I find it’s the small home issues that add up and become most annoying over time.  That’s probably why there’s no lack of clever new home-related products and gadgets claiming to make life a little easier.  Some become keepers. Others not so much:      

Exhibit A

I grew up in the kitchen watching my mother and grandmothers cook. Like old-school Latinas still do today, meals were prepared the old-fashioned way – no food processor, no hand blender, no store bought sofrito, no nifty new ‘gadgets’ of any kind.      

 Me, I’m a sucker for a useful new kitchen gadget that truly serves a purpose and makes life easier.  I still use the handy-dandy blender/mini-chopper combo I bought from an infomercial almost twelve years ago, even though I have a sleek looking DeLonghi blender sitting on my counter top. While aesthetics are important – I hide the more useful plastic blender combo under the counter – behind the scenes it’s all about functionality.     

That’s why I’d like to introduce a new kitchen accessory I find quite useful.   Pull Ties are uniquely designed reusable plastic tools that simply slip over any bag top and crimp the opening shut, locking in freshness and keeping air out.      

No more chip clips, tying knots or using those twisty paper covered metal things you get with some plastic baggies.  Add a few Pull Ties to your household and your good to go!     

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

This is the start of a culinary journey through New York, where we will explore the rich variety of gastronomic experiences that the city has to offer, especially in Latin cuisine. I will also share with you some recipes from my home country, Uruguay, adapted to a new style of cooking which can be delicious, healthy, and full of cultural significance. I am ready to cook and eat my way through this city, South American style. And I’d love for you to come along!

Tasting the Big Apple, South-American Style (far, way far South)

My journey in a new country always starts in the kitchen. I honestly cannot say that I’ve settled anywhere until I have tried the restaurants, browsed the supermarkets, got acquainted with the new ingredients and cooked some of the local recipes.

I got to New York almost 6 months ago from Uruguay, one of the smallest and southernmost countries in South America, and there was definitely a lot to take in. For someone who’s lived her entire life in a city with 1.5 million people, NY’s nearly 8M can seem quite daunting. Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is a quiet city overlooking a river “as wide as a sea”. Its pace is slow and its people enjoy beautiful vistas of the sea from the Rambla, the city’s famous riverside promenade. People of all ages gather there in the summer to enjoy a traditional mate infusion with bizcochos, a pastry specialty made with flour and cow fat or butter, which can be either sweet or savory and is truly delicious.

Uruguay is definitely not the typical Latin culture one immediately pictures upon hearing the word, with those rich, spicy tastes and sultry tropical fruits and flavors. Geographically speaking, it is closer to the South Pole than to the Equator, but is not as extreme as either. So, while we don’t get to enjoy the beauty of white winters, you can also forget all about growing mangoes and papayas. As far as the weather, we have the luxury of dampness, cold and wind, but we’ll never witness a hurricane or have our front doors blocked by snow. As for culinary preferences, there is one thing people love above all: meat. And a side of potatoes. But mostly just massive amounts of meat.

For example, most kids adore Milanesas with a side of french fries. Many grown-ups indulge them just to have an excuse to eat them themselves. Here’s a simple recipe that will get you a real Uruguayan milanesa in practically no time.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound of beef eye round roast or any other lean meat of your choice

1 ½ cup of bread crumbs

1-2 eggs, as necessary

salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Have your butcher cut the meat in slices of about a quarter of an inch and tenderize the meat. If you would rather buy a whole piece of beef eye round roast, you can easily cut it by putting it in the freezer for about an hour and then slicing it vertically with a very sharp knife. If you don’t have a tenderizer, you can put a slice of plastic film over each slice and then hit it with the back of a kitchen knife (be careful to cover the sharp end with a kitchen towel before you start pounding!) or a wooden spoon.

Beat the eggs lightly and add a pinch of salt and black pepper. On another container, mix the bread crumbs with the garlic and parsley.

