Pumpkin Gratin

Oct 30, 2010

from Oswald at Large by Oswald Rivera

Halloween is upon us yet again. And the jack-o-lanterns are out. Anybody ever consider cooking those suckers? I would not recommend it. The traditional pumpkin used as a jack-o-lantern motif makes for a flavorless, insipid dish. That's why they are used for decorations. In my culture, pumpkin are prized as bianda or cooked root plants that we use to enhance a meal. Traditionally, our favorite pumpkin dish is very simple: slice a piece of pumpkin, peel, remove seeds, and boil until tender. Then serve with olive oil and vinegar.

But I've experimented with pumpkin dishes and found that they make a great gratin. A gratin (pronounced grah-tan) comes from French cooking. It is a dish prepared with a brown crust. My pumpkin gratin is quick and easy to make, and it's tasty to boot. Again, use small available commercial pumpkin, not the Halloween type or, better yet, you can use winter squash or butternut squash.

So, here goes Le gratin de Courge, as our French brethren would say. It makes a fabulous side dish or accompaniment to any meal.

PUMPKIN GRATIN

2 to 2 1/2 pound pumpkin, butternut, or other winter squash, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut
into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves (yes, 8), finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or pinch dried)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Toss the pumpkin or squash cubes in the flour until they are evenly coated.
3. Generously oil the bottom and sides of an ovenproof casserole, Dutch oven, or cast-iron pan (you will have some oil left over). Fill the casserole with the pumpkin or squash. Then scatter the garlic and parsley over it, and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Sprinkle the remaining oil over the pumpkin or squash.
4. Place in oven and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the top has formed a rich dark crust. Note that it's not necessary to add water during cooking since the pumpkin or squash produces enough liquid on its own.
Yield: 4 servings.

Chicken Noodle Soup (P.R. Style)

Oct 18, 2010

from Oswald at Large by Oswald Rivera

Chicken noodle soup. What is lovingly termed "Jewish penicillin." We Puerto Ricans have our own version of it, and just as good. We use noodles, which are called fideos (fee-deh-os). These noodles are thin coiled strands similar to angel's hair or vermicelli. People back on the island, in the old days, read the package name and took it to mean any kind of noodles. In time fideos became the most popular pasta in both the island and the mainland. It's use is mainly in soups. When Puerto Ricans first migrated to New York back in the 1940s and 50s, and went shopping, they wouldn't ask for noodles, they would ask for fideos. It was the only pasta pasta we knew, apart from spaghetti.

I would say our chicken noodle soup is as healthy and beneficial as its Jewish counterpart; and it has a particular Latin flavor. As noted, if you can't find the fideos, any thin strand pasta will do as well. You can find this recipe (and others) in my cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Avalon Books).

SOPA DE POLLO CON FIDEOS (Chicken Noodle Soup)

1 broiler fryer (about 2-2 1/2 pounds, cut in parts)
2 quarts (8 cups) water
1/2 pound fideos #169 (see above)
2 medium Idaho or Maine potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 packet Sason Goya (coriander and annatto---found in any supermarket these days)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 cup tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1. Rinse chicken under cold running water and pat dry.
2. Place chicken in a large kettle or Dutch oven and add water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until chicken is very tender.
5. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let cool. Bone chicken, discarding bones and skin. Cut meat into bite-size pieces
4. Add chicken pieces, fideos, potatoes, Sason Goya, bouillon cube and tomato sauce to the broth. Add another cup of water, if needed, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. garnish with parsley.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.