Frijoles

This recipe comes from Antioquia in Colombia, where it is served with rice and a number of side dishes, including crisp pork crackling, bananas, avocados, and white corncakes. Stretched in this way, the quantities given here would easily serve eight.

Into a large pot 2 cups of red kidney beans (not pre-soaked).
Add 5 cups of a mixture made from the liquid drained from a large tin of peeled tomatoes (the tomatoes themselves are used later) and your choice of stock.

Do not add salt it is said to prevent the beans softening properly.
Cover the pot and put the beans to cook over low heat. (South American practice is to add a tablespoon of oil when the beans begin to wrinkle but I omitted this with no ill effects.) Continue cooking until tender; about 2 to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, finely chop 2 large onions and 4 cloves of garlic and fry gently in a little oil.
Add 500 g. minced meat (usually beef but take your choice, I used chicken) and fry very slowly until brown.
Add the tinned tomatoes, a chopped green chile, 2 or 3 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons cumin, half a bunch of basil (chopped), 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, pepper and salt.

Tip the contents of the frying pan into the beans and simmer slowly till well blended.

Serves 4-6. (January 31, 2004) From Columbia.

Mushroom Tokana

A Moldavian stew suffused with garlic, fresh tomatoes and sweet paprika.

1 ½ pounds fresh mushrooms (boletes, Portobello, cremini, white or combination of all)
5 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 red pepper cored, seeded and diced
3 large ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
¾ cup dry white wine
Salt and ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1. Trim and clean the mushrooms. Cut into ½ inch pieces.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add and sauté mushrooms until browned, add lemon juice and set aside.
3. Heat remaining oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring until the onions are lightly colored, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, paprika, thyme, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring continually for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and sprinkle in the flour. Add the wine and stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms, stir, and simmer for 10 more minutes.
6. Correct the seasoning, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Serves 6.

Potato- Chive Cakes with Serrano Mayonnaise

1 whole roasted garlic bulb
5 potatoes
½ cup grated Manchego cheese
1 egg
¼ cup minced fresh chives
salt and pepper
butter

Place unpeeled potatoes in saucepan, add water to cover,
and bring to boil. Boil until tender. Drain and cool.
The grate into large mixing bowl (skin and all).
Squeeze whole roasted garlic cloves from skins into potato.
Add the cheese, egg, and chives.
Mix well.
Season with salt and pepper.
Form mixture into 6 cakes each about 1 ½ inches thick.
Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to
24 hours before frying.

Lightly brush surface of pan with butter and add cakes.
Fry, turning once, until nicely browned and heated through.
4 to 6 minutes a side.

Roasted Garlic Bulbs

Preheat oven to 375

Remove excess papery skin but leave bulbs whole.
Cut off the top ½ inch off each bulb, exposing tops.
If some cloves remain uncut, take a little slice off with
carving knife to expose the inside.
Place the bulbs, cut sides up, in a deep side casserole dish
and add water to reach halfway up the sides of the bulbs.
Drizzle olive oil evenly over the tops of the bulbs.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven.
Bake about 1 hour (until cloves feel soft when pressed).

Serrano Mayonnaise

5 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ bunch fresh cilantro
1 egg yolk
juice of 1 lime
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups olive oil (not extra virgin)

Put all ingredients, except oil into food processor.
Process thoroughly to a mash consistency.
With motor running, slowly add oil in a thin steady stream,
continuing to process until the mixture thickens and emulsifies.
Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Source: Café Pasqual’s by Katherine Kegel