Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (6 page)
Read Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers Online
Authors: Terry Hope Romero
This list includes essential vegetables and fruits that you can find in most any grocery stores (tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers, for instance) and specialty items that require a trip to the Latin market or a supermarket that services a Latin community.
Fresh Latin
chile peppers
can vary greatly by region, especially in North America.
Jalapeño
and
serrano
are safe bets and have become almost commonplace in most supermarkets. Those living in the American West and Southwest will probably be the lucky ducks and have some of the best selection of fresh chiles outside of Central and South America, so make me proud and try every kind of chile you chance upon. Fiery
habaneros
are popping up in supermarkets with greater frequency, and the mild and deliciously stuffable
poblano
and
Anaheim
appear increasingly at farmers’ markets and sometimes Whole Foods.
chile peppers
can vary greatly by region, especially in North America.
Jalapeño
and
serrano
are safe bets and have become almost commonplace in most supermarkets. Those living in the American West and Southwest will probably be the lucky ducks and have some of the best selection of fresh chiles outside of Central and South America, so make me proud and try every kind of chile you chance upon. Fiery
habaneros
are popping up in supermarkets with greater frequency, and the mild and deliciously stuffable
poblano
and
Anaheim
appear increasingly at farmers’ markets and sometimes Whole Foods.
Probably the most familiar to Norte Americans, Mexican chiles such as the jalapeño and the serrano have been workhorses in the quest to take over gringo palates. Anaheim chiles are the large bright green chiles with a mild kick that you’ll often find in lots of Mexican-style dishes in restaurants and are great for grilling and stuffing. Poblanos are the blocky, large dark green (or bright red when ripe) chiles that usually star in chiles rellenos, but are great also roasted, sliced, and added to stews, soups, tamales, casseroles, and anything Mexican. Habaneros are now famous (and rightly so) for their fabulously high Scoville rating (Scovilles measure peppers’ heat, with bell peppers at zero and habaneros at 100,000
escovilles
!) but also for the tropical fruity flavor they impart to foods.
escovilles
!) but also for the tropical fruity flavor they impart to foods.
Cilantro
was once unknown outside of Latin and Asian cuisines, but now can be found almost everywhere. If you don’t like cilantro’s aromatic and slightly “soapy” taste, you may substitute flat-leaf parsley for color, but the flavor will not be the same. Don’t bother with dried cilantro; it’s tasteless and therefore useless. Save your money and buy an extra bottle of good Greek oregano, Mexican oregano, or extra ground cumin!
was once unknown outside of Latin and Asian cuisines, but now can be found almost everywhere. If you don’t like cilantro’s aromatic and slightly “soapy” taste, you may substitute flat-leaf parsley for color, but the flavor will not be the same. Don’t bother with dried cilantro; it’s tasteless and therefore useless. Save your money and buy an extra bottle of good Greek oregano, Mexican oregano, or extra ground cumin!
Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
is used in parts of South America, especially where the cuisine has strong European or Italian influences. It’s essential for chimichurri sauce and is also a visual substitute for cilantro, when serving dishes to people who don’t like cilantro.
is used in parts of South America, especially where the cuisine has strong European or Italian influences. It’s essential for chimichurri sauce and is also a visual substitute for cilantro, when serving dishes to people who don’t like cilantro.
Plantains
look like large green monster bananas but are far more versatile, ranging from starchy to sweet, for a wide range of texture and flavor. Buy green plantains if that’s what your recipe calls for, or if you don’t need ripe plantains for at least 3 days. Unlike the familiar banana, it may take up to a week or more for a green plantain to get truly ripe. Plantains can be found usually stocked with Latin American produce, often in big bins. If you’re lucky, your grocery may have separate bins of both green and ripe plantains.
look like large green monster bananas but are far more versatile, ranging from starchy to sweet, for a wide range of texture and flavor. Buy green plantains if that’s what your recipe calls for, or if you don’t need ripe plantains for at least 3 days. Unlike the familiar banana, it may take up to a week or more for a green plantain to get truly ripe. Plantains can be found usually stocked with Latin American produce, often in big bins. If you’re lucky, your grocery may have separate bins of both green and ripe plantains.
Yuca
(also known as
cassava
or
manioc
) is a large, starchy tropical tuber eaten in many parts of the world and an important food source in many areas of tropical Latin America. It looks like a long, thick yam with white flesh and dark brown, barklike skin, often covered with wax to keep in moisture. Yuca has an ultrastarchy consistency with a somewhat creamy texture. The flesh has lots of fiber and its nutty, light sweetness is well suited for frying, mashing, or just boiling. Yuca must always be boiled before a second cooking, such as frying. Look for it in supermarkets where root vegetables or Latin produce is displayed. You can also find in the frozen aisle prepeeled, frozen chunks of yuca that are very convenient to use.
