Redefining Comfort and Happiness

For the foreseeable future I am working in Sunset Park, below historic Green-Wood Cemetery:

I love that I am literally minutes away from my house. In fact, if all public transportation breaks down into complete chaos or total shutdown, I can walk home and be there in about half an hour.

As I vet the job in terms of tasks required, I pre-vetted the location for important things, like food available in the immediate vicinity of the office. This is what I reported to my friends:

- One block away south: pizzeria.
- One block away north: pizzeria (this is Brooklyn!), Latino diner, coffee shop and grill, another Latino coffee shop and grill, (there's also a White Castle, but no!), a deli and one Chinese restaurant.
- Two blocks north: Subway, another Chinese restaurant, Mexican restaurant, two more delis, the Tiki bar, and a cemetery ('cause zombies gotta eat too).

I'm certain that if I expand my search upwards to 36^th Street, the transportation hub for the area, there will be a few more pizzerias, several taquerias, and more Chinese take-out restaurants. 

We have a lot more food alternatives since Ralph Kramden worked in the 'hood. In fact, now that the bus depot is named after Jackie Gleason, it occurs to me that Ralph Krandem was a genius ahead of his time (remember the time he wanted money to start a food truck? Those things are cash cows!!!).

There is a variety of mom-and-pop shops, bodegas (urban corner stores that combine candy story and tiny supermarket in one weird tiny package that includes lots of canned foods and neighborhood gossip), pizzerias, and some fast food alternatives. A few blocks below Chinatown, we do have almost as many Chinese take-out places as any city.

Because there is a growing Central American population, the area is also known for a lot of tiny taquerias and a string of various Mexican restaurants specializing in different local cuisines. The established Latino population—we now take a moment to consider native son Jimmy Smits...

...and we're back, heaving bosom and breathless. As I was saying, the established Latino population tends to be Puerto Rican and Dominican, which gives us such gems as mangú with cheese and eggs for breakfast (a dish of mashed plantains slightly different from the mofongo introduced last time):

One of the American diners, Big John, offers fries with cheddar and bacon (oh yes!):

It is not as varied as my old gig at 16^th Street and Irving Place where we had a delivery area that included the Village, Chelsea, and the Union Square areas (including the French bakery that made chicken pot pies on Wednesday only between Fall into Spring).

On the other hand, we have plenty of comfort food (and there are healthy alternatives too, just not as much fun to talk about). The biggest comfort and the greatest selling point is being so close to our own kitchen and my favorite cook. 

Quality time with Mom trumps a lot of fringe benefits because it is the best benefit of all: Pure sweetness with no calories, plus it's good for you.

One runs the risk of becoming awfully provincial with the temptation never to leave Brooklyn because I have all I need here. 

Bridge to bridge, worst things could happen to a person, I say! 

You have to be dynamic while defining the parameters for happiness and comfort as they meet the reality you inhabit. Brooklyn and Mom are exactly what I need. That combo is pure soul food!

Mofongo in So Many Ways

Image: “Mofongo en el Pilón” by Yolanda Rodriguez, 

to view and buy her artwork, visit her Artist's Page at 

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/faceyoly.html

A few weeks ago, I wrote about plantains and shared ways to shop, prepare and cook them. A very versatile fruit! I even mentioned the plantain's stain as the metaphysical soul of the Puerto Rican, the subject of poetry no less.

We were discussing comfort foods (there was mention of chocolate, cheese, mashed potatoes, and bacon – of course). To Puerto Ricans, whether island-bound, in the mainland or spread across the globe, the mere mention of mofongo is cause for sighs, salivating, and all sorts of warm fuzzies. Dominicans have a similar dish they call mangú and Cubans have a boiled version they call fufu.

Along with asopao (soupy rice), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), and lechón asado (roast pork), mofongo is one of the island's national dishes.

Clearly influenced by its African ancestry, mofongo is a dish composed of fried green plantains. Traditionally, the fried slices are salted, placed in a pilón (a marinaded, wooden mortar) and mashed down.

Some add butter at this stage, I prefer a good virgin olive oil, and garlic. The mofongo is then served with a garlic sauce and generally “stuffed” with chicharrón (crackling) or roast pork (new fusion versions also include shrimp, lobster, and other fried meats, as well as vegetables).

Then, there are several ways to top it, from the aforementioned ajilimójili (garlic sauce) – from broth, pureed seafood, and even spicy black beans.

There is a whole new entity that has entered the arena: trifongo. This culinary sexy beast includes green plantains, ripe plantains, and yucca (cassava).

Trifongo

2 green plantains

1 ripe plantain (yellow)

1 small yucca

oil for browning

salt

Pick yellow, not blackened, ripe plantains or the dish will come out really sweet (dessert sweet).

Peel yucca and cut in quarters. Parboil 5-10 minutes depending on quantity. You want it softened and you can remove the fibrous filaments in the center. (You can do this step ahead of time and refrigerate the yucca.)

You'll take the skin off as instructed earlier, slice and set aside. Some people place the plantain slices in cold, salted water until ready to start (dry before placing in frying pan).

Heat oil, I use enough to cover the bottom of a cast iron pan up to about 1/8^th of an inch (about a quarter cup). Place plantain slices and brown (this takes no more than 3 or 4 minutes per side). Ripe plantains will cook and caramelize faster. Brown separately so that the green retain their savory and the ripe ones retain sweet.

Brown the yucca, also a few minutes each side.

Set aside the cooked ones on paper towel to absorbed extra oil, salt immediately. Place in pilón, mash. Add oil and garlic, or hot sauce, fried meats, to taste. If you do not own a pilón (mortar and pestle), you may use a spoon to smash the plantain and yucca, and a bowl to mix them.

You can serve the monfongo or trifongo in your pilón (that's the traditional way). If you don't want to deal with peeling or cannot find the fresh ingredients, Goya has frozen plantains and yucca. It's convenient, but I cannot vouch for the taste and texture as I have not used these products.

The result is crunchy, creamy, filling, slightly sweet, earthy, sexy, velvety and delicious. If you are not entirely sure you can hack it in your own kitchen, find a restaurant that serves it so you can see it, smell it, taste it, and fall in love with it. Then you can try it. You will not regret it.