Arroz con Pollo

Most of the dishes I cook I like to classify as comfort food, food that sticks to your ribs and can be easily eaten in a bowl while sitting on the couch covered with a blanket while watching Top Chef.  I think what makes food "comfort food" is the chance to add your own personal flair to a dish and when the time is taken to slowly prepare and pay close attention to what's being made, that's what really produces food that you would want to share with others.  

When I was a Sophomore undergrad, I was perfectly fine with my monthly trips to Costco, loading up my trunk with industrial sized palettes of cup o' noodles and pizza rolls.  After a while, I realized the amount of processed food I was shoving into my face couldn't be at all good...despite how delicious it was.  I started poking around, reading a few cookbooks and came across a recipe for Arroz con Pollo.  Chicken and Rice, pretty easy right?.  I gave it a shot, added some Louisiana hot links and immediately called my friends over to eat what I thought was the best thing since Bagel Bites.  The next time I made it was for a significant other on Valentine's Day, which we ate by candlelight in my formal dining room with Dashboard Confessional playing in the background (classy, I know, I'm quite the romantic).  That relationship eventually went to hell, and I haven't made Arroz con Pollo since...just a coincidence, there were no ill-feelings after it ended.

Anywho, I knew the general principle behind the dish and saw an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay featuring the ACP where Flay added turmeric, and the other dude cooked his chicken with beer.  Taking these two ideas, I kind of toyed around in the kitchen and ended up with all kinds of deliciousness as a result.

What Flay said was that the "sofrito" was the part of the dish that stood as the backbone of flavor for the dish.  Really, I just like saying "sofrito."  so-FREE-toe.

Arroz con Pollo 

(Serves 6?...just make it and eat the leftovers the next day...its just as delicious.):

4 1/2 c. Long Grain Jasmine Rice

Sofrito:

1 Red & 1 Green Bell Pepper

1/2 large yellow onion

8 cloves garlic (minced)

salt/pepper

5-6 Chicken thighs (skin on, bone in please, they taste better)

Bottle of your favorite beer (I used Corona...I figure I would stick with the Latin theme, I'm sure Tecate or Dos Equis would be just as fine.)

3 Cartons of Chicken Stock

Garlic Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Olive Oil

Turmeric

Cilantro

Ideally, the ACP is a one pot dish (which makes clean-up a happier time).  In a 10" Skillet with a lid, drizzle in a little olive oil and sear the chicken over a medium-high stove.  After you ge ta good sear on both sides, pour in about 3/4ths of a bottle of the Corona and let it steam the chicken until the beer reduces and eventually evaporates.  After the chicken has gotten the GBD (golden, brown, and delicious) take them out and set them aside on a plate.  In the same pan, add a couple more turns of olive oil and toss in your ingredients for the "sofrito."  When I did this, I tried roasting the bell peppers on my spider burners, to get a roasted taste to it...I gave up after attempting to roast the green one.  Either way, just discard the seeds and the ribs and cut them into tiny little pieces.  I'm not a fan of big stringy vegetables in my food, so I keep them small so I'll actually eat them. 

Bah, ok, so toss around the sofrito to get everything covered, toasted, and merry.  When your onions become translucent, toss in your rice.  I added the rice in installments, slowly mixing in the ingredients until they're fully incorporated.  Pour in one carton of chicken stock and use your spatula to get all the burnt chicken bits off the bottom of the pan.  The Food Network taught me this is known as "de-glazing" getting all the deliciousness from the bottom and into your food.  Mmmm...bits.  Sprinkle in about half a teaspoon of turmeric.  Not gonna lie, I don't really know what the turmeric is for...but it gives the rice a yummy goldish color.  Cayenne pepper for taste, I like things with a little kick, so thats more of a personal choice.

This is where it gets kind of tricky.  I stayed by the stove and stirred continuously over a medium heat.  I kept adding chicken stock until the rice was finished.  I didn't want to leave the rice by itself on the stove for fear of burning the bottom while the top stayed raw.  This is where the love and dedication come into play when cooking.  After about 25? 30 minutes? your rice should be done and you can pop your chicken back in.  I decided to cut the meat off the bone and shred it a little, just so it would incorporate throughout the rice and that way you won't run out of chicken before you run out of rice.  

