Platanos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains)

Luckily plantains are found in most supermarkets these days. Depending at what stage you get the plantains it should take about a week for them to turn dark brown to black. Do not store in the refrigerator, leave them out in a dark, cool place. Sweet, spicy and tart you will love this. I dislike sweet things but I love savory sweet...and these are so-ooo savory and sweet with a kick!

Ingredients
3 to 4 very ripe plantains (heavy black spotting to a fully black skin)
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1/2 a lime

Directions
Peel the plantains and cut (diagonal) into one-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with salt to taste and cayenne pepper. Heat the oil until medium hot. Fry the pieces briefly, about a minute or two per side. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, turning occasionally until they are brown and caramelized. Squeeze the lime over the pieces and serve.

Tip: You might have to fry the plantains in batches, try not to crowd them in the skillet.

Servings 6

Colombian Exotic Fruits

Maracuyá (pronounced mah-rah-koo-jah) or Passion Fruit


The passion fruit is round to oval, about the size of a grapefruit, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with a lot of seeds. The fruit can be eaten raw with a dash of sugar or used for making juice. The unique tropical flavor is a combination of sweet and sour, something like mango mixed with star fruit. Passion fruit flavored juices can be found fairly easily in the US.

Tomate de Árbol (Tree Tomato or Tamarillo)


Tomate de árbol is eaten by scooping the flesh from a halved fruit. It is also great for cooking by adding the pulp to chutneys, soups or stews. In Colombia the juice is very popular too - adding a little water and sugar. The pulp is tangy and a little sweet.

Lulo


The lulo has orange skin and the flesh looks like a green tomato, it is tart and tangy and is almost exclusively for making juice. It has a citrus flavor sort of like a mixture between a rhubarb and a lime. It does not do well in large-scale cultivation so that is probably why it is not seen much or exported. A special drink in Cali is the Lulada which is made from the pulp of the lulo, mixed with water, sugar and ice cubes.

What is a Chiguiro?

Today I would like to share a funny story with you, please follow the link below. It is an excerpt of a post I wrote while in India...things you need to know - I am Mici (family nickname) and Diana is my sister who unfortunately eats just about anything. A chiguiro is the world's largest rodent, that people eat here for some reason, including my dear sister.

http://bogotaeatsanddrinks.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/from-micis-blog/

Guayaba (Guava)

Guayaba is a very popular and common fruit in Colombia. It is available, like almost every other fruit, as a juice, but is also often found in jams, pastries, and other desserts. This classic tropical flavor is sweet and something like a tangy apple. The skin is also similar to an apple so you do not have to peel it before eating. You can get it as a thick paste as well, for cooking (look for it in the hispanic section in most supermarkets). I have not seen this fruit fresh outside of South America but you can taste it by trying the paste or getting the pulp for juice in the freezer section. I will also be posting a recipe for homemade ketchup with guava...it's so good!

Guava and Cream Cheese Pockets

Ingredients
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed and cut into 18- 2.5" squares
1/2 lb block guava paste , cut into 1/2 inch strips
1/2 lb (250g) block PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, chilled cut into 1/2" strips
egg wash (1 egg yolk with 1 tsp milk, whisked)

Directions
1. Preheat oven 400º
2. Place 1 strip guava and 1 strip cream cheese on pastry square.
3. Fold the sides of the square over the filling sealing the edges.
4. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush the top of each pastry with the egg wash
5. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Colombia Is Passion...

While I am here I wanted to spotlight how beautiful and diverse this counrty is. I think it is safe to say that we all know what a bad reputation Colombia has, well if you are feeling adventurous on your next vacation give Colombia a try. It has something for everyone: deserts, beautiful ocean coastlines and secluded islands, the Amazon which now has a 5 star floating hotel, the mountains and much more... Just to be clear I am not being paid nor do I work for the tourism board lol. Check out this article to get more details....

http://www.washingtonflyer.com/departments/international-travel/new-view-bogotá-colombia

The altitude in Bogotá (8,622 feet above sea level) is a major problem if you want to cook, much less bake. You have to make major adjustments and still nothing is ever guaranteed. Everything takes twice as long to cook, it's getting the perfect combination that you strive for. The pressure cooker that has always scared me a little, is a necessity here, it cuts the cooking time for some things by hours.

The airport runways are longer (it seems like an eternity for a plane to lift off which is not pleasant when you know there are huge mountains right in front). Since the air is thinner, it's harder to breath and it does take a few days to acclimate but on the bright side if you play golf the balls go on forever...and ever...and ever....it makes you feel like a pro.

At an altitude with thinner air that includes less oxygen the human body reacts by raising the BMR (metabolism) between 6-28% in women and men....YAHOOO... I have already lost a few pounds despite pigging out but unfortunately it only lasts a few days and it all returns quickly as soon as you touch down in the States. It was good while it lasted....

Pepinos - What are they?

It is said that a pepino is a cucumber but clearly this one is not, the actual translation is a pepper but again it is not a pepper. I have only seen it here in Colombia and it has a tatse to die for. You can stuff them like you would peppers/tomatoes or slice it up and saute in a bit of butter and cream. I took the picture of the stuffed 'pepinos' before my mom poured on the white sauce because after that you can't tell what it is....nor do you care.....so yummers!

This is one of the few things I have googled and 'still' can't find an answer...what is this strange, delicious, slipper looking vegetable???? Is it only known here in Colombia? I think so ...and I would be happy if it was served at every meal....yesterday I could have stuffed my turkey in there.....so good!

I love the food in Colombia...so many variations and so simple....because the food here is down home.. no frills, not fancy just GOOD!
Let me correct myself... we are spending Thanksgiving in Colombia...the food has a lot of frills and it is very fancy....(mom stop twisting my arm :) Other than the last 16 hrs in the kitchen, it's no fuss..... really no fuss...

Curuba (pronounced coo ROO bah)

Is a fruit commonly known in English as banana passionfruit. It grows wild in Colombia in mountainous regions between 6000 to 9000 feet above sea level. It is high in vitamin A, C, B1, B2 and B3 and also a good source of calcium, phosphorus and iron. It is used to make juices, jams, ice cream or you can just pour the contents in a bowl add a bit of cream and some sugar. It is tart and has a lot of seeds but if you get the chance give it a try. You can find the pulp in the hispanic frozen section of most supermarkets.

Granadilla (pronounced grah-nah-dee-jah)

This is my all time favorite fruit.... commonly known in Colombia as 'mocos de carbonero' which translates to 'coal miners buggers' lovely right? I don't mean to turn you off of this delectable fruit but it is not exported and if you can, you will only find the juice so you are safe! It has a lot of seeds that are wrapped in the actual fruit and it is like nothing you have ever tasted....so fragrant and tasty....
The idea here is that you crack it open on your head and then you can open it up - I am sure a counter top works just as well but here you do it on your head....Then you just proceed to suck out the insides.....yes there is nothing dainty about eating this fruit just stick your mouth into the hole and suck..... you don't really bite either (the seeds are bitter) and then swallow... If you are reluctant to look like an animal eating this beautiful fruit you can also get juices ready made - which do all of the fun work for you.

My mom once told me that if I swallowed a seed, a tree would grow inside me.....has anyone else heard that? Well I can safely say no tree has grown inside me - so digesting seeds are not a problem....which is great because most fruits here have a ton of seeds.

'The name granadilla is derived from the Spanish-language noun granadilla, which was originally the diminutive of granada (pomegranate/Punica granatum), the name of another plant with similar fruits and similar tasting seeds that is not closely related to granadillas. The granada, in turn, was called so because of the grains/seeds of its fruits.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granadilla