Malanga Chips

Tonight is the Top Chef Chicago reunion show…  I will tune-in because I want to see who wins Fan Favorite.  I would like to see Richard win.  He was a great chef, competitor and human being all around.   I already told you some about it here.  Stephanie got the grand prize, and I am super glad for it, so I think Richard should get Fan Favorite and get that $10,000 prize…

Because the show is at 10PM, and I usually watch it a bit later (thanks to TiVo) I usually get the munchies… so for a late-night snack, I want to make something that is a little homage to this season finale in Puerto Rico, but also to Season 2 finale in Hawaii…  Malanga Chips, or as the Hawaiians might call them, Taro Chips.

This is what a Malanga or Taro looks like at the grocery store or farmer’s market.  Its sort-of oval in shape and the flesh is lilac and speckled.

                                  

               www.khiewchanta.com                                 www.gourmetsleuth.com

I’ve never been to Hawaii – at least not yet… but I learned in the Top Chef Season 2 finale that Taro, or Malanga as we call it here in Puerto Rico, is very widely used, particularly in a typical dish they have called poi.  In Puerto Rico, we mostly boil them in salted water and eat them cut in pieces or mashed drizzled with olive oil. 

But just like any other root vegetable we can make chips… here’s how.

 

 

MALANGA CHIPS

1 small malanga, washed and peeled

1 cup of canola oil to fry

Garlic Salt to sprinkle liberally

 

1. In a large skillet, heat up canola oil until it is hot enough to fry.  Use the back side of a wooden spoon to know when the oil is ready.
2. Using a mandolin, slice the malanga in slices as thinly as possible.
3. Drop the malanga slices onto the oil to fry.  They’ll take about 10 minutes.  Flip them over to make sure the chips fry evenly on both sides.
4. When the edges start to turn a light golden color, remove them from oil.  Drain them on a paper towel and sprinkle with garlic salt.

 

I also did a test BAKING the chips instead of frying them.  They actually turned out OK.  Here’s what I did:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
2. Place the malanga slices side-by-side on a baking sheet.  They can touch, but try that they are not on top of each other so they can cook evenly.
3. Brush each slice on both sides with canola or olive oil.
4. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.  After the first 10 minutes watch them a bit, and when the edges start turning golden brown, take them out.  They can burn really easily.
5. Transfer them onto a paper towel to drain any excess oil and sprinkle them with garlic salt.

 

You can find these in bags already made in health foods or street vendors around Puerto Rico…

Nice and crispy home-made snack for any occasion.  This would be a perfect substitute for any potato chip occasion.  Try it… and let me know if you love them too.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A bit of nomenclature housekeeping here… and I say this in no way to confuse you.  Just in the interest of being helpful in understanding my post and the main ingredient.

Malanga is the Puerto Rican word used for a Taro root vegetable.  Cubans use the word malanga to refer to a different kind of root vegetable – the one we call yautía in Puerto Rico, which there are 2 kinds – yautía blanca/malanga blanca and yautía lila/malanga lila .  Yautía or Cuban malanga looks like this…

www.gothamstudio.com

Just wanted to you that I know there is a difference in how you call these depending on where you live or how your parents call it.

Tomato Salad

This is sooooooo simple, that I don’t really know it if warrants a post of its own…

This is one of my go-to “salads” of all time.  When I was growing up, to slice a few tomatoes and serve it on the side was a perfectly good “salad” in my mom’s opinion.  Quick, simple and no need to dirty a salad plate for it…

Nowadays, I embellish it a bit with the drizzle of olive oil and the addition of salt to season.  And because there’s hardly any ingredients in this, the quality of the tomatoes will dictate how good this salad will turn out.  I prefer using sweet beautiful grape tomatoes.  But lately, my aunt is bringing us organic heirloom tomatoes her neighbor is growing and they’re absolutely fabulous.  Please use organic tomatoes if you can find them near you…

I have this Tomato Salad all the time to accompany pasta, rice and particularly loved it as a garnish for the Florentine Mac & Cheese, but it was more than just a garnish, it was the perfect flavor complement….

