Planning to make a bunch of Hispanic or Caribbean recipes? Well, Friend, Achiote Oil is your weekend project. Many dishes in the Hispanic culture include achiote in some shape or form. Its oil is easy to make and even easier to use. The only warning I offer: don’t get it on anything you care about! What is Achiote Oil? Achiote…
Spice Blends
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend: Better Than Store-bought
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend made with a combination of bright, earthy spices is much better than anything you can pick up in the stores. Since I have never been a fan of paying for things I know I can make myself, I started making my own Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend at home. This year, I hadn’t gotten…
Puerto Rican Sofrito- Authentic Culantro Cooking Base
This is a picture of Green Gold, my friend. It’s commonly known as sofrito, or sometimes, recaito. No matter what it’s called, this flavoring blend, used in most Caribbean cuisines, is money. I once knew a family in Brooklyn who got busted in a sting for operating an illegal sofrito supply chain. Word on the…
Adobo Homemade All-Purpose Seasoning
Well, well, well! It seems as though food is more controversial than anyone expected it to be. Today, ladies and gentlemen, we will learn that we can make any thing we want to. Yes, even spice blends that we only thought to buy before can (and should) be made at home. As a woman who…
Sazón Seasoning with NO MSG
*I wrote this post days before the CEO of the world’s largest Hispanic food supplier made polarizing comments. As a result, images include the original product.* Go into any Hispanic or Black person’s kitchen and you’ll probably find a box of Sazón there. This flavor enhancing spice blend is a favorite, especially amongst Caribbean-dwellers. Because…
Meat Spice Blend for Pork, Beef, and Poultry
I’m notoriously cheap. Don’t get me wrong, your girl loves her some clothes, shoes, and quality kitchen tools. But, the thought of paying for something that I know I can make at home destroys my soul. That may be a smidge dramatic, but it’s true. I can’t fathom paying loads of money for the same…
Middle Eastern Spice Blend
A great amount of controversy surrounds this Middle Eastern Spice Blend recipe. Okay, not a great amount. Maybe not even a significant amount…okay, okay! I actually don’t know if anyone knows this is a thing. When I first started cooking Middle Eastern food, I discovered a spice mixture that I grew to know as Lebanese 7…
Garam Masala Spice Blend
Garam Masala means “Hot Spices”. But, the reality is, as with most languages, something gets lost in translation. So, I drilled my Indian friend for a reliable translation because “hot”, to me, means “spicy”. She explained and it’s not so much “Hot”, but more “mellow, or warming”. Considering the fact that very few of the…
DIY Mexican Spice Blend: Cinco de Mayo and Beyond!
Even as long-winded as I like to be, I can’t draw this one out…but, I’m gonna try!! I love DIY’ing my own spice blends. Do you remember how I’ve spoken about developing my Middle Eastern Spice Blend? Well, somewhere along my culinary journey, I created this recipe for a Mexican Spice Blend. One thing that I’ve heard…
