The Beauty of Salvador an Cuisine - ebookslatinos.net · The Beauty of Salvador an Cuisine . ... 9. Ayote en Miel (Pumpkin in Syrup) ... 11. Budín de Pan

All Rights Reserved Copyright ©2008 Ebookslatinos 1

The Beauty of Salvadoran Cuisine


The Beauty of SalvadoreanCuisine

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2009


Dedicated to All my Beautiful People

Copyright © 2009 by Ebookslatinos. All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise- without the prior written permission of Ebookslatinos except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.


Contents:

1. Albóndigas (Salvadorian Meat Balls) …………………………………………………………………………………7 2. Alemanas (Coffee Cake) …………………………………………………………………………………………………….7 3. Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding) ………………………………………………………………………………………...7 4. Atol de Elote (Hot Corn Beverage) …………………………………………………………………………………....8 5. Atol de Maicena (Hot Corn Starch Beverage) ……………………………………………………………………9 6. Atol de Pina (Hot Pineapple Beverage) ……………………………………………………………………………..9 7. Atol de Semilla de Marañón (Cashew Nut Beverage) ………………………………………………………..9 8. Atol Shuco (Black Maize Beverage) …………………………………………………………………………………..10 9. Ayote en Miel (Pumpkin in Syrup) ……………………………………………………………………………………..10 10. Batido de Naranja (Orange Shake) ……………………………………………………………………………………11 11. Budín de Pan (Bread Pudding) …………………………………………………………………………………………..11 12. Budín de Plátano (Plantain Pudding) …………………………………………………………………………………11 13. Buñuelos (Corn Fritters) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………12 14. Carne Asada (Grilled Steak) ………………………………………………………………………………………………12 15. Casamiento (Rice and Beans) ……………………………………………………………………………………………13 16. Ceviche (Citrus-Marinated Seafood) …………………………………………………………………………………13 17. Charamusca (Ice Cold Treat) …………………………………………………………………………………………….14 18. Chilate con Nuégado de Yuca, Buñuelos de Huevo y la Miel (Hot Corn Salvadorean drink with

Yucca Fritters, Egg Fritters and the Syrup) ………………………………………………………………………..14 19. Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Bell Peppers) ……………………………………………………………………………….15 20. Chimol o Chirmol (Chopped Tomato Salad) ………………………………………………………………………15 21. Chorizo con Huevo (Eggs with Salvadorean Sausage) ……………………………………………………….16 22. Churros …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16 23. Coctel de Conchas (Clam Cocktail) ……………………………………………………………………………………17 24. Conserve de Coco (Coconut Preserves) ……………………………………………………………………………..17 25. Conserva de Jocotes (Jocotes Preserve) …………………………………………………………………………….17 26. Cuajada (Popular Dairy Food) …………………………………………………………………………………………..18 27. Curtido (Salvadorean Coleslaw) ………………………………………………………………………………………..18 28. Desayuno Típico Salvadoreño (Typical Salvadorian Breakfast) ………………………………………….18 29. Dulce de Camote (Sweet Potatoes with Syrup) ………………………………………………………………….19 30. Empanadas de Plátano (de Leche Poleada y de Frijoles) (Plantain Turnovers Filled with Milk-

Pudding or Refried Beans) …………………………………………………………………………………………………20 31. Enchilada Salvadoreña (Salvadorean Enchiladas) ……………………………………………………………..21 32. Ensalada de Frutas (Fruit Salad) ……………………………………………………………………………………….21 33. Escabeche (Acidic Vegetable Salad)......................................................................................21 34. Espumillas (Egg Whites Treat) …………………………………………………………………………………………..22 35. Flan Casero de Leche (Caramel Custard) ……………………………………………………………………………22 36. Flan de Café (Coffee Flan) ………………………………………………………………………………………………….23 37. Flan de Calabaza (Pumpkin Flan) ……………………………………………………………………………………...23 38. Flan de Coco (Coconut Flan) ……………………………………………………………………………………………...23


39. Flan de Piña (Pineapple Flan) …………………………………………………………………………………………….23 40. Fresco de Arrayan (Arrayan Drink) …………………………………………………………………………………….23 41. Fresco de Cebada (Barley Drink) ………………………………………………………………………………………..24 42. Fresco de Ensalada (Salad Drink) ……………………………………………………………………………………….24 43. Fresco de Fresa (Strawberry Drink) …………………………………………………………………………………….24 44. Fresco de Horchata Salvadoreña (Salvadorean Horchata Drink) ………………………………………..25 45. Fresco de Horchata de Arroz (Salvadorean Rice Horchata Drink) ……………………………………….25 46. Fresco de Melón (Melon or Cantaloupe drink)……………………………………………………………………26 47. Fresco de Sandia (Watermelon Drink) ……………………………………………………………………………….26 48. Frijoles Santanecos (Beans from Santa Ana) ……………………………………………………………………..27 49. Guacamol Salvadoreño (Salvadorean Guacamole) ………………………………………………………......27 50. Hojuelas u Hojaldras (Corn Flake Fritters) …………………………………………………………………..…....27 51. Huevos Rancheros (Country Style Eggs) ……………………………………………………………………..……..28 52. Jocotes en Miel (Jocotes with Syrup) ………………………………………………………………………………….29 53. Jugo de Papaya (papaya Juice) ………………………………………………………………………………………….29 54. Leche Poleada Hot Milk Pudding Drink) ……………………………………………………………………………..29 55. Mangos en Miel (Mangoes with Syrup) ……………………………………………………………………………..30 56. María Luisa (Salvadoran Layer Cake) …………………………………………………………………………………30 57. Marquesote (Salvadorean Sweet Bread) ……………………………………………………………………………31 58. Melcocha (Molasses Candy) ………………………………………………………………………………………………31 59. Minuta con Miel o Jarabe de Mango (Mango Flavored Snow Cone) ……………………….………..32 60. Minuta con Miel o Jarabe de Vainilla (Vanilla Flavored Snow Cone) ………………………………….32 61. Nances en Miel (Nances in Syrup) ……………………………………………………………………………………..32 62. Pan con Pavo Salvadoreño (Salvadorean Turkey Sandwich) ………………………………………………33 63. Pan Frances (French Bread) ………………………………………………………………………………………….……33 64. Pastel Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake) …………………………………………………………………………..…..34 65. Pastelitos Salvadoreños de Masa (Salvadorean Meat Turnovers) …………………………………..…35 66. Pavo Salvadoreño (Salvadorean Roasted Turkey) …………………………………………………………..…35 67. Peperechas (Sweet Layered Bread) ………………………………………………………………………………..….36 68. Plátanos a la Canela (Plaintains with Cinnamon) ………………………………………………………….…..37 69. Plátanos en Dulce (Plantains with Syrup)…………………………………………………………………………..37 70. Plátanos Fritos (Fried Plantains) ……………………………………………………………………………………….38 71. Plátanos Horneados (Baked Plantains) ………………………………………………………………………………38 72. Pollo Encebollado (Salvadoran Chicken Simmered with Onions) ………………………………………..39 73. Postre de Plátanos (Plantain Dessert) ………………………………………………………………………………..39 74. Pupusas de Queso, Revueltas, de Chicharrón, de Frijoles, y de Arroz, la Salsa y el Curtido ..39 75. Quesadilla de Arroz Salvadoreña (Salvadorean Bakery) …………………………………………………….41 76. Quesadilla Salvadoreña (Salvadorean Bakery) ………………………………………………………………….41 77. Relámpagos (Salvadorean Pastry) ……………………………………………………………………………………..42 78. Riguas (Corn Patties in Plantain Leaves) …………………………………………………………………………….43 79. Salpicón (Chopped Meat) …………………………………………………………………………………………………..44 80. Salpores de Almidón (SweetCorn Starch Bakes) …………………………………………………………………44


81. Salpores de Arroz (Sweet Rice Bakes) …………………………………………………………………………………45 82. Salsa Roja (Red Sauce) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….45 83. Semita (Sweet Salvadorean Layered Bread with Pineapple Marmalade Filling) …………………45 84. Sopa de Camarones (Shrimp Soup) …………………………………………………………………………………….46 85. Sopa de Frijoles (Bean Soup) …………………………………………………………………………………………….47 86. Sopa de Gallina India (Salvadorean Chicken Soup) …………………………………………………………….47 87. Sopa de Pata (Cow Feet’s Soup) ………………………………………………………………………………………..47 88. Sopa de Pescado Estilo Guanaco (Salvadorean Fish Soup) …………………………………………………48 89. Sopa Mariscada (Seafood Soup) ………………………………………………………………………………………..87 90. Tamales de Elote (Corn Tamales) ………………………………………………………………………………………49 91. Tamales Pisque (Pisque Tamales) ………………………………………………………………………………………49 92. Tamales Salvadoreños (Salvadorean Tamales Wrapped in Banana Leaves) ………………………50 93. Tiste (Corn and Cocoa Drink) ……………………………………………………………………………………………..52 94. Torrejas (Salvadorean French Toast)………………………………………………………………………………….52 95. Torta de Yema (Yolk Cake) ………………………………………………………………………………………………..53 96. Tortillas …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….53 97. Tortitas de Elote (Corn Patties) ………………………………………………………………………………………….54 98. Totoposte (Hard Toasted Corn) …………………………………………………………………………………………54 99. Yuca con Chicharrón (Yucca with Pork) ………………………………………………………………………..……54


Albóndigas (Salvadorian Meat Balls) Yield: 4-6 serving

Ingredients: 1 lb of ground beef. ¼ cup of minces onion or scallion. ½ cup of rice cooked. 1 beaten egg. 1 tablespoon of flour. 2-3 minced garlic cloves. ½ bunch of chopped cilantro or mint. 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, dried. Salt & pepper to season. 2 tablespoons of oil. 1 diced onion diced. 1 diced carrot diced. 1 peeled, seeded and diced tomato. 6 cups of water or beef broth. Salt & pepper to taste.

Procedures: Mix first set of ingredients together well. Form into 1" balls and set aside. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and carrots until onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add tomatoes, water or broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer. Drop meatballs into the simmering stew, stirring gently. Let simmer slowly for 20-40 minutes. Serve meatballs in bowls with some of the broth.

Alemanas (Salvadorian Coffee Cake)

Ingredients: 1 stick of butter. 1 pound of flour. 1 teaspoon of salt. 4 teaspoons of baking powder. 1 ¼ cups of sugar. 5 eggs. ¼ cup of powder milk (you may add 1/8 cup of liquid milk so that the mixture is not dry, but this is only optional).

Procedures: Beat the butter with the sugar and powdered milk (you may add the 1/8 cup of liquid milk if you wish). Add the eggs one by one. Then add all other dry ingredients, alternating with the milk mixture. Pour it on a greased and flour-powdered baking pan or baking sheet. The baking sheets could be the kind you use to make cup cakes or it could be a plain one, about an inch thick. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.

Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients: 4 cups of milk. ½ cup of rice, short grain. 1 cinnamon stick. 2 strips of orange or lemon zest. Pinch of salt. ¼ cup of raisins. ½ cup of sugar. 2 tablespoons of butter. 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.


Procedures: Put milk, rice, cinnamon stick, orange or lemon zest and salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately reduce heat to very low and simmer, stirring often and scraping bottom, for about 45 minutes. Add raisins and sugar and simmer another 15 minutes. Stir often to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Adjust sugar to taste and serve hot or cold, sprinkling the top with some ground cinnamon.

Note: Sometimes water, cream, sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk is substituted for part of the regular milk. Just make sure the total amount of liquid adds up to 4 cups.

.

Atol de Elote (Salvadorian HotCorn Beverage)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients: 6-7 ears of yellow corn on the cob. 4 cups of water. 1/3 cup sugar or to taste. ½ tablespoon of salt. 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (opt.). Ground cinnamon for garnishing

Procedures: Cut enough corn kernels off the cobs to make about 3 to 3 1/2 cups. Scrape the cobs with a knife to get all their milk. Place 2 1/2 cups of the corn in a blender along with 2 cups of the water and puree well. Strain pureed corn through a sieve into a medium saucepan. Discard the solids. Add the remaining corn kernels, sugar to taste, and salt. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until lightly thickened. If the atol isn't thickening, mix the cornstarch with a little cold water and whisk into the simmering liquid until it is just thick enough to coat a spoon. Pour into mugs or small bowls, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and serve hot with a spoon.

Note: Frozen corn can be used in a pinch, but the flavor won't be nearly as good. Also, because the corn used in Central American is starchier, you may have to add the suggested cornstarch to achieve the lightly thickened consistency.


