I spent most of my free time cleaning today (not that I got very far), so I made two quick things rather than doing something more elaborate with my Sunday.



We also spent part of the day visiting friends for a make-up baby shower. I'm not a fan of store-bought greeting cards (My mom, however, will spend hours in the card aisle finding just the right one), so I put together a quick card for the occasion. I have a stack of cardstock cut to an appropriate greeting card size, so I just grab a sheet of that whenever I need a thank you card, a birthday card or a just-'cause card.



On Saturday, Clark and I had a Valentine's Day lunch in the Strip District and I picked up a stack of Lotería cards from one of the few Latin food shops in Pittsburgh. The card on the front was chosen because Papa-to-be is in a band.

I also picked up a plantain from the same shop. Plantains are a real wonder food. Ripe yellow ones can be baked into sweet maduors and green ones can be sliced thinly into chips (mariquitas) or sliced thickly into tostones.

Tostones are basically squished green plantains. It doesn't sound like a good idea on paper, but they are a marvelous, savory, crispy side dish eaten frequently in Cuban cuisine. First you take a hard, green plantain and peel it (which is a pain in the ass when they aren't ripened). Be careful of the peel because it will leave a black residue on your fingers. However, a good orange peeler will save you some trouble. Slice the plantain into 1 inch cylinders.

Cover the bottom of a pan with olive oil and apply medium-high heat. Drop in the plantain pieces carefully after the oil is hot. Move them with a spatula after a few seconds to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Flip after about 30 seconds. The cooked side should be bright yellow. I also like to roll the plantain pieces around to get the sides cooked.



Let the lightly cooked plantain pieces cool on a paper towel. When they are cool enough to handle place one at a time them between two plates and squish until they're about half an inch thick. Drop each squished plantain back into the oil (adding more if the bottom of the pan is no longer covered). Let them cook until each side is lightly browned around the edges. Serve immediately.

Labels: food, papercraft, projects

posted by Alison 2/15/2009 11:39:00 PM : (0) comments : splink