 

TOMATO SALAD

10-12 grape tomatoes, washed well with a veggie rinse and sliced in half

About 1 tbs of olive oil

3 dashes of kosher salt

 

1. Mix together well to combine.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

 

Can this be any simpler???

Serve as a side dish or on top of your favorite pasta or rice dish.  Here it is as a side dish for our Blue Cheese Polenta and Roasted Mushrooms.

 

Florentine Mac & Cheese

I’ve already shared with you my passion for Mac & Cheese.  It’s a paradox… because when someone is feeling down and out, people usually seek their comfort foods to make themselves feel better.  But here’s the thing… when I am feeling “under the weather” I crave cheese like there’s no tomorrow, but cheese and wheat products are the least I should have during that time…

So lately I have been trying my best to stay away from cheeses – trying to make other types of food…  rices, stews, etc.  But I could not hold-off any longer.  That tub of ricotta cheese was calling me every time I opened up the fridge…  so without further ado, here’s my version of a quick stove-top white mac and chesse with fresh baby spinach…

 

 

FLORENTINE MAC & CHEESE

¼ pack of whole-wheat macaroni pasta – although any short tubular pasta will do

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbs sofrito

1 cup half-and-half

½ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup Parmesan

2 oz cream cheese

¼ cup vegetable stock

1 tbs cornstarch

Kosher Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

3 – 4 handfuls of fresh baby spinach – this would also work with about 1 cup of thawed and squeezed-dry frozen spinach

1. Bring to a boil a large pot of water, season liberally with salt.  Add macaroni and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, we make the sauce…   In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil and sofrito and sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the half and half and heat for a few minutes.   Add the ricotta, cream cheese and Parmesan.  Let the cheeses melt into the sauce.
4. Add the fresh spinach.  Stir every so often to wilt the spinach into the cheese mixture.  Cover for a few minutes so the steam helps in the wilting process.
5. In a small dish, mix together the vegetable stock and cornstarch to make a slurry.  Add to the cheese mixture to thicken.  Stir a few times to ensure everything is well incorporated.  The sauce will start to thicken as it comes to a soft boil.
6. When the sauce has reached your desired consistency, which to me is that it looks creamy enough to coat the macaroni, turn it off and keep covered.  The spinach will fully wilt with the remaining heat in the pot.
7. Drain the cooked macaroni and return to the hot pot.  Add the cheese mixture and combine well.  Let the macaroni with cheese sauce stand for 5-10 minutes… the sauce will thicken a bit upon standing.

 

Serve with a nice Tomato Salad on top… super comfort food in my book.

Roasted Mushrooms

I made these originally as part of my Comme Çi Comme Ça Salade Niçoise… but when I make them by themselves, I like to do something nice to them that the former recipe does not includes.

Lately something has been bothering me about how I named my version of Salade Niçoise.  In my conversational French class we discussed how real French people do not say the phrase “comme çi comme ça” to refer to the English phrase “more or less”.  Apparently they use more commonly “plus ou moin”, which is literally, “more or less”.  Apparently only people who learn French use the phrase “comme çi comme ça”.  Should I change the name of the recipe?  Discuss amongst yourselves and let me know your POV.

Revenons nos muttons…

More recently, I made these mushrooms to accompany my Blue Cheese Polenta and the combination was nothing short of amazing!!! 

 

 

ROASTED MUSHROOMS with Lemon Juice

½ packet of button mushrooms, sliced in half

2 tbs Olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste

The juice of ½ lemon

 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
2. Clean and wipe well the mushrooms.  Slice them in half.
3. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the mushroom halves with olive oil, salt and pepper.   Super simple.
4. Roast in the oven for about 20 -25 minutes.
5. Serve them while they’re still warm and drizzle the lemon juice on top of mushrooms.

