I am getting ready to film three cooking segments tomorrow
morning. Actually only one is cooked, rice and beans. The other two recipes are
no cook. One is a salad of radishes, cucumbers, lime juice and salt. The other
is one of my favorite drinks in Guatemala-micheladas.
When preparing for tomorrow I realized people may not be
familiar with two important parts of the rice and beans recipe. The first is a
caldero which I decided to make the rice and beans in. The second thing is
adobo, an all-around general seasoning.
The Caldero is very versatile and is used to make everything
from soups, spaghetti and roasts, to frying and for browning. With its rounded
sides, tight-fitting lids, IMUSA makes the most popular version that is available
almost everywhere. It is the perfect vessel for making rice and beans. Latino
cooks will have many many sizes of Calderos and prefer those made of cast
aluminum because it gets seasoned with use. In Guatemalan households, a caldero
is used daily.
As for adobo, there are two brands that I prefer using. One
of course is Goya and the other is Penzeys. Goya adobo’s is not spicy at all,
but full of flavor because of the perfect blend of garlic, oregano and other
Latino spices. It is the perfect seasoning for meat, poultry and fish dishes. Just
a couple of shakes are all it takes to give your food that traditional Latino
flavor. There are many different variations of Goya adobo, but I prefer using
the one with the red cap that has pepper added to it, there are even low sodium
versions.
But when I want to use a salt free Adobo Seasoning I reach
for Penzeys. They recommend using a ½-1 teaspoon per pound and rub on chicken,
fish and pork. Penzeys Adobo Seasoning is great for perking up low-sodium and
low-fat diets and is hand-mixed from garlic, onion, Tellicherry black pepper,
Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne red pepper. Some of my most popular recipes using adobo are Tacos de Lengua, Envueltos de Guisquil, Chilaquilas, and one of my all time favorites Tortitas.
These two things are crucial to my Livingston rice and beans
that I will be filming tomorrow morning. So stay tuned for the video as I teach
you how to make this delicious rustic dish only found in the small town of
Livingston, located on the East coast of Guatemala.
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I grew up in a household cooking with calderos and reading this post brings me back to my childhood. And now I am craving for rice and beans!
Perhaps one day soon I will bring you some as it is a favorite in our house and is always in the fridge.