This is my grandmother

All of her grandkids swear they were her favorite and they are right, we all were.

My grandmother, whom we all called Mama Cuca, was the most charismatic, noble, and cherished woman I've ever known. She was as tough as she was sweet.

She was also an excellent cook.

On any given occasion you can catch my family reminiscing about the many delicious meals we had in her home. She made a broad array of mexican dishes, but she also cooked some incredible ribs and made a pot roast with quite possibly the worlds best white gravy.

I lived right next door to her so I got to see her and help her in the kitchen often.

From dicing to slicing to mise en place, she taught me a lot.

My most favorite thing about making a Mama Cuca meal is the aroma that fills up my home. It's the best kind of nostalgia, I wish I could bottle it up!

The Ribs

Mama Cuca always boiled the ribs (in salted water for about 30 minutes) before placing them on a foiled lined tray, she would then mix a generous amount of honey with BBQ sauce and smother the ribs with it following with salt and pepper. Then she would cover the tray and place it in the oven (350 degrees) for 25-30 minutes and then uncover the tray and cook for another 20 minutes, brushing the ribs occasionally with more BBQ sauce.

The reason I didn't add any measurements or detailed directions is that this was the way my grandmother cooked.

No measuring. Ever. She eyeballed everything and everything always tasted the same.

The Red Rice

2 cups of white rice

1 cup of water or chicken broth

1 8 0z. can of tomato sauce

2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

1 tbsp. of Knorr chicken bouillon powder

1/4 of an onion

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add vegetable oil and rice. Stir the rice constantly for about 10 minutes until it's color is a nice light golden brown, add the onion. Next add the water or broth, tomato sauce and bouillon. Stir and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or so.

The Potato Salad

4-5 Russet potatoes

4 eggs

3 celery stalks

1 can of black olives

Best Foods Mayo

Boil the potatoes (whole) in a big pot with 2 tbsp. of salt. You can add the eggs to the same pot, just make sure they are on top. Meanwhile you can chop the celery. Once the potatoes and eggs are ready you can let them drain and cool in a colander in the sink. When the potatoes and eggs are tolerable you will peel them and chop them into uniform pieces. Place the chopped potatoes and eggs into a big bowl and add the mayo, eyeball it:) Mix and then add the remaining ingredients and mix again until everything is evenly coated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Trial and Error:

Butchering a whole chicken

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

The last time I had that thought was when I was in the third grade and decided to get a perm, the problem was I had bangs, I permed my bangs too. For the next 3-6 months I would be called Rick James, a moniker my sisters found amusing to my dismay. I could laugh about it now.

But, I digress...

I remember watching my mom butcher a whole chicken, seemed easy... at the time.

However, once I was halfway into my first butchering experience I had this very clear vision of her

hacking away at the poor bird with brute force, especially when it came to the bones.

I did my research, watched a video on youtube and studied a diagram. I was seriously into this project. The first cut was a breeze, the second was a challenge and by the third I'd had it. I kept thinking about James Franco when I got to that pesky wing, would it take me 127 hours to butcher this chicken? I gave up, no shame whatsoever. I chickened out!

I can honestly say that butchering is not for me, I'll leave it to the pros.

Though it wasn't for me, I am glad to have given it a try because (at least) I had; 1 bone in breast, 1 boneless breast, 1 skinless/boneless thigh and two drumsticks. I don't know what happened to the other thigh or the wings for that matter.

Meat & Potatoes

I couldn't resist sharing this roast. It was delicious!

First, the cut. Personally I prefer chuck or brisket. You can certainly use top round, bottom round or london broil. How you cook it is completely up to you (stovetop, oven or slow cooker), a roast needs a moist heat, because the cuts of meat generally used are not rich in fat so you'll be cooking it for a long time over a low flame for optimum tenderness.

Get ready for a super easy recipe!

3-5 pound lb. chuck or brisket

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 sprig of rosemary

7-8 red bliss potatoes quartered

1 1/2 cups of baby carrots

1 cup of red wine

coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper

It's important to let your meat mellow out a bit before you cook it, so take it out of the fridge and let it sit for about 20 minutes (wrapped) before you do anything else, in fact you can take this time to chop your garlic and potatoes. So when you are ready, set your heat to medium and place your big ol' heavy bottomed pot down on it!

Drizzle 3-4 tbsp. of olive oil and then turn your attention over to your beef. Next, you will salt and pepper

the beef on all sides a good amount, you want to lightly crust it with the salt & pepper. Time to brown (very important!) this is where you get the magnificent taste. Brown all sides of your beef until they are brown and caramelized, oh yummy! Next, add the wine, garlic & rosemary, lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 3 1/2 hours. Make sure to close your pot tightly. Lastly add the carrots and potatoes and let those cook for another 30 minutes or until tender.

Steamed or sauteed green beans are a great side for this dish.

Enjoy!

-E