Regular members know about my fascination with the cuisines of the Near East---the land mass stretching from China and India on the east, to the countries of the eastern Mediterranean, and those bordered by the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean. Stretching the point, these are the lands encompassed by the Ottoman and Persian empires; the area Sabrina Ghayour has tagged “Persiana.”

Newer members---and we’ve welcomed quite a few in the past two years or so, can see some of my explorations here ( http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/persiana_topic5423.html - http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/persiana_topic5423.html ), here ( http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/ottoman-cuisinean-introduction_topic4606.html - http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/ottoman-cuisinean-introduction_topic4606.html ), and here ( http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/a-thread-that-binds-intro-to-sephardic-food_topic4716.html - http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/a-thread-that-binds-intro-to-sephardic-food_topic4716.html ).

I haven’t ceased my culinary explorations of Persiana. But it was time for a change.

I immediately thought Latin America. While, like most Americans, I knew a little (far too little) about Mexican cuisine, the rest of that region was all but unknown.  Exploring it would stretch my knowledge and appreciation of global foods, and provide new flavors to savor.

As I’m still learning, I certainly hope other members of our community will jump in and add to this thread as we go along. 

The thing is, saying “Latin America” is like saying “Europe.” We’re talking about a hemispheric region stretching from the Rio Grande River to Cape Horn, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans; a region that includes more than twenty mainland countries and the three Hispanic islands of the Caribbean.

Obviously, I had to devise a rubric for consolidating these various cuisines. Or at least come up with a tighter focus.

My first idea was to just dip into tastes of the various countries, choosing recipes that appealed.  Trouble with that approach is that, while most Latin American cuisines are similar (they do, after all, use the same ingredients), the diversity of dishes is staggering. 

Next, I thought to choose just one of two countries with similar-enough dishes that they could be thought of as regional differences---just as you’d find in any single-country cuisine. Columbia and Venezuela initially were my choices, because they fit that mold perfectly.

I began my exploration that way, focusing on those two countries.  But then I discovered Copeland Marks’ incredible book, False Tongues and Sunday Bread, which is all about Guatemalan and Mayan cookery.  I was hooked.

So, my final approach is a look at Central American cuisine, focusing on Guatemala, but including other countries of that region, while still dipping into other Latin American countries for no other reason than that the recipes sounded so good. As recipes are provided, I will identify the country of origin. Not always a simple task, as an author might identify a dish as being from the country where he or she first encountered it, but which is generally attributed to a different country. Then, too, is the language issue. Many dishes, virtually the same in all significant respects, bears a different name based on where it is prepared. For example, The Cuban Ropa Vieja is, in Venezuala, known as Pabellon Criollo, where it’s practically the national dish.

In a similar vein, many ingredients change names if they are processed differently. The classic case is the poblano chili, which, when dried, is renamed ancho.

But let’s move on.

Guatemala and the rest of Central America are, too, a microcosm of how all the foodways of Latin America developed.  So, as it turns out, it’s a great laboratory for studying and understanding the whole continent.

There are three major influences on what is now Latin American foodways. First are the pre-contact foods of the indigenous people. The ingredients they used, and the cooking methodologies, continue to this day. How strongly that influence continues has much to do with where the descendants of those people live and work. As we shall see, for geographic and other reasons, their influence is most apparent in Central America.

Second, is the Colonial period, in which European---primarily Iberian---ingredients and cooking techniques were introduced to the various countries, and melded with local ingredients and methods to produce a true fusion.  Most significant differences from this period stem from which Native peoples the colonists came into contact with. In this period, too, came the not inconsiderable African influencies brought by the slaves. 

Finally, there’s the Modern period, in which other European influences affected the cuisine and its development.  Obviously, that influence continues today.

 In Central America, the Spanish explorers and colonists came across the Mayan civilization, the heart of which was in the highlands of what is now Guatemala. This is a rugged region, dotted with remote villages in which traditional dishes are still prepared the same way as they were hundreds of years ago. As one descends from the hills, the Mayan influence becomes less strong. 

So, what we find, is the Mayan influence most strong in those highlands, and all but petering out as we look at other Central American countries, until it’s becomes all but non-existent in the coastal regions.

The Iberians found more than different people in Latin America.  There was a host of new ingredients. Many of them became mainstays of European and North American cookery. Among them: tomatoes, beans, corn, chilies and other peppers, potatoes, various squashes---the list goes on and on. But there are numerous other ingredients that are signposts of Latin cooking that most of us are unfamiliar with. They are becoming more recognizable, however, and virtually all of them are available either on-line or at Latin markets. Quite a few, in fact, can be found in supermarkets. Among them:

-Achiote. If there’s one ingredient the hallmark of Latin cooking, this is it. Achiote is the seed of the annatto plant. It is used whole, in some dishes, but most usually it is powdered or prepared as a paste. Achiote is responsible for the vibrant color of much Latin American food. Depending on quantity used, it colors food from a pale yellow, to gold, to a shocking orange or even red.  A common application is to infuse achiote into oil or lard, and use it that way.

-Cassava. Also known as yuca (not yucca, which is a plant of the American southwest and Mexico), cassava is a basic starch of Latin cooking. It’s a root, and is used similarly to potatoes, and can be prepared any way that potatoes are used.

     Cassava is found in various forms, ranging from the root, itself, to flour, to a powdered starch, similar in appearance (and use) to cornstarch. 

-Chayote. Chayote is a pear-shaped squash that appears various ways. Most commonly they have a pale-green skin and whitish flesh. But there are versions that have dark skins, and even some that are covered with dark spines.

     Chayote is used primarily for creating side dishes. But it’s used other ways as well, including in appetizers and desserts.

     The tendency, in Latin America, is to discard the single soft seed found in each squash. In Mexico, however, children love them as snacks. 

Mashan (Maxan). These are the leaves of the Palmyra palm, and are often the wrapper of choice for tamales and similar dishes.  Foil is often used as a substitute, because Central American tamales are boiled, rather than steamed as in Mexico, and it’s important to have a water- impervious outer layer.

-Mil Tomate. This is the Central- and South-American term for tomatillo. Related to tomatoes, but by no means the same, they bring a tartness and green color to dishes.  The tendency in Mexico and North America is to use larger ones. In Central America they prefer the smaller ones, ranging in size from ping-pong ball to golf-ball in size.

     The mil tomate itself is found inside a lantern-shaped wrapper, which is discarded. And they should always be washed under running water, because they have a sticky coating that can adhere to your hands.

-Aranja agria. The juice of the bitter orange (Seville orange). It’s available bottled, but to substitute add 1 tablespoon lime juice to 3 tablespoons regular orange juice as an acceptable substitute.

-Pepitoria. An essential in Guatemalan food, squash seeds are roasted, then ground to a powder. Pumpkin seeds, readily available, can be substituted.

     Most authorities recommend using only hulled seeds. Frankly, being as they’re going to be finely ground anyway, I see no reason not to use the whole seed if that’s all that is available.

-Plantains. Related to bananas, plantains look similar, but tend to be larger.  They are used in both the green (i.e., unripe) and yellow (ripe) stages. As a plantain ripens it turns from green to yellow, with black streaks. The natural sugars develop as part of this ripening process, so the green ones are used for savory dishes, half-ripe ones where some sweetness is desired, and fully ripe for sweet dishes and desserts. By the time a plantain is fully black it’s past its prime, and is too mushy for most uses.

     Do not try and peel a plantain as you would a banana. That doesn’t work. Instead, cut a small slice from each end. Then score the skin, the length of the plantain. With ripe ones you’ll want to follow one of the black streaks. Green ones have slightly raised lines, and following one of them works best. Once scored, the skin should pop off readily, usually in one piece.

 -Rapa dura (Panela). These are brown sugar cakes, usually square but available in other shapes. They are used like any brown sugar, after first being grated.

     Regular dark brown sugar can be substituted. But keep in mind that American brown sugar is made backwards; that is, molasses is added to regular refined sugar to provide color and enhance the sweetness. Even so, it isn’t the same. Muscovado makes a better substitute.

To be sure, there are other specialized ingredients, and we’ll discuss them as they’re encountered.

As usual, I like to share my references, for those who might be interested. Here are the books I’ve consulted so far, including some that already were on my bookshelves:

Gran Cocina Latina; Maricell E. Presilla, W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 2012. This encyclopedic (901 pages) is my basic reference for insights and recipes of Latin America as a whole.  If, for some reason, I could only have one book on the subject, this would be it.

False Tongues and Sunday Bread, Copeland Marks, M. Evans, New York & London, 1985. As mentioned above, this is the book that helped me focus on an otherwise overwhelming task.

Latin American Street Food, Sandra A. Gutierrez, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC, 2013.

The Food and Cooking of Colombia & Venezuela, Patricia McCausland-Gallo, Aquamarine—an imprint of Anness Publishing LTD, Leicestershire, UK, undated.

Mexico One Plate At A Time, Rick Bayless, Scribner, New York, 2000.

Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibanez, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2011.

A Taste of Old Cuba, Maria Josefa Lluria de O’Higgins, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1994.

Memories Of A Cuban Kitchen, Mary Urrutia Randelman and Joan Schwartz, Macmillan Publishing, New York, 1992.

International Cuisine, The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, J. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2008.

Latin American Cooking, Jonathan Norton Leonard, Time-Life Books, New York, 1968.

When the Conquistadors and Iberian settlers came to the new world they found all sorts of foodstuffs unknown in Europe.  Of all of them, corn was the most important.  As in New England, they used the indigenous word for it, calling it, with different spellings, “maize.”

 There was a reason for that. In Europe, at the time, all grains were called “corn.”  But here was a new one which, physically, didn’t come close to resembling the wheat, rye, barley, and oats they were used to.

 Corn was more than food to the Native peoples.  It was sacred to their gods, and an important part of religious ceremonies, art, and culture long before the great empires arose.  I've seen pictures, for instance, of a pre-Incan ceremonial bowl representing the corn goddess.  Not only is the bowl formed by forming clay in the shape of corn cobs, the handle, with its goddess effigy, shows her with a bodice of corncobs, and her hair made the same way.

 Corn was, literally, the food of the gods.

 Even now, despite the influx of foreign ingredients, Latin America is, at base, corn-centric. From grilled corn on the cob, to corn disks added to soups and stews, to sweets and deserts, corn is essential to all Latin American cookery. Here are a few recipes just to demonstrate corn’s versatility:

ELOTES LOCOS

(Guat. Crazy Corn)

Throughout most of North America, this is known as Mexican Street Corn, or, simply, Street Corn, with variations found across the region.  Guatemalans call it “Crazy Corn,” because it is so crazy delicious.

12 ears fresh corn, husked and stalks removed                     

12 sturdy wooden skewers                                                    

1 cup Mex. Crema or crème fraiche                                       

1 cup mayonnaise 

2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese*                                                          

Ancho chili powder

 Cook the corn in a large pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, remove from the heat, drain, and set aside. When cool enough to handle, insert a skewer in the bottom of each cob.

 Heat a grill until moderately hot.  Grill the corn, turning the cobs often, until they are tender and slightly charred all over, 4-6 minutes. In a large measuring cup, combine the crema and mayonnaise; set aside. Place the cheese in a shallow plate; set aside.

 Wrap the bottom fourth of the cobs plus the skewers in foil so they’re easier to hold. Dip them into the crema mixture, coating them well, then roll in the cheese and top with chili powder.

AJIACO BOGOTANO

(Col. Potato Chicken and Corn Stew)

Here we have an example of how corn is cut into segments and added to soups and stews.

