WASHINGTON – When Eddie Diaz cooks a Puerto Rican-style dinner for friends, he heads straight to Giant Food, where everything he needs – plantains, yuca, passion fruit pulp – can be found to make his grandmother’s recipes.
“That surprised me when I moved here,” says Diaz, 24, who grew up in central Puerto Rico and New Jersey before moving to Bethesda, Md., to attend American University. “I didn’t expect an average supermarket to have so many Spanish products. And they get more and more every time I look.”
Diaz can choose fresh plantains in the produce department or, if he is pressed for time, frozen tostones, which are fried green bananas.
The store has his favorite bean (pinto) and size (medium) both dried and canned. And hard-to-peel yuca comes fresh or peeled and frozen.
Like Diaz, many who favor foods from back home are finding that more and more supermarkets are stocking shelves with products they want and brands they recognize. Supermarket owners see the buying power of Hispanics – the fastest-growing segment of the American population and the largest ethnic minority, with 576,000 members in the Washington area, according to the most recent Census Bureau figures.
“We now have a customer base that is much more diverse, and a lot of our Hispanic customers are looking for specific items,” says Giant Food spokesman Jamie Miller.
Hispanics typically spend significantly more on groceries per week than the general U.S. population, $133 versus $91, according to a 2005 survey by the Washington-based Food Marketing Institute. They found that Hispanics, who tend to shop as a family, want stores that cater to their tastes, display bilingual signage and have Spanish-speaking employees.
Family-owned and in its 70th year, Goya, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, began selling to supermarkets in the 1950s. The first to carry the brand was a Safeway store in Harlem.
“It was difficult. At the time, Goya products were displayed on a small section on top of a cooler,” says Conrad Colon, vice president of marketing. “As the Hispanic community grew, so did demand and eventually Goya got its own shelves.”
Today, with 1,500 products, Secaucus, N.J.- based Goya can dominate an entire aisle. But not every product goes to every store. Goya, for instance, makes 36 varieties of dried beans in four sizes. The Goya sales staff studies the demographics of each neighborhood before stocking the shelves with a mix of products targeted to a specific regional immigrant community.
Eddie Diaz’s cupboard is full of Goya cans, bags and boxes stacked one atop another. Once a week he makes a big pot of rice and beans flavored with sazon@, a seasoning mix made with monosodium glutamate, salt, dried peppers and spices. This time of year, he spends a lot of time outdoors grilling marinated chicken and pork seasoned with more sazon@.
Alongside, he serves fried green bananas with a choice of toppings and always starchy yuca covered with a pungent garlic and onion sauce.
Passion fruit pulp is mixed with water and sugar for a tangy island drink.
Someday, Diaz plans to open the first high-end Puerto Rican restaurant in downtown Washington. He will use the recipes his family has passed down for generations at its farmsteads near Barranquitas in the central part of the island. “They need one here,” Diaz says of his restaurant concept. “These are flavors most people don’t know.”
bc-food-hispanic-recipes (wap) (ATTN: Food editors) //Recipes// (c) 2006, The Washington Post
Escabeche de Yuca (Pickled Yuca)
10 to 12 servings
Eddie Diaz says yuca is one of his favorite vegetables. You can eat it pretty much with anything, except for breakfast. In his family, this garlicky side dish is served with grilled chicken or pork and is often served with red rice and beans. The dish will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week. Adapted from a family recipe.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Peel the yuca and soak it in cold salted water for about 10 minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the yuca and boil until tender at the core, about 30 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle or a mini food processor, process the garlic and salt into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl.
Add the onion, vinegar and oil and mix well, then pour over the yuca.
