New York Monday #34 - Riverside Church
July 31, 2006 | Filed Under New York Monday | Leave a Comment
I love to go into churches. Two of the things I love about them are the architecture and design. I enjoy the obvious designs to the incredibly detailed small ones. There are many churches around the city. Riverside Church is one.
Have a great week!
Paz
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Plantain, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways #3 - Pastelón de Plátano (Ripe Plantain Pie) & FMR #7
July 28, 2006 | Filed Under Plantains, How Do I Love Thee? | Leave a Comment
Pastelón de Plátano (Ripe Plantain Pie)
“You scored a 10 on this,” my sister said as she reached for seconds of the Ripe Plantain Pie I’d made for dinner.
If I scored the food on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest mark, like my sister, I’d give it a ten, too. The pie tasted very good. Regular readers know from past posts that my all time favorite food is plantain.
I developed the taste for plantain as a youngster in Africa. Although my favorite way to eat plantain is in its plainest prepared form (kelewele), I like that there are different plantain recipes. Depending on the country, there are several ways to prepare it.
Since I love plantain and it goes back to my childhood days, it’s become a comfort food for me and I enjoy eating it in any form. So, when I found this recipe on Stephan Cooks, I knew that I’d try it. Thanks, Stephan!
This is a Puerto Rican recipe known as Pastelón de Plátano (Ripe Plantain Pie). Stephen describes it as “sort of the Shepard’s Pie of Puerto Rico, although a lot more interesting.” I have to agree. The piecrust is made from ripe plantains and the filling from ground beef (or pork). Add bacon, onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, olives capers, oregano and tomato paste and you have a scrumptious pie.
The recipe is fairly easy to follow. I made my piecrust and filling, and then I put them together and placed the pie in the oven. Yes, the oven. Thankfully, our heat wave spell has temporarily broken, so I was able to brave the oven. I practiced Ulrike’s trick when she baked Rosemary flatbread on one of the hottest days in the history of her country. I used the oven in the evening when the weather was a little cooler.
I served the plantain pie with salad. It tasted so good that no one left a crumb on their plate.
Gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant… $200
Fast food at Mc Donald’s… $7
Comfort food at home… priceless
This is my contribution to July’s From My Rasoi event. Meena from Hooked on Heat created this fun food affair. Revathi from En Ulagam is the guest host and has chosen comfort foods as the theme. What is your comfort food? Share them with us!
Deadline: August 1, 2006
Send your post link to: Revathicsm AT yahoo DOT com
Paz
Pastelón de Plátano (Ripe Plantain Pie)
Adapted from Rice and Beans and Tasty Things: A Puerto Rican Cookbook, by Dora Romano
Filling
1 lb ground beef or pork
4 oz bacon, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1 small sweet pepper, finely chopped
2 small hot peppers, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
10 pitted green olives, chopped
1 T capers, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 T tomato paste
1/4 C water
Crust
4 large ripe plantains, boiled and peeled
3 T butter, softened
Sauté the ground meat and bacon until browned in a heavy skilled, stirring, over medium heat. Remove the meat, salt to taste, and set aside. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and add the onion and peppers. Sauté, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, olives, capers, oregano, tomato paste and water and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the meat to the pan and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To make the crust, mash the plantains and mix in the butter. Line the bottom of a buttered 9″ pie plate with half of the mashed plantains. Spread the meat filling over the plantains and top with the rest of the plantains. Dot with butter and bake in a preheated 375º oven about 25 minutes, until nicely browned.
About to prepare the crust - boiled ripe plantain and butter.
Straight from the oven
Almost gone
Rice Water - Weekend Breakfast Blogging #2
July 25, 2006 | Filed Under Weekend Breakfast, Food Blogging Events | Leave a Comment
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It’s time again for Weekend Breakfast Blogging, which is led by Nandita of Saffron Trail.
I decided to make something I remember having for breakfast, many times, as a young girl in Africa: Rice Water. I haven’t had Rice Water in ages.
There is nothing extraordinary about this breakfast. Rice is a staple food in West Africa, so it seems to make sense that a way to include rice as a breakfast meal would be found. The basic ingredients are rice, water, canned evaporated milk (I suppose you can use other types of milk but canned evaporated milk is the best and original), and sugar. No kid could complain with that. I certainly didn’t.