½ cup packed cilantro leaves                                                 

4 green onions

2 lg garlic cloves, left whole                                                  

1 celery stalk, halved

2 ½ lbs whole chicken breasts                                                

1 lg bay leaf          2 tsp salt                                                   

3 qts chicken stock

1 ¼ lbs peeled red potatoes in thick slices

1 lb smaller creamier potatoes (i.e., Yukon Gold), peeled

1 ¼ lb peeled russet potatoes in thick slices

3 ears of corn, cut crosswise into 2-inch slices                      

1 cup cilantro       

2 Hass avocados

½ cup capers        

Mexican crema or sour cream

In a large pot over medium-high heat, place the cilantro, green onions, garlic, celery, bay leaf, chicken breasts, and salt; cover with the broth.  Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes, skimming off any foam and simmer 20 minutes.  Add the remaining pot that rises to the top. Continue simmering, uncovered, an additional 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken to a platter. When cool enough to handle, shred it into large pieces. Chill until ready to serve.

 Strain the broth over a large bowl and discard all of the solids. Return the broth to the pot and set over medium-high heat. Add the creamier potatoes and bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.  Add remaining potatoes and simmer until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Add the corn and cilantro and cook for about 25 minutes until corn is tender.

Remove 1 cup of the potatoes and mash them until smooth. Return them to the soup and stir. Add the chicken and simmer 5 minutes.

 To serve, peel, pit and slice the avocados. Place a piece of chicken in each bowl, ladle the soup and vegetables on top, and garnish with avocado, capers, and dollops of crema.

 PUDIN DE ELOTE

(CR. Corn Pudding)

Finally, we have corn as a dessert

 6 ears corn            

½ cup milk

1 cup farmers cheese                                                              

½ cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten      

1 tbls melted butter

Scrape the kernels off the corn cobs. This will make about 3 cups. Grind the kernels in a processor. Add the milk and strain the mixture through a metal sieve. To the milk mixture add the cheese, sugar, eggs, and butter. Beat well.

Turn into a buttered baking dish wide enough so the pudding mixture is about 2 inches deep. Bake in a 350F oven for 40 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Where corn really shows up most, however, is in the breadstuffs of the region.

To be sure, corn is not the only grain used to make breads.  But it is, by far, the most common one. And its use for this purpose dates back hundreds of years to pre-contact days.  The Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas, as well as numerous less-well-known indigenous people, all made bread from corn.

It’s important to understand, however, that the corn meals of Latin America are prepared differently.

In North America, corn meal is a rather simple product.  Field corn is dried and ground, with the only differences being the fineness of the process.  Stone ground meal tends to be finer that that made in a roller mill.  But that’s not always the case. 

I won’t get into the argument about whether stone-ground is better and healthier.  That’s a decision you have to make for yourself.  The quality of stone-ground is considered to be higher, however, because grindstones generate less heat. The heat generated by roller mills can degrade the final product. Or so it’s generally believed. Personally, I believe the jury is still out on that question.  And when you add in the smaller roller mills, such as Weisenberger Mills, which do not generate the kind of heat as the large commercial mills, you open a whole other can of worms.

Be that as it may, Latin American breads rarely use simple ground corn.  Instead, one of two procedures are followed; both of which date back to antiquity, and were made by individual housewives using hand tools like the metate of Mexico.

Ground corn is generally referred to simply as “masa.”  But it’s important to add certain suffixes to be sure which type is being used.

Masa Harina is the most common form found from the American southwest to the Panama Canal. It is made from nixtamalized corn. To make it, dried field corn is cooked in a dilute solution of slaked lime or lye. After standing for several hours, it is rinsed and ground.

This is, in all essentials, the same process used to make hominy in the American south.

The resulting dough is called fresh masa, and is preferred.  Fresh masa itself can be dried and ground. In which case it becomes Masa Harina, which gets reconstituted for use. For the majority of us, Masa Harina is the form most readily available.

Fresh Masa and Masa Harina are the preferred meals for tortillas (and all their spin-offs, such as sopas), tamales, and, sometimes, pupusas.

BTW, when making corn tortillas, a tortilla press can be used.  With a little bit of practice, a press lets you make equally sized and thick tortillas time after time.  I heartily recommend one, as they are inexpensive and beat the heck out of any other method of shaping tortillas.  Unfortunately, they don’t work for making flour tortillas, because the dough has to be stretched to develop the gluten.  A tortilla warmer is also a good idea as it prevents them from drying out.

Once we get to South America, things undergo a major change.  Tortillas---the mainstay of Mexico and most of Central America---run out, and are replaced by arepas.  Although they’re made in several formats, as we’ll see later on, the basic arepas is a bun-like bread, partially split to create a hollow (similar to Pita), and stuffed. 

Both Colombia and Venezuela claim to have originated arepas.  The evidence seems to support the latter. Indeed, one authority claims that Venezuela has 72 different arepas.  I’m guessing that refers  primarily to the fillings, rather than the bread itself.  But the fact is, the dough is often modified with other ingredients. Cheese is very common, for instance.  And there’s one version that adds cooked quinoa to the mix. I haven’t tried that, yet. But it’s said to add a nutty flavor to the bread.

Wherever they originated, arepas, nowadays, are ubiquitous to South- and Central-America, and, in fact, are getting to be more and more popular in North America and Europe, as celebrity chefs tout them.

Arepas, like tortillas, use a specialized cornmeal. In this case, dried corn is first pounded to remove the seed germ and outer hull. The remaining corn is then cooked, dried, and ground into flour. If you were to ask what masarepas is, most people who know it would call it pre-cooked corn meal. 

Arepas are used to make breads as thin as tortillas to, to pancake-sized, to thick, bulky buns.  When “baked”, they produce a bread that is chewy on the outside, soft and puffy on the inside. In addition to arepas in all its forms, masarepas is also used to make corn wrappers for empanadas.

Why the quote marks on “baked?” Because there are three basic techniques for preparing arepas.

No matter which of the three is used, they all start the same way. After shaping the arepas, it is first placed on a hot comel (an iron or clay griddle) to seal the outside.  You can continue cooking them on the comel until done, similar to how many Mid-Eastern flatbreads are made. Alternatively, you can transfer them to an oven, and actually bake them.  Or you can deep fry them, which gives you a crispy crust and soft interior.

Of the three, I prefer actually baking them.  But I advise trying all three methods to see which you like best.

Tortillas and arepas are unique in that they’re the only breads known that are made using previously cooked grains.

We’ll delve deeper into making and using tortillas, arepas, and spin-offs from them, next time.

Tortillas---and, to a lesser extent, arepas---are the most versatile breads in the world. The list of dishes that start out as tortillas is lengthy. They are fried, baked, stuffed, stewed…..the list goes on and on. But they all start with the tortilla.

As noted, wheat tortillas are popular in northern Mexico and North America.  But once you get into southern Mexico and Central America, they are all but unknown. So, keep in mind, when I say “tortilla” I’m talking about corn.

Anyone who has traveled in Mexico or the American Southwest has seen Hispanic housewives making tortillas completely by hand. They start with a lump of dough, which gets patted and shaped in their palms.  When they’re finished, they have a pile of tortillas all the same size and thickness.  Very impressive!  Most of us do better by using a press.

Tortilla presses were an innovation of the Spanish conquerors, who wanted a more efficient way of making them.  Those original presses were made of wood. While wood presses are still in everyday use in the back-country of Latin America, wood presses, nowadays, showcase the woodworker’s art. So wooden tortilla presses tend to be difficult to find, and are very expensive. Instead, there’s a range of “modern” materials used, including plastic, aluminum, and cast iron.

No matter the material, all tortilla presses operate the same way.  Two plates are hinged at the back, and a handle extends in front of the top plate. A small lump of dough (about two tablespoons, in general) is rolled in a ball and slightly flattened. The press is opened and a sheet of parchment paper, plastic film, or similar material is laid down on the bottom plate.  The dough is centered on it, and covered with a second sheet.  You don’t want to forget this step, or you’ll be scraping dough off the press for the next few days. The top plate is lowered to the dough, and, using the handle for leverage, pressed down to form a disk of the appropriate thickness. For what it’s worth, Guatemalan tortillas tend to be thicker than Mexican.  I have no idea why.

Sounds simple enough.  And it is.  But there are nuances. For instance, because the hinges are not articulated, there’s a tendency for the tortilla to be thinner at the front. So you get around that by rotating the entire package, and repeating the process. 

Basically, we’re talking about a learning curve, is all. And it doesn’t take long to figure it all out. The hardest part, frankly, is determining which release medium works best for you. For me personally, what works is to cut a large zipper bag completely open, then cut those two pieces into circles the size of the press.  Not only is it the easiest to work with, they are washable, and can be reused numerous times.

For me, parchment paper, even cut to fit, didn’t do the job, because I had trouble centering the dough. And plastic wrap, which many people use successfully, was just a joke in my hands.  Plastic grocery bags are favored by many people. Once I started using the zipper bags, however, I didn’t go any further. So have no feel for them.

Although there are other methods, the most common way of “baking” a tortilla is on a comel---a metal or clay griddle which is preheated. Each tortilla is peeled off the release medium and transferred to the comel.  Traditionally, tortillas are flipped three times.  After the first 20 seconds (when the edges begin to lift) it is flipped, cooked for 45 seconds, flipped for another 45 seconds, and flipped for a final 20-30 seconds.

Obviously, for this to work, the temperature of the comel has to be just right.  But, with a little experimentation, you quickly develop a feel for it.  And the tortilla, itself, provides some clues. When done right, it will have a cooked look about it, with little brown spots here and there on both sides.  If those spots don’t appear, the temperature is probably too low. If the spots are black, the heat is too high.

As each tortilla is finished it gets transferred to a tortilla warmer to keep warm. There seems to be a lot of mysticism about tortilla warmers, which I don’t understand.  What we’re talking about is a straight-sided bowl made of clay, wood, metal, plastic, or other material.  Even bamboo and woven grass have been used. I have a glass bowl that happened to be exactly the same configuration, and it works just fine.

The bowl gets lined with a dish cloth. As each tortilla is finished it gets transferred to the bowl, and the dish towel folded over as a cover. Each succeeding tortilla is stacked on top of the previous one. This will keep them warm for at least half an hour, and prevent them from drying out.

Tortilla dough is, itself, the height of simplicity. I’ve looked at more than a dozen recipes, and they are all virtually the same. Here’s the one I’ve settled on:

CORN TORTILLAS

2 ¼ cups masa harina

Healthy pinch of salt

1 ¾ cups warm water

Mix the masa and salt. Slowly add 1 ¾ cups water, mixing with your hands. If necessary, add additional water, a little at a time. Let the dough rest, covered with a damp towel, at least ten minutes.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball by rolled in your palms, covering them with a damp towel as they are formed.

Preheat a comel or griddle. Cook 2 to 2 ½ minutes, until golden (or, to be traditional, follow the directions given above). Flip, cook the second side 2 to 2 ½ minutes, flip and cook about 30 seconds more.

Stack in a bowl or tortilla warmer, covered with a damp towel, so steam is retained and tortillas remain soft.

One trick I learned: As each dough ball is formed, put it in one of the cups in a muffin tin.  This makes it easier to keep everything organized, and a damp kitchen towel covers the pan perfectly.

For most North Americans, tortillas are synonymous with tacos. This is understandable, because of the way they’ve been marketed. Indeed, there are places that still sell them as “taco shells.”   But the fact is, tortillas are the building blocks of a whole cuisine. Among their many uses:

Tostados. These are tortillas that are deep fried until browned and crisp on the outside, but still tender on the inside. They’ll be crisp, but not brittle. Fillings are piled on the bread, and eaten that way.  For many people, tostados are considered the ultimate in street food.

     The folded, crispy tortillas sold in supermarkets as taco shells are a pale imitation of true tostados.

Sopes. One step above tostados, sopes are often called “masa boats.” They start off as thicker tortillas. The dough is then drawn out from the middle, and the edges pinched upwards.  All in all, they resemble tart shells.  These are deep fried, and serve as a dish to hold the filling.  There’s more than neatness involved, however. To me, along with many other people, more of the corn flavor comes through than it does with a tostado.

