Sopa de Ajo, Pan y Lluevos

[gemenilaidback]

Me encata paella! I love all seafood especially crab legs!

[JaneMas]

Originally Posted by Yujike

Jane and geminilaidback, I agree this is a good post to unwind after fighting demons.

There are two ways of making rice and apparently this is influenced by the region of the island that you come from. I'm from the eastern part of the island and my mother "cooked" the rice and the last thing added was the water, which made the concoction emit a sizzling sound. Were I live in Connecticut the people from the wastern part of the island put everything together, including the water, and then let it boil down. I prefer the first method because this way you can soften the onion and garlic with the olive oil, add flavors or even meat and then deglaze with either water or one of those chicken or beef stock and the end result is a very flavorful mix of ingredients. Since my two grandsons are rice and bean devotees I find myself making all rice and meat and vegetable combinations and it is possible because rice lends itself to so many varities of dishes and preparations. One thing I hate is "arroz amogollao", which usually results from not letting most of the water evaporate during the first stage of cooking the rice before you stir, cover and lower the heat. Also this is compounded by the use of vegetables or meat because they also release water and contribute to this "amogollamiento".
Do you guys like seafood?

That is a very interesting view. Thanks for sharing. I see why rice might be fried in oil first. To make PEGAO right? I'm referring to white rice. Red rice as we call the other one should be like you said simmered with the sauce and seasoning before adding the rice. Or simmered with the meat before adding the rice, especially pork meat so you won't overcook the rice.

I'm one of those who like amogollao rice. I don't really care for rice that doesn't stick. Scooping up rice that is constanly falling off your fork is a pain. That's one good reason the asians like theirs this way too. My mom makes a good pot of white rice with a little oil and garlic, with an Olive Oil salad of Pulpo and Shrimp!

[gemenilaidback]

Definetly, I love for my rice to stick what my family love to call con con. You are exactly right to the best way to cook is let everything simmer in the sauce. then I put some crablegs and I added some Nueva orleans savoure to the meal.......crayfish....Although I forgot to buy some old bay spice so I improvsed...I used some sazon with achiote and culantro then addded some cayenne pepper ( I ve been haningaround the Trinis too long). It covered the crablegs and the cray fish just right... ..............


Right now I am still eating left over mondongo y rabo encendido....with some white rice. Jane mas I need to watch my heath though my cooking skills do not help my arthritis when I gain weight. My girl loves when I right yall cause it keeps my blood presure down. I am like 200lbs mostly muscle but i could loose a few right now . Alot of the fried tostones y platano maduros adds pressue to my ankles in the libras department.


"Scooping up rice that is constanly falling off your fork is a pain. "
I was at a retruant yesterday and I couldnt figur out what was getting on my nerves and this is what it was. My girlfreind makes rice different than I would but likes mine the best. I had some apollo fricassse yesterday in a cuban restraunt ...know where I might find a recipe?

[JaneMas]

Fricase de Pollo? Like Chicken Cacciatore? I got a real good one! Good enough to get a Gold Ribbon! I made it at every job I had all had RAVED about it! It' really easy to make.

[Yujike]

With Fricase the important thing is to control the water again, very little or none at all, except for the red wine. I stll get Vino el Pavo for mine and the taste is ALMOST like my mother made it.

Last night I made one of those weird rices I was talking to you guys about. This one was made with left over biste and about two pounds of clams that I gathered from the ocen in Rhode Island. I have my own oregano brujo plants (the big leaf) and my mother in law sends me the sofrito from PR, straight from her garden, and it was tasty, my grandsons, as always, repitieron.

I'm also a soup fanatic, especially here in New England when the skies are gray and it gets cold, you can bet I'm going to be cooking some mean soup.

[JaneMas]

I like my fricasse with beer

[Yujike]

Jane: Is it Light beer? Sam Adams?, I've found that it does make a difference if the beer is a lager or a malt, light or any other kind. Do you use tomate sauce or tomato paste? Are your spices whole or pulverized? Fresh or in a jar. Do you sautee the chicken separate before adding it to the pot? So many directions, so little time!!!

Fricase de conejo, anyone??