The Celebration of Dancing, Drinking and Laughing

One morning years ago, when dropping my oldest off at our sweet Montessori school, I noticed a woman with wavy hair, an inviting demeanor and generous smile.

I knew I wanted to meet her and when I did, I felt an almost instant connection with her especially when she told me her name ... which confused me. Gentil (pronounced: Hen-teal) Weiss Najera. Sometimes the filter between my thoughts and my mouth doesn't work so well and this was one of those times. The questions "How do you spell that? Where are you from?" tumbled out of me before I could stop myself. Luckily, she wasn't offended. We discussed how her name meant "kind" or "nice" in French (in her case, the name really does fit the person) and then she told me of her Puerto Rican mom, her Jewish dad, her step parents and siblings spread between California and the East Coast.

It's been about seven years since that day on the playground and we've been friends ever since. Through the years, I've come to know Gentil as someone who is so generous with her talents, time, advice and willingness to help. Her family is part of a small group of us that get together for Jewish holidays which I hope connects her with that part of her heritage. In turn, she shares lovely stories about her mom, who passed away several years ago, her elderly grandmother, all of her siblings and the rich Puerto Rican heritage and pride that was imparted to her. 

At one of our recent gatherings, she shared an old family recipe and the story for Pastelón (a Puerto Rican style lasagna), that is typically made on a special occasion or holiday.

"Growing up, I heard the stories many times about how my mom would make this tasty dish with her Abuela and mom (my Abuelita)! They would gather all of the ingredients and turn up the music and enjoy their time together. Sharing stories, dancing a little, drinking a little and laughing a lot!!" Now, Gentil makes this with her family and each member takes responsibility for a part of the recipe with salsa music in the background, adult beverages, dancing in between steps (of the recipe) and tasting all along. 

I often think of jewelry being passed down from mothers to daughters. But in Gentil's case, it was a pilón (a wooden mortar and pestle) that started in the hands of her great grandmother (Abuela), passed to her grandmother (Abuelita), then mother and is now in Gentil's kitchen. This is where Gentil's version of  pastelón starts and most of her other Latin inspired recipes. As she describes it's "where the sazon is made ... the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil and apple cider vinegar is mashed together into a nice paste and is used for the seasoning of any sauce." It's well worn from years of use and it "holds the flavors and oils from years past." Can't you just imagine the hands of those generations of women encircling the pilón, infusing it with their energy and filling the contents with love? 

"My Abuela's recipe was more traditional even though she never measured her ingredients ... According to my Abuelita, who will be 90 this November, my mom always adjusted her recipe and substituted the meat for soy or vegetables but it always came out amazing and oozed sabor (flavor)." 

You serve this dish with a green salad, bread, wine and the traditional toast "amor y dineró, y el tiempo para gozarlo." (Love, Prosperity and Time to Enjoy them).

I will dance and drink (and eat) to that. 

The family heirloom with four generations -
Gentil at 1 year old, her mother, grandmother and great grandmother. 

Pastelón de León

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 6 large ripe plantains (dark spots make it taste better!)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups shredded cheese, your choice
• 3 cups dried soy meat substitute
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup Recaíto mix (recipe below)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup sofrito (you can buy the Goya brand in your supermarket but you can also click here for a recipe and here's another variation (I think there may be as many recipes for sofrito as there are people in the Caribbean.)
• 2 eight once cans tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons green olives with pimentos
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine (use the bottle from last night or open a new one and have a glass)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water

What to do with the ingredients:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine soy meat substitue, Recaíto, garlic and 3 cups of water. Soak for 1/2 hour
3. Peel and slice plantains, first in half, and each half into long strips giving 6 to 8 slices per plantain. 
4. Heat oil in deep frying pan, and fry plantains until golden brown. Then drain on paper towel.
5. In another deep frying pan, heat sofrito, and add the soy meat substitute (which has soaked for 1/2 hour) with all its water and seasoning.
6. Add tomato sauce, sugar, green olives, capers and wine. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
7. Lightly grease a 13"x9"x2" pan and place one layer of plantains on bottom.
8. Follow with a layer of soy meat, and then a layer of shredded cheese.
9. Repeat this sequence two more times for a total of three layers.
10. Beat egg with two tablespoons of water.
11. Make knife inserts into pastelón and pour egg mixture into openings.
12. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
13. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 

Making your own Recaíto Criollo

Combine and chop all ingredients in a blender:

5 culantro leaves (this is different than cilantro. If you can't find it, increase the cilantro)

3 cilantro sprigs

1 green pepper 

1 onion

4 small sweet chili peppers (or 1 medium red bell pepper)

1 tomato 

1/4 teaspoon oregano