At first glance this childhood favorite might not seem a good fit as a recipe for our Two Weeks of Valentine. Maybe if you give it a second glance you’ll see how it totally is. These lollipops were kids’ favorites a couple of decades back, although they didn’t seem to be so common in my
It’s always summer in the Dominican Republic: Time for some refreshing paletas de coco (coconut popsicles) I know that it is not literally summer year-round, and that, much as we’d like to pretend they don’t, the laws of nature also apply to our two-thirds of an island, but for all practical purposes it’s always summer
These biscuits are very popular in the Dominican Republic. You can walk to any colmado (corner store) and you will in all likelihood find them. Its preparation is easy and it is a sure-bet with kids. If yours turn out flatter, don’t fret, that’s exactly how the store-bought ones look. Time: 1 hr. Serves: 4
Have you every taken any shortcuts on cooking. I did that the first time I made flan (creme caramel). It came back to bite me. We all think we know what a good cook is supposed to do, and what they’re not supposed to do, but who doesn’t break the golden rules now and then?
Habichuelas con dulce is one of the most cherished traditions among Dominicans. It is prepared in large quantities during Lent, and shared with relatives and neighbors. One of the good things about habichuelas con dulce is that no two homes prepare it exactly the same way; it’s also a very forgiving dish that even the
A delicious and hearty beverage, very nutritious and easy to prepare, it makes a perfect for breakfast for school-aged children. You may adjust sugar to your own taste. Time: 20 mins. Serves: 4 Before starting to cook: Soak the oatmeal in the water for about an hour. Ingredients: 1/2 cup of sugar 2 cups of
“Gooooffffffiooo!”, scream the kids with their mouth full of this sweet powder, covering their unsuspecting friends with one of Dominican children’s traditional snacks. This recipe is originally prepared using dry corn grain that would be ground in a big mortar, in this version we will use regular medium-grain cornmeal. Time: 1 …
Did you know that both Cuba and Puerto Rico also have a dessert called majarete? Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have more in common than all three realize, which leads to the occasional foolish accusation born out of ignorance (my own included) that one is appropriating the culture of another. We are here
We Dominicans did not come up with the idea of bread pudding (pudín de pan or budín de pan), it seems to be a near-universal dish, but like everything in our cuisine we gave it our own touch and added a ton of flavor. With a great combination of spices (how can you go wrong
Arepa is a special dessert that is traditionally prepared in an iron pot on top of red-hot coal. A metal lid is placed on top of the pot and then more coal is put on top of the lid. This led to the expression “como la Arepa, fuego por arriba y fuego …
The main agricultural crop in the Dominican Republic is sugar, so it is not surprising that sweets are an important part of Dominican cuisine. The national passion for very sweet coffee is a testament to the Dominican “sweet tooth” so it follows that Dominicans should adore their sweets, cakes and desserts. Some Dominican dessert favorites,
A drink that suggests tropics, beach, and sunny days under palm trees. It is easier to prepare than you think, so go ahead, bring a bit of the warmth and flavor of the tropics to your own living room with this simple recipe. Time: 15 mins. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 cup of pineapple cut into
A favorite of kids and grownups alike, and perfect to serve alongside the afternoon cafecito, this biscuits are easy to prepare, even for the novice baker. You can bake them in the shape of a disk, or the traditional leaf shape. Time: 1 hr. Serves: 4 Before starting to cook: Pre-heat oven to medium heat.
