Sofrito Latin In The Kitchen

Years ago we made a trip to Puerto Rico, some friends invited us to eat corn muffins with cod in the mountains of Cayey, I remember when we were back on the road were residents of the place selling the popular "oregano" (mixed to prepare based sauce of green peppers, onions, garlic, sweet peppers, coriander and cilantro) in a plastic container. As a great lover of the kitchen whenever we liked to experiment with new flavors. So we ask our friends who we stopped at the roadside to buy one of those containers. We took him to our hotel and on to our home. Every time preparing soups, beans and stews, we added a few teaspoons of it falls, which resulted in an extraordinary flavor. Then we read in an interview that the Puerto Rican boxer "Tito" Trinidad every time he traveled to defend his world title, his mother packed him a bottle of oregano for their assistants to prepare their soups. , More recently, some friends here in Miami, we were invited to enjoy a Colombian stew, accompanied by fabulous plantains with sofrito, that Colombians call "hogao" prepared it with finely chopped onions, garlic, crushed or trampled, tomato cut into small cubes (concasse) and a touch of marinade.

Then another invitation share with other friends of Cuban origin and we took a banquetazo with the famous "tail on" that day we inquired with our friend and chef of great battles, Don Bernardo, who prepared the dish. The ingredients used were more or less common to the traditional sauce. The delicacy of the dish made me think the parallels with the coffee that we all take. We all use the same ingredients, but in each house have their secret, and taste. Thus was born the inspiration to research and write about the sofrito in Latin American cooking. Let us know the meaning of the word sofrito. According to the dictionary of the Royal Academy, is to fry lightly fry foods and condiments. We call the seasoning sauce fry in oil, together with various ingredients. Sofrito is the essential foundation which will prepare most dishes in Spanish and Latin American cuisine. Each country has its traditional way of preparing your sofrito, better yet each has its own secrets and customs processing. We know that the basic sauce is made with finely chopped onion, tomato concasse (cubes), which can be added or red or green pepper flavor is enhanced by adding various spices, depending on the type of preparation.

In Latin America we have a variety of aromas and flavors as a result of various culinary traditions. The Dominicans added onion, tomato, paprika, crushed garlic, oregano and pepper. If you are going to use for cooking meats, beans, pigeon peas or moro rice you add cilantro. Cubans liquefy the garlic, onion, green pepper and tomato then fry in oil. We Venezuelans heat the oil then add garlic, minced, onion, sweet chili pepper and finely chopped, if we are to prepare a dish like the Hallacas, we add crushed tomatoes in a food processor. The Argentines will add to the sofrito basic peppers. laurel and color. Mexicans browned onions, then pressed garlic, add tomatoes and chile inevitable. Peruvians like Salvadorans, fry the garlic, onion, paprika and tomatoes. As we see almost all are made with sauteed the same ingredients, but the variety of rich flavors that we produce is incredible. Then we wonder where is the difference?. In our opinion, different cuts, different flavor. We often see chefs on TV programs, using the method of cutting the vegetables the same way and the same size.

The reason is that when cooking the sauce, the ingredients evenly absorb the seasonings, plus they are cooked evenly. Definitely the method we recommend, because when the sauce Blend ingredients, this is less flavor, because instead of fry, rather boiled. Finally, we must add that the secret of a good sauce is simmering. The slower you cook the sauce more flavor will be our final preparation. The recipe of the week are the spirals Rena Ware Pasta Primavera with its aroma and flavor is a spectacular example of what constitutes a good sauce. Until next week. Write to juliopena@dalilasgourmet.com or contact us at our website: www.dalilasgourmet.com

...