Chef Elsie Ramos

• Never be in the kitchen cooking past 7pm–Elsie’s number one rule for cooking dinner!
• Plan ahead for the week – use Sunday as your shopping day
• Buy pre-cut or pre-cooked – this is a big time saver
• Buy large – this saves time and money
• Have plenty of seasonings on hand at all times –
• Elsie suggests Sazón and Adobo
• Pre-season your meats and freeze in advance – meals are easier to prepare and great-tasting!
• Clean as you go – working in the kitchen is much more efficient this way.

Buen provecho!

Plan ahead for the week – whether it’s Friday on your way home, or Sunday afternoon when you’re dreading the work week ahead, jot down a few ideas for meals for at least two nights out of the week. Make sure you have everything you need and make extra, for leftover night.

Macy’s Celebrates Mother’s Day
with Chef Elsie Ramos!
Macy’s Wheaton
Lower Level
Wheaton, MD
Saturday, May 7 at 2pm

165 New Commerce Blvd.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18706

Treat your mom to a delicious meal! IMUSA Chef Elsie Ramos is sharing her secrets to creating innovative Latin dishes. She will demonstrate her no-nonsense approach to cooking simple, delectable meals featured in her book, Elsie’s Turkey Tacos and Arroz con Pollo: More than 100 Latin-Flavored, Great-Tasting Recipes for Working Moms.
A recent finalist on Fox TV’s hit reality show Hell’s Kitchen, Elsie uses IMUSA Cookware, available at Macy’s, to create and cook all her meals at home. After the demonstration, Elsie will personalize your copy of her latest cookbook* when you purchase it at Macy’s on the day of the event. Plus, kids make a special card for your mom! Reservations are necessary as space is limited. Please call 1-888-622-9769 to RSVP. All events subject to change or cancellation. *While supplies last.

April 28, 2011
Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts
172 Norfolk Street
New York, New York 10002

An evening of dancing, music and a celebration of life.

New York City professionals, corporations and special guests will unite for an elegant evening of music, fashion and dancing with a Latin flair to help the kids of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital who are battling cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Food by celebrity chef Ricardo Cardona and fashion show by Raul Peñaranda. The evening will be hosted by Univision Noticias 41’s Sandra O’Neill, with music by DJ Alex Sensation and special performances by “Fragancia” formerly from DLG and others.

Tickets

Individual ticket ~ $250
VIP ticket ~ $300
Couples ticket ~ $450
VIP couples ticket ~ $550
Purchase tickets.

 Sponsorships

View a list of sponsorship opportunities.

Donations

If you are unable to attend this year’s event but would like to support St. Jude, you can
make a donation online.

For more information about Gala por la Vida, please contact:
Sharon Abramzon
ALSAC / St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
14 Penn Plaza, Suite 1615
New York, NY 10122
(212) 239-3239 ext. 105
fax: (212) 239-3279
sharon.abramzon@stjude.org

Super Bowl Sunday is always great fun when you get together to watch one of the biggest games of the year.  It also means wings, burgers; chili and beer are in your near future!  If you want to join the fun but without damaging your resolution to eat better, make a batch of this figure-friendly chili to bring to your party.  It is so delish you and your friends won’t miss the traditional and your body will thank you!!

Skinny Super Bowl Chili – Serves 6

• 2 lbs of ground turkey
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 medium size zucchini, diced
• 1 medium size yellow squash, diced
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of chili powder
• 2 tsp of red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a stew pot and turn the heat on low.
2. Add your diced onions, and garlic until onions are softened.
3. Add your peppers and cook for about 5 minutes to soften then add your vegetables.
4. Cook for 5 for minutes to blend.
5. Add your ground turkey meat, and mix well with veggies then cover.  Cook until meat is no longer pink.
6. Mix in your crushed tomatoes and seasonings.  Cover and let it simmer for about 40 minutes on low heat.
7. Top with your favorite shredded cheese or just some low-fat sour cream.

Love is a many-splendored thing –

Best known as a 1955 movie with William Holden and a popular love song.  In this day and age, we sure could use a lot of love, especially in many parts of the world with so much unrest.  Valentine’s Day is the second biggest money making holiday, after Christmas and Halloween.  We all want to show some love to our husbands, kids, parents, and teachers because they touch our hearts and our lives, but we should remind them how much they mean to us every chance we get.  For my boys it was a small chocolate heart in their backpacks so they’d find it while in school and then a romantic dinner with my husband.  Now with boys all grown up and a 15-year relationship of mutual respect and admiration, I like to think of Valentine’s Day as the day to “do” something special. Ray and I can go to dinner any night of the week, so nothing says romance more than whipping up something special that you all get to enjoy in the privacy of your own dinner table with as many loved ones.  I’ve got just the dish that takes no time at all and delicious with a side dish, some white wine and a little dessert.  It’s Camarones con Cerveza.  What man couldn’t appreciate a dish made with cerveza and a delectable shellfish! It’s a match made in heaven.  Best part of this recipe is how quick you can make it for 2 or 6 without breaking a sweat.  Here’s a toast to loved ones and to peace and love around us all! 