Chop up some cilantro, sprinkle on top to give it some color and fanciness, and serve! It should be all kinds of delicious.  I pretty much made this up on my own as I was cooking, keeping the general process the same, and threw in things that I had in my cabinet that I thought would be wonderful.  So yeah, play with it, it'll be fun.  If not, feed it to the dog...or friends you don't particularly like.  Good luck!!

Lumpia

As a Filipino-American, no other food translates between cultures at potlucks and parties more than Lumpia.  This deep fried delicacy can bring even the most strictest of vegetarians to the wonderful side of animal consumption.  I have been eating this since before I can remember and have been making it since I had the motor skills to roll play-dough.  Like most traditional Filipino foods, Lumpia varies from family to family.  My Mum makes them with ground beef and vegetables, my Grandmother makes them with chicken and raisins, and My Dad makes them with a mixture of pork and beef, the recipe I based my own variation on.  All of which are delicious. 

The biggest obstacle to making this is the time needed to prepare the food.  Combining the ingredients and everything is easy, it's separating the wrappers and rolling the actual lumpia that takes the most time.  Of course, after the few hours needed to actually cook the food, it takes a substantially shorter amount of time to eat it.  It's best eaten within the few hours its cooked because if left out, it has a tendency to go soggy.  While still delicious, it lacks the satisfying "crunch" that makes all bad-for-you food so appealing.  

One of the shortest cooked-to-consumed turnover was the Phi Alpha Delta potluck thrown by my pledge class (Go Alpha Zetas!).  To foster a bond between pledge and fraternity, we were paired with a "big sib" for advice, encouragement, and guidance.  The potluck was another event where we were given the opportunity to spend some time with our Bigs and make food for the fraternity.  Being the only Filipino pledge at the time, it was pretty much understood that I would be bringing lumpia...word got out and I was pretty much bound by my brothers to bring it.  

My Big and I spent 2 days rolling and preparing for the potluck.  One day mixing and rolling, the next actually deep frying.  As two full time students with part time jobs on top of the responsibilities dictated by the fraternity, Lauren and I were forced to cook the lumpia a mere 2 hours before the potluck.  We cooked at her apartment and rushed over to the house in time for feeding.  Deep frying meat, while delicious and wonderful while eating, can leave a lingering aroma for a few hours.  We rushed over to the house with the windows down in hopes of air blasting the smell off our clothes, while still maintaining the warmth of the food.  Within 10 minutes of arriving, our casserole dish was empty and the compliments were flooding from all directions.  Not to toot my own horn, but it was pretty amazing.  Downside, it's all I am asked to make at any dinner-style gathering.  Ever.  I still willingly oblige, mainly because I get to snack while I cook, so I never miss out on the goodness. 

Here's the recipe, if possible, cook with an open window, just to minimize the after-aroma.

Lumpia (Serves...however many get to it before it's gone):

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (I don't go with the lean stuff...it's going to be deep fried, so don't kid yourself that it's healthier to go lean.)

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork

9-10 cloves of minced garlic

2 large carrots (peeled and grated)

1/2 large yellow onion (minced)

about a thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger (grated)

4-5 green onions, chopped

4-5 tablespoons of Soy Sauce

2-3 tablespoons of Rice Vinegar

a few "cracks" of black pepper

2 eggs

2 Packages of lumpia wrapper, found at most Asian markets, I haven't seen any at Safeway yet.

Pardon the extremely vague portions, while cooking it's done pretty much by sight...after you get used to cooking, it kind of just becomes second nature.  If you get curious as to what it tastes like, fry a small patty and taste...season according to your personal tastes.  

To make, combine all the above, in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Try not to overwork the mixture, too much activity will cause the meat to become tough.  Make a little dent in the middle of the meat, put all of the stuff in, and gently fold until everything is well incorporated, like the Tortilla Espanola, you do not want to end up with a bite full of onion...or ginger. The eggs will help hold everything together.  I'm sure you can just use the whites...but again, you'll be deep-frying meat, if you're gonna go there, go big.

