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…
Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day)
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…
Nutella Cheesecake with Hazelnut Chocolates
Few things remind me more of my husband than Nutella. The chocolate hazelnut spread is his absolute favorite. So much so, that when he deployed, I shipped him containers of the stuff. He told me he’d spend evenings doing schoolwork and eating Nutella with a spoon straight from the jar. While the latter grossed me…
Coquito Cheesecake (Coconut Rum Cheesecake)
This Creamy Coquito Cheesecake is a spin-off of the popular Puerto Rican holiday drink. I didn’t get into the holiday spirit as much this year as in years past. Because my home wasn’t decorated to the nines like it usually is, I’m not going through that feeling of emptiness I often deal with once everything…
