Hummus

Sept 22, 2010

from Oswald at Large by Oswald Rivera

When I was a youngster growing up back on the block, we never heard of hummus. It wasn't until my early adult-hood that I became aware of this Middle Eastern savory. Today its is ubiquitous. You see it everywhere. No party, wedding, birthday bash, or social function would be complete without it. It's used as a spread, dip, or pita filling. Most people get it in the supermarket, with all the additives that come with it to preserve shelf-life. However, some of us would never buy the store bought stuff. Why? Because it is so EASY to make. Ten minutes, top, and you have grade A hummus.

Hummus is a concoction of chick peas (garbanzo beans), Tahini, or sesame seed paste. I use Tahini, which can be found in any store and is simply pureed roasted sesame seeds. Apart from using hummus as dip or over veggies, I like it over rice. Try it. It'll spice up the old grain. But my favorite hummus recipe is with pasta and olives. Simple: cook any tubular pasta (penne, macaroni, rigatoni, ditalini, etc.) as per package directions. Drain, then add a cup of hummus, and one (6-oz) can medium or large black olives (drained under cold running water to remove excess salt, and sliced). Mix it all together, and you have a great, delish pasta dish. Quick and Nutritious.

Of course, you need to make the hummus first. So, here is my quick hummus recipe. You'll never buy the shelf stuff ever again.

BASIC HUMMUS

1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1/3 cup Tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Place all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a serving bowl or dish. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and serve.
Yield: about 2 cups (the recipe can be doubled for additional servings)
NOTE: Some people like to add cumin (about 1 teaspoon) and a pinch of paprika to the recipe for a more pronounced Middle Eastern flavor. Do whatever suits you best.

Fried Green Plantains (Tostones)

Sept 9, 2010

from Oswald at Large by Oswald Rivera

Please enjoy the Video: If you can not see it click here


I enjoyed making this video with my good friend this week.

The Hard Drive Doctor

We plan on doing more Cooking Videos as time passes.

Rossana Rossi's Red Clam Sauce

Sept 8, 2010

from Oswald at Large by Oswald Rivera

One of my dear friends, Rossana Rossi, had sent me (at my request) a delicious clam sauce. It is truly scrumptious. Now, in her recipe, fresh clams are used. If you don't want the bother or trouble of shucking fresh clams, I guess you can buy chopped or whole clams from a jar at the supermarket. But, I tell ya, it ain't the same. The taste and texture of fresh clams is unequal in this dish.

As to the type of clams used? There is a variety. You got Chowder clams that are used for (you guessed it) clam chowder. There are Cherrystone clams, not as large as chowder clams. You could say they're the second largest, and go great in a clam sauce. Then there Top Neck clams that are used mainly for clams casino and clams on the half shell. And, finally, Little Neck clams that can be used in a clam sauce as well as steamers. They are tiny and sweet.

Rossana says this is her personal recipe for clam sauce, and she invented it about a month ago while working on a "super tasty awesome tomato sauce." It's a "Dominican/Italian" recipe.

ROSANNA ROSSI'S RED CLAM SAUCE

2 dozen Cherrystone clams, or 4 pounds Little Neck clams, scrubbed clean and picked over
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons vinegar (preferably herb-infused)
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 whole cinnamon stick

1. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic and saute quickly (do not let the garlic burn). Add tomatoes, oregano, thyme, vinegar, rosemary and cinnamon stick. Lower heat and simmer about an hour or so (Rossana says she cooks her sauce for 2 hours).
2. While the tomato sauce is cooking, place about 1-inch water in a large saucepan, add clams and steam them open. Place shell-less clams in a plate and set aside. Save the water left in the saucepan. If you desire, once clams have cooled you can chop them before adding to the sauce, or you can leave them as is.
3. When the sauce is just about done, add the clams and clam water. Simmer until the flavors are blended. The trick is not to overcook the clams; just reheat.
4. Serve over any long-type pasta such as linguini, spaghetti, perciatelli, or fettuccine.
Yield: 6 servings or more

Real Barbecued Chicken

Sept 3, 2010

from Oswald at Large by Oswald Rivera

The Labor Day Holiday is upon us. So, before you put away the flip-flops and the old grill, here's one more outdoor recipe. And what could be anymore American than barbecued chicken? By that I mean real barbecued chicken. One that uses, for once, your own barbecued sauce, not that crap sold in supermarkets and which is chock full of chemicals and "enhancers." The thing is, barbecue sauce is very easy to make. When I ventured down South during my young manhood, everyone I met made their own sauce; and everyone had their own secret ingredient, whether it was a little bourbon whiskey put in to add a bit of dash, or some mesquite in the hot coals to give the meat some character.

The two sauces I give below use ingredients that can be easily found. No need to get fancy with some undefinable herb or spice. We keep it simple. The idea is to fix up the sauce, lather the chicken, grill quickly, and enjoy the farewell to summer with your mates and fellows.

BARBECUED CHICKEN

Sauce #1

1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sauce #2

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
1/3 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Take one broiler chicken, about 2 1/2 pounds, and split it into two halves. Pound the chicken on a cutting board or flat surface with a mallet or the bottom of a skillet. This will ensure that the chicken lies flat and cooks more evenly on the grill.
2. Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste; then rub all over with about 1/3 cup olive oil and two tablespoons red wine vinegar. Set aside.
3. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pan, and stir over moderate heat until blended.
4. Place chicken halves, skin side up on a heated gas grill or over hot coals. Brush the sauce over the skin side of the chicken and grill, without turning about 10 minutes. Turn and brush the other side. Continue cooking and basting every 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Cooking time will depend on how hot the grill is and how close it is to the heat source. For faster cooking you may want the grill top closed.
Note: the recipe can be doubled if you want to grill 2 chickens.