After separating the wrappers, roll them with about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture, you want to make sure it's not too thick because you want to make sure it cooks the whole way through, and evenly, avoiding ending up with burnt edges and raw centers.  Seal the lumpia with a few swipes of beaten egg and freeze for up to a month.  If you have the time, roll the night before, to give it some time to harden in the freezer...not necessary, but it's what I was taught to do...more a habit than anything.  I've cooked them right after rolling and they were delicious.  

So yes, mix, roll, cut into bite sized pieces (about 2 inches) and deep fry in enough vegetable oil to keep them submerged.  Fry until golden, brown, and delicious.  Serve ASAP with soy sauce, ketchup, or chili sauce, whatever floats your boat.  Good luck in the kitchen!!

Tortilla Espanola

One of the first things I learned to cook on my own was Tortilla Espanola.  I was a Freshman undergrad at the University of California, Davis enrolled in the introductory Spanish courses.  A part of each class was dedicated to learning about the cultures of Spanish-speaking nations. The best, and most memorable part of the curriculum involved students researching the cuisine of a country and preparing a dish to share with the class.  As a freshman in the dorms, my access to any kitchen, let alone any applicable culinary tools were limited to none.  Our Spanish profesora was a twenty-something graduate student living in Davis and mercifully allowed my group the use of her kitchen to prepare food for the project.  She drove me and another group member to the local Safeway, and pretty much let us tear apart her kitchen in our feeble attempt to make something even remotely edible.  

The time we spent in the kitchen was limited, seeing as how Tortilla Espanola is a fairly simple dish to create and aside from flipping the whole thing in the pan, takes minimal effort to create.  What made this experience worth sharing was the fact that I was a bright eyed, bushy tailed Freshman, with a very small view of the world coming from the suburbs of San Francisco, CA and spent most of my time with those my age, with the same problems, experiences, and worldliness as myself.  I was able to experience the world through the stories and experiences of my multilingual Canadian Spanish teacher who held a strong belief in the power of crystals and astrology.  A tarot card reading and a feeding session with her two pet chinchillas (aptly named Peanut and Jelly) later, our Tortilla Espanola was finished and we were on our bikes back to campus.

The presentation the next day went off beautifully.  Our dish was by far the most popular and our resulting "A" was the perfect end to our project.  I still make this dish and share it with others, each time further perfecting flipping the dish in the pan, attempting to keep it in one piece.  In Spain, Tortilla Espanola can be served as a main dish, sliced in wedges and served alongside toasted bread, or as tapas by placing the dish on bite sized pieces of bread, kind of like a canape.  Either way, the dish is traditionally served room temperature, or chilled.  By experimenting with the ingredients, you can figure out a way to tailor it to your personal tastes and make it your own.  

Buena Suerte y Buen Provecho!

Tortilla Espanola: (serves approx. 6)

3-4 large russet potatoes (diced, or shredded if possible)

1/2 a large yellow onion (minced)

10 eggs

salt/pepper to taste

paprika

In a large bowl, combine the peeled and finely diced potatoes with the 10 beaten eggs.  Add about a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper.  Ensure that the mixture is well incorporated (so you don't end up with a mess of onion in one bite).  The mixture should not be too loose...kind of like pancake batter...with bits of potato.

In a 9" pan pour enough to cover the bottom...thick enough to make a substantial omelet.  On medium heat simmer until a bottom crust forms and solidifies.  After its pretty set, flip the entire thing over to cook and crust on the other side until golden brown and delicious.  

I've always had trouble flipping and have tried it different ways.  I've put a plate on top of the pan and flipped it, and i've cut it into pieces and flipped the pieces.  Either way, the taste isn't affected, its mainly for presentation.  Let cool, cut into wedges, sprinkle with paprika, and enjoy!

Depending on your tastes, you can serve with salsa or hot sauce for some extra kick.  Toy around with the ingredients and throw in whatever you like, chorizo, cheese, garlic, and some diced tomatoes come to mind.  Good luck in the kitchen!!

Taste of Inspiration: Welcome!

Thanks for dropping by!  

I plan on sharing with you, my gentle reader, favorite recipes, some of which have been in my family for generations and some which I've taken and made my own.  My childhood was filled with memories of attending parties and gatherings at relatives' houses.  Regardless of where, the one common thread was that the house was always filled with people and food, both with stories that made each special and unique.

Good luck in the kitchen!!