Thursday, December 31, 2009

Chocolate caliente (Hot cocoa) Abuela Elia recipe




It is winter and cold and a nice taza de chocolate caliente (hot cocoa) is always good to warm the soul : )
I remember my Abuelita used to make chocolate in the few cold nights that we had in my country. It was different and creamy. I don't like instant chocolate, so we will use powder chocolate, anything good in powder, I am not giving you exact amounts, but we said al ojo, it means, by eye. This serves 4 friends.


Warm the 4 cups of milk (any milk that you want), do not boil.
In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of water and the 4 spoons of chocolate.
In another small bowl mix 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 big spoon of corn starch (this is the big secret ;).

Add the chocolate mix to the pan of milk and continue to heat for 3 minutes.
Add brown sugar (sweeten to taste) and a pinch of salt.
Add the corn starch mix and stir for couples of minutes or until is well mixed.
Add 1 teaspoon of butter and let it simmer for 3 minutes (Don't go away from the pan you will regret that)

It will get hot, so let it rest for 5 minutes before you serve it. that will allow the cocoa to cool down also you will keep you mouth skin. Serve and add some cinnamon if you like it otherwise fluff, is very riquisimo.


Photos by Jose Mendoza

Potatoes Salad (Abuela Elia) Venezuela



Potatoes are something that is cheap and easy to cook, I am expending sometime is West Virginia for New Years, and I decided just to take some of the potatoes left from yesterday mush potatoes and make a Ensalada de papas (Potatoes salad)

8 big potatoes (Piled and in small cubes)
1 small carrot (piled and in small cubes)1/2 of a small onion, (tinny chopped)
Green onion (just a chopped full hand for decoration)
Rosemary Fresh (3 branches, tinny chopped)
Parsley a hand full choppedAlso:
half a cup of Mayonnaise
half a cup of muster
1 cup of apple vinegar or any other clear vinegar
1 spoon of sesame seed
2 spoon of black pepper
5 spoon of olive oil
salt as much as you like :)


Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, in you cut it in small piece will be faster, when the potatoes start to cook on the outside, add the carrot in the same water, that way you safe some energy, everything boiled for 15 minutes.
As everything is boiling, take a deep bowl and mix the mayonnaise, muster and the vinegar and oil, mixed everything very well and add the other ingredients, until everything look like a nice cream.

when you finished, take the potatoes and carrots away and drained them, be nice, remember potatoes can get mush if you manipulated them to much, place it in a bowl and add the creamy sauce on top and mixed everything very carefully.
Make someone be your Guinea pig, remember that sometimes when you cook the flavor is not the same.
After that, decorated with some round green onions, and is ready (listo) my recommendation in to let it seat for 3 hours so the flavors can mixed, but is up to you. Some people add some raisins or apple just for a sweet flavor.
hope you can enjoy it...