Con esta suculenta fritura quisimos comenzar a compartir las recetas de las comidas que nos inspiraron a escribir el ABC de la Comida Puertorriqueña. Es nuestro deseo de que se animen a probarlas o que compartan con nosotras sus recetas. Nos gustaría saber las variaciones de estas frituras tan populares en nuestra gastronomía. No sé ustedes, pero cuando pienso en alcapurrias, me transporto a Piñones. Veo los puestos a orillas de la carretera con las vitrinas llenas de todas estas grasosas, pero suculentas delicias. Siento el aroma del mar mezclado con la comida. Veo a nuestros Loiceños en los balcones de sus casas mirando a los que nos aventuramos a llegar hasta allí en busca de estos manjares. Cuando encuentro el puesto indicado, pido la alcapurria de jueyes. ¡Y me los disfruto con un Coco Rico bien frío mmmmm! Aquí la receta de alcapurrias de la abuela que la vida me regaló: abuela Inés. También incluimos la receta de los bacalaítos que Lucy, la mamá de Lucy Ann, tuvo la amabilidad de compartirnos. Desconocía algo interesante sobre el origen de las alcapurrias y es que se dice que estas las hacían los trabajadores esclavizados con las sobras de comida que les dejaban sus “amos”. Este dato no me sorprende pues la procedencia de la mayoría de las comidas que hacemos con tubérculos o viandas son de origen africano. Receta de alcapurrias: Ingredientes para la masa de alcapurrias: 3 yautías 5 guineos verdes 1 plátano verde (opcional) 2 cdtas sal 2 sobres sazón con culantro y achiote aceite para freír guayo o procesador de alimentos papel encerado u hoja de guineos Preparar la carne molida a su gusto. Procedimiento: Pelar las yautías, guineos y el plátano. Rayarlos con un guayo o usar procesador de alimentos hasta dejarlos en pedazos pequeños. Añadir sal y sazón a la mezcla. En un pedazo de papel encerado u hoja de guineo, esparcir un poco de aceite y colocar 2 cdas de masa y esparcirla. Colocar 1cda de carne y cubrir la carne con la misma masa. Freír a fuego mediano durante 5 ó 6 minutos por cada lado. Variante: también puede rellenar con pollo, jueyes, camarones o corned beef The A of: Alcapurrias
With this succulent fried food, we wanted to begin to share the recipes of the meals that inspired us to write the ABC of Puerto Rican Food. It is our hope that you are encouraged to try them or share your recipes with us. We would like to know the variations of these popular fried foods in our gastronomy. I don't know about you, but when I think of alcapurrias, I transport myself to Piñones. I see roadside stalls with display cases filled with all these greasy, but succulent delicacies. I feel the aroma of the sea mixed with the food. I see our Loiceños on the balconies of their homes looking at those of us who ventured to get there in search of these delicacies. When I find the right kiosk, I ask for the blue crab alcapurria and I enjoy them with a very cold Coco Rico mmmmm! I did not know something interesting about the origin of the alcapurrias and it is said that these were made by enslaved laborers with the leftovers of food left by their "masters". This data does not surprise me since the origin of most of the meals that we make with tubers or viands is of African origin. Here is the alcapurrias recipe from the grandmother that life gifted me: abuela Inés. Alcapurrias recipe Ingredients for the dough: 3 yautías 5 green bananas 1 green plantain (optional) 2 tsp salt 2 sachets seasoning with cilantro and achiote oil for frying Grater or food processor waxed paper or banana leaf Prepare the ground beef to your liking. Procedure: Peel the yautías, plantain, and bananas. Shred them with a grater or use a food processor to small pieces. Add salt and seasoning to the mixture. On a piece of waxed paper or banana leaf, spread a little oil, place 2 tablespoons of dough, and spread. Place 1 tbsp of meat and cover the meat with the same batter. Fry over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Variant: you can also fill with chicken, game, shrimp, or corned beef Do you dare make them? Tell us about your experience. Involve the boys and girls in your family in the process and celebrate our African heritage. With love, Lizmer
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¡Hola! Queremos darle las gracias a todas las personas que nos han hecho llegar fotos de sus niñas y niños con el "ABC de la Comida Puertorriqueña" en sus manos. Los comentarios que nos han hecho sobre lo mucho que les ha gustado el libro y los “reviews” que han dejado en Amazon nos ha llenado de mucha alegría. Varias personas nos han sugerido hacer una segunda edición sobre las recetas del ABC. Para no dejarlos esperando por mucho tiempo, vamos a comenzar a prepararnos para compartir en este blog las recetas de las abuelas, además del origen de algunos de los alimentos. Pronto empezaremos, según el orden del abecedario, con nada más y nada menos que las sabrosas Alcapurrias, así que pendientes. Lizmer y Lucy Hacer un libro sobre el ABC de la Comida Puertorriqueña fue todo un reto. Lo digo porque tuvimos que buscar una comida, fruta o bebida para cada letra del abecedario. Muchas de las letras nos ofrecían varias opciones. Tomemos la P por ejemplo; ¿Piragüas o Pasteles? Difícil elección, ¿verdad? También nos pasó lo contrario. Teníamos