Basically, you put cooked rice* in a pan. Pour enough water to cover it – sort of like what you’d do with cereal and milk or porridge. Add some more water. Bring the rice/water mixture to a boil. The rice will be much softer than before. Turn off the fire. Add canned evaporated milk (as much or as little as you like) and then sugar (to your taste). That’s it. You can also add sliced bananas and or raisins (or any other fruits). Oh, I added some cinnamon to the Rice Water, too.
Delicious and filling.
*You don’t have to used cooked rice. You can start from scratch but when you’re making the rice use more water than usual.
** Please note: You use canned evaporated milk NOT condensed milk.
If you’re interested in participating in Weekend Breakfast Blogging, the deadline is Monday, July 31. Here are Nandita’s guidelines:
- Your entry should be servable at breakfast.
- Recipes that are a reflection of your culture (not compulsory) will be most appreciated.
- A brief write up about the origin/a tale associated with the recipe/when you first tasted it will make an interesting prelude.
Send your post link to Nandita: saffrontrail AT gmail DOT com.
Paz
New York Monday #33 - Sunrise
July 24, 2006 | Filed Under New York Monday | Leave a Comment
I’m still unable to move around and can’t get out take photos. So, here are some old photos taken a couple of months ago. I don’t know what the facade of the building is made from, in the bottom two photos, but each time the sun hits its surface it looks like a ball of fire.
Have a good week!
Paz
Click on all the photos for a larger image
Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) #42 entries roundup – Part I
July 24, 2006 | Filed Under Weekend Herb Blogging | Leave a Comment
Hello, Folks!
It’s time for the WHB roundup of entries! In case you’re coming across this event for the first time, here’s a short explanation: Every weekend, food bloggers, worldwide, write about herbs, plants, veggies, or flowers.
To read more about WHB, how it started, and a backlist of previous entry lineups, look here. Check out the guidelines if you’re interested in participating in next weekend’s WHB event.
I encourage you all to visit these blogs during the week to read more about the WHB posts and see some awesome photos!
Kalyn, thanks for the opportunity to guest host!
Paz
Spinach and Sorrel Chopped Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese (Sorrel)
Creative WHB event founder, Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen starts off our lineup. She blogs about sorrel, a perennial herb, and makes an original recipe of Spinach and Sorrel Chopped Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese. Appetizing!
Baked Peach with Almond and Amaretti
Gattina from her self titled blog prepares a healthy and lovely breakfast of Baked Peach with Almond and Amaretti. Succulent!
Neil from Food for Thought blogs about vanilla pod and a fun story of how he prepared meals for a professional that may intimidate many – an executive chef. One winning recipe was his Goat’s Cheesecake. Delicious!
Shiso (Japanese Basil)
Haalo from Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once focuses on two Japanese ingredients –Shiso, which is known as Japanese Basil and Umeboshi, known as Japanese Apricot. Haalo uses these two ingredients to make Iwashi No Umé Maki Yaki (Rolled Sardines with Plum Paste). Attention-grabbing!
Spaghetti Puttanesca (Capers)
Ruth from Once Upon A Feast blogs about capers, described as “a biennial spiny shrub.” She prepares a meal of Spaghetti Puttanesca, using Kalamata olives, anchovies and capers. Wonderful!
Ratatouille with Petrale Sole (Thyme)
Sher from What Did You Eat? features thyme for her WHB post and uses the herb in a recipe of Ratatouille with Petrale Sole. Yummy!
Spanakopita (Silverbeet)
Anna from Morsels & Musings spotlights Silverbeet also known as Swiss chard. She decides to use the vitamins and minerals-rich vegetables to make Spanakopita (Greek spinach and Feta pie) when spinach isn’t available. The results are a delicious dinner.
Nasturtiums
Christine from Christine Cooks showcases nasturtiums from her garden. She uses them in salads and as a garnish for salads, grilled chicken, or fish. Beautiful!
Focaccia topped with Fresh Figs and Fennel Seeds
Ilva from Lucullian Delights highlights fennel seeds. She makes a Sweet Focaccia, topped with Fresh Figs and Fennel Seeds. I believe her when she says it was really good. Thanks for not leaving me hanging, Ilva! 
Please look below for the second part of the Weekend Herb Blogging roundup.
Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) #42 roundup - Part II
July 24, 2006 | Filed Under Weekend Herb Blogging | Leave a Comment
Rosemary Flatbread
Ulrike from Küchenlatein showcases Rosemary from her garden. Despite it being the hottest summer weather in 30 years, Ostwestwind decided to bake Rosemary flatbread. Her trick to baking in the hot weather? Bake in the evening when it’s cooler. Delicious!
Manathakali Chutney
Indosungod from Daily Musings blogs about Manathakali. Unsure of the English or Botanical name, Indosungod believes it called Black Nightshade. She grows them in her garden every summer and enjoys eating the berries with her daughters. She makes an easy chutney, which she recommends eating with rice. Very nice!
Vanilla Pod
Kitchen Mage of the same named blog writes about vanilla and shares a secret source. How generous! I agree with Kitchen Mage that vanilla is “anything but boring.”
Spice Chard with Pinenuts
Jmom from In Our Kitchen blogged about Spiced Chard and prepared a meal of Spiced Chard with Pinenuts. Lovely!
Roasted Corn and Tarragon Risotto on Fresh Tomato Salsa
Surfindave from The Serendipitous Chef focuses on tarragon. He writes about a tarragon tomato romance and a corn tarragon relationship. Then he shares two recipes for Roasted Corn and Tarragon Risotto with Fresh Tomato Salsa and Roasted Corn and Tarragon Risotto cakes on Fresh Tomato Salsa. Mouth watering! I wanna be a part of this relationship!
Capers
Cyndi from Cookin’ with Cyndi used capers in her dinner and decided to blog about them for WHB. She provides extensive information on these unopened green flower buds, which are grown mainly in Mediterranean countries (southern France, Italy, and Algeria) and also in California. Very informative!
Melon Balls with Fresh Mint
Gabriella from My Life as A Reluctant Housewife spotlights cantaloupes and shares a recipe of Melon balls with Fresh Mint. Very interesting information and very cool recipe, especially for the extremely hot summer weather we’ve been having.
Grape Tomatoes
Genie from The Inadvertent Gardener shares a Caprese pasta meal, which she calls I Wanted to be Airline Food. She made the after not being able to catch a flight to a family reunion. The vegetables come from her garden and include tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, zucchini, Vidalia onion and whole-wheat pasta. It’s a nice meal despite the disappointing airline experience.
Fattoush
Alanna of A Veggie Venture makes Fattoush, a Lebanese Veggie Salad that includes ingredients like chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. She highlights Sumac (Sumaq), a spice used in the dressing. It comes from berries that grow in the Middle East and parts of Italy. Another nice meal.
Cherry and Buttermilk Soup
The Chocolate Lady of In Mol Araan makes a Cherry and Buttermilk Soup. Wow! I have a feeling it’s a perfect meal for hot weather.
Chickpeas Feta Coriander Salad
Last but not least, I blogged about cilantro and made a Chickpeas Feta Coriander salad. Perfect for summer weather!
Thanks, Everyone, for participating in the latest WHB. Thanks, Kalyn for starting the event and the opportunity to guest host. It’s been fun!
Don’t forget to check out the individual blogs during the week and read more about the WHB entries and see wonderful photos.
Have a great week!
Paz
Chickpeas Feta Coriander Salad - Weekend Herb Blogging #42 (Cilantro)
July 19, 2006 | Filed Under Weekend Herb Blogging | Leave a Comment
We’ve been having heat wave weather in my neck of the woods for the past couple of days. It’s simply too hot to stand over a burning stove and try to cook anything. As a result, instead, I’ve been making a lot of salads.
I found a nice, cool salad recipe on Trembom in English blog. Valentina has a wonderful blog in Portuguese and I’m so glad that she decided to make one in English. That way, I’m able to discover a lot of great recipes from her.
The Chickpeas Feta Coriander Salad recipe comes from the cookbook Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros. That’s another cookbook I’m interested in getting in the near future.
Valentina wrote that the ‘chickpeas’ in the title attracted her to the recipe. Interestingly enough, the feta cheese and coriander (cilantro to me) in the title caught my attention. You see, I’m a big fan of those two main ingredients. I love feta cheese and cilantro is one of my all time favorite herbs. I’ve mentioned several times how chopping herbs like cilantro and smelling its fresh aroma rising from the chopping board can lead me to do my happy dance in the kitchen. Yes, seriously. I do the dance (See #9 here). You can ask my dogs.
