Arroz con pollo and the eternal pursuit of happiness, enlightenment and world peace...

Arroz con pollo/Rice with chicken


History has denied its dues to the Arroz con Pollo. Throughout the centuries this delicious dish has been lingering in the shadow of its most glamorous cousin "the paella".

I love a paella, specially the legitimate ones that I have enjoyed at bona fide
Spanish Restaurants in the Caribbean and even Portuguese (yes that is
right) restaurants in Philly. Anything else out there is just plain fake.

Now, let's be real. How many people can truly bear the cost in ingredients and time in labor that takes to put together a "verdadera" paella?

Enters in the "arroz con pollo". It is culinary
democracy.

Much simpler to concoct and easier in the wallet, this Spanish dish shows that it can be more than a step-brother of the paella. The rice with chicken is a star on its own.

So much so that many Spanish-speaking countries claim it as its own. Truth is that I have never sample two arroz con pollo that tasted or looked the same. The recipes and methods of preparations can varies from country to country and from person to person.

On one hand, that is good for gourmandism because there is more creative
experiences "to explore".

On the other hand, it confuses the habichuelas out of people that want to learn how to prepare it.

There tons of recipes out there. Here is one of them:

Ingredients:

8 Pc Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1 1/4 cup Long-Grain Rice
12 ounces Beer2 Cloves Garlic -- minced
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
14 1/2 ounces Chicken Broth, Canned
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Ground Saffron
20 ounces Frozen Peas
4 ounces Pimiento

Directions:
Rinse chicken; pat dry. In a 12 inch skillet cook chicken uncovered in hot oil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or till brown, turning to brown evenly. Remove chicken. Add uncooked rice to skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat till rice is light brown. Stir in chicken broth, beer, cumin, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, saffron and pepper.

Place chicken on top of the rice mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 to 35 minutes or till rice and chicken are tender. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Stir the peas and pimientos into the rice mixture; heat through. Transfer the rice mixture to a serving bowl. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the rice.

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Cartas de amor al estilo Picasso

Genevieve Laporte, 79, former Picasso's lover and muse.

Ms Laporte is getting ready to auction more than 200 drawings made by the late master from Malaga, Spain.

After all, she is the muse in them and the holder of quite the impressive collection of "lover letters" as she called them, that Picasso gave her at the time that they were love birds.

She said that the collection shows the tender side of Pablo Picasso: "la ternura"

It makes you wonder how many guys could follow a tough act like this and show their "tender" side in a collection that could be valued at 2 millions.

Things that only a master could do.

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Journalist NUMERO UNO!

Bill Moyers

Without any reservations, the journalist for the thinking man. In
spite of the criticism from the propaganda machine's corner and its
robotized assembly line of idiocy for the masses.

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Zoon Politikon

Howard Dean

Ladies and Gentlemen, let the political ping pong begins...

Dean: Democrats Must Cultivate Hispanics
By MICHAEL NORTON, Associated
Press Writer 1 hour, 32 minutes ago
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The Democratic
Party is losing more and more Hispanic voters to the Republicans and must
cultivate them if it is to win the 2008 presidential victory, Democratic Party
leader Howard Dean told Latino officials on Friday. More than 7 million
Latinos — of Central and South American, Mexican, and Puerto Rican descent —
voted in the 2004 presidential race.

Fiestas de San Juan

"Fiestas de San Juan" Venezuelan Art

In this week of the Summer Solstice the "San Juan" festivities get underway
throughout the world and, with them, man's celebration of the bountiful
harvest that the season will hopefully bring for all of us above the land.

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Desayuno con Diamantes

Audrey Hepburn sings "Moon River".
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961)

Don't you have a pet song in the attics of your brain neurons that you wish you would have authored it? Sure thing! We all do. My song is "Moon River", from the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's written by Johnny Mercer with music by Henry Mancini.

The website on the permalink with this post is in French but is one of the most interestings out there regarding this song and the movie directed by Blake Edwards based on the book by Truman Capote. It contains the lyrics, the mp3 for download, ton of pics plus the video.

Additionally, last year I made a great discovery
regarding "Moon River". You would think than a gem like this could not be
improved upon, right? I am sure most purist would call it "sacrilege" just the
though of it. However, get the CD "Ultimate Mancini" with Patrick Williams,
Monica Mancini (the daughter) and the vocal ensemble Take6 reprising this cut:
superb!

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Tempus Veranus

The Summer Solstice seen through Stonehenge.

The summers solstice arrived earlier this morning heralding with it the longest day of the year and a new season:
El Verano, Tiempo de Estio.

Now, if you live in Florida you don't really need a whole lot of precise
astronomical calculations to know this.

Just stepping outdoor for a few minutes
will do the trick

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Reina de Quisqueya

Renata Soñé. Miss Dominican Republic representative to Miss Universe 2005

Don't get me wrong. I am all for democracy.
However, with queens like these I would not mind living under a
monarchy.

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Gente Bonita del Norte de Tampa

The happy faces of the cosmopolitan members of The North Tampa
Conversational Spanish Group. Aren't they a cute bunch or what?

.

From left, Joe "alias el chinito" (from China of course), Michael (from Memphis), Barbara (from Ontario, Canada) and America (from Venezuela).

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Menina da Lua

Brazil's new jewel: Maria Rita

It is not an everyday thing that one gets to see an artist with the personality, charisma, voice and scenic presence of Maria Rita.

A grammy-award winner and pure-bred talented interpreter, Maria Rita is the daughter of the legendary Brazilian chanteuse Elis Regina and the renown pianist and composer Cesar Camargo Mariano.

She made a stop in Tampa Bay recently showcasing the songs of her debut
album. Each melody selected with careful screening and tuned to an array of
individual moods.

From highly spirited "A Festa", "Cara Valente" and "Lavadeira
do Rio" to a soul searching melodramatic lullaby such as "Menina da
Lua" or lovely songs full of "saudades" the likes of "Encontros e Despedidas", "Veja Bem Meu Bem", "Santa Chuva", and "Menininha do Portao".

Maria Rita in person, CD and DVD is something special and magic to cherish and behold. I can't let go of such a great find and invite you to visit her site by clicking on the link and fall in love with A Menina da Lua (Moon Girl).

She can do comedy, she can do drama, she can perform with awsome mastery life's joys and sorrows on stage and most of all
she does justice to her legacy as Elis' daughter

.

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