 

 The tanginess of the lemon juice pairs very well with the earthiness of the mushrooms.  I started doing this after I tasted the stuffed mushrooms at Magianno’s once.  I loved the flavor combination.  These are great for a quick supper any day of the week, but still, easy and flavorful enough for company.

Don’t inhibit yourself!!! – Part 3

Ok – how much vegetarian junk food there is?!?!?  Lots. 

This is part 3 on a series on Vegetarian Junk Food…  check out the previous installments – Part 1 and Part 2.

Gelatin

Back in the day I was a Jello junkie.  My favorite flavor is orange, but I would make them in all flavors.  One large package a day sometimes, especially when I was home on vacation.   Ever since I learned gelatin comes from the bone marrow of animals, I had to say goodbye to Jello and to many other sweets and goodies made with gelatin.

But last year I discovered these Natural Desserts Jel desserts in a Whole Foods in one of my many business trips to the US.  I bought a few flavors to try.  I was skeptic at first, but believe me… these ROCK!!!!  After not having a gelatin for so long, these taste pretty similar to the original.  Because they are natural and do not contain artificial colorings, the colors are not as intense, but the flavors are.  You make them exactly as you would regular gelatin.  I still prefer the orange flavor, but the strawberry and raspberry ones are pretty good too.

 

It also comes in unflavored version to use in other savory applications… I have not tried it yet, but I am confident that it’ll be as awesome as the flavored ones.

 

Chocolate substitutes

I am a chocolate girl.  And when I had to give up chocolate I thought my world would end…  But then Carob entered my life.  I will be honest with you, even though my mom now kills for a piece of carob bar candy, I personally don’t go for the stuff.  If it doesn’t taste like or better than the real thing, I don’t eat it.   There are good brands out there, but I do not know them by heart because I usually buy them only when I am traveling and if I can’t see the packaging I am lost.

But let me tell you… I use carob chips in my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe and I can’t tell the difference.  I have drank hot chocolate made with carob powder and evaporated milk and it’s to die for.  I have worked with the carob powder on cake and brownie recipes and it’s amazing.

                                                                                                      

My point being… not need to deprive yourself totally of chocolate-like desserts when there’s carob around…  even if you still dream of a piece of Hershey’s Kisses in your lips.  I know the feeling…

 

Candy

And to conclude this series, candy…  who doesn’t love a gummy bear or a jelly bean?  I was never crazy about them, but these Surf Sweets are a good compromise for the Skittles and Starburst I used to eat at the movies.  The bag is small, so it fits in any decent purse when going to the movies.  I particularly like the Fruity Bears because they have a sugary coating on top of the gumminess… they’re like those orange slices, but in various other flavors.  If they would make them only in orange flavor, I would buy several every week…

 

Marshmallows…  I never ate a ton of marshmallows, but how much you miss them when you hear about smores, the topping over a sweet potato dish on Thanksgiving and several other seventies delicacies my mom used to make with tinned fruit salad.  Ohhhh, and the rice krispies treats we all love so much…  we already found a way to make these treats without the need of marshmallows.  But once in a while, if you do crave something sweet and mellow you can go online and get them.  They might be available at a Whole Foods, but because we do not have one in Puerto Rico, the ones I get are online…  check these out.  These are vegan so they’re super safe to eat.

 

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed my series on vegetarian junk food…  it’s been really nice to share with my friends at the Yoga Center and with you all too.

Polenta de Queso Blue Cheese – Para celebrar la final de TOP CHEF

Ayer fue la final de Top Chef Chicago, desde mi Isla del Encanto, Puerto Rico. 

Le iba a Stephanie o a Richard para que fueran los ganadores finales.  Para mí, ambos eran mis favoritos desde el principio. 

