Sweet Potatoes are a delicious and nutritious alternative that give some traditional potato recipes a twist. When I got my sweet potatoes (batata, boniato, camote, kumara) in my organic/natural food weekly delivery box, I was a bit confused at first. In the past, I had seen my mother prepare the orange-flesh variety for Thanksgiving dinners,…
Tag: cooking
Mascarpone Cream Sauce
My Mascarpone Cream Sauce is simply the best! I don’t like to thicken pasta cream sauce with flour or cornstarch, so I find the Mascarpone is a great alternative to reach the desired creaminess adding subtle flavor. Savory, easy and quick to make. I use it for raviolis, gnocchi or penne pasta with veggies. Also,…
Eggs in a Nest
If you have been following this blog, you already know we are “boat people”. I grew up spending many weekends and vacations on my father’s boat. The freedom and liberty you feel while navigating the ocean is exhilarating as well as therapeutic. There is something about being in contact with nature, on the open water…
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,…
El Departamento de la Comida
A couple of weeks ago, my good friend Claudia told me she joined a delivery service for organic/local/ecological/artisanal foods. She sent me the website information and I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, one of the partners of the company is Olga “Bebe” Casellas, a friend from adolescence whom I haven’t seen…
Barrigas de Vieja (Pumpkin Fritters)
Barrigas de Vieja means “the belly of an old lady”, because they are flabby, soft and without a consistent shape. I know its a funny name, but these sweet pumpkin fritters are truly delicious. They are also called “tortitas de calabaza”. I grew up having these fritters sometimes as a snack or appetizer before dinner….
Meat Lasagna
As I have mentioned before, lasagnas are great alternatives for boat and fishing trips. Last week, it was Club Nautico de San Juan‘s International Billfish Tournament, the longest consecutive fishing tournament in the world (57 years). Anglers from all over the world come to Puerto Rico to this tag-and-release tournament and its a week full…
Basic Tomato Sauce
I use this basic tomato sauce for many dishes including as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks, fried calamari, for meat or eggplant lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs, penne all’arrabiatta, vodka sauce, pizza sauce, soups and Mom’s one-pot-spaghetti among others. It is very simple and versatile, just use your imagination. Enjoy! Basic Tomato Sauce (yields 3…
Orzo with Spinach
The word “orzo” in italian means “barley”. Orzo pasta (pasta shaped like rice or grain) is very versatile. It can be boiled, baked, used as a filler in casseroles or when making stuffed peppers. Also, great in soups. The best orzo is made of durum semolina flour and is very popular in Italy, Greece and…
Strawberry Butter
It is no mystery that we like to entertain at home. When we have guests over for dinner, I like to offer at least one thing that they don’t have in their fridge or couldn’t readily buy in the supermarket. A homemade appetizer, a twist on a traditional dish or something as simple as this…