Welcome to 'The Voice Kitchen' podcast: Where Recipes and Voice Talent Blend! I'm your host, Cheryl Holling From savory soups to sweet desserts, this podcast has something for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned chef or just starting out in the kitchen, 'The Voice Kitchen' is a place for voice actors and foodies to gather 'round a virtual table and share their most special recipes! You don't have to be a VO to tune in to The Voice Kitchen so grab a seat and let's get cookin! I hope you enjoyed our last episode where VO Chef, Tiffany Vanlandigham shared her mom's incredible recipe of Apple-Almond Upside Down Pie! If you missed that episode, then I highly encourage you to give it a listen and it would make for a delectable dessert after the recipe we're going to be making today. Today, I'm excited to be chatting with VO Chef, Christy Harst, who is a true trailblazer in the voiceover community as she is on a mission to transform the landscape of sports promos - a genre that is traditionally dominated by male voices. Through her innovative Building Doors campaign, Christy is striving to rewrite the narrative by advocating for equal opportunities for female voice actors, not only in sports but across male-centric brands. Her vision is to build a door that opens to new possibilities and remains open for future generations of women in voiceover. In her own passionate pursuits, Christy has created a personal YouTube appeal to her cherished Cleveland Browns, aiming to become their "first female voice to break through the noise" and serve as their secret weapon. Christy's voice is already a trailblazer through some of that noise and has been heard on the World Series, Monday Night Football, and the NBA Finals, as one of the national voices of YouTubeTV. She's also the national voice of John Deere, and voiced dozens of television, streaming, and radio ads. I'd like to open the door to 'The Voice Kitchen' and welcome in this powerhouse as she shares another passion of hers; that of bringing family and friends together during the holidays to create and enjoy her Holiday Hallacas (hi-jock-az) HOLIDAY HALLACAS Steamed Banana Leaves with Chicken, Pork and Beef Filling Yields: about 25 Hallacas INGREDIENTS Guiso Geese-so (Stew) Filling Make this a day in advance, as the flavors become more infused overnight. 2 limes, both halved 3 1/2 pounds chicken legs, thighs and breasts (hen is preferred/more traditional, but chicken works well too) 4-5 cups water (enough to cover chicken) ½ cup vegetable oil 3 1/4 pounds pork shoulder, with some fat remaining 2 1/4 pounds lean ground beef 1/2 pound lard or vegetable shortening (can also substitute 1/2 cup vegetable oil, though it will lack the flavor from the lard) 3 cups white onion, diced (about 3 medium onions) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup (3-4) leeks, white and pale green portion only, thinly sliced 6 green onions, white part only, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup) 1 pound red bell peppers, roasted with skins and seeds removed (*see note below on method), diced ½ teaspoon fresh or canned habanero peppers, finely diced 4 sweet cherry peppers pickled in brine (Italian style, sold in jars), diced 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, peeled and seeded ¼ cup capers, finely diced ½ cup pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced ½ cup pickled antipasti-style pickled vegetables, such as carrots and cauliflower (in a jar) ½ cup muscatel (Muscat) wine 2 tablespoons prepared mustard ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika Hallacas, ½ cup raisins 1 1/4 cups shredded papelon/piloncillo (sugar cane blocks or cones, available in Latin stores), grated. If you cannot find piloncillo, substitute ¾ cup molasses (which has a stronger taste than sugar cane) 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 teaspoons salt * To Skin and Seed Peppers: Cover peppers with vegetable oil and place on a metal baking sheet; roast in moderate heat (350º) oven until skin wrinkles, about 50 minutes. Remove peppers from the oven and place inside a brown paper bag to cool. With a damp cloth, rub the pepper skin, then place the pepper under running water to loosen and remove both skin and seeds. Ingredients for Dough 5 pounds pre-cooked white corn meal: (3 packages of Harina Pan, or Masa Arepa flour made by Goya, both available in Latin markets) 2 cups chicken stock (reserved from the cooked chicken) 3 cups lard or Crisco solid vegetable shortening (do not use butter) 3 tablespoons of annatto seeds (or achiote paste if annatto is not available), carried in Latin markets 3 tablespoons salt Garnish This garnish is actually a deconstruction of the guiso ingredients and therefore "introduces" the meal to the diner(?) Explain ¼ pound lard or solid shortening, cut in ½ inch pieces 1 pound shredded hen or chicken breast 1 pound red bell peppers, cut in strips, skin and seeds removed (see technique in filling ingredients listing) 2 medium white onions, sliced thin and cut into 1-1/2 inch-long rings ½ cup small capers 1 cup pitted green olives, sliced ½ cup raisins ½ cup blanched whole almonds WRAPPING The plantain leaves used for wrapping should be cleaned the day of hallacas assembly so they do not dry out after rinsing. 