Let the dressed yuca sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, occasionally spooning the mixture on top while being careful not to let the yuca break apart. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Per serving (based on 12): 400 calories, 2g protein, 56g carbohydrates, 19g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2g saturated fat, 404mg sodium, 2g dietary fiber
Tostones (Fried Plantains)
4 servings
This is a typical Puerto Rican dish. The Diaz family flattens the fried plantains with a wooden press called a tostonera@, available at Hispanic markets. But a brown paper bag can also be used. Mojito sauces are served on the side. Eddie Diaz serves tostones as appetizers but they can also accompany a main course. For this dish, dark green plantains are best. Adapted from a family recipe.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Have ready a plate lined with paper towels and a medium bowl filled with cold, salted water. Soak the plantain slices in the water for about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander, shaking to remove any excess moisture. Set aside.
Fill a deep, heavy pan with vegetable oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Set over medium heat until the oil registers 350 degrees on a candy thermometer (or a cube of bread crisps and browns in 30 seconds). Adding a few plantain slices at a time (being careful not to crowd the pan), cook until they are golden brown, turning once or twice, 6 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the slices to the paper towel-lined plate. Let the oil return to 350 degrees and fry the remaining plantains in batches. Reduce the heat to medium-low (325 degrees).
Have ready a brown paper bag that has been folded over several times into a square shape. While the plantains are still warm, place the folded bag over each one and press down firmly with your hands or a plate to flatten them to about 1/2 inch thick. Return to the hot oil in batches of 3 or 4. Fry until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with fresh paper towels. Serve warm.
(a) NOTE: To peel a plantain, trim the ends, then with a sharp knife, score the skin along the ridges. The skin should peel off in sections.
Per serving: 169 calories, 1g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 7g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1g saturated fat, 73mg sodium, 2g dietary fiber
Mojito Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
This is one of Diaz’s favorite sauces because it’s multipurpose. In addition to being used with tostones, it’s good on a vegetable dish or rice. You also can the mojito to marinate or baste chicken on the grill. It will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 1 week. This comes from a family recipe.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
In a blender or food processor, add the garlic, salt and cilantro and pulse to combine, taking care not to overblend. Add the oil in a thin stream and blend until emulsified. Transfer to a serving dish and let sit for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. Stir before serving or cover and refrigerate.
Per serving (based on 2 tablespoons): 246 calories, 0g protein, 1g carbohydrates, 28g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 4g saturated fat, 296mg sodium, 0g dietary fiber
Tomato Mojito Sauce
Makes 1 1/2 cups
This has a chunkier texture than the plain mojito sauce, Eddie Diaz says. It’s juicier and more salsa-like, with a sweet and tangy taste, unlike the plain mojito, which is more garlicky. It will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. This is his mother’s recipe.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Place all the ingredients except the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Pulse to combine but keep a slightly chunky consistency.
Transfer to a serving dish. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate.
Per serving (based on 2 tablespoons): 17 calories, 0g protein, 2g carbohydrates, 1g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0g saturated fat, 196mg sodium, 0g dietary fiber
Adobo Rub (Seasoning Rub)
Makes 1 1/2 cups (enough for a whole chicken or pork shoulder)
Diaz likes to use this Caribbean-flavored rub on pork shoulder, whole chicken and turkey. The optional sazon@ seasoning adds a peppery-salty flavor (its main ingredient is MSG). To use, make shallow cuts in the meat or poultry, and spread the rub over all and into the crevices to coat evenly. Cover the meat and refrigerate for at least 1 or hour or preferably overnight before cooking.
Diaz’s mother taught him how to make this.
INGREDIENTS
2 packets (a scant 1 tablespoon total) sazon seasoning blend with coriander and achiote (annatto), such as Goya brand (optional)
In a blender or food processor, add the garlic, parsley, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Add the vinegar, oil and sazon packets, if desired, and pulse to combine. The texture should be paste-like but slightly runny. At this point, the rub is ready to use on meat or poultry, or store in a tightly covered container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Per serving (based on 1 tablespoon): 44 calories, 0g protein, 1g carbohydrates, 5g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1g saturated fat, 873mg sodium, 0g dietary fiber
