A bunch of years ago, about 10, I think, I was a regular in a news and travel website about the Dominican Republic. Through the forum I got in touch with somebody who also lived in Santo Domingo and who, coincidentally, picked up her groceries every week at a business very close to where I
About ten years ago I was in Denmark, where my husband hails from, spending the holiday season with his family. With a full schedule of eating and more eating ahead, I had the “brilliant” idea of treating everybody to an “authentic” traditional Dominican pre-Xmas Xmas meal on the 23rd, including a delicious pan de batata (sweet potato cake) for
One too many dulce de coco (coconut fudge) later: “These extra pounds have to go!” I exclaim looking at myself in the mirror. Normally this would not be much of a problem if it wasn’t because I was in the middle of the holidays. Ah, the holidays. Time to overeat, overindulge, and find excuses. Not
Things are changing around here, most of the changes are in the background, but they slowly start showing. Switching from our old platform to our new blog format is something that we discussed, and something I (Aunt Clara) particularly thought pretty hard about. Our old format served us well for many years, but things needed
I’ll tell you about this scrumptious shrimp in coconut sauce in a second, but first a story. A few weeks back Aunt Ilana and I were invited by the Ministry of Culture to participate in an exchange with the public about traditional Dominican cooking. It turned out to be a fantastic experience. Some of the
A little ago I re-posted the recipe for pan de coco, the obscure recipe we dug up in some corner of Samana. While making the bread I wondered if I could try it with yeast as opposed to the baking soda in the original. As soon as it occurred to me I started my test.
Years ago, when Aunt Ilana travelled to Samaná so often that she was practically a resident, she came back from one of her trips with a culinary discovery. Starting now read this post in your head in the voice of Sir David Attenborough, go ahead, it’s very amusing. Aunt Ilana’s great discovery? Pan de coco
I have always wondered why some of our dishes have been relegated to obscurity. Perhaps is the humble provenance of those dishes, something we have written about before, that keeps them away from the refined table. Maybe it’s time the revolution reached the cupboards. Jalao is one such humble dish that still languishes as colmado
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
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
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
This is a simple and exotic recipe, perfect for a summer lunch. This recipe was submitted by Sade, one of our regulars. Like all other savory recipes in our site that contain coconut, this too comes from beautiful Samana. Time: 25 mins. Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs of crab meat 2 cups of coconut
I was 12, and I fell in love. It was all new to me and I was smitten: I ate moro de guandules con coco for the first time. It was my first trip to Samaná, and I remember with a smile the horror on my brother’s face when he found out that the food
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
When you try this dish you can’t help but wonder just how bad it is for you, after all, something that tastes like this cannot possibly be any healthy. And you would be wrong. The mixture of natural fresh ingredients, aromatic herbs and creamy coconut is deceivingly rich but made with all those things that
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.
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