The Cooking Idea: Tostones

Hey all.

There comes a time in every blog's life in which its writers become too wrapped up in their own affairs to remember that there's a place on the internet specifically to tell the world (or at least its followers) about said affairs. That time was the past three months. We've been finishing up school, going places for Summer, and spending time wishing the places we went were at least a little closer together.

We've found ways to occupy ourselves and been in constant correspondence with one another. Life has been going well and the Earth has continued to turn, so there's not too much to complain about.

Today I noticed a few banana-esque items in my kitchen. Now, anyone who knows me well enough will instantly look at this post and call BS. "Max, you HATE bananas. Why in the world would you ever make a dish including anything remotely close to them?" Well, yes. I do hate bananas, but, surprisingly, tostones (fried plantains) are among my favorite summer snacks. These plantains sitting on my counter were just waiting to be fried, so I took it upon myself to chop 'em up, toss 'em in some oil, and let 'em get nice and crispy. The result was a salty, crispy, slightly chewy, and barely sweet assortment of fried plantain chips that got rid of my late-night munchies faster than the greasiest of burgers.

The recipe is as simple as they come:

-Plantains, peeled and cut into ~1" slices

-Enough peanut oil to barely cover the plantains during frying

-Salt (to taste)

Bring the oil to about 350º F and fry the plantain slices in peanut oil. I generally fry one plantain's-worth of slices at a time. After about three minutes, flip the slices over and let them fry again for about two minutes. Once they've browned a little bit, take them out and flatten them with a glass or a plate. Once they've been flattened, fry them again for about one minute on each side. Remove them from the oil and toss some salt on those puppies, they're done!

I highly suggest a dipping sauce that my mom and I find delicious:

~3 parts Mayonnaise

~1 part Sriracha (Rooster) Sauce

~1 part pomegranate molasses (From an Asian market)

Mix those together until you find a combination you like (depending on how spicy or sweet you want it) and enjoy!

Happy frying!