Cooking Club Meeting 10/20/05

My Fellow Cubans, Mexican, Americans, Germans and Hobbits: Thanks to everyone who cooked for our October cooking club. It was a great success and all that Cuban food we had was out of this world. And those Cuban cigars Matthew got us were incredible!!! We had on the menu a very light and delicious Cuban salad Miss Isabel made; Lindsey's superb Moros y Cristianos (Black Beans & Rice); very nice Platanos Maduros (Fried Plantains) that my sister Nathalie made; Bill's flaky and buttery empanadas; my really, really yummy Ropa Vieja; and an incredible, delectable, unforgettable Pastel de Tres Leches (Three-Milk Cake) that Miss Vonda created.

In addition to all this great food and cigars, my brother Tom created for us Mojitos, which is another typical Cuban drink. Please check out the recipes and enjoy the pictures!

VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!!!

Our gracious (and buzzed) host, Bilbo Baggins of the Shire.

YUM! A plateful of all the food we had.

Amy, Isabel, Star, Lindsey and a partial Lance.

Leo, Scott and Lance.

The tasty Cuban Cigars Mr. Matthew provided for us. These were Partagas cigars, straight from Havana.

Ana, Britta and Lindsey.

Vonda's Pastel de Tres Leches

This is an incredibly moist and rich cake that will make your tastebuds water. Vonda told me that it was really an easy cake to make. She decorated the top of the cake with chocolate covered coffee beans, which is optional. This cake was so good, there was none left after the party. So go on and impress your friends and family and give this cake a try.

INGREDIENTS

CAKE:

• 1 cup sugar 5 large eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

MILK SYRUP:

• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup heavy (or whipping) cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp light rum

MERINGUE:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

1. CAKE: Beat 3/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in the milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder.
2. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, adding the cream of tartar after 20 seconds. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the whites are glossy and firm, but not dry. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture. Pour this batter into the buttered baking dish.
3. Bake the cake until it feels firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool completely. Pierce the cake all over with a fork or toothpick, taking care to not tear it up.

• MILK SYRUP: Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream, vanilla and rum in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended. Pour the syrup over the cake until it is all absorbed.

1. MERINGUE: Place 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a heavy saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Uncover pan and cook the sugar to the soft ball stage, 239 F on a candy thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile beat the egg whites to soft peaks with the cream of tartar. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating to stiff peaks. Pour the boiling sugar syrup in a thin stream into the stiff egg whites and continue beating until the mixture is cool to the touch. The hot syrup "cooks" the egg whites.
3. Using a wet spatula, spread the top of the cake with a thick layer of the meringue. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.

Nathalie's Platanos Maduros

Okay, I have to admit it, my sister didn't cook these. She did, however, learn from Mom how to make them. In our family, fried plantains are a staple, next to tortillas and beans. Since my step-father is Puerto Rican, my mom learned how to cook many of his native foods, including fried plantains, or tostones, as they call them. In Cuba, they also fry their plaintains, but they use much riper ones, or "maduros," in contrast to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic where they use green or underriped plantains. Once you get the hang of the recipe, it will go really fast. My mom used 7 plantains to feed an army of 15, so you can adjust the recipe accordintly.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 plantains (slightly ripe but not overriped), sliced into 1/2" diagnal slices
• 3 cups cold water
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place the plantains in the oil and fry on both sides; approximately 3 1/2 minutes per side.
2. Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by placing a plate over the fried plantains and pressing down.
3. Dip the plantains in water, then return them to the hot oil and fry 1 minute on each side. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Armida's Ropa Vieja

DON'T LET THIS RECIPE SCARE YOU. I know it seems like a lot of work and ingredients, but here are a few tips that helped me: First, cut all the veggies first and set in the fridge. I only used red and yellow peppers. Secondly, I only used one thinly sliced onion. And third, I didn't used the can of whole tomatoes. Instead, I used a one (7 oz) can of El Pato tomato sauce. I ommited the olives and the big secret: I used a 1-1/2 pound brisket instead of flank steak that I cooked the day before and shredded and set in the fridge. On the day of the party, I just finished the rest of the recipe. You can find the original Ropa Vieja recipe I used on Oprah.com, however my tweaked recipe below came out just as good. INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 to 2 pound Brisket
• kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. of flour
• 5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
• 1 large Spanish onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 (7-1/4 ounce) can of El Pato Tomato Sauce

Season brisket with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Lightly dust it with the flour.

