Next to Southern dishes, Mexican cuisine is my other comfort food. When my boyfriend and I started dating, I told him I love Spanish food. Instead, we ate at a Puerto Rican restaurant, New York City style. I was a bit confused, because I wanted enchiladas or tacos. Then, I realized his comfort food are Dominican and Puerto Rican cuisine. Now, when he says, “Baby, I’m bringing home Spanish food. Did you want a plate?”, I know what to expect.
Recipes
Sweet Corn and Cheese Pasties
I decided to make these mini cheese explosions as my gift to the coworker who invited us to her Astoria, Queens apartment for a holiday party. Don’t get intimated by the “one to many” steps. They’re not complicated. Even if the pastry has a few tears in it, it only adds to the drama of the final piece. It took 15 to 20 minutes to make the filling. An hour to fill, fold and twist all the cheesy treats. It’s a quick, impressive gift for a hostess greeting you a Merry Christmas.
Read moreGot Time? Italian Turkey Meat Sauce (Bolognese Inspired)
Sometimes, a cook wants a day off. I recently had a morning of nothingness. It was a day meant for relaxing, watching a movie or a cooking show. Later in the day, I would meet the boyfriend at a coffee shop to go shopping. As much as I love to cook, I didn’t want to spend this rare morning prepping food. Reading one of the cookbooks, I decided to make a Bolognese Meat Sauce. Except this version will use turkey. Starting the sauce is easy, and it requires a few hours of cooking time with the occasional stirring. The sauce is traditionally made with tough cuts of beef and pork and slowly simmered to tenderness.
The prep work is easy (hint: Trader Joe’s sells a start kit of chopped onions, celery and carrots in the produce section). As the sauce slowly simmers on the stove for a couple hours, continue to have a relaxing morning. Watch television. Nap. Read a book. One hour before leaving the house to run errands; turn the stove off and let the sauce cool. Place it in the fridge before leaving the house. Run errands around the city. Come home a few hours later. Reheat the sauce. Proceed with the final steps of the recipe. Cook pasta. In 30 to 45 minutes, enjoy your fast meal.
Roast Paprika Chicken, Garbanzo Beans and Tomatoes over Couscous
Paprika is too overqualified as a garnish. It sits in the back of most spice racks behind the thyme, basil and rosemary. Blame it on the average grocery store’s fault for offering a pretty spice with no substance.
Read moreVegetable Chicken Soup with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil Pesto
This week, being conscious of our expanding diets, I visited the farmers’ market to pick up carrots, leeks, fingerling potatoes, zucchini and basil. The local grocery store yielded a few out of season tomatoes. The taste will probably be pale, but I’ll add a bit of balsamic vinegar to sweeten them back to their sweet destiny. I’ve been consciously avoiding starches and sugar; justifying my consummation of a cornucopia worth of food. Below is a recipe for Veggie Chicken soup. It’s light and tasty until heavy Thursday arrives.
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