Going bananas with bananas!

Three years ago my beloved father-in-law sent us 5 banana plants from his garden in Puerto Rico.  My husband planted them, fertilized and watered them.  After awhile, three plants survived and FINALLY one of them gave us fruit!  It was pretty amazing to see the gorgeous banana flower emerge, bloom and morph into “hands” of bananas. (see pictures)

Following is a little botanical background on the banana: 

Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa (Musa acuminata Colla, M. X paradisiaca L. )and for the fruit they produce.  They are thought to have originated in Malaysia, and later spread to the Philippines and India. The genus name of “Musa” honors Antonius Musa, who supposedly cured Caesar from his deathbed using medicines derived from the banana plant.  The perennial banana plant is the world's largest herb arising from underground rhizomes, which can grow up to 30 feet tall!  The large oblong or elliptic leaf blades extend upward and outward , becoming as much as 9 feet long and 2 feet wide.  The banana flower shooting out from the heart in the tip of the stem, is at first a large, long-oval, tapering, purple-clad bud. As it opens, the slim, nectar-rich, tubular, toothed, white flowers appear (called “fingers”). They are clustered in whorled double rows along the floral stalk, each cluster covered by a thick, waxy, hood- like bract, purple outside and deep red within.  The fruit "fingers" grow in clumps which are in turn called “hands”. The stem will grow about 9 - 12 hands which circle the stalk, meaning that a single banana plant can yield up to 240 bananas! This plant is totally biodegradable, aids in soil regeneration and absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide.  The Cavendish banana is the popular yellow banana we know in the U.S. and Canada.  Bananas were introduced to the USA at  the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, where each banana was wrapped in foil and sold for 10 cents.

Bananas are shipped all over the world and are prepared in a myriad of recipes.

In the Southeast Asian countries the banana flower, also called the banana heart, is stripped of its outer reddish leaves, sliced and then added to salads, curry dishes and vegetable stews.  The leaves of the banana plant are an essential ingredient for nearly all tropical cuisines. They are for baking, steaming, or barbecuing foods, much like parchment paper, tin foil or cornhusks (corn husks).  Banana leaves function as a natural wrap while imparting a subtle sweetness to the enclosed ingredients. They also make for an excellent and artistic way to present and serve food, such as an under plate, doily or table mats.

Green bananas are a great source of beneficial fiber.  Green bananas contain short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are indigestible to humans but preferred by the cells in the small and large intestinal linings.  When these cells are well-nourished and healthy, the body's ability to absorb nutrients and prevent diseases such as colon cancer, are increased  dramatically.  Bananas contain three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose, and glucose. They give an immediate boost of energy and are a good source of potassium and fiber. Today the banana is America's second best selling fruit (the apple is first)!

So now that you know all about banana, following is a traditional Puerto Rican dish called “Guineitos en Escabeche con Mollejitas” (Green Bananas Escabeche with Chicken Gizzards) you can go bananas with!  Escabeche is an acidic Spanish marinade and pickling used for seasoning fish, poultry or vegetables. This dish should be made 1-3 days ahead for the flavors to really mingle and develop.

Si me dan pasteles...

Pasteles (pronounced pas-tell-les) is a Christmas culinary tradition in Puerto Rico and to all Puerto Ricans globally.  They are basically meat filled pies whose dough is made from different vegetables. Pasteles are one of the most important elements in a Christmas Eve meal, the others being arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and lechon asao also known as pernil (roasted pork). 

So yesterday was our official “pasteles” making day.  Every Christmas season, I dread this day like the plague. The whole process of buying the ingredients, preparing them and washing 50 million kitchen thingies sends me into a Navidad tailspin.  I told my mother emphatically, that this year I would buy all the ingredients and the rest of the “trabajito” was hers.  My husband, who is filled to the brim with Christmas spirit this year, offered his services to assist her.  Que bueno yerno!!

To give you a quick breakdown on how the pasteles are made, you make a meat filling and a “masa” dough.  For the filling, you take a fresh pork shoulder roast, cut all the meat off of it and prepare it as a stew with onions, recao (culantro), green peppers, garlic, sofrito, fresh oregano, salt, capers, olives, Sazon and some additional “secret” ingredients.  My mother cuts the “cuero” (the thick fat cover of the pork roast) in small pieces and fries it separately until brown and crispy. She then adds this to the meat so no one gets a glob of white fat in their pastel. The masa consists of a combination of green bananas, green plantains, “yautia” (taro root) and calabaza (tropical pumpkin) which are peeled and then pureed in a food processor with a little milk, liquid from the pork “stew” and a touch of annatto oil (vegetable oil infused with annatto seeds). My husband was in charge of pureeing the vegetables and his “masa” came out beautifully, almost mousse-like! Suavecita!!

