Central FLavors: Spring brings new life

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March, heralding the arrival of spring, coincides with Easter falling at the end of this month. As I’ve mentioned before, I attended Catholic school for all of grade school and high school, where Lent and Easter held significant importance.

Every Lent, we were required to write something we were willing to give up for the holy season on a piece of paper and hand it to the teacher. While most kids gave up soda, chocolate or candy, I often chose items like sardines, rhubarb or mustard. The teachers always caught on, and I’d inevitably join my classmates in the “no chocolate for 40 days” club. You can’t blame a kid for trying, though.

Easter, in Catholic tradition, commemorates the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, symbolizing rebirth and new life. It delivers a powerful message of renewal and new beginnings. This Easter holds profound significance for me and my family, as we experienced a rebirth of our own.

In early February, my father was hospitalized after feeling unwell for some time. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, with over 8 liters of fluid in his lungs, and his aortic valve completely calcified, necessitating replacement.

The news was overwhelming for him and equally distressing for our family. We learned of his condition on a Thursday, and I immediately drove down to Miami the next morning to be with him and my family.

The following days were spent shuttling between the hospital, caring for the animals on our family farm, and attempting to maintain a sense of normalcy amid the uncertainty.

Work provided a welcome distraction during this time, and I would bounce around the hospital and the farm with my laptop. When the day of my father’s surgery arrived, we were anxious, but the cardiac surgeon’s reassurances helped calm our nerves. The successful replacement of his nonfunctioning valve with one made from a cow’s pericardium is a testament to the marvels of modern science.

After surgery, my father spent five days in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Seeing him wheeled into ICU brought back memories of a previous near-loss.

As readers may remember, I’ve written before about how I almost lost my father in 2007, when he was hit by a drunken driver while riding his horse. This was all very reminiscent of that ordeal.

However, as I write this, I am happy to report that my father is recovering well and just today sent a picture of himself heading out to sea on his sailboat — a remarkable turnaround.

As I was down in South Florida, I kept telling my family, “Let this lesson not be lost on us.”

This is the second chance he gets at life. Sadly, there are not many times in life where you are given a third chance. Three strikes, you’re out, extends to more than baseball.

Every day, I would leave the hospital before my mom, so I could head back to their farm, feed the animals, and make dinner for her and me. She would arrive late, mentally and physically exhausted, but it would give us time to talk and console each other.

We all get so very busy with our adult lives. I can’t remember when I last had that much quality time with my mom.

So often in life, we ask God for this or that. A sign, a way to make things different, a change in our current situation. And sometimes, the only way that can happen is by having a roadblock thrown in your path. When there is no alternate route, you have no choice but to look at the roadblock and think while you wait for it to pass.

During this time, I was able to spend some much-needed time with my parents, siblings, nephews and nieces. It’s rare for us all to be together in the same place. It was one of many silver linings during this difficult time.

As Easter approaches, bringing with it a message of life and rebirth, let us reflect on the importance of nurturing our relationships. Just as we tend to the flowers of this season, so too must we care for ourselves and each other in this one life we have. Happy Easter!

For this month’s recipes, I’ve chosen items that my father loves. I hope you’ll share them with the ones you love.

First up is my recipe for a classic Cuban comfort-food dish, a favorite of both kids and adults alike.

Arroz con Salchicha (Cuban Yellow Rice With Sausage)

PHOTO COURTESY CHEF SANTI GABINO JR

3-4 tbsp. olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice, washed and strained

4 cups light beer

3 tsp. of chicken-bouillon powder

4 saffron threads (soaked in a shot glass of water)

1 tsp. of Bijol (yellow-rice coloring and seasoning available at Latin markets)

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup of stuffed manzanilla olives

1 cup of mixed frozen vegetables

16 oz. smoked-pork sausage (such as kielbasa, etc.), sliced

In a large heavy-bottomed pan such as a Dutch oven, add the olive oil and sauté the sausage until brown, about 10 minutes.

To the same pan, add the onions, pepper and garlic, and sauté for 5-7 more minutes.

Add the rice. (I was taught in Spain that you always add rice in the form of a cross. It is said to make for even cooking and is a symbolic gesture to “bless” the food that is being prepared.)

Add the beer, chicken bouillon, saffron, Bijol, bay leaves, olives and vegetables. Bring to a boil, stir once or twice, reduce to low heat, cover tightly, and cook for 30-35 minutes or so.

The rice should be tender and fairly moist. I often will add a 1/4-1/2 cup of beer at this time.

Cover, turn off the heat, and let it rest for 20 minutes before serving. We’ll usually eat this with a salad and plantain chips.

Tortilla de Papa is quite possibly one of Spain’s most-recognized dishes. My grandmother Carmen made it almost weekly. She would often make it for us when we were spending the day on the boat or at the beach. It’s equally great hot, at room temperature, or in a sandwich.

Tortilla de Papa

PHOTO COURTESY CHEF SANTI GABINO JR

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3-4 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/4-inch thick)

1 yellow onion

6 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.

Add potato and onion; season liberally with salt and pepper.

Cook on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are just fork-tender. Taste, and season with more salt, if needed.

Meanwhile, crack eggs into a bowl and beat; add a little bit more oil to the pan, and add the beaten eggs to the potato and onion mixture.

Cover with a loose-fitting lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 7-10 minutes. Uncover and run a rubber spatula along the outer edges of the tortilla to make sure it’s not sticking and to help it form its shape.

Once it starts to firm up around the edges and in the center (although it will still be a little runny on top), place a large plate (larger than the size of the pan) and flip the tortilla onto the plate. This part is very tricky, and I’ll be honest, it takes some practice. At this point, the cooked side of the tortilla should be facing up.

Now, gently slide the tortilla back into the pan. Cover again, loosely, and cook on low heat for 7-10 more minutes or until done. It’s done when it feels set in the center and a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overcook. It will also continue cooking once you turn the heat off.

Flip the finished tortilla back onto a plate, let it cool for 25 minutes or so, and serve warm or at room temperature. I like mine with a bit of mayonnaise on top.

Finally, is a dish that features my and my father’s name. Tarta de Santiago is a traditional almond cake from the Galicia region of Spain. It is named after the city of Santiago de Compostela and is often decorated with the Cross of Saint James on its powdered sugar topping. The feast day for my namesake, St. James, is July 25, and I try to make it every year on that day.

Tarta de Santiago

PHOTO COURTESY CHEF SANTI GABINO JR

2 cups blanched almonds

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

Zest of one lemon

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbs. almond extract

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350° F, and heavily grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground (2-3 minutes), being careful not to turn the mixture into almond butter by over-processing.

Separately, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy (3-5 minutes); then add the lemon zest, almond extract and cinnamon.

Fold in the ground almonds using a rubber spatula, and pour in the cake batter into the greased pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean.

If it’s not baked at 30 minutes, bake for 5 more minutes, then test again. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, and then release and transfer to a serving dish.

To create the traditional St. James cutout, print out a cross of St. James, cut it out, and place it on the cake. Dust liberally with powdered sugar, then carefully remove the cross stencil.

Serve the cake in slices with fresh fruit or whipped cream, if desired. It goes great with coffee!

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