Atol de Maicena (Hot Corn Starch Beverage)

Ingredients and Procedures: Put 6 cups of water with some cinnamon sticks until the water picks up flavor. Once this is done, add 2 cups of orange juice and a little bit of shredded orange peels. Then add one tablespoon of corn starch for every cup of liquid that you have. Move the mixture constantly until it starts to become thick. You know is ready once it starts to become somewhat think.

Atol de Piña (Hot Pineapple Beverage) Ingredients: 3 pineapples. 1 lb of brown sugar. 4 tablespoons of corn starch. Ground cinnamon to taste. Pepper grains to taste. ½ liter of water.

Procedures: You peel the pineapples and cut them in small pieces. Place them in a deep pot with the water, cinnamon, pepper and brown sugar and let them cook slowly using low fire or low heat. You must let the mixture boil and you must also stir once in a while until it reaches a point where the mixtures starts becoming syrup-like. The pineapple will break apart. In a separate bowl, put some cold water (1/2 a cup) or enough to dissolve the corn starch. Then add this to the mixture we had before into the deep pot until you reach a desired consistency (somewhat thick). If you would like to preserve the pineapple flavor, save some pineapple pieces so that you can add them later at the moment of serving the drink.

Atol de Semilla de Marañón (Cashew Nut Beverage)

Ingredients: 2 dozens of cashews (take the top part off where the nut is as seen in the picture below because this is what you need). ½ lb of rice. 2 cinnamon sticks. 2 pounds of brown sugar and 3 liters of water.

Procedure: As a first step, you must grind the rice, the cashew nuts (not the ones you buy at the store but the ones seen in the picture below) and the cinnamon sticks. Then add it to a pot with 3 liters of water. Use a strainer to get rid of large particles. Now start cooking the liquid mixture using low fire or low heat. Add the brown sugar and cook for 30 minutes until it reaches boiling point. Remember to stir constantly so the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pot.


Atol Shuco (Black Maize Beverage) Ingredients: 1 lb of black corn or black maize.

Procedures: Wash the corn and grind it very well. Leave it covered over night. The next day add some water, mix very well and use a strainer to remove any remaining large particles. Add more water to the liquid mixture plus a pinch of salt and start cooking until it boils. As it is cooking, use a spoon to get some shuco and smell it. If it smells like it is still raw, then you need to cook it more until you can no longer smell like it is raw and until it starts to thicken. If you do not like it to thick you can always add more water. Serve with cooked beans, hot sauce and a green Salvadorian powder called alguashte.

Ayote en Miel (Pumpkin in Syrup)

Ingredients: 1 medium pumpkin. 2 pounds of brown sugar. Cinnamon sticks to taste. 5 pepper grains. 2 cups of water.

Procedures: Cut the pumpkins into pieces and remove the seeds. In a pot, put the pieces of pumpkin, add the rest of the ingredients and cook it until it boils. Lower the heat and cook at low heat for 60 minutes or until desired point. Cut it covering the pot. When it gets soft, taste it and enjoy.


Batido de Naranjas (Orange Shake)

Ingredients: 1 glass of orange juice. 1 egg. 2 tablespoons of honey. Vanilla extract to taste.

Procedures: Place the orange juice in a blender and add the raw egg and the honey. Blend everything well. You may also add some ice in the blender if you like your drinks cold. Enjoy!

Budín de Pan (Bread Pudding)

Ingredients: (Part A) 1/2 pound of bread, after removing the outer rind. This can be french bread (bread can be fresh or preferably one or two days old). 4 cups whole milk, warm. 4 large eggs at room temperature. 4 tablespoonfuls butter, melted. (Part B) 2/3 cup raisins. 1 teaspoonful ground cinnamon. 1 cup sugar. 1 teaspoonful vanilla. 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. 1/3 teaspoon salt.

Procedure: Mix together the ingredients included in (B) and set aside. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Shred the bread into small pieces. Add 4 cups warmed milk and whisk until the bread soaks up the milk. If necessary, let stand fifteen minutes for the bread to soak up all the milk. Beat 4 large eggs. Add slowly to the bread and milk mix, whisking the eggs into the mix. Add the melted butter and whisk in. Add the ingredients included in (B) which you had previously mixed together. Blend in thoroughly. Pour all ingredients into a buttered baking dish. Place the baking dish into a much larger dish. After placing the baking dish into the larger dish, add enough water to the larger dish to fill it nearly three-quarters full. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees. It will take approximately one hour for the pudding to reach the desired consistency. Add water to the larger dish if necessary. Alternately, you may use a "Ba–o de Mar’a" or double boiler to cook the pudding on the range over medium heat. Add water to the bottom section of the double boiler as necessary. Try not to overcook. The pudding should be removed from heat as soon as it shows consistency (a couple of minutes earlier than you would normally remove a cake). Some people like to eat it warm. For best results, though, refrigerate before serving. It will last two to three days, well covered, in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Budín de Plátano (Plantain Pudding)

Ingredients: 2 ripe plantains. ½ stick of butter. 2 beat eggs. 1 tablespoon of flour. ½ a cup of milk. ¼cups of raisins. ½ a cup of sugar. A pinch of salt. Ground cinnamon.

Procedures: Cut the plantains into pieces and put it in the blender. Add the eggs, flour, milk, sugar and salt. Pour the mixture in a mold greased with butter and powder with ground cinnamon. Bake to 350F for 45 minutes.


Buñuelos (Corn Fritters)

Ingredients: 6 cups flour. 1 tsp. sugar. 1 tsp. baking powder. 1 egg. 2 Tablespoons of shortening. Water. 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Frying oil.

Procedures: Mix well the flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the egg and shortening and mix until both are absorbed by the flour. Add water a little at a time until it becomes a dough consistency (like tortillas). Roll small balls of the dough (about 1/2 the size of your hand) into pancake-like shapes. Let them sit for awhile so they can dry a bit. This way they won't absorb too much oil when you fry them. Deep fry the buñuelos and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. They should be nice and crisp.

Carne Asada (Grilled Steak)

Ingredients: 2-3 lbs of flank or skirt steak. ¼ cp of oil. 1-2 Onions in thin slices. 2-3 orange juice only. Salt & pepper to season.

Procedures: In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, mix the meat with the oil, onions, orange juice and salt and pepper. Cover and let marinate at least 1 hour or better yet overnight. Start a good fire in your grill, preferably with mesquite charcoal. Remove the meat from its marinade, pat dry and grill over hot flame until the first side is well browned, from 5-7 minutes. Turn the meat over and grill on the other side till cooked to desired doneness. Remove from grill. Slice meat into thin strips across the grain and serve as a topping for tostadas or as a filling for tacos or burritos.

Note: Add some lime juice along with the orange juice in the marinade. Other additions could include cumin, chili powder and chopped cilantro. Everyone has their own favorites.


Casamiento (Rice and Beans)

You can find organic black beans in most Latin markets and groceries. As for rice, it could be plain rice.

Ingredients: 1 pound dried black beans. 1 medium onion. 2 garlic cloves (whole). 1 cup chicken broth. 1 ½ cup white rice. Salt and pepper (to taste). Herbs (thyme, oregano, marjoram, chives...)

Procedures: Make sure no stone or dirt remain in the beans; rinse them well, and cook them with water, one or two cloves of garlic and half an onion. When it boils, decrease the heat and simmer for one and a half hour, checking regularly so that beans always remain covered with water. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy pan. Add the rest of the onion (chopped) and the rice; cook until rice becomes transparent (2 to 3 minutes). Add 1 cup of black bean soup (both beans and liquid), and stir delicately, avoiding to crush the beans. Add the broth, and the bean soup so that the rice absorbs the liquid, still stirring from time to time. Repeat the process until rice is cooked. Serve immediately.

Ceviche (Citrus-Marinated Seafood)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients: 1 ½ lbs fish or seafood (see variations), chopped or diced into ½ inch each piece.¾ cup of lemon or lime juice. ¼ cup of olive oil. Salt to taste.


Procedures: Toss all the ingredients together in a large, non-reactive bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. Adjust seasoning with salt and serve.

Charamusca (Ice Cold Treat)

Ingredients and Procedures: Charamuscas or topollillos as they are also known, are like popsicles. You simply pour about half a cup of a natural drink of your choice in a small transparent plastic bag and make a tight knot, leaving as little air in the bag as possible. Then place them in a freezer. Eat the charamuscas when frozen. The drinks could be anything from “frescos” (see recipe for frescos) or natural juices, smoothies, etc. Eat one in a nice summer day.

Chilate con Nuégados de Yuca, Buñuelos de Huevo y la Miel (Hot Corn Salvadorean drink with Yucca Fritters, Egg Fritters and the Syrup)

Chilate (Hot Corn Salvadorean drink)

Ingredients: (serves six people): 1 pound of corn, pepper grains to taste, anise and ginger to taste, and ashes.

Procedures: From the day before, leave the corn in water with ashes. The next day, put it to toast using low heat for a period of 5 minutes to avoid burning the corn. Then, wash the corn, add minced ginger so that the mixture acquires the ginger taste and grind it. To the mixture obtained, add water that has been boiled with the anise and pepper grains. If necessary, add more water. Strain the mixture using a strainer. Begin to cook, and while it cooks, stir using a wooden spoon. Cook for about 15 minutes or until it begins to boil.

Nuégados de Yucca (Yucca Fritters)

Ingredients: 4 medium Yuccas. ½ liter of water. 4 eggs. 2 pound of brown sugar. Salt to taste. Enough oil for deep frying.

Procedures: Cook the yucca with water and salt until it softens. Let it cool and mash. To this, add salt and eggs; mix well and then form little balls and fry them in the oil.

Buñuelos de Huevo (Egg Fritters):

Ingredients:1 cup of water. 1 cup of flour (divided in 4 equal parts). 4 large eggs. ½ cup of butter.

Procedures: Boil the water and the butter together. When it is boiling, add the flour in portions mixing each time you add one portion. When the flour has been incorporated, add the eggs one by one without stopping to stir. Try to do this quick until you have finished adding all the ingredients. Remove from the fire quickly when you have finished when you have finished adding the last egg to avoid the eggs from cooking. Do not stop stirring so that it keeps homogeneous.

La Miel (Syrup)

Ingredients and Procedures: Use two pounds of brown sugar and mix with water and boil the mixture, until you reach syrup like texture. With this honey, you bathe the nuégados the yucca and the buñuelos the huevos.


Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Bell Peppers)

Ingredients: 12 medium size green bell peppers. 1 ½ pounds of ground beef. 1 egg. 2 ounces of bread crumbs. 10 tomatoes. 1 onion. ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper. 2 ½ teaspoon of salt. 2 garlic cloves. 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.

Procedures: Slice the bottom of the green bell peppers and remove the inside. Separately, mix 3 chopped tomatoes, ½ chopped onion, the bread crumbs, the egg, the 1 ½ teaspoon of salt and the ground pepper with the raw ground beef meat. You stuff each bell pepper with this mixture. On a separate pot, boil the rest of the 7 tomatoes with a cup of water. Once boiled, place them in a blender with the water used for boiling them and add also a teaspoon of salt. In a frying pan, fry the minced garlic cloves and the minced ½ onion. Then add the blended tomatoes to the this fried garlic and onion. Then place the bell peppers standing up in the tomato sauce with the opening at the top. Boil them for about 20 minutes. You may accompany them with rice or mashed potatoes.

Chimol or Chirimol (Chopped Tomato Salad)

Ingredients: 6 tomatoes. 1 small finely minced onion. minced mint to taste. Chopped cilantro. ½ a sour orange. 1 green bell pepper. 1 lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.


Procedure: Sauté the tomatoes. Peel and chop into small squares. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Accompany this with steak/carne asada.

Chorizo con Huevos (Eggs with Salvadorean Sausage)

Ingredients: 3 sausages. 1 clove of garlic. 6 chopped tomatoes. ½ chopped bell pepper. ½ a chopped onion. 6 eggs.

Procedures: In a pan, place the sausages, add ½ a cup of water and cook using low heat. When the water has been consumed, let them fry until the fully cooked. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bell pepper and onions. When they have fried, add the eggs. Mix well and serve.

Churros

Ingredients: (Makes one plateful). Vegetable or Olive Oil. 1 cup water. 1/2 cup margarine or butter. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1 cup all-purpose flour. 3 eggs. 1/4 cup sugar. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional).

Procedures: Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a pan (1 to 1&1/2 inches) to 360 degrees F. To make churro dough, heat water, margarine and salt to rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat eggs all at once; continue beating until smooth and then add to saucepan while stirring mixture. Spoon mixture into cake decorators' tube with large star tip (like the kind use to decorate cakes). Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. (Mix Sugar and the optional cinnamon); roll churros in sugar or dump the sugar on the pile of churros, like the pros.