Camorones con Cerveza

Ingredients:  Serves 4

2 lbs of large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 green pepper, julienned

1 onion, julienned

1 bottle of beer – room temperature

Salt & pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes – optional**

In a large skillet add your butter and as it starts to melt, add your pepper and onions and cook over medium heat, until softened – about 5 minutes

Remove your onions and peppers from the skillet and set aside.  Add the shrimp in the same and turn up the heat. Cook shrimp until pink – about 5 minutes, then pour back the peppers and onion.

While the heat is still high, add half the bottle of beer and let it cook on high until most of the beer has evaporated. 

For a spicy kick, add a pinch of red pepper or just season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with white rice, tostones or as a sexy appetizer by pouring some in a martini glass.

Out with the holidays and in to the New Year. I don’t know about you but I for one am relieved the festivities have wound down. In January, many still celebrate Three Kings Day. I know in Puerto Rico they do, so after all that it’s time to set some goals for the New Year. Keep it simple and attainable. Many get caught up in trying to do too much only to feel they failed. I stopped dieting years ago! Come on; I’m a chef! I spent most of my life in the kitchen and whipping up my arroz y habichuelas! So instead my goal is to work out more that way I don’t give up on what I love – FOOD! I have, however, learned how to customize many of my traditional dishes to healthier versions, like I did at Mount Sinai hospital last month for Diabetes Awareness month. The idea is to never deny yourself what you like but you can tweak and make it figure friendly!! After the pernils, arroz, pasteles and coquito a good way to wean you from all that rich food is a good sopa! My sopa de pollo is a godsend and delicioso. With easy ingredients like boneless chicken, ripe plantains and a delectable broth, it is the best cure for both the cold days and late nights.

Ingredients:
2 lbs of boneless thighs or drumsticks
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 very ripe plantains (almost black)
1 pound cooked ham, cut into ¼ inch cubes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp of sofrito
1 32 oz can of low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups of water
*Optional: For a richer soup add corn on the cob or veggies.

In a stockpot, combine the chicken, sofrito, garlic, and water to cover by about 1 inch. Stir well. Cover and cook over medium heat until the chicken is no longer pink.
While the chicken is simmering, prepare the plantains: Cut the ends off and cut a slit lengthwise down the middle. Open and remove the peel, using a knife or your hands, as if you were taking a jacket off somebody. Cut the plantain into ½ inch chunks and transfer to a bowl.
Add the sofrito, ham, cilantro, sazon, chicken broth and to the stockpot and mix.
Bring the soup to a boil, and add the plantains chunks. Let boil until the plantains are cooked, stirring
occasionally, about 10 minutes

Traditional Coquito Recipe                                                                 

Ingredients 
2-15 oz can of cream of coconut (I prefer Coco Lopez)
1 quart eggnog (store-bought or your favorite recipe)                              
1-12oz can of evaporated milk
6 cinnamon sticks
1 cup of sugar
6 egg yolks, (discard the whites)
½ a fifth of dark or light rum (or more to taste)

Preparation 

1. Combine the cream of coconut, eggnog and milk in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.

2. In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of water and cinnamon sticks, bring to a sfot boil, and let simmer until the water turns brown, about 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the sugar, whisking to help dissolve it quickly.  Let it simmer until it reaches a syrupy consistency; about 10 minutes.  Remove it from the heat, and let cool to room temperature.

3. Using a wire whisk, whisk the yolks very well in a large bowl until they’re thoroughly mixed.  Add the cream of coconut mixture, cooled cinnamon syrup and rum and mix well. Taste it and add more rum according to your liking. 

4. Transfer to clean gallon bottle or divide between cleaned empty wine bottles and refrigerate immediately.  Before serving shake and serve chilled.

Click Here for Coquito Recipe Tips

Office of the Mayor  Acknowledges Mount Sinai Medical Center for its Ongoing Commitment to Preventing Diabetes

On November 17th, a Mayoral Message from the Office of the Mayor was given to the Mount Sinai Medical Center for the institution’s continued work in raising awareness of diabetes within the Hispanic community. The mayoral message was read by Dr. Shadi Chamany, Director of Diabetes Prevention and Control Program of the NYC Department of Mental Health & Hygiene and was given to Dr. Tracy Breen, Clinical Director of the Mount Sinai Medical Center. The event took place at Mount Sinai’s Center for Advanced Medicine (CAM) in NYC..

Left to right – Dr. Shadi Chamany, Director of Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, NYC Department of Mental Health & Hygiene. Dr. Tracy Breen, Clinical Director, Assistant Professor Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Mount Sinai Medical Center. Josephine Guzmán, Director of Satellite Practice Operations and Manager Outreach & Physician Network, Mount Sinai Hospital. Gregory Wright, American Diabetes Association. Rob Chassin, Senior Director, Business Development and Network Operations, Mount Sinai Medical Center.

The Mayoral Message acknowledges Mount Sinai’s efforts at reversing the diabetes epidemic, through a variety of multi-faceted programs designed specifically for the Latino community. The programs include diabetes prevention activities, detection screenings, interactive learning sessions and workshops both at Mount Sinai Medical Center and throughout the community.

In addition to the Mayoral Message and in celebration of Diabetes Awareness month, Chef Elsie Ramos was on hand for a healthy eating cooking demonstration. Chef Elsie prepared a Diabetic friendly version of a Latino favorite dish, Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew).

Chef Elsie Ramos prepares a healthy meal selection for event attendees.