10 pounds fresh plantain leaves (available in Latin and Asian food markets) Cooking twine NOTE: The leaves are sold in frozen packages; to thaw, soak packages in warm water until leaves are soft, about 30-45 minutes. Do not microwave. Assembling the Hallacas The plantain leaves must be cleaned prior to usage: Place the leaves in the sink and cover with water. Then, taking one leaf at a time, unfold them very carefully on a tabletop, to avoid tearing the leaf. With a damp cloth, clean each leaf on both sides; set leaves aside for hallaca assembly. Each hallaca uses 3 leaves. Cut 25-30 pieces of each size (see below) and set aside in three different piles. The first is the base leaf, upon which the dough is placed. The second leaf is called the 'shirt' or 'camisa,' used to keep water from leaking inside to the filling while the hallaca is cooking. The third one is called the 'belt' or 'faja,' a slim piece that holds the ends of the camisa together. Base leaf should be about 11 x 15 inches Shirt/Camisa should be 8 x 10 inches Belt/Faja should be 4 x 6 inches The plantain leaf has a hard vein down its center, with smaller veins stemming from it across the length of the leaf. When cleaning and working on the leaf, place the shiny side of the leaf up and move in the direction of the vein, not across the grain, so as not to break the surface of the leaf. If the base leaf breaks or tears, do not use it. Try to make belts out of that torn leaf, or toss. (yeah, I won't be doing that). Torn leaves will not maintain the watertight seal and water will seep into the filling. Cut one piece of cooking twine per hallaca. The length should be about one yard, or roughly the length from your left shoulder to the end of your right hand. INSTRUCTIONS for Filling Stew/Guiso Clean chicken with lime, then rinse well with water. Place chicken pieces into a pot with water; bring to a boil over high heat, then lower temperature and let simmer on stovetop for approximately 30 minutes, until chicken is tender but not falling off the bone. Transfer chicken to a plate; and set aside stock. Pull meat off the bones; cut meat into 1/8-inch-wide strips, about 1 1/2 inches long, or shred with your hands. Reserve 1 pound to use for garnishes; the rest will go in the stew. Clean the pork shoulder with lime, then rinse well with water and cut into a fine dice. In a large stock pot, heat oil over high heat; add diced pork and ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until meats are browned; transfer to a plate. Reduce heat under the pot and add lard or vegetable oil and leeks, green onions, onions and garlic. Add 1 cup chicken stock and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft but not browned. Add red bell peppers, habanero peppers, sweet cherry peppers and cook until vegetables are soft. Add tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes at low heat. Add the capers, olives, papelon (or molasses), paprika, raisins, Muscat wine, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Add 2 cups of chicken stock. Return the pork and ground beef to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken strips and cook for 1 hour in low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let rest, covered until completely cooled. Refrigerate until ready to use. Making the Dough Place 2 cups of lard in a pan with the annatto seeds over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat; be sure not to burn the seeds (dough will turn brown, not orange if seeds are burnt). Remove seeds by straining mixture through a sieve. Set lard aside. Put corn flour in a large mixing bowl and add salt; then slowly add 1 cup uncolored lard and start mixing to get a dough. Add the additional 1-1/2 cups of colored lard and continue to mix. Add the chicken stock to the mixture, and combine well until you reach a firm but soft consistency; knead the mixture. The dough should be a dark orange color, smooth with no lumps. Make balls of about 3 inches in diameter, set aside and cover with a humid cloth. Set aside the remaining ½ cup of colored lard, to be used to grease the plantain leaves during assembly of the hallacas. Note: when forming the dough into a ball, your hands should appear shiny from the lard – that indicates the lard has been adequately mixed and absorbed for the correct consistency. If they are not, add more lard to the dough mixture until your hands take on a lightly oily sheen. Assembly Prepare plantain leaves as described in the ingredients list, above. Using a cloth or a pastr