Coctel de Conchas (Clam Cocktail)

Ingredients: 6 clams(these clams are the large kind with a blackish or pinkish color.) 1 onion finely minced. 1 chopped tomato. 1 chopped radish. Salt and pepper to taste. Worcestershire sauce to taste. A few drops of hot sauce, lemon juice, cilantro and mint to taste.

Procedure: Place the clams in boiling water so that the clams can open. Remove carefully from the clam, the pulp and chop them. Mix the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Conserva de Coco (Coconut Preserves)

Ingredients: 2 eggs(yolk and clear separated). 2/3 of a cup of sugar. 1/3 of a cup of grated coconut. 2 teaspoons of grated lemon.

Procedure: Preheat the oven at 180C. Grease a pan with butter. In a small bowl beat the clear part of the eggs into it looks whipped. Then add the sugar without stopping to beat for 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick. Add the yolk and beat for 3 more minutes. Place this mixture into a larger bowl and add the coconut and lemon. Mix with a metallic spoon. Mix until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Place the mixture in the baking pan. Powder the coconut and bake for 25-30 minutes until it becomes golden brown in color. Let it rest in the baking pan. Let it cool and cut into small squares. Conserve them for two weeks in a plastic container in a fresh and dry place.

Note: This preserve is dry, not liquidly like jam.

Conserva de Jocotes (Jocotes Preserve)

Ingredients: 50 “jocotes”. 2 pounds of brown sugar. Cinnamon sticks. 4 oz of whole peppers. Two bottles of water (enough to cover the jocotes). 3 ounces of lime. 3 teaspoons of ashes.

Procedures: Cut the bottoms of each jocote, wash them and place them in a pot of water together with the lime and ashes and boil them. Leave them in the water for 30 to 45 minutes. Let them cool and stir them so that their peel comes off. Rinse them with water to remove the lime and ashes from them. On a separate pot prepare the syrup by mixing the two bottles of water with the brown sugar. Let the syrup boil together with the jocotes and whole peppers. Boil for about 30 minutes. Remove them from the heat, let them cool and then remove the seed from each of them. Leave the seedless jocotes in the syrup and let them absorb the syrup. Enjoy!


Cuajada (Popular Dairy Food)

Cuajada is precipitated milk protein and casein. In a minimalist sense, it is a way to store milk if you happen to have too much. For anyone who likes cheese with flavor this is the wrong stuff--it is about as close to tofu as you can get without being strictly vegetarian. There are two reasons it is popular. First, the time from milk to cheese can be measured in hours rather than weeks or months. Second, making aged cheeses requires refrigeration as well as time. In a hot climate with a general lack of refrigeration and not a lot of money to buy "more expensive cheeses", cuajada offers much lower cost protein. Ingredients and Procedures: To make cuajada, you heat milk to about 80C, continue stirring and add vinegar until the precipitate forms. A good guess would be about a 30 to 1 ratio of milk to vinegar. You then put the precipitate into cheesecloth and let it drain. The result is cuajada. Expect up to a half a pound of cheese for each liter of milk.

Curtido (Salvadorean Coleslaw)

Ingredients: ½ head of shredded cabbage.1 peeled and grated carrot. 4 cups of boiling water. 3 minced scallions. ½ cup of white vinegar. ½ cup of water. 2 tablespoons or teaspoons of fresh, minced or crumbled oregano. 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Procedures: Place cabbage and carrots in a large heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over the cabbage and carrots and let set for about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Return the cabbage to the bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Chill and serve as an accompaniment to pupusas or as a side dish.

Note: A pinch of sugar and a little oil can be added to the salad if you like. Curtido is a simple cabbage salad traditionally served with pupusas. The cabbage is sometimes allowed to ferment slightly at room temperature before serving, becoming a kind of Salvadoran sauerkraut.

Desayuno Típico Salvadoreño (Typical Salvadorian Breakfast)

A typical Salvadorean breakfast consists of eggs with sausage, refried beans (see recipe below) or casamiento (beans and rice), cheese, sour cream, tortillas and fried plantains.

http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_st_pupusa.php


Eggs

Ingredients: (serves 2): 4 or 5 eggs, ¼ of an onion chopped, 1 tomato, ¼ of a bell pepper chopped, 1 sausage.

Procedures: In a frying pan fry the sausage and when it is well cooked add the onion, tomato, bell pepper and scrambled eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Eat as soon as it is ready.

Refried Beans

Ingredients: 1 cup of mashed beans. ¼ of an onion chopped. ¼ of a bell pepper chopped (optional). 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Procedures: heat the oil at medium heat and fry the onion until it is transparent. Add the beans and fry them at medium heat until it has consume all the oil and they are dry.

Note: See the casamiento, tortillas and fried plantains recipes in this ebook as well.

Dulce de Camotes (Sweet Potatoes with Syrup) Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients: 2 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes, 1 ½ cups of brown sugar, 2 cups of milk. Cinnamon sticks.

Procedures: Place the sweet potatoes in a pot, cover them with water and cook them using medium heat until the water boils. Then lower the heat to low heat and cook them until they become soft. Then remove them from the heat and throw out the water. Take out the sweet potatoes and peel them. Place them in the blender until they become puree (mashed). Once this is accomplished, return them to the pot and add the milk, sugar and cinnamon. Cook at medium heat and stir constantly. Cooking time is


approximately 1 ½ hours. The point we want to reach is when the puree becomes thick. Let cool. Pour on the syrup.

Syrup

Ingredients: 1 pound of brown sugar, ¾ cups of water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Procedures: Put all the ingredients in a small pot and cook at medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, making sure the pot is uncovered. You want to reach a syrup-like texture. Pour this on the sweet potatoes.

Empanadas de Leche Poleada y de Frijoles (Plantain Turnovers Filled with Milk-Pudding or Refried Beans)

Empanadas de Leche Poleada (Plantain Turnovers)

Ingredients (serves 20): 5 ripe plantains. A pinch of salt. Milk-pudding filling for the plantain turnovers. Refried beans. Vegetable oil.

Procedures: Preparing the plantains: The plantains should be yellow with some black marks. Make sure the plantains are not too ripe. The plantains should feel a little hard when you squeeze them. Wash them and cut each plantain in 4 sections. Place all the sections in a pot, covering the plantains with water and a pinch of salt. When they have become cooked (when the peel starts to rip), peel them and make a puree out of them (mash them) until you get a nice consistent soft bulk. Place this in a refrigerator until it becomes completely cool. Take out the cold mashed plantains and start making small balls (hand full sizes). Flatten each ball, making it kind of like a thick tortilla. In the middle place a little milk-pudding (see recipe below) or refried beans. Fold it in half making sure you seal the edges. Fry them with vegetable oil, making sure you fry both sides until they become golden brown.

Leche Poleada (Milk-Pudding Filling for the Plantain Turnovers)

Ingredients: 2 ½ cups of milk, 1 cinnamon stick, a piece of lemon peel, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 3 tablespoons of corn starch, ½ cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Procedures: Boil 2 cups of milk with the cinnamon, lemon peel and salt. In the other half cup of cold milk dissolve the corn starch and add to this the hot milk and the sugar. Cook this at medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla extract, invert this into a bowl and powder it with ground cinnamon.


Enchiladas Salvadoreñas (Salvadorean Enchiladas)

Ingredients: 10 tortillas. 1 finely chopped cabbage. 1 pound of ground beef. 1 large chopped onion and 1 chopped green bell pepper. 1 avocado cut into small pieces. 3-4 hard boiled eggs cut into slices. 2 cups of refried beans (see recipe). Sour Cream. Shredded cheese or parmesan cheese.

Procedures: Fry all the tortillas in oil until they become very toasty. Place the chopped onions and chopped bell peppers in a frying pan. Let them fry for a little bit, then add the ground beef and add seasoning of your choice. Cook the meat using medium heat until it is well cooked. Spread the refried beans on each fried tortilla. Place the meat on top of the beans. Start adding everything else on top such as the avocado, sour cream, cabbage, sliced hard boiled eggs and parmesan cheese.

Ensalada de Frutas (Fruit Salad)

Ingredients: 2 mangoes (peeled and cut into cubes). 2 bananas (peeled and sliced into rounds). 1 cup fresh pineapple (cut into chunks). 2 oranges (peeled and cut into small pieces). 1 “mamey”(optional). 2 “maranones” (optional). ½ cup of pecan nuts. ¼ cup of evaporated milk. ¼ cup of condensed milk.

Procedures: Mix all the fruits together in a glass bowl. Pour the the evaporated and condensed milk. Add the pecan nuts and mix everything well. Enjoy!

Escabeche (Acidic Vegetable Salad)

Ingredients: 6 green bell peppers. 6 red bell peppers. 6 tender carrots. 10 medium onions. ½ tablespoon of oregano. ½ cup of olive oil. ½ of garlic. ½ bottle of vinegar. 1 laurel leaf. Grape tomatoes. Salt and mustard.

Procedures: Wash and peel the bell peppers, carrots, garlic and onions. Then slice them. Boil the carrots (already cut) in water with salt and do not let the carrot get too soft. You want it to be crunchy. Fry in the olive oil the grape tomatoes, laurel leaf, oregano, onions and garlic until they become transparent. Add the bell peppers and carrots so that they start frying as well for a few minutes (depending on their sizes and how ripe they are). But remember they must all remain crunchy. Remove from the pan and let them cool. Add the vinegar, mustard and season with salt to taste.


Espumillas (Egg Whites Treat)

Ingredients: 6 egg whites. A pinch of salt. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. 1 ½- 2 cups of sugar. Food coloring (optional).

Procedures: Beat all 6 eggs until they become soft and foamy. Add a pinch of salt and the vanilla extract. If you wish to give them a color, you may now add the food coloring of your choice. Add 1 ½-2 cups of sugar, depending on how sweet you want them. Continue beating at high speed until the consistency becomes thick. Place them in a baking sheet like the ones used to make chocolate chip cookies. Make sure to place special baking paper of some sort so that the espumillas will not stick to the metal. Using a small pastry bag (the ones used to decorate cakes), pour them on the trade. Bake at 275 F for 30-45 minutes. Let it cool and enjoy!

Note: In order to not waste food, save the egg yolks to make some delicious flan.

Flan Casero de Leche (Caramel Custard)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients: 1 cup of sugar. ¼ cup of water. 4 beaten eggs. 1 can (about 114 ounces) can of condensed milk. 2 cups of whole milk or water. ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. ½ cup of sugar.

Procedures: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the 1 cup sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Place over medium heat and boil the sugar, without stirring, until it just starts to turn a honey brown, around 10-15 minutes. Remove the caramelized sugar from heat and pour into a 9" cake pan or in equal amounts into each of 6 individual ramekins, swirling to coat the bottom. You may not need all the sugar. Place the cake pan or ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla till smooth. Pour into the cake pan or into each of the ramekins. Fill the baking pan with enough warm water to come about 2/3 of the way up sides of the containers. Place in the oven and cook until a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean, anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour. Remove the custard from the water bath and chill well in the refrigerator. Run a knife around the edges of the custard, invert the containers over a serving dish and serve.


Variations:

Flan de Café (Coffee Flan): add 3-4 teaspoons of instant coffee granules to the milk-egg

mixture.

Flan de Calabaza (Pumpkin Flan): increase to 5 eggs and add 1 cup pureed pumpkin, 1

teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.

Flan de Coco (Coconut flan): substitute 2 cups of coconut milk for the sweetened condensed

milk. Or simply stir 1/2 cup shredded coconut into the milk and egg mixture.

Flan de Piña (Pineapple Flan): Caramelize the sugar and pour into containers as above. For

the liquid, boil one cup of pineapple juice with 1 cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Allow the juice to cool, then beat in 4 eggs until smooth. Pour into individual ramekins and proceed with the recipe. Note: The basic ratio for a custard is 1 egg to 1 cup liquid with sugar added to taste. The liquid used in most recipes varies widely and can be heavy cream, half-and-half, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk or coconut milk. Mixing these liquids in different amounts is also common. Experiment to find the flavor and richness you like best. For a richer, thicker flan, substitute one of the eggs with two egg yolks.

Fresco de Arrayan (Arrayan Drink)

Ingredients: 6 arrayanes. 1 Liter of water.

Procedures: Wash the arrayanes well. Cut the top and bottom. Place them in a blender with water enough to cover them. Blend well and then filter or strain them using a fine cloth or a fine strainer. Add sugar and Ice to taste. Make sure you do not store it in a metal recipient because the arrayan will turn the metal black. Enjoy!


