Food can nourish your soul just as much as your body! And best of all, you don't need to worry about your soul getting a flabby tummy or a second chin! Living the cold English winter, with essay deadlines and endless lists of essential readings, good and familiar food can be the difference between success and psychosis. You're in a strange country, separated from your loved ones by a computer screen, and there's so much work to do! Whatever can you do?? EAT!!! That's what you do back home when you're feeling stressed anyway!! So, do that! Just whip up a nice dish like your mom makes back home.
Then you realize the horrid truth, even though London is the cultural mecca of the Earth, and there's absolutely nothing you can't find in London, finding it can be a pain in the bullock!!! This is particularly true for exotic ingredients, like those coming from the dark and mysterious suburban jungles of Puerto Rico. Oh, you know they're out there. You've heard people talking about them. They say they see them everywhere! But not you. Even when you go to the places people say you can find them, NOTHING!!! What now?! Well, chips will have to do. And cookies, lots and lots of cookies.
And the term goes ever on and on. You eat more cookies and chips. Holidays are coming closer, and the closer they get, the worse the homesickness becomes. It's getting cold, and the cold is not fun anymore. And there's hunger. Not tummy hunger, mind you. There are too many cookies and chips in London for that. It's a hunger of the heart. A hunger of the soul which no amount of pastries can ever satisfy. It just sits there at the pit of your stomach, and every bite of food reminds you of that emptiness.
Then it happens, just as most incredible things always happen, by surprise. All that time you spent pinning, feeling the rift between your home and your palate growing larger, one of your new friends was watching and listening. She knew of the agony in your taste buds. So out of the goodness of her heart, she brings you the key to your delivery. Plantains!! The epitome of Puerto Rican cuisine! The flavor of Puerto Rico! What lies in the center of every Puerto Rican's heart! So, after smothering your friend with kisses and blessings, you run off to cook.
Now the difficult part. What to do with the plantains? They're possibly one of the most __ ingredients on the planet. You can do anything with them! Boil them? Bake them? Fry them? Frying it is! But how? Even that has so many possibilities! Tostones? Amarillitos? Arañitas? I decide to challenge myself, and cook them in a way I've never done myself before. Canoa (canoe)! Here's the result:
And I must say, it was one of the best canoas I've ever had! It's strange how a simple dish can give you so much renewed vigor and peace of mind. It does not only feed your body, but your heart as well. My advice to anyone who has moved to a new country and is feeling that heartache for the homeland, FOOD HELPS!! Make yourself a nice familiar dish. If you can't find the ingredients, create a network! Let your friends and co-workers know what you're looking for, and ask them to let you know if they ever see it. You'll be enjoying some proper food in no time!
Canoa (Canoe)
Ripe plantain
Ground meat
Seasoning
Garlic
Salt
Olive Oil
Cheese (your favorite)
Preheat a pan on medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and garlic.
Season the meat to your liking. Cook meat on the pan.
Preheat another pan with olive oil. Enough oil for half of the plantain to be submerged.
Peel the plantains and cut a wedge all along the curve. Like a canoe. This is where the meat will go.
Season the plantain and place in oil once it's hot. Cook on medium heat until the underside begins to brown a little, then flip and cook the other side.
Once it's done, remove the plantain from the pan and place on a plate with paper towels to absorb as much as the remaining oil as possible.
Make plantain lie flat with wedge on top. Pile meat along the wedge and add some cheese over it. Put it in the oven until the cheese melts and enjoy!!
