Reganonas, Peruvian style
September 1st 2010 20:49
Sept. 1, 2010
I've looked high and low for one of the favorite foods of my childhood, most of which was spent in Talara, Peru. I'm not sure at all whether reganonas (written and pronounced with a tilde over the first n) are Peruvian, or just a recipe the kitchen helpers I grew up with knew. I'm going to pass it along because it was just plain delicious, fun to watch being made, help being made and amazing to eat.
No one made white rice like Ninfa, and I can't tell you what made it so special. I suspect it was her daily staple, as it's the daily food of many people who live alongside the sea in countries throughout South America and Asia. As the mounds of steaming white rice cooled, Ninfa shoved hunks of cheddar cheese through a grinder that came squirting out in bright orange streams I gathered in my cupped palms.
I helped by digging my hands into the two eggs that went into the bowl with the rice and cheese, turning and squirting the mixture while Ninfa added salt and pepper to taste.
Then came the best part, shaping the reganonas into ovals, slightly larger than could hide in my closed seven-year old closed hands. Ninfa rolled the reganonas swiftly in flour and dropped them in a large pan in which a generous amount of oil sputtered.
The reganonas screamed as they landed in the oil. I watched them bubbling, and brown as they were turned. Finally, they were placed in baskets lined with napkins to absorb the oil. I usually scalded my lips as I was too eager to nip one of these before it cooled. Ah reganonas. Once upon a time, they were my favorite snack and mealtime food.
I've looked high and low for one of the favorite foods of my childhood, most of which was spent in Talara, Peru. I'm not sure at all whether reganonas (written and pronounced with a tilde over the first n) are Peruvian, or just a recipe the kitchen helpers I grew up with knew. I'm going to pass it along because it was just plain delicious, fun to watch being made, help being made and amazing to eat.
No one made white rice like Ninfa, and I can't tell you what made it so special. I suspect it was her daily staple, as it's the daily food of many people who live alongside the sea in countries throughout South America and Asia. As the mounds of steaming white rice cooled, Ninfa shoved hunks of cheddar cheese through a grinder that came squirting out in bright orange streams I gathered in my cupped palms.
I helped by digging my hands into the two eggs that went into the bowl with the rice and cheese, turning and squirting the mixture while Ninfa added salt and pepper to taste.
Then came the best part, shaping the reganonas into ovals, slightly larger than could hide in my closed seven-year old closed hands. Ninfa rolled the reganonas swiftly in flour and dropped them in a large pan in which a generous amount of oil sputtered.
The reganonas screamed as they landed in the oil. I watched them bubbling, and brown as they were turned. Finally, they were placed in baskets lined with napkins to absorb the oil. I usually scalded my lips as I was too eager to nip one of these before it cooled. Ah reganonas. Once upon a time, they were my favorite snack and mealtime food.
| 33 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