Fresco de Cebada (Barley Drink)

Ingredients: 1 liter of water. 1 stick of cinnamon. 5 pepper whole pepper grains. ¼ cup of flour. 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. 2 tablespoons of strawberry extract. 1 pound of sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Procedures: Boil the water with the cinnamon and the whole pepper grains for 10 minutes. Dissolve the flour in a cup of water and add this to the boiling water. Let everything cook at medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let it cool, adding the sugar to taste, vanilla extract, strawberry extract and 5 more cups of water. Let it rest for a few minutes. Place the cebada in a blender with small pieces of ice and blend. If you do not want to use the blender, simply add some ice into the pot with the cebada and stir using a wooden spoon. Serve immediately cold and foamy. Enjoy!

Fresco de Ensalada (Salad Drink) Ingredients: 1 pineapple. 3 cashews or marañones (see picture below). 1 green apple. 5 sweet oranges. Sugar to taste. Pinch of salt. Lettuce, finely chopped. 10 cups of water.

Procedures: Peel the pineapple and cut it into small cubes. Squeeze two of the cashews and only the juice to the pot. Chop the third cashew into small cubes and add it to the pot. Chop the apple into small cubes, squeeze the juice out of the oranges and add the juice and chopped apple into the pot. The orange juice prevents the drink from turning black. Mix everything in the pot, adding to it the pinch of salt. Now let it rest for about an hour. Finally add the finely chopped lettuce and the water to the pot. Put it into the refrigerator and drink it cold. Enjoy!

Fresco de Fresa (Strawberry Drink)

Ingredients: 3 cups of coarsely chopped fresh strawberries. 6-8 cups of water. ½ or ¾ cups of sugar. ¼ cup of lime juice (opt.)

Procedures: Add the strawberries and 2-3 cups of the water to a blender. Puree well. Strain through a sieve into a large pitcher. Add rest of water and 1/2 cup of sugar and stir well. Add more water and sugar as needed. Serve well chilled.


Fresco de Horchata Salvadoreña (Salvadorean Horchata Drink) Ingredients: 2 lbs of “morro” seed which are from the calabash tree gourd. You might be able to find this in a market where they sell Latin-American products. 2 ounces of cinnamon sticks cut into fine pieces. 2 ounces of cilantro. 25 whole pepper grains. 4 pounds of rice. A very thin cloth which will be used for filtering or straining the horchata. If you do not have this, a fine strainer will do.

Procedures: Toast the rice, stirring it once in a while until the rice becomes brownish in color. Toast the morro seeds, cinnamon, cilantro and pepper grains. Toast them until they become golden brown in color. Take everything and place them in a blender and blend them well. This morro mixture may be saved for a long time in sealed bags or glass jars well sealed. This way they will not lose their aroma. When you are about to make the horchata, use two tablespoons of the horchata powder for every cup of water. For a liter of horchata, use 3 cups of water, 1 cup of milk and 8 tablespoons of horchata powder. Mix 8 tablespoons of horchata powder with 2 cups of water first, mix well in a recipient and then strain or filter the liquid horchata using the thin cloth or fine strainer. To the filtered horchata add the other cup of water, the cup of milk and the sugar to taste. Serve very cold and with ice. Enjoy!

Fresco de Horchata de Arroz (Rice Horchata Drink)

Ingredients: 2 cups of rice. 6 cups of water. ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. 1/3 cup of sugar. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.


Procedures: Soak the rice overnight in 3 cups of the water. Add the rice, soaking water and cinnamon to a blender and puree until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Strain into a pitcher through a fine-meshed sieve or 3 layers of cheesecloth. There should be no grit or large particles in the liquid. Stir in the remaining 3 cups water, sugar and vanilla. Adjust sugar to taste and serve well chilled.

Notes: Substitute 3 cups of milk for 3 cups of the water. Or use evaporated milk for a richer, creamier version. El Salvador: flavored with ground morro seed (from the calabash tree gourd) and various spices. These days horchata can be found pre-made in the refrigerated section of markets or as a powder in packets to be mixed with water or milk. In the homemade version, the rice settles out after a few hours. Stir to remix.

Fresco de Melón (Melon or Cantaloupe Drink)

Ingredients: 3 cups of fresh melon or cantaloupe coarsely chopped Fresh. 6-8 cups of water. ½ to ¾ cups of sugar. ¼ cup of lime juice (opt.)

Procedures: Add the melon or cantaloupe and 2-3 cups of the water to a blender. Puree well. Strain through a sieve into a large pitcher. Add rest of water and 1/2 cup of sugar and stir well. Add more water and sugar as needed. Serve well chilled.

Fresco de Sandia (Watermelon Drink) Ingredients: 3 cups of fresh watermelon coarsely chopped (see notes). 6-8 cups of water . ½ to ¾ cups of sugar. ¼ cup of lime juice (opt.)

Procedures: Add watermelon and 2-3 cups of the water to a blender. Puree well. Strain through a sieve into a large pitcher. Add rest of water and 1/2 cup of sugar and stir well. Add more water and sugar as needed. Serve well chilled.

Notes: Frescos are fresh fruit drinks that are very popular all over El Salvador. They are typically served from large barrel pots. Some of the more traditional varieties are listed above. The lime juice is not necessary, but can add a welcome tartness to some frescos.


Frijoles Santanecos (Beans from Santa Ana)

Ingredients: 1 pound of beans that have been left in boiling water until they have become soft. ½ cup of smoked bacon. ¼ cup of Salvadorian cheese cut into small pieces. 1 cup of cooked tomato sauce. 1 chopped onion. 1 chopped green bell pepper. 1 red hot pepper.

Procedures: Fry the bacon. Remove the bacon and blot the grease using a napkin. With the grease left behind in the pan fry the onion. Add the peppers, beans, cheese and tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes and serve.

Guacamol Salvadoreño (Salvadorean Guacamole)

Ingredients: (serves 4) 4 large avocados. ½ an onion finely chopped. 2 hard boiled eggs to decorate. Lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. 1 tomato.

Procedures: Cut the avocados in half, remove the seed and remove the pulp using a spoon. Using a deep container, place the avocado in and smash them until you have reached a nice paste with a homogenous texture. Add the onion, salt, lemon juice and mix everything well. Decorate the plate with slices of tomato and the hard boiled eggs. Leave the seeds in the guacamole until it is ready to serve so that it does not turn black. Accompany this with some delicious Salvadorean tortillas.

Hojuelas u Hojaldras (Corn Flake Fritters)

Ingredients: 2 eggs. 1 teaspoon of salt. A pinch of salt. ½ cup of milk. 1 cup of flour (make sure the flour is fine). Oil for frying.

Procedures: Mix the eggs without separating the whites and the yolks. Add in the salt and sugar and stir using a wooden spoon. Now add the milk little by little. Then add the flour little by little. Bring together the mixture using your hands. You may powder your hands with flour so that they don’t get sticky. Extend the dough flat using a roller on a flat surface. Make sure the roller and surface are covered with flour as well. Using an empty can cut the dough in circles (make sure to keep them flat and make them a little large). Fry them in oil. Once ready serve them on a plate and pour some honey on top or you may also used for the “Dulce de Camote” or sweet potatoe’s syrup.


Huevos Rancheros (Country Style Eggs)

Ingredients: 4 eggs. 3 tomatoes. Half of a white onion. Salt and pepper to taste. Frying oil.

Procedures: Start by dicing the tomatoes into small cubes and then do the same with the onion. Add oil to a frying pan, enough to cover the pan and let the oil get hot. Once the oil is hot, add the diced tomatoes and onions. Mix this for about 3 minutes, adding the salt and pepper to taste. Mix until it starts looking like a sauce. Remove it now from the heat and add the sauce in a porcelain bowl. Using the same frying pan add a some frying oil and let it heat up one more time. Then add the eggs without braking the yolk (sunny side up style). Cook until the clear of the egg is well cooked. You may fry the eggs a little bit longer, depending on how you like your eggs (over hard or over easy). Serve the eggs by pouring the sauce over them. For a better taste, accompany these eggs with refried beans or whole beans, slices of avocado, Salvadorian tortillas and sour cream. Enjoy!


Jocotes en Miel (Jocotes with Syrup)

Ingredients: 25 jocotes (tropical fruit found in El Salvador).Water for boiling. 2 ½ liters of water for the syrup. 1 pound of brown sugar. 2/3 cup of ashes. Cinnamon sticks to taste.

Procedures: Place the jocotes in a pot, fill it up with water just enough to cover the jocotes. Add the ashes in the pot and now wait until the water boils. Then add the jocotes until the peel starts to break. Once this point is reached, take them out and peel them with your hands. After they’re peeled, cut them across like a cross without removing the seed. Save them for later. The next step is to make the syrup. For this, place the 2 ½ liters, brown sugar and cinnamon in a pot. Cook at low heat until you get a syrup-like texture. Then add the jocotes in this syrup and let them cook slowly for an hour to an hour and a half.

Note: The ashes are added to the water to make easier to peel the fruit.

Jugo de Papaya (Papaya Juice)

Ingredients: 2 cups of peeled papaya cut into cubes. 1 ½ cups of water. Ice. Sugar to taste.

Procedures: Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Filter or strain this liquid and the place the strained liquid back in the blender and blend again, but this time with some ice. Enjoy!

Leche Poleada (Hot Milk Pudding Drink)

Ingredients: (serves 4). A box of corn starch of 50 grams. 1 liter of milk. 3 egg yolks. 1 cinnamon stick or some ground cinnamon. 1 cup of sugar or to taste. 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Procedures: Blend the milk, sugar egg yolks and corn starch. Place the mixture in a pot and cook using low heat. Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon until the mixture starts to boil and becomes thick. Remove from the fire and let it cool. The cinnamon and vanilla extract is added as the mixture is cooking. If the cinnamon is ground, then added at the moment of serving it.


Mangos en Miel (Mangoes with Syrup) Ingredients: 12 mangos. 1 ½ cups of water. 2 cups of brown sugar.

Procedures: Peel the mangoes and cut by slashing them lengthwise. Put them in a pot and cover them with water and let it boil. When the mangoes start becoming transparent-like add the brown sugar without moving or stirring the mangoes. Cook slowly at medium heat for approximately 50 minutes.

María Luisa (Salvadorean Layer Cake)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients: 1 ½ cups of flour. 1 tablespoon of baking powder. 1 cup of butter at room temperature. 1 ¼ cups of sugar. 1 tablespoon of orange zest only. 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. 6 eggs at room temperature. ¼ cup of orange juice. 1 cup of orange marmalade. 1/3 cup of powdered sugar.

Procedures: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans. Sift together the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Place the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and light, about 3-5 minutes. Add the orange zest and vanilla and beat for another 15 seconds or so more. With mixer at medium speed, add one egg at a time, letting each egg incorporate before adding the next. Turn mixer to medium-low. Add the flour in three parts, alternating with the orange juice and beating just until smooth. Don't overbeat. Spoon equal parts of batter into the three cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Remove cakes and cool completely. Mix the marmalade with a little water and stir until it is almost pourable. Spread half the marmalade over one of the layers. Place the next layer on top and spread with the other half of the marmalade. Top with the last layer. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar by shaking it through a sieve.

Notes: You may omit the orange zest and substitute milk for the orange juice if you like. Use any jam you wish. Raspberry is very good.


Marquesote (Salvadorean Sweet Bread)

Ingredients: 8 eggs or four eggs per cup of flour. 2 cups of soft flour or 1 cup per 4 eggs. 1 cup of sugar or ½ cup for every 1 cup of flour. 2 teaspoons of yeast or leaven (to help the bread rise) or 1 teaspoon for per 1 cup of flour. 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon for every cup of flour. 3 cinnamon sticks or to taste.

Procedures: The flour is prepared by filtering it (you want it to be fine) and mixing it with the yeast or leaven. You want to make sure the eggs are fresh. Cut the cinnamon sticks into small pieces. The baking pan needs to be greased and powdered with flour. The size of the baking pan will depend on the amount of flour you’ll use. Start preheating the oven at 250°C. Place the egg whites in a mixer and beat them until they become foamy. You know the eggs are ready when you turn over the recipient and no liquids drip. Then add the sugar little by little and keep beating. Add the egg yolks one by one and little by little add the mixture of the flour and yeast. Keep beating and finally add the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Pour the whole mixture into a baking pan about 1-2 inches deep and bake at 250°F for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Melcocha (Molasses Candy)

Ingredients: 1 cup of water. 2 cups of sugar. 4 tablespoons of butter. ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Anise. Mint or lemon peels. Red food coloring dye.

Procedures: In a pot over moderate heat, mix in the water with the butter and the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking at low fire without stirring until a few drops of this mixture is placed in a glass of cold water and it forms a thin zigzagging thread. Once ready, pour the melcocha on a greased tray. Let it cool enough to allow you to handle it. Add by drops the vanilla extract or mint and food coloring. With your hand greased with butter, pull the melcocha, bend it and pull again and twisting it until it becomes creamy and semi-solid.


