Auntie Laura’s Gufong (a Cape Verdean favorite!)

by nuala

Nobody makes gufong (also known as fungine) like Auntie Laura. I remember going to her house as a child and smiling upon her freshly fried gufong. For holidays or special occasions, her gufong would be the most sought after Cape Verdean dish. Before Auntie Laura’s Alzheimers got really bad, she taught her daughter and nieces how to make it. We actually filmed the process. I’ll have to dig up that old tape!

Recently, I made gufong with my Nana (Laura’s sister-in-law), Shirley (Nana’s god daughter) and sister in my Nana’s kitchen. We don’t really believe in keeping a family recipe a secret, so please feel free to try it on your own. Just thank our Auntie Laura, one of the sweetest aunts I’ve ever known.

Instructions

Put in small pot:

1 ½  cup of sugar

1 cup of boiling water with a pinch of salt

Add water and sugar mixture onto stove and stir til smooth.

In a medium-large bowl:

Add enough water to one cup of cornmeal to make paste.

Pour the  water/sugar mixture from stove.

Add 2- 3 mashed over ripe bananas and mix by hand until smooth.

Add 2 cups of Bisquick and 2 cups of sifted flour, gradually.

Add flour until consistency of bread dough.

Roll into sticks and fry on either side in vegetable or canola oil until golden brown. (Make sure heat is not too hot or else it will brown the outside, but not the inside!)

Place on paper towels and store in sealed plastic bags or containers after cool, so they stay soft.

This recipe makes about sixty gufong.  My Auntie Laura used to freeze the dough and make fresh gufong often… Nana just told me this. 🙂

Garbonzo Bean Salad

by Brian Augsburger

This garbanzo bean salad is one of my favorite summertime dishes. It’s easy to prepare and great for BBQ’s & potlucks. The addition of fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden or your local farmer’s market give it that extra punch of fresh flavor. Always a crowd pleaser, enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Cans Garbonzo Beans (or Cannellini)
2 Tomatoes diced
3-5 Cloves Garlic Diced
1/4 Cuip Olive Oil
Bunch of Basil Chopped
Lemon Juice
Salt, Pepper, Paprika

Instructions:
Fry diced garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until very lightly browned. Set aside to let oil & garlic cool. Mix diced tomatoes, beans and basil in a large bowl. Yellow heirloom or roma tomatoes are best with this dish but any will do. Pour cooled olive oil and garlic over everything in the bowl. Mix. Add fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle paprika over salad.

To see more of Brian’s recipes on Cool Cooks, check out his Sweet Potato Fries under Appetizers.
You can also find more of his recipes with Come Bien: http://comebienbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/comebienbooks
http://www.facebook.com/comebienbooks

Illustrated by Robert Trujillo

Sweet Potato Fries

By Brian Augsburger

Baked sweet potatoes “fries” are a good alternative to your regular french fries. They’re a lot healthier and they have a lot more flavor! The smokey spice of the chipotle chile goes surprisingly well with sweet potatoes. Also, try using your favorite curry powder instead of chile for a nice twist to this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 Sweet Potatoes Sliced
2-3 Cloves of Garlic Diced
Olive Oil
Chipotle Chile Powder
Salt & Pepper

Instructions:
Arrange sliced sweet potatoes on cookie sheet. Sprinkle diced garlic, olive oil chipotle chile powder, salt & pepper over potatoes. Bake @ 425 for 15-25 minutes. Baking time depends on how crispy you like them. These will not get crunchy like potatoes that are deep-fried. Best served with Aioli or BBQ Sauce.

For more of Brian’s recipes on Cool Cooks, check out the Garbanzo Bean Salad.

Or, you can find more of his recipes at Come Bien:
http://comebienbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/comebienbooks
http://www.facebook.com/comebienbooks

Illustrated by Robert Trujillo

Baked Brie

Ingredients:
A wheel of Brie (or just a big slice of Brie if you’re cooking for a few people or broke (see pic). (You know a wheel of brie can be expensive).
2 spoonfuls of Triple Sec Liquor
Dried cranberries
Dried apricots (chopped up)
Candied Pecans (chopped up)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Poke holes in cheese with fork 10 times. Pour a spoonful of triple sec over cheese and let seep into holes. In small bowl mix dried cranberries, candied pecans, dried apricots with another spoonful of triple sec in bowl (tsp of maple syrup optional, but I only recommend this if you are going to finish the cheese all at once. Same goes for substituting raspberries for the dried cranberries. The compote won’t stay fresh overtime if you use syrup or raspberries, but it will taste good). Pour compote over brie and bake in oven on a stick free cookie sheet or glass pan for about 10-15 min.

Save leftovers– you can reheat this in a microwave or toaster oven. This is a perfect appetizer to serve with bread or crackers. Your friends will be impressed cause it looks and tastes kinda like a big deal.

Patrice’s Avocado Salad

Recipe by Patrice Berry

Recently I was at Rashid’s house for dinner and his friend Patrice started to eat this big bowl of salad. I thought it was odd that she was eating out of a bowl I assumed was for everyone, but then I realized it was her dinner. Nevertheless, she shared some with me… and it was amaaaazing! I immediately understood why and how she could eat a big bowl of salad for her dinner. (I’m not a huge salad person if you can’t tell. And I always need to throw something sweet in it, like candied pecans or fruit). Anyway, thank YOU Patrice for sharing this recipe with me. Thanks to you my mother will know I’m eating veggies more often! (Yes, I’m 28 and she still cares about this.)

Ingredients:
1 Bag of Spring Green Lettuce
1 Avocado sliced up into small pieces
A few spoonfuls of Fetta Cheese
A few spoonfuls of dried cranberries (optional)
Candied Pecans (optional)
Trader Joe’s Poppy Seed Dressing

Wait until your ready to eat it to put the salad dressing in it. Otherwise it will just get all soggy.

 Candied Pecans (for the sweet tooths!)

Ingredients:
Butter
Brown Sugar
Orange Juice
Vanilla
Pecans

Instructions:
Crush the pecans up a bit. In a pan on medium heat melt a couple of tsps of butter, add brown sugar, orange juice and pecans. Add the vanilla and stir over medium heat for a few minutes.
Once the pecans are in a thick syrup, pour out the entire mixture onto a baking sheet and put into the oven for 2-3 minutes on 200 degrees. Don’t over bake! Then cover the tray with a paper towel and throw it in the freezer for a couple of minutes. When you take it out the pecans should be glazed over, dry and crispy.  If you make too many just save the extra pecans in a small tuppeware and keep it in the fridge… you can use em for another salad another day!  ~nu