Jan 26, 2014

A WARNING TO THOSE I LOVE: Never eat a Guatemalan ¨empanada de leche¨ or you will never recover!

Deadly Guatemalan Empanadas de Leche
I warn you.  I am not kidding.  All of my adult life (and by this time I am more than adult and gaining on just plain old codger) I have avoided eating most all food with dairy products/other sold off the street carts in Latin America. 

It's not that the food isn't fresh and appealing when offered on the street, and it mostly is, it's just that I am kind of a fussbudgety (is that how you spell it?) when it comes to food purchased, prepared and served.  I like my meals served in a sparkly clean restaurant, humble or elegant. Any food is fine and just dandy with me as long as I feel assured I will survive the meal (or not die during the night after I eat it).  I also am really/really careful about dairy products since I was almost assassinated by a cream puff as a young lad in Washington State growing up to become the ¨Norteamericano¨that I now am.  Enough about me.  

I have met the enemy and it has taken me over.  I am a lost soul. It's name:  Empanada de Leche (still hot and filled with a creamy sweet/thick milk in a delicateish pie crust and sprinkled with raw sugar).  Surely las empanadas will kill me because, just after two Sundays (the day of the really good ones prepared and sold to families wandering the plazas and calles) I am fully hooked.  

Have mercy on me, I'm a gonner.  How could this be happening to me after I have been so very, very good?  So charming, such a nice guy with good manners (mostly). No doubt some kind of brujaria has come down and possessed me...some unknown evil sugar goddess has grabbed me and insists that I pay full attention to her cookeriaja.  

Come see me. We will investigate this grave matter and besides that, I'll share (maybe). 

 Leonardo Ricardo on a chilly Sunday night at the foot of the Fuego volcano. 

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh Leonard, you have me intrigued and envious at the same time!

Lindy said...

We'll get some of those when I come to visit. And I want to try all the other street food too. I meet the most interesting people and learn a lot about what kinds of foods are grown locally. If street food were all that lethal there would be a lot fewer people. I am willing to take my chances.

Leonard said...

I confess. I was not entirely truthful. When I lived in Puerto Rico (twice for about 20 years total) I met a smallish round fried ball of mashed potatos that had a filling of minced beef...we became friends.

susan s. said...

Can you manage to eat only one on a Sunday, Leonardo? I think it would not do that much damage. They look so good, I can almost taste it from here!

Leonard said...

Susan, you are wonderful. I wish I could eat one of anything I like...I haven't had a drink for 35 years (not because I didn't like them, the little devils)...same with sweets, if I like them, I can/do get into trouble...but, alas, I've only had one each Sunday of the empanandas...this is good (I will call it Susans Rule). Big hugs, Len

Leonard said...

HERE WE GO (my Español stinks but Charlette will get it easily...be kind): Empanadas Fritas. 2 1/2 taza de harina suave, 1/2 cucharadeta de sal, 1 taza de agua, Manteca Vetal. Procedimiento - Se unen todos los pingredientes empecando a mover con un raspador luego se le va agregando agua conforme lo neccita. Se deja reposar por 10 minuto tapado y luego se estira y se cortan las ruedas del tamaño de la empanada. Ya rellenas se frie en aceite relleno. Manjar de leche 2 litro de leche, 2 o 3 Caja pequeñas de maicena para es pesar. Relleno- Azucar al gusto, pasas al gusto, picca de sol. Hervir la leche y a poco agregar la maicena las pasas, azucar y sal (toquecito), dejar henfriar. Whew...need more help ask specific questions. Glenda de Minas