I’ve learned that cilantro is a love-it or hate-it herb. It seems to inspire intense feelings in many people. I actually came across an online anti cilantro community with over 700 members. I can’t imagine not having this herb as a part of my meal, if a recipe calls for it.
Cilantro may be a controversial herb, but it’s used in several types of cuisines ranging from North African, Indian, Mexican, Tex Mex, Asian, to Caribbean.
A lover of history, I’ve enjoyed reading about the existence of cilantro from time immemorial. It’s been mentioned in Sanskrit texts, the Bible, the Medical Papyrus of Thebes. It’s said to be one of the plants in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans all used cilantro. It was also one of the first herb plants brought to the North America when the settlers arrived there. Clearly, it’s been around a long time.
The Chickpea Feta Coriander Salad calls for cilantro, mixed with flat-leaf parsley. The herbs acted like the icing on the cake for me. Or in this case, the most delicious garnish on the salad. I really liked the combination. I suppose if you don’t like cilantro, you can eliminate it and use parsley alone.
The chickpeas made the salad very filling. A really good quality feta cheese is the key to making the salad even tastier. My mouth still waters at the thought of the flavorsome feta cheese I bought.
The salad ingredients also call for red chili peppers, which I suppose is optional. The use of peppers also captivated me since I like hot and spicy flavors. I expected a sizzling tasting salad but the recipe pleasantly surprised me when the peppers blended very nicely with the rest of the ingredients to produce a cool tasting salad. Just right for this volcanic atmospheric-like weather we’re having.
By the way Elizabeth makes a different Orange, Red Onion, and Fennel Salad with ingredients that include dried chili peppers. Sounds good! Have a look!
This post is for the upcoming Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) event started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. You can read about WHB and its guidelines below the banner.
This week, I have the honor of being the guest host of Weekend Herb Blogging. If you are interested in participating, send me the link to your blog post by this coming Sunday, 3 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. E-mail your WHB links to: PazCooks AT yahoo DOT com. I will post a line up of the entries the following Monday.
Paz
To see the list of other interesting WHB posts, go to guest host blog
The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz, this coming Monday.
Click on photo for larger image
Chickpea, Feta & Coriander Salad
Adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros
250g dried chickpeas(without skins if possible), soaked overnight in cold water; or 400g tinned chickpeas
250ml olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 or 2 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
250g crumbled feta cheese
4 spring onions, green part only, chopped
25g chopped coriander
30g chopped flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
If using dried chickpeas, rinse them and put them in a saucepan, covered with loads of water. Bring to the boil. Lower the heat slightly and cook for 1-1 ½ hours, until they are soft but not falling apart. Add the salt towards the end of the cooking. When cooled, drain them and put the chickpeas in a large bowl, removing all the skin. If using tinned chickpeas, drain and rinse them before transferring to a bowl.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and fry the red onion gently until it is cooked through and lightly golden Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a few more seconds until you can smell the garlic. Take care not to brown the garlic. Leave to cool completely.
Add the feta, spring onion, coriander, parsley and lemon juice to the chickpeas and season with pepper and dash more salt, if needed. Add the cooled garlic oil and the remaining olive oil and mix through very well.
New York Monday #32 - Park Benches: Before and After
July 17, 2006 | Filed Under New York Monday | Leave a Comment
I apologize to anyone who stopped by on last Monday, expecting New York Monday photos and found nothing. I wasn’t able to post anything that day.
Here are some before and after photos of a bench I’d pass daily in the park. The overgrown leaves took over the bench. I used to be a little scared to walk by because I wasn’t sure if anything would come out from the foliage. Yes, I know. I have an active imagination.
Just recently they have cut the leaves and everything is back to normal. Now, I sort of miss the out-of-control weeds. It gave the bench an interesting look.
In the last set of photos, I found the dedicated benches touching and nice. I have no idea about the people. May they rest in peace.
Have a great week!
Paz
Before: Months earlier
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After: Months later
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Fairly New:
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~ Simon and Garfunkel
Flower Awareness Blogging line up
July 16, 2006 | Filed Under Flower Awareness, Food Blogging Events | Leave a Comment
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A few weeks ago, I entered my flower post in the Flower Awareness Blogging event. If anyone is insterested, Ramya has posted a line up of all those who particpated. There are lots of lovely flowers. Go check it out, here, when you hve a chance.
