The DR in Atlanta

My friend Amanda is back for two weeks from the Dominican Republic, where she is living and working for the Peace Corps. She brought her project partner, Gabi, for a cultural exchange. This is Gabi's first time leaving her country. In celebration of their visit, Amanda's mother thew an autumn party so that Amanda's friends and family could spend time with her and Gabi.

We had a great time. Amanda's sister, Sarah, is my best friend from high school and former roommate. Now that we are living in different places in the city, I have not been able to see her and her wonderful partner very often. Amanda and Sarah's mother just moved out of the city, so we were able to enjoy her beautiful new home. Nick was able to meet a few friends from high school, and Amanda and Sarah's grandmother and godmother. Oh! And the food. We'll get to that.

In keeping with the autumn theme, Amanda, Gabi, Sarah, and Carol all carved pumpkins. Naturally, this was Gabi's first time carving pumpkins. Sarah and Gabi did a little Googleing for inspiration. Gabi went with my favorite classic pumpkin (lots of geometrics). Carol has an awesome toothy grin with winged eyes. Sarah went with a face that looks like it is straight out of one of her sketches (second from the left). Amanda went with the Peace Corps dove and stars. Once lighted, these pumpkins were so inspirational, I think I might go carve on today.

Mama Meng made sure I was taken care of by getting some Glutino GF pretzels. Nick had no idea they were GF at first. She made a number of great dips, my favorite being the white bean dip. Gabi wanted to fix something delicious for the party, so Amanda encouraged her to make plantains. My life was complete. Plantains (no matter how they are prepared), are one of my favorite things to eat. So, for those of you out there who enjoy a good plantain, or would like to try one, I have provided Alton Brown's recipe below.

Fried Plantains Alton Brown

Cook Time: 10 minutes Level: Intermediate Yield: 4 servings as a side dish

Times:
Prep: 10 minutes Inactive prep: -- Cook: 10 minutes Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
• 2 green plantains

Directions

Combine water, garlic and salt in medium size glass bowl and set aside.

In a large (12-inch) saute pan, heat oil to 325 degrees F. Peel plantains and slice crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Carefully add plantains to oil and fry until golden yellow in color, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. (The oil should come halfway up the side of the plantain). With a spider or slotted spoon, remove the plantains from the pan and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, standing them on their ends. With the back of a wide, wooden spatula, press each piece of plantain down to half its original size. Then place the plantains in the water and let soak for 1 minute. Remove and pat dry with a tea towel to remove excess water.

Bring oil back up to 325 degrees F and return plantains to pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a dish lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Serve immediately.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-plantains-recipe/index.html