Sprinkle each slice of meat with salt and pepper and then create a work station to make things easier: over your kitchen counter, place the container with the meat slices, the bowl with the eggs, the bowl with the bread crumbs and an empty plate. This is how you make them: take a slice of meat, dip it thoroughly in the egg mixture and then place it in the bowl with the breadcrumbs, making sure you press them so that they cover the meat perfectly. Start piling up those milanesas on the plate as they are ready for the pan.

Heat up a frying pan with about an inch of a good frying oil and test the temperature by throwing a very small bit of breaded meat in the oil. When bubbles start forming around it, you can put the milanesas in, keeping a medium-high heat. Cook each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain them well and put them on a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Be sure to change the oil every 2 or 3 batches of milanesas. Another healthy alternative is to cook them in a pre-heated oven to medium on a greased pan for about ten minutes. You can sprinkle them with some olive oil to make them tastier and crunchier. And you can also make them out of fish filets, chicken breast or even eggplants!

The Spanish (or should I say Uruguayan?) translation for french fries is papas fritas. You can make them yourself for a healthier and tastier treat!! If you want them to cook super fast, just slice them round and thin. Be sure to add a pinch of salt while they’re in the oil to make them crunchier!

Serve your milanesas con papas fritas with a side of bitter greens with this easy honey mustard dressing: 2 table spoons of coarse ground mustard (or “moutarde a la ancienne”), 1 table spoon of honey, 2 table spoons of flax-seed oil (it’s packed with both Omega 3 and Omega 6), a pinch of salt and pepper. Get a couple of lemon wedges on the table to sprinkle over your milanesas, and get ready to enjoy this traditional taste of the far south!

Denisse Oller

November is synonymous with Thanksgiving, perhaps the most important holiday for Americans. It is a day when we come together with our loved ones to give thanks for all we have at a traditional dinner.

At my house, it’s a true family banquet. Here is what’s on the menu this year: Latino style turkey, black beans, white rice with balls and dried fruits, watercress salad, yam beans, queso fresco (similar to farmer’s cheese) with an orange vinaigrette, marinated yucca and of course, several desserts including squash flan.

Here is my personal recipe for Latino style turkey. I hope you enjoy it. From my house to yours, I wish you all the best on this holiday.
And looking forward to seeing you at www.denisseoller.com.

Turkey, Latino style

8 portions

Ingredients

• 1 10-12 lbs. turkey
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• 1 tb. black pepper
• 1 tb. salt
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 sweet peppers, minced
• Green lemon zest
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup aged rum
• 2 cups unsweetened orange juice
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 orange, halved
• 1 stick of butter (4 oz) softened at room temperature
• ½ cup white wine

How to Prepare

Wash the turkey and remove excess fat. Take out the innards and put them aside.

Crush the garlic cloves and mix in the salt, pepper, oregano and cumin. Add the oil, lemon zest and peppers and mix thoroughly. Make small cuts all over the surface of the turkey and spread the mixture over the surface and inside the cavity. Mix the orange juice, rum and bay leaves. Put the turkey into a bag or plastic container breast side down. Let the turkey marinate for 24-48 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Remove the turkey from the marinade and dry off the excess liquid. Pour out the marinade. Let the turkey rest at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Insert the onion and orange inside the cavity. Cover the entire turkey and the space between the skin and the turkey with the butter. Tie the thighs together.
Place the turkey (breast side up) on a thick, stainless steel baking pan with a broiler rack. Let it bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 325° F and continue cooking for an hour and a half, basting every 15 minutes with the liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the pan.

The turkey is ready when a thermometer inserted at the center of the breast reads 165° F (175° F at the center of the thigh). The total baking time for a turkey of this size is approx. 2½-3 hours, that is, 13-15 minutes per pound.

Transfer the turkey onto a plastic cutting board and remove the onion and orange from the cavity. Cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest 20 minutes before carving.

Remove the excess fat from the liquid left at the bottom of the baking pan. Heat it up with the innards and white wine over medium-heat until it thickens. Add salt and pepper and serve it as a sauce for the turkey.