Growing up, we had a family priest, Father Bob. Father Bob is not your typical priest. In fact, you’d usually catch him with his guitar slung over his shoulder. When he baptized my brother, Stephen, he opened up the ceremony by singing Harry Chapin’s song “Cat’s in the Cradle.” Not your typical church song, but also incredibly appropriate for a ceremony that takes place at the beginning of life.
I remember thinking back then, “That’s an odd and rather tragic song to choose.” Yet, I get it now; he was trying to make everyone there remember the immeasurable value of time.
“When are you coming home, Dad?” “I don’t know when. But we’ll get together then. You know we’ll have a good time then.”
I began this month’s column with this story as it leads into a conversation I had with my father just the other day. I had mentioned to him how I could not believe it was already Christmas. He agreed and went on to tell me a story one of his mentors had shared with him.
He began with the following: When we are a child and summer vacation rolls around, three months off seems like an eternity. Yet, when you’re 7 years old, you’re only 84 months old. So, three months is 3.57 percent of your entire life!
As we get older, that percentage declines. So, as an example, your two-week vacation when you’re 50 (600 months old) is a mere 0.077 percent of your life.
Christmas, and the end of the year in general, are unique, as this time evokes emotions in us that other times of the year don’t. It makes us nostalgic, it makes us long for those who are no longer with us, and it makes us take stock of our lives, our progress thus far, and our plans for the future.
Each Christmas Eve, as I prepare my great-grandmother Estrella’s recipes, I think of her in her early 80s, coming out of the kitchen saying, “Hoy cocinó la viejita.” (“Today the little old lady cooked.”) I would lie if I said my eyes aren’t watery as I recall this. I was 11 when she died, and I still get a lump in my throat when I picture her.
A platinum mine pales in comparison to the value of time. Together, all the oil, all the jewels, and all the currencies of the world can’t hold a candle to the priceless commodity that is time. As we bring 2023 to a close, I ask you to analyze and take a look at how and what you spend your time on. Every day that we are on this Earth is a gift that is not promised.
My husband and I have been very fortunate to find an incredible support system after moving from South Florida to DeLand. A huge part of that support system comes from the individuals I work with as the marketing and communications manager at the Athens Theatre. There is a lot to be said about a group of people who work day in and day out to preserve a 102-year-old building and, through each play, concert and musical, breathe new life into her.
Our production of White Christmas opened on Thanksgiving weekend. As with every opening night, I was there to cover and share the evening’s events. My in-laws were in town for the holiday weekend, and the original plan was for all of us to go to the opening-night show. Yet, my husband got sick that weekend, and my in-laws (as good Cuban parents) did not want to leave him at home alone; I didn’t either.
So, as I got ready to go to work, I was a bit sad at the turn of events as I drove to the theater. Yet, as I arrived, the theater was abuzz with laughter, movement, people and undeniable holiday cheer.
The children from the Athens Theatre Youth Academy were outside singing carols, and the emotions were palpable and high. At that moment, I happened to spot our Executive Director Alexa Baldwin and our Producing Artistic Director Frank Ramirez.
Frank turned to both of us and said, “As a little boy growing up in the Bronx, this is all I ever wanted.”
All three of us had tears in our eyes and then got together for a group embrace and picture. I have no doubt that all three of us felt the spirit of Christmas at that very moment.
So, for this month’s column, I’m doing something different. Instead of sharing my recipes, I’ve asked my fellow Athens Theatre family to share their treasured recipes and the history behind them. I hope you enjoy them as much as they do. Merry Christmas and may God bless you and yours.
First up is the theater’s Executive Director Alexa Baldwin’s grandmother’s recipe for decadent brownies.
Ginny’s Brownies
From Alexa Baldwin: “Each Christmas, when I pull out this recipe, I think of my grandmother pulling out her yardstick that she used to make sure that each brownie was cut with a straight line and that each piece was exactly the same size, with the whole pecan perfectly centered and placed upon each as if it were a crown jewel.
“Then, I think of my mother in later years doing the same and remembering her mother’s need to have these cut so precisely … yet still going through the exact same process.
“These days, it has become my job to tie my daughter’s hair back and show her how to use the yardstick I keep solely for the yearly execution of this chocolatey ritual.”
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 15x10x2 jellyroll pan. Cream together: 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup of sugar. Then, beat in 2 cups of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup.
Add 4 eggs, beaten in one at a time, followed by 1 cup unsifted flour, beaten in gradually.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
For the frosting, (prepare during last 10 minutes of brownie baking):
Combine and boil the following exactly for 1 minute, whisking constantly:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk (NOT sweetened)
Then, stir in 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips until melted, and remove from the heat.
Pour mixture over hot brownies as soon as they are out of the oven. Once cool, grab your yardstick and cut brownies into rectangles. Measure about 2 inches in width along the 10-inch side and 3 inches along the 15-inch side to get perfect rectangles for each.
Last, carefully place a whole pecan in the center of each rectangle. Enjoy with a tall glass of cold milk!
Next up is our Producing Artistic Director Frank Ramirez’s mother’s recipe for Pasteles de Guineo. A Puerto Rican Christmastime staple, pasteles are a must for the holiday!
Daisy’s Pasteles de Guineo Verde
From Frank Ramirez: “In Puerto Rico, the holiday season starts after Thanksgiving and goes through Christmas and Three Kings Day, a religious observance that extends the celebration through mid-January. It seems like pasteles are always a part of each celebration.
