Boriqua Blog

     In a few minutes, I’ll be leaving for the airport for our annual Christmas family trip, albeit a few short. For the first time, Jerry and Erik will not be traveling with our family for our Christmas trip, because of business obligations (and Erik is interviewing at several medical schools!).  Our trip will take us to Buenos Aires in Argentina, and we are all very excited, as we are meeting our good friends, Paul and Paula Scharff, who are there already (Paula’s family lives in Buenos Aires), but before I go, I’d like to take a few minutes to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with health, happiness,  and prosperity. I will be sure to sample a lot of great food, and take a million pictures to share with you when I get back.  Until then, Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year!

P.S. Don’t forget to tune in to “All Things Considered” on Christmas Day on your NPR station!

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Merry Christmas y ¡Feliz Navidad!

LA PARRANDA, an original radio play by Esmeralda Santiago and Daisy Martinez, will premiere during the second half hour of NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Christmas Day, December 25.

To find your local station visit: http://www.npr.org/stations/

LA PARRANDA is about two sisters, one in Puerto Rico, the other in New York, whose relationship evolves over a twenty-five year period through phone calls on Christmas Day. The play is performed by Esmeralda Santiago and Daisy Martinez and features historical as well as contemporary Puerto Rican holiday music and traditions.

After broadcast, the radio play can be heard and/or downloaded from npr.org/podcast

Tell your friends!

Please help make LA PARRANDA the most downloaded program ever, on NPR!

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I don’t want to spark up the whole “free will or destiny” controversy on a food blog, but have you ever been in a situation where you felt you were just meant to be in (cue The Matrix!)? Well this past Monday evening, by the most random of circumstances, I found myself in a quasi familiar restaurant. I say quasi-familiar because I had visited it in another incarnation, when it was known as Chicama, Doug Rodriguez’s old haunt, and I remember enjoying some really fun food there. Today it is known as Lucy of Gramercy (in deference to owner Phil Suarez’s wife). Honey, nothing I have ever experienced as Puerto Rican food (outside Mami and Abuela’s kitchens) has ever rivaled this.

Miguelina quickly looked over the menu and said, ” This is your menu!” True to her word, all of my favorite things were on the menu.  With that introduction, I entered into the dining room, where I was introduced to the force of nature that is known as Chef Carmen Gonzalez.

Diminutive, yes, but don’t let her size fool you! Sweet and petite in the dining room, as she greets patrons , Chef Carmen is no wallflower in the kitchen, and she engaged us in stories that had us in stitches even before we had a bite to eat! We were waiting for one of the Sofrito Girls who was flying back home from Miami, so I figured the Picadera, or “nosh” course was a good idea before ordering first and main courses. The rest of the Sofrito Girls (and one boy!) were on hand to lend their voices and opinions to the celebration.

Chef Carmen dazzled us with a myriad of little bites that teased the appetite, and had our group waxing poetic. The Papitas Rellenas with Picadillo and Charred Tomato Sauce were wonderful, while the Almojabanas with Artisan Manchego were melt in your mouth wonders! They were quickly followed by crispy Yucca Fries dressed with a garlicky mayonnaise and Alcapurrias de Guisado de Pollo with Salsita de Pique that were crispy, light and delicious. Do not get me started on the Aranitas and the Pork Bites with Chimichurri Sauce! I could have made an entire meal out of just those two items! The Aranitas (plantain “spiders”) had a miraculous texture, and the Pork Bites were garlicky with a lovely acid note from the lemon juice relish it is served with (*swoon*)!

Papitas Rellenas with Charred Tomato Sauce

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• ¼ cup brandy
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 ripe but firm pears, such as red Bartletts or Comice cored and cut into slices
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Half a small head (about 1 ½ pounds) red cabbage, cored and cut into ¼-inch strips (about 12 cups)
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• 2 chorizo, andouille or any smoked, garlicky sausages, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Fine sea or kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Pour the brandy over the raisins in a small bowl. Let stand until needed. Peel and core the pears, cut them into quarters, then lengthwise into slices. Toss them together with the lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.

Knead the cabbage and ¼ cup of the vinegar together with your hands in a large bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water and place near the sink. Stir the cabbage into the boiling water, cook two minutes, and drain. Plunge the cabbage into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain in a colander, pressing to remove as much water as possible. Working in batches, remove as much water by wrapping the cabbage in a clean kitchen towel and squeezing.

Put the chorizo, olive oil and bay leaves in a large, heavy skillet with a cover. Put the skillet over low heat and cook until the chorizo begins rendering its fat and starts to sizzle.

Add the raisins and any brandy left in the bowl to the pan. Cook until the brandy is evaporated. Add the pears and thyme, toss to coat with fat, then stir in the cabbage. Season lightly with salt and pepper, sprinkle the cider vinegar over the cabbage and toss to mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is wilted but still has a bite, about 15 minutes.

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Can you believe we’re looking at another Christmas already? Where did this year ever go? It seems just like yesterday, Angela was pulling Roxie out of her Christmas stocking! Well, this year certainly had been very exciting and rewarding. I’ve had the opportunity to travel and meet so many of you face to face, I’ve held columns in Siempre Mujer magazine in Spanish and Everyday With Rachael Ray in English, and I’ve even written a radio play with celebrated author Esmeralda Santiago called La Parranda, which will be recorded and played on Christmas Day on NPR!

Well, ’tis the season, and with that comes greetings, decorating and hopefully, a bit of entertaining. There’s no time of the year that showcases family recipes and parties more than Christmas in my opinion.

So break out the pernils, people, and if you have any juice in Puerto Rico, maybe they can hook you up with some fresh gandules! The traditional Noche Buena meal is of course the featured recipes, and if you are so inclined, make sure that you stop by Boriqua Blog for the Pasteles tutorial I did (or type Pasteles in the Search box at Blog), and don’t forget the Coquito!

I’ll be celebrating Christmas in Buenos Aires this year with my family and my friend Paul Scharff and his lovely wife, Paula, and her family. They are hosting us for Noche Buena dinner, and we have plans to visit Estaciones where we are treated to wonderful parrillada in the country!

Chopping down the   Christmas tree

Chopping down the Christmas tree

I am very excited to be visiting Argentina, and plan to take a lot of pictures and eat a lot of meat! Hopefully, I’ll be able to find recipes for sides and salads to go with all that wonderful grilled meat. This might actually be the last “family” Christmas trip we take because the boys are getting old enough to have their own plans, so I’m hoping to make it a great one! I’m all about all the hokiness of the holidays; I’ve always believed in creating memories for my children, so we always ride up to a tree farm in Connecticut and chop down our tree (complete with tail gate party!). This has been an event that we have always looked forward to, and then we invite family and friends to come over and help us decorate it. It has become a time treasured tradition.

Another of my favorite traditions, is sending out Christmas cards, and I love to receive greetings, too, so I’m going to set up this little Widget, so you can leave holiday greetings here, or head over to blog and leave me a post there! Either way, I will love to hear from you.

In closing, let me wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season spent with family and friends, creating warm memories that will last a lifetime. The flip side of “an ending” is a “beginning” and I’m very excited at the projects that are shaping up for 2008. Along with my resolutions, I am very thrilled about the direction that the Daisy “train” is headed, and hope to make a few really awesome announcements soon! So, thank you 2007, for all the lessons, new friends, and great food that you brought with it, and welcome 2008! I greet you with anticipation, optimism, and excitement with open arms!

Happy Holidays and Happy 2008!

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