Oh, by the way, does anyone know the name of the flower posted here.
Paz
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Easy Broccoli Salad - Weekend Herb Blogging #41 (Broccoli)
July 16, 2006 | Filed Under Weekend Herb Blogging | Leave a Comment
As my sister waited with me in the crowded Emergency Room, we noticed that many of the patients waiting to be examined were children. We couldn’t tell that there was anything wrong with them. They ran around the room with a lot of energy. One boy in particular kept bumping into my injured foot as I sat in my wheelchair. Grrr!
To appease the children, it seemed, their parents would give them money and they’d run back and forth between two vending machines that sold junk food – soda and potato chips – in the room. I have to say, it was food those hyperactive kids didn’t really need.
We noticed two mothers who did not give their kids money for the machine. Instead, they repeatedly filled plastic bottles with water and handed them to their kids. The contrast was so different from other children guzzling down their Coke and chomping down on the potato chips, cheese doodles, and the likes.
Finally they called my name, the doctor examined my foot and ordered an X ray exam for me. Luckily nothing was broken and they dismissed me with instructions, a bandaged foot, and crutches.
I hobbled into the Discharge office with the aid of my newly acquired crutches to complete the last part of the Emergency Room process and recognized one of the mothers who gave their children water to drink. Next to her sat her three children. They ranged in age from eight to three years old and all looked very subdued.
The eight year old, a girl looked very unhappy. She fidgeted in her chair, turned to her mother and said aloud, “I’m tired and I want to go home.”
Her mother ignored her. In an attempt to distract the girl, my sister spoke to the girl.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get out of here soon and when you go home, you’ll have something good to eat.” She smiled at the family.
There’s nothing to eat at home,” the young girl told my sister.
“Oh, I’m sure there’s something good in your cupboard to eat.” My sister didn’t take her seriously. “Just wait till you go home.”
“No, there’s nothing in the cupboard.” The girl was insistent.
“Nothing?”
“No. We don’t have any money.”
My sister looked at the mother who hadn’t said anything throughout the conversation.
“We live in a homeless shelter,” the mother whispered.
Ahh! That explained the little girl’s response and the family’s behavior earlier. They had no money or home with a kitchen and cupboard and all the basic amenities that we sometimes take for granted.
My sister dug in her bag and pulled out a few dollars, which she gave to the girl. “There’s a nice pizza place where you live. Buy pizza for everyone.”
The girl gave the money to her mother but she held on to a dollar. “I want to get something from the machine,” she told her mother.
“Why don’t you wait and get a pizza?” My sister asked, thinking that a pizza would be healthier and more filling than the junk food in the machine. However the little girl looked determined.
The mother took the money and thanked my sister. As we left the Emergency Room, the girl, happy this time, ran to the machine that sold the potato chips. I think she simply wanted to be like all the other kids there by buying something from the vending machine.
I love to make salads any time of the year, especially when the weather is as hot as it is nowadays. As I made this Easy Broccoli Salad recipe, which I found sometime ago on Green Olive Tree, I thought about the little girl and her family. Kel mentioned that it’s a broccoli recipe that her former colleague feeds her children, without any trouble.
For me, the recipe wasn’t bad. However, I love broccoli and don’t need any enhancers, like the mayo and sugar, to make me eat it. Quite frankly, I prefer my broccoli plainly steamed with olive oil and salt and pepper… On the other hand, I think that those who don’t like to eat their veggies, especially broccoli, would like this recipe.
I’ve always loved broccoli, a word that comes from the Latin word brachium. It also comes from the Italian word brocco, which means “arm” or “branch.”
A plant, broccoli comes from the cabbage family. You can steam it, boil it, or eat it raw. I’m happy that there are several recipes for broccoli.
The best thing about broccoli is that it is considered one of the world’s healthiest foods. Its health benefits include: cancer protection, heart disease reduction, cataract prevention, birth defect fighter and more.
Perhaps we should figure out a way to prepare and put broccoli in vending machines. Hmm… somehow I have a feeling the kids would prefer to buy potato chips and soda from the machines, instead. Oh well, it was just a thought.
This is an entry for Weekend Herb Blogging. You can read about the event below.
Easy Broccoli Salad
Easy Broccoli Salad
1/2 cup mayo (Original recipe calls for 1 cup, but I think that’s too much!)