Quesadillas. Start with a soft tortilla, laid on a hot comel or griddle. Pile a filling---usually cheese-based---in the middle, then fold the tortilla in half over the stuffing.  Let it cook, flipping once to prevent burning, until the cheese melts.  Basically, an incredible version of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Enchiladas.  Soft tortillas are either folded or rolled around a filling, lined up in a baking dish, covered with a sauce, and baked.  “Enchilada” literally means “enrobed in chili.”  In keeping with that, many cooks first dip the tortillas in a hot chili sauce, then continue making the dish from there. 

Chilaquiles. Actually a casserole, chilaquiles originated as a way of using up stale tortillas. Today they are made from scratch. Tortilla chips or strips of fried tortillas are mixed with a sauce, and cooked---either on the stove top or in the oven—until done.  The final dish will have tortilla pieces that, while tender, still retain some of their crunch.

Gorditas. The closest thing to a sandwich, the way most of us think of them, gorditas also start with thicker than usual tortillas. These get quick-fried until the outsides are just crisp, drained, and cooled. Pockets, similar to Pita, are cut into each one, and fillings stuffed into the opening. 

In many respects, Gorditas resemble Arepas.  We’ll have more to say about that next time.

Before continuing I want to talk about one more reference that I’m finding invaluable: Amalia’s Guatemalan Kitchen, which fills a major gap.

To be sure, until I focused on Central America as the theme I was fine with the references discussed above. Elizabeth Ortiz’s iconic The Book of Latin American Cooking, in particular, served as an introduction to, and overview of, Latin foodways.

Ortiz’s book suffers from one major flaw, however; Central America is conspicuous in its absence. There is, to be sure, a small handful of recipes with a Guatemalan origin. But, essentially, the book takes us from Mexico to South America, without using the land bridge that connects the two.  The Time/Life Foods of Latin America, which she edited, suffers from the same void.

Amalia’s Guatemalan Kitchen fills that void with a vengeance. There are 170 recipes in this 420 page book. But, it’s much more than a group of recipes.  It’s filled, instead, with Guatemalan cultural insights, cooking methodology, and in-depth lists of ingredients and kitchen tools. 

Frankly, I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone with an interest in Central American foodways.

Amalia’s Guatemalan Kitchen, Amalia Moreno-Damgaard, Beaver Pond Press, Edina, MN, 2013

Picking up where we left off, let’s talk about arepas, the other great flatbread of Latin America. 

Both Colombia and Venezuela claim credit for developing arepas.  Most authorities put the nod on Venezuela as the center of origination.  However, the records indicate that indigenous peoples were making similar flatbreads long before European contact. What’s more, while those ancient cultures were corn-centric, they made those flatbreads---in whole or in part---from other grains, grasses, and tubers as well; such as amaranth, quinoa, yucca, cassava, and even sweet potatoes.

Throughout modern Latin America, we still find those same enrichments---as well as others, such as rice---being used today. 

Whether Venezuela or Colombia was the point of origin is irrelevant. Arepas spread rapidly throughout South America, and crossed the Isthmus into Central America as well.  Starting a few years back, chefs in the U.S. and Europe started offering them on their menus, and, world-wide, they are becoming almost as popular as tacos.

Superficially, arepas are not much different than tortillas, other than the way the corn is processed.

For most applications, for instance, a ball of arepas dough is put in a tortilla press, and made into a flat disk.  The variations come, primarily, from how thick the disk is made.  Using the same basic recipe, disks are pressed as thinly as 1/6 inch, as wrappers for empanadas, to 1/2 inch for the more-or-less standard, pancake-like arepas.

But it doesn’t stop there.  Using the same amount of dough, one could make 16 thin arepas, much like tortillas. Moving up to ½ inch produces six more or less standard arepas. That same quantity can be shaped in the hands to make as few as four arepas buns---the shape and size, by the way, most favored by modern chefs.

In general, tortillas and arepas can substitute for each other in most applications.  Personally, I prefer the texture and taste of arepas dough, because more of the corn flavor comes through. 

It astounds me, too, how little variation there is in the basic recipe.  Certainly there are minor differences in the ratio of flour to water. But recipes for arepas dough are amazingly consistent, with the major difference being whether the particular baker uses oil (mostly in the form of corn oil or lard) or not.  Here is the basic recipe I prefer:

AREPAS

(South American Corn Dough)

2 cups masarepas

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 tbls oil or lard

Combine the water, oil, and salt in a large bowl, mixing well to dissolve the salt. Slowly add the masarepas, mixing with your hands as you add it. Cover with a damp towel and let rest ten minutes.

There are three ways of cooking arepas:

To grill them: Heat a comel or cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat, and brush very lightly with oil.  Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each to a disk ½ inch thick and about four inches in diameter. Place the arepas on the griddle and cook three to five minutes per side, just to seal the dough. Reduce the heat to medium or medium low and continue cooking eight to ten minutes per side, until golden brown and lightly charred in spots, reducing the heat as necessary. Arepas should be lightly puffed and sound hollow when tapped.

To bake them:  Pre-heat oven to 350F. Seal the arepas on a hot oiled griddle three to five minutes per side. Transfer to a baking pan and bake 18-20 minutes until they’ve puffed slightly and sound hollow when tapped.

To fry them: Shape dough into 12 rounds, ¼-inch thick. In a large skillet, heat an inch of oil to about 375F. Add arepas and fry 10 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Although not always the case, arepas are basically a sandwich bread.  Traditionally, they are cut through the middle, leaving a hinge on one side. This creates a pita-like hollow, which gets stuffed with the filling of choice. 

As with tortillas, the fillings are what differentiate one from another. Unlike tortillas, however, the dough, itself, is often enriched with other ingredients. Cheese is, perhaps, the most common. But others include anise seed, rice, quinoa, etc.

What goes into an arepas?  As with tortillas, pretty much anything you please.  Here’s one of my favorites, adapted from a Mexican recipe for stuffed mini-tortillas called Sambutes:

For the main filling:

2 tbls vegetable oil

8 oz lean minced pork

1 med. onion, chopped

2-3 Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Sprinkle (about ½ tsp or to taste) of Sazon seasoning (opt)

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and sauté the pork until it is lightly browned. Puree the onion and tomatoes in a blender or food processor and add to the pork. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer, uncovered, until mixture is thick and fairly dry, 

Sazon is a seasoning mix ubiquitous in Latin America. It comes in two forms, one with annatto as an ingredient (Sazon con annatto) and one without.  It’s readily available on-line or in Latin markets. Or, you can easily make your own:

SAZON CON ANNATTO

(Latin American Universal Seasoning)

1 tbls ground coriander seed

1 tbls ground cumin

1 tbls ground annatto seed

1 tbls garlic powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black peppercorns

Combine all ingredients well. Store in an airtight container

For the arepas:

Cut the arepas to form a pocket.  Spread the inside bottom with a layer of refried black beans.  Add the meat.  Top with tomatillo salsa to taste.

CHIRMOL DE MILTOMATE

(Guat. Spicy Tomatillo Salsa)

8 small (ping-pong ball sized) tomatillos, husked

1 serrano chili

1 ½ tbls finely diced onion

½ tbls finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ tbls finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

½ tsp sea salt

Using a dry pan or grill (cast-iron preferred), roast the tomatillos until charred and softened, about eight minutes. Chop the tomatillos finely. Char the serrano and chop it finely.

Combine the tomatillos and chili with the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Of necessity, pre-contact indigenous people were confined to flat breads, using locally available ingredients. The Colonial and Modern eras changed all that.

Much has been made about all the New World ingredients that changed the face of European cookery.  What many people do not realize is that it was two-way street.  “New,” that is, European ingredients and techniques had an indelible effect of the cuisines of Latin America. 

This is nowhere as evident as with bread. While flat breads still prevail, there is an incredible number of leavened breads in the Latin repertoire. Others don’t really rise, but are self-supporting, with a consistency similar to the spoon breads of the American south.

Some of them, such as the Mexican Bolilos, and Cuban Pan Cubano de Manteca, have even achieved world-wide acclaim.

Very often, we find that New World ingredients and Old World techniques---or vice-versa--- melded into a true fusion---something that’s generally true about all Latin American cuisines.  Here are a couple of examples:

PAN DE COMOTE

(Guat. Sweet Potato Bread)

This is an iconic Guatemalan bread.  It’s on the sweet side, which is how most Latins like their bread.

     One cautionary note: The recipe I used only gave amounts in metric units, which I translated as best as possible. So, if your scale measures in metric, I advise going that route.

1,000g/2lb 2 oz bread flour

300g/10 oz water

500g/2 cups sweet potato puree

20g/3/4 oz salt

20g/3/4 oz instant yeast

130g/4.5 oz sugar

200g/7 oz butter at room temperature

3 egg yolks, beaten

Mix the flour, salt, yeast, sugar and water to an homogeneous mass. Knead it for 20 minutes (10 with a stand mixer) on a lightly floured work surface, gradually working in the butter.

Once a soft dough is achieved, add the sweet potato, and knead 10 minutes (5 in stand mixer) more.

Divide dough into 40 gram (1 ½ oz) pieces. Roll each into a ball, then roll each ball into a strip about 25 cm (about 10 inches) long. Lay two strips side-by-side, and, working from the middle, cross the ends twice, to obtain a braided look.

Prep a baking sheet. Line it with parchment paper, sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina, and lay braids on it. Cover with greased plastic film, and let rest in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Brush braids with the eggs and bake 15 minutes.

SOPA PARAGUAYA

(Paraguayan Corn Bread)

Here’s an example of a bread whose ingredients are self-supporting. As a result, it doesn’t “rise” very high. But its hearty flavors more than make up for its lack of height.

125g/1/4 lb butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped

225g/1/2 lb cottage cheese

225g/1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated

225g/1/2 lb cornmeal

350g/12oz grated corn kernels or a 1-pound can creamed sweet corn

1 tsp sea salt

300ml/1 cup milk

6 eggs separated.

Lightly grease a baking pan, sprinkle with flour to coat the surface, spill off any excess.

Heat two ounces of the butter in a skillet and sauté the onions until they are softened. Set aside. Cream the remaining butter and add to the cottage cheese, blending thoroughly. Add the cheddar cheese and the onions.  In another bowl combine the cornmeal, corn, salt, and milk, and mix thoroughly. Combine the corn mixture with the cheese mixture, blending them well.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks and beat the yolks separately. Combine the two and fold them into the cornmeal and cheese mixture. Pour the batter into the baking pan.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

PAN DE BANANO MADURA

(Guat. Banana Bread)

I’ve seen several versions of this bread, some made with yeast, others with baking powder and/or baking soda.  They vary both in the amount of banana used, and the warm spices chosen, and it what amounts. I chose this version for no particular reason than the amount of banana used, and the addition of coconut milk.

1 ½ pounds ripe bananas (about six)

1 ½ cups coconut milk

1 ½ sticks margarine, at room temperature

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch baking soda

1 tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbls raisins (opt)

Process the bananas and coconut milk into a smooth paste. Add the margarine and combine smoothly.

Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, vanilla, and raisins. Mix well.

Pour into a large, buttered pan (12 x 16 inches is ideal). Bake in a pre-heated 350F oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

TAKIANAS O RODILLAS DE CRISTO ENQUESILLADAS

(Christ’s Knees)

Many Latin breads have a religious connection, either because they are served on special holidays, or because there is a more direct symbolism.  Developed in South American convents, the red cross-shaped marks are said to symbolize the open wounds on Christ’s knees on his way to Calvary.

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ cups warm water plus 1 tbls for the crust

3 tbls lard or butter

1 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

4 cups bread flour

1 tbls salt

2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (about ½ cup)

1 tbls achiote-infused corn oil

Combine the sugar and warm water in a small saucepan, add the lard or butter, and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar, just until it melts. Let the mixture cool to 110F. Whisk in the yeast and let sit until bubbly, about 10 minutes, then whisk lightly.

