Late this week everyone was in a frenzy over Hurricane Irene that was rapidly and forcefully moving up the coast with a vengeance. I knew all about her from my family in Puerto Rico, who kept us updated via Facebook as they were getting hit. Once I knew she was coming, I started to prepare too.
By nature, I'm whimsical and impulsive. My profession demands otherwise. With discipline and dedication, being a mother, and a Risk Manager, has taught me to calculate risk and prepare for the worst. What I still haven't learned is to prepare for the best... (stay tuned because that's a monster many of us struggle with, a topic all on it's own).
I meticulously shopped for the items on my "Disaster Preparedness" list, jotted all emergency municipality contacts and carefully tied down all lawn furniture (that was too large to move indoors) with bungee cords. Not bad for a single woman, eh?
It was my kids' weekend with their father and it was frightening to know that I'd be alone, and that my little one would be away from her Mama. My ex-husband was gracious enough to offer me shelter, and thoughtful as he was I gather it may have been a tad bit uncomfortable for the new girlfriend. Scary as it was, I looked forward to uninterrupted moments alone with my thoughts.
So what do I do when I need to make peace with my soul? You guessed it! I cook. My kitchen is stocked with fresh herbs, vegetables, fruit and seasonings. At any given moment I can cook a vast array of international delights.
Today, as I often do when I feel lost, I yearned for the warmth of my mom and my grandmother, Mamita. I called my mom while I still had electricity and ran my tentative menu by her. Then, I looked up at a picture of my dearly departed grandmother that I keep in my kitchen and ran it by her too. I always talk to my Mamita. She has been gone for 11 years now, and I still run everything by her, especially when I'm in the kitchen.
Often, I determine what I'm going to cook by how I feel, and then by the ingredients that I have on hand. I had shrimp and fresh herbs, spices and veggies. The choice virtually made itself! I chose to stick to my Puerto Rican roots and make an Asopa'o De Camarones. No, the accent is not associated with any fancy French pronunciation, but rather an African one. In the Latino-Caribbean countries, we will often "drop" off consonants of a word, such as the "s" thus giving the word a more African enunciation. Asopa'o is that pronunciation of the technical "Asopado", meaning to make a soup of.
As I washed the herbs and chopped the vegetables I felt the warm embrace of my grandmother in my mom's kitchen. I thought of everything that I've been through this past year and what they both taught me. Among these lessons, they always taught me to be prepared. I always thought that meant to have a good education, but as I get older, I appreciate the lesson more.
This storm came and went without much consequence, but in those moments alone in my kitchen, Hurricane Irene reminded me of heartache I'd recently experienced last year. Like the hurricane, promises of something great came & went.. And like the hurricane, they fell short and left damage behind. Thankfully from both I learned a valuable lesson, to prepare for greater and more powerful things.
Now, keep in mind that in my kitchen, just as two human beings are never the same, neither are my dishes. My recipes evolve depending on what ingredients I have on hand, and how I feel. The Asopa'o was so easy to make. In a mixing bowl, I cut up a handful of red potatoes, 3 stalks of celery, 2 purple onions, finely chopped carrots, julienned peppers, two [table] spoons of olives, a handful of mushrooms and... a handful of chopped radishes. Okay, I know my mom will be reading this, and she is gonna say, "What Mi'ja? Radishes? Pero, por que? Radishes? Asopa'o does not call for radishes!" Go with me on this one, they are just like potatoes when cooked, and soak in the flavor of your dish. Yes, radishes.
Then to that mezcla, or mixture, you add two envelopes of Sazon, generously sprinkle some Adobo, a little oregano, chopped basil, chopped coriander leaves, chicken bouillon, 1/3 stick of butter, crushed garlic (be generous), finely chopped cilantro, two table spoons of tomato paste or one can of tomato sauce, and drizzle with olive oil....
Lastly, throw that mixture into a soup pot. Give it some love. Come on now! Now add about 1-2 cups of rice. Let it simmer and fall in love with each other over medium heat. Once the veggies become somewhat translucent, add water almost to the top , cover almost completely and bring the heat down to a low simmer. Take your time, have a glass of wine... once the soup is ready, add the shrimp. One pound shelled and cleaned. It takes two minutes for them to cook to that golden color. Take the pot off the heat, you're good to go. I love to sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese (not traditional, I know, but it taste so good!) and serve the dish with salted Tostones on the side, for dipping.
