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Jason Perlow: A Jewish Puerto Rican Thanksgiving
Posted by jason on 28 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: Daisy, Friends, Recipes/Recetas, Tutorials
So after visiting Guavate, Rachel and I knew that we had to try making Pavochon ourselves, the real Puerto Rican way. This year, it happened that Thanksgiving was only going to be 4 of us — Rachel’s parents and the two of us, so we were assigned to doing the cooking. So if we were in charge, why not mix it up and do it Puerto Rican style?
This is by far the most colorful Thanksgiving plate I’ve ever seen. Clockwise from top right, Pavo Chon with vegetable gravy, Boriqua Slaw, Mashed Calabaza Squash, Arroz con Gandules y Calabaza, sauteed Green Beans and Asparagus.
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Jason goes to Puerto Rico: Guavate, Thanksgiving-Land
Posted by jason on 24 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: Friends, Restaurants, Travel/Viaje
As Ricardo Montalban in his famous role as Mr. Roarke used to say, SMILES everyone, SMILES!, it’s Daisy’s buddy Jason Perlow again, and you know what that means — welcome back to Boriqua Island. Sorry, no Tattoo.
Last post, we talked about seafood and all the myriad of ways Puerto Ricans like to eat them. But I would be amiss if I didn’t talk about a very special place on the Island — a land where it’s Thanksgiving and Christmas 365 days a year. The place I’m talking about is GUAVATE.
A view of the Guavate mountain and forest region in Puerto Rico from a popular Lechonera.
Guavate is an area that is designated as a district as part of the larger town of Cayey, which is in South-Central Puerto Rico. It’s a mountainous, forested area that has become known over the years as a favorite recreational spot for Puerto Ricans — and as a result, has created an entire culture dedicated to eating traditional holiday foods, such as Lechon (Roast Pork) and Pavochon (Roast Turkey — see Daisy’s Recipe).
A single road which passes through the town, Highway PR-184, also known as as the “Pork Highway” has many restaurants which specialize in these two dishes and all their accompaniments. Which one is the best? It’s hard to say, but Rachel and I visited two of them and if we picked the two worst ones, then I can’t imagine what the two best taste like. Our best bet — and our overall strategy — was to see which parking lots were the busiest and had the most amount of people eating there.
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November 2008
Posted by boriquablog on 01 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: Newsletters
In Thanksgiving November is the month where Americans put a day aside to give thanks for all of their blessings, and I thought I would take a minute to take inventory, and give thanks for all of the riches that the Almighty has bestowed on me. This is our third Thanksgiving on DaisyMartinez.com, as well as Boriqua Blog, and I would love to take the opportunity to thank all of our friends and supporters, who subscribe to our newsletter, comment on the blog, and write with questions and suggestions. The success of the site and the blog has been entirely because of you all.
The site would not be up and running smoothly without the technical savvy and total coolness of Jason Perlow, and Fred Green [note from Fred: You're welcome, Daisy!], and of course Miguelina manages the plethora of correspondence that we get on the site. I thank them all for all of their tireless efforts to keep things up and running smoothly.
This past month, I had the privilege of working on a project with Rachael Ray and her husband John Cusimano, and I want to thank them both for their continued support and belief in the whole “Daisy” experience. Rachael has been a tireless crusader in her effort to return Daisy to the airwaves, and we are confident that we will have really terrific news for all of you very soon! Who would have thought that a serendipitous meeting on a New York Time Magazine panel on “How We Eat” would lead to a long and lasting friendship, as well as a professional relationship?
If I had a nickel for every “thank you” I had for my boy Jon Rosen over at William Morris, I could retire tomorrow, but I still would not be able to convey the magnitude of my gratitude. Jon has been a believer from the beginning, and his support means the world to me. Apart from being an agent extraordinaire, he has become a good friend and advisor. You go with your bad self, Jon!
I am immensely grateful that I still have both my parents and that they enjoy good health, and have lived to see their grandchildren grow up fine and strong. I give thanks for the love and support of my husband, Jerry, for the gifts that are my four beautiful children, Erik, Marc, David, and Angela, and for the honor I have to be their mother. Every time I step in front of a stove to prepare food, I do it to honor all of my family past and present. When I get up on Thanksgiving morning to start the preparation of my holiday meal, I will give thanks for the memories that my mother and Abuela created for me, and for the opportunity to create those memories for my friends and family, that they will enjoy for the rest of their lives. Those will be memories of shared meals and laughter, of chronicling the growth of our families and friends, and to witness the passage of time.
Pavochon will be the main event at my Thanksgiving celebration, of course… my table would not be the same without it, and of course, Mami’s Cassava Stuffing has pride of place along side it, with my Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts. I’ll have to throw some sweet potatoes in the oven to roast with the turkey because they are Jerry’s favorites, but this year I think that I’ll have to serve my Guava Flan next to the pumpkin pie. That is certainly a recipe that I have to give thanks for, and now, you will too!
With all I have to be thankful for, it seems that one day is definitely not enough! I certainly give thanks all year round, but a pat on the back is never not appreciated. For all of those to whom I am grateful, this is my tip of the hat and my pat on the back to you. You are very much appreciated and loved. From my home and my family to you:
A very Happy Thanksgiving!
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Pavochon
Posted by boriquablog on 01 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Recipes/Recetas
- 1 small (12- to 13-pound) turkey
- ¾ cup Wet Adobo
- 1 large Spanish onion
- 1 large carrot, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
Remove the bag of giblets and neck from the turkey. Discard the liver and whack the remaining giblets and neck into large pieces with a cleaver or heavy knife.
Wash the turkey, pulling out and discarding any large pockets of fat from the body cavity as you do. Pat the turkey dry, and set on paper towels on your cutting board. Work your fingers between the skin and flesh of the turkey, working carefully and slowly to prevent tearing the skin. Once you have separated the skin from the breast, thigh and as much of the leg meat as you can, rub the wet adobo into the flesh and inside the turkey. Truss the turkey with kitchen twine. (See instructions for trussing a chicken on page 000.) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Scatter the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and reserved neck and giblet pieces into a roasting pan. Pour in 2 cups water. Place the turkey breast side down on a roasting rack (preferably a V-shaped one) and roast the turkey 13-15 minutes a pound, until the juices run clear, not pink, from the thickest part of the thigh when poked down to the bone with a paring knife. About 30 minutes before the turkey is cooked, turn it breast side up to give the breast a lovely color.
Remove the turkey from the rack, and let it rest on a cutting board. Add water, if necessary, to make about 2 cups of liquid in the pan. Skim fat from the liquid and place the pan over high heat. Cook, stirring up the bits from the bottom, and bring to a boil. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding the solids, and return the liquid to the pan. Stir the arrowroot and 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl until the arrowroot is dissolved. Add to the gravy, and stir over medium high heat, until the gravy is slightly thickened and glossy. Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