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture; mix with a fork until combined.  Gather the dough into a ball, turn onto a work surface, and knead vigorously until smooth, about 10 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat evenly, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours. Butter a baking sheet.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead vigorously for 3 minutes and form into a ball. Shape the dough into a 14-inch long log and cut it into twelve pieces with a sharp knife. Shape each piece into a ball.

Butter a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the grated cheese and achiote oil.  Mix to a rough paste with the remaining tablespoon warm water.  Flatten each roll lightly with the palm of your hand and cut a shallow cross in the center with scissors. Push about a teaspoon of the cheese mixture into the cut.  Place the rolls on the baking sheet, cover loosely with a moist kitchen towel, and let rise for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Using a spray bottle, spray the oven walls with water. Quickly slide the rolls into the oven and reduce the heat to 350F.  Repeat the spraying twice at 30 second intervals.  Bake the rolls, turning pan halfway through cooking, until they develop a golden crust, about 20 minutes.

One hallmark of Guatemalan cuisine is its use of spices. Guatemalans, for sure, like their food on the spicy side. But “spicy” doesn’t mean “hot.”  Chilies, for instance, or used to provide flavor, rather than heat for heat’s sake. And this is generally true for most Guatemalan foods.  The emphasis is on flavor. And, the closer a dish is to its Mayan roots, the more that tends to be true.

You can readily see that in the foods of the Yucatan.  The common belief is that Yucatanian food will numb your tongue and blow the roof off your mouth.  True, there are many dishes that are atomic in nature. But just as many, or more, do not have those heat levels.  Find one of them, and I’ll lay you 12 to 7 odds the dish is Mayan in origination.

To help achieve this pursuit of flavor, there’s an incredible variety of straight-on herbs and spices, as well as spice blends. sauces and salsas; rubs, and other flavoring elements.  Some of these have fairly strict recipes. But most of them, as stands to reason, have the same basics adjusted to the individual cook’s desires. 

We’ll be looking at many of them as this series continues. For right now, however, I want to discuss a great irony. Despite the diversity of flavoring agents used by Guatemalan housewives, the number one hot sauce in the country is a commercial product.

Called Salsa Brava, we’re talking about a green hot sauce, with the brand name Picama’s.  Guatemalans, who literally put it on everything, simply refer to it as “Picamas.”

Based on my research, my impression is that no matter what goes into a dish, it doesn’t have a sprinkle of Picamas, it isn’t really Guatamalan.  Obviously, I had to have some.  But it’s not the sort of thing found on most local grocery shelves. 

An internet search yielded a surprising number of hits.  For an initial order, I went with

Zocalo foods, both because their prices were good, and they had it in several sizes.  I ordered two of the smallest (7.5 oz.) bottles, one for me and one for a friend, as a test.

This resulted in two great discoveries; the hot sauce, itself, which is deep with flavor and just enough heat to perk things up, and Zocalo foods.

Zocalo (ZocaloFoods.com) is an on-line grocery specializing in Latin American foods.  At a time when customer service seems to be a black hole, Zocalo is a ray of light.  I cannot praise them enough, for how they handle orders, and their follow-up emails. Is there another company, for instance, that sends out emails over the president’s signature welcoming you to the family? Sure, it’s generated automatically after your first order..  But it’s the thought that counts. 

Everything about them seems to reflect that level of caring.

At any rate, if you decide to order Picama’s---or other Latin American products—I recommend you give Zocalo a try.

By the way, make sure you are ordering the right product.  There’s a red version, as well, which is not the same thing.

They call them adobos, and chirmoles, and chilitos and recados, and salsas. These are the flavorings: the toppings, braises, marinades, and sauces that give Central American foods their taste, color, and distinctive identity. 

 In North America we’re likely to just group them as “salsas.” But there are subtle differences between those various categories; sometimes so much so that I’m too nearsighted to tell the difference.  Add to that the fact that many of them are multi-use flavorings.  For example, an adobo might, be used as a marinade in one recipe.  That same mixture, however, might serve as a dipping sauce with another recipe. 

 Confusing? Don’t let it be.  Most of the time it doesn’t matter, because the ingredients making up the mixture will be included as part of the recipe; or the author will refer you to a recipe for making that flavoring.

 There are, literally, hundreds of these flavor bases and enhancers, without even counting the housewife to housewife variations.  The ones that follow are in no particular order.  I’ve included them primarily because they highlight the diversity of flavors found in Central American cuisine, and provide you a starting point if you want to experiment with them.

 With rare exception, no self-respecting Latina would make them except fresh from scratch. Indeed, many of them won’t keep more than a day or two anyway.  But there are some that are more in the nature of condiments.  Achiote infused oil, for instance, gives Guatemalan food its vibrant color.  It’s used in almost everything, and has a seeming shelf life lasting two days longer than forever. Personally, I use it up too fast to know for sure.

 Here, then, is a glimpse at the flavors of Central America:

 ACHIOTE O MANTECA DE COLOR

(Achiote Infused Oil)

 2 cups corn oil, olive oil, or rendered lard

½ cup annatto seed

Place oil and annatto seed in a small saucepan. Heat gently until oil just starts to bubble. Let cool. Strain oil and discard seeds.

 RELAJO SALVEADORENO

(Salvadorian Spice Mix)

1 guajillo chili, stemmed and seeded

1 ancho chili, stemmed and seeded

1 tbls peppercorns

1 tsp cloves

1 bay leaf

2 tbls sesame seeds

2 tbls pumpkin seeds

3 tbls unsalted peanuts

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

1 tbls ground achiote

Toast ingredients on a heated comel over medium-high heat in this order: chilies, 2-3 minutes; peppercorns, cloves, bay leaf, 1 minute; then the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts for 2 minutes.

Chop the chilies into fine bits. Crumble bay leaf into small pieces.

Combine toasted ingredients with dried herbs and achiote and grind to a powder in a spice mill.

ADOBO

(Guat. Marinade/Braising Sauce)

½ cup roughly chopped tomatillos

1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes

1 guajillo chili, seeded and torn into small bits

1 pasillo chili, seeded and torn into small bits.

¼ cup water’1/3 cup chopped yellow onion

1 tbls minced garlic    

¼ tsp oregano, crumbled

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp cumin

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground achiote

4 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tbls vegetable oil

Black pepper to taste

Cook the tomatillos, tomatoes, and chilies in the water until soft, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Put the mixture in a blender with the remaining ingredients and puree to a fine consistency. The sauce should be thick and pasty so it will stick to the meat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

ADOBO GUATEMALTECO SIMPLE

(Guat. Simple Marinade/Braising Sauce)

1 ½ lbs tomatillos (about 12 small)

3 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded

8 garlic cloves

2 tsp salt

1 tsp achiote paste

1 tsp peppercorns

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp cumin

¼ cup white vinegar

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process to a fine puree.

To use: Rub pork, beef, or poultry all over with adobo. Let marinate, tightly covered, for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.

CHIRMOL DE TOMATE

(Guat. Tomato Salsa)

3 Roma tomatoes*

2 tbls onion, finely diced

1 tbls mint, finely chopped                                                                  

1 tbls cilantro, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh lime juice

½ tsp bird’s eye chili, minced (optional)

½ tsp sea salt

Dry pan roast or grill the tomatoes until they’re charred all over and soft, 8-10 minutes. Chop them coarsely, but do not peel them.

Combine the tomatoes with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

*Can sub tomatillos for the tomatoes, or use half and half. But see the following as well:

CHIRMOL DE MILTOMATE

(Guat. Tomatillo Salsa)

8 small (ping-pong ball sized) tomatillos

1 Serrano chili

1 ½ tbls onion, finely chopped

½ tbls parsley, finely chopped

½ tbls cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh lime juice

½ tsp sea salt

CHIRMOL FRITO

(Guat. Sofrito)

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 12/ tbls finely diced Roma tomatoes

1 tbls finely diced yellow onion

1-2 Thai (Bird’s Eye) chilies (opt)

3 tbls water

¼ tsp sea salt

Put the oil in a hot skillet. Add the tomatoes, on90 chilies, water and salt. Cook over medium heat until saucy and thick, about 3 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

IGUAXTE

(Guat. Mayan Multi-Use Sauce)

1 tbls vegetable oil

3 tbls finely diced yellow onion

½ cup finely diced red bell pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup finely diced Roma tomatoes

1 mulato chili, seeded & torn into small bits

½ cup chicken stock

1 tbls ground roasted pumpkin seeds

¾ tsp sea salt

Black pepper to taste

Pour the oil into a medium hot skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper, and sauté until the onion is translucent, about two minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté one minute. Add the tomatoes, the chili pieces, and the stock, and continue cooking until all ingredients are soft, about three minutes longer.

Season with pumpkin seeds, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

AMARILLO

(Guat. Tomato, Tomatillo & Red Bell Pepper Sauce)

½ cup chicken stock

1/3 cup onion, roughly chopped

1/3 cup red bell pepper, roughly chopped

3 sm. garlic cloves

1/3 cup Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/3 cup tomatillo, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tbls vegetable oil

½ tsp achiote powder dissolved in a little hot water

½ tsp sea salt

Black pepper to taste

1 tbls bread crumbs, or 1 tbls A-P flour dissolved in cold water, or 1 corn tortilla broken into small pieces, soaked in hot water, and then pureed.*

*Taste will vary, subtly, based on thickener used.

Make the sauce: Combine the stock with the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos and bay leaf in a medium saucepan, and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until all vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Then puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the puree and achiote liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Add the thickener or choice and simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

RECADO PARA CHUCHITOS

(Guat. Tomato, Red Bell Pepper, and Guajillo Sauce)

1 cup quartered Roma tomatoes (about 2 large)

½ cup quartered tomatillos (3-4 ping-pong sized)

1 ½ guajillo chilies, seeded

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

1 small yellow onion in thick slices

2 large garlic cloves

½ cup chicken stock

2 tbls vegetable oil

1 ½-2 tsp achiote powder dissolved in a little hot water

Salt & black pepper to taste

Combine the first seven ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a quick boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until all the vegetables are soft (5-8 minutes). Puree in a blender to a fine constancy. The sauce should be smooth and velvety.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, add the puree and achiote liquid, and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

The sauce should be bright orange with the consistency of spaghetti sauce.

RECADO PARA TAMALES COLORADOS

(Guat. Roasted Ancho, Guajillo, Mulato, Tomato and Pumpkin Seed Sauce)

1 cup Roma tomatoes, quartered (about 2 large)

½ cup tomatillos, quartered (3-4 small)

½ cup red bell pepper, chopped

Be bright orange and have the consistency of spaghetti sauce. If it’s too thick, add a little chicken stock or water

2 garlic cloves

1 guajillo chili, seeded (or half chili for less spice)

½ mulato chili, seeded

½ ancho chili, seeded

1 tbls pan-roasted pumpkin seeds, ground

1 tbls pan-roasted sesame seeds, ground

2 tbls vegetable oil

1 ½-2 tsp ground achiote dissolved in a little hot water

¼-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Heat a skillet for two minutes over medium heat, then add the vegetables. Dry pan roast them until they’re charred all over and mushy, about 8-10 minutes.

Separately dry pan roast the chilies over medium heat, 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Soak the roasted chilies in one cup very hot water for ten minutes.

Dry pan roast the seeds over medium heat, 3-5 minutes. Watch them carefully, as they burn easily.  Grind the seeds in a spice mill or small food processor.

Combine the roasted vegetables with the soaked chilies and ¼ cup of the soaking water, and puree in a blender to a fine consistency. The sauce should be smooth and velvety.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the puree, achiote liquid, seeds, and seasonings. Lower the heat and simmer five minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

The sauce should be bright orange, and have the consistency of spaghetti sauce. If it’s too thick, add a little chicken stock or water. If too thin, cook it a little longer.

