Salsa Stories (8 page)

A
BUELA
(ah-BWEH-lah): Grandmother

A
BUELITA
(ah-bweh-LEE-tah): Grandmother (
Abuelita
is the diminutive term for
Abuela
)

A
BUELITO
(ah-bweh-LEE-toh): Grandfather (
Abuelito
is the diminutive term for
Abuelo
)

A
BUELO
(ah-BWEH-loh): Grandfather

A
GUINALDO
(ah-gee-NAHL-doh): A small Christmas present

A
LFAJORES DE DULCE DE LECHE
(ah-fah-HOR-ays day DOOL-say day LEH-chay): Sandwich cookies filled with milk caramel

A
LFOMBRA
(ahl-FOHM-brah): A carpet or rug

A
PÚRATE
(ah-POO-rah-tay): Hurry up

A
RROZ CON POLLO
(ah-RROSS kohn POH-lyoh): Rice dish with chicken

¡A
Y!
(EYE): Oh!; used to express an emotion, such as surprise or pain

A
Y, SANTO DIOS
(EYE, SAN-toh DEE-ohs): Oh, Dear God

B
ACALAO A LA VIZCAÍNA
(bah-kah-LAH-oh ah lah viz-kah-EE-nah): A traditional codfish stew eaten during Lent

B
ARRIO
(BAH-ree-oh): District or quarter

B
ENDITO
(ben-DEE-toh): Blessed; dear

B
ESITOS DE COCO
(beh-SEE-tohs day KOH-koh): Coconut kisses, a dessert

¡B
UENO!
(BWEH-noh): Good!

C
ALDERO
(cal-DEH-roh): A small cauldron

C
HICO
(CHEE-koh): Little boy

C
HILES RELLENOS
(CHEE-lays reh-LYEH-nohs): Roasted chili peppers that are stuffed with white cheese, then coated with a beaten egg mixture and fried

C
HORIZO
(choh-REE-zoh): A spicy Spanish sausage

C
OBITOS
(koh-BEE-tohs): Small hermit crabs

C
OMAL
(koh-MAHL): A heavy iron pan

C
ONGRÍ
(kohn-GREE): Cuban rice with black beans

C
OQUITO
(koh-KEE-toh): Holiday drink made with coconut milk and rum

C
UCURUCHO DE MANÍ
(koo-koo-ROO-choh day mah-NEE): A paper cone of roasted peanuts

L
OS
C
UCURUCHOS
(los koo-koo-ROO-chohs): The porters

C
UENTOS
(KWEN-tohs): Stories

¡C
UIDADO!
(kwee-DAH-doh): Careful! Look out!

¡D
ALE!
(DAH-lay): Hit it!

D
AMAS PRIMERO
(DAH-mahs pree-MEH-roh): Ladies first

D
AME UN BESO
(Dah-may oon BEH-soh): Give me a kiss

D
IOS TE BENDIGA
(dee-OHS tay ben-DEE-gah): God bless you

D
OÑA
(DOH-nyah): Title of courtesy and respect preceding a woman's first name

F
ELIZ AÑO NUEVO
(feh-LEEZ AH-nyoh NWEH-voh): Happy New Year

F
ELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS
(feh-LEEZ koom-play-AH-nyohs): Happy birthday

F
LAN DE COCO
(FLAN day KOH-koh): Coconut custard made with milk, sugar, and eggs

F
RIJOLES
(free-HOH-lays): Beans

G
ARÚA
(gah-ROO-ah): Drizzle

G
RACIAS
(GRAH-see-ahs): Thank you

G
ÜIRO
(GWEE-roh): A percussion instrument played by scraping a stick along the notched surface of a gourd

H
ELADO DE COCO
(ah-LAH-doh day KOH-koh): Coconut-flavored sherbet

H
OLA
(OH-lah): Hello

L
A HORA DEL TÉ
(lah OH-rah del TAY): Teatime

H
ORCHATA
(or-CHAH-tah): A chilled drink made of sugar, water, and crushed sesame seeds

M
AMÁ
(mah-MAH): Mama

M
ARACA
(mah-RAH-kah): a rattle; a percussion instrument played by shaking a gourd filled with dry beans or small stones

M'
IJO
(MEE-hoh): Shortened form of
mi hijo
, which means “my son”

M
OJO CRIOLLO
(MOH-hoh cree-OH-lyoh): A sauce made with onion, garlic, olive oil, bay leaves, and peppercorns

M
ORENOS
(moh-RAY-nohs): Africans brought to Peru as slaves (
moreno
is the singular, masculine form and
morena
is the singular, feminine)

¡M
UY PELIGROSO!
(MWEE peh-lee-GROH-soh): Too dangerous!