Minuta con Miel o Jarabe de Mango (Mango Flavored Snow Cone)

The Syrups in principle are composed of water, your choice of fruit and sugar. The fruit and sugar should be concentrated so that the syrup becomes very sweet.

Mango Syrup

Ingredients: 10 mangoes. 8 ounces or 250 grams of sugar. You may add a Little bit more if you wanted it sweeter. 4 cups of water.

Procedures: Peel the mangoes and smash them or place them in a blender and blend well. Put them in a pot with the sugar and water and boil them until the syrup becomes thick and dense. Then let it cool to room temperature.

Preparing the Ice: Crush some ice (best result is obtained by blending the ice in a blender). Place a little bit of the crushed ice in a cup. Add some of the syrup. Add some more crushed ice and some more syrup. To make syrups of other flavors, you could experiment with a different fruit. For example: pineapple, lemon, coconut, tamarind, guava, strawberry, etc.

Minuta con Miel o Jarabe de Vainilla (Vanilla Flavored Snow Cone)

Vanilla Syrup

Ingredients: 8 cups of milk. 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Sugar to taste.

Procedures: Boil the milk. As it is boiling, add the vanilla and the sugar. Read the instructions above to prepare the ice.

Nances en Miel (Nances in Syrup)

Ingredients: 1 lb of nances. 1 ½ cups of water. 1 lb of brown sugar. 2 cinnamon sticks.

Procedures: Poke the nances with a tooth pick or a fork. Then place them in a pot together with all the other ingredients. Let it boil at low heat, stirring often using a wooden spoon for about 2 hours or longer


if you wish. The more you cook them, the softer and sweeter the nances get. Remember to remove the cinnamon sticks before serving.

Pan con Pavo Salvadoreño (Salvadorean Turkey Sandwich) Ingredients: 1 recipe of “pavo salvadoreno” (see recipe). 15 pieces of “pan frances” or frech bread. Romaine lettuce and. Tomato. Cucumber and a recipe for escabeche (see recipe below).

Procedures: The preparation of the “pan con pavo” varies. To each sandwich, you add a slice of turkey, tomato, lettuce and cucumber. And on top you add 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce (see recipe).

How to prepare the escabeche: You prepare with carrots, green bell peppers, and onions. Cut all of these in strips and fry them with olive oil. Add salt to taste. Leave for a few minutes but make sure they remain crunchy. Remove from the heat and finally add oregano and vinegar.

Pan Frances (French Bread)

Ingredients: 1 small pack of yeast (to help the bread rise). 1 ½ teaspoon of salt. 1 ¼ cups of water. 3 ½ to 3 ¼ cups of all purpose flour. 1 egg, lightly beaten.

Procedures: Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Once you start seeing bubbles, you know that the yeast is active. Add 1 ½ cup of the flour (filtered so that there is no clumps) and mix well. Now add the salt and then add the 1 ¾ cups of flour. Beat it well. Place it on a surface powered with flour. Cover the dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes. After these 10 minutes, mix the dough (knead) with your hand for about 15 to 20 minutes or until you feel it is elastic. Now add the remaining ¼ to ½ cup of flour. Now place the dough in a greased recipient. Turn the dough over in the recipient so that some of the grease sticks to both sides of the dough. Now cover the dough again and place it in a warm part of the house. Let it rise for about an hour and a half. After an hour and a half, knead it or mix again with your hands. This time let it rest for an hour and it will rise doubling its size. After the hour is up, remove the recipient from the pot. Place the dough on the flour-powdered surface. Cover it one more time and let it rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, divide the dough into portions you want your French bread rolls to be. Give them their regular shape, somewhat like an oval shape. On a greased baking pan or baking sheet powder a little bit of flour. Place the portions of dough in the pan about 2 inches apart from each other. To the lightly beaten egg add 1 tablespoon of water. With this, smear and grease each roll on the top and on the sides. Now cover them with a humid cloth but it is important that you do not let the cloth touch the rolls. Let the rolls rise in a nice warm place of the house. Let the rolls rise until they double in size. This will take between 1 to 1 ½ hours. Preheat the oven at 400°F. In a long, somewhat deep recipient add boiling water (caution! Do not burn yourself) and place it under the grill in the oven. Now that the oven has been preheated, place the baking sheet with the rolls in the oven on top of the recipient containing the boiling water. Bake the French bread rolls for 15 minutes. Take out one more


time the baking sheet with the rolls and smear and greased the rolls one more time with the egg and water mixture. Place the baking sheet with the rolls again into the oven and let them bake for another 15 minutes. If you want them to be toastier, you may leave them longer but be careful not to burn them. Let them cool. Enjoy!

Pastel Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)

Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened. 1 ½ cups white sugar. 9 egg yolks. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 2 cups all-purpose flour. 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder. 1 cup milk. 9 egg whites. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. 2 cups heavy whipping cream. 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk. 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk. 2 cups heavy whipping cream. 1 cup white sugar.

Procedures: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well after each addition. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter using a rubber spatula. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 cups heavy cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Pour the mixture over the cake until it won’t absorb any more. You may have 1/3 to 1/4 left over. That's okay. Combine the whipped cream and sugar, spread over soaked cake. Refrigerate cake until serving, Pour leftover milk mixture onto plates and swirl in jam if desired, before setting cake on the plates.


Pastelitos Salvadoreños de Masa (Salvadorean Meat Turnovers)

Ingredients: 4 cups of “masa”. This “masa is also used to make tortillas, so please see the Tortillas recipe in this ebook to see how the “masa” is made. ½ lb of ground beef meat. ½ lb of ground pork meat. 4 ounces of boiled potatoes cut into small cubes. Condiments such as chopped onions, garlic, meat seasoning, salt and green bell peppers. Oil for deep frying. Paprika, to give the dough a red color.

Procedures: Add a little bit of food coloring (red or yellow) to the masa. You may also instead add paprika. Add also salt to taste. Fry the two meats together with the potato (chopped in small cubes) and the condiments you wish to cook them with. You may also add more vegetables such as carrots. Take a small handful of the red colored masa and make it into a tortilla. Add a little bit of the cooked meat and vegetables in the middle of this tortilla. Then fold the tortilla, covering up the meat and with your fingers seal the edges. The pastelito should now be in the shape of a half moon. Now fry them in enough vegetable oil until they become fried on both sides. Fry until they become toasty. Eat them with “curtido” (see the Pupusas recipe where it shows you how to make it).

Pavo Salvadoreño (Salvadorean Roasted Turkey)

Turkey

Ingredients: 1 medium turkey. 1/2 lb Butter, softened. 1/3 cups of prepared mustard. 1/8 c Cider vinegar. 2 teaspoons of salt. 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.

Recado Seasoning

Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups of sesame seeds. 1/3 cups of pepitoria (hulled pumpkin). 3 chilies pasas or chiles. 8 bay leaves. 8 whole cloves. 2 inch cinnamon stick. 1 ½ teaspoon of oregano, dried. 1 teaspoon of thyme, dried. 2 slices of french bread. 3 medium tomatoes. 2 medium white onions, peeled. 8 cloves of garlic, peeled.

Procedures: Preparing Turkey: Remove the giblets from the turkey cavity and set aside for another use. Rinse the bird under cold running water and pat dry. In a small bowl, mix the butter, mustard, vinegar, salt and thyme to form a paste. Rub the turkey, inside and out, with the paste. Refrigerate covered until ready to use. Toasting ingredients: Heat a lightly greased griddle over medium heat. Toast the sesame and pumpkin seeds, stirring frequently, being careful not to burn; place in a medium bowl. Toast the chiles pasas, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, oregano, and thyme, stirring until lightly colored and fragrant. As the ingredients are toasted, place in the bowl with the toasted seeds. Pour three coups of water over the ingredients; cover and soak 15 minutes. In small batches, grind the toasted ingredients in a blender container or in a food processor until completely smooth. Roasting ingredients: Toast the bread until dry; crush into crumbs. You should have about 3/4 cup. Place the tomatoes and onions on a heated griddle. Roast, turning as needed, until the tomatoes have blackened and the onions are slightly

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Turkey

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Butter

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Mustard

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Cider%20Vinegar



http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Salt

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Thyme

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Sesame%20Seed

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Pumpkin

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Chile

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Bay%20Leaves

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Cloves

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Oregano

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Thyme

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Tomato

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Onion

http://www.bigoven.com/whatis.aspx?id=Garlic


charred. in a blender container puree the tomatoes, onions bread, and garlic until smooth. Finishing the recado sauce: Stir the tomatoes puree into the toasted seed paste until blended. Combine with three quarts of water and mix. If the recado isn’t completely smooth and satiny strain through a wire mesh sieve. Roasting the turkey: Place the turkey in a roasting pan breast side up in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Turn breast side down and continue roasting for 15 minutes. Pour the recado sauce over the turkey. Continue roasting for about 3 1/2 hours, basting often, until completely cooked. Carve turkey and serve with plenty of sauce. Note: chile pasa is a dried red Salvadorean chile pod similar to the Mexican pasilla chile. Use a 15 pound turkey. Recipe submitted to the cookbook by Marta Monahan. Spanish name is Pavo Salvadoreno en Especias NOTES : Serve with its own sauce, accompanied by a rice and asparagus casserole and a watercress and pear salad. For vegetables try sautéed acorn squash with red bell pepper and onion steamed broccoli with walnut butter. A tropical fruit trifle ( made with sponge cake, coconut pudding, and guava, mango, or pineapple puree) for dessert. Christmas meal or New Years Recipe

Peperechas (Sweet Layered Bread) The Bread

Ingredients: 1 lb of all purpose flour. 6-8 ounces. of lard. 5 ounces. of sugar. ½ ounce or ½ tablespoon of yeast or leaven to help the bread rise, . ¼ ounce or 1 teaspoon of salt. 1/3 ounce or 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

The Filling

Ingredients: Pineapple jelly or preserve. As a substitute you may use grated “dulce de panela” or “piloncillo” as it is called in El Salvador. You may ask for this in markets that sell Latin-American products. Another substitute you may use is brown sugar.

The Decoration

Ingredients: ¼ cup of regular white sugar. Red food coloring (optional). This will give you red sugar which you will sprinkle on top of the peperechas once they are baked.

Procedures: Place on a flat surface the flour in the shape of a volcano. Open up a hole in the middle and start adding the sugar, salt, water with the yeast or leaven dissolved in it and lard. Mix everything well and as you are doing so, start shaping it in the form of a ball. You may want to put some flour in your hand as you are doing this. Once you are done mixing well, let it rest for about 10 minutes. Divide the ball in two equal parts. Next you will powder a table with flour and start flattening each portion using a pizza roller. You will form two layers of about 1 inch thick. Also, as you are making the layers, try to make it about the same size as the baking sheet you will be using. The baking sheet should be squared


or rectangular. The dimensions of the baking sheets do not matter. Place the first layer in the baking sheet, using the roller to help you place it nicely. Next, spread the pineapple jelly lightly and evenly on top of the first layer in the baking sheet. You may also instead add the grated “dulce de panela” or “piloncillo” but make sure that when you spread it, it is not too dense. You should be able to see many empty spots of the first layer. Now, extend the second layer on top of the pineapple jelly filling. Use again the roller lightly to help you. With a sharp knife cut it in strips of 3 inches wide. Then cut again across the other side into the desired length. Mix the sugar with the red food coloring. If you have no red food coloring, you may also simply just sprinkle regular white sugar on top of the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for about 15-20 minutes or until the peperechas start looking toasty. Enjoy!

Plátanos a la Canela (Plaintains with Cinnamon)

Ingredients: 3 peeled ripe plantains. 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

Procedures: Cut each plantain in half, lengthwise and place them on a microwave-resistant container. Uniformly place over them 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon on all three plantains. Cook for 5 minutes in the microwave. Enjoy!

Plátanos en Dulce (Plantains with Syrup)

Ingredients: 3 ripe plantains. 1 piece of “dulce de panela” (you may find this at markets where they sell Latin-American products). As a substitute, you may also use 1 ½ pound of brown sugar a substitute. 2 cups of water. 1 cinnamon stick.

Procedures: To make the syrup, place the “dulce de panela” or brown sugar, the water and the cinnamon in a small pot and let it boil at low heat for about 20 minutes. When the “dulce de panela” or brown sugar dissolve and the syrup has become somewhat thick and dense, remove from the heat and


let it cool. In the mean time, cut the plantains in half and without peeling, boil them but make sure they do not disintegrate. You want to them to boil but to remain hard or sturdy. Once boiled, peel them and slice them into circular shapes. Once sliced, place them in the syrup so that they absorb the syrup. Remove from the fire and serve. Enjoy!

