“Go on then,” Lola said, “But remember, there will always be a place for you at my table.”
¼ pound (1 stick) of butter or margarine at room temperature
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
2 eggs
¼ cup water
½ cup Spiced dark rum
2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Butter to grease pan, confectioners’ sugar for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add honey, eggs, water and rum. Mix well. In another bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour over the creamed mixture and beat until all of the ingredients are combined. Grease an 8 inch round pan and pour in the batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan or on a cooling rack. Sift confectioners’ sugar on the top for decoration.
Serves: 6
Cabrito
Mountain Roast goat
The smoke of the fire wafted and curled around her as though moving to the sound of some mysterious music, it obliterated her at times, and when it momentarily cleared, she appeared more vibrant than before, like a spirit that wasn’t sure if it was coming or going from this world.
The smoke enveloped the family members gathered around as well, and its fragrance circled them one by one, tugging at them, and pulling them in. They walked slowly as though in a trance through the hazy wall that separated them from Lola and the fantastic realm before them.
“You all look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Lola said, chuckling.
“What are you doing Ma?” Gloria asked.
“I told you already,” she replied. “I started a fire for Sebastian, and with it I’m making my little Cabrito. I think he’ll like it very much. It will probably be his favorite, just as it is mine.”
“Abuela,” Jennifer said, concerned that her grandmother had really lost her mind this time. “Sebastian isn’t with us anymore, don’t you remember?”
“Nonsense,” Lola replied with a wave of her hand. “Sebastian is always with us. Now come and help me. You know the rules, if we’re all going to eat, then we all have to work.”
(oven method)
Mountain Roast Goat:
7-10 lbs rump or loin roast (goat)
Cilantro sprigs
Sofrito
2 cloves of garlic bacon strips salt and pepper
Wash and clean mountain goat roast thoroughly; wipe dry with soft cloth. Make small slits all over the roast and insert slivers of garlic and cilantro. Salt and pepper the whole roast. Apply sofrito and bacon all over. Heat oven to 425 degrees. brown roast for 20 mins in hot oven, then reduce the heat to 325 and cook until done, approximately 2 1/2 hours.
(outdoor method)
One young goat, 7 to 12 pounds
3 cups crushed garlic (preferably crushed in a pilon)
1 cup salt
1 cup black pepper
1 cup dried ground oregano
5 cups achiote oil or olive oil
In a large bowl mix together the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and oil. Mix well by hand, and not in a blender so as not to macerate the garlic into pieces that are too small.
Make sure that you or your butcher has thoroughly cleaned and skinned the goat. Rinse the goat with vinegar and water at least three times. Thoroughly cover the goat on all sides with the oil mixture, place in a garbage bag and tie securely. Chill in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Take the goat out of the refrigerator and allow to sit out for 30 minutes or so. Preheat outdoor grill to 350 degrees or medium high heat.
Tie the goat onto the rotisserie using thin wire and roast for approximately 4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees and the meat is tender.
Coconut Flan/ Coconut Custard
Gabi began to stack the dirty dishes while Mando poured himself another glass of wine. Lola went to the counter and started to slice a creamy cake.
“Sebastian and I will be going now,” Gloria announced.
“Aren’t you staying for dessert?” Lola asked. “I made a coconut flan.”
“If the dessert conversation is anything like the dinner conversation, I’m sure I’ll choke on it,” she returned. Appealing to Gabi and Mando one last time she said, “We came here to talk with Ma about her health, and her current living arrangement, and you completely lost your focus. Why don’t you think about that as you continue gorging yourselves.”
“She’s right,” Mando said, turning to Gabi. “We haven’t really addressed the issue have we?”
Gabi took a deep breath, and stood up to get a better look at what her mother was doing in the kitchen. “If that’s for me it’s too big,” she said. “I want a piece half that size. Give that one to Mando.”
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can condensed milk
1 can coconut milk
5 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all of the ingredients together with a blender and pour into a caramelized pan, placing it in a bain marie (a French method that involves placing the pan in a larger pan filled with water. This allows for a gentle cooking perfect for soufflés and custards). Bake for about 50 minutes or until golden. When testing with a knife, the knife should come out clean when it is done. Remove from oven, cool and refrigerate for at least three hours before serving. To remove from pan, run a knife around the edge of the pan to gently loosen the flan and then flip over onto a plate so that the caramel is on top.
Stove top caramel – In a nonstick sauce pan, melt one cup sugar over low heat. Make sure that it doesn’t burn as it only needs to melt and turn slightly golden brown. Immediately pour the caramel into a metal flan pan and swirl covering the entire bottom and sides of the pan. The caramel should be cool before the flan mixture is poured over it.
Serves: 6
“I’ll tell you what heaven is for me. It’s this table right here, and everyone I love and have ever loved sitting around it. We’re enjoying a feast that we’ve made together, and we’re laughing and telling stories, and sometimes we cry a little bit too, but mostly we’re having a wonderful time.”
Samartin Bio
Cecilia Samartin is the award winning author of several novels. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages throughout Europe and Asia and have been on the Norwegian bestseller list for several years. Born in revolutionary Cuba, her family fled the country when she was a child. She grew up in California and studied Psychology and Counseling at UCLA and Santa Clara University. Her writing is largely inspired by her refugee/ immigrant experience in the US, her travels abroad, as well as her work in the Latino community as a mental health provider and social services advocate. She lives and works in the Los Angeles area with her husband and her dog.
To learn more about Cecilia Samartin visit her website at www.ceciliasamartin.com
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