N
ADA
(NAH-dah): Nothing

N
ATILLA
(nah-TEE-lyah): A creamy custard made with sugar, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla

N
IÑA
(NEE-nyah): Small girl

¡NIÑOS!
(NEE-nyohs): Children!

P
ALITOS
(pah-LEE-tohs): Sticks used to make sound by striking them against each other

P
ICO DE GALLO
(PEE-koh day GAH-lyoh): Relish made with tomato, onions, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers

P
IÑATA
(pee-NYAH-tah): A decorated vessel, usually made of
papier-mâché, that is filled with fruit, candy, and peanuts

¿POR QUÉ?
(por KAY): Why?

¡QUÉ MALA PATA!
(kay MAH-lah PAH-tah): What bad luck!

Q
UERIDA
(keh-REE-dah): Darling or dear

S
ALSA
(SAHL-sah): A style of Latin American music and dance; also, any kind of sauce

¡SALUD, DINERO, AMOR, Y TIEMPO PARA DISFRUTARLOS!
(sah-LOOD, dee-NEH-roh, ah-MORE, ee tee-EHM-poh pah-rah dis-froo-TAHR-lohs): Health, money, love, and time to enjoy it all

S
EÑOR
(say-NYOR): Mister or sir

E
L SEÑOR DE LOS MILAGROS
(el say-NYOR day los mee-LAH-gross): Lord of Miracles

S
EÑORA
(say-NYOR-ah): Missus

S
Í
(SEE): Yes

¡SINVERGÜENZA!
(sin-vair-GWEHN-zah): Little rascal!

S
OFRITO
(soh-FREE-toh): A seasoning sauce

S
URULLITO DE MAÍZ
(soo-roo-LYEE-toh day mah-YEES): Puerto Rican corn fritters

T
EMBLEQUE
(tem-BLEH-kay): A sweet dessert made with coconut milk

T
ÍA
(TEE-ah): Aunt

T
ÍO
(TEE-oh): Uncle

T
ORREJAS
(tor-RAY-hahs): Bread dipped in milk and egg that is pan-fried and served with homemade syrup

T
ORTILLA
(tor-TEE-lyah): A thin round cake of cornmeal or wheat flour

T
ORTILLA ESPAÑOLA
(tor-TEE-lyah ehs-pah-NYOH-lah): Potato omelet

T
URRÓN
(too-RROHN): A nougat dessert

¡VENDO YUCCA, PLÁTANOS, TOMATES!
(VEH-doh YOO-kah PLAH-tah-nohs toh-MAH-tehs): Yuca, plaintains, tomatoes for sale!

¡VIVA!
(VEE-vah): Hurrah!

Y
UCA
(YOO-kah): A fleshy rootstock plant; also called cassava

Many people inspired and guided me through the making of this book.

I'm very grateful to Roger Alexander Sandoval and José Rodolfo Rosales for their generous insight into Guatemalan traditions. I owe the pictorial information of Holy Week in Guatemala to my good friend Germán Oliver.

Rodolfo Perez and Lucía González shared their memories of growing up in Cuba. Olga Alonso shared not only her childhood anecdotes, but also her recipes. Thank you.

I also thank Iris Brown for shedding light onto the daily life of Old San Juan in the 1940s.

For her stories about her childhood in Buenos Aires, her constant encouragement, and for instilling in me a love of cooking, I must thank my mother, Marta Orzábel de Delacre. Nellie Carpio was a great help in the search for the perfect recipe for
alfajores
.

I will not forget my Mexican friend Victoria, whose inner strength I so admire and with whom I learned how to make
chiles rellenos
and
pico de gallo
.

It was Mayté Canto who introduced me to her Peruvian friend María Rosa Watson. María Rosa's enthusiasm for the legend and traditions associated with
El Señor de los Milagros
was irresistible. To her I owe the recipe for
turrón de Doña Pepa
.

I'm greatly indebted to Diana Oliver, who was so generous to share her wonderful recipes for
tembleque
,
flan de coco
, and
natilla
.

I thank Priya Nair and Monique Stephens for their great assistance with back matter. I also appreciate the valuable art direction of Marijka Kostiw, Dave Caplan, and David Saylor. For her editorial direction, dedication, insight, and commitment to my work, I thank my editor Dianne Hess.

Finally, for their unconditional love, I should thank my husband, Arturo Betancourt, and my two daughters Verónica and Alicia. Thank you, Verónica, for critiquing my stories.