Plátanos Fritos (Fried Plantains)

Ingredients:

4 Ripe plantains, cut in half crosswise and lengthwise, peeled. Oil for frying

Procedures: Heat about 1/2" oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the plantains, a few pieces at a time and sauté until lightly browned. Turn and sauté the second side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the rest of the plantains. Sprinkle with a little salt serve hot.

Note: The plantains can be sliced in rounds if you like. Top the plantains with a little brown sugar or piloncillo if they need added sweetness. Other possible garnishes are crumbled queso fresco (fresh cheese), grated Parmesan cheese, sour cream. Plátanos fritos are popular in many countries around the world where the plantain is sometimes a major source of starchy calories. It is important to use ripe plantains for this dish (they have black skins). Green plantains will be much too dry.

Plátanos Horneados (Baked Plantains)

Ingredients: 12 ripe plantains, peeled. 1 cup of sugar. 2 tablespoons of melted butter. 2 cups of water. Ground cinnamon to taste.

Procedures: Place the plantains in a Pyrex, sprinkle the sugar in top of them and cover them with the water, butter and as much cinnamon as you want. Bake them for 2 to 3 hours at 350°F or until they look well baked, meaning plantain honey is coming out of them. They should remain with some of this honey. Enjoy!


Pollo Encebollado (Salvadoran Chicken Simmered with Onions)

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients: 2-3 pounds of chicken cut into serving pieces. 3 tablespoons of oil. 3 onions, sliced thinly. 1 cup of water or stock. ½ cup of white wine. 1 bay leaf. Salt and pepper to season.

Procedures: Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame. Brown the chicken pieces, a few at a time, on all sides. Remove to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Add the onions to the same pan and sauté over medium-heat until translucent and just beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes. Add back the chicken pieces along with the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 25-35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Adjust seasoning and serve with rice.

Postre de Plátanos (Plantain Dessert)

Ingredients: 6 or 8 ripe plantains. 2 cups of milk. 4 tablespoons of flour. 3 egg yolks. A pinch of salt. 2 tablespoons of butter. ½ tablespoon of vanilla extract. Raisins to taste. 3 egg clears. 8 tablespoons of sugar. Frying oil.

Procedures: Slice the plantain in half, lengthwise and fry them in hot oil. Blot the oil out using napkins. Mix in a blender the milk, egg yolks and salt. Then heat this mixture up for about 4 minutes until it boils. Remember to stir constantly and you will notice the mixture will start to thicken. Then add the vanilla extract and the butter

Pupusas Ingredients: 2 cups of “harina para masa” or corn flour to make tortillas. 1 cup of water. 1 cup of filling (see variations).

Procedures: In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina and water and knead well. Knead in more water, one tablespoonful at a time, if needed to make a moist, yet firm dough. (It should not crack at the edges when you press down on it.) Cover and set aside to rest 5-10 minutes. Roll dough into a log and cut into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Press a hole in each ball with your thumb. Put about 1 tablespoon of desired filling into each ball and fold the dough over to completely enclose it.


Press the ball out with your palms to form a disc. Be careful that the filling doesn't spill out. Line a tortilla press with plastic and press out each ball to about 5-6" wide and about 1/4" thick. If you don't have a tortilla press, place the dough between plastic wrap and roll it out with a rolling pin. Heat an ungreased skillet over high heat. Cook each pupusa for about 1-2 minutes on each side till lightly browned and blistered. Remove to a plate and cover till all pupusas are done. Serve with curtido and salsa roja.

Variations:

Pupusas can be made plain or filled with any number of ingredients. Following are some of the most popular.

Pupusas de Queso: With a cheese filling. Use grated quesillo, queso fresco, farmer's cheese, mozzarella, Swiss cheese or a combination.

Pupusas de Chicharrones: With a filling of fried chopped pork and a little tomato sauce. A reasonable facsimile can be made by grinding 1 cup of cooked bacon with a little bit of tomato sauce in a food processor.

Pupusas de Frijoles Refritos: With a refried bean filling.

Pupusas Revueltas: Use a mixture of chicharrones, cheese and refried beans.

Pupusas de Queso y Loroco: With a cheese and tropical vine flower filling. Loroco can be found in jars at many Latin markets.

Pupusas de Arroz: A variety of pupusa that uses rice flour instead of corn masa.

Note: The above recipe uses masa harina, a special dried cornmeal flour used in making tortillas, tamales, etc. If you are able to get fresh masa, definitely use it instead. The flavor will be much fresher. Just substitute the masa harina and water with fresh masa. One pound will make about 4-6 pupusas depending on size. Pupusas are traditionally made by slapping the dough from palm to palm to flatten it out. I find the tortilla press to be quicker and easier for beginners. See the “Curtido” and the ”Salsa Roja” recipes in this ebook.

http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_sal_curtido.php

http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_sau_salsaroja.php


Quesadilla de Arroz Salvadoreña (Salvadorean Bakery)

Ingredients: (Serves 16) 6 large eggs, at room temperature. 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar. 1 ½ cups rice flour (mochiko in Japanese) sold in Asian markets in 1-pound boxes. ½ cup all-purpose white, unbleached flour. 1 teaspoon baking soda. 2 cups Mexican white cheese, such as Cotija, finely grated (about 7 ounces) (feta cheese can be used but will result in a more salty cake). ½ cup sour cream. 1 cup milk (whole milk yields a richer cake but reduced-fat milk can be used instead). ½ cup unsalted butter, melted. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Procedures: Generously grease a 10-inch spring form pan with about 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable margarine. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a large mixing bowl and a hand-held electric mixer or a stand mixer place eggs in bowl. Beat eggs on high speed until they are frothy. Add sugar gradually while continuing to beat at high speed. In a separate bowl combine rice flour, all-purpose flour and baking soda. Fluff mixture with a fork to ensure even distribution. Set aside. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add grated cheese. Add sour cream, continuing to mix. Continue to mix on low speed; alternately add ingredient mixture and milk to batter, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Stop beaters and scrape bowl as needed to incorporate all ingredients evenly. Add melted butter to batter; mix well.

Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with sesame seeds. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees; reduce temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake for 25 to 30 additional minutes. Cake will turn golden brown quickly and puff in the center. Be mindful of the aroma as each oven is different. A wooden toothpick or cake tester should emerge clean from center of cake. Set pan on a cooling rack. Loosen spring form and remove sides after about 10 minutes. Cool for about 1 hour. Cake can be carefully removed from bottom of pan by sliding a long metal spatula beneath from all edges. Gently slide cake onto a large, round platter. Serve immediately with slices of fresh fruit as desired. To store, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Quesadilla Salvadoreña (Salvadorean Bakery)

Ingredients: 2 cups Bisquick, 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 cup milk, 1 cube melted butter, sesame seeds (optional).

Procedures: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, combine Bisquick mix, sugar, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, eggs and milk. Mix by hand. Add melted butter, a little at a time, until any lumps are gone. Save some of that butter to grease your 9x11 inch pan. Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. About 10 minutes after being in the oven, sprinkle some sesame seeds over it. Enjoy with milk, tea or cocoa anytime.


Relámpagos (Salvadorean Pastry)

The Dough

Ingredients: 1 cup of water. 1/3 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Pinch of salt. 1 teaspoon of sugar. 1 cup of flour. 4 eggs.

The Cream Feeling

Ingredients: 1 ½ cups of sugar. 1 ¼ cups of flour. 4 ½ cups of milk. 9 egg yolks. 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract. 4 tablespoons of butter.

The Caramel

Ingredients: 2 cups of sugar (or as much as necessary). 4 teaspoons of glucose. ¾ cup of water.

Procedures

The Dough: Mix the water, the butter, the salt and the sugar in a pot and boil the mixture. Remove from the fire the mixture and at once add the flour. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes thick, dense and smooth. Lower the heat and return the pot to the stove. Keep cooking the mixture and keep stirring until the mixture becomes unattached from the bottom and the sides of the pot. Remove the pot from the heat one more time and add the eggs, one by one, beating or stirring well after adding each one until they are all completely mixed. To know exactly when it is ready, pick up with a spoon a little bit of the mixture and drop it back in. If small and smooth “peaks” form and their tips bent slightly, then the mixture is ready. This will depend on the size of the eggs and the quality of the flour. Cover the mixture with a plastic film to prevent it from drying up. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Grease well a baking pan or baking sheet and cover the inside with greased film paper, special for baking. Place the mixture in a pastry bag used to decorate cakes. The mouthpiece should be 1 ½ cm or ½ inch in diameter. Place the pastry bag inclined over the baking sheet and pour it moving your hand backwards as you are pressing on the pastry bag. The length of medium size relámpagos should be about 4-5cm or 2 – 2 ½ inches long. If you would like larger relámpagos, the mouth pieces of the pastry bag should be about 2 ½ cm or 1 inch in diameter and the length should be 5-6cm or 2 ½ - 3 inches in length. Place them now in a preheated at 425°F (220°C) for about 15 minutes or when they have double in size. Make sure not to open the oven as they are baking. Reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C) and leave them in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or until they are dry and golden brown in color. If you are making large relámpagos, bake them for 20 minutes first, lower the heat and then for 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven and with a knife or cooking scissors make a small cut on the side of each relámpago so


that the vapor trapped inside could escape. Turn off the oven and leave them 10 more minutes with the door open. Let them cool. You can save the relámpagos without the cream filling up to 3 days. If this is the case keep them in a hermetic container. At the moment you are ready to add the cream filling, bake the relámpagos for another 5 minutes before adding the filling so that they are toasty. To fill the relámpagos add the cream filling through the cut you made on the side earlier. Add the cream filling using again the pastry bag with a thin, smooth mouthpiece. Do not add too much cream filling because the relámpago will burst.

The Cream Filling: In a deep, strong pot (not aluminum), mix the sugar with the flour. Add the milk gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon so that clumps do not form. Cook, stirring constantly so that it does not stick at the bottom of the pot and so that clumps do not form. When the flour seems like it has cooked well, remove the pot from the fire. Place the yolk in a big cup and beat them well with a fork. Gradually add to the beaten eggs part of the mixture made earlier and stir it. Now take this and place it back into the deep pot and cook at low heat. Cook and stir until the whole mixture is thick and dense. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Add the butter and stir some more. Cool with a plastic film directly above the cream filling so that it does not get hard. The cream filling could be stored for up to two days and kept refrigerated with the plastic film directly touching the cream filling. Take out of the refrigerator one hour before you use it and let come to room temperature.

The Caramel: place 2 cups of sugar in a pot with ¾ cups of water and 4 teaspoons of glucose. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Heat it up at medium heat. When it starts to boil, lower the heat and let it cook. It is important that at this point you absolutely do not mix it as it is slowly cooking. Clean the sides of the pot with a napkin or paper towel to avoid crystallization of the sugar. Continue cooking until the caramel gets to the point and starts looking broken. This will occur when the temperature of the caramel is about 311°F or 155°C. Use a thermometer to find out. If you do not have a thermometer, get a teaspoon of the caramel, place it on a plate and let it cool. When cool, the caramel should not stick to your teeth and does not break. Get each relámpago already filled with cream and with a pair of tongs, deep the top part of the relámpagos into the hot caramel. Serve and enjoy!

Riguas (Corn Patties in Plantain Leaves) Riguas are basically ground buttered corn cooked on top of a “plancha” or grill. It sounds pretty plain, but they are actually pretty tasty—really sweet too.

Ingredients: 15 corn on the knobs, medium ripe. Salt to taste. Butter to taste. Corn husk leaves or plantain leaves cut into small rectangular shapes.

Procedures: Blend the corn in a blender, add the salt and butter. Place 2 or 3 tablespoons of this mixture on top of each plantain leave and place them over a flat pan (the type of pan you would use to make tortillas). When the mixture has separated from the leave on one side, turn the mixture over on top of the leave one more time until both sides are well cooked. You may then remove the plantain leaves and place the riguas now directly on the pan until the riguas become golden brown in color.


Salpicón (Chopped Meat)

Ingredients: 1 lb of beef meat (the type you use to make steak). 1 whole garlic. ½ lb of white onion. 1 bunch of cilantro. 1 bunch of radishes. 3 lemons.

Procedures: Cut the meat in four parts. Crush the garlic and place the meat and the garlic in a pot of water (enough to cover the meat, but may add a little bit as needed) for half an hour. Finely mince the onion, cilantro and radishes. One the meat is ready, cut it into fine pieces, almost minced. If you wish to save yourself some work, you may place it in the blender for a few seconds only, enough to obtain small pieces. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. You may accompany this dish with plain white rice and some delicious tortillas. Enjoy!