MANGTEQUILLA DE AJO, LIMON Y CILANTRO

(Guat. Garlic, Lime, Cilantro, and Achiote Butter)

2 tbls butter

¼ tsp achiote

2 tbls minced garlic

1 stick (half cup) butter at room temperature

½ tsp cumin

2 tbls finely chopped cilantro

1 ½ tbls lime juice

¼ tsp sea salt

Black pepper to taste

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Add the achiote and dissolve. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 ½ minutes. Cool slightly.

In a medium bowl (or use a mixer with paddle attachment) beat the ½ cup butter with a sturdy spatula until it’s creamy. While beating, gradually add the rest of the ingredients. Start with the melted butter mixture, and then add the cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and seasonings.  Continue beating until the butter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Refrigerate or freeze the butter for later use.

CHILITO

(Guat. Bird’s Eye Chile, Onion, Lime and Olive Oil Salsa)

15-20 Bird’s Eye (Thai) chilies

2 tbls chopped onion

2 tbls lime juice or 1 tbls white vinegar

2 tbls water or 3-4 tbls if using vinegar

1 tbls olive oil

¼ tsp sea salt

Puree all ingredients in a blender, or, for a chunkier texture, chop the veggies by hand. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Store the chilito in the refrigerator until ready to use.

CHIRMOL SALVADORETO

(Salvadorian Salsa Cruda)

6 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut in small cubes (about 1 ½ cups)

1 medium white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

2 tsp finely chopped cilantro

Juice of 2 medium bitter oranges (about ½ cup), strained

1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Best when freshly made, but will keep in fridge 2-4 days if tightly covered.

CHIRMOL DE CAMARON SECO

(Guat. Dried Shrimp Sauce)

2 oz dried shrimp (available in Latin and Asian Markets)

2 tbls corn oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 medium plum tomatoes, finely chopped

4 Scallions, white and pale green parts, finely chopped

1 tbls dried whole piquin chilies

¼ tsp salt or to taste

Heat a comal, griddle, or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the shrimp and roast, stirring, for 4 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse to grind.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, scallions, and chilies and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the ground shrimp.  Taste for salt.

Will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, tightly covered. Serve at room temperature.

There’s no dearth of proteins used in Central American cooking.  With the possible exception of lamb, which doesn’t seem to be at all popular, just about every form of meat and poultry is available.

While Guatemala isn’t as obsessive about beef as, say, Argentina, beef dishes are very common, followed by pork and poultry. Poultry, especially turkey, is often prepared in ways directly related to how it was prepared by the Maya. 

As in previous installments, the following recipes are presented to highlight the diverse ways meat is utilized in Central America. I make no other claims for them, other than that I’ve prepared them all, and they’re flavorful dishes. Let's start with beef.

PICADILLO

(Guat. Beef Filling)

Although picadillo can be eaten just the way it is, it’s most often used as a filling for things like Taquitos and Tostados. It’s quite flavorful as is, but, if desired, you can kick it up with some chilies.

     There’s a lot of mincing involved, so I’d recommend pulsing in a food processor rather than doing it by hand.

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

2 tbls butter

1 lb ground beef

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup minced cabbage

½ cup minced carrot

½ cup minced green beans

½ cup minced red bell pepper

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried thyme

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ cup minced plum tomatoes

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup tomato paste

In a large skillet, heaty the oil and butter over medium-high heat; add the beef, onions, carrot, green beans, and bell pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine and break down the beef. Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ketchup, and tomato paste. Stir well, bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.  Uncover and cook until the liquid has reduced and thickened. The mixture will appear almost dry. Discard the bay leaves.

If using right away, serve hot. Otherwise chill it for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

CARNE DE RES CON CAFÉ’

(El Sal. Beef Cooked In Coffee)

Among the Maya, what we now call braising was the commonest way of cooking proteins.  Braising is still very popular.  This dish is a little different in that coffee is the braising liquid, which suggests a strong connection to its Mayan roots.

2 lb beef chuck cut in 2-inch cubes

3 tbls corn oil

3 cups sliced onion

1 ½ cups sliced green bell pepper

4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes

2 cups prepared strong coffee

¼ cup ketchup

6 small carrots, halved

Brown the meat well in the oil over moderate heat.  Add the onions, green pepper, garlic and tomato. Mix well and bring to a boil.  Add the coffee and ketchup, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until soft; about 1 ½ hours.

Add the carrots for the last 20 minutes.  The sauce should be reduced and thickened.

Serve warm with rice.

LENGUA FINGIDA

(Guat. “False Tongues” Meatloaf)

If you’ve read along from the beginning, you know this is one of the dishes that decided me on Central America, in general, and Guatemala in particular.

     Do not attempt enlarging the beef loaves. They won’t stay together. Instead, for a greater amount, double the recipe, and make four loaves.

For the loaves:

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef

1 large egg

2 tbls capers, chopped

¼ cup chopped sweet red pepper

½ cup toasted bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ cup chopped onion

12 pimento-stuffed olives, coarsely chopped

6 cups water or beef stock

For the sauce:

2 cups sliced ripe tomatoes

Reserved broth from cooking meat

¼ cup scallion tops, sliced thinly

2 tbls chopped sweet red pepper

1 tsp chopped capers

Mix the beef, egg, capers, red pepper, bread crumbs, ½ tsp salt, pepper, onion and olives together. Divide mixture in half. Shape into 2 oval footballs.

Bring the water and remaining salt to boil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the beef loaves, cover, and cook over moderate to low heat 30 minutes.  The liquid will reduce somewhat.  Remove the loaves and set aside.  Reserve the broth.

Make the sauce.  Process the tomatoes and 2 cups of the broth into a smooth sauce.  Add this to the balance of the reserved both and bring to a boil over moderate heat.  Add the scallion, sweet pepper, and capers.  Simmer the mixture over moderate to low heat for 20 minutes to thicken the sauce.

To serve, cut the cooled loaves into ½-inch slices.  Serve the warmed sauce separately.

CARNE ASADA CON CHIRMOL

(Guat. Orange/Onion-Marinated Flank Steak)

1 1/2 -2 lb flank steak, generously seasoned with salt & pepper

1 batch Chimol de Tomate (see recipe above)

2 unpeeled oranges, sliced thin

½ cup julienned yellow onion

1 tsp oregano, crumbled

2 tbls vegetable oil

½ tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Combine the orange slices, onion, oregano, oil, salt and pepper in a large zipper bag. Seal the bag and squeeze ingredients of mix them and force the juice out of the orange slices.  Add the steak, seal the bag, and work the marinade into the steak with your hands, making sure it gets well coated.  Marinate the steak for 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the grill.

Remove the steak from the bag.  Discard the orange and onion, reserving the balance.  Grill the steak over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on one side and 2-3 minutes on the over side for medium-rare.* Rest steak for 5-10 minutes covered with foil.

Slice across grain and top with chirmol.

*Adjust cooking time for preferred temperature. For medium: 4-5 minutes on one side, 3-4 minutes on the other.

Pork, in all its forms, is endemic to Latin America.  But you have to watch the names of dishes carefully, because they change from one country to another. Sometimes even within regions of the same country. 

 A bigger issue is the matter of ingredients.  More than any other category, pork tends to use ingredients that, while common in Latin America, are hard to find in the U.S. Sometimes they’re just not available at all.  The recipes I’ve chosen avoid that issue as much as possible.  Even so, it often takes much searching, on-line and at Latin markets, to find them.  The results are worth the effort.

On a percentage basis, it’s likely that there are more street foods based on pork than any other protein.

CASTILLITAS AL ORO CON MALTA Y MOSTZAO AL ESTILO DE NANDA

(Arg. Nanda’s Malta-Mustard Spareribs)

Malta is a non-alcoholic, malt-based, carbonated beverage popular in parts of Central and South America, and especially in Mexico. Personally, I don’t care for it as a beverage.  But, as a cooking liquid, it brings a truly wonderful  flavor to certain dishes.

For the ribs:

4 lbs meaty spareribs in one piece*

1 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 cup Dijon style mustard

For the sauce:

6 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste

2 12-oz bottles Malta

2 tbls honey

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Prepare the ribs:  Wipe them clean and place in a large roasting pan. Rub with the salt and pepper and slather with the mustard, coating them completely. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Prepare the sauce:  In a small bowl, whisk together the Malta, garlic, honey, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over the ribs and set aside for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack and roast the ribs until tender, about 2 hours. Halfway through roasting, baste the ribs with the pan juices.

*If necessary, divide the ribs into multi-bone sections and lay them out as much in a single layer as possible.  I like doing this anyway, dividing the ribs into 3-bone sections, which make nice servings.

LOMITO ADOBADO

(Guat. Grilled, Marinated Pork Tenderloins)

1 batch adobo (see above)

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each

Prepare the adobo. Marinate the pork in the sauce in a zipper bag overnight or up to three days.

Preheat the grill.

Grill the pork over charcoal to an internal temperature of 135F, 15-20 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes until evenly brown. Let rest, tented with foil, 10-15 minutes, or until internal temperature is 145.

Slice on the diagonal and serve.

FRIJOLES CON PUERCO ESTIO YUCATECO

(Beans with Pork, Yucatan Style)

1 lb black turtle beans

2 lbs lean, boneless pork cut in 1 ½-inch cubes

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 whole fresh hot pepper

½ teaspoon chopped epazote (opt)

2-3 sprigs cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish: 

1 large onion, finely chopped

8 tbls cilantro, chopped

12 small radishes, chopped

6 lemon wedges

For the sauce:

4 medium tomatoes

2 fresh or canned hot peppers

Salt

Thoroughly wash and pick over the beans.  Put the beans into a large saucepan or flameproof casserole with water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the beans, measure the liquid and make it up to 3 pints. Return the beans the beans and liquid to the saucepan  Add the pork, onions, hot pepper, epazote if using, cilantro sprigs, salt and pepper. Simmer until the meat and beans are both tender, about 1 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Peel and chop the tomatoes and simmer them for 15 minutes with 2 fresh or canned hot green peppers and salt to taste. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and reduce to a puree. Pour back into the saucepan and heat through.

Discard the hot pepper and coriander sprigs. Lift out the pork pieces with a slotted spoon and place them in the center of a warmed platter. Strain the beans and arrange them around the pork. Pour the bean liquid in a soup tureen.

Serve the soup in bowls and the beans and pork on plates at the same time, pouring some of the sauce ovber the meat. Serve the garnishes in bowls at the table.

TACOS WITH PORK CARNITAS

(Mex. And General Latin American)

5 lb pork butt or picnic roast

¼ cup lard

3 cups whole milk

2 oranges, unpeeled and quartered

1 sm. yellow onion, peeled and quartered

8 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole

½ tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

12 corn tortillas

2 cups sliced radishes

1 cup sour cream

1 cup minced cilantro

Lime wedges

Pat pork dry with paper towels.  Melt the lard in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork on all sides (3-4 minutes per side). Add the milk, oranges, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer pork for 2 ½-3 hours or until it is tender enough to be shredded with a fork.

Remove the pork from the pot and cut it into 1-inch cubes, discarding any bones. Strain the liquid into a large bowl through a sieve to remove all of the solids. Discard the solids.

Return the pork and cooking liquid to the pot, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until all of the liquid has been absorbed, 10-15 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan and keep warm.

To assemble: Top the tortillas with the carnitas, radishes, sour cream and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

AREPAS WITH PULLED PORK AND CILANTRO-GARLIC MAYONNAISE

(Venezuela)

6 Arepas

1 cup pulled pork

4 tbls mayonnaise

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbls cilantro, minced

½ tbls fresh lime juice

The above pork carnitas recipe works very well for this dish. Or merely use your favorite pulled pork, so long as it doesn’t have heavy flavors that will compete with these.

