MOTHERS DAY CELEBRATION IN PUERTO RICO

This morning I sent one of my friends of the Kitchen Link an e-mail, and she asked about what I was planning to prepare for Mothers Day, at Vega Alta. After I told her about the Menú, she suggested that I share it with all of you.

Let me explain: my mother is 93 years old, with Alzheimer or at least, Atherosclerosis. But she is happy and extremely well tended at her home by two ladies who had been working for her since 1986. These ladies are considered family by mami and by me. Every possible time that I can spend with her is a motive of great happiness and satisfaction. The Menu is not gourmet by common standards. It is positively typical of our food and of our special celebrations. These are favorites of my mother and of Nina and Marina. Sunday's lunch will be a labor of love for me. Who knows if it is going to be the last Mothers Day that I share with my mother!

SMALL MEAT TURNOVERS

For the dough:
4 cups of all purpose flour
Salt to taste
4 tb butter, to give consistency to the dough
1 egg beaten
1 1/4 cup milk

For the filling:
1 1/2 lb ground beef or meat
2 oz cured ham chopped
1 chopped tomato
1 pimiento, chopped
1 onion, chopped
salt to taste
2 tb olive oil
12 stuffed green olives, chopped
1 tb cocktail capers
1/4 cup black or golden raisins, plumped in boiling water or rum
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Oil for frying

Mix all the dough ingredients in the processor or by hand, until it separates from the bowl. Refrigerate until the moment to be used. Cook in a big heavy skillet the ground beef, chopped ham, tomato, pimiento and onion, and sauté briefly. Add salt, and cook until the meat is cooked (not red anymore). Add the olives, capers, raisins and the eggs, and cook for 5 additional minutes. Mixture should not be soupy, should be as dry as possible.

Take the dough out from the refrigerator; divide it in small balls. With the rolling pin, extend the dough to form a circle. To cut a perfect circle, use a small dish to mark the circumference. In each circumference, add, on top of it, 1 tb of the filling. Wet the outside border of the dough; double it, to form a half moon. Use the tip of the fork with a light pressure to seal the turnover. Fry it in a skillet with vegetable oil at medium high heat, until it is golden.

This is usually served as delicious appetizer. If the turnovers are big, they can be served as a light lunch.

ROAST PORK SHOULDER OR THIGH (PERNIL DE CERDO)

1 6-7 pounds pork shoulder or thigh
5 tsp. salt
5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2-tsp. ground dried oregano
3 TB olive oil
1 tsp. vinegar

Wash the pork thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, separate without completely removing the pork skin ( leave the skin without separating at the narrow part of the shoulder or ham ). Move the skin back without separating it and, remove as much as possible of the fat. With the same sharp knife, make several incisions in it. Put salt in the incisions, in the fat and in all the skin. With a mortar and pestle, prepare a ground adobo with ground pepper, garlic cloves, ground oregano and 1 tb olive oil. Season the pork, its skin and into the slits with the Adobo. Combine the vinegar or sour orange with the remaining olive oil and rub into all the skin and meat. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Very early in the morning, take the pork out of the refrigerator, and let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat the oven at 300 F for at least 10 minutes. Put a small grill in a shallow big baking pan. Put the thigh with the skin side up. Skewer the skin with the skewers you use for the turkey. You will need at least 5 skewers. Pour the remaining marinade over the thigh. Bake for at least 3 1/2 hours at 300 F. without turning. Increase the temperature to 375, and bake for 30 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and toasted. If you have a meat thermometer, it will be ready at 185 F. Let it seat out from the oven for 30 minutes and serve.

RUSSIAN SALAD (6 servings)

3 medium sized carrots, peeled,
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled,
1/4 cup finely chopped pickles,
3 tb drained cocktail capers,
3 tb olive oil,
3 tb balsamic vinegar,
1/2 tsp salt,
mayonnaise (to taste)
cubed boiled beets (optional)

Cook carrots and potatoes in boiling salty water; drain and cool under running water. Drain again in a colander. Cut in cubes the carrots and potatoes. Add the vegetables, pickles and capers and transfer to a big crystal bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil, vinegar and salt. Toss to mix; add mayonnaise to taste and mix. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

ARROZ CON GANDULES (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

1 lb canned pigeon peas
2 cups rice
3 tb olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 lb lean cured ham, rinsed under cold water and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantrillo (chinese parsley)
3 tb. Sofrito
1/2 cup alcaparrado (olive-caper mix available in Spanish markets)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 tb dry white wine
Salt to taste.

Drain pigeon peas, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Wash the rice and drain. Heat oil in Dutch Oven. Brown the lean cured ham on moderate heat until golden crisp (4 or 5 minutes). Add onion, bell pepper, cilantrillo, sofrito, alcaparrado and tomato sauce. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Add the peas, reserved cooking liquid, wine and salt. Cook, uncovered in moderate-high heat, until water is absorbed and craters form in the surface (about 8 minutes). Move only once, from bottom up, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rice sit for 10 minutes before serving. (Oswald Rivera, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America)

FLOATING ISLAND (ISLA FLOTANTE)
Dessert

2 egg yolks
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tb cornstarch
4 cups milk
1 lemon peel
2 egg whites
4 tb sugar

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, salt and cornstarch. Add the lemon peel and the milk, little by little to the yolks mixture. Cook in low, moving constantly. When it achieves the proper consistency, like a cream, drop in a heavy crystal bowl and wait until it is completely cool. Beat the egg whites until they are completely white and solid (meringue point), add sugar and drop in tablespoons on top of the cream, each tb well separated from the other. Refrigerate inmediately until ready to serve.