Thanksgiving Day is coming up and for me this year it means a plethora of family reunions since my youngest brother Manolo will be getting married during that weekend. I’m grateful everyday for my immediate and extended family and circle of friends. I love family reunions, even though it might include some drama, odd “caricature-like”…
Tag: cocina criolla
Titi Magüi’s Bread Pudding
Titi Magüi was my “tia-abuela”, my grandma’s sister. She never had children of her own, but she was always a constant in our lives, like a third grandmother. As a little girl, she would babysit me so that my parents could go to the movies (I was an only child for 7 years). Also, I…
Witch Fingers Cookies
Halloween is coming up and we like to go all out getting dressed up every year. I don’t know who enjoys it more, the kids or the parents, but a group of families always get together and head a “pilgrimage” to a house in our neighborhood where every year the owner dresses up as a…
Tostones de Plátano Verde (fried green plantains)
Fresh food always tastes better than previously frozen food. That is a fact! However, some foods freeze better than others and their flavors or texture are not affected by the process. I rely on frozen foods only if there is no other alternative or if I want to preserve something fresh from being spoiled and…
Piñón de Plátano Maduro
I want to introduce to you the “Caribbean Lasagna”! Tiers of fried ripe sweet plantain strips, picadillo (cuban style ground beef) and mozzarella that is baked until golden brown. The mix of sweet and savory is absolutely perfect! A great alternative for boat trips, picnics, feeding large groups and easy make ahead meals. It goes…
Arroz con Salchichas
My grandmother Ita always says an “arroz guisado” (stewed rice) is as good as the “sofrito” you make. In Puerto Rico, sofrito refers to a blend of oil, onions, garlic, aji dulce (sweet peppers), bay leaf, tomato sauce, “alcaparrado” (a blend of manzanilla olives and capers), cubanel and bell peppers, culantro (recao) and sometimes, ham,…
Almond Mantecaditos
As a young girl my grandmother Ita would make Mantecaditos for me every time she came to visit from Ponce, the southern part of the island. I learned to make her recipe, a variation of Carmen Aboy Valdejully’s cookbook Cocina Criolla. Ita would alter the recipe and substitute vanilla for the almond extract and place…
Marinara Sauce
Marinara Sauce is mainly used for pasta, but it can also be used as the basis or complement for many other dishes like lasagna, vodka sauce, fried calamari and veal parmigiana among others. Since making fresh marinara sauce is so easy, you have no excuse to make it homemade every time! Many of you might…
Gouda Cheese Balls
This week I am making an early posting because on wednesday we are going away on vacation to Colorado for New Year’s Celebration. The kids are very excited and looking forward to making snow angels and of course, skiing. It’s a good change for us form the constant heat in Puerto Rico (although I am…
Basic White Rice
Finally! I’ve been wanting to start my foodie blog for a long time and today I took the time to do it myself. This is my first post so I want it to be simple and straightforward like the following recipe. For all of you who always ask me how to make basic white rice…here…