Ceviche [seh-VEE-chee;
seh-VEE-cheh; seh-VEESH]
An appetizer popular in Latin America consisting of raw fish
marinated in citrus (usually lime) juice. The action of the
acid in the lime juice "cooks" the fish, thereby firming the
flesh and turning it opaque. Onions, tomatoes and green
peppers are often added to the marinade.
Only very fresh fish should be
used for this dish. pompano, red snapper and sole are the
fish most often selected for seviche (which is also spelled
ceviche and cebiche).
Chimichurri
A traditional condiment that's similar to a pesto sauce but
made with parsley rather than basil. It's the typical
accompaniment for the classic Argentinean dish, churrasco,
which is usually made with skirt steak.
Empanada [em-pah-NAH-dah;
em-pah-NAH-thah]
Empanar is Spanish for "to bake in pastry," and these
Mexican and Spanish specialties are usually single-serving
turnovers with a pastry crust and savory meat-and-vegetable
filling. They can also be filled with fruit and served as
dessert.
Empanadas range in size from the huge empanada gallega,
large enough to feed an entire family, to empanaditas--tiny,
ravioli-size pastries.
Paella [pi-AY-yuh; pi-AYL-yuh]
A Spanish dish of saffron-flavored rice combined with a
variety of meats and shellfish (such as shrimp, lobster,
clams, chicken, pork, ham and chorizo), garlic, onions,
peas, artichoke hearts and tomatoes.
It's named after the special two-handled pan--also called
paella--in which it's prepared and served. The pan is wide,
shallow and 13 to 14 inches in diameter.
Sofrito (Sp.) [soh-FREE-toh]
1. The Spanish sofrito is a sauce made by sautéing annatto
seeds in rendered pork fat. The seeds are removed before
chopped onions, green peppers, garlic, pork and various
herbs are cooked in the flavored, now-red oil until the
ingredients are tender and the mixture is thick. The sauce
is used in recipes as needed.
2. The Italian soffrito is a similar mixture (usually
chopped celery, green peppers, onions, garlic and herbs)
sautéed in olive oil and used to flavor soups, sauces and
meat dishes.
