Laura's version of Raquel's flan

Raquel's Cuban specialty: FLAN

Raquel dictated her recipe to me. We studied the words carefully together. Here is Raquel's contribution to Laura's Food Court. I shall make this lovely custard on Father's Day and surprise all my guest. We will be 14 people. I will tell you later, if my little surprise was a good surprise.Thank you Raquel, for sharing this traditional dessert with us.

The ingredients are simply:

1 can condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

4 eggs

Raquel explains that you place 6 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a pan and cook until the sugar thickens and turns to caramel. Pour the caramel in a glass bowl where you want to make the flan, tilting the dish to "coat" the bottom. 

Next, mix the 2 kinds of milk and eggs with a blender. Pour into the glass bowl. Gently place the glass bowl in a pan filled with hot water. -Then put it in the oven to bake for 45 minutes at a temperature of 350º. When the flan is cooked, check to see if a knife inserted comes out clean. Then when the flan cools, invert the dessert so that the caramel side is up. Looks delicious!!

Thao's Vietnamese Salad

The lovely Thao tells us about a recipe she learned from her mother. Thao says that this salad is for a party or really any event. You can eat it with chopsticks or a fork. The recipe is originally from Vietnam.

Ingredients
 1 celery stalk
3 carrots
2 daikon radishes
1 lb. shrimp
1 lb. pork
1/4 cup white vinegar and 3/4 cup water
6 tablespoons of sugar

Shred the carrots and daikon radishes. Slice the celery, boil the pork and shrimp until well done. After that, slice the pork and peel the shrimp. Mix the white vinegar, water and sugar together. Take a big bowl and mix the carrots, daikon radishes, celery, pork and shrimp together and then pour the dressing over the salad. Thao says "Enjoy your meal."  Thank you Thao. It looks like a healthy, delicious dish. Very appropriate for a hot summer's day.

Luz "Sol" shares her EMPANADA recipe

Luz says that these empanadas are delicious with a drink called Champus. She doesn't give us the instructions about making champus but she does share her empanada recipe. I've made these delicate pastry delights. They are a little work but they taste like heaven in your mouth!

Ingredients
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup diced peeled potatoes
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 bag flour La Venezolana

Directions
Cook the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and beef, cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the tomato sauce.

Making the dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon butter

Mix all the ingredients. Let the dough rest for fifteen minutes
Luz says "I put the dough on the counter, I roll the dough and then I make it flat. I cut small rounds and then I put the beef on the small rounds of dough. After this, I fold the round dough in half. The dough becomes a crescent shape. Seal the edges with a fork. Then I put in the fryer for a few minutes."

Magali's Favorite

Magali's aunt's recipe

Magali, my young student from Mexico, shares with us one of her favorite recipes. This looks delicious and great for the summer.

Cheesecake with ice cream and chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients:

1 package (15.2 oz) cookies with little chunks of chocolate real chocolate chip cookies, divided

2 tbsp butter melted

2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese softened

½ cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 ½ quarts (6cups) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Procedure

Crush 20 cookies  into  fine crumbs, with butter until smooth. Press it against the bottom of a mold. Cut the 16 remaining cookies. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer. Add the ice cream, beat until smooth. Incorporate the cookies, pour over base. Put the cheese cake in the freezer for 4 hours or until firm. Thaw for 10 min before serving, let it stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with remaining cookies.

Magali says "I chose this recipe because I like cheesecake desserts especially; I think it’s easy to do. But I’ve never made it. However, my aunt makes it on special occasions. It’s delicious!"

Ruben's Arepas

Arepas are the food of the indigenous inhabitants of Venezuela. These small corn cakes are sold in Venezuelan restaurants called areperías and are stuffed with  different fillings, like a sandwich. Ruben explains the ingredients. 

2 Cups Harina P.A.N.

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Cups boiling water

3 Tbsp oil

Mix the cornmeal and salt in a large bowl . Pour in 2 1/2 cups of boiling water to make dough. Cover with a towel set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Using wet hands, form balls of dough using about a 1/4 Cup of dough, pressing down to form a cake 3" wide and 3/4 " thick. If the dough cracks at the edges, add more water. Sauté in a skillet a few at a time until light crust on one side appears (about 5-6 minutes) Flip and brown other side. When the patties are grilled place in baking sheet in the oven at 400º to finish  cooking for 15-20 minutes. They are done when they sound hollow when tapped. Ruben says, the cakes must be split open to fill with whatever you like. Serve immediately.

Ruben, whenever I think of arepas I remember a famous song that somebody taught me years ago. The words are from the song "se va el caiman". I'm smiling because the verse I was taught sang like this... "Se va el caiman, se va el caiman, se va para Baranquilla, comiendo pan, comiendo pan, y arepas con mantequilla. So? I guess the Colombians eat arepas too! I will enjoy making these. Thank you.

Youn's Korean contribution

Youn has delighted us with Bulgogi. Her recipe says "people have been finding that bulgogi is not only tasty and healthy but also very versatile. Bulgogi is an ideal picnic food, tasty hors d'oeuvre or buffet item.

Thin slices of meat are marinated in a sauce of soy, sesame oil, minced garlic, sesame seeds and cooked over a charcoal grill. The grilled meat can be eaten alone or wrapped in lettuce along with slices of fresh garlic a green pepper, a dab of soybean paste, red pepper paste,  all of which are rich in vitamins, minerals and cancer -fighting substances.

Youn's recipe calls for:
2 lbs. beef (loin tip steak) thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced in a bias
4 button mushrooms, slice
1/2 ibuibm thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce, sugar & water
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp sesame seeds
1-2 tabsp mince garlic
1 tbsp juice of ginger
1/2 onion, grind in a food processor

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Marinade beef and vegetables for at least 30 minutes. 1-2 hours is the best, after more than several hours it will taste too salty. Grill the beef. Serve with rice.
Cool tip! Important tip is to use same amount of soy sauce and sugar. If you do this a day ahead reduce the soy sauce. And don't forget to put it in a refrigerator. Add the juice of 1/2 Asian pear to the beef, it will tenderize beef and give much more flavor to the dish, or you can add 1/4 kiwi. Thanks Youn. I shall include this in my next "to do" recipe.

Gloria's PUMPKIN CAKE

So, now it's time to introduce a few students and display their favorite recipes. From Colombia, Gloria, shares  her favorite dessert, Pumpkin Cake .  She tells us,

"This is my favorite recipe because it's healthy, delicious and easy to make. I prepare this recipe during the holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthdays too."

2 Cups cooked pumpkin
12 oz condensed milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Cups Flour
 1/2 tsp salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 Cup raisins or craisins
1/2 Cup butter

Preheat oven 450º Thoroughly blend all ingredients and pour into a greased 9" pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350º. Bake for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool completely on rack.

This is the beginning of what I'd like to consider a long continuous project.

My ESL students are from all over the world. Every 9 - 10 weeks I walk into a class  and greet anywhere from 10 to 20 smiling nervous faces, eager to learn or improve their English. Then, our course is over and the students move on to a different level and I sometimes never see them again. Our personal relationship, so close for a number of weeks, vanishes. Everybody walks away back into their busy lives.

This blog attempts to anchor the moments I spent with them in a meaningful way. It's a way of saving their memory and showing how they impacted my life. HERE IS THEIR CONTRIBUTION to me and their fellow students.

This collection of recipes is proof of their rich cultural diversity, but more important, it's proof that they show me much more than I show them. Thank you.