Today Jasmine's grandma, Madeline Ramos, came to demonstrate Arroz con Habichuelas to the students. She also made some pollo (on the side to accomodate vegetarians). We learned about sofrito, and that, surprise!, there's a Puerto Rican restaurant in Sandy, Utah. 
The rice was steamy and savory with little green piquant olive gems studded throughout. Puerto Rican food is not spicy, but has a lot of layered flavors with onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, pimiento, olive oil and tomatoes. Madeline Ramos' arroz was made with red beans, green olives, and corn. She shredded a whole roasted chicken and sauteed the chicken with sofrito, olives, and carrots.
The food was quite a hit with the students and teachers. Ramos talked about mofongo, arroz con pollo, and pernil. It made me homesick for my days in New York, with its Puerto Rican Independence Day Parade, and its fantastic Puerto Rican restaurants on every corner of the upper west side, where I lived during most of my tenure in the city.
Madeline talked about how she doesn't use measuring cups or spoons, just her eyeballs. This is something I hear a lot from cooks who grew up outside of the U.S. It seems like when we learn cooking in the kitchen with our parents, we grow up doing it by smell, look, and feel. It makes me sad when people can't cook without a recipe. It seems like an indication of a diminishing food culture. So, students, get your grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends into the kitchen. I promise you'll have a fantastic time.
Thank you for coming, Ms. Ramos!
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