Y que mi gente! Thanks for being patient while I got it together again to write. I started writing a completely different post this morning, but halfway down, I decided to look at the corresponding picture and realized it was crappy. Major shux because it’s a great little party hors d’oeuvre to serve and a great story about my dad. I saved it until I make it again and take a better picture.
That’s what happens when you’ve got a group of 28 hungry execs waiting to eat what was promised for their conference. Next time, they’ll just have to wait until I’m ready to serve.
So I had to think of something else to write about. Something I already had a picture of since I’ve done no personal cooking this week. Two, 3 hour cooking classes on the same day leaves no time for pretty pics and certainly no home eating, thus the taco hell drive by thrice already.
I’ve not talked much about it before, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with showing you a raw picture of one of the dishes from my cookbook!
For those of you working on a book, you know it’s not an easy feat. The styling is a biotch! The patience is a mother and the photographer can be a right out monster. Especially when you’re not paying him!
Love you Dave!
This particular shot was taken in September and took over 2.5 hours. I was so done with the darn beans I could have smashed and smothered them all over the camera lens. Would not have been nice, but damn, how uncooperative can a few chickpeas be!?!?
While my great friend Michelle and I were styling the set, Dave was achieving magic with the lighting and my mom was doing the cooking. That’s the only real way to get this done. Kudos to you that do it all. Well, to my credit, most times it’s just me and Dave. The assistance is so crucial and I’ll cheerfully take it everytime.
Oh and since I do not use food tricks to make food look “fake”, it takes us a bit longer to make it all work. No glue or milk or boiled eggs under the beans or any of those things the pro’s use… We do want to eat our food, after all!
Okay so this classic potaje de garbanzo (chick peas) recipe that will be in the book calls for chorizo, or Spanish sausage, something you should know I don’t eat. But in order to really give Cuban food it’s glory (and unbeknownst to me) my mom threw a piece of chorizo in the pot, though I begged her not to. Not for pictures’ sake, but rather b/c I wanted to eat some expo facto.
Whatever, it’s her kitchen, so the sausage made it in which gave the garbanzos a really nice aroma while we were shooting. There are 6 or so beans we cook all the time, and I would have to say this is my 2nd favorite, with splitpeas being number uno. Love those little green things. The trick to cooking garbanzos is making them in the pressure cooker! Of course the pressure cooker! Have any of you ever made chick peas in the lost art utensil? If not, you should definitely try. You know these beans are really hard and require tenderizing. The pressure cooker (with a little bit of manual mashing) gets them to the point you want them.
Cooked in about 45 minutes, these bad boys make me happy. Not as happy as the new pair of pumps Dave bought me for my b-day (pictured under Style Paella over to the right), but good for any beautiful cold, fall day. I also make this potaje with tripe! ABSOLUTELY DELISH!
Since I can’t share the “to be published” recipe of these utter goodness, hearty and ultra healthy beans, I’ll gladly share with you a quickie of sorts. This version omits some of the seasoning and added ingredients. There are benefits tho: no soaking, no fear of pressure cooking, no manual mashing of beans & less cooking time than dry, uncooked beans). Buy a can or two of Goya chickpeas, make a sofrito (refer to one of the “related posts” below for making sofrito) and cook them for about 20 minutes in a regular pot. I promise you’ll like them! Porsupuesto the full out recipe is the preferred cooking method and desired result. But we’re in a time crunch right, with it being the Holidays and all?? Canned beans might just become your new friend! Plus I suspect most of you don’t own a pressure cooker, yet!? 
So the shoot was done, and Dave and my cuz ate the beans (and dad for dinner). Michelle and I moved on to the next recipe which was arroz con pollo… another pain in the butt dish to style! But at least she and I did eat that one!
**SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PICTURE?!!?**
GARBANZO CON CHORIZO
Ingredients:
- 2 cans Goya chickpeas
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp. canola oil
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small Spanish onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp. salt (or to taste)
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 chorizo
Instructions:
Add 4 cups of water, chickpeas, salt and bay leaf to medium pot. Cover and cook on medium/high heat for about 10 minutes. While garbanzos are cooking, make sofrito with the canola oil, using all vegetables and all seasonings. Add sofrito and chorizo to chickpeas. Stir well. Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes on medium-high. Uncover and add olive oil. Stir. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with white rice.
Serves 6-10.
