Boriqua Blog

This past Monday, April 14, Mrs. Karen Silverman and I worked in tandem with the James Beard Foundation to host the Spoons Across America Dinner Party Project at Mark Twain I.S. 239 in Brooklyn for the second time in two years. I must say that although last years class left some pretty big shoes to fill, I had an immeasurable feeling of satisfaction, not just as a teacher, but also as a parent, because my daughter Angela is one of Mrs. Silverman’s students in this class. I was also accompanied by a team of volunteer chefs who came to help execute the mission, which was to host a formal dinner party for 120 guests that evening. The day started (for the students) at 8:00 AM with groups assigned to specific recipes.

Our menu was pretty ambitious, for a group of 7th graders, but with my team in place, I was confident that the kids would pull through. I can say in all honesty, that I was not prepared for the the terrific job they did. Chef Alejandro worked with Group 6 on the Pork Loin Roulades Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers and Sweet Plantain Mash, Chef Pete worked with Groups 1 and 2 on the Chicken Kiev, Chef Gabriela worked with Group 3 on the Tiger Eye Rolls, the Pink Flamingo Sauce and the Caesar Salad, Chef Yamaris worked with Group 4 on the Catalan Spinach, and Coconut Panna Cotta with Tropical Fruit Brunoise, I manned the station on Group 5 to execute Julia Child’s recipe for Pomme Dauphinois, and Mrs Silverman went from group to group, helping the class wherever it was needed.

While it was no small task that was put in front of them, the kids faced their work with enthusiasm and good cheer, and everyone was well engrossed in their respective assignments in no time flat.

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I was invited to do a segment on the Today Show for their “Spice Up Your Winter” series, and made a Mariscada en Salsa Verde, which never fails to delight. We served it with my notorious Arroz Amarillo (yellow rice) and an Ensalada Valenciana.

Daisy and segment Producer Alicia Ybarbo

Security Officers (and rabid fans!) Joe LaSala and Rick Fosorile

Miggy documented it from her vantage point!

Ensalada Valenciana

Al Roker, Daisy, Ann Curry and Maria Menounos

The hosts were all very gracious, and right before the segment ended,  Hoda Kotb rushed in, following the fragrant aromas that were eminating from the kitchen. Everybody loved it and the food looked gorgeous!

Al Roker, Daisy, Ann Curry, Maria Menounos, and Hoda Kotb on the TODAY Show

I can’t wait for my next visit with this incredibly fun crew!

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Whoa! Where to start? As I have mentioned previously, I spent the major part of Las Navidades with most of my family and some friends (both old and new!), in Buenos Aires this past year. Let me just say, that my sons have threatened to move to BA…..that’s how great the experience was! The weather, the country, the people, the food…there really aren’t enough adjectives in the dictionary to explain how wonderful our experience was in the country where El Tango was born.

We arrived in Buenos Aires on the early afternoon of Christmas Eve, where we were met by friends Paul and Paula Scharff, who were spending the holidays with Paula’s family (they all live in BA). So as not to waste any time, they whisked us off to the El Mercado restaurant in the Faena+ Universe Hotel in the Puerto Madero section of BA( where the Scharffs keep a lovely apartment) where we enjoyed our first encounter with the Argentine marvel known as the empanada.

Marc, Dave, Angie and Lola in Mercado courtyard

Empanada platter (left) and Beef Picadillo Empanada (right)

Blue Cheese and Onion Empanada and Chorizo Empanada

An Humita (Creamed Corn Empanada)

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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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You will often hear me say that “Daisy” fans are nothing short of rabid! They will weather rain, snow, wind and scorching temperatures to come and say “hola”. This was the case this past Sunday, September 9th, when I was invited to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with the Bronx Botanical Garden (are you listening Brooklyn? the Bronx Botanical Garden!), by doing a cooking demo outside their Caribbean Gardens exhibition (if you get a chance, make a point of going to see it; it’s nothing short of breathtaking!).

The demo was held outdoors and, while we were blessed with dry skies, the temperature was quite high, the humidity rivaled it, and the sun was on steroids! I was a bit concerned that the weather might discourage people from coming out of the air conditioning, and after meeting with Chef Frank (of Abigail Kirsch Catering on the premise) to discuss the mise en place, I quickly retreated to a downstairs classroom, to hydrate myself and cool off a bit.

