Plátanos Are Love
by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
illustrated by Mariyah Rahman
illustrated by Mariyah Rahman
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00This book is dedicated to my three abuelas, Gloria Ana Luisa and Esmeralda.
00:16Thank you for teaching me the magic of storytelling and food, ARM.
00:21To the women who raised me, Valerie Jeanette and Verna.
00:24This book is dedicated to the countless hours we spent together in the warmth of our Caribbean
00:29kitchens.
00:30I continue to be inspired by you all, MR.
00:33Platanos are love.
00:34By Alyssa Reynoso-Morris.
00:36Illustrated by Maria Raman and El Mercado.
00:40Abuela says, Platanos are love.
00:42I thought they were food, but Abuela says they feed us in more ways than one.
00:46On my tippy toes, I reach for the biggest platanos at the top of a tall pile.
00:51Abuela says, our ancestors picked platanos de los arboles.
00:55I imagine plucking them from high up in the trees like mi familia from long ago.
01:00I place the platanos all together in a bag and worry they'll get smashed.
01:04Abuela says, Esme, don't worry.
01:07Platanos grow in tight bunches snuggled up cloudy como en nuestra familia.
01:11As we walk down las calles, I carry them close to my heart.
01:15When we get home, I follow Abuela into la cocina where we cook creamy and rich mango
01:20for breakfast.
01:21Crack crack, Abuela splits open platanos verdes.
01:25She boils and mashes them with butter and salt.
01:28I top them off with cebollas rojas fritas that spell amor.
01:32Abuela, is this your mama's recipe?
01:34I ask.
01:35Si mi amor, Abuela says.
01:38And it will be la receta you'll teach tus hijos un dia.
01:41Every time we cook, Abuela tells me she has been eating platanos since she was my age.
01:46Did your mother y su madre eat platanos too?
01:49Abuela says, Si Esme.
01:52Los platanos son la comida of our ancestors.
01:55The emprericuar da platantos are part of our history, Abuela says.
02:00Recipes were passed down en secreto because our ancestors weren't allowed to liriscribe
02:04or odibujar like you do in your notebook.
02:07That's why Abuela knows every receta by heart.
02:10When I ask which recipe she learned first, Abuela says, Salty and crispy tostons me favorito.
02:16They're my favorite too so I pay special attention to the chop chop as Abuela slices the firm
02:21platanos verdes.
02:23Pop pop.
02:24I fry them until they look like the sunflowers in our jardin golden yellow on the outside
02:28with black seeds and el centro.
02:30I sprinkle them with sea salt for lunch.
02:33Crunch munch, when we share them con nuestra familia y amigos.
02:37Abuela says, Our ancestors planted semillas with the wish that one day future generations
02:43would come together para comerlos.
02:45I look around at mi familia grande and think their wish came true.
02:49There are still platanos left on the counter.
02:51Mi hermanita asks for sweet and chewy maduros.
02:55But Abuela says we have to wait for los platanos to ripen and change color.
02:59The more marron spots, the mas dulce they get.
03:02I tell mi hermanita.
03:04I learned that from Abuela.
03:06For a week we watch los platanos turn from verde to amarillo to negro and finally.
03:11Estan maduros, they're ready, I yell.
03:14Abuela fries the platanos in the bubbling oil until they are soft with crispy caramelized
03:18edges.
03:20Si dulce como tu es, Abuela says.
03:24Mi hermanita and I eat until we are full.
03:26But somehow Abuela always makes enough like magic.
03:29When she cracks and mashes creamy and rich mango.
03:32Chops and fries salty and crispy tostons.
03:35Peels and sautes sweet and chewy maduros she shares with everyone because platanos son
03:40para compartir.
03:42I lick my lips and say, they are Abuela.
03:45Platanos are for sharing.
03:46Just like stories.
03:49Abuela says platanos are our past.
04:16I say platanos are our present.
04:18And with this book, platanos will always be our future.
04:22Because in our familia.
04:24Platanos are love.
04:25Glossary.
04:26Abuela, grandmother.
04:27Amarillo, yellow.
04:28Amigos, friends.
04:29Arboles, trees.
04:30Calles, streets.
04:31Sploas rojas fritas, fried red onions.
04:32Cocina, kitchen.
04:33Como nuestra familia, like our family.
04:34Con nuestra familia, with our family.
04:35Dibujar, to draw.
04:36Dulce como tu, sweet.
04:37Abuela, grandmother.
04:38Amarillo, yellow.
04:39Amigos, friends.
04:40Arboles, trees.
04:41Calles, streets.
04:42Sploas rojas fritas, fried red onions.
04:43Cocina, kitchen.
04:44Como nuestra familia, like our family.
04:45Con nuestra familia, with our family.
04:46Dibujar, to draw.
04:47Dulce como tu, sweet like you.
04:49En el centro, in the center.
04:51En el mercado, in the market.
04:54En secreto, in secret.
04:56Escribir, to write.
04:57Están, they are.
04:59Familia, family.
05:01Fufu, an international dish made in Latin America, the Caribbean and multiple countries
05:05in Africa by boiling plantains and then mashing them with spices and slash or a savory sauce.
05:11Grande, big.
05:13Jardin, garden.
05:14Lir, to read.
05:16Maduros, ripe plantains or a sweet dish made of fried ripe plantains cut into slices.
