September arrived and I breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment there I could feel its absence. I was looking forward to its departure, and excited about its replacement. But then, like a bad guest, it decided to stay a “little” longer. And here we are in mid-september and it hasn’t left us. Go
In my head paleta de batata (sweet potato popsicles) and summer are indelebly connected. When I was a kid I spent many a summer in the Santo Domingo neighborhood of San Carlos, where one of my aunts lived. Back then it was the kind of old-fashioned middle class neighborhood you see in movies depicting the
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
There is an enormous variety of pumpkins, but in the Dominican Republic the best known is the auyama (West Indian pumpkin). A vegetable that has many uses in our cuisine: from desserts to rice dishes, from food coloring to filler in stews. This is a less-common presentation, but no less delicious. Auyama is recommended as
A popular item in the Dominican diet which is not always everyone’s favourite is the papaya, known in the DR as ‘lechoza’. And most popularly consumed in this delicious batida de lechoza (papaya milkshake). Several countries in the region seem to shy away from the word papaya, which has – it appears – other connotations. Venezuelans
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
Today is our last day in Denmark, tomorrow we start the long trip home, and even though I miss my country’s food it is not less true that one of the reasons why I enjoy my visits to Denmark has to do with food. Good food. My in-laws are restauranteurs and hoteliers, which means that
Oh, how time flies my friends! Today we finally change the very last of the tiny, lo-res pictures we used in the first version of this site, made with a 3 mp camera in the kitchen of my old apartment. Time flies and so does technology. When I first started this site, as a way
Life moves in circles, doesn’t it? And never is this more evident than when you have kids, and one day you look at yourself in the mirror and your mother (or father) stares back at you, while that kid loudly demanding your attention reminds you of that child that used to look at you from
Today I am going to commit a sacrilegious act. One no Dominican child is ever allowed to do. I am going to criticize my mother’s cooking, may the cooking goddess have mercy on my soul. I hated my mom’s oatmeal when I was a child. There was something about that bland, slimy concoction that turned
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
Volumes can be written about bizcocho dominican (Dominican cake), and have in fact already been written (check our forums). This cake seems to be the ultimate test for the expert Dominican cook, and however daunting, and confusing the instructions might look to the novice cook, let me assure you, if you follow the instructions carefully
Arroz con Leche se quiere casar / Con una viudita de la capital / Que sepa tejer, que sepa bordar / Que ponga la aguja en el mismo lugar. – Children rhyme Arroz con leche is one of the most popular and simple-to-make of Dominican desserts. To the naked eye it could look like same
Morir Soñando, an unusual mix, with a beautiful, poetic name is one of Dominicans’ favorite drinks. Truly heavenly. Its name means “to die dreaming”, literally translated, and it could not have a more appropriate name. The silky milk and the refreshing taste of orange makes this a perfect drink to refresh, and nourish. Morir soñando is
A few years ago I worked for someone who is today a friend. Every morning, very early, somebody would bring coffee from the kitchen. All day I would pretend to steal cups of coffee from his office, pretend I say because he was right there in front of me. One day after one of my
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.
![Blender [US]](http://www.dominicancooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2013-04-23_2223-140x159.png)