Now we are ready to start making the pasteles.  White “papel de pasteles” (parchment paper) or aluminum foil, banana leaves, achiote oil and butcher twine are used.  You take a sheet of paper or foil, place a piece of banana leaf in the center and paint the leaf with achiote oil to prevent the pastel from sticking.  If you don’t use a banana leaf you still paint the paper. The large spoonful of  “masa” is then spread on the banana leaf and the pork filling is placed on top.  You can add garbanzos, green olives and a bit of chopped red pimientos (red pepper) if you desire. You then fold the paper almost like you are wrapping a gift, making sure to double even triple fold the ends to prevent leakage of the masa.  Tie the packets of “pasteles” in pairs (seam sides together)securely with the twine.  You now freeze the little suckers for Christmas Eve.  Of course, the “helpers” get to eat one right away for their “ayuda”!  The “packets” are boiled in salted water for approximately 45 mins, turning occasionally to insure the entire pastel is cooked.  Once done, remove from the water, cut the string, drain off any water that may have gotten in the pastel, and slide on a plate.  Eating one of these is like spending a moment in heaven and having memories of Christmas-pasts rushing all over you!!  So what did I do while all this action was taking place in my kitchen?  I took a nap and woke up just in time to eat a pastel!!

Every Puerto Rican family has their own unique way of making pasteles. The following websites have pretty good recipes:

http://www.whats4eats.com/vegetables/pasteles-recipe%20

http://members.tripod.com/~apadilla98_2/recipes/cuisine.html

http://welcome.topuertorico.org/cocina/

Christmas Countdown Summary #1 aka Please pass the Sangria!

So the Christmas Countdown has finished its first week. I must admit that at first I was a little sad and disappointed because I did not immediately receive any emails regarding it. (that good old instant gratification bug bit).  But as the week progressed, I got the best feedback possible.

On the first day of Christmas.....I gave a little Christmas cheer with a smile!

• A lucky young man with a 57 math test score was spared bodily harm because Mom had the Christmas spirit.

• One participant “loves” the idea of the countdown.

On the second day of Christmas….I gave the Christmas spirit without interest!

•  Some one beat me to the Salvation Army bell ringer with a donation.

•  Someone graciously gave up their lunch.

On the third day of Christmas….I gave Christmas greetings in writing!

•  Someone shared their words at the crack of dawn.

•  Someone was inspired to write an entire poem.
  

On the fourth day of Christmas.....I gave a little Christmas silence!

• Two participants faced the “no gossip” challenge as soon as they hit the door at work. Both were very uncomfortable with the situation due to their heightened awareness of the Christmas spirit.

•  My husband and I constantly reminded each other to “wrap the tongue” when we began to make unsavory comments about some impatient and rude shoppers during the Christmas tree purchase. My husband actually turned a super negative ogress into a Christmas spirit-laden smiling human being with his gentle chiding and patience!!

On the fifth day of Christmas….I gave Christmas laughter!

•  I risked total humiliation and posted a holiday riddle on my FB status.

I’m finding that I’m saying “Merry Christmas” much more often.  I’m successfully resisting the urge to kill and maim bought on by the rages of “hot flashes”, a stressed society and inept customer service. Could it be that the Christmas Spirit is trying to find a crash pad in me??
I hope so, coz I have hung the “vacancy” sign for it in my heart!  To celebrate all the hard work we’ve done “Christmas-zising” this week…make a pitcher of the following doctored up Sangria and let’s enjoy a job well done!!

It's Coquito time!

It’s the first week of December and this is when I traditionally make my first batch of “Coquito”, the quintessential Puerto Rican holiday drink. Coquito (“little coconut” in Spanish) is our version of the American eggnog.
The history of eggnog is at best sketchy. Many believe it is a derivative of the wine and milk punches from the old world Europe. In America, the punch was made by substituting rum for the wine. The American colonists called rum “grog” so the combination of the milk-egg blend and grog eventually became eggnog. Other experts attribute the term eggnog to come from the use of a small wooden mug called a “noggin” in which the “egg” concoction was served in taverns.
Coquito has many variations but it is basically made with Puerto Rican rum, coconut milk, eggs, evaporated and sweet condensed milks. Spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, anise and cloves. A little known fact is that Carnation Evaporated milk was created in 1899 and has been a favorite ingredient in the making of milk-based dishes ever since.
Coquito is traditionally served well chilled in shot or cordial glasses and may be sprinkled with grated nutmeg or powdered cinnamon.
El Museo del Barrio in New York City will be hosting their very popular annual Coquito Master Qualifier Series tastings on December 19th. Additional information may be found on their website - http://www.elmuseo.org/.
Following is my tried and true recipe for the very best version of coquito:

Christmas Countdown 2009

 
Thanksgiving has come and gone.   It was a wondrous affair at my daughter's this year.   She insisted on keeping it simple and by golly it was much less stressful!  Our two families came together quite nicely and we had a bountiful feast!  We were all thankful for the abundance of blessings that have come our way this year.  Which of course got me thinking of how how I could personally rid Christmas this year of it's vainglorious coat of commercialism and ostentatious smug.  So after a few hours of mulling it over, I sent the following email to my family and friends and thus the "Christmas Countdown 2009" has officially begun!! Fa-la-la-la-la, la,la,la,la!!
Following is a copy of the email sent: