SPLATTER ME NOT BEEF STEW.

A clean kitchen. My mom taught me well. My mind might be disorganized,

but I keep a neat, clean kitchen...just like my mom's. Yes, neatness when

cooking can save you lots of time in your kitchen. The key to kitchen bliss

is to always, always organize yourself...make sure you have your

recipe's ingredients, measuring cups, etc., on the counter ready for use.

Also, clean as you go. Above all, have lids handy! It is of utmost importance

to cover pans with lids when cooking. A lid on time avoids messy splatters.

You most certainly don't want those nasty splatters!!

And speaking of my mother's kitchen...today I feel like preparing one of her

recipes. She made a "carne encebollada", or beef with onions stew that was

simply scrumptious. Best of all just a few ingredients. I like simple. Keeps the

kitchen in order, and lesser ingredients = less to clean!

You will need 2 1/2 lbs chuck roast cut in large pieces. The onions have to

"dissolve" into a sauce, so if the meat is too small it will be ready before the

sauce is...

the meat in the bag. Now salt and pepper it...add to a plastic bag that has

some flour in it.

This is great because you save time...no messy flour ANYWHERE!

Now I am ready to to take the beef out, and toss the bag into the trash...

and I can do that with my eyes closed even from the other slide of the kitchen!

OOOOOPS!!! I missed the trash can!!! Must be this cold I am coming down

with...I am not feeling my best! Alright...let's continue. I will get to that in

a minute!

But first I am going to brown the beef in some good olive oil...

Making sure it does not burn. Let me stir this .... hmmmm....where is my spoon?

Oh, found it...OK time to stir...I better do this quickly now!!

Oh, nooooooo!!! A splatter on my counter??? I will get to

it in a second. The beef is too brown, so I must take it out first! Now add the

onions thinly sliced. Hmmmm....where are my onions? I didn't cut them?

Darn! I had to cut them thicker than I wanted them, but time is of the essence!

When the onions are caramelized add the smoked paprika...Where is my paprika?

Gosh, this is so unlike me! Let me see in the cabinet...aha...pepper...nope...

nutmeg...nope...aaahhh....garlic salt...nope!

AHA!! PAPRIKA!!!

Great!! Now I am going to add the Pah...paaaah...paaaah...prih....

kaaaaaachiiiiiiiiissss!!!!

Oh, nooooooooo!!! Another splatter on my counter!!

With the sneeze the container went flying away from my hands!! What a mess!!

Let me get a spoon and finish adding the paprika to the stew...

AAAAACHIIIIIIIIIIIISSSS!!!!

GAAAAHHHH!!! Defiintely I have a cold. This is not looking good....what

a kitchen....I better get a beer!!

This is getting on my nerves...I feel like drinking the beer instead of pouring

it in the stew!! But here it goes ....I am going to add the whole can.

I wonder if using Mexican beer will affect the flavor of this dish? I am sure it

doesn't ...Ok! Almost done pouring the last of the beer...excuse me my throat

is bothering me..."COUGH...COUGH...COUGH"

AWW!!! Why didn't I put the cup down when I felt the urge to cough...now

look at this splattering mess!!! Alright, I am not cleaning this now...I mus look for

the Tylenol cold medicine....and kleenex. Hmmmm...don't have any kleenex! kitchen

paper towels will have to do!

Aaaaaaachiiiiiiissssssssss!!

Sniff, sniff.... alright....cough...cough...bring to a boil...and cover

with...WHERE IS MY FREAKING LID!! The sauce is splattering out of

control!!

OH....noooooooooooooooo....nooooooooooooooo!!

I can't take this!! I have to look away!!!

GASP!! This view is even worse...I don't know...How did this

happen? I am so organized!! What do I see over there? A carton of eggs? How did

they get there. Excuse me...I am taking a moment to put these eggs away...

COUGH....COUGH...

SPLAT....SPLAT....

Why did I get out of bed today?

Let me take a deep breath and continue...Add some oregano, and a couple

of bay leafs, stir once in a while ...you don't want this sauce sticking to the pan.

And now...my favorite part ...tasting it! Let's see...I am now bringing

the spoon toward my mouth...

AAAAACHIIIIIIIISSSS!!!

COUGH....COUGH!!

THIS IS IT!!! My pretty socks ruined!!

No more! No more! I am setting my spoon down! I need a

break...I will let the stew simmer, as I simmer in an

eucalytus bath...

A couple of hours later...

After my bath, I walked into the kitchen from h**l, to check on

the stew...avoiding all eye contact with the splatters, of course...

It looked delicious, and I needed to eat!!

After all, don't they say:

Feed a cold...starve a fever?

HOW COLD WAS IT?

Oh, and I had a special steak dinner for Pepe one night. They were supposed to grilled,

but the weather turned shockingly cold, that in a pan they went...

I cooked some potatoes....

fresh asparragus....



and portabello mushrooms to go with the steaks...

And if you are wondering how cold could it have been for us not to grill outside...

WELL...let me show you...

Yeah, it was that cold....ask SUPERSTAR ALONSO if you don't believe me!

Have I told you that since Sandra moved, Alonso, has been quietly sneaking things out

of my house? I guess Mommy needs some kitchen utensils....

IT'S HOT OUTSIDE!

By the end of the week the temperatures very high. Alonso, being the little boy that

he is, wanted to be outside. I didn't think it was a good idea... unless he could be cooling

off in a swimming pool, which I didn't have for him yet. (Hey, we are in May!)

Then, Yaya, had an idea.... and it worked!

Alonso thought it was the grandest pool!!

MY LANDSCAPER...

In my quest to save time and... sweat,

I finally decided to hire a landscaper.

Although I had agreed to pay him a fortune in cookies,

he quickly started goofing off...

and sat down to play with his hotwheels! You just can't find good help these days!!

Ummm... Anyone out there knows of a more mature landscaper?

WATER MY PLANTS... PLEASE!

Well, it's been hot, hot, hot around Auburn...

and my plants needed watering

So, I figured my landscaper could do that,

while I am weeding close by...

He is a great young man, I've had him around for about three years....

But, with him I have to keep an eye out...

You see, he gets distracted easily.

However, one good "EXCUSE ME?" and he gets right back to work. That's why I don't fire him.

Well, that.... and... he's just too cute!!

********************************

TOO MANY COOKS AND ONE CHICKEN.

Reblog (0)

11/17/2010

TOO MANY COOKS AND ONE CHICKEN. A DYNAMIC RECIPE.

Apathetic, boring, dull, and passive. Hmmm...certainly none of these

words describe my family. The Aragons, are energetic, always fun, bright,

and very, very, DYNAMIC!!

Join these energetic characters as they cook up some fun!

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

My father, Gabriel Aragon, is the one in the center.

Cuba, 1947. Three brothers, Gabriel, Alfonso, and Emilio, arrive in the

island. These young Spanish comedians had a contract for 6 months at the local

television station in La Habana. Their show was such a success, and were

so loved by the Cuban people, they stayed 13 years...and who knows...they

would have stayed longer if it was not for Fidel Castro taking over the Island.

That was the "true story"...the rest was inspired by their insane descendants!

But, let's go back in time! Before Fidel Castro...ruined everything... for everyone.

These fun loving Spaniards, the Aragons, and their families soon adapted to the

warm climate, the friendly people, and the Cuban culture...

They were a very large family, with an even larger appetite for good food. The

women loved to cook, and although they felt passionate about Spanish food,

they also loved the delicious Cuban gastronomy.

One day, Monica Aragon, had friends coming over for dinner. She knew she

wanted to serve chicken. After all...who doesn't like chicken? But...she didn't

know if to cook it with Spanish flavors...or Cuban.

She looked in her pantry. Hmmmm....she had potatoes, onions, garlic, green

pepper, bay leaves, celery, raisins, and Spanish olives. Could she actually

use all those ingredients? Nah, olives and raisins, didn't sound too good.

She decided to make baked chicken the Spanish way, Cuban white rice, and

plantains. Perfect! A little of both countries!

She took the chicken, sprinkled sat and pepper all over, and was about to

rub it with garlic, when she heard someone at the door. She went to see who

it was.When she opened the door, she said to herself, Oh, not the milkman. It's

going to take forever, he tries to sell me more than milk always! Meantime...

her Aunt Maribel, came into the kitchen through the back door...

"Ay chica, I zee many ingredientz...it muzt be a stew. I will surprize herr", and

startz it fur herr!". She cut the chicken, added salt and pepper, browned it in olive

oil, and when she was ready to add the garlic...she remembered she had a lunch

date with, Ricky Ricardo, a young, handsome and very popular, conga player. She

left in a hurry.

Monica, finally got away from the milk man, who tried also selling her papayas,

eggs, spare tires for her car, and a pig! She shut the door, the phone rang. It was

her mother. As she spoke to her, Mayte, her sister, came down the stairs, said

"Hola!", and headed to the kitchen. Monica covering the phone with one hand, said

in an alarmed tone, " Mom says dad is acting like a clown and wants to join

a circus!!! Mayte, please, add the pepper, the onions, and the garlic, to the

roasting pan and put the chicken in the oven, please!! We got company tonight!"

She continued calming her mother....