                                       

Han sido extremadamente exitosos, creativos e innovadores en su manera de cocinar, pero lo que más me cautivó de ambos fue su manera simpática, amable, colaborativa y siempre halagadora hacia todos sus compañeros en la competencia.  Aquí algunos ejemplos:

• Me encantó el episodio donde los chefs tuvieron que desarrollar recetas basándose en palabras que les dieron los actores cómicos del grupo Second City.  Nadie quería trabajar con Richard porque ya él había ganado el episodio/reto anterior y la gente se imaginaba que él no iba a esforzarse lo suficiente por tener inmunidad.   Dave fue el único valiente en darse de voluntario, y al final, ambos tuvieron el plato ganador nuevamente.  Ambos colaboraron súper bien y se complementaron en ideas y habilidad…
• Me gustó mucho durante el episodio de Wedding Wars (la batalla de las Bodas) cuando Stephanie y Richard estuvieron en el mismo equipo y colaboraron con todos los demás concursantes porque no deseaban que NADIE de su equipo fuera eliminado esa semana.  Nadie trató de tomar crédito por las ideas del otro, nadie quería robarse el show…  sólo querían que su equipo ganara y que nadie fuese eliminado…
• Creo que fue en el episodio de Wedding Wars también, Richard ganó ese Elimination Challenge y sin pensarlo dos veces dijo que Stephanie en realidad se lo merecía también y que deseaba darle su premio a ella.  Stephanie sugirió entonces que se dividieran el premio de un certificado de regalo de $2,000 a la tienda Crate and Barrel.
• Me encantó que durante la primera mitad de la final, cuando Stephanie le asignó sous chefs a los demás concursantes que lo hizo basándose en qué sous chef se llevaría mejor con cada chef principal porque su deseo era de que tuvieran un ambiente de cocina armonioso.
• Y como Richard en el episodio de anoche le pidió a Stephanie que escogiera cuchillos primero… otro gesto de su caballerosidad.

Simplemente son gente chévere… y soy fiel creyente de que tus sentimientos e intenciones al cocinar se transfieren a todo lo que preparas y las personas que comen lo que tu cocinas lo sienten también.  Me alegró mucho que la final la hicieran en Puerto Rico y que fuera aquí mismo donde “coronaran” a la primera Top Chef femenina… Stephanie.

Y a Richard… estoy súper  confiada que al igual que en otros Top Chef y también en American Idol, que él tendrá tanto o más exposición gracias a esta experiencia como la ganadora Stephanie.  Miren a Sam y a Marcel de la Temporada 2 y a Casie de la temporada 3 de Top Chef.  Definitivamente que estaré pendiente de todas sus próximas andanzas.  Posiblemente tenga hasta que darme un viajecito a Atlanta para probar su cocina…  quizás un tofú en salsa de curry verde no tan perplejo que no sepa a carne por favor…  OK?  Si vieron el episodio, saben de lo que estoy hablando…

Y después de tanta anticipación…. Quería ver el episodio comiéndome algo que fuera digno de un episodio final de Top Chef… Y debatí si quería hacer algo puertorriqueño o algo un poquito más gourmet…  Y creo que terminé en algún lugar en el medio de esas dos ideas.  Hice una polenta con queso Blue Cheese con unas Setas al horno y una ensalada de Tomates.  Les digo, que esta Polenta con Queso Blue Cheese es tremenda y súper fácil de hacerla.

Mi inspiración la saqué de un artículo reciente que mi amiga Kathleen escribió en su blog Kathleen’s Vegetarian Kitchen.  Lo leí hace ya un tiempito y ayer, me inspiré en lo que me acordaba.