Stir the cilantro, lime juice and garlic into the mayonnaise.

Heat the arepas in a 350F oven, or warm briefly in a skillet.  Heat the pork.

Split the arepas in half, without slicing all the way through, leaving the two halves attached at one end.

Spread the inside of arepas with 2 teaspoons of the garlic mayonnaise. Fill each arepas with 2-3 tablespoons of the pork.

Serve warm.

CHULETAS MIGADAS

(Guat. Breaded Marinated Pork Cutlets)

Juice of 1 orange

1 tbls lemon juice

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp cumin

1 lb thin pork loin cutlets

Salt & pepper to taste

¾ cup cornflake crumbs mixed with 1 tsp oregano and ½ tsp red chili flakes

Vegetable oil.

Mix the orange juice, lemon juice, garlic and cumin in a zipper bag. Add the pork and marinate 20-30 minutes, assuring all sides of the meat are coated. Shake off excess juice and season the cutlets on both sides.

Spread the cornflake mixture on a plate. Press each pork chop firmly against the crumbs and repeat to cover the other side.

Add 2 teaspoons oil to a hot, medium skillet, and panfry cutlets until medium brown, 2-3 minutes per side, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Transfer the pork to a platter lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil, and keep cutlets warm.

SALBUTOS

(Yucatan Miniature Tortillas)

2 tbls vegetable oil

8 oz minced pork

1 med onion, minced

2 medium tomatoes, peeled & chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

10 oz masa harina

4 tbls plain flour

1 ½ cups water (approx.)

Oil for deep frying

Heat the oil and sauté the pork until it is lightly browned. Puree the onion and tomatoes in a blender or food processor and add it to the pork.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is thick and fairly dry. Set aside.

Mix the masa harina, salt and flour together. Add enough water to make a fairly stiff dough.  Pinch off pieces of the dough about the size of walnuts and roll into balls. Flatten on the tortilla press into miniature tortillas not more than 2 inches across. Do not bake!

Holding one tortilla in the palm of the hand, place a tablespoon of the filling on it. Cover with another tortilla and pinch the edges together. Continue until all the tortillas and the filling are used up.

In a fryer or saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2-3 inches.  Heat to 375F. Fry the stuffed tortillas until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and eat hot.

It takes a knack to make these without the tortillas cracking.  If it’s too much trouble, just use the filling to top tostados. Although not quite the same, they are delicious either way.

Poultry is very popular in Latin America, and actually dates back to the Inca, who domesticated turkey. The birds, averaging 10-12 pounds were not only food. They had religious significance as well. Several of the Mayan recipes have come down virtually unchanged from pre-contact days.

Although they hunted and trapped wild birds, turkey were the only domesticated poultry among the Maya, until the Spanish conquest. Chickens were imported with the Spanish, and played a great role in colonial cooking;  a popularity which continues in modern times.

We tend to relate turkey cookery to roasting and, more recently, frying---techniques unknown to the Maya. Instead, braising was their most common way of cooking meats.  This sounds, at best, strange to North Americans.  But, if you give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how good it tastes. 

It only seems right that we start our look at poultry with one of those recipes that have come down through the ages. Note, particularly, how, with the exception of black peppercorns, everything in the recipe is indigenous to Central America. Well, perhaps not the garlic, which may have been introduced by the Spanish.

CHUNTO

(Guat. Turkey Stew)

1 large whole, peeled onions

6 whole, peeled garlic cloves

2 whole ripe tomatoes

1 pasilla chili, seeded & stemmed

½ tsp achiote

6 peppercorns

1 cup sweet red pepper, chopped

10 cups water

1 turkey (10 lb) cut in serving pieces, including the giblets

2 tsp salt

½ cup chopped fresh mint

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 small head garlic, unpeeled

Put the onion, peeled garlic cloves, tomatoes, pasilla, achiote, peppercorns and sweet pepper in a skillet and toast over moderate heat for 5-10 minutes, until the various skins are lightly browned.

Process these with one cup of water to a smooth sauce.

Put the turkey, 9 cups of water, and the salt in a large, heavy saucepan or roasting pan and bring to a boil.  Add the sauce, mint, cilantro and whole garlic.

Lower heat and simmer for about 1 ½ hours, until turkey is tender and the seasonings well blended.

GALLO EN CHICA

(El. Sal. Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Stew)

1 large fowl (about 5 lbs) cut in 8 pieces

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

8 plum tomatoes (about 1 ½ lbs)

1 large yellow onion

1 med red bell pepper (about 6 oz)

½ cup Salvadorian Spice Mix (see recipe above)

¼ cup achiote-infused corn oil

8 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup Pineapple Chicha*

½ cup prunes, halved

¼ cup small, pimento-stuffed olives

¼ cup capers, drained

½ cup cocktail onions (opt.)

*Chicha is a mostly homemade liquor prepared by fermenting various fruits or fruit by-products (such as pineapple rinds) for periods up to six months. You can make a reasonable substitution, in this case, by adding ¼ cup light rum to a quart of pineapple juice and letting it ferment for about 3 days. Add sugar to taste, and let ferment two more days.

Another substitution is to combine ½ cup cider vinegar with 1 cup dark brown sugar, and ½ cup beer. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.

Or just go with plain pineapple juice, which works just fine.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper and roast, turning occasionally, until lightly charred all over, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. When cool enough the handle, peel the onion and rub off any charred bits of tomato skin. Peel and seed the pepper, cut it into strips, and set aside.

Put the tomatoes and onion in a food processor along with the Salvadoran spice, and process to a coarse puree.

In a heavy 8 quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it ripples. Add the chicken and sauté, turning occasionally, until evenly golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté until golden.  Add the reserved onion and tomato puree and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.

Return chicken to the pot and add the broth, sugar, chichi, and salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until chicken is tender, 45-60 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally and check the amount of liquid, adding more broth if it’s evaporating too quickly; it should be on the soupy side.

When chicken is nearly tender, add the pepper strips, prunes, olives and capers, and continue cooking until chicken is done.

CHICHARRON NOVOANDINO DE OLLO CON COSTRA DE QUINUA

(Peruvian Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers)

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1x3-inch strips

Oil for deep frying

For marinade:

½ cup fresh orange juice

½ cup lime juice

6 garlic cloves mashed to a paste

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

For crust:

½ cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs, beaten

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl or zipper bag. Add the chicken strips and let rest one hour.

Spread quinoa on a sheet pan or plate; put flour in a medium bowl. Wipe excess marinade from chicken pieces and dust them with the flour. Add the chicken pieces to the beaten eggs and coat well, then roll them in the quinoa to coat.  Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Heat the oil to 350F in a medium saucepan or deep skillet. Add the chicken in batches and fry, turning with tongs, until lightly golden on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch.

POLLO AL CARBON

(Grilled Chicken in Sour Tangerine and Cumin Sauce)

4-6 skinless chicken thighs, fat removed

Marinade:             

1 cup tangerine juice                                                              

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest   

1 tbls vegetable oil

½ cup onion, sliced thin                                                         

1 tbls garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin           

1 tsp oregano

1 tbls chopped fresh mint                                                      

1 tbls chopped cilantro

1 tsp sea salt         

Black pepper to taste

Combine marinade in a zipper bag and mix them well. Put the chicken in the bag, seal it, and work the marinade

into the chicken until all the pieces are well coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3-5 hours or overnight.

Preheat the grill.  Grill the marinated chicken on medium-high heat until cooked, 3-4 minutes per side.

Alternatively, roast in the oven at 375F until cooked, 20-25 minutes.

POLIO EN PINA

(Guat. Chicken In Pineapple)

3 ½-4 lb chicken, cut in serving pieces

1 ripe pineapple, coarsely chopped

2 medium onions, chopped fine

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 whole cloves

1-inch stick cinnamon

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup Sherry

2 medium tomatoes, peeled & chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken stock as needed

Put the chicken in a heavy saucepan. If using fresh pineapple, save and use as much juice as possible.  Add all the rest of the ingredients to the pan. If using fresh pineapple it might be necessary to add enough stock to cover the chicken pieces.  Or use a one-pound can of unsweetened pineapple with all its juice.

Cover and simmer over low heat until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. If sauce is very abundant, cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes to reduce it.

POLIO EN PEPIAN DUICE

(Guat. Mayan Chicken Fricassee)

4 lbs chicken cut in serving pieces

12 oz chicken stock

1 tbls sesame seeds

3 oz pumpkin seeds

3 red bell peppers, coarsely chopped

3 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbls lard

2 garlic cloves, mashed

4 tbls bitter orange juice

½ tsp allspice

Salt & pepper to taste

2 oz raisins

1 oz chopped almonds

Put chicken pieces in a heavy casserole, pour in the stock, adding a little more to cover if necessary. Cover pot and simmer until almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Using a grinder or mortar & pestle, grind the seeds as fine as possible. Set aside.

Put the peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic into a blender or food processor and reduce to a coarse puree. Mix the puree with the ground seeds. 1 cup of the stock to the puree, along with the bitter orange juice, allspice salt and pepper. Stir to mix and pour over the chicken.

Heat the lard in a frying pan, add the puree, and cook, over moderate-high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.  Drain the chicken, reserving the stock, and return chicken to the casserole.  Cover pot and simmer gently until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes, adding a little more stock if needed.  The sauce should be on the thick side.

Meanwhile, soak the raisins in cold water to cover for 15 minutes. Drain.  Heat a little butter in a frying pan and sauté the almonds until golden. Drain.

Transfer the chicken to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the raisins and almonds. 

Serve with rice or quinoa.

When it comes to proteins of the sea, Guatemala is twice blessed; it has coasts on two bodies of water---the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean---both of which team with fish and seafood of all kinds.  In addition there are fresh water fish, such as mojarras; a lake fish similar to yellow perch.

Despite this, the Maya were not fish eaters, a trait they shared with the Apache of Mexico and the American Southwest. Geography no doubt contributed to this. Despite their far-flung empire, the Maya thought of themselves as mountain people.  But, I’m sure, there were other factors as well.

Of all the products available, Guatemalans seem to find shrimp the most appealing.  For every recipe I’ve found using fish or other seafood, there have been three or four using shrimp.  The recipes I’ve chosen to share with you reflect that relationship:

COCTEL DE CAMERONES

(Guat. Shrimp Cocktail)

In the 19^th century golf became all the rage in Guatemala.  At one time there were more than 100 golf clubs in the country, all of who served this cocktail.  One wag described it as “thousand island without the lumps.”  Say, rather, “thousand island without the islands,” and you’d be nearer the mark.

2 lbs large cooked shrimp

¾ cup Golf Sauce

½ cup thinly sliced celery

¼ cup chopped green onions

Salt & pepper to taste

Saltine or similar crackers

I prefer grilling the shrimp to boiling them.  Either way, coarsely chop the shrimp and place in a bowl.  Stir in the Golf sauce, celery and onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve well chilled, mounded on crackers.

SALSA GOLF

(Guat. Golf Sauce)

¾ cup mayonnaise.

½ cup ketchup

2 tsp Worcestershire

2 tsp yellow mustard

Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire and mustard. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Cover (or transfer to a squeeze bottle) and chill well before using.

MOIODRONES CON CAMARONES

(DR. Okra with Prawns)

This sounds like an unlikely combination of flavors. But give it a try; you’ll be surprised at how good the final product is.  One caveat: slicing okra pods to this size can eat up the minutes. So leave yourself ample prep time.

¼ pt vegetable oil

1 med onion, chopped fine

1 lb small okra pods cut in ¼ inch slices

3 under ripe bananas cut in ½ inch slices

4 tbls lemon juice

2 med tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small hot chili, seeded and chopped

1 tbls chopped cilantro

1 lb med shrimp, shelled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until it is soft. Add the okra and sauté 2-3 minutes longer.  Add the bananas, tomatoes, lemon juice, hot pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper.  Simmer about 5 minutes until the okra is tender.  Add the prawns and cook about 3 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink.

