Thursday, December 17, 2009

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Afro-Cuban music and cuisine This past Sunday on "Jazz —The Radio Show." we featured Latin Jazz and Cuba which over the years have made their contributions to the world of music. Whenever I travel, one of the first things that I connect are the music, cuisine and art of the country. This is the essence of one's culture along with some of the little things which in most cases you don't find in communities around the world where nationalities have transplanted. In Cuba what makes it unique like most other countries is the combination of the architecture, the people and their day-to-day activities. This can be expressed through the music, culture and art. Sometimes we make the mistake of lumping all Latinos together but nothing can be more different because of their history and how one's history has affected the way you have developed as a people. Although Cuba and Mexico are both Spanish-speaking countries, Cuban cuisine has virtually nothing in common with Mexican cuisine. It is also very different from other Latin American countries, such as Panama or Brazil. Cuban cuisine is actually a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines, but has also been influenced by the French, Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese cultures. When Columbus landed on Cuba he and his countrymen for the first time tasted corn, cassava, peanuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, peppers, and vautia. They were exposed to new fruits such as custard apples, sour sops, pineapples, star apples, mammees, anonas, icaco plums, guavas, and cashews. Some of the aboriginal cuisine that Columbus encountered is still apart of the Cuban cuisine today. The Cuban population initially had African slaves who worked in the sugar cane plantations, but in the cities, Africans were in the minority. Spanish peasants, mostly from the Canary Islands, inhabited the tobacco plantations. The eastern part of the island was inhabited by the French, Haitian and Caribbean immigrants, who came mainly during the Haitian Revolution and as seasonal workers to work in the sugar cane harvest. The western part of Cuba received the European (mostly Spanish) immigrants. A small Chinese influence inhabited the area mostly in Havana, thus, the Cuban cuisine developed locally from the influences of the peoples who inhabited the specific areas of the country. Haiti brought the red kidney bean to Cuba and with that came a very traditional Cuban dish of black beans and rice, which is found all over the island. Beans are a foundation ingredient in Cuban cuisine, with many dishes like bean stews and bean soups. Almost every Cuban dish features the traditional main ingredient of sofrito — onions, green peppers, garlic, oregano and bay leaves. If you have a favorite culinary adventure that you would like to share, send us an e-mail because cooking is about sharing and having fun in the process. So allow me to share the great recipes from Roscoe's Kitchen and be sure to listen to Star 106.5 FM every weekday at 6:30 p.m. Make sure and e-mail us at roscoeskitchen@ivoryglobalpromotions.com with your comments and recipes so that we could share your experiences and creations with our audience. Lemon Grass Chicken Skewers 4 chicken thigh fillets 1 1/2 tbsps soft brown sugar 1 1/2 tbsps lime juice 2 tsps green curry paste 18 kaffir lime leaves 2 stems lemon grass Mango salsa 1 small mango, finely diced 1 tsp grated lime rind 2 tsps lime juice 1 tsp soft brown sugar 1/2 tsp fish sauce Discard any excess fat from the chicken fillets and cut them in half lengthways. Combine the brown sugar, lime juice, curry paste and 2 of the kaffir lime leaves, shredded in a bowl. Add the chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Trim the lemon grass to about eight inches, leaving the root end intact. Cut each lengthways into four pieces. Cut a slit in each of the remaining lime leaves and thread one onto each skewer. Cut two slits in the chicken and thread onto the lemon grass, followed by another lime leaf. Repeat with the remaining lime leaves, chicken and lemon grass. Pan fry or barbeque until cooked through. To make the mango salsa, put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir gently to combine. Serve with chicken skewers. Tuna Kebabs 1 tbsp olive oil, 2-3 small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed1 red onion, finely chopped 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup white wine or water 2 10 oz. cans chickpeas 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 lb. tuna fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 8 stalks rosemary, about 8 inch with leaves Cooking oil spray Lemon wedges, to serve Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chilli, garlic and red onion and stir until softened. Add the tomato and wine or water. Cook over low heat until the mixture is soft, pulpy and the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the rinsed chickpeas, oregano and parsley, and season. Heat the grill or barbeque plate. Thread the tuna onto the rosemary stalks, lightly spray with oil, then cook, turning, for a few minutes. Do not overcook, or the tuna will fall apart. Serve with the chickpeas and lemon wedges on the side. Smoked Salmon Pizzas 8 ozs. ricotta cheese 6 small oval pita breads 4 ozs sliced smoked salmon 1 small red onion, sliced 1 tbsp baby capers Small dill sprigs, to garnish 1 lemon wedge, cut into thin wedges, for serving Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the ricotta cheese in a bowl, season well with salt and freshly cracked pepper and stir until smooth. Spread the ricotta cheese over the pita bread, leaving a boarder. Top each pizza with some smoked salmon slices, then some onion pieces. Scatter baby capers over the top and bake on a baking tray until the bases are slightly crispy around the edges. Garnish with a few dill sprigs and serve with lemon wedges. Source: Bay Publishing Mango Passion Fruit Sorbet 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup passion fruit pulp 1/2 large mango chopped 1 large peach, chopped 2 tbsps lemon juice 1 egg white Stir the sugar in a pan with 1 cup water over low heat until dissolved. Increase the heat, bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute. Transfer to a glass bowl, cool, then refrigerate. Strain the passion fruit pulp, reserving 1 tablespoon of the seeds. Blend the fruit, passion fruit juice and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. With the motor running, add the cold sugar syrup and about five ounces of water. Stir the passion fruit seeds. Freeze in a shallow container, stirring occasionally until almost set. Break up the icy mixture roughly with a fork or spoon, transfer to a bowl and beat with electric beaters until smooth and fluffy. Beat the egg white in a small bowl until firm peaks form, then fold into the mixture until just combined. Spread into a loaf tin and return to the freezer until firm. Transfer to the refrigerator, to soften about 15 mins before serving. Source: Bay Publishing BANANA AND BLUEBERRY TART Cooking oil spray 1 cup plain flour 1/2 cup self-rising flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1 1/4 oz butter, chopped 1/2 cup soft brown sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk 6 1/2 ozs blueberries 2 bananas 2 tsps lemon juice 1 tbsp demerara sugar Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking tray or pizza tray lightly with oil. Sift the flours and spices into a bowl. Add the butter and sugar and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well and then add enough buttermilk to mix to a soft dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 9-inch diameter round. Place on the tray and roll the edge to form a lip to hold the fruit in. Spread the blueberries over the dough, keeping within the lip. Slice the bananas, toss them in the lemon juice, then arrange over the top. Sprinkle with the sugar, and bake until the base is browned. Serve immediately Source: Bay Publishing SPICE OF THE WEEK: KALA NAMAK (Black Indian Salt) Kala Namak also known as black salt or Black Indian Salt, is a salty and pungent-smelling condiment mined in India. The condiment is a type of volcanic halite, a mineral composed largely of sodium chloride, with several impurities thus lending the salt its color and smell. The primary impurity, and source of Kala Namak's odoriforous nature is due to sodium sulfide. Due to mineral impurities in the mineral, it is brownish pink to black color stone when whole and ground into a powder, it is light purple to pink in color. This condiments is used in India and is used extensively in Indian cuisine as a condiment or added to chaats, chutneys, all kinds of fruits, raitas and many other savory Indian snacks. Chaat masala, an Indian spice blend, is dependent upon black salt for its characteristic sulfurous hard-boiled egg aroma. Non-Indians who are not accustomed to black salt often describe the smell as similar to rotten eggs. Wednesday, November 18, 2009