letras con las que no encontrábamos ni una sola comida o fruta que empezara con esa letra. ¿Qué comida puertorriqueña empieza con la letra K, X, W? Buscamos y buscamos, pero no encontramos nada. Lucy, quien fue maestra de segundo grado por varios años, me explicó la razón por la que no rendía frutos nuestra búsqueda, y la explicación fue sencilla: no existen. La letra K, según la RAE, “Aparece en palabras procedentes de otras lenguas en las que se ha buscado respetar la ortografía originaria, o en voces transcritas de lenguas que emplean alfabetos no latinos, como el griego, el japonés o el ruso.” En el español existen pocas palabras que empiezan con X, pues en latín esta letra se usaba en el medio de las palabras. Las letras X y la W pertenecen al alfabeto en inglés. La uve doble o doble u (W) “Aparece en palabras de origen germánico, principalmente inglesas y alemanas, y en transcripciones al alfabeto latino de palabras procedentes de lenguas orientales”. Luego de la infructuosa búsqueda, decidimos tomar prestadas palabras como Kétchup, eXtra mantequilla y Waffles. Aunque adoptados, estos alimentos sí forman parte de nuestra cultura, pues son consumidos por la mayoría de los puertorriqueños. ¿Has pedido en la panadería pan sobao o de agua con extra mantequilla? ¿Le has echado kétchup a los pasteles? ¿Has preparado mayo-kétchup para los tostones? ¿Has desayunado un waffle? Quizás me dirás que no, pero estoy segura de que conoces a algún boricua que sí lo hace. Nos cuenta nuestro padre que para los cincuenta (1950), compraba pan en la panadería y lo pedía con extra mantequilla. Al hacer una búsqueda rápida en internet sobre lo que significa la cultura puertorriqueña, me topé con esta definición que ofrece el sitio web lifeder.com “La cultura de Puerto Rico resulta de la mezcla de distintas culturas del mundo, que a lo largo de la historia convergieron en la región. Los españoles y los africanos fueron los primeros trazos de nuevas costumbres y tradiciones que se adoptaron en el territorio y que se unieron a las que ya se encontraban en la isla a manos de los indios taínos”. La cultura es viva y está en constante evolución, se nutre de vivencias y experiencias, se fusiona. Así también pasa con la comida. La cocina puertorriqueña tiene sus raíces en las tradiciones culinarias de España, África y las culturas Taínas, pero tampoco se puede negar la influencia que hemos recibido en este último siglo como parte de nuestra relación con los Estados Unidos. La comida puertorriqueña no necesita “extras” para ser sabrosa, pero estos “extras” son parte de nuestras opciones al decidir qué vamos a comer. Es una realidad. No importa cómo te comas los pasteles, si prefieres tostadas francesas a los waffles o si no comes pan porque tiene gluten. Nada nos quita que somos boricuas. Como dicen las abuelitas en el libro: “La la comida y la alegría distinguen a Puerto Rico y con El ABC de la Comida Puertorriqueña entenderás porqué lo decimos”. Te invitamos a adquirir el "ABC de la Comida Puertorriqueña", si no lo has hecho aún. Si no eres puertorriqueño, aprenderás sobre nosotros y quizás te animes a probar nuestra comida. Si eres puertorriqueño, nos ayudarás a dar a conocer y promover la gastronomía y tradiciones de la isla, a la vez que las compartes con los más pequeños de tu familia. ¡Que crezcan sintiéndose orgullosos de nuestra sabrosa mezcla de razas y de nuestras comidas! Lizmer **************************************************************************************** Hello! We want to thank everyone who has sent us photos of their children with the "ABC of Puerto Rican Food" in their hands. The comments you’ve shared about how much they liked the book and the "reviews" left on Amazon have filled us with great joy. Several people have suggested we do a second edition on the ABC’s recipes. In order to keep you from waiting too long, we are getting ready to share our grandmothers’ recipes and the origin of some foods. We will begin alphabetical order starting with the tasty Alcapurria, so be on the lookout! Lizmer and Lucy Preparing a book about the ABC’s of Puerto Rican Food was a real challenge. I say this because we had to find foods, fruits, or drinks for each letter of the alphabet. Many of the letters offered us various options. Let's take P for example; Piraguas or Pasteles? A difficult choice. The opposite also happened where we had letters where we couldn't find a single food or fruit that started with that letter. What Puerto Rican food begins with the letter K, X, W? We searched and searched, but found nothing. Lucy, who was a second-grade Spanish immersion teacher for several years, explained to me why our search was not fruitful, and the explanation was simple: they don't exist. The letter K, according to the Real Academia Española, "appears in words from other languages in which the original spelling has been sought, or transcribed from languages that use non-Latin alphabets, such as Greek, Japanese or Russian." The letters X and W belong to the English alphabet. The W "appears in words of Germanic origin, mainly English and German, and in transcriptions into the Latin alphabet of words from Eastern languages." In Spanish, there are few words that begin with X, because in Latin this letter