FRITURAS DE PLATANO VERDE

(Guat. Spicy Shrimp & Green Plantain Fritters)

Don’t be misled by the word “spicy” in this recipe.  When Guatemalans say spicy they mostly mean flavorful, with just enough heat to let you know it’s there.

1 ¼ cups shredded green plantains, about 2

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced serrano or other chili

2 oz frozen salad shrimp, or larger ones coarsely chopped

1 tsp sea salt

Black pepper to taste

¾ cup oil (approx.) for frying

Chopped red bell pepper and parsley for garnish

Combine all ingredients except oil. Form mixture into 16 equal sized balls. Mold each ball like a meatball, then press gently to flatten into patties.

Heat the oil in a deep, medium skillet until it sizzles and small bubbles begin to form. Cook the fritters in the oil until their edges look medium brown (about 2 minutes per side). Fry the fritters in batches, being sure to not overcrowd the skillet. 

Transfer the crispy fritters to a paper towel lined platter to absorb excess oil.

CAMARONES EMPANISADO

(Guat. Shrimp in White Batter)

This simple dish, which echoes the elegance of tempura, goes particularly well with rice & beans, and Puree (fried plantain mash)

1/2 lb medium or large shrimp

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 egg whites

2 cups flour

¼ cup corn oil

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp. Season them with the salt and pepper; let rest 10 minutes.

Beat the egg whites until frothy but not stiff. Fold in the flour.  Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat.

Dip the shrimp in the batter and fry them until lightly brown on both sides.  Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

When it comes to popular seafood dishes, Guatemalans are obsessive about ceviche---the various mixtures of seafood and other ingredients “cooked” in citrus that are ubiquitous to Latin America. They make it at home, order it in restaurants, and patronize cevicheria, which are restaurants devoted to ceviche.  It’s also considered a street food. available, as Amalia Moreno-Damgaard notes, “from the backs of pick-up trucks, shacks, stands, carts, and small mom-an-pop neighborhood stores.”food trucks and (insert name of ceviche shacks). It’s eaten for lunch, dinner, or just as a snack. There are the more-or-less standard proteins, such as finned fish and shrimp.  But there are some surprises, too, such as the use of clams.

CEVICHE DE CAMARONES

(Ecu. Shrimp Ceviche)

Given the Guatemalan obsession with shrimp, I figure it’s a natural place to start. This one actually stems from Ecuador, where the addition of ketchup---which adds a note of sweetness—is traditional.

1 ½-2 lbs medium shrimp (26-30 count)

1 ½ cups fresh lime juice

½ cup ketchup

2 tsp Worcestershire

¾ tsp salt

1 cup red onion sliced very thinly

1/4 cup or less minced seeded and deveined serrano or jalapeno chili

Fill a bowl with iced water. Set aside.  Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil; add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes or until just pink.  Immediately plunge them into the ice water. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Drain and set aside while making the marinade.

In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, ketchup, Worcestershire and salt, whisking until the ketchup is dissolved.  Stir in the shrimp, onions, and chilies, cover and chill for 20-30 minutes.

Top with avocado salad, if desired, and plantain chips.

CEVICHE DE CONCHAS

(Guat. Black Clams in Mint and Cilantro Citrus Sauce)

Conchas are a clam found on the Pacific coast from Baja California to the tip of Chili.  These exotic shellfish are black, white, and orange on the inside, with black juice.  Obviously, they’re not readily available in North America. But Cherrystone clams will substitute.

1 dozen conchas or cherrystone clams, shucked, juice included, coarsely chopped

½ cup finely diced Roma tomatoes

1 tbls finely diced red onion

½-1 Bird’s Eye (Thai) chili, finely chopped

½-1 tbls mint leaves, finely chopped

3-4 tbls freshly squeezed lime juice

1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Sea salt

Combine the clams with the tomatoes, onion chili, mint and lime juice in a medium bowl.

Gradually add the Worcestershire and salt, tasting and adjusting the seasoning.

Serve with soda crackers.

CEVICHE DE PESCADO

(Guat. Fish with Cucumber in Garlic-Lime Sauce

It’s important, when using finned fish in a ceviche, to use a firm-fleshed fish, rather than a flakey one. Thus, mahi-mahi, sea bass, tuna, and so forth are the best choices

     This recipe is only for a single portion. So increase amounts depending on how many servings you need.

1/3 cup bite-sized pieces of firm white fish

Salted water

1 tbls roughly chopped onion

1 tsp roughly chopped garlic

5 roughly chopped cilantro stems

1 Bird’s Eye (Thai) chili, stem removed

2 tbls freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tbls olive oil

¼ tsp sea salt

Black pepper to taste

1/3 cup, unpeeled, thinly julienned cucumber

1 tbls thinly julienned red or green bell pepper

1 tbls finely chopped cilantro leaves

Blanch the fish in salted water until opaque (about 2 minutes). Remove from the water and chill immediately in the refrigerator to keep it from cooking further.

With a mortar and pestle, gradually pound the onion, garlic, cilantro stems and chili to a fine paste. Add the lime juice, oil and seasonings, and stir with the pestle to form a saucy mixture (or puree in a blender or food processor.)

In a medium, non-reactive bowl, combine the fish, sauce, cucumber, bell pepper and cilantro leaves. Using a soft spatula, mix gently with folding strokes, taking care not to break the fish. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve the ceviche garnished with cilantro sprigs.

Fish and seafood goes far beyond ceviche.  If there’s a way to cook fish, and enhance it with tropical flavors, Guatemalans have discovered it, or borrowed it from their neighbors.  What follows is a representative view of how diverse fish prep can be.

TAPADO

(Guat. Seafood Stew)

Seafood stews and chowders abound in Latin America. Many of them, such as the iconic Guatemalan “Tapado” have roots in the better known Bahian Moquecas. See, for instance, http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/moqueca-brazilin-fish-stew_topic4448.html - http://www.foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/moqueca-brazilin-fish-stew_topic4448.html .

     What binds them is the use of coconut milk as all or part of the broth.

     There are as many versions of Tapado as there are Guatemalan cooks, from simple to complex.  This is one of the simpler ones. Among other things, it shows the versatility of Tapado.  I had no crab available, but threw in a ½ pound of mussels instead.

½ lb shrimp in the shell

2-3 whole crabs

½ cup boiling water

½ cup sliced tomato

½ cup sliced onion

½ cup sliced sweet green pepper

1 ripe plantain, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 firm ripe banana, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ tsp salt or to taste

¼ tsp achiote

½ lb filet of any white fish, such as halibut, sole, or flounder

1 tbls corn oil

1 cup coconut milk

Cook the shrimps and crabs in the boiling water for three minutes. Add the tomato, onion, sweet pepper, plantain, banana, salt and achiote. Cook, gently, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the fish in the oil for two minutes on each side. Cut the filet into three-inch pieces and add it to the stew with the coconut milk.

Simmer everything together over moderate heat for 10 minutes, basting frequently.  Do not cover the pan.

Serve warm

MOJARRAS AL AMATITLAN

(Guat. Pan-Roasted Mojarra with Lemon-Lime Parsley Sauce)

Mojarra is a fresh-water fish found in Guatemalan lakes. It’s similar to yellow perch, which can substitute. Or try it with any smaller freshwater fish, such as sauger or even white bass.

4-6 head on mojarras or similar fish, scaled, cleaned, rinsed and patted dry

Sea salt and black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil

1 lime, halved

Lime slices

Flat leaf parsley leaves

Sprinkle plenty of salt and pepper on both sides of the fish.  Dredge the fish in flour, and press the flour gently to make it stick. Set fish aside.

Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet. Panfry the fish over medium-low heat for about four minutes on one side to develop a nice brown crust and another 2-3 minutes on the other side to fully cook the fish.  Test for doneness; if the fish flakes easily when poked with a fork it is cooked.

Squeeze lime juice over the fish.  Garnish with lime slices and parsley.

TORTITAS DE SALALO

(Guat. Fish Patties)

Fish patties, throughout most of the world, are a way of using up left-over fish.  This Guatemalan version starts with raw fish, which provides a surprisingly different texture.

½ cup raw potato cubes

½ cup carrot slices

¼ cup sliced leek

¼ cup chopped celery

2 tbls chopped tomato

2 tbls chopped onion

½ ts1p salt, or to taste

¼ tsp black pepper

½ cup flour

1 lb firm fish filet, such as swordfish, tuna, chopped coarse

Process the potato, carrot, leek, celery, tomato and onion to a relatively smooth paste. Add the salt, black pepper and flour, and mix well. Add the chopped fish and mix well.

Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Shape the mixture into patties about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2–inch thick. Brown them in the oil about 4-5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

PESCADO ENVUELTO EN HUEVO CON SALSA DE TOMATE

(Guat. Egg-Battered Fish with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce)

Originally made with salted & dried fish, in this version it’s adapted to fresh fish for ease of preparation and speed of cooking.  While it specifies tilapia, any white fish works well.  Cod, in particular, lends itself to this dish.

For the sauce:

½ cup roughly chopped yellow onion

1 tsp roughly chopped garlic

1 cup roughly chopped Roma tomatoes

1/3 cup water

2 tbls olive oil

¼ tsp achiote dissolved in a little hot water

1 tsp fresh thyme or dried equivalent

¼ tsp crumbled oregano

1 bay leaf

¾ tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

For the egg batter:

1 large egg, separated

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tbls all-purpose flour

2 tilapia filets or other white fish

Salt & pepper

2 tbls canola oil

1 ½ cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes, cooked al dente

¼ cup chopped parsley (garnish)

3/4 thinly sliced onion rings (garnish)

Combine the onion, garlic, tomatoes and water in a blender and puree them to a fine consistency. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and add the puree, the achiote liquid, the herbs, and the salt and pepper. Cook until mixture is medium-thick and saucy.

Beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Add the yolk, salt, and flour. Beat 1 minutes to make a soft batter.

Sprinkle both sides of the fish generously with salt and pepper. Press the fish gently on both sides to make the seasonings stick. Heat a medium skillet and add 1 tablespoon of the oil.  Dip the first fish fillet in the batter to coat it well on both sides. Panfry the fish over medium heat to medium brown (2-3 minutes per side). Transfer the fish to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and repeat the frying procedure with the second filet.

Place the fish in the sauce to cook through for 2-3 minutes. Do not stir or turn the fish. Surround it with the potatoes.

Serve the dish garnished with parsley and onions.

PESCADO FRITO CON ENSALADA PLAYERA

(Ven. Fried Fish with Beachfront Salad)

Whole fried fish are endemic to the coastal areas of Latin America.  Often enough, they are served as street food---or, to put a point on it, beach food.  This one, from Venezuela, is typical of that genre.

4 whole snapper, 1 to 1 ½ lbs each scaled, gutted and cleaned

4 spring onions, finely chopped

1 tbls lime juice oil

Oil for deep frying

Salt & pepper

4 limes, quartered, for garnish

Coconut rice and patacones (twice fried green plantains) for service

For the salad:

½ onion, thinly sliced

1 ½ tsp lime juice

2 tbls oil

4 large lettuce leaves

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix the onion for the salad with the lime juice and oil, and season with salt and pepper. Leave for at least 10-20 minutes.

Make three or four diagonal cuts down both sides of the fish. Season the inside of each fish with salt and place a quarter of the chopped spring onions in each cavity. Rub salt and pepper over the skin of the fish and sprinkle with lime juice.

Heat the oil in a large pan or deep-fat fryer. When it reaches 350F drop in the fish two at a time, and fry for 15-18 minutes, turning once.  Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.  Fry the remaining fish.