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Is it me, or has it gotten really quiet around here lately? Everyone must be having a really fabulous summer, because things have really quieted down in the “comments” section, lol…I thought I’d break the Dominican Republic retrospective up a little bit and share something a little different…
…..and speaking of crickets, I was invited to the NY Premiere of the Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony movie, “El Cantante” last Thursday evening. First let me say that I have always been a great fan of Hector LaVoe and his music. That is the music of my teen hood, my first crush, that I first learned to salsa to. In short, I really, really, really wanted to love this movie. I had seen a trailer of it last year at The NY Puerto Rican Day Parade, and felt my hairs stand up when I saw Marc Anthony singing “Aguanile” as Hector LaVoe. I felt he had really captured the “Hector” thing. So when I got the chance to attend the premiere, I jumped!

The premiere was held at the AMC Theater on 42and Street, and the was very little in the way of organization when we got there. I’ve been to premieres at the Ziegfeld, and the red carpet is always well defined, security is on top of everything, and traffic is under control. The fact that the AMC is a 25 theatre complex, complicated that a little bit, but we managed to be herded in only to get up to the theater and wait 90 minutes (the movie was to start at 7PM and started at 8:25 or so), the air conditioner was not working, and people were walking out in droves. Still, I wanted to stick it out like a true fan. I’ll leave it to Siskel and Ebert to critique the movie, but as a fan, I was disappointed. The movie really should have been called Puchi LaVoe, but I digress.

Okay, I figure…maybe the after party at Cipriani’s will be better…I mean how bad could a party at Cipriani’s be, right? *Sigh* I felt bad because it felt to me like JLo’s and MA’s celebrity fans did not come out in support of the movie. Miggy happened on Omar Minaya, the GM of the NY Mets, and then we trapped the only other Fania All Star that I saw there that night , Johnny “El Maestro” Pacheco (I whispered in his ear that I had a crush on him since I was 16, and he said, “Now you tell me!”).

Miggy and Omar Minaya

Daisy, Johnny “El Maestro” Pacheco, and Miggy

Marc Anthony made a brief appearance, saying that he had been told to sing 2 songs, but he was going to do 4. He brought the house down with a wall shaking rendition of “Mi Gente”, but I felt like I had just managed to get a mere taste of the LaVoe experience.

On the way home, I felt disappointed that my appetite for the movie (I was really hungry for it) had not been satiated…too bad…they had some incredible material to work with.

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Did I tell you the month of May was jam packed with events? One of the fun events I had the opportunity to do was a SIMON MALL SUPERCHEFS LIVE! event, at the Menlo Park Mall in New Jersey. These events are produced by someone who has a deranged sense of humor, and has become a great friend, Richard Gore, and his amazing team, James Ryan, and Alle Thomas. The event is free and takes place in SIMON Malls across the country, television personality, and author, Bill Boggs, is the announcer for the event, and there are prize give-aways, local chef competitions, and celebrity chef demos and book signings. Sounds like fun, right? I don’t think that we were quite expecting the reponse that Menlo Park had to Daisy. Take a look!

My peeps showed up, representin’!

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On May 12, 2007, I had the honor and the privilege of being invited, by none other than culinary diva, Mrs. Anna Nurse, to do a workshop on summer entertaining, “Daisy” style. This was an especially poignant occassion, because I would be cooking at the acclaimed James Beard House with a team that included my younger brother, Chef Pete Martinez.

The Legendary and beautiful Mrs. Anna Nurse

The menu was not too complicated, with an emphasis on little nibbles that you could put together without missing out the company of your guests. Pete and I prepped the Gazpacho, while the rest of my kitchen ninjas went to work on the White Sangria, the Seafood/Chorizo  Packets, the Causa Limena and the prep for the Coconut Panna Cotta.

Gazpacho is perfect summer entertaining food, because it is beautiful, delicious, refreshing, and healthy, too! In addition, I like to make it ahead of time so the flavors have a chance to “marry” in the refigerator.

Daisy processes the gazpacho

Gazpacho tasting

Next up, Chef Pete and I worked on the  Seafood/Chorizo Packets. I tucked sweet plantains, shrimp, sauteed chorizo, and a little neck clam onto a blanched banana leaf, and tied it up in little packets to steam. Delicious!

Chef Pete sautes the chorizo to bloom the fragrance.

The Seafood/Chorizo Packets

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Daisy is interviewed on Foodcandy, the premier Food Blogger interactive community. Click here to read her interview.

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I spent a lovely Saturday afternoon this weekend helping WNET13 and WLIW CREATE present a Learning and Teaching Conference that was assembled for teachers. It was a gorgeous day outside, so I was concerned about the turnout, but as you see from the pictures, it takes more than a sunny day and 60 degree weather to keep our dedicated teachers from a conference that will benefit their young wards.

I was greeted at the entrance by the lovely Hsieh twins, who were so charming and full of vim and vinegar, that I was tempted to ask them what their secret was!. They escorted me over to the Borders booth, where I would be conducting a book signing for the afternoon.

How adorable are they, really?

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