tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18861479.post9070319012931953275..comments2024-03-23T19:37:52.547+01:00Comments on nyc/caribbean ragazza: A break in Caribbean Week for a great cause: Menu for Hope.nyc/caribbean ragazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09370358466131415888noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18861479.post-9789871154269215692007-12-17T16:14:00.000+01:002007-12-17T16:14:00.000+01:00sara - you're welcome. talk to you soon.seville - ...sara - you're welcome. talk to you soon.<BR/><BR/>seville - thank you! I will post this later. It's sound very good.nyc/caribbean ragazzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09370358466131415888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18861479.post-48136648427667121562007-12-16T17:34:00.000+01:002007-12-16T17:34:00.000+01:00Let me be forward and offer a recipe I lifted from...Let me be forward and offer a recipe I lifted from a Trinidadian newspaper, to start your Caribbean collection. This one is for <B>pastelles</B>. Don't know if your mother made these, but maybe you'll try them. (If you cannot get fig (banana) leaves in LA, I think you can steam these in parchment paper).<BR/><BR/>Get your fig leaves before, clean and soften them and keep them in the refrigerator until you need them. Buy your filling ingredients and make your filling a day ahead and refrigerate it. On the big day all you need to do is prepare your cornmeal, fill and wrap.<BR/><BR/>To prepare fig leaves, steam them in a large pot of boiling water for ten minutes until they become pliable and soft. They may also be softened by waving them over an open flame.<BR/><BR/><B>Cornmeal dough and pastelle assembly</B><BR/><BR/><I>Ingredients</I><BR/><BR/>2 cups yellow cornmeal <BR/>3 cups warm water <BR/>1/2 cup butter <BR/>1 1/4 tsp salt <BR/> <BR/>- In a food processor or by hand, combine cornmeal with butter and salt.<BR/>- Add water and process to make a soft, pliable dough.<BR/>- Divide the dough into 12 balls. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying.<BR/>- Place one piece of dough on a greased fig leaf and press into an eight-inch square. Spoon two tablespoons of filling onto the middle of the dough and fold and seal pastelles.<BR/>- Wrap in fig leaf and tie into a neat package.<BR/>- Steam pastelles for 45 minutes until cooked.<BR/>- Makes 12-15 pastelles.<BR/><BR/><B>Chicken and beef pastelles</B><BR/><BR/><I>Filling</I><BR/><BR/>1 lb chopped beef and chicken, chicken only, or beef only <BR/>2 onions, finely chopped <BR/>2 tbs olive oil <BR/>1 cup chopped chives <BR/>1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme <BR/>2 pimento peppers, chopped <BR/>4 cloves garlic, chopped <BR/>1 tbs chopped celery <BR/>1/2 Congo pepper, seeded and chopped (optional) <BR/>1 tsp freshly ground black pepper <BR/>1 tsp salt <BR/>1/4 cup tomato sauce <BR/>4 tbs capers <BR/>3 tbs stuffed olives, sliced <BR/>1/4 cup raisins <BR/>2 tbs fresh thyme <BR/><BR/>- Combine beef with chicken. Add salt and black pepper. <BR/>- Add a quarter-cup chopped chives and one tablespoon thyme. <BR/>- In a large sauté pan heat olive oil. <BR/>- Add onion and garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Add pimento peppers, remaining chive, pepper and thyme. Add meat and cook until brown.<BR/>- Add tomato sauce, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. <BR/>- Add raisins, capers and olives and stir to combine. <BR/>- Cook for about five minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning. <BR/>- Add two tablespoons fresh thyme and stir to combine. <BR/>- Remove from heat and cool. <BR/>- Prepare dough as in recipe above and fill and fold pastelles as indicated. <BR/>- Makes 12-15 pastelles.Sevillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03803525926823101346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18861479.post-162690505286587932007-12-16T11:35:00.000+01:002007-12-16T11:35:00.000+01:00Thanks for bringing attention to this - great!! :)...Thanks for bringing attention to this - great!! :) This weekend it seems a lot of people did their shopping. Let me know if you want tips or a question answered! :)Sara, Ms Adventures in Italyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05895074987792773887noreply@blogger.com