BORICUA BEANS  by Camille Becerra

As a child I grew up on rice and beans, by that I mean everyday.  A few years ago I was watching a Barbara Walter’s special or some other similar celebrity interview program in which sexy boricua Jennifer Lopez at the height of the “Jenny from the Block” craze was being featured.  She was demonstrating her cooking chops to America by making beans.   A fellow boricua cooking, I had to watch.   Sadly it was a mess, I couldn’t believe my eyes, first she dumped a can of Goya beans into a pot then filled the empty can with water and added it to the beans.  Beans are not Campbell soup.  Afterwards she made a big deal about a secret ingredient, I got really excited as I thought someone was about to spread light to the backbone of all Puerto Rican cookery, sofrito. But instead she pulled out Sasson; this little orange packet is what I like to refer to as P.R.M.S.G.   The producers did right by not highlighting the end result of this soupy, two ingredient version of Puerto Rican beans.  They did however show her serving it to Ben Affleck her hottie at the time, I expected more from an Oscar award-winning actor in covering up the slight dissatisfaction.  

I love La Lopez, she has impeccable fashion style, true NYC swagger and she oozes sexy.  Hoping to help her and whom ever else would like to round out their inner Latin I give you my family’s recipe for beans.  This recipe is my go to comfort food, a great antidote for those at your doorstep needing a little warmth and love.  I recommend it over rice and accompanied with a salad.  When entertaining a larger group I like to serve it with a juicy piece of free-range strip steak and sweet plantains too. 

BORICUA BEANS

Serves 4 

¼ cup  olive oil

2 tbl   Sofrito (recipe below)

½ can   tomato paste

2 tbl  Goya Alcaparrado, a mixture of olives, pimientos strips and capers

1 can   Goya or Organic Pink Beans

1   garlic clove, minced fine

2 tbl  pickling juice from the Alcaparrado 

In a saucepot over medium heat add the olive oil and sofrito and allow them to come up to temperature together.  When the sofrito begins to cook and sizzle quietly add the tomato paste and stir constantly to prevent burning.  When the oil, sofrito and tomato paste are well incorporated and the mixture begins to sizzle slightly add the alcaparrado, mix well.  Add the beans and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Stir every so often to prevent beans from sticking to the bottom of pot and burning.  Five minutes before removing the beans from fire add the finely minced garlic.  Right before serving add the pickling juice, this brightens the flavors. 
 

SOFRITO 

This recipe makes a healthy batch that you can keep in the freezer pulling from it whenever you need.   

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch culantro

4 heads of garlic

5 medium onions

1 bell pepper or 7 sweet aji peppers

¼ to ½ cup olive oil 

Pulse all but the oil in a food processor in batches till it resemples a chunky pesto.  Add small amounts of oil to mixture when ingredients refuse to process.

Camille Becerra is bringing me back to my roots. It is a real treat when I get to savor real Puerto Rican beans made by no other. She made me smile as she mentions the true secret of making the beans burst sensationally in your mouth… “Sofrito!”  Yes, a latin secret that is embedded in all of us Latinos.  Sexy Camille reveals it all. She is sensational. There’s a buzz about a new restaurant. If that is certainly true, I can not wait !  

To learn more click on: “Vemille’s New Adventure“.

Thank you Camille!  

Note: Camille Becerra will also be in Glamour Magazine this July !

xoxo Karin

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