes and eggplant pulp and cook for 10 minutes.
  5.  Crush the garlic cloves with the salt. Add to the tomato mixture, along with the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, pepper, parsley, and cook for 10 minutes more.
  6.  Fill the eggplant shells with this mixture. Garnish each shell with 3 olives and 2 anchovy fillets. Bake for 10 minutes and serve with rice with fides (recipe below).
    Yield: 4 servings.

RICE WITH FIDES
(Pilafi me Fides)

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice
½ cup crushed fideos or vermicelli
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried chives

Instructions:

1. Rinse rice in water until it is clear and all the starch is gone. This is what they call in Pennsylvania Dutch Country as “Washing in Several Waters.”
2. Combine the rice and fideos and sauté in the butter in a 2-quart saucepan until golden brown. Add the chicken broth and chives. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, lower heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
3. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

 

HANGOVER CURES FOR THE NEW YEAR – AGAIN

December 30, 2019 / / 0 Comments

“My brain is melting into my feet.”
—Mel Brooks

 

New Year’s Eve is upon us, and I celebrate by posting my famed Hangover Cures For The New Year once more. Believe me, folks, I’ve been though it.  So here is my treatise, again.

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.

That time of year again; and again I post my famed Hangover Cures for the New Year.  The post is based on research and experience.  Believe me, friends, I’ve been through it.  My wild and misspent youth speaks for itself. I no longer indulge in New Year’s Eve festivities. I’ve had enough of those days. In fact, in one memorable New Year’s Eve party, I was thrown out a window—but that’s anther story  Be t as it may, for those who still over-indulge, here is my treatise—again.

SHRIMP WITH LEMON ALFREDO SAUCE

December 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

If you like a rich meal, this is it. Awesome! It’s something for a special occasion or, guys, when you want or impress her. And ladies, when you want to impress him.  Or our LBGTQ brothers and sisters, you want to impress him or her. That’s how good this dish is.

Alfredo sauce is a white cream sauce very popular in Italian cuisine. It is made with butter, heavy  cream and Parmesan cheese. It’s most renowned version is Fettuccine Alfredo. Do not even think about the cholesterol problem. As I said before, it’s a special dish for that special occasion. That being said, go for it. In fact, you don’t need a special occasion for this dish. Whenever the hell you want it will be okay.

This time around I added shrimp to the dish. Why? Because I like shrimp. And here it is: Shrimp with Lemon Alfredo Sauce. Enjoy!

SHRIMP WITH LEMON ALFREDO SAUCE

Ingredients:

8 ounces plain or spinach fettuccine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed and patted dry
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground back pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add fettuccine and cook just until al dente, 2-3 minutes for fresh pasta, and 5-7 minutes for dried.
  2.  Meanwhile, combine butter and half-and half in a medium skillet. Bring to a boil; and boil about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and shrimp. Simmer until shrimp are opaque, 3-5 minutes.
  3.  Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Pour hot shrimp sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Toss quickly to coat noodles with sauce. Serve immediately, passing extra Parmesan cheese.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

EGGPLANT AGRODOLCE

December 6, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Today it’s Eggplant Agrodolce. A little history first. Agrodolce (“Ah-gro-dol-cheh”) is a sweet and sour sauce of Italian origin.  Traditionally, it’s made by reducing vinegar and sugar into a sauce. Flavorings may be added such as wine, fruit, or nuts. Some claim that even chocolate may be included. I’ve never use chocolate but, who knows? In Italy, agradolce is served over rigatoni or other wide noodles and, sometimes, lamb. In my recipe I’m paring it with broiled eggplant.  My wife claims this is the best eggplant recipe she’s ever tasted. And, Holly, my beloved, is a nuanced critic. She takes her cuisine seriously. And if she says it’s the best, then it is. No argument.

Let me add that the French, not to be outdone, have their own version of the dish, aigredoux. I’ve never tried the French version, but I assume it’s just as good.

This time around, I served the dish with couscous and avocado. If desired, you can use any favorite grain or, as noted, pasta.

EGGPLANT AGRODOLCE

Ingredients:

4-5 baby eggplants, rinsed and sliced in halve
Olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons each
¼ and ½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons raisins
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler to high. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Brush the eggplant halves on both sides with this mixture. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining  2 tablespoons olive with ½ teaspoons salt, red wine vinegar, honey, raisins, garlic, and cayenne pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ½ cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, discard garlic, and cover.
3. Broil eggplant slices, turning once until softened and slightly charred, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl or serving dish, drizzle with the agrodolche sauce, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the chopped mint and serve.
Yield: 4 servings or more

 

 

CHULETAS CON AJO Y CONDIMENTOS

December 4, 2019 / / 1 Comment

This is a very simple and quick recipe, if you adhere to the time constraints when marinating the pork chops. In the Rivera family we especially liked spicy marinated pork chops. This is basically savory pork loin chops with garlic and herbs. Initially, we did not add red pepper to it, Then someone decided to do it and it became the norm in our crowd.  However, if you like your pork chops on the mild side, you can cut back on the red pepper. It’s all a process of experimentation.