POLENTA De QUESO BLUE CHEESE

1 ¼ tazas de half-and-half

3 cdas de polenta – yo compro una versión quick-cooking de Colavita que se cocina en 5 minutos

2 cdas de queso Parmesano, rallado

Sal Kosher y Pimienta Negra al gusto

2 onzas de queso Blue Cheese – Yo uso una versión Danesa, pero puedes usar tu preferido…

Unas cuantas almendras Marcona para decorarlo – aunque cualquier almendra tostadita funcionará también

 

1. En una cacerolita mediana, calienta el half and half hasta casi hervir.  Sazónalo con sal y pimienta mientras esperas a que la temperatura suba.
2. Añade lentamente la polenta meneándolo todo con una batidora de mano para evitar que se le creen grumos.  Continúa moviéndolo hasta que comience la polenta a espesar.  Cuando comience a espesar, añádele el queso parmesano.
3. Quítalo del fuego y añádele el queso blue cheese.  Mézclalo para que se derrita bien en la polenta.
4. Sírvelo con las almendras por encima…

 

Una cosita… si sientes que la polenta está más espesa de lo que te gustaría, sólo añádele un poquito más de half and half o de leche y se suelta enseguida a la consistencia que tu desees, OK?  Éxito…

Les digo que esta polenta ¡¡¡ESTÁ BRUTAL!!!!  Es súper cremosita y súper deliciosa.  Había hecho polentas antes y para serles sincera, no era fanática de ellas… pero ahora, estoy dispuesta a hacer esto para cuando tenga visita.  Veo una cena en mi futuro cercano…

Don’t inhibit yourself!!! – Part 2

I started the other day bringing you a list of my favorite junk foods…  

But I want to make a HUGE clarification here – These are snacks to be enjoyed SPARINGLY.  In no way I want to promote the reckless consumption of any of these snack foods.  This is just to let people know that we vegetarians have the junk food craving once in a while and that thanks to thoughtful companies out there we can enjoy them without the addition of trans fat, hydrogenated oils, eggs, artificial colorants or preservatives…

Just wanted to make that clear…

Now that we’re in summertime, how can we leave behind America’s favorite grilling food?

Veggie Burgers and Veggie Dogs

I love a good Veggie Burger and a Veggie Hot Dog once in a while… and it does not need to be summer.  I personally enjoy eating Boca Burgers and Gardenburgers.  To me, they have the best texture and flavor.  I also like that most Boca Burgers are made without eggs and for extra assurance, they have a Vegan version.

 

          

I like to buy Smart Dogs or Tofu Pups – these two brands do not include eggs in their ingredient list.  There are other Veggie Dog products from the same brand that do include them, so be aware and always read the labels.  The Tofu Pups are great for people who are avoiding gluten or wheat.

 

       

 

And there’s no need to believe that if you want to eat only whole grains you’ll need to eat your burger or dog on a regular whole wheat sandwich slice… our friends at Alvarado St. Bakery make Burger Buns and Hot Dog buns made from sprouted wheat.  They’re super good and can be found in the refrigerated section of most health food stores.

 

       

Beer

Ok – I already told you about natural soft drinks in my last installment… but what if you’re the beer guy type.  And most people would argue – “Beer is vegetarian.  No meat is used to make it.”  And they’re right, however, the vegetarians I know, including me, we avoid alcohol because we consider it like a drug.  It’s something that intoxicates your system.  I know there are arguments on the contrary, but I am not trying to convert anyone, I am just stating the facts why some people to not consume alcohol.

Most beers labeled non-alcoholic still have some alcohol in them – little in proportion to regular beers, but not really non-alcoholic.  But I found one… Bavaria, it’s available on the Internet and maybe in large cities in the US.  I have not seen it here in Puerto Rico.  But this beer claims to have 0.0% alcohol – totally alcohol-free.  I would like to try it someday – maybe make a michelada with it…  mmmm.

 

 

Celebratory Drinks

And what if you like to celebrate, but are not into the beer taste?  Martinelli’s has a Sparkling Cider that tastes incredibly like any other apple cider, without the alcohol.   I drink this by itself, but I also use it to make Sangrias and Party Punches.  It’s awesome!!!  I always have a chilled bottle in the fridge.

