When most people commit to eat seasonally, they gloss over the bleak days of winter and its dwindling produce. And though we are technically in spring, fresh produce still feels a ways away. If you’re looking for an alternative to frigid carrots and exhausted potatoes, tropical root vegetables like malanga make a great base for [...]
There are few desserts as versatile as Spanish flan, which is egg custard gently baked in a water bath until it can just barely hold itself together. A variant of the French crème caramel, most Latin American countries embrace it as their own. Though many flan recipes start the same way – caramelizing a metal [...]
By the time the holiday cooking fever has broken, there is very little entertaining ambition left for New Year’s Eve. Whether you’re having people over or looking for something to bring, summoning the energy to head back into the kitchen can be a challenge. Pastelitos de carne – well-seasoned picadillo cooked in a sofrito of [...]
Last year, I decided to host friends who were staying behind for Nochebuena, the traditional Cuban Christmas Eve dinner. Knowing a few would be missing home, I asked everyone to bring one thing that meant the holidays to them. I might have been more specific, because I ended up with no fewer than 10 boxes [...]
The New York City Marathon may be 26.2 miles, but runners rack up many, many more during training. Carbo-loading, the guilt-free consumption of rice, pasta and bread in the days leading up to it, can seem like a reward for months of dedication and hard work. Done properly, you’ll have enough stored energy to see [...]
Few holidays capture the imagination like El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. From November 1 (All Saints’ Day) through November 2 (All Souls’ Day), families throughout Mexico and Central America build elaborate altars to lay out the favorite foods of their dearly departed. Platters of rice and beans, moles, tortillas, tamales, [...]
Dulce de leche has become such an established cross-over success – easily made at home or store-bought, found in big brand ice cream and even all-American girl scout cookies – that it’s hard to remember the excitement when it first hit markets. Until the early nineties, it was the once-in-a-while treat my uncle might bring [...]
No visit to a Cuban bakery is complete without sampling the croquetas – freshly made and sprinkled with lime juice if possible. A deep fried blend of béchamel sauce and ham, chicken or salt cod, these savory treats hold their own among the teeming trays of glazed guava pastries, sugary cakes, and airy meringues that [...]
Trying to stick to fish every Friday during Lent comes easy at first, but my resolve wears thin with each passing week. Forgoing the usual salmon or seared tuna, I decided to make pescado en salsa verde — buttery white fish fillets drenched in parsley sauce then baked with slices of potatoes. A staple in [...]
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