I grew up eating Black Eyed Peas and white rice every year on New Year’s Day. Mind you, they weren’t good black-eyed peas (BEP), but that didn’t stop us from having to eat them. In the Black culture (and probably in the collective South) BEP are eaten to usher in wealth and prosperity in the…
New Year
Coquito Cookies with Coquito Buttercream Frosting
I thought pillowy soft cookies made with coquito in the batter to celebrate National Coquito Day just made sense. What’s that? Didn’t you know it was National Coquito Day? Why, yes, Friend! December 21st is National Coquito Day. I thought everyone knew about this completely made-up holiday!! I’m going to pretend I knew about it all…
Wassail (Slow Cooker Mulled Wine with Apples)
‘Tis the season to get litty, fa la la la la, la la la laaaaaa. Seriously, friend, we have earned a good time this holiday season. If you’re reading this, you have survived wildfires, civil unrest, a crazy election here in the States, and a global pandemic. Cheers to you! Wassail means “good health.” This…
Sweet Potato Puree for Cooking and Baking
Holiday baking this year? I know you are, you little baker-Elf, you. I’m guessing that you probably need a few cans of sweet potato puree. If you’ve ever used canned sweet potatoes to make your puree, you most likely know how bland and tasteless it is. That poses a problem, my friend. We have a…
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
This post shows the power of peer pressure. On Saturday, I did an impromptu online cooking class showing folks how to make my Boozy Spiced Cranberry Sauce. I left with a Pumpkin Cheesecake class scheduled. Did I intend to host a pumpkin cheesecake-making class? No. Do I love my readers so much that I let…
Coquito Tres Leches (Coconut and Rum Tres Leches)
Recipes like this Coquito Tres Leches cake come from my boredom. Seriously! I lay in bed, thinking of my favorite things. Coquito? I love it because it’s so creamy and coconutty. Coquito is a rum and coconut cocktail laced with cinnamon. Throughout the holiday season, it is served in many Caribbean-Hispanic countries and the diaspora around the world. Tres leches is…
Pasteles Puertorriqueños (Puerto Rican Pasteles)
Pasteles are a Puerto Rican institution. Without fail, every Christmas, Puerto Rican kitchens the world over are packed with Abuelas and their acolytes, all with one mission: prepare, assemble, and package enough pasteles to divvy up amongst the family. Bundles of meat-filled, ground green banana patties are packed away into plastic bags. The family members disperse to their…
Flan (Puerto Rican Baked Egg Custard)
People’s affinity for flan is probably because of how easy it is to prepare. A custard of eggs, canned milk and sometimes sugar are thrown into a blender together, then baked in a water bath over an amber crust of caramelized sugar. The thrill of the dessert comes in the serving of it. A flourishing…
Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
Arroz con gandules is a very popular Puerto Rican rice dish. Rendered pork fat and spices flavor the rice before the pigeon peas are added and the whole lot is steamed until fluffy and soft. You’ve probably seen, if not tasted, Arroz con Gandules if you’ve ever had the honor of being invited to a Puerto…
7up Pound Cake with Citrus Glaze
I may not be a southern girl, but you wouldn’t know it by my desserts. 7up Pound Cake is a clear southern dessert table favorite with its easy prep and low-maintenance decoration. This pound cake can sit on picnic tables with no problem, but it also graces even the poshest buffet lines. Though it’s a…
