Food
Sopa de Plátanos (Plantain Soup) Recipe
Puerto Rican Sopa de Plátano has an authentic flavor that is rustic and pleasing to the palate. This plantain soup is perfect for cold winter months. Puerto Rican plantain soup can be prepared with boiled plantains, but this recipe by Mayra Rodriguez (author of Espanol’s Guia de Cocina latina y caribena) uses fried bananas. ENJOY!
Continue ReadingSurullitos – Cheese Corn Sticks Recipe
Tired of your usual appetizers? Surprise your loved ones and or guests with Puerto Rican surullitos! Surullitos are fried corn sticks that could be served as a side dish or snack. Here is the recipe for surullitos compliments of Jessica at The Novice Chef Blog. ENJOY!
Continue ReadingPique (Puerto Rican Hot Sauce) Recipe
If you like your food hot and spicy then you need some Pique in your life! There are two types of Puerto Rican pique: pique verde (Puerto Rican green hot sauce) and pique criollo. Pique verde is usually made with green Caballero hot peppers, green Cubanelle peppers, culantro, cilantro, onion, garlic, olive oil, and lime juice. On the other hand, pique criollo usually consists of Caballero hot peppers (and or Habanero peppers), pineapple, vinegar, oregano, peppercorns, garlic and or onions. Today’s recipe is an example of pique criollo, also known as Pique boricua de botella.
Continue ReadingPuerto Rican Roasted Pork (Pernil) Recipe
Ready for the holidays? Why not make it special with a bit of pernil, which is a roasted pork (usually pork shoulder) seasoned in adobo mojado. Adobo mojado usually consists of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, black pepper, dry/fresh orégano brujo, citrus juice or vinegar (or both citrus and vinegar). Pork is central to traditional Puerto Rican holiday cookings, and would make for a special treat on any holiday or birthday.
Continue ReadingSancocho (Puerto Rican Beef Stew with Sofrito) Recipe
Today’s Puerto Rican recipe is compliments of celebrity chef Eric Ripert of New York’s popular Le Bernardin. Sancocho, a Puerto Rican Beef Stew, is a traditional dish that has many variations across Spain and Latin America. In Puerto Rico it is usually made with chicken, top round beef, pork feet with chick peas or beef short ribs with chorizo, chicken and smoked ham. There are several variations within the Puerto Rican households as well but Puerto Rican sancocho should always have sofrito! Check out the recipe below…
Continue ReadingArroz Con Gandules Recipe
Arroz Con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas) is Puerto Rico’s national dish. It is a combination of rice, pigeon peas, and pork and has become very popular throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Arroz con gandules can contain any type of meat – even NO meat for the vegetarians out there! Some examples of types of meat you could use are pork, ham, turkey, bacon or chorizo.
Continue ReadingJibaro Plantain and Steak Sandwich Recipe
The Jibaro or Jibarito is a specialty of Aguada, Puerto Rico and Chicago and is a sandwich made with flattened, fried green plantains instead of bread. Usually the jibarito has a steak filling but other fillings such as chicken and pork are now common. A proper jibarito is also said to have cheese, lettuce, tomato and garlic-flavored mayonnaise.
Continue ReadingRecaito or Sofrito Recipe
RECAITO or SOFRITO is a base for many Puerto Rican dishes – a necessity in any pantry. The raw version is known as “recaito”. Once cooked the name changes to the better known “sofrito.”
Continue ReadingMom’s Recipe Helps Tobyhanna Woman Win Coquito Competition
For the second year in a row, Zoraida Graciani, a Puerto Rico born woman who resides in Tobyhanna but works in the Bronx, has won the annual Coquito drink test in New York City. The fifty three year old has been using a recipe passed down by her mother, although she has tweaked the recipe over the years.
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