In a heavy-bottomed 5- to 6-quart pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the brisket to pot and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, peppercorns, 1 tsp. of the cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt (you can also add any leftover veggies like onions, peppers or carrots). The brisket should be just covered with broth; pour in additional broth or water, if necessary. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until steak is fork-tender, 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours. Remove pot from heat and let brisket cool in broth for 30 minutes.

Transfer brisket to a plate. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve set over a bowl; Let liquid stand 5 minutes, then skim off and discard any fat. Set cooking liquid aside. Cut the brisket in half then shred the brisket by pulling off sting-like meat. Tip: You can do these steps the day before, set it in the fridge and continue with the rest of the recipe the next day.

In the same pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions, red and yellow peppers, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions and peppers soften, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste until vegetables are coated. Stir in the shredded brisket meat and the tomato sauce, until all is coated. Add in 2 1/2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary. If not serving immediately, cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days; flavor will only improve upon standing. Serve with Moros y Cristianos or platanos maduros.

Bill's Empanadas

This recipe is very laborious, but it's well worth it. The empanadas come out buttery and flaky, but not too doughy. Bill got this recipe from the Food Network and, as he wrote to me in an email, "[the grocery store] was out of chorizo, so I substituted linguiza (now you know my dirty little secret). I also skipped the cilantro sour cream. Too much food, so little time."

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 4 waxy red or white potatoes (about 1/2 pound), peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound chorizo sausage, casing removed
• 1 Spanish onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 12 large pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 recipe empanada dough, recipe follows

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water; add the salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium flame. Add the chorizo, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes, until the sausage renders its fat and gets crispy. Add the onion and garlic; season with the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and has a beautiful red color. Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes and fold them into the pan, using a wooden spoon, break up the potatoes into nickel-size pieces. Add the olives and raisins and toss everything together; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Allow the filling to cool before filling the empanadas. Serve with cilantro cream. Empanada Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup masa harina
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• Butter, for greasing the pans

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes. Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, Food Network.

Lindsey's Moros y Cristianos

This dish was a big hit with the cooking club. The combination of black beans and rice and sausage was wonderful. Lindsey found the recipe on Recipe*zaar.com and it was originally printed on Cooking Light Magazine. Lindsey told me that instead of adding the crumbled turkey sausage (as the original recipe says), she used a 50% fat ground beef sausage instead. I think you can substitute ground chuck as well. Anyway, here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS (10 servings)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup minced onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 (15 3/4 ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2-3 cups cooked crumbled turkey sausage OR 50% fat ground beef sausage
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups cooked white rice
• 1 cup diced bell peppers
• parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat oil in pan and saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce and broth and bring to boil.
3. Add next six ingredients (beans through bay leaf) and bring to boil.
4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Discard bay leaf before serving; serve over rice with bell peppers and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Isabel's Cuban Salad

In Cuba, like in many other Latin countries, salads are not very common during dinnertime. Usually we tend to use shredded lettuce or cabbage and diced tomatoes as toppings to soups, tacos or enchiladas. But, if there is a special occassion or a holiday, one can find simple yet very tasty salads. A typical Cuban salad is just that: simple yet tasty. INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe red tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 6-8 radishes, sliced thin

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the tomatoes in wedges, cut the onion in thin slices. Break up the lettuce by hand. Toss all ingredients together with the radishes. Place all the vegetables in the refrigerator to chill.
2. Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic with the salt and pepper. In a small bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice to the crushed garlic. Whisk together thoroughly. You can also use a blender to emulsify the oil and liquids.
3. Just before serving gradually add the dressing, a little at a time, while you toss the salad with a couple of large salad forks. Add just enough dressing to cover the salad - more or less to your own taste.