Your Poor Husband!

"Aye, your poor husband!"  That’s all grandma says every time her and I are in a kitchen together.  Now, if I wasn’t the descendant of two cookin’ grandmas, a cookin’ mom, a cookin’ pops, a cookin’ Titi (aunt) and cookin’ Tios (uncles) I would probably be a bit concerned by grandma’s playful yet ominous words.  But, instead I tell her “Well teach me then!”
Now, while I'm sure I can learn how to really kill the kitchen, I don’t know if you can teach someone how to grab hot objects with their bare hands as she does…I’m thinking that skill is honed over time (and after your nerve endings decide to just give up I’m sure).  She is one of three older women I know who scoff at the use of an oven mitt and laugh in the face of fresh-out-the-pot boiled eggs.  I am amazed every time and every time she looks at my “amazed face” and repeats those three precious words “Your poor husband…”

So in an effort to not have this future “poor husband” of mine have such a pitiful wife, Mama decided to teach me how to make what is often referred to as “dirty rice” (not here apparently since Mama looked at me like I was crazy when I said “Oh, arroz sucio.”), or white rice cooked with black beans.  And, so, because I don’t want any one else’s husband (or future husband) to be referred to as “that poor guy”, I am sharing her recipe with the masses.  OH and please note that Mama, like most O.G.C.’s (Original Gangsta Chefs), doesn’t measure anything.  So, don’t come here looking for exact recipes…I’ll try to be as descriptive as possible with her ‘eye measurements’.  Also Mama is very much against adding salt to food (and yet it still always tastes great) and the beans we purchased had sofrito already in them…which means you may need to add seasoning according to your preference but I’d suggest trying it this way first.  Enjoy…

Step 1

-       Get a nice iron rice pot (Imusa tends to be the brand we Ricans favor)

-       Put a little cooking oil in to coat the bottom

-      High flame

Step 2

-      -  Put a large spoonful (or 2) of sofrito into the pot (if you can get sofrito from someone who makes if fresh then do so..if not, then resort to store brand)

-       - Throw a cube of chicken stock & a packet of Sazon into the pot

Step 3

-       Wash the rice

-       I guess you use about 2 cups (I think my mom taught me that 1 cup usually feeds two people)

Step 4

-       Throw the washed rice into the pot and mix everything together

Step 5

-       Throw in your can of black beans and mix

-       Add enough water to cover the top of the rice

Step 6

-       Cover the pot with its top and leave the flame on high/med high until most of the water has evaporated

Step 7

-       Once most of the water has evaporated, stir the rice and cover it with aluminum foil

-       Lower the flame and put the pot top back on the pot

-       After about 20 – 25 minutes, you have a tasty pot of rice (and according to Mama, a lucky husband)!