Salpores de Almidón (SweetCorn Starch Bakes)

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of corn starch. 2 cups of soft flour. 1 cup of vegetable oil. 1 tablespoon of baking powder. 1 cup of sugar (you may give the sugar a red color by mixing it with a little bit of food coloring). 1 tablespoon of salt. 2 eggs.

Procedures: Mix the sugar, salt and oil and beat for about 6 minutes until you obtain a nice, soft , creamy texture. Then add the eggs. When all of these ingredients have been well incorporated, add the corn starch, the flour and the baking powder. Once you have incorporated all of these ingredients into a nice, smooth paste, make strips of approximately 30cm in length by 4cm wide. Using a fork, slightly make lines on top of the strips. Using a diamond-shapped cookie cutter, cut as many as possible. *lace them on a baking sheet and sprinkle the sugar on top. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F.


Salpores de Arroz (Sweet Rice Bakes)

Ingredients: 1 lb of rice flour. ½ lb of sugar. 1 or 2 eggs. 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. 1 teaspoon of salt. ¼ cup of lard or as a substitute you may use butter. 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Procedures: Mix all ingredients together until you form a nice consistent and manageable dough. Make small balls and lightly flatten each one (not as flat as a tortilla). Lightly press them with a fork. Sprinkle some sugar on top of them. If it is red colored sugar, even better. It is optional to be red sugar, it could be regular white sugar. Place them in a baking pan or baking sheet and bake them in a preheated oven at 350°C for about 20 minutes or until they become a little golden brown in color. Note that we do not use any liquids in this recipe and that is so that the dough does not get too soggy. This would spoil the recipe. This is why you add one egg first and if you see that it is too dry, then add the other one. But if the dough is manageable with only one egg, then there is no need to add the second one. Enjoy!

Salsa Roja (Red Sauce)

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of olive oil. ¼ cup of chopped onion chopped. 1 chopped garlic clove . 1 chopped serrano chile or jalapeño. 2 cups of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes. 2 teaspoons of dried oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. ¼ cup of chopped cilantro (opt.)

Procedures: Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium flame. Add the onion, garlic and chile and sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Stir in the tomatoes and oregano and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool a bit. Puree the tomato sauce in a blender until smooth, adding a little water if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in cilantro if using and serve.

Note: Substitute chopped parsley for the cilantro if you like. This simple yet flavorful cooked tomato sauce is often served alongside pupusas and curtido.

Semita (Sweet Salvadorean Layered Bread with Pineapple Marmalade Filling)

Ingredients: 2 cups of flour. ½ cup margarine. 1 tbsp yeast. 1 cup sugar. 2 eggs. A pinch of salt. 1 cup of pineapple or apple marmalade. Procedures: In a clean table put the flour forming a volcano with a hole in the center. In that center hole place the margarine, yeast, eggs, 1/2 of the sugar, the pinch of salt & a little bit of water (does not mention an exact amount of water). Mix all the ingredients & knead like you were hand washing your clothes, punching it a few times against the table. When the dough is manageable, brilliant & does not stick to your hands, cover it with a kitchen towel & let it rest in a warm dry place, for about 2 hours until

http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_st_pupusa.php

http://www.whats4eats.com/recipes/r_sal_curtido.php


it is twice its original size. Then, take out some dough (like a ping pong ball) for the threads that cover the Semita. The rest of the dough should be divided in half. The first part (of the last two) should be placed in a greased & floured baking pan. (30 centimeters x 16 centimeters). Smooth the dough with your hands in the baking pan. On top of the dough add the marmalade. For the second part of the dough, roll out the dough until it covers the baking pan. Then, with your hands roll on the small ball of dough (the first one). Make Threads, & place the dough threads on top of the Semita. Then cover with the remaining sugar. Bake in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes, or until golden in color. You might serve it with, coffee, tea, chocolate or any other beverage.

Sopa de Camarones (Shrimp Soup)

Ingredients: (Serves 2 persons): 1 lb of shrimp. 1 whole garlic. Half an onion. 1 green bell pepper sliced in strips. 2 eggs. A package or bottle of shrimp seasoning. A few parsley leaves and mint. Salt to taste.

Procedures: Put 5 cups of water in a deep pot and add the bell pepper, the anion and the garlic. When the water starts boiling, incorporate the washed shrimps in their shells. Let them cook for about 10 minutes. Do not leave them longer because they become hard. Then filter or strain, separating the soup from the shrimps and vegetables. Separate the shrimps from the vegetables, peel them and clean them well. Return the pot with the soup, shrimp, parsley, mint, shrimp seasoning and salt to taste. When the soup is boiling, add the eggs. You may add the eggs whole (without the shell of course!) or beaten. Leave the soup in the heat for another 5 minutes so that the eggs may cook. You may now serve it with lemon and soy sauce. Enjoy!


Sopa de Frijoles (Bean Soup)

Ingredients: 2 Cups cooked red kidney beans. 2 Cups beef broth. 2 ½ Slices bacon, chopped. 2 Tablespoon onion, chopped. ½ Cup whipping cream. Worcestershire sauce

Procedures: In a saucepan put the cooked beans and the broth, cooked covered for 10 minutes and cool. Liquefy in the blender and pour again saucepan. In a frying pan sauté the bacon and onion until transparent. Add to the soup and cook 10 minutes more. Check seasoning and sprinkle some Worcestershire sauce. Before serving add cream.

Sopa de Gallina India (Salvadorean Chicken Soup)

Ingredients: A 2 pound chicken. 2 tablespoons of salt. 1 laurel leaf. Mint leafs. 1 medium onion. 4 medium tomatoes. 1 garlic clove. ½ lb of bacon. 3 large spoonfuls of oil or butter. 2 slices of white bread. A pinch of ground pepper.

Procedures: Cut the chicken into pieces and add them in a pot containing 1 liter of water. Add also the onions, the laurel leaf and mint leafs. When the chicken becomes soft, take it out and remove the bones. Peel the tomatoes and chop it into pieces. Crush the garlic clove and cut the bacon in strips. Fry all of these in a frying pan until they become toasty or crispy. Add to this mixture the soup and the boneless chicken and let everything boil for about 5 minutes. Cut the white bread into small squares, bath them with butter and fry them. Once fried, serve them scattered in the soup. Enjoy!

Sopa de Patas (Cow’s Feet Soup)

Ingredients: 2 cow feet. 1 lb of cow tripe or cow udder. 1 ripe plantain. 2 cabbage leafs. 2 or 3 green bananas. 2 medium size yuccas. 1 medium size carrot. 2 small bags of special sopa de pata seasoning which in El Salvador already come in small bags called “relajo” where the ingredients are all mixed in together (includes: sesame seeds, crushed pumpkin seeds also known as alhuashte, laurel leafs, peppers {in Spanish they are called chile ciruela and chile guaco}, small tomatoes and cumin). Try looking for these sopa de patas seasoning bags in markets where they sell Latin-American products. These seasoning bags are necessary for this recipe. 1 large onion. The potatoes and the bell peppers are optional.

A Day Before you Actually Make the Soup

Procedures: In a large pot place the cow feet with about 6 liters of water or more until it is close to the pot’s edge. It is important that the cow’s feet do not get dry. In about 2 cups of water, pour in 1 of the 2 small bags of sopa de pata seasoning and blend them in the blender. The content of each seasoning bag is about 2 or 3 ounces. Once they have been blended, put this mixture in the pot with a little bit of salt. Let the cow feet cook until their nerves become tender. It will take from 3 to 4 hours at high heat. When they have become tender, turn off the heat and let them cool (caution! Do not burn yourself). Take out the bones and discard them. Take out the nerves and wash them to remove any small remaining bones and excessive fat. Filter or strain the remaining soup to get rid of residues remaining from the seasonings. Once you have done this, place the soup back in the pot and refrigerate overnight. This will help the large quantities of fat that will float on top of the pot, making it easier for you to remove it easily the next day.


The Following Day

Procedures: Start by carefully washing the tripe or udder and let it marinate with for a little while with lemon to extract the bad taste that’s innate in them. Then rinse them and cut them into small pieces. On the surface of the soup you refrigerated the night before you will find a thick layer of fat which needs to be discarded. Place the clean soup back in the pot. Place now in the soup the washed and cleaned tripe or udder so that they start becoming soft. Pour the second sopa de pata seasoning bag into the blender with 2 cups of water just like last time and blend it. Once blended, strain it and pour the strained liquid in the pot on top of the tripe or udder. Wash the vegetables and peel them (except the plantain because this is what gives this soup a delicious flavor). Cut the vegetables, except the cabbage leafs which need the be added as whole leafs. When the tripe or udder have become soft, add the vegetables and plantain to the soup. When the vegetables and plantain have become soft, then the soup is ready. Enjoy!

Sopa de Pesacado Estilo Guanaco (Salvadorean Fish Soup)

Ingredients: 1 lb of special soup fish. 4 garlic cloves. 1 large onion. 1 tomato. 1 tablespoon of fish seasoning. 1 stem of celery. 1 small carrot. 2 ounces of butter. 1 teaspoon of flour. 1 cup of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Procedures: First clean the fish very well and cut it in large pieces. In a frying pan fry the garlic, onion and tomato all finely minced. When they are fried, add 4 cups of fish seasoning and when it is boiling, add the fish and let it cook slowly. As it is boiling, remove the foam that forms and add the cut and sliced celery and carrots. Let everything cook for another 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Sopa Mariscada (Seafood Soup)

Ingredients: 5 small lobster tails. 10 river shrimps. 10 sea shrimps. 10 oysters. 10 ounces of “corvine” fillet. 2 small onions. 3 carrots. 4 lemons. 3 celery stems. 2 leek stems. 1 whole garlic. 3 juicy tomatoes. 1 teaspoon of ground pepper. 1 bunch of cilantro.

Procedures: Cut the vegetables in thin strips. In a pot place the vegetables together with the seasoning, minced garlic, 1 gallon of water (20 cups) and the chopped tomatoes. When the soup starts to boil add the lobster tails and the sea shrimps cut into pieces. Add the oysters, river shrimps and fish fillets cut


into cubes. Everything is cooked at low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon and hot sauce if you wish. Enjoy!

Tamales de Elote (Salvadorean Corn Tamales)

Ingredients: 2-3 ears of corn on the cob. 2 cups of “masa harina” or corn flour (the type you use to make tortillas). 1 cup of warm water. 2 teaspoons of salt. ¼ cup of lard. ¼ cup of softened butter. 2 teaspoons of baking powder. 12-15 corn husks for wrapping.

Procedures: Add the cornhusks to a large pot. Pour boiling water over them and let them soak for at least 30 minutes to make them pliable. Cut enough corn kernels off the cobs to make about 2 cups. Scrape the cobs with a knife to get all their milk. Puree the corn in a food processor until fairly smooth but still a little chunky. In a large bowl, mix the masa harina with the warm water and salt and knead to form a pliable mass. Pulse into the pureed corn till well mixed. Whip the lard, butter and baking powder together with a whisk, egg beater or mixer till light and fluffy. Remove to the large bowl and add the corn-masa mixture and the salt. Beat with a spoon until dough is well blended. Drain cornhusks and wipe dry. Lay out a husk with the pointed end up, and add about 1/4 cup dough to the center. Fold in each side to cover the dough. Then fold up the bottom of the husk. Finally fold down the pointed top and insert it into the bottom to make a package. Tie the tamal with string if needed. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Set up a steamer and steam the tamales for 30-45 minutes. Remove and serve hot with a little milk or cream poured over.

Note: Tamales de elote are a favorite breakfast food in El Salvador. They are often served as the starch portion of a meal.

Tamales Pisques (Pisques Tamales)

Ingredients: 6 kg of clean grains of white maize. 12 liters of water. 30 grams of lime (calcium hydroxide).

Procedures: Cook the maize in water with 15 grams of lime (calcium hydroxide) until the kernels of maize are burst. Eliminate the cooking water by straining the kernels and then wash with clean water until the maize lower tip or pedicel is removed. Grind the maize until a masa of fine grain is obtained by using milling discs. Packaging the portions: Over two overlapping pieces of plantain leaves approx 40 cm


length of each side (square) are set a portion of the grinded fine masa of 11 cm of large, 5.5 cm width and 2 cm of height. The portion of masa over the plantains leaves is wrapped by folding the tips or extremes of the remaining leaves very closely. Once the tamales are packed in an appropriate way they must be cooked. Therefore, they are put orderly within a pan and water is added until _ of the capacity of the pan. The tamales will be cooked until they get a solid consistency. Once they are finally cooked, they are let stand to cooling. It yields approx. 16 tamales or units.