Place a lettuce leaf on each serving plate, add a sliced tomato and some seasoned onion, together with a fish. Garnish with lime wedges and serve with coconut rice and patacones.

When it comes to salads and side dishes, Central American’s have unlimited choices.  They have just about any vegetable we’re familiar with, and several more-or-less unfamiliar ones as well. 

Fortunately, with rare exception, even the more exotic ones are available on-line or in Latin markets.  The fact is, even today’s supermarkets often stock veggies our mothers and grandmothers probably wouldn’t have recognized, such as yucca, jicama, tomatillos, and chayote. 

What may remain strange is how veggies are handled. Fruits and vegies are flavored and combined in what may appear to be strange ways.  I’ve made an effort to avoid the more esoteric cooking methods.  This is, after all, an introduction to Central American cuisine, not a definitive treatise.  Interestingly, however, are dishes and techniques that were once popular in British North America, but which went out of favor during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. 

One example is pickled onions.  These utilize small pickling onions (I use pearl onions) in a brine.  Most Guatemalans have a jar of these in the fridge at all times, as they go with just about any main dish.  The recipe, which follows, is indistinguishable from one I adapted from 18^th century Virginia.

As an alternative, I often make these with sliced red onions, and use them as a topping for tacos and the like. You might even try them, that way, on hot dogs---which is Guatemalan in spirit, as they love hot dogs down there.

After corn, beans---both fresh and dried---are the most popular vegetables. Indeed, in many Latin households beans are served at least once daily.  Potatoes follow beans in popularity, and potato dishes are almost an art form in Central America. In addition, both chayote and plantains are used frequently, both as stars of the dish or as an additional element.

The following are just a small sample of the diverse salads and sides found in the region.

ENCURTIDOS DE CEBOLLA

(Guat. Pickled Onions)

1 cup small pickling onions, peeled, or thinly sliced red onions

½ cup white or cider vinegar

½ cup water

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp dried thyme

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tbls sugar

Make a ¼-inch deep crisscross in the stem end of each onion. Combine all the other ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to simmer, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the onions, cover the pan, and simmer over moderate to low heat for 5 minutes.

Cool the mixture and refrigerate in a tightly covered container for at least 24 hours before serving.

CEBOLLAS ENCURTIDAS YUCATECAS

(Yucatan Pickled Onions)

Just to show the possibilities, here is another version of pickled onions, this one from Yucatan)

3 cups red onion sliced very thin

1 garlic clove, left whole

½ cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup cider vinegar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp salt

2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried

¼ tsp allspice berries

¼ tsp peppercorns

Fill a large bowl with iced water. Place the onions in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, drain, and plunge them into the ice water.

In a medium bowl, combine the onions, garlic, orange juice, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, thyme, allspice, and peppercorns. Cover well and chill for at least hours or overnight.

CHOJIN

(Guat. Radish Salad)

4 bunches radish (about 1 ½ lbs)

1/3 cup bitter orange juice or equivalent

1 small onion, chopped fine

1/3 cup finely chopped mint leaves

1 Serrano chili, seeded and chopped fine

4 oz pork cracklings, chopped, or 2 sliced crisp bacon, crumbled

Tip and tail the radishes. Rinse and dry well.  Coarsely chop them by hand or pulse in a food processor; do not over-process.

Place radishes in a bowl and toss with rest of the ingredients, except the cracklings. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve, sprinkling each serving with some of the cracklings.

JICAMA SALAD

(Pan-Latin America)

Jicama salads are endemic to Latin America, in all sorts of versions.  This one comes originally from Mexico.

2 cups julienned jicama

½ cup each julienned red, yellow, and green bell pepper

½ cup julienned cucumber

½ cup julienned carrot

1 tbls minced cilantro

1 tsp minced parsley

1 tsp minced chives

2 shallots, minced

2 tbls Sherry vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl.

Whisk together remaining ingredients until well blended. Toss the dressing with the vegetables and chill until ready to serve.

ORANGE, ONION, AND PEPITA SALAD

(Pan-Latin America)

Orange and red onion salads are found throughout the world, differing slightly by seasonings used, and the addition of other ingredients (olives are very common, for instance). The twist here is the topping of pumpkin seeds.

¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds

4 peeled navel oranges, sliced thin

¼ cup red onion, sliced thin*

1 tbls fresh lime juice

1 tsp guajillo chili powder

Salt to taste

Place the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast them, stirring constantly, until they begin to puff and turn a golden color, 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.  Remove from heat, let cool, and chop finely or grind to a powder. Set aside.

Arrange the orange slices on a platter, top with the sliced onions. Sprinkle the salad with lime juice, chili powder, salt, and the pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

*Some people find the taste of raw red onions to be too sharp. If so, soak the slices in cold water for a few minutes, dry them well, and then add to the salad. 

CURTIDO

(Latin American Slaw)

6 cups finely shredded cabbage

2 cups shredded carrots

¼ cup minced jalapenos

1 cup peeled, seeded and minced plum tomatoes

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots and jalapenos in a large bowl. Pour in enough boiling water to cover them, and stir. Let sit for one minutes. Strain, draining it well, and return to the bowl to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Chill for 1 hour, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

FRIJOLES CON ARROZ

(Guat. Rice and Beans)

Literally every Latin American country has at least one example of rice and beans. And its proponents argue that theirs is the only true version.  That’s one argument I’ll refrain from joining, though. Me, I never met a dish of rice and beans that I didn’t like.  This one is from Guatemala. But, given the addition of coconut milk, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was originally Bahian.

1 lb red kidney beans

4 cups water

1 cup diced tomatoes

½ cup diced sweet green pepper

2 tbls chopped onion

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt or to taste

3 cups raw rice

½ cup coconut milk

Soak beans overnight in the water. Next day, add the tomatoes, sweet pepper, onion, bay leaves, thyme and salt.  Bring to a boil and cook in a covered saucepan 45 minutes to an hour, until beans have softened.

Add the rice and coconut milk and stir well. Return the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Stir once or twice during the cooking process to blend all the seasonings.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

We’ll look at some additional salads and sides next time.

Here are some additional salad and side dish recipes:

PAPAS CHORREADAS

(Col. Potatoes with Cheese, Tomato, and Onion Sauce)

6 large potatoes, scrubbed

½ oz lard & ½ oz butter

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 large tomatoes, peeled & chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

4 oz heavy cream

¼ lb grated cheddar cheese

Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan until they are tender. Drain the potatoes, peel them, and keep them warm.

Heat the lard and butter in a skillet and sauté the onion until softened. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cream and cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese is partially melted.

Pour the sauce over the potatoes and serve.

ZANAHORIA Y GUISQUIL SALTEASDOS CON PICAMAS

(Guat. Carrots and Chayote Sauté)

2 cups julienned carrot

1 tbls vegetable oil

2 cups julienned chayote

3 tbls onion, diced fine

½ tsp garlic, minced

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tbls green hot sauce (see notes on Picamas above)

Salt and black pepper to taste

½ tbls paprika for garnish

1 tbls parsley, chopped fine, for garnish

In a hot skillet, sauté carrots in ½ tbls oil for 2 minutes, season lightly with salt and pepper, and transfer them to a bowl. In the other ½ tablespoon of oil, sauté the chayote squash for 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and transfer to the same bowl.

Sauté the onion and garlic in 2 teaspoons of oil until onion is translucent, about 1 minute. Add the Picamas and mix well. Return the carrots and chayote to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute to combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serve the dish warm, garnished with paprika and parsley.

BERENJENSAS CON VAINITAS

(Ven.  Aubergine with Green Beans)

2 lbs aubergines (eggplant)

Salt

6 tbls vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

4 medium tomatoes, peeled & chopped

Pinch of sugar

20 small pimiento-stuffed olives (about 2 oz)

1 lb green beans cut in 1-inch pieces

2 tbls butter

2 tbls parsley, chopped fine

Cut the aubergine into ½-inch slices, then cut each slice into fingers crosswise. Put into a colander, sprinkle with salt, and leave for about ½ hour to drain the bitter juice. Rinse in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion and aubergine. Sauté, turning the aubergine pieces once or twice, until the onions and aubergine are both soft.  Add the tomatoes, salt to taste, sugar, and pepper.  Stir in the olives and cook about 5 minutes longer or until the mixture is fairly dry.

Cook the beans in boiling salted water until they are tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain thoroughly; return to the saucepan with the butter and toss over moderate heat until the butter is melted.

Arrange the aubergine mixture in the center of a serving dish; surround it with the beans and sprinkle with the parsley.

PUREE

(Guat. Fried Plantain Mash)

2 half-ripe plantains

3 cups water

½ tsp salt

2 tbls butter or corn oil

Peel the plantains and slice them into thick pieces. Cook them in the water with the salt over moderate heat until they are soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes.

Mash the plantain into a thick dough in a food processor and shape it into a log or loaf. Refrigerate for an hour, then cut into ½ inch thick slices.

Heat the butter or oil in a skillet and brown the slices on both sides over moderate to low heat.  Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

GUISO DE ELOTE CON CAYOTE

(CR. Sauté of Corn and Chayote)

4 ears of corn*

¼ cup onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbls butter

3 chayote, peeled and cut in ¼ inch cubes

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 cup milk

1 tbls chopped cilantro

Scrape the kernels off the cobs to make about 2 cups. 

In a skillet, over moderate heat, fry the onion and garlic in butter for 2 minutes.  Add the corn kernels and chayote, stir-fry for 1 minute, cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.

Add the salt, sugar, milk and cilantro.  Simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes to ensure that the flavors have blended and the chayote is tender.

*If fresh corn isn’t available, substitute either 2 cups of frozen kernels or a 12-oz can of kernels.

CALABACITAS EN CALDILLO DE JITOMTE CON SALSA

(Mex. Summer Squash in Tomato Broth and Sauce)

For the squash:

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

8 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 garlic cloves

¼ cup corn oil

2 tbls butter

1-2 jalapenos, halved lengthwise

2 ½ lbs small to medium summer squash, peeled, seeded, cut in ¼ inch slices

6 cilantro sprigs

For the sauce:

4-6 chili de arbol

¼ cup sesame seeds

1 cup blanched almonds

1 small, unpeeled onion

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 ½ cups chicken broth

Salt to taste

Cook the squash: Combine half the onion, the tomatoes and the garlic in a blender or food processor and process to a fine puree. Set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the rest of the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the squash and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Pour in the onion & tomatoes mixture, add the jalapenos and cilantro, and bring to a simmer.  Add salt to taste.  Cook until the liquid is reduced and thickened a bit, about 8 minutes.

Make the sauce:  Heat a griddle over medium-high heat.  Add the chilies and roast, turning once or twice, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 40 seconds. Set aside.  Add sesame seeds and toast lightly. Transfer to a small bowl.

Add the almonds to the pan and toast, stirring, about 2 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer to the bowl with the sesame seeds.  Toast the onion and garlic, turning occasionally, until lightly blistered and soft, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then peel. Combine the onion, garlic, toasted chilies, almonds, sesame seeds and warm broth in a blender or food processor and process to a smooth puree. Season with salt.

Serve squash with a dollop of the sauce.

ENJOTES EN IGUAXTE

(Guat. Green Beans in Squash Seed Sauce)

½ lb whole green beans

2 cups water

½ tsp salt

1 cup shelled squash seeds

¼ cup chopped tomato

½ cup chopped onion

2 tsp corn oil

1 cup beef broth

Cook the green beans in the water with the salt until tender-crisp. Drain well, set aside, and keep warm.

Toast the squash seeds in a dry skillet over low heat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Grind the seeds into a powder and sift them through a metal sieve.

In a deep skillet, fry the tomato and onion in the oil over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add the beef broth and ground seeds. Stir well and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.  Add ¼ cup more broth if the sauce becomes too thick.

Pour the sauce over the beans, and serve immediately with meat and poultry dishes.