was used in the middle of words. After the fruitless search, we decided to borrow words like Ketchup, eXtra butter, and Waffle. Although adopted, these foods are part of our culture, as they are consumed by the majority of Puerto Ricans. Have you ordered soft and crunchy bread with extra butter at a Puerto Rican bakery? Do you or anyone you know, put ketchup on pasteles? Did you make a mayo-ketchup mixture to dip tostones? Have you had waffles for breakfast? Maybe you will say no, but I'm sure you know a Puerto Rican who does. Our father tells us that in the ’50s, he bought bread at the bakery and asked for it with extra butter. When doing a quick search on the internet about what Puerto Rican culture means, I came across this definition offered by the website lifeder.com “The culture of Puerto Rico results from the mixture of different cultures of the world, which throughout history converged in the region. The Spaniards and the Africans were the first traces of new customs and traditions that were adopted in the territory and joined those that were already on the island at the hands of the Taino Indians.” Culture is alive and constantly evolving, it thrives on experiences. The same is true with food. Puerto Rican cuisine has its roots in the culinary traditions of Spain, Africa, and the Taino cultures, but there is no denying the influence we have received in this last century as part of our relationship with the United States. Puerto Rican food does not need "extras" to be tasty, but these "extras" are part of our options when deciding what to eat. It is a reality. It doesn't matter how you eat your pasteles, if you prefer french toast over waffles, or if you don't eat bread because it has gluten. Nothing can take away that we are Puerto Ricans. As the grandmothers say in the book: "The food and the joy, a unique Puerto Rican duet. You will surely learn more as you read this alphabet." We invite you to acquire the "ABC’s of Puerto Rican Food" if you haven’t bought it already. If you are not Puerto Rican, you will learn about us and perhaps you will be encouraged to try our food. If you are Puerto Rican, you will help us promote the gastronomy and traditions of our island, while sharing them with the youngest members of your family. May they grow up proud of our beautiful blend of race and our foods! Lizmer My sister and I did a thing. We wrote a bilingual children’s book! As a former second grade, Spanish-side dual language teacher, I tried to find bilingual books authentic in language and culture. There are so many fantastic children’s bilingual books out there. Yet, I had trouble finding one that talked about Puerto Rican culture. My students seemed to enjoy ABC book stories, so I began to think. I decided to humor these ideas and thought to myself, what would honor Puerto Rican culture and heritage? A book about FOOD!! YES! So I had the idea; I selected the foods to highlight and visualized many of the stories and illustrations that would go with some of them. I was missing the essential piece! I needed a creative and talented writer! Let’s just say, creative writing is not my forté. During this time, my sister Lizmer decided to temporarily move near our family due to the grave conditions in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. As soon as I looked at her face-to-face, I knew we would do this together! Lizmer is an amazingly creative writer, and we complement each other very well. I had the educator knowledge, she had the communications knowledge. Finally, we needed an illustrator! Our search led us to Manuel Santiago, who just happened to be my high school best friend! This process began in the Fall of 2017. So, how long does it take to write a children’s book when you’re a mother, a wife, have a full-time job, and pursue an Ed.D? Way too long! But somehow, we did it!! Lizmer and I put so much love into this book. We shared many laughs while reminiscing about our childhood and our abuelas. Manuel did a fantastic job recreating our childhood experiences into illustrations. His attention to detail to display the Puerto Rican spirit was breathtaking! Our hope is that this book provides all children an opportunity to learn how food, and the events around it, are a huge part of our Puerto Rican culture. We hope that this book provides adults the opportunity to talk to their children about their childhood, their recipes, and their traditions, regardless of where they’re from. We hope that this book allows each person’s legacy to be passed down to the next generation, keeping their culture alive. Let’s teach our children to be proud of where they come from and their language! We never have to give up one for another. Being multicultural and multilingual is a beautiful gift. All cultures and all languages can live inside of us in harmony. Con love, Lucy Ann Montalvo Blanton Compre nuestro libro // Buy our book
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Lizmer & Lucy Ann MOntalvo
Dos hermanas puertorriqueñas viviendo en Virginia & compartiendo su amor por la isla y su cultura encantadora.// Two Puerto Rican sisters living in Virginia and sharing their love for the island & its enchanting culture. Archives
November 2021
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