One of my favorite combinations is Garbanzo (Chickpeas) and Chorizo. The flavors just go so well together. I like them sautéed with some garlic and onions, stewed with tomatoes or in stewed rice like in this recipe. Make sure you use cured Spanish Style Chorizo which has Spanish Sweet Paprika that gives its distinctive color….
Sweet Pie Cookies with Apricot Glaze
I’m the self appointed queen of leftovers! As I have mentioned in other posts, I don’t like to throw away food and really enjoy the creative process in the kitchen. Every year my kids and I bake homemade cookies for Santa Clause and truly, this year, Christmas Eve crept up on me without having bought…
Apricot Glaze
I love apricots, apricot juice, apricot chutney, apricot desserts and apricot preserves. I make my apricot glaze for pork loins, bbq pork chops, turkey, tarts (like my Apple-Almond Tart) and cookies. Also, amazing over brie cheese or with bleu cheese. Add a pinch of red chili pepper flakes and you have a delicious sauce for…
Frijoles Negros Cubanos
I regret to inform you that there are no short cuts or fast-track techniques to ease the process of making authentic and delicious Frijoles Negros Cubanos (Cuban Style Stewed Black Beans). However, rest assured, once you taste the outcome of this recipe, you will never again want to buy the canned black beans found in…
Tembleque
Tembleque (means jiggly in Spanish) is a typical holiday puertorrican dessert. Everybody loves Tembleque! Once again, my grandmother Ita makes the best one, but she is getting older and has not made it for a couple of years, so guess who has stepped in to make the holiday Tembleque…? This dessert is creamy, jiggly and…
White Bean Soup with White Truffle Oil and Pancetta Dust
A few months ago I got an e-mail from my friend Michelle R. asking me to cook some of my published recipes at a mother and daughter informal lunch in her new home. After discussing the menu and a convenient date for everyone to attend, the event finally took place a few days ago. My…
Garlic-Parsley Butter
This butter is one of those easy confections that can make a good dish, delicious; an okay bread, superb. I use it on bread, for rice, for corn on the cob, over filet mignon, to season chicken, for soups, mashed potatoes, simple pasta dishes, sauteed shrimp, lobster, etc. The possibilities are endless… Enjoy! Garlic-Parsley Butter…
Apple-Almond Tart
Although I live on an island, its hard to find a beachfront restaurant (outside of a hotel) in San Juan due to urbanization as well as construction restrictions. I adore and respect everything about the ocean and can’t imagine a nicer way to celebrate a special occasion than with lunch or dinner on the beach…
Arroz con Gandules
The Holidays are here and in Puerto Rico this means having a weekly overdose of Arroz con Gandules, pasteles (ground plantain patties filled with stewed pork or chicken), lechón (bbq whole pork), Tembleque (coconut custard) and Coquito (Puertorrican eggnog spiced with rum) in every celebration. Here, we make any excuse to have a party, so…
Annatto Oil (Aceite de Achiote)
Annatto, the seed of a fruit, is used to give natural color and flavor to certain foods. It is also used to make products like lipsticks and insect repellent. Annatto or “achiote” originates from Brazil, but today it is also popular in other countries in Latin American and Asia. It is soluble in water and…