This Ham with Spiced Brown Sugar Pineapple Glaze will steer you away from cloyingly sweet and overly clove-y ham this year. The easy-to-make, slightly spicy glaze is a tasty alternative to the syrupy coating you might be used to. By using a fully cooked ham, your entree is on the table in less time too….
Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day)
Puerto Rican Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)
Prepare to be scandalized. This Puerto Rican Potato Salad is creamy, loaded with spices and aromatics, and *gasp* a sweet element! No, Messy Boots, it’s not raisins. Stay with me. This flavor-packed side dish has crossed the sea from Puerto Rico to the mainland, and for a good reason. We know what we’re doing when…
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…
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…
Coquito: Puerto Rican Coconut-Cinnamon Rum Cocktail
Before we go any further with this Coquito post, I want to remind you that I’m a married woman. I’m won’t tolerate any disrespect to the Soldier. So, that means no marriage proposals, no sending flowers (especially orchids or lilies), and no diamond rings in size seven. I won’t stand for it. Pontificate on how much of…
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…
Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork Shoulder)
Let me tell you about the time my husband almost stabbed a guest in our home over the skin you see in the photo above. It was traumatic. It was scary. Totally justifiable, but still scary. That right there sitting atop that mound of deliciousness is chicharrón. Pork rind. Crackling. Heaven. It is one of…