*RELATED POSTS*
The Moors & Christians Eat Bacalao
A Lesson in Pressure Cooking & Some Food Too
Dinner Party Follow Up & Carne Con Papa
Hi, I’m a Cuban girl named Bren! My friends call me B. And Chelsea is my alter-ego. I cook, sing, and freelance travel write, professionally. I’m a single gal living in Atlanta for the time being. I’m a soulful chick. I have a passion for all things food. I like to say I’m good ass cook, especially with the pressure cooker! I was raised in a very traditional Latin home, which meant everything happened(s) in the kitchen, literally! story-telling, crying, partying, fighting…oh yeah and cooking!
November 13th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
My grandmother makes some awesome “Potaje de Garbonzos” her Potajes “levantan muertos y son de toda la vida jaja” here is grandmother’s version of regular “Potaje de Garbonzo” and the chorizo’s are essential (heck pork in Cuban cooking has it’s place)
http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2008/08/potaje-de-garbanzos-garbanzo-stew.html
We also make a “Potaje de Garbanzos Con Pata de Puerco” this leans more to Catalan Cuisine (the pork feet paired with chickpeas) check it out:
http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2008/07/potaje-de-garbansos-con-patas-de-puerco.html
November 13th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Girl, that picture is perfect! Definitely worth all the hard work and hours put into your shoot! Can’t wait for this cookbook…
November 13th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I love the picture! The bowl is really unusual and imparts an earthy feel to the dish, I am really craving some chickpea relish right now!
November 13th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I don’t think I’ve seen chickpeas look so vibrant and delicious. I love the contrast of the green speckled bowl against the orange/rusty color of the chickpeas and the wood table. Beautiful picture indeed…especially for all of the work that you say you went through. It’s all worth it!
November 13th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Sorry, Bren, but you must have chorizo in this dish. It’s been a staple in my family my whole life - simply done by cooking down chorizo, garbanzos and oregano till they become a potaje. I added it to rice for one of my posts.
<http://foodalogue.blogspot.com/search/label/Spanish%20tapas> P.S. The photo is spot-on.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Hey Girl, Hope that you are feeling mush better. That is such a beautiful pic. everything, including the vessel itself. I love garbonzo beans so I’ll give this a try sometime.
November 16th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Beautiful shot. I couldn’t even imagine it without the chorizo.
November 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
LOVE that first pic!!!
November 17th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Eh, the pic is ok, I think it needs more rear lighting and a heavier top shadow. Kidding, it looks delicious =)
November 17th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I just wanted to let you know that I love you chorizo & garbanzo dish! It is a hyper yummy combination. I very much like chorizo and chickpeas! Tasty!
November 19th, 2008 at 8:34 am
I love the first picture and I would love to have a bowl of this right now, and it is early in the morning. Just wonderful!
November 20th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Oh my Gah! just what I need on a wintery night with temperatures in the mid 30s, and a windchill factor that makes it feel in the teens.
Loved your garbanzos con chorizo. I’m up for more any time, baby. (Problem is, the presentation is so elegant, you want to preserve it almost as a piece of art instead of gulping it down. Just kidding … not a chance!
November 20th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I am so not a fan of beans, but the presentation is very beautiful. Okay, I’d eat the chorizo and leave the beans. For a little more cheating, can I use the Goya sofrito? :)
November 20th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hey girl! Love the photo. But I’d have to agree with your mom and eat the chorizo.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:15 am
Photographing food is not as easy as you’d think. Sometimes it’s best to fake certain elements. I like it. When is the book coming out? I want a copy!
November 21st, 2008 at 11:59 am
I can’t wait to make this. The photo makes you want to try it. Being new to Cuban food and being very dissatisfied with so called Cuban restaurant food, I anxiously await your book, too. And I love that you and you photographer are committed to NOT using fake props and tricks…then you would have to waste that gorgeous food.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 am
Hey Bren, I think I am going to add this to my Thanksgiving menu as an appetizer. Wish me luck!
November 25th, 2008 at 8:03 am
That looks tasty! I like nice and simple bean dishes and the chorizo would add tons of flavour.
November 30th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Made this recipe last night and it was a huge hit. Will be enjoying it again this week as it made quite a bit. Keep those great recipes coming!
November 30th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
This recipe sounds delicious! I’ll definetely try it. Thank you for sharing.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
A classic that never goes out of flavor!
December 13th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Wow that looks great! I’ve bee looking for an alternative to my usual chana masalas and hummus dips.
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