(also known as
cassava
or
manioc
) is a large, starchy tropical tuber eaten in many parts of the world and an important food source in many areas of tropical Latin America. It looks like a long, thick yam with white flesh and dark brown, barklike skin, often covered with wax to keep in moisture. Yuca has an ultrastarchy consistency with a somewhat creamy texture. The flesh has lots of fiber and its nutty, light sweetness is well suited for frying, mashing, or just boiling. Yuca must always be boiled before a second cooking, such as frying. Look for it in supermarkets where root vegetables or Latin produce is displayed. You can also find in the frozen aisle prepeeled, frozen chunks of yuca that are very convenient to use.
Fresh Herbs to Watch ForI
f you’re lucky and have access to a farmers’ market that services a sizable Latin American community, then maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to source interesting fresh herbs that rarely are seen outside of home-cooked meals.Culantro
(also called
recao
or
Mexican
/
wild coriander
): Not to be confused with cilantro, tropical-growing culantro is far less widely known and also used in some Southeast Asian cuisines in addition to Central and South American cuisines. Look for a tender green herb with long, jagged-edged leaves 1 to 1½ inches wide. It has a flavor similar to cilantro yet is stronger and more pronounced.Verdolaga
, also known as
purslane
, is a favorite of mine. A common weed practically all over the world, it’s popular in soups in Central America and is just too damned nutritious—besides having excellent crunch, with loads of nutrition (Omega-3s galore!)—to pummel with a weed whacker. Try some fresh in salads or in sandwiches or tacos.Papalo
is a leafy herb with rounded wide leaves with a sharp herbal scent a little bit like cilantro’s. Enjoy it fresh as a leafy green tucked into tacos or salads, or layered in a
torta
sandwich.Huazontle
is sometimes referred to as
Mexican broccoli
. A large herb with a substantial flowering head, it’s traditionally cooked in an omelet-like entrée and topped with a light tomato sauce. A vegany way to enjoy this is to lightly blanch the flower buds in salted boiling water, drain, chop, and add to the filling of chiles rellenos (page 142).Occasionally you’ll be able to find fresh
epazote
. It’s quite different from the dried stuff and very pungent. Use in beans and as you would use dried epazote, substituting 1 scant tablespoon of chopped fresh herb for 1 teaspoon of the dried.
Besides yuca, there are other fun tropical tubers to try. A favorite of mine is
ñame
, which has yellow flesh and a sweet, ripe plantainlike aroma.
Batata
is similar to yellow-flesh sweet potatoes.
Yautia
is part of the vast yam family and has a subtle sweetness and starchy texture.
ñame
, which has yellow flesh and a sweet, ripe plantainlike aroma.
Batata
is similar to yellow-flesh sweet potatoes.
Yautia
is part of the vast yam family and has a subtle sweetness and starchy texture.
Yellow
,
white
, and
red onions
are a staple and should always be on your shopping list!
,
white
, and
red onions
are a staple and should always be on your shopping list!
Green
,
red
, and
yellow bell peppers
play an important role in making the
sofrito
recipes in this book. Sweet Italian long green “frying” peppers or pale green tapered Cubanelles are tasty and interesting substitutes for the standard sweet bell pepper; I like to use a few of each when making a big batch of
sofrito
or
sazón
. Large sweet Hungarian red peppers are also nice in place of red bell peppers.
,
red
, and
yellow bell peppers
play an important role in making the
sofrito
recipes in this book. Sweet Italian long green “frying” peppers or pale green tapered Cubanelles are tasty and interesting substitutes for the standard sweet bell pepper; I like to use a few of each when making a big batch of
sofrito
or
sazón
. Large sweet Hungarian red peppers are also nice in place of red bell peppers.
Garlic
and
green onions
are always VIP guests at this Latin cooking party. I invite you to add as much garlic as you require to any recipe, as it’s often a personal thing, keeping in mind if you really go nuts with the garlic, you may have an interesting time getting some people to get personal with. Whatever, you know you’re delicious.
and
green onions
are always VIP guests at this Latin cooking party. I invite you to add as much garlic as you require to any recipe, as it’s often a personal thing, keeping in mind if you really go nuts with the garlic, you may have an interesting time getting some people to get personal with. Whatever, you know you’re delicious.
