Empanadas

Ingredients: Pastry Dough: 3 cups Unbleached Flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1 cup Shortening 3/4 cup Cold Water 1 tbs Vinegar 2 Egg Yolks Filling: 2 tbs Oil 1 lb Lean Beef, coarsely ground 1 lb Lean Pork, coarsely ground 2 tsp Salt 1 tsp freshly grated Black Pepper 1 tsp Cayenne 1 1/2 cups Onions, finely chopped 2 tbs Garlic, minced 1 large Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped 2 Jalapeno Peppers, finely chopped 4 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1 tsp ground Thyme 1/2 tsp ground Allspice 1/2 tsp grated Nutmeg 1/4 cup Raisins 3 tbs Red Wine Vinegar 1 cup Green Pimento Salad Olives, chopped 1 Egg 1 tbs water Preparation: Pastry Dough: Combine flour and salt in a large bowl and cut in shortening. In another bowl, combine water, vinegar, and egg yolks; mix well. Add the liquid to the dry mixture. Mix with your hands and form into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Filling: Mix beef, pork, salt, pepper, and cayenne together. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meat well in batches and set aside. Saute onions, bell peppers, chiles, and garlic until soft. Return meat and any juices to the pan. Add tomatoes, raisins, vinegar, thyme, allspice, and nutmeg. Simmer until meat is very tender, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add olives and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Assembly: Beat the egg and water together. Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut in half; return half to the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface roll out thin. Cut 6" circles (a 2 1/2 lb coffee can works fine). Add a generous portion of filling to the center of each circle. Fold the dough in half over the filling and crimp edges well with a fork. 7. Pierce the tops of the pastries with a fork and brush tops with the egg/water mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat for other half of the dough (Note: The scraps from the other batch may be rolled in with the second half.) Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve either warm or at room temperature Note: If smaller, cocktail sized pastries (Empanaditas) are desired cut the pastry circles to 3 1/2 inches. A large tuna can works just right.

Tres Leches

Ingredients Sponge Cake 6 eggs, separated 2 cups sugar 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour ½ cup whole milk 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract Cream 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk 1 (14 fluid ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup whipping cream Frosting 3 egg whites 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons water ¼ cup of light corn syrup, such as Karo Directions Spongecake In the bowl of your mixer place the egg whites. Beat at low speed first and then increase the speed to high until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, letting it dissolve well before adding more, and beat until firm. Add the egg yolks one by one, beating well after each addition. Now mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture alternating with the milk. This operation has to be done quickly or the batter will lose the lightness in it. Finally, add the vanilla. Pour this batter in a medium rectangular pyrex, greased and floured, and bake for about 45 minutes in a 350°F oven. Be sure to check that it's thoroughly cooked through before removing from the oven. If you use a large pirex, reduce the cooking time. I found that using a medium one will create a more moist cake as you'll have more mass to absorb the creams. However it will yield fewer portions. Cream While this is baking, just mix everything together in a blender and pour over the still warm spongecake. Frosting Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and let boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the hot syrup in a string and continue beating at high speed until all the syrup has been added. Beat until no longer warm. To Serve Once the soaked spongecake is at room temperature you have to let it cool in the refrigerator. Then you can spread the frosting and put back in the cold. This is supposed to be served very cold. You can decorate this cake with silver dragées or you can also make some caramel and let some strings of it just casually over the frosting or add some flaked almonds or other nuts to give it a little crunchiness.

Patacones

Ingredients 2 green plantains 1 cup vegetable oil, plus more if necessary Salt Directions Cut off the ends of the plantains and then carefully cut a slit down the length of the skin without cutting into the plantain itself. Using a wooden spoon, pry up the edges of the peel and pull off the skin. Once the peel is removed cut the plantain crosswise into 3 or 4 pieces, each about 2 to 3 inches long. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat until it shimmers, about 3 minutes. Add the plantains and fry them until they turn golden on all sides, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then place between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Reduce the heat to medium. Flatten the plantains by pressing down on them with a heavy-bottomed pan. Return 1/2 of the flattened plantains to the oil and re-fry until deep golden on both sides, about 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer back to the paper towel-lined plate to drain and repeat with the remaining flattened plantains. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Arroz con Pollo: Rice with Chicken

Serves 4 Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 2 lbs chicken drumsticks 1 large onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, crushed 1 can (approx. 15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup white wine 3 cups chicken stock Pinch saffron 2 1/4 cups medium grain white rice Method Heat the oil on medium high heat in a large saucepan and fry the chicken drumsticks until browned on all sides. Reduce heat to medium, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and fry for a minute or so stirring occassionally. Add the tomatoes, black pepper, bay leaves, and wine. Simmer for 5 minutes or so. Meanwhile, heat the stock with the saffron and rinse the rice. Add rice and stock to the chicken and vegetables, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for 20 minutes. Without uncovering, turn off heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Carimañolas (Stuffed Yucca)

Ingredients: 4 lbs Yucca Root, peeled and cut into 1" cubes 4 Eggs (2 separated) 2 tbs Butter 1/2 lb lean ground Beef 1 tbs Olive Oil 1/2 cup Onions, chopped fine 2 Jalapeno Peppers, chopped fine 1 tsp ground Cumin 1/2 tsp ground Thyme 1 tsp Garlic, minced 1 can (15oz) Tomato Sauce Seasoned Bread Crumbs (optional) Flour Salt Oil for deep frying Preparation: In a saucepan or stock pot cover yucca with water, add 1 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions and chiles until onions are translucent. Add ground beef and brown, breaking up as fine as possible. Add cumin, thyme, garlic, and tomato sauce. Simmer, stirring frequently until filling is very thick. Salt to taste, remove from heat, and cool to room temperature. Drain yucca well and mash thoroughly with butter, using a potato masher or mixer. Beat 2 egg yolks until smooth. Add egg yolks to the yucca and beat in thoroughly. Cool to room temperature. Roll a portion (about 1/2 cup) of the mixture into a ball. [Note: If the dough is too soft to handle, a small amount of flour may be added.] With the flat of your thumb, make a deep indentation in the ball. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of the filling in the indentation. Work the dough back around the filling, insuring that the filling is completely covered and centered in the, now elongated ball. Beat the 2 remaining egg whites and the 2 whole eggs together until smooth. Roll the caraminolas in flower, dip in the beaten eggs, and roll in bread crumbs to coat completely. (if desired, otherwise just dust lightly with flour) Deep fry in hot oil (380-390degrees), 2 or 3 at a time, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve either warm or at room temperature.

Ceviche de Camarones: Shrimp Ceviche

Ingredients 1 lb bay shrimp (raw) juice of 4 large limes 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional) 1 onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup clam juice (or water) 1/2 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped very fine Method Combine all ingredients, except the habanero, and taste for salt. Add the habanero, toss, and marinate in refrigerator overnight. Serve with saltine crackers on the side.