Arroz a la Cubana

__________________________________________________

             FOOD FUNNY
__________________________________________________

Thanks to Rosemary Zwick for this piece of wisdom:

A Prime Minister was discussing with another government official the
possibility of lasting peace. The latter, an expert on foreign affairs,
was unimpressed by the idealistic viewpoint. He remarked cynically, "The
desire for peace does not necessarily ensure it."

The Prime Minister admitted, saying, "Quite true. But neither does the
desire for food satisfy your hunger. However, it at least gets you
started towards a restaurant."

__________________________________________________

             TODAY'S RECIPE
__________________________________________________

This recipe is one we discovered in Uruguay, where my family lived when
I was a boy, and it was a favorite of mine. It's name "Cuban rice" is a
mystery, because in subsequent years I have never met a Cuban who knew
this dish. My guess is that in Uruguay they called it "Cuban rice"
because of the use of fried bananas, a Caribbean item. Anyway, it has
since become a favorite of my sons' and nephews', and I'm sure the
younger generation in your family will love it too. The original version
called for fried bananas, but my version cuts down on the fat and
simplifies the process by baking the bananas instead. It is easy to make
for two people or twenty, so I have decided to give ingredients on a
per-person basis rather than in the usual format. As we said in Uruguay
- Buen Provecho!

Arroz a la Cubana

All quantities given are per person
1/2 cup (125 ml) raw white rice
1 cup (250 ml) water
1/4 tsp (1 ml) turmeric
1 banana
2 to 4 slices bacon
1 to 2 eggs
A few drops of olive oil or bacon drippings

Bring the water to a boil and add the rice and turmeric. Stir once,
cover, reduce the heat to a slow simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Do not
remove the cover from the pot. After 15 minutes, remove the pot from
heat and set aside. Meanwhile cook the bacon until crisp. I prefer to do
this by placing the bacon strips in a single layer on a large baking
sheet and baking in a moderate oven (350F, 180C) until crisp, in order
to reduce the amount of stove-top activity. Cut both ends off the
bananas and, using the point of a sharp knife, cut through the peel from
one end to the other. Bake these on a separate baking sheet along with
the bacon, for about 20 minutes, until the bananas are soft and the peel
is completely black. When the bananas are done, remove the peel by
grabbing (CAUTION: VERY HOT) the peel where you made the slit and
'rolling' the banana out of the peel. Fry the eggs in the olive oil or
bacon drippings. To assemble, place a mound of rice in the center of
each plate, and surround it with the bacon and the peeled, cooked
bananas. Top with a fried egg or two.
  
The only challenge in making this dish is to get everything done at the
same time for what can be (depending on the number of diners) a rather
frantic last-minute assembly process. This is why I prefer to do the
bacon and the bananas in the oven rather than the stove-top, because
they can stay warm in the oven until the eggs are done. I frequently
have two or three pans of frying eggs going at the last minute, so that
everyone gets a piping hot fried egg on top of their rice.
Received on Wed Mar 4 18:21:12 2009