In our clan, we normally served this dish with yellow rice. But you can do it (as we did this time) with baked potatoes and a side vegetable. Out choice for the veggie was boiled carrots with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for added flavor.  But, it can be any vegetable: green beans, sweet peas, brussel sprouts, you get the idea.

CHULETAS CON AJO Y CONDIMENTOS
(Pork Chops with garlic and herbs)

Ingredients:

4 pork loin chops (about 2½-3 pounds)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 baking potatoes, washed and pricked all over with the times of a fork

Instructions:

1. Place the chops in the freezer until partially frozen, about 20 minutes. Trim off all visible fat.
2. In a cup, combine garlic, cumin, salt, coriander, red pepper and black pepper. Spread mixture thickly on both sides of pork chops. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate from 2 to 8 hours.
3. About 1 hour before serving, place potatoes on preheated 350 degree oven.
4. Place chops on a broiler rack and broil about 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 12 minutes per side, or until the chops are browned and crusty. Be careful not to overcook so they don’t dry out. When ready, serve with baked potatoes and a green of your choice,
Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

ASIAN SHRIMP

December 1, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This is a Thai dish that I’ve had for years. How I acquired it, I can’t remember; but it’s become one of my favorite ways to prepare shrimp. This dish can be served with rice,  pasta, soya noodles or other grain. I serve it with Pad Thai rice stick noodles to retain that Thai flavor. It’s a simple delicious recipe, and it’ll leave you asking for more.

This dish calls for the usual Asian ingredients, oyster sauce and fish sauce (known as Nam Pla). Both ingredients can be found in Asian stores or markets . In fact, these days, they can be found in most urban supermarkets.

ASIAN SHRIMP

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 cups broccoli, rinsed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce (Nam Pla)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ cup water
2-3 tablespoons sliced scallions

Instructions:

  1. In a wok or large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high flame.
  2. Just before garlic turns brown, add broccoli. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add shrimp, oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar.
  3.  Cook another 2 minutes, add water, cover, lower heat and cook for another 5 minutes.
  4.  Add scallions and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

HOLLY’S MATZO BALL SOUP

November 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This is my wife, Holly’s, matzo ball soup.  She got the recipe from a Jewish grandmother she knew in her youth. This venerable grandma did the traditional matzo ball soup, which included the ubiquitous noodles and carrots. The granddaughter of this amazing  lady was a modern type, and she enhanced the recipe by adding such things as wild rice or a wild rice blend (rather than the noodles and carrots).  The recipe then passed down to Holly who made it her own through trial and error.

Since my early days in Spanish Harlem, I have loved matzo ball soup. If you’ve lived in New York city you can’t help but be exposed and influence by it’s Jewish cultural element. I surely did. In terms of restaurants, the best matzo ball soup I’ve had come from two places, the 2nd Avenue Deli (which is now on 1st avenue) and Fine and Shapiro on West 72nd Street. I have been frequenting both places for years. However, nothing compares to Holly’s dish. It’s traditional but different at the same time.  And it’s fulsome, homey comfort food.

You’ll note that in the recipe below, in place of the traditional chicken fat, you can substitute Crisco shortening, vegetable oil or olive oil. It all depends on how health conscious you are.  Whichever you use, it does not affect the flavor of the final product.

HOLLY’S MATZO BALL SOUP

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth
2 whole boneless chicken breasts, about 1-1½ pounds each.
2 tablespoons chicken fat, Crisco, vegetable or olive oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup matzo meal
2 tablespoons soup stock
1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill or 1 teaspoon dried

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of the chicken broth to a boil. Add whole boneless chicken breasts, lower heat and simmer, covered, until breasts are tender, 1 to 1½ hours.
  2.  While chicken breasts are cooking, make matzo balls:  In a medium bowl, blend oil and eggs. Stir in matzo meal  to egg mixture.  Add 2 tablespoons of the soup sock and mix well. Cover mixing bowl and place in refrigerator.
  3.  Remove chicken from pot, cut breasts into bite-sized pieces, and place back in pot.  Add additional 4 cups broth,   wild rice (or wild rice blend) , salt, pepper and dill.  Again, bring to a boil, lower heat and cook, covered.
  4.  Meanwhile, remove matzo meal from fridge, wet hands and shape mixture into matzo balls. We like them big, so we shape them into the size of golf balls.  They do get bigger when you cook them.  You should have about 8 to 12 balls, depending on size.  Drop balls into stock pot, bring stock back to a boil, lower heat and simmer until matzo balls enlarge and float, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.
    Yield: 6-8 servings.
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