Sofrito

For all of you who have been asking about my sofrito recipe, here you go. I came up with this recipe some time ago as an homage to all of my AMAZING New Yorican Mamas, Abuels, Tias y Amigas who have made such an impact on my life. This is what I call having gold in the fridge. I use this for very traditional dishes like Arroz con Gandules and my long simmered Black Beans as well as a fresh  addition to salsas and chilis.  Play with it and have fun. It is a great flavor to layer into so many dishes.

2 Bunches Fresh Cilantro leaves and stems rinsed well and dried
1 Red Bell Pepper seeded 
1 Green Cubanelle Peepper seeded
6 Ajicito Peppers seeded*
1 Large Yellow Onion quartered
5 Cloves Garlic
2 Packets Goya Sazon con Culantro y Achiote

Everything is a food processor fitted with metal blade, pulse and process until chunky smooth. Store in an air tight Mason Jar or container for up to two weeks.

*Ajicito peppers can be tricky to find. The best luck is usually in Puerto Rican neighborhoods. an alternative that has worked for me is substituting 1 Jalapeño or Poblano pepper seeded and 1 Serrano pepper seeded.

Greek Street Food

Koulouria, the Greek version to the New York City hot pretzel. Delicious, savory, slightly sweet and highly addictive.  Once I became comfortable making them I had fun making twisted rings and twisted sticks.

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs. honey
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 /4 c. sesame seeds

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large bowl combine flour, yeast, salt, honey and olive oil.
Work ingredients together.
Gradually add water to form a dough.
Knead for 5 minutes, cover and set in warm place for 45 minutes.
When dough has doubled in size divide into 10 equal portions.
On floured board roll each piece into long rope, press ends together to form ring.
Dip rings in bowl of warm water then into sesame seeds to coat well.
Place each on parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gagootz???

Nothing says Spring is coming like a round of "Gagootz". One of the many things I love about NYC Cuisine is the cultural nuances that we take for granted.  Derived from the italian word for squash; cucuzza, Gagootz with egg is one of our springtime favorites.

Getting Ready

Tuesday February 24, 2015
Welcome to Pauleen's Cuisine NYC.
Please stay tuned as I get set up.
This is going to be a hoot.