Sad Update/ Broken Camera

OK so my wrist is finally healed after breaking it when I went snowboarding with some friends at Big Bear (well the healing part is wonderful news) however I know it's caused me to neglect my blog for sometime and not really post much because I haven't been cooking much (mom's been in charge of the kitchen and the food is just as delicious lol.)

However my camera is pretty much broken :/ I took it out last week a night on the town, and well someone in the car must've somehow stepped on it or sat on it because the screen is completely messed up, like the display is all warped up and cracked... it can still take photos and upload them but I can't see what I'm taking a photo of, and yeah.

I'll buy a new one when I have time, and my dad isn't letting me borrow his...

Anyways luckily I have some old photos of stuff I cooked previously that never made it here :) One of them the Canary Islands version of "Ropa Vieja" (shredded meat stew) which is different than the Cuban version, and the other is a short-cut improvised "Potaje de Garbanzos" (Chickpea Stew) I made with my grandma that was very delicious, oooh and another "Empanada Gallega" (Galician Meat Pie) :)

So stay tuned, and those will have to do until I have time to buy a new camera :)

Castañeta (Palometa) Frita de Mi Madre (Mom's Fried Golden Pompano)

At home we eat fish occasionally Golden Pompano is one of my favorite fish, it is meaty, sturdy, moist (has enough fat), and best of all doesn't have a lot of bones, most of the bones are large and in the center body not embedded through-out it's flesh.

It is very similar to white Pomfret and Black Pomfret (which are also one of my favorite fish, when I want fish steaks, medallions, rounds, whole fried fish, or a fish that can hold it's own in stewing)

This is how my mother prepares it she simply puts generous salt, pepper, mashed garlic, and lime. Then flours and pan or deep-fries. The results, a slightly crisp exterior, moist interior, and garlicky, flavorful fried fish.

With my wrist broken and unable to cook much, I decided to take pictures of what my mom was cooking and share the recipe :)

Main Ingredients:
-2 Golden Pompano's (cut into steak rounds)
-6-8 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste
-juice of 1 lime or 1/2 lemon (she used a lemon)
-salt to taste (salt generously all over)
-ground black pepper to taste
-flour as needed to coat fish

Ingredients To fry the fish:
-enough oil to deep-fry fish, or almost completely submerge (2-3 cups?)
-3 whole garlic cloves, skin on, slightly bruised

Directions:
(1) Tell your fish market guy to cut it into steaks, wash the fish real well, rinsing in cold water several times and pat-dry, make slits on the steaks skin with a knife about 2 inches apart, sprinkle salt and pepper all over, rub garlic, and lemon or lime juice all over.
(2) Allow to marinade atleast 2 hours or over night
(3) After 2 hours or marinading longer, lightly flour all the fish pieces
Directions to fry:
(1) Heat your oil over medium high heat, add your bruised garlic cloves (this will help your house not smell like a bunch of fish) add your floured fish when hot, in batches fry 5-6 minutes without touching
then turn over and allow to continue frying.
(2) Drain and remove from oil, put on paper towels to drain further or o n whatever you'd like
(3) Do the same with the second batch :) When done it should look like this. We ate it with rice and salad :D
PLEASE NOTE:
(1) Notice the fish is a golden reddish, my mom used an oil she had previously infused with sweet smoked Spanish paprika, you can also just mix the flour with some paprika for the color.

(2) This recipe can work for Tilapia/ Mojarra, Catfish, Redsnapper, or Seabass. any fresh white fleshed whole fish, even fish fillets :)

(3) If you like this recipe you'll like my mother's Salmon, with generous garlic, pan-fried in butter and olive oil see post for "Salmon de mi Mama" or her "Mojarra Frita a la Mexicana" (Tilapia Mexican style)

(4) I have a feeling I have the wrong Spanish name... I think "Castañeta" or Palometa is actually referring to "Pomfret" though Pomfret and Pompano look so similar....

Guiso de Carne de Puerco (Cuban Pork and Potato Stew)

A simple, comforting, cuban tomato based stew of pork and potatoes hot n smokey from the cumin and pepper. I prepare it the same way as my grandmother's "Carne Con Papa" (beef n potato), a good way to switch it up when you don't feel like eating beef :)

Some Cubans will call this dish "Fricase de Puerco" (Pork Fricase) but when I make the pork fricasse, the pork meat is marinaded in sour orange, garlic, and salt and all this is planned ahead, etc. whatever you want to label it as it's damn delicious lol.

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 - 2 lbs pork meat I like like to use pork spareribs cut into chunks
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or pork lard
-1 green bell pepper finely chopped
-1 onion finely chopped
-4 cloves garlic minced
-1 can 8 oz tomato sauce
-1/2 cup dry white wine
-1 cups water
-3 potatoes peeled, washed and halved
-salt to taste
-black pepper to taste
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-1/2 tsp. bijol or ground achiote (optional we do this at home when we want to give the potatoes a golden yellow color, and the meat a glossy orangish tinge)

Directions:
(1)Wash your pork well, pat dry and season with salt and pepper, anyways now heat olive oil or pork fat in a large deep pan or pot, over medium high heat, when hot add your pork meat seasoned with salt and pepper, allow meat to brown all over
(2) When pork is browned add onion and bell peppers cook down 5 minutes, add garlic and stir 1-2 minutes just until fragrant, then add tomato sauce when it bubbles add the wine and let it reduce
(3) Now add water, cumin, bijol, more salt n black pepper to taste, and potatoes.
Bring to a boil on high, give a good stir cover and lower heat to medium low for 40 minutes- 1 hour until meat is tender. When tender it's done turn off heat :)
(4) Serve with rice and any sides you'd like, my mother sauteed some delicious spinach with onion, garlic, olive oil, and lightly seasoned it with salt served with a lemon wedge