Buena Vista Social Club

The Music

The Buena Vista Social club is a documentary that came out a little over 10 years ago (Google for more info on this amazing movie) that features a Cuban band of the same name.  Inspiring the creation of this movie was the collaboration between an American guitarist and several older Cuban musicians who recorded a solid album of popular Cuban music from the 1930s-1950s.  The primarily genre of music called son, which blends rhythms originating from African drumming with Spanish guitar.

I can’t help but move or dance to this album, even when passively listening; the anticipated bass and lilting, syncopated percussion just take over my body.  Yet, something about it is also inherently relaxing, which I attribute to the stringed instruments. One can almost float along, being carried by the rise and fall of the fluid melodic lines taken by voice, piano, trumpet, and tres (a stringed instrument related to the guitar).

The Food

Sofrito is a cooking base that is used a lot in Caribbean Latin cultures such as Cuba and Puerto Rico.  I love the stuff for its complex, zesty character and ability to turn the simplest poor girl food (e.g. beans and rice) into a flavor sensation.   I may or may not have spread it over French bread a few times—but, don’t judge because you’ll love it too. 
     
SO, ever since discovering it, I have been attempting to develop my own recipe rather than bend to the convenience of buying a store bought version (however tasty it may be).  When I began my sofrito quest, a huge problem presented itself.  Not only does the recipe tend to change from country to country, but sofrito recipes are very much like chocolate chip cookie or chili recipes in the Midwest, in that every family has one and will fiercely assert that it is the “best.”
     
Below is my sofrito recipe within a pseudo-Cuban dish that seemed fit for this unbearably hot day.  It makes one big mason jar full of sofrito that you can keep in the fridge for about a month, if you don’t use it up by then. A side note though: You will most likely have to increase the amount of chili powder in your recipe compared to mine, so do a few taste tests to determine what is right for you.  The chili powder that I bought in bulk from an Indian grocer seemed like such a brilliant idea at the time, but ultimately and unfortunately led to a dinner incident my friends so lovingly refer to as the “menopause chili.”
Sofrito

1 tomato

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 stick of celery

1 onion

6 cloves garlic

Juice of one lime

1 tsp HOT chili powder

½ bunch of cilantro

2 tsp salt

Dash pepper

**if you have fresh parsley on hand, add ½ a bunch—but, it is fine without it too**

Also, if you want it thicker, add 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste.

Blend all the above ingredients in a food processor and promptly refrigerate. I recommend preparing this a few hours before using so the flavors can get acquainted with each other.

In general, Cuban food is not that particularly spicy, but since I must compulsively spice up almost anything I make, the below recipe will include some extra heat that you can feel free to omit.

Black Beans with Fried Yucca Root and Plantains

In going with the Cuban feel, I thought a side of crispy, fried plantains and yucca root would add a nice texture when eaten with the beans. For those of you who haven’t cooked with yucca root and find yourself wondering what these scary long brown things are when you peruse the produce section, put aside your fears because yucca tastes very similar to your common potato and is extremely versatile in cooking (and fun to say!).

So now that I’ve got you convinced, take a paring knife and peel 1 large yucca root  and slice it into 1-2” rounds.  Add to a large pot of cold water with 1 tsp salt and juice from a quarter of a lemon.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Make sure you watch it so it doesn’t turn to mush. Drain and transfer to cutting board. Slice yucca slices into wedges (they should already be splitting off into wedges at this point) and pick out the hard fibers in the core; set aside.  

Peel 1 large plantain and cut into thirds. Slice each third lengthwise into thinner pieces.  A side note, plantains look like bananas, and do taste very similar, but they are usually bigger, less sweet, and have a grittier taste when eaten raw. In a pinch, you can substitute bananas, but they will get mushier if you’re not careful. Below is a picture of an unpeeled yucca and plantain for you to carry with you as a mental picture when you go to the grocery.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse 2 cans of black beans. Return to saucepan and add 1 tsp canola/olive oil and ¼ cup Sofrito (give or take--do a taste test further into cooking), and ½ tsp cayenne pepper. Heat on low until heated through.

Back to the vegetables. Fill a medium/large stockpot with canola oil 2” high and heat to medium high. When you flick a little bit of water on the oil and it sizzles, you’re good to go. Place some of the plantains into the oil, making sure they’re not touching. Fry for 5 minutes and remove, placing on a few paper towels. When the plantains are finished, follow the same process for the yucca. Fry time really will vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye out to prevent overcooking.

To the best of my knowledge, polenta is not used in Cuban cuisine, but I did add a few slices from the tube (heated in the oven) to add some color. 

So, what to say about the food and music combining as one? I have to admit, I had a difficult time with this one. However, as I was eating, the flavors from the sofrito in particular struck me as having similarities to the ensemble as a whole. One moment I would taste the garlic, then a sweet bell pepper, then the cilantro.  The many flavors encapsulated in this dish exist simultaneously, but each retains its unique flavor. The musical ensemble functioned in a very similar way.  Many instruments and many musicians, each capturing my attention for a brief moment before being drawn to another. How do they find such a perfect balance, a perfect groove?

The next part might be stretching it a bit.  The hearty yucca, plantains, and black beans served as the backbone of the dish, despite having very different textures and tastes. The addition of the sofrito and cayenne pepper opened the dish up and gave what I felt was melody and timbre to a solid rhythm section. 

My one complaint is that the color of the food literally paled in comparison to the rich, contrasting colors present in the music.  If I were to make this dish again, I would perhaps add a crisp salad of some sort, possibly with fruit.