And if you’re more the grape person than an apple person, Welch’s also has a White Grape and Red Grape Sparkling Juices.  They’re really good.  Kids love it when you offer then a glass of wine…  my niece laughs hysterically every time I give her a glass.  She feels like such a grown-up.

And what’s best, is that all of these are readily available in the bottled juice aisle of your supermarket.

 

Please share your favorite junk foods with us… we love to learn all that is out there.

No need to inhibit yourself!!! – Part 1

When people decide to become vegetarian, most of the time they focus on what they’re deciding to NEVER eat again, instead of focusing on the possibilities of what’s ahead…  I believe it is human nature to mourn the past instead of looking towards the future with joy and anticipation.

Last weekend, at the Yoga Center I attend, I was asked to give out a presentation on how we don’t need to inhibit ourselves from having a goodie once in a while…  even though we must always strive to eat as healthily as possible,  in the life of every good vegetarian , a little junk food must always fall in.  Always!

So I want to share with you a list of those goodies that people might believe will never be able to enjoy, but now, enjoy them the veggie karma-free way!!  Brace yourself because this is an exercise on Vegetarian Junk food to the MAX!

 

Salty Snacks

Regular salty snacks are full of chemical preservatives, artificial colorants and MSG.  What’s a conscious vegetarian to do when there’s a party and we’re hungry for some chips???    My favorite salty snacks are Barbara’s Bakery Cheese Puffs and Cheese Puffs Bakes.  I love that they come in the traditional cheddar crunchy variety, just like a certain cheetah brand and it also comes in white cheddar.  I sneak these into the movie theater as often as I can.

        

I also enjoy a loy the new Frito Lay’s Natural variety – they have Lay’s potato chips and Cheetos too.  And best of all, no additional trip to the health food store – these are available in your regular grocery store.

I like also Terra Chips…  I love all their varieties, and they even have a BBQ chip version, which rock!!!

                        

If you live in a tropical area,  I personally like Chifles plantain chips.  These are widely available in Puerto Rico and in Miami.  These are delicious with any sandwich instead of potato chips.  My aunt in Miami even makes them to eat as a side dish.  In Miami they make a garlic mojito to dip them in or to pour over them.  Not to be confused with the drink… OK?

Ice Cream and Frozen Treats

Most premium ice creams out there include eggs or egg yolks in their ingredient list, which bummed me incredibly because I really used to enjoy a really creamy cup of Häagen-Dazs Swiss Chocolate Almond once in a while.  But now that I am off eggs and off chocolate what’s a karma-free girl to do???

I give you Häagen-Dazs Fruit Sorbets – I personally prefer strawberry and mango flavors.  The mango variety was my first and it’s truly like eating a frozen mango.  I believe this is the brand they serve at the Delano Hotel in Miami…  hush hush.

But if you’re more the Dulce de Leche type of vegetarian…  Häagen-Dazs also has a Dulce de Leche Frozen Yogurt, which to our knowledge does not include eggs in the recipe.

OK – I know I can’t leave my vegan or lactose-intolerant friends hanging…  so there’s for you Rice Dream and Soy Dream.  Both are pretty good and creamy and the nice thing is that they have Carob varieties so you can enjoy that chocolate-like experience without the caffeine of the chocolate.

 

  

 

Soft Drinks

I don’t know about you…  but eating a pizza with an orange juice or with a bottle of water just does not entice me too much.  Pizzas were made to be eaten together with a soft drink.  But what to do if you have shun away from your like all Cokes and Pepsis???

