[Luis Gonzalez]

To my mother.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Thank you for the article.

If I may ask, where or near where did you live in Havana?

To share with you a couple of things which I think you might enjoy: “…she had used hens instead of chickens…” In Panama, we call these hens “gallina de patio” to differentiate them from commercially raised chickens. The galliana de patillo has more flavor.

“Hasta luego” is always used here also. “Adios” is considered permanent…a permanent goodbye.

Is “bijol” the same as “achiote?” Achiote are small red seeds that are dumped into boiling oil. They release a red color and a pleasant flavor and is used in arroz con pollo here.

[nutmeg]

bump

[No!]

`had me cryin like a baby...

Macho guy that I am!

Hasta luegos Luis... :)

[Grampa Dave]

Man, this post made my mouth water. We don't have any good Cuban restaurants in the N. California area that I know of.

[gitmo]

I haven't had decent Arroz con Pollo since I left Guantanamo in the 60's. Thanks for the memories.

[JimRed]

God bless your mother! Now you've gone and made me hungry. BTW, is the bijol saffron?

[dixie sass]

Dearest, dearest Luis. Treasure her. Momma and Grandmomma were my very best friends in the world. I miss them both so much. There were times when I would want to fix a certain dish and I would have to call Momma or Grandmomma to make sure that I remembered the ingredients and how to combine them. There was always something missing...

You know what that was, don't you. Something every Momma puts into her cooking that can't be bought or grown - it's a mothers love.

I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face, this piece today makes me even lonelier than before. Even though I know that their spirit is in me, I can't run into the next room and tell Momma that she should really come read this or call Grandmomma on the phone to read it to her.

Thank you for sharing your Momma with us today.

Hugs for you and your family.
May GOD bless you and yours.
Dixie

[shezza]

Sweet! What a wonderful tribute, Luis. God bless Mothers everywhere, and the memories they have labored to create for us.

[Publius6961]

OK so where's the recipe?
And what's bijol finally?
Without the caldo, there's no recipe!

Give us a break!

[tet68]

Jeez Luis, now you've made me get all.........misty.
Thanks.

[katana]

Beautiful, Luis, absolutely beautiful. You should submit this for publication somewhere.

[Tamzee]

It was a wonderful read, until the last line... then I was crying :-)

Thank you.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Oh, Luis. You've done it again. My eyes are filled with tears. You mother is a special person, and you have captured your fond memories perfectly. I hope it was just a writer's device, and that you didn't REALLY throw the recipe notes away. :~) Your 4 year old is precious, as all of them are -- such wisdom!

Thanks for including me on your ping list. It's the day before Mother's Day, and I am writing from my son's home in Kansas City where we have just celebrated my grandson's First Communion. Unfortunately, none of my children will remember my cooking the way you remember your mom's, although they do call for recipes sometimes.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Saw you all getting sentimental about Mother's Day on carlo's thread, so I thought I'd invite you to a heapin' helpin' of my favorite food.

Happy Mother's Day!

[hattend]

I was born in Havana. My parents lived down there when my dad played winter baseball.

My mom learned some recipes while living there and my favorite meals are still black beans and rice and chicken and rice cooked in a citrus marinade.

Yum! Happy Mother Day!

[Libertina]

Another precious mom BUMP!

[stainlessbanner]

Great piece, Luis. You made me hungry for mamma's chicken and rice.....for breakfast!

[William Wallace]

Well?

[Ignatz]

Gosh, Luis, you made me all misty-eyed, darn you!
Took me back to the tastes and smells of my Granma's kitchen - especially her chicken and noodles. I guess that would be "Noodles con Pollo", si? My brothers and I actually have framed her recipe. Our wives have followed the recipe faithfully, but it still isn't the same.
Anyway, thanks and God bless for a great article. It is a lovely tribute.

[carlo3b]

Luis my friend here is a recipe that I just bumped into, and it looks wonderful..if you know it, or if you try it..let me know if it's authentic..Carlo Cuban Shredded Beef

This dish is affectionately called, "Ropa vieja" which translates to "old clothes" and refers to the stringy, shredded appearance of the meat in this Latin American classic.

• 1 lb (450 g) flank steak
• 8 cups (2 L) water
• 4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and chopped
• 1 recipe sofrito (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) broth reserved from boiling the meat
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) frozen peas
• 1 2-ounce (56 g) jar chopped pimientos with their liquid
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1) Combine the flank steak, water, garlic, carrot, onion, and bell pepper in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 2 hours.  Remove the meat and allow to cool, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.  2) Pound the meat with a mallet or back of a large knife to separate it onto stringy fibers.
3) Combine with the sofrito, reserved broth, peas, pimientos, salt, and pepper in a large skillet and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve with white rice.  Serves 4 to 6.
 

Sofrito

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 ml) tomato sauce
• 1 Tbs. (15 ml) red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground oregano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1) Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat and sauté the garlic, onion, and bell pepper until tender but not brown.
2) Add the remaining ingredients and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Makes about 1 1/2 cup (375 ml).