05:21Mango, a dish traditionally eaten in the Dominican Republic that is similar to fufu and made
05:26by boiling plantains and then mashing them with buttermilk and cream cheese.
05:30Marron, brown.
05:32Mos dulce, sweeter.
05:34Mi amor, my love.
05:36Mi favorito, my favorite.
05:38Mi hermanita, my little sister.
05:40Negro, black.
05:42O, or.
05:43Para comerlos, to eat them.
05:45Patacons, Colombian word for tostones which is a dish of twice fried green plantain slices.
05:51Platanos, plantains.
05:53Platanos verdes, green plantains.
05:55Receta, recipe.
05:57Semillas, seeds.
05:59Si, yes.
06:00Siempre recurda, always remember.
06:03Son la comida, are the food.
06:05Son para compartir, are for sharing.
06:08Su madre, her his their mother.
06:10Tajadas, a sweet dish made of fried ripe plantains cut into slices or an alternative
06:15word for maduros.
06:17Tostones, twice fried green plantain slices commonly found in Latin American and Caribbean
06:22cuisine.
06:23Tus hijos un día, your kids one day.
06:26Verde, green.
06:27Y, and.
06:29Platanos recipes.
06:30Serves 4 to 6 loved ones.
06:33Always prepare these recipes with a grown-up who can help you be safe.
06:36Tostones or patacons.
06:38Ingredients.
06:394 unripe, green, plantains.
06:42½ to 1 cup sunflower seed oil.
06:45Salt and pepper to taste.
06:46Instructions.
06:481. Cut the ends off the plantains and peel them.
06:51Then cut them into eye-inch thick slices.
06:532. Pour the oil in a frying pan until it is 1-2 inch deep.
06:57The amount you need will depend on the pan.
06:59If you have a wide pan you will need more oil.
07:02Heat the oil.
07:03The best way to know if it is hot enough is to put the handle of a wooden spoon or a chopstick
07:08in the oil.
07:09If bubbles form and float to the oil, the oil is ready.
07:123. Fry the plantains in batches without crowding too many in the pan until they are golden brown.
07:181 to 2 minutes on each side.
07:20Add more oil to the pan as necessary in order to maintain that 1-2 inch depth.
07:254. With a spatula, carefully remove the fried plantains from the pan and place them on paper
07:30towels to drain until they are cool enough to handle.
07:335. Flatten the plantain slices to half their original thickness using a tostonera or the
07:38bottom of a glass bottle.
07:396. Fry the plantains again for a minute on each side.
07:42Carefully remove them from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain.
07:477. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
07:50Maduro's or Platano's al Caldero or Tajadas or Platano's Dulces.
07:55Ingredients
07:574 ripe, heavily spotted yellow to brown, or very ripe, brown to black, plantains.
08:031 ½ cup sunflower or coconut oil.
08:05Salt to taste.
08:07Instructions
08:081. Cut the ends off the plantains and peel them.
08:11Then diagonally cut the plantains into 1-2 inch thick slices.
08:152. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan.
08:18The best way to know if the oil is hot enough is to put the handle of a wooden
08:22spoon or a chopstick in the oil. If bubbles form and float to the top, the oil is ready.
08:273. Fry the plantains in batches without crowding too many in the pan until they are golden brown.
08:331 to 2 minutes on each side.
08:354. With a spatula, carefully remove the fried plantains from the pan and place them on paper
08:40towels to drain. 5. Sprinkle them with salt and serve immediately.
08:44Mango or Fufu. Ingredients
08:47Mango. 4 unripe, green plantains.
08:501 teaspoon salt about 1 cup water for boiling. 4 teaspoons olive oil or butter.
08:562 teaspoons cream cheese, optional, sunny-side up eggs or scrambled eggs,
09:01fried cheese, and slash or salami optional for serving.
09:05Instructions
09:06Mango.
09:071. Cut the ends off the plantains and peel them. Then cut them into 1-inch thick slices.
09:122. Put the water salt and plantains in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
09:16Be sure to add enough salt water to cover the plantains entirely.
09:203. Boil the plantains until they are very tender about 30 minutes. You can use a fork to check.
09:264. Carefully remove the plantains from the pot and let the water cool until it is warm but not
09:31hot. Make sure you keep the water. 5. Mash the plantains in a large bowl with
09:36a fork until they are very smooth and there are almost no lumps.
09:40Gradually mix in the salt water the plantains boiled in. You may not need it all, just add a
09:45little at a time until it is smooth and creamy, and the olive oil or butter.
09:496. Keep mashing and mixing until it turns into a smooth puree.
09:537. Add cream cheese to make the mixture even smoother if desired.
09:57Onion garnish.
09:582 tablespoons olive oil.
10:002 red onions large.
10:021 tablespoons apple cider vinegar salt to taste.
10:05Onion garnish.
10:071. Cut the onions into 1-8-inch thick rings.
10:102. Heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat.
10:13Add the onions.
10:14Cook and stir until the onions become translucent about 4-6 minutes.
10:193. Pour in the vinegar and season the onions with salt to taste.
10:23Stir for about 1 minute and then turn off the stove.
10:26To serve.
10:26Put some of the mango on each plate and top with some of the onions.
10:30If desired serve with sunny-side up eggs or scrambled eggs fried cheese and slash or salami.
10:36The end.