FOREWORD Ariel Fox is a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. I knew from the first time she stepped into Hell’s Kitchen in 2009 that she had talent, drive, and passion. Her tremendous talent propelled her to the top three on Season 6, and then to taking the crown on Season 18. From that first challenge to her last, I knew that she had incredible passion for her roots in Latin and Caribbean cooking. To see her finally put that passion into a book like this is extraordinary. Spice Kitchen will transport you to the Caribbean, a place I know well from my time working as a young chef below deck. The ingredients, the seafood, and the flavors of Caribbean food were amazing, and with her fantastic recipes Ariel will take you to the place and food I fell in love with. Ariel’s passion for flavor comes through in every creation. And just because the word healthy is in the title doesn’t mean she’s cut flavor. I can guarantee you there is flavor in every bite. As someone who’s competed in many Ironman competitions, I know firsthand the importance of eating and cooking healthy. The one thing I’ve never sacrificed is flavor, and neither does Ariel. I would trust Ariel to run any of my kitchens around the world, so of course I trust her to make the most incredible and delicious recipes for you to cook in her cookbook. I know I’ll be cooking Tana and Oscar many of these delicious treats. Enjoy! Gordon Spice Kitchen | 5To make great healthier Latin and Caribbean food, these are some of my go-to ingredients that I keep around most of the time. I try to buy the cleanest foods possible, and when in doubt, fresh is usually the best. I stay away from poorly processed foods, and most of these ingredients can be found in the grocery store. Some items are easier to find online or in your local ethnic markets. And these days, nothing is more than a click away from being delivered right to your doorstep! Great cooking (to put it simply) is harnessing the ability to maximize flavor with balance, delivering compatible flavors that awaken the taste buds. What I love most about the cuisines of my heritage is that the combinations of ingredients almost always find a way of harmonizing the four basic tastes, and then some. Not only do we deliver sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness, but we also explore mouthfeel through texture and contrasting temperatures, aroma, and umami. Above all, the introduction to piquancy is what really sets this world of food apart. In this section, the pantry and countertop areas refer to nonrefrigerated ingredients and make up the bulk of what we will use in this book. By no means must you keep on hand every type of alternative flour, salt, sweetener, etc. The recipes have been written using the versions that work best, but most can be swapped. At the very least, I suggest one of the staple subs. The authenticity of the flavors in this book are rooted in traditions that may be new to you. However, through the ingredients, techniques, and recipes to follow, I hope you find new opportunities to experiment with these healthier variations—making Latin and Caribbean cuisine finally become a staple of your kitchen. THE RIGHT STUFF Spice Kitchen | 6posole rojo Dried Chile Paste: • 6 dried guajillo chile peppers • 4 dried ancho chile peppers • 2 dried pasilla negra chile peppers • 2 dried morita chile peppers • 4 dried chiles de Árbol • 1 jarred chipotle pepper in adobo sauce plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce Stew: • 1 (2 1/2 pound) rack baby back pork ribs, cut into 2 pieces • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds) • 2 tablespoons sea salt • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper • 2 teaspoons ground cumin • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, plus more as needed for cooking • 2 medium Spanish onions, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces • 6 cloves garlic, minced or grated • 1 bay leaf • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano • 2 avocado leaves, available in Mexican markets • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 2 quarts chicken stock or bone broth • 2 quarts water • 3 (15-ounce) cans cooked organic hominy, drained and rinsed • 2 (15-ounce) cans cooked black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed • Sea salt and pepper to taste Serves 8 Make the Chile Paste: Break the stems off all the chiles and shake out and discard as many of the seeds as you can. Place the stemmed and seeded dried chiles in a bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Cover the bowl with plastic and allow the chiles to soak for at least 30 minutes, until soft. Transfer the softened chiles and chipotle peppers in adobo to a blender along with 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Blend on high speed until smooth and uniform. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any bitter coarse skins left behind. Be careful not to inhale directly over the chiles while blending! Set the chile paste aside. Make the Soup: Toss the rib pieces and chicken thighs with the sea salt, cracked black pepper, cumin, and avocado oil until well coated. Heat a large, wide-bottom soup pot over medium-high heat. In batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pot, sear the ribs and chicken thighs until deep golden brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the browned meat to a plate while browning the next batches. Add a little more avocado oil to the pan to keep it from scorching, and turn the heat down to medium if need be. Once all the meat has been browned, remove it from the pot. Add the onions to the same pot and sauté until tender and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add back in the browned meats, bay leaf, Mexican oregano, avocado leaves, allspice, and cinnamon. Pour in the 2 quarts of chicken stock and top with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in the chile paste. Allow to cook for 2 1/2 hours until the pork is tender and falling off the bones. Once the pork ribs are done, carefully scoop out all of the ribs and chicken thighs from the pot onto a large cutting board. Gently pull and shred the meats and return them to the pot. Discard the bones. Add the hominy and black-eyed peas to the pot. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Allow the soup to cook on low heat for 1 hour more. Serve in the pot and place all of the fixings on the side for everyone to build their own bowls. This is hands down my favorite stew to make. Posole is the perfect casual party meal, and it makes a beautiful presentation when you set out a giant kettle of this deep-red soup surrounded by all of the fresh fixings. It is tradition to top posole with loads of shaved fresh vegetables like radishes, cabbage, onions, jalapeños, and avocado. Then tie it all together with sprigs of fresh cilantro and wedges of lime for squeezing. I also like to drizzle in some Charred Green Onion Cashew Crema (p. 50). The hominy isn’t particularly good for you, but it isn’t really unhealthy in small doses. I have subbed in half the amount of hominy with black-eyed peas, which are lower in carbs and add another layer of flavor. Don’t cheat yourself out of all the different chiles used below. Find a Mexican market and commit—I promise you won’t be disappointed. Suggested Fixings: shredded cabbage, shaved white onions, shaved radishes, shaved jalapeño peppers, sliced avoca- do, fresh cilantro sprigs, Charred Green Onion Cashew Crema (p. 50), crumbled queso fresco, plenty of lime wedges Spice Kitchen | 61avocado and heirloom tomato salad • 2 large perfectly ripe Hass avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices, at room temperature • 2 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, in season, at room temperature • 1 clove garlic, minced or finely grated • 2 pinches flake sea salt • Squeeze of fresh lime juice • 2 tablespoons very high quality extra-vir- gin olive oil • 1/4 cup cottage cheese • 3 tablespoons Herbed Caper and Olive Salsa (p. 109) • Freshly cracked black pepper Place the avocados in a wooden salad bowl and set aside. Halve the tomatoes and place them on the cutting board cut-side down. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the tomato wedges to the salad bowl. Add the garlic to the avocados and tomatoes, along with the flake salt, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and the olive oil. Very gently, using your fingertips, toss the fruits until they are coated. It’s best not to use tongs or any tool for this; they will damage the avocados and tomatoes. Allow the avocados and tomatoes to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. On a decorative platter, arrange the avocado slices in a mosaiclike pattern. Next arrange the tomato wedges in the empty spaces. Next, spoon dollops of cottage cheese in the remaining empty spaces on the plate. Drizzle the leftover juices from the salad bowl over some of the tomatoes. Finally, spoon the Herbed Caper and Olive Salsa in a zigzag pattern across the platter, making sure there is some touching at least half of the fruits and cheese. Crack fresh pepper across the platter. On a trip to Ibiza, Spain, I remember eating the most amazing salad of perfectly ripe tomatoes, white onions, sea salt, garlic, and olive oil. It was arguably the best tomato salad I’ve ever had. I have had similar experiences on several of my trips to Italy during the season when the tomatoes are just right, served with a spicy, grassy, unfiltered olive oil. A similar joy is eating an absolutely perfect avocado with fresh lime and sea salt. Many a table in Latin and Caribbean households will serve a simple platter of avocados like this. When heirloom tomatoes aren’t in season, you can swap in perfectly ripe peaches. This salad is best served at room temperature, except for the optional addition of dollops of cold cottage cheese. Serves 4 Spice Kitchen | 103Coconut Tres Leches Cake Cake: • Coconut oil spray • Coconut flour, for preparing the dish • 2 tablespoons honey or homemade Papaya Molasses (p. 55) • 1/4 pound coconut shortening • 4 tablespoons European-style vegan cashew butter or dairy grass-fed butter • 1 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour • 1 1/2 cups coconut flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1 teaspoon sea salt • 10 large organic eggs • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar or 3/4 cup monk fruit sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Milk Soak: • 2 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk • 2 cups cashew milk or almond milk • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed coconut milk (such as Nature’s Charm) Whipped Topping: • 2 cups grass-fed dairy heavy cream • 2 tablespoons powdered monk fruit sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnishes: • Fresh lime zest • Toasted coconut Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease with coconut oil spray and dust with coconut flour a decorative 9-inch square ceramic baking dish. Make the cake: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the honey, coconut shortening, and butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until melted. Stir and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a separate large bowl using a hand mixer with the beater attachments, beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vanilla. In two additions, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Beat until just combined and uniform. Stir in the honey mixture. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a knife or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake is baking, prepare the milk soak: In a large bowl, stir together all three milks until combined. Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and poke holes in it all over with a knife or wooden skewer. Pour one- third of the milk soak all over the cake. It will look like it’s drowning. Wait 10 minutes, until the cake has soaked up the milk. Pour another one-third of the milk over the cake. This round will take a little longer to absorb. Once the second round has absorbed, pour the remaining milk soak over the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill. The cake must be completely cold before topping with the whipped cream. While the cake is chilling, make the whipped topping (or use Coconut Whipped Cream, recipe follows): In a medium bowl, add the cream, monk fruit sugar, and vanilla. Using a wire whip, or a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat until medium peaks form. Once the cake is completely chilled and most of the milk soak has been absorbed, use a rubber spatula to spread the whipped cream over the cake, filling the dish up to the top. Smooth out the topping. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes and fresh lime zest. Cut into squares, being careful not to smudge the whipped topping, and serve right from the dish. I have been playing around with this riff on a tres leches cake for a long time. Once I got my husband’s and father-in-law’s stamp of approval, I never looked back! To be honest, when I make this, I still use heavy dairy cream for the topping. In fact, this is the only recipe I make using cow’s milk cream. However, I have included a coconut whipped cream recipe, which is also delicious on this cake. Serves 6 to 8 Preheat Oven 350°F Spice Kitchen | 153Next >