“Since I was a child, it has been tradition to make Puerto Rican pasteles as the lead-up to the holiday season. What I love the most about this process and recipe is that this is a family affair and requires the help of many family members, since we make these in bulk to share over the holidays.
“What may seem daunting becomes moments you will cherish for the rest of your life. You play your favorite holiday music in the background, and everyone gets to work. It is genuinely what the holidays are made for; sharing and spending time with your loved ones and, most of all, eating!
“As an adult, I still carry these memories of the first time I made pasteles de guineo verde with my mother, and I’m blessed to continue this tradition with her this holiday season.”
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 1 hour
Straining time: 3 hours
Total time: 5 hours
Servings: 20 pasteles
For the pork filling:
2 lbs pork shoulder, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 small sweet bell peppers, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp Recaito, a Puerto Rican sofrito sauce available at Latin markets such as Fancy Fruit, Bravo, etc.
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp adobo seasoning, also available at the markets mentioned above
1 tbsp ground oregano
1 bay leaf
For the masa dough:
4 lbs yautia (taro root), peeled. This vegetable can also be called malanga and is available at the same markets mentioned.
6 green plantains
25 very-green bananas, peeled and chopped (Guineo Verde in Spanish)
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp Recaito
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp achiote oil or more to reach desired consistency (olive oil that has been warmed with a few annatto seeds, which are also available at the Latin markets)
For the wrapping:
1 tbsp achiote oil
20 banana leaves 10-by-5-inch, sold in the frozen section of the Latin markets
20 pieces of parchment paper cut into 8-x-4-inch rectangles
20 18-inch pieces of kitchen string
Salt for the boiling water
To assemble pasteles:
Make the pork filling: Brown the diced pork in the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the sweet peppers, chopped onion, Recaito, garlic, adobo, oregano and bay leaf, stirring well. Cook until the pork is no longer pink inside. Remove the bay leaf from the mixture, and set aside to cool.
To make the masa dough: In a large bowl, grate the peeled yautia (malanga, taro root) and the green plantains. Use disposable gloves, as uncooked plantains stain your hands and kitchen towels.
Blend the grated roots in a food processor until creamy. Place the masa over a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve for at least 3 hours, so the excess moisture drips out. Once the masa is ready, stir in the garlic, Recaito, salt, and enough of the achiote oil to moisten the dough and add a little color. You are now ready to assemble and wrap the pasteles.
Wrap the pasteles: For each pastel, lay out a piece of parchment paper topped with one piece of banana leaf. Brush achiote oil in a rectangular shape on the center of the banana leaf. Spread 1 1/2 to 2 spoonfuls of masa onto the center of the leaf. Add one spoonful of pork filling, and top with another spoonful of masa.
Bring the edges of the banana leaf over the top of the pork filling. Then, repeat with the other side of the banana leaf, so that the masa completely covers the top of the filling. Bring the edges of the banana leaf together, and fold down over the top. Fold the edges of the banana leaf underneath the package.
Bring the top and bottom edges of the parchment paper over the top, and fold or roll down the edges to make a horizontal seam. Tuck the ends under. Tie with a string in both directions. At this point, you can freeze any pasteles you will not cook and eat right away. Place them in resealable bags, date, label and freeze.
Cook the pasteles
Bring a very large stock pot of salted water to a boil. Place the pasteles in the water, making sure they are submerged. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the pasteles from the boiling water using tongs, and place them on a plate. Carefully cut each string with kitchen scissors, and carefully open the banana leaves and parchment paper. Place the pastel on a serving dish.
Lastly, is our Production Supervisor Diane McLean’s mother’s recipe for shrimp scampi. This wonderfully flavorful dish is perfect for Christmas Eve!
Jean McLean’s shrimp scampi
From Jean McLean: “I use U10 shrimp, U15 works well, too. I like to triple the recipe for the flavored butter so that there’s enough sauce for the pasta. I use about 2 1/2 lbs. of shrimp. If using less, I would at least double it.”
For the flavored butter (make this at least 3-4 days ahead, not 2 and not 6, 3-4!):
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
8 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp minced parsley
2 tsp minced tarragon (optional)
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup white wine
To make the butter, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook until pale golden, about 1 minute. Stir in shallots, season generously with salt and pepper, continue cooking, shaking the skillet until shallots are wilted about 2 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup of white wine, and cook until wine has evaporated. Stir in lemon juice and boil until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. I usually have some liquid left; transfer to a small bowl and cool down, add softened butter, parsley and tarragon, and beat by hand until blended.
To make the butter easier to handle, when done, spoon it onto a 12-inch length of plastic wrap, and roll it into a log shape, and twist ends to close. Chill for at least 3-4 days; it gets happy in the fridge. As I mentioned, be careful not to do it like six days before; it may not work.
Get raw shrimp that has been deveined, as you need to butterfly the shrimp and leave tails on. Arrange the shrimp on cookie sheets, and slice butter into circles, placing them all around the shrimp. Add fresh thyme sprigs over the shrimp and a stream of olive oil on top of that.
Remember, I am using large shrimp, so the oven goes on at 475, which is hot. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, and test a shrimp. If there is a slight crunch to it, you’re good. I stand at the oven the whole time and watch it like a hawk!
When placing shrimp on cookie sheets, try to stand them up with the tail sticking up; if they lie down, it’s still OK. Serve with either linguine or spaghetti.
