Last week, I met with my students for the second session of Mucho Gusto: Cuban Cuisine. The class I am teaching about my “Nuevo Cuban cuisine” (a healthier take on traditional Latin recipes) at our local Adult and Community Education program. Once again, we had a good session and a great time. I love my students and the class. This session we focused on more of the basics of Cuban cuisine and prepared several recipes.

As it was a very cool night, we got started with a little hot chocolate.

¡Delicioso! Nothing warms you up like hot chocolate; it always conjures up happy childhood memories for me. And, seeing the chocolatey-marshmallowey mustaches on the faces of adults makes me smile.

After quickly reviewing what we learned last week and hearing students stories about their culinary adventures since our last meeting, we went to work.

We began by making the desserts (mango mousse and key lime pie) we would enjoy at the end of the meal, as both needed time to chill and set up in the refrigerator after preparation.

Next, we made a sofrtito; what I consider the “corazon y alma” (heart and soul) of Cuban cooking. Nearly every savory Cuban dish begins with the sofrito ( a sauté of olive oil, onion, green pepper and garlic seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano). The sofrito became the base for the picadillo (Cuban-style ground beef hash) that would be our entrée. And, then we pulled together a delicious and healthy pasta with grilled vegetables dish that complemented and completed our meal.

As we enjoyed fruits of our labors in the kitchen, we discussed Cuban culture – focusing on the significant contributions of Cuban artists, musicians, dancers, writers and others to our collective cultural experience.

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting a brunch at our house for Fenway Community Health’s Diversity Committee.  I love working with the Fenway.  The staff is great and lots of fun.  I’ve done lots of catering and Personal Chef jobs for them over the years, and I always enjoy meeting and getting acquainted with the people associated with the organization.  The Fenway is an exciting and dynamic organization that does not see or set limits on how it can contribute to the overall health of the larger community both locally and nationally.

The health center does incredible work.  They are a special jewel in Boston’s healthcare community, providing high quality comprehensive healthcare in a warm and welcoming environment to a very diverse population living and working in the city and beyond.  Fenway takes a special interest in LGBT health matters and has become a respected, national authority on delivery of healthcare to this often underserved group.

Its research arm, The Fenway Institute, published the first medical textbook focused on LGBT people.  A recognized leader in HIV/AIDS education, prevention, treatment and research since the beginning, the Institute operates the nation’s first community-based HIV research program, which has been conducting long-term epidemiological research since 1985.

To learn more about the important work Fenway Health, check out their website
http://www.fenwayhealth.org/site/PageServer

The brunch went well, and I think everyone enjoyed the meal.  I made two giant tortillas (Spanish-style omelets), a vegetarian one featuring sweet plantains and potatoes and one with ham and chorizo.  I also made torrejas (Cuban-style French toast) with homemade syrup.  In addition, one of the participants brought the perfect compliment to these dishes — a fruit plate with a delicious dipping sauce.   These dishes all worked really great for this working brunch.  As each of the items is as delicious cold as it is hot, it is perfect for a stationery buffet that guests can partake of at their leisure.

Last night I did my first Cuban cooking class at our local Adult Education program.  It was sold out!  Sixteen students was a lot of people, but they were great!  They are an interesting, fun and diverse group.  And, they seemed to have good chemistry with each other.

What’s always most interesting for me when a group of strangers come together for a shared experience like this, are there reasons for being there … experienced home chefs interested in adding some new dishes and different approaches to their repertoire, new cooks who want to hone their skills and are attracted to the unique flavors and exotic ingredients in the cuisine, couples who are out together to learn something more about a shared passion, spouses of Cubans, who like me, have developed a special fondness for the cuisine, friends just out to enjoy a special fun time together doing something a little different and people who simply have an interest in Cuba and her people and who hunger for more knowledge about them because we’re such close neighbors who’ve had a very difficult relationship with each other for the last fifty years.

We got acquainted over Cafe Cubano (Cuban Coffee) and Ponche de Frutas Tropicles (Tropical Fruit Punch), and after discussing some of our long and complicated shared American history with Cuba, we made dinner — frijoles negro (black beans), arroz blanco (white rice), moros y cristianos (rice and beans cooked together), tostones (twice fried green plantain rounds), mariquitas (plantain chips) and maduros (fried sweet plantains).  Our dessert was ensalada de frutas tropicales (tropical fruit salad).  A recipe for our vegetarian black beans from my cookbook, “To Cook is To Love”,  is outlined below.  Buen Provecho!

Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)

These black beans are vegetarian.  That’s a little unusual for Cuban black beans, but I think you’ll agree that they’re delicious and they are much healthier for us.

Serves:  10

• 1 pound dry black turtle beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 large green pepper (cored, seeded & coarsely chopped)
• 1 large onion (peeled & coarsely chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dry leaf oregano (crushed)
• 2 bay leaves

1. Place beans in colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water, removing any small stones or bits of soil that may have eluded the packer.
2. Transfer beans to a large pot, cover with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
3. When ready to cook, add a little more water if needed to cover.  Do not rinse or drain the liquid.
4. Add remaining ingredients.
5. Cover the pot and bring to a boil on top of the stove.
6. Lower the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.
7. Mash garlic cloves and some of the beans against the sides of the pot to thicken the liquid.
8. Remove cover and continue cooking slowly until the liquid is reduced and has the consistency of gravy.
9. Stir frequently to prevent beans from sticking and scorching.
10. Before serving remove bay leaves, adjust seasonings and add a little more olive oil if desired.
11. Transfer to serving bowl.
12. Garnish with a bit of finely chopped red onion and chopped fresh parsley

Note, these beans are cooked in the water they soaked in.  This is what gives Cuban black beans their deep blue-black color.  Many recipes and package directions suggest you drain the beans after soaking and cook them in fresh water as this is supposed to make the beans less “musical.”  It also, however, takes away some of the color and richness of the beans.

VARIATION: Many people like to add meat to their beans – a little salt pork or a ham bone.  You can put in whatever you have on hand for extra flavor.

Rice and beans are an ideal meal for the thoughtful cook on a tight budget.   Together, they constitute a complete protein, and a big plate costs less than fifty cents to make.

HELPFUL HINT: No time to soak the beans overnight?  No problem.  Just bring the beans and water to a boil, cook for two minutes, remove from heat and let stand for one hour.  Then resume the recipe above at step 4.