Speak to my Soul... Food.

What is Soul Food? Is it the seasoning, technique or the history behind the ingredients? It’s all that and more! It’s food made with love. Put your heart and soul into a meal and you’ve got soul food! Just make sure you have someone to share the experience with. Taste your food as you go, tell a story and think back on the good ol’ times. Use a family recipe that’s been passed down from generation to generation, and make it taste so good that it’ll “Make you Wanna Slap Yo Mama” (It’s a figure of speech people—don’t do it or you might get slapped back).

Here’s a good recipe to start off with. It’s called a roux (pronounced rue)—a thickener for gravies and sauces.

Basic Roux

2 tablespoons of All Purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter (salted or unsalted)

(Generally equal parts of flour and fat)

Whisk the flour and butter mixture over a low flame until smooth and there are no lumps. You can make a light roux or dark roux, depending on the desired color of your sauce or gravy.

Note: Continue stirring or whisking your roux until you add your other ingredients. Careful not to burn your roux!

Slogan Contest

2010 Reina's Cakes & Catering Co. Slogan Contest

Calling all New Jersey Residents

Ever wanted to hire a personal chef? Tired of cooking? Need the perfect gift for a special occasion? If you answered yes to one or all three questions then this contest is for you!

Create a slogan for Reina's Cakes & Catering Co. The winning slogan will receive a 4-course private dinner for two*. New Jersey residents only. All entries must be received by August 15, 2010. All entries become the property of Reina's Cakes & Catering Co. Entries cannot be returned. Original slogans only. No inappropriate slogans. Duplicate entries determined by date received. All decisions are final. Slogan winner announced in late-August, 2010.

Entries may be submitted via the following:

melina@reinascakesandcatering.com

http://ablatinasblog.blogspot.com/ (under the Slogan Contest post)


*Offer valid until February 28, 2011. This private chef offer may be transferred. (Offer valid for 2 people. Additional guests may be added--additional fees apply.)

About Reina's Cakes & Catering Co.

Reina’s Cakes & Catering Co. was established in 2009 by owner and chef Melina Harvin with the idea of presenting traditional Puerto Rican dishes and desserts with style. Melina and her team are dedicated to working with their clients to provide friendly and flawless service. Our goal is to exceed our client’s expectations.
At Reina’s, quality, style and friendly service are at the core of our business.

Basics

As a prelude to my weekly recipe testing (beginning August 1st), I figured I would post some of the need-to-know basics of Puerto Rican cuisine and Soul Food. Here's my DISCLAIMER in advance: I am by no means an expert nor a food historian. I'm simply going by what is traditional or custom in my family and by that I mean whatever food we had at a parranda, Fat Saturday, Noche Buena, fish fry, at the beach, Sunday Dinner, etc., is what I'll be preparing.

Now let's get down to business...

When I mention Sofrito, the basis of most Puerto Rican dishes, I am referring to a mixture of some or all of the ingredients below. After all, whatever is in the cupboard or fridge is what we cook with. Our African roots make us masters of improvisation. Here's a kicked up recipe you can start off with:

Sofrito Recipe courtesy of El Boricua

1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch recao
1 head of garlic
3 large onions
1 lb. ajíces dulces
2 cubanelle peppers or 2 large bell peppers
½ cup olives with pimientos
1 sm. jar roasted red peppers
1 tbsp. capers
2 tbsp. crushed oregano
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

It may be difficult to find recao and the ajices dulces, but you must search high and low for these ingredients-- you'll thank me. If by any chance you give up trying to locate a market that sells recao and ajicitos, you can purchase them on-line or just substitute the recao for more cilantro.

Wash, rough chop, and combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, freeze immediately. (Tip: Some people freeze it in ice trays or a freezer bag.)

Enjoy!

I haven't posted anything in over a year but I've decided to take my blog in a new direction. Instead of writing about childhood food stories, I've chosen to write about the food itself. I'll focus on Puerto Rican and African-American cuisine following one new recipe per week. I'll post the recipe and pictures, and let's not forget my experience preparing the dish. After all, that's what food blogging is all about, isn't it?

The recipe testing will officially start August 1, 2010 and will continue until... Well, until I run out of recipes to test, dinero to buy the groceries, or if I start gaining too much weight. In that case, I'll have to start hosting tasting parties to share the food-- but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Why August you ask? Right now in New Jersey it's 103 degrees. It's simply too darn hot to cook. ¡Que calor!

I'll gladly accept requests to test certain recipes, and will post links to the occasional "How To" video.

Wish me luck and stayed tuned for some recipes that will surely be... ¡por la maceta!