I give you Ginseng Ups – I learned to live again the day I learned about Ginseng Ups.  I was always the biggest Coke fan and when my doctors ordered me off caffeine immediately I had to say goodbye to my long-time friend – so I started drinking 7-Ups .  When I decided to make some natural changes in my life, I said good-bye now to my 7-Ups.  Then one day a friend from the yoga center bought a Cola Ginseng-Up at a health food store.  When I asked her how that tasted she simply said, “Like Coke”.  I was incredulous.  She gave me a taste and ALELUYA!!!! (can you hear the angels sing too!?!?!?!?)  My world was alive again.  I was a convert right then and there.  Ginseng Ups is the soft drink that anyone who visits me drinks…    It comes in several varieties – I personally like Cola, Lime, Ginger and the Original.  Kola Champagne is a very popular flavor for Puerto Ricans, but the last time I checked it had some weirs colorant so I no longer buy it.

                   

I also like a lot Izze Sodas.  They’re natural and super refreshing.  They have a lot of effervescence.  I like they’re Clementine flavor a lot.

 

I am going to stop here so this post is not super long…  I promise to bring you a few more of my favorite vegetarian junk food so you don’t have to ever feel deprived when deciding to try the vegetarian lifestyle…

Feel free to share your favorite vegetarian junk foods too… because I am certain that  Vegetarian Junk Food RULES!!!

Puerto Rico was HOT on TV yesterday

Yesterday, June 4, 2008, was a good day for Puerto Rico on the US National TV front…  Puerto Rico and its cuisine were featured in 3 TV shows I TiVo regularly.  Count them THREE in one day.

 

First off, I saw the Martha Stewart show… granted this was a re-run of a show I had already seen, but yesterday featured the cuisines of 3 Latinas – Michelle Bernstein, Cuban Marisel Pasilla and Puerto Rican Carmen Gonzalez formerly of Lucy of Gramercy and soon opening her own restaurant in NYC.  Granted, her main recipe was not vegetarian, but I can attest it used truly typical ingredients.  She showcased 3 recipes, the most of any of the featured chefs, and her desserts you’ve already heard of here – Tembleque and Coquito.  I was so very proud because I felt she was truly representing our cuisine and flavors… nothing gimmicky about it.  I know that she’ll even make the Tembleque recipe in the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen this coming week… where Puerto Rico will have its second showing.   I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen a kumquat in Puerto Rico…  if they’re available, they’ve never crossed my path.

 

Then, I checked out a re-run of America’s Top Model cycle 9 before deleting it… and to my surprise, the season starts in sunny San Juan where the aspiring contestants board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.  That’s the extent of it…

 

 

But then, we go to the grand-daddy of the Puerto Rico product placements… the first episode in the Top Chef Chicago finale!!!!!  I have to admit, the production crew did a really nice job highlighting a great local Puerto Rican chef, Wilo Benet as the guest judge and using plantains in a fried form as the main ingredient for the QuickFire Challenge.   I love his food…   Pikayo’s is one of my favorite restaurants.  His Wild Mushroom Risotto is amazing and the Portobello Mushroom Carpaccio is awesome.   I also enjoy very much his Gouda Cheese Balls with Guava Dipping Sauce in his less formal restaurant, Payá.

I told you… I was not making it up, that us Puerto Ricans looooooooove our fritters.  I have given you some already:

Mock Bacalaítos

Tostón Sandwich

Falafels

Fried Cauliflower

Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich

 Fried Leek Rings

 

But I need to do a nomenclature check here…  I may have mentioned this before but just in case I didn’t…  here it is.

Tostón is the singular fried, smashed flat and refried green plantain fritter.  The plural is Tostones, and you need to pronounce the S at the end.    Please refer to them in the correct manner… I could not stand Gail Simmons and Lisa from Top Chef calling a single tostón as tostone.  I can understand the misspelling to help with the phonetic pronunciation, but it is said tostón – With emphasis and an accent on the last O.

The market where the sous chefs went to look for produce is the Plaza de Mercado in Santurce, where I go to buy some of my produce and particularly, get Coconut Water already taken out of the coconut.  It’s relatively close to my house and I even know several of the attendants, so I’ll be giving them grief in the next couple of weeks about appearing on a US TV show.