A great recipe to accompany the afternoon coffee (or tea). This recipe is fairly easy to prepare and can be kept for up to a week in the appropriate conditions. This recipe was sent to me by ”Monchi”, it worked very well, so we made very few changes. Time: 1 hr. Serves: 4 Before starting
This is a drink that to Dominicans is associated with Christmas and New year. The spiced, chilled eggnog must not lack in your own Christmas’ Eve dinner table. We suggest you prepare some extra and give it to friends and family. They’ll appreciate it. Ponche de ron (Rum eggnog) Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 35
There are few desserts in our collection that combine sophistication, easy preparation and deliciousness like this one. You can prepare it with the rum if you plan to serve it to adults, skip it if there will be children at your table. For this you will need Dominican tostadas, very similar to lady fingers but
Oatmeal is known and loved by people pretty much everywhere. Children and adults around the world eat it for breakfast. Although a steaming bowl of oatmeal is usually associated with winter, it doesn’t mean it’s only consumed in colder climes. Even under the tropical sun of the Dominican Republic, oatmeal is used in the preparation
Most Dominicans consume fruits year round, but when one wants to add a little zest to fruits, fruit in light caramel is a good choice. For this recipe you can use cherry, pineapple, orange, and papaya. Time: 1 hr. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 cups of fruits 3/4 cups of sugar 1 pinch of salt 4
A descendant of the Spanish turrón, this an easy-to-make and very popular candy in the Dominican Republic. You can either use sesame or toasted peanuts for it, both are delicious. Time: 30 mins. Serves: 4 Before starting to cook: Oil a medium-sized metal baking pan or a few small ones. Ingredients: 1 cup of roasted
The perfect companion to a cup of Dominican coffee, or any of our delicious infusions and teas, it can also double as a buffet favorite. You can fill it with the marmalade of your choice, either home-made or purchased. Time: 1 hr. Serves: 4 Before starting to cook: Let the butter acquire room temperature. …
We know it’s Christmas in the DR when mandarines show in roadside stands, corner fruit vendors and supermarkets. How about you combine the official fruit of the holidays with the superior flavor our the Dominican rum in a drink that you can serve year-round? Learned from my mom, this easy-to-make drink mixes the flavor of
This is one of the simplest desserts in Dominican cookery. It is very easy to find them in colmados and supermarkets. You can either bake it completely dry, or leave a soft center (in which case it has to be consumed fresh). Time: 2 hrs. Serves: 4 Before starting to cook: Pre-heat oven at …
When one of our forum regulars asked us about this recipe, which I had never heard of before, I was convinced it was a joke, with a name that roughly translates as “bad rage”, it had to be, right? Lesson learned: never underestimate Dominican’s creativity when it comes to naming our food something bizarre. And
On Saturday my family and I spent the afternoon at the Eco-Fair sponsored by the PuntaCana Ecological Foundation. There were a few activities related to their environmental protection, recycling, organic farming and other endeavors. O ne of the attractions was a cooking demonstration by Chef Rogelio Garcia, from the PuntaCana Hotel, using organic vegetables and products from
Coming to Santo Domingo with limited or no Spanish can sometimes make living difficult and confusing, but never impossible. Since arriving, my family and I have found the people to be good-humored and patient when trying to interpret our gestures, pantomimes, mispronunciations and general abuse of the Spanish language.The family has been very happily, although
There are some undying traditions and customs in our country. One that doesn’t seem to be disappearing any time soon is the custom of stopping midway in the way in or out of La Capital to eat something or to buy something to bring our family. No trip in or out of El Cibao is
As a kid I remember my grandmother used to cook this all the time. My grandparents had a dairy farm, so they had to come up with things to do with the leftover milk. This is the same recipe my grandma used and, if memory serves, it was the best dulce de leche I ever
Despite my oft-misunderstood predilection for Marmite, there are some English institutions that have failed to rub off on me. Most notable has got to be the strong, sweet, milky tea that most English people can’t contemplate living without. The Dominican equivalent would be giving up coffee, and I can definitely relate to that. My love
Food contains natural chemicals that are essential to our health – vitamins and minerals are obvious examples. But did you know that in some foods lurk certain substances which may be harmful? Some of these items – like rhubarb – are not commonplace in our cuisine, but looking through the lists of these foods several
There are many theories on the origin of tres leches cake, whatever it might be the fact is that it has become part of our vernacular cuisine and everybody’s favorite. Time: 1 hr. Serves: 4 Before starting to cook: Butter up and flour a baking pan (5-inch tall by 10 inches in diameter). Heat up
This is written with children in mind but much of the advice applies to adults as well. Accidents in the home – especially in the kitchen – can be avoided if you apply several commonsense measures. My first and central tip would be: if at all possible, keep children out of the kitchen when you
It’s official. We are – as the Chinese would have it – living in interesting times. Prices are skyrocketing as the peso devaluates, and products that were once affordable are now in the category of luxuries. The middle classes are complaining bitterly, and one can only imagine the effect the price rises are having on
Once again our country has found itself in one of our cyclical financial quagmires, and the word “frugality” has been disinterred and put in everybody’s mouth. The truth is that for our ancestors this would have been a laughable thing. Most of them lived a frugal life, not because, as us, they have just noticed
Aunt Clara's Kitchen is a collection of traditional Dominican and Dominican-inspired recipes, home ideas, crafts, and the chronicles of Aunt Clara and Aunt Ilana's adventures.