Tamales Salvadoreños (Salvadorean Tamales Wrapped in Banana Leaves)

Total Servings: 70 tamales Serving: 1 or 2 tamales This kind of tamales ”with some variants” is found in what was former Mayan territory, that is, in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Southern Mexico (Veracruz, Yucatan, and Chiapas). Their common trait is that they are wrapped in banana leaves rather than in the corn husks used in most Mexican tamales. Banana leaves give tamales a richer and tastier flavor. For even more taste, tamales in this recipe are embellished with non-native garnishes such as capers, olives and garbanzos. Utensils: Large double decker steamer. Large cooking spoon. Large (3 gallon) mixing bowl to prepare masa (corn batter). Large stainless steel pot to cook recado (meat stew). Large flat surface to layout ingredients & garnishing and wrap up tamales. Mortar, to make pumpkin seed paste. Spacy flat tamal-preparation surface such as top of counter or nook. Ingredients: The ingredients encompass (1) meat and recado (stew), (2) corn-flour masa (batter), (3) garnishing, (4) wrappings and (5) the steam to cook the tamales. Those ingredients are detailed next: Meat and Recaudo (Stew): 4 Pounds of meat (beef sirloin, pork roast or chicken), diced into 1/2" cu. in. chunks, or shredded 1.5" long. 4 Cubes of beef broth. 1 Head of garlic, minced. 1 Large onion, minced. 3 Large bay leaves, whole. 1/8 Teaspoon of dried oregano, chipped. 1/8 Teaspoon of dried thyme, chipped. 1/8 Teaspoon of dried basil, chipped. 3 Large tomatoes. 6 Cups of water. 1 Teaspoon of salt. 1 Tablespoon of spiced achiote. 1 Tablespoon of cocoa, unrefined. 1 Bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped. 1 Bunch of fresh parsley, chopped. 1/8 Tablespoon of coriander, powder. 1/2 cup of shelled pumpkin seed, made paste in mortar. Corn-Flour Masa (Batter): 1 Package (4.4 lb.) of MASECA corn flour (Some tortillerias such as the one in the Tropicana food store in east San Jose sell fresh masa, corn dough that is; you will need only 1 pint of water. Get 20 pounds of fresh masa). 3 Cups of extra virgin olive oil. 1/2 Cup of garlic powder. 1/2 Cup of onion powder. 12 Cubes of chicken broth. 1 Gallon of water (1 pint if using fresh masa. See above). 1


Tablespoon of salt. Garnishing: 1 Cup of capers. 2 Cups of pitted, pimento stuffed green olives. 2 cups of pre-cooked (canned), shelled garbanzo beans. 3 Large potatoes, boiled or micro waved and cut into 1/4 in. wide, 3 in. long strips. 2 Large red bell pepper, shredded into 1/8 in. wide, 2 in. long stripes. 1 Large green bell pepper, shredded into 1/8 in. wide, 2 in. long stripes. 10 Large garlic teeth, minced. Wrappings: 2 Bags of frozen, pre-cooked banana leaves, defrosted and thoroughly washed, cut into 12 in. X 12 in. squares. 3 Rolls of aluminum foil (25 sq. ft. or 8 1/2 yards X 12 in.) cut into 12 in. X 12 in. squares. Steam: 2 Gallons of water. 4 Tablespoons of salt Procedures Meat and Recaudo (prepared first, on the eve): Carefully decant all ingredients at once in boiling water, stir vigorously until mixed and cover it until brought back to a boil. Lower heat to simmer temperature. Simmer for 3 hours stirring every 15 minutes or less to avoid sticking to the bottom and burning. Let it rest overnight tightly covered. Next day, using simmer temperature, bring it to boil, and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or less to avoid sticking to the bottom and burning. Let it rest tightly covered until it cools down from hot to warm. Wrappings(prepared second, on the day tamales are cooked): Place the wrappings also at arm's length on tamal-preparation surface. Garnishing (prepared third, on the day tamales are cooked): Place garnishing separate, preferable in partitioned tray if available. If not available, use small flat platters and place at arm's length on tamal-preparation surface. Masa (Batter, prepared fourth tamales are cooked): Mix all ingredients in large bowl until masa (batter) acquires an even texture. When ready masa should feel about three times thicker than pancake batter. Add more water if necessary. Add salt as needed to fit your taste and diet. Tamal Making and Steaming: Lay out aluminum foil square on tamal-preparation surface. Lay out banana leave square on top of aluminum foil square. Pour a heaping cooking-spoon of masa on center of banana leave. Making a depression in center of masa, pour three full table spoons of recaudo on center of masa. Place meat cube at center of depression on batter/recaudo. Sprinkle 4 to 5 capers on top of batter/recaudo. Toss in 2 olives on top of batter/recaudo. Toss in 3 to 4 garbanzos on top of batter/recaudo. Toss in 1 potato dice on top of batter/recaudo. Toss in 1 stripe of red pepper on top of batter/recaudo. Toss in 1 stripe of green pepper on top of batter/recaudo. Toss in a pinch of minced fresh garlic on top of batter/recaudo. Note: At this point, except for the wrapping, a tamal has been put together. Wrap up tamal on four sides with banana leave avoiding any leakage as much as possible. Wrap up tamal on four sides with aluminum foil, making sure to seal off the seams of foil to further avoid leakage. Note: At this point a tamal has been put together thoroughly. Accommodate a batch of half of the tamales in each of the steamer decks in interleaved layers, in such a way that steam circulation is allowed. Bring salty water brine in steamer bowl to a boil. Stack the two decks on top of steamer bowl. Steam for a total of 4 hours, making sure you carefully trade deck places every hour so that steaming is even. ( First hour deck A goes under deck B, reverse positions every hour).


Tamal Served directly from the Steamer: Tamales can be served at breakfast, lunch or supper. Accompany tamales with hot chocolate or coffee at breakfast, or cold ale or lager at lunch or supper. Enjoy! Freezing the Tamales (Read defrosting first, please): Let tamales cool down to room temperature. Pack in sealed plastic bags. Make sure that tamales have cooled before placing them in plastic bags to avoid a heated plastic bag emitting fumes tat would permeate the tamale, spoiling its delicate aroma and flavor. Defrosting and Serving Tamales: Defrosting tamales may prove tricky. If heated wrong, tamales may get sandy, chewy, or crunchy. The best result is obtained if tamales are let thaw at room temperature. Once thawed, discard aluminum foil wrap and, still wrapped in banana leave wrap tamal in polyurethane foil ("Saran wrap"), then microwave tamal for 2 1/2 minutes at high temperature.

Tiste (Corn and Cocoa Drink)

Ingredients: 2 Lbs Tortilla. 1/2 Lb. Cocoa. Ground cinnamon to taste. Sugar to taste. Water or milk.

Procedures: The tortillas are placed in water to soften them. The cocoa is toasted and peeled. Mix the soft tortillas with the toasted cocoa and the cinnamon and blend them in a blender. The resulting mixture is shaped into small cylinders of about 1 ½ inches thick and 4 inches long. This mixture is placed in water or milk(start with little water first) and keep adding water or milk until you obtain the desired consistency and concentration. Add sugar to taste. Serve cold with ice. Enjoy!

Torrejas (Salvadorean French Toast)

Ingredients: (Serves about 24 torrejas). 2 "Bolillo" loaves (yolk bread or french bread). 4 eggs. 3 cups of brown sugar. 3 cinnamon sticks. 3 cups of water.

The Sauce

Procedures: Place 3 cups of water, 3 cinnamon sticks, and 3 cups of brown sugar in a pan and boil for 10 minutes.

http://www.nicaragua.com/forums/


The Bread

Procedures: Slice the bread into loaves. Dip each slice on the beaten eggs. Fry on hot oil, one by one until done. Bake at 250º for 20 minutes to remove excess oil until crispy. Dry each one with a paper towel. Place bread slices in the pan with the prepared sauce, boil lightly.

Torta de Yema (Yolk Cake)

Ingredients: 1 lb if flour. ¾ cup of sugar. 6 ounces of butter or vegetable oil. 7 large egg yolks. 2 tablespoons of granulated yeast or leaven (to help the bread rise). 1 tablespoon of salt. 1 cup of water and another ½ cup to dissolve the yeast or leaven in). Cinnamon sticks to taste.

Procedures: Dissolve the yeast or leaven in the ½ cup of warm water and add to it 2 tablespoons of sugar. Next filter the flour with a strainer. In a recipient, place the flour, sugar, water with the dissolved yeast or leaven, the rest of the water and salt. Beat everything well at medium speed. You may also beat it or whip or by hand. Now add the egg yolks. When the mixture starts feeling rubbery, then add the butter or vegetable oil. Beat for another 10 minutes until mixture comes close to overflowing out of the mixing bowl. Get some deep baking pan and grease them well. In each baking pan pour about ¾ pound of the mixture. In order for the bread to rise, place the baking pan with the mixture in an enclosed place (for example, pantry). The bread should rise 2/3 of the baking pan. Let the bread rise for about an hour and a half. Grease up some scissors used for cooking and lightly slit or cut the top in the shape of a cross. Now sprinkle on top some white regular sugar. You may now also sprinkle the sesame seeds. Place it in a preheated oven at 400°F for about 25 minutes until the torta de yema becomes golden brown in color. It is important that you wait until the 25 minutes are up before you open the oven. Otherwise, the torta de yema will collapse. Enjoy!

Tortillas Ingredients: (4 normal size tortillas) 1 cup of corn flour (you may look for brands that are specially for making tortillas). 1 cup of water.

Procedures: Place the flour in a container and little by little start adding the water, mixing the mixture with your hands. You will keep adding water until you have a mixture which does not stick to your hands. This is called the “masa”. Let the masa air for about 2 minutes and then we separate the masa into 4 equal portions. We roll up each portion into a ball and then use your hand to start giving it that tortilla shape. You may make it as large and thick as you want. Remember that these tortillas are not the same you as the ones you buy at the super market. These tortillas are Salvadorean style and will be considerably thicker. Once you have the desired shape, place them on a pre-heated flat pan. Use medium heat. Once the tortilla does not stick to the pan anymore, it is time to turn it over. Keep turning the tortilla over and over again until it is well cooked, but do not let the tortillas get toasty.


Tortitas de Elote (Corn Patties)

Ingredients: 10 corns (not too hard, not too soft). Graded cheese to taste (Hard Salvadorian cheese is preferable. If not, then parmesan cheese will do). Salt to taste. Butter or oil to fry.

Procedures: Scrape the corn off corn cob and blend it. To this add the cheese and salt to taste. Using a large spoon, start adding full tablespoons of the mixture to an oiled frying pan, giving them the form them (they will look kind of like patty cakes). When they become golden brown in color, remove them from the heat. Serve and enjoy!

Totopostes (Hard Toasted Corn)

Ingredients: 2 cups of hard toasted corn (mashed). 3oz of oil. ½ cup of graded cheese (Hard Salvadorian cheese is preferable).

Procedures: Mix al the ingredients until you obtain a mixture. With the palm of your hand form small balls of the size you desire. Place them on aluminum baking sheets (greased) and bake them at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes.

Yuca con Chicharrón (Yucca with Pork)

Ingredients: 2 pounds of yucca (fresh or frozen). 1 pound of pork skin, partly frozen. Garlic and Salt to taste

Procedures: If the yucca is fresh, peal it and set it to cook in a pot with water. Put some pealed garlic in the pot, and then salt to taste. When the yucca is semi-soft (or blandita), strain out the water, and either cut it into slices or grind it, depending on how you’d like it. Cut the pork skin into pieces 2 inches long and 1/2-inch thick. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Fry the pork until golden brown and crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour out grease from pan, and stir


fry yucca and pork rinds (chicharrones) together. Season to taste.

The Sauce

Ingredients: 4 to 5 tomatoes. 1 onion. 1 green Chile. 2 to 3 garlic cloves. A little parsley, mint & oregano. 2 cubes or sobrecitos of consomé (concentrated). 2 cups water. Salt & pepper.

Procedures: Liquefy together all the ingredients and place them to cook over a low fire, season to taste.

El Encurtido

Ingredients: Cabbage. Onion. Carrot. Chile. Vinegar. Oregano

Procedures: The encurtido is prepared with cabbage, onion, and grated carrot, also add chile to taste. Then add vinegar, boiled water, oregano, and let cool. When ready serve the yucca in a leaf (a banana or plantain leaf if possible). On this, place the sauce, the encurtido, and the yucca and chicharrones. Enjoy!

Documents

The Beauty of Salvador an Cuisine - ebookslatinos.net · The Beauty of Salvador an Cuisine . ... 9. Ayote en Miel (Pumpkin in Syrup) ... 11. Budín de Pan