... Muy buen provecho!
By nature, I'm whimsical and impulsive. My profession demands otherwise. With discipline and dedication, being a mother, and a Risk Manager, has taught me to calculate risk and prepare for the worst. What I still haven't learned is to prepare for the best... (stay tuned because that's a monster many of us struggle with, a topic all on it's own).
I meticulously shopped for the items on my "Disaster Preparedness" list, jotted all emergency municipality contacts and carefully tied down all lawn furniture (that was too large to move indoors) with bungee cords. Not bad for a single woman, eh?
It was my kids' weekend with their father and it was frightening to know that I'd be alone, and that my little one would be away from her Mama. My ex-husband was gracious enough to offer me shelter, and thoughtful as he was I gather it may have been a tad bit uncomfortable for the new girlfriend. Scary as it was, I looked forward to uninterrupted moments alone with my thoughts.
So what do I do when I need to make peace with my soul? You guessed it! I cook. My kitchen is stocked with fresh herbs, vegetables, fruit and seasonings. At any given moment I can cook a vast array of international delights.
Today, as I often do when I feel lost, I yearned for the warmth of my mom and my grandmother, Mamita. I called my mom while I still had electricity and ran my tentative menu by her. Then, I looked up at a picture of my dearly departed grandmother that I keep in my kitchen and ran it by her too. I always talk to my Mamita. She has been gone for 11 years now, and I still run everything by her, especially when I'm in the kitchen.
Often, I determine what I'm going to cook by how I feel, and then by the ingredients that I have on hand. I had shrimp and fresh herbs, spices and veggies. The choice virtually made itself! I chose to stick to my Puerto Rican roots and make an Asopa'o De Camarones. No, the accent is not associated with any fancy French pronunciation, but rather an African one. In the Latino-Caribbean countries, we will often "drop" off consonants of a word, such as the "s" thus giving the word a more African enunciation. Asopa'o is that pronunciation of the technical "Asopado", meaning to make a soup of.
As I washed the herbs and chopped the vegetables I felt the warm embrace of my grandmother in my mom's kitchen. I thought of everything that I've been through this past year and what they both taught me. Among these lessons, they always taught me to be prepared. I always thought that meant to have a good education, but as I get older, I appreciate the lesson more.
This storm came and went without much consequence, but in those moments alone in my kitchen, Hurricane Irene reminded me of heartache I'd recently experienced last year. Like the hurricane, promises of something great came & went.. And like the hurricane, they fell short and left damage behind. Thankfully from both I learned a valuable lesson, to prepare for greater and more powerful things.
Lesson: In both circumstances, I never lost power and now I'm prepared for the real thing...
Asopa'o De Camarones
Now, keep in mind that in my kitchen, just as two human beings are never the same, neither are my dishes. My recipes evolve depending on what ingredients I have on hand, and how I feel. The Asopa'o was so easy to make. In a mixing bowl, I cut up a handful of red potatoes, 3 stalks of celery, 2 purple onions, finely chopped carrots, julienned peppers, two [table] spoons of olives, a handful of mushrooms and... a handful of chopped radishes. Okay, I know my mom will be reading this, and she is gonna say, "What Mi'ja? Radishes? Pero, por que? Radishes? Asopa'o does not call for radishes!" Go with me on this one, they are just like potatoes when cooked, and soak in the flavor of your dish. Yes, radishes.
Then to that mezcla, or mixture, you add two envelopes of Sazon, generously sprinkle some Adobo, a little oregano, chopped basil, chopped coriander leaves, chicken bouillon, 1/3 stick of butter, crushed garlic (be generous), finely chopped cilantro, two table spoons of tomato paste or one can of tomato sauce, and drizzle with olive oil....
Lastly, throw that mixture into a soup pot. Give it some love. Come on now! Now add about 1-2 cups of rice. Let it simmer and fall in love with each other over medium heat. Once the veggies become somewhat translucent, add water almost to the top , cover almost completely and bring the heat down to a low simmer. Take your time, have a glass of wine... once the soup is ready, add the shrimp. One pound shelled and cleaned. It takes two minutes for them to cook to that golden color. Take the pot off the heat, you're good to go. I love to sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese (not traditional, I know, but it taste so good!) and serve the dish with salted Tostones on the side, for dipping.
... Muy buen provecho!
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