Mayte, was looking at the browned chicken in the pan. Why did her sister

ask her to put in the over? Suddenly, her boyfriend, a handsome, young, Cuban

actor, Andy Garcia, popped his head through the kitchen's window, and said to

Mayte with a sexy voice, "Hola baby, You know...the day is as beautiful as you...

want to come with me to the beach?". She responded giggling, "Yes, mi amor,

give me a minute, and I will be right out!"

Mayte had to rush! She put the onion, 1/2 the green pepper, and 2 cloves

of garlic in the blender for a few seconds, poured the mix in the pan, with

the chicken, stirred it around in a hurry in medium heat. She heard Andy

whistle. Gosh, it was the chicken, or Andy. She choose Andy. Turning the heat

off, and setting the pan aside, she then proceeded to run out of the kitchen,

skip happily to his car, and hop in the passenger's seat.

By the time Monica finished talking to her mom, she had a headache. She

remembered she was out of aspirin, so she went to her next door neighbor,

Maria, to see if she had any. Maria, who was the neighborhood gossiper,

insisted she come in for "a moment". Meanwhile, Aunt Cary, who was going

through a break up, and had been drinking many ...many ... many...Mojitos,

dropped by Monica's for a visit....

The front door was unlocked. Cary, pushed the door wide open with one hand,

while holding a Mojito in the other. Walking in zig zag, she entered the quiet

living room, laughed histerically....then, called out at the top of her lungs,

"Moni...ca...hic...Moni...hic...caaaaaaaaa! Werrr, ar..hic...uuuuuu? Hmmmm...

hic...plobba...hic...bly in der kit..hic..chennnn", and she stumbled into the

empty kitchen. She saw the pan, and said..."Que es esto? Chic..hic..ken?

Poor...hic...lonely...hic..zing! She looked around with crazy eyes, and with

a big smile, added to the pan, while singing "Guantanamera", everything in sight...

olives, raisins, celery, carrots, went in the pan!!

She saw spices in little jars. " Now,my little chick..hic...ennn, you willll, you willll...

beee delectalabable!" and she added oregano, cumin, and a couple of bay leaves.

Dizzy..she sat on a chair and fell asleep with her head tilted back, her arms

dangling, and her legs opened wide.

Monica, who returned home with an even worse headache, from Maria's gossiping,

went directly to the kitchen for a glass of water to take her hard earned aspirins...

She opened the door, screamed and nearly fainted at the sight of her Aunt!!

Cary, opened her big, blue eyes, and said with a creepy smile, "Moni..hic..caaaa!".

She fell instantely asleep again.

Monica dragged an open legged Aunt Cary, as she could, toward the living room.

There was a knock at the door. Out of breath she said,"Whhh...whh...hoo is it?".

A voice replied, "Your cousin Mayra!". Monica, asked her to come in..."Help! Help

me with Aunt Cary, let's take her upstairs,please! Mayra agreed. One grabbed

her legs, the other, the hands, and slowly, clumsily, dragged her upstairs.

Getting Cary in bed, was no easy chore either...Monica, called Cary's sister, Juani,

to come pick her up.

Meantime...cousin Ana, came in the house. She smelled the aroma coming from

the kitchen. Food was her passion....immediately, she forgot what she was

there for. Straight to the kitchen she went! Ana, saw the pan with the chicken on

the stove, and thought...

Well, that chicken looks dry!! Something is missing. Aaahhh, no color! She added

1/2 a cup of tomato sauce, a good splash of white wine, and about 3/4 cup

water. Ana, brought everything to a boil... waited a couple of minutes, then...

lowered the heat, so it would slowly simmer.

The back kitchen door opened once more. Nela, Monica's sister, had brought some

orange juice Monica asked her for earlier that day. They both said, "Hola! Cousin!"

and hugged.

Wondering where Monica was, they went on her search, finding her upstairs with

Mayra, and an opened legged Aunt Cary on the bed. Monica proceded to tell

them what had happened.

Downstairs...Aunt Juani, came in to see what was going on with her sister.

She called out, "Girls, I am here". From upstairs, Ana replied, "Aunt Juani, check

that chicken in the kitchen, before you come up, please!" Juani, did just that. But,

she thought it needed something else...so, she added a couple of potatoes cut

in chunks. Stews should have potatoes! Looking good, she thought, and

went upstairs. Monica asked, "Is the chicken baked? Is it looking good?"

"Baked chicken?". They all cried out, even Cary...hic!!

Monica, wanted to add a touch of her own...after all, everyone else

did! She added green peas. The chicken with white, and fried plantains

wasa success that evening!

Was that a DYNAMIC recipe or what!!