Always have a bulb (or more) of garlic on hand. Choose bulbs that feel heavy for their size and are very firm. Garlic is old and dried out when the bulb feels light or the skin on the bulbs collapses or releases dust when squeezed.
Green onions add a sharp, fresh oniony flavor to soups, beans, and salsas.
Fresh lime juice
is used over and over, so purchase two or more limes at a time, or invest in a bottle of concentrated lime juice if you don’t want to mess around with squeezing. Lemons can be substituted for limes, if needed. Yummy little Key limes have that special tropical zing that reminds me of the
limóns
of tropical Latin America and taste extra special in Latin drinks, desserts, or vegetables.
is used over and over, so purchase two or more limes at a time, or invest in a bottle of concentrated lime juice if you don’t want to mess around with squeezing. Lemons can be substituted for limes, if needed. Yummy little Key limes have that special tropical zing that reminds me of the
limóns
of tropical Latin America and taste extra special in Latin drinks, desserts, or vegetables.
Avocados
are now enjoyed all over North America. My dad came to America in the late ’60s and recalls when finding an avocado in suburban New England was as likely as tripping over a palm tree . . . luckily, those days are just a memory. Guacamole is a universally loved way to get a dose of this creamy green fruit, but any Latin meal can benefit from a few slices of perfectly ripe
aguacate
.
are now enjoyed all over North America. My dad came to America in the late ’60s and recalls when finding an avocado in suburban New England was as likely as tripping over a palm tree . . . luckily, those days are just a memory. Guacamole is a universally loved way to get a dose of this creamy green fruit, but any Latin meal can benefit from a few slices of perfectly ripe
aguacate
.
Which Avocado?T
he small, pebbly green-black-skinned
Haas avocado
rules the fruit stand in North America. And no wonder—it has a dense and buttery flesh that makes outstanding guac and jazzes up most any meal you can think of. Haas is the one truly all-year-round avocado.Perhaps you’re wondering if there are other challengers out there to Haas’s tasty green reign. Actually, many varieties of avocados are cultivated in North America and Central America, but only a few make it to grocery stores countrywide and most of them are seasonal, providing just a brief but interesting window of avocado opportunity. One place to learn more about this is the California Avocado Board (
www.avocado.org/about/varieties
), quite helpful in figuring out if you’re about to sacrifice to an arepa an avocado with a nonvegan-like name of Bacon or Lamb (Lamb Haas, that is).A sometimes overlooked type of avocado is the large, smooth-skinned variety sometimes referred to as
Caribbean
or
Florida avocado
. Florida avocados are truly tropical fruits (the Haastype avos are somewhat subtropical) and typically are very large, sometimes football shaped, or round with smooth, glossy yellow-green skin. The flesh has a flavor that’s milder and less fatty than the Haas variety, hence the somewhat creepy marketing name “SlimCados.” Enjoy them not as a diet food but, better, as an authentic taste of the islands!
As with beans or plantains, proper use of an avocado requires a little bit of advance planning. Most avocados are sold unripe and require 1 to 3 days to get that perfect “sweet spot” but not so ripe as to become mushy, the flesh streaked with brown veins, or bitter. Unripe avocados will be rock hard and difficult to pierce with a knife . . . don’t rupture the skin of an unripe avocado or it won’t ripen properly, and that’s just sad. And remember, don’t refrigerate avocados, especially unripe avos . . . let them hang out in a bowl to ripen on your kitchen counter until it’s guacamole time.
Epazote
is a Central American herb typically associated with Mexican cooking. It has a unique aroma, with a flavor that reminds me of a combination of oregano and cilantro with hints of tarragon and anise. Dried epazote is a commonly found herb in Mexican markets and is often added to beans (see page 85), but growing epazote in your garden shouldn’t be too hard, as epazote is considered a weed in parts of the country. A little goes a long way.
is a Central American herb typically associated with Mexican cooking. It has a unique aroma, with a flavor that reminds me of a combination of oregano and cilantro with hints of tarragon and anise. Dried epazote is a commonly found herb in Mexican markets and is often added to beans (see page 85), but growing epazote in your garden shouldn’t be too hard, as epazote is considered a weed in parts of the country. A little goes a long way.
Cumin
is an Old World spice that’s essential to the New World Latin cuisines. For Latin foods, a big jar of ground cumin will go far in everything from salads to soups. Cumin imparts a well-rounded savory base particularly well suited for beans and protein-rich seitan dishes.
is an Old World spice that’s essential to the New World Latin cuisines. For Latin foods, a big jar of ground cumin will go far in everything from salads to soups. Cumin imparts a well-rounded savory base particularly well suited for beans and protein-rich seitan dishes.
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