I was totally impressed about Richard’s knowledge of Malta.  Malta is awesome…  I had one yesterday as a matter of fact, with my veggie version of a Cuban sandwich – A Puerto Rican baguette with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mustard pressed and toasted to perfection.  Malta is the perfect accompaniment because it’s sweet and it matches well with the salty pickles and mustard, plus it’s how I learned to eat a Cuban sandwich or a Media Noche.  It’s not completely karma-free because of its caramel color and high amounts of sugar, but I will not hide it or deny it.

 

I just wanted to share my pride about witnessing my little Island of Puerto Rico being showcased all around US National TV all day yesterday.  I will continue sharing my Puerto Rican Delicacies with all of you in the near future… a testament that you can eat veggie and still maintain your cultural roots, even when you grow up in a country with a non-veggie culture. 

Buen provecho and please come visit me in sunny Puerto Rico soon.

Mock Bacalaítos

Ok… you’ve made the Potato Leek Soup, you garnished it with the fried Leek Rings… but what do you do with the left over batter from the Leek Rings?  Do you throw it out?  Of course not!!!

Let me tell you the story about the Bacalaíto…  what’s a Bacalaíto?

Bacalao is the word in Spanish for Codfish – the salted dry codfish.  They one that looks like an old dried-out shoe sole.  I mean, the fresh codfish is also called bacalao, but you need to preface it by saying it’s fresh bacalao, because traditionally the codfish eaten here is the dried out kind.  Enough with the cod lesson…

Well, a very traditional Puerto Rican fritter is made with the rehydrated and de-salted cod mixed in with a flour batter.  If you go to any Puerto Rican street fair, there will be several stands selling these fritters…  one of my favorites when attending the Fiestas de San Sebastian…  So now that I am vegetarian, how do I satisfy my cravings on these delicious and greasy fritters?

Well, I learned that honestly, if you season the batter well enough, the fried flour mixture will taste exactly like a bacalaíto, but without adding any of the codfish.  Newsflash to all traditional bacalaíto makers… it’s even simpler to make because you don’t have to de-salt and rehydrate anything that once was alive…  it’s the Mock Bacalaíto.  I’ve tried to look for a better name… but locals would not know what it is if I call it something else besides bacalaítos… and people can’t believe they taste so much like the real thing… the secret is in seasoning the batter well.  Here’s how…

 

MOCK BACALAITOS

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour – this will work well with spelt flour too

About equal parts of water

1 tbs sofrito

½ tbs of Kosher Salt

½ tbs of Pepper

Canola oil to fry

 

1. I’ll be honest, I have never measured the amounts of the seasoning…  but the batter should taste well-seasoned.  You need it to taste like something, not just like wet flour.
2. In a large skillet, heat about 1 ½ inches of canola oil.  Make sure the oil is very hot before frying the first batch.  Try inserting the back end of a wooden spoon into the oil and the oil will be ready when you see bubbles around the wood.
3. Using a large spoon or ladle, pour some of the batter into the oil, like making silver-dollar pancakes.  Wait until the batter has set a bit on the first “bacalaito” before you pour on another ladle.  If they fuse to each other, they’ll be difficult to turn.
4. 
5. Fry on one side until the batter turns crisp and golden brown on one side.  Flip and fry some more until evenly golden.
6. Transfer the fritters onto a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil.  No need to season them again.

Enjoy them as a snack with your favorite natural soda or natural juice drink.   Give these to anyone at a party and you’ll see them flying off the plate.  There are restaurants here that serve these as appetizers even.

This is definitely not food for everyday…  this is a fried snack to eat sparingly.  But believe me, I make a batch of these before going to any street festival so that the smell of the real kind will not lure me in… trying to keep those temptations at bay…

And to all those Puerto Ricans out there… there’s no need to do without these Puerto Rican delicacies when you go vegetarian… 

Buen Provecho!