Pumpkin: So Poor and Yet So Rich

Calabaza

Pumpkin: So Poor and Yet So Rich Among vegetables, it’s one of the most nutritious and rich in vitamins, particularly A, and has great detoxifying, diuretic and antioxidant powers. In addition, it’s very versatile, since it can be the main ingredient of soups, stews, desserts and an endless number of recipes. At the same time, pumpkins have very few calories and are among the most economical foods. Pumpkins,known as calabaza, auyama or zapallo in Latin America, have been known throughout the Americas and Europe for many centuries. Apparently, the first British explorers to land on the coast of…

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Finger Foods

Bacalaíto and fried pork

Finger Foods by E. Garriga There is no greater pleasure than to eat a delicious fritter such as bacalaítos (codfish fritters), o a piece of  dulce de coco (coconut candy squares) you long for using your hands or remembering a scrumptious arroz con gandules  (rice with pigeon peas) cooked over a make-shift stove of three stones heated with coal or wood!   I remember as a child visiting family in the countryside in Moca, Puerto Rico, and the best arroz con gandules we ate using our fingers.  People would often say…

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Preserving Our Traditional Puerto Rican Cuisine

Eris Carriga

Preserving our traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. . . by Erisbelia Garriga Traditional Puerto Rican Food Each ethnic group considers its own typical cuisine as the best food in the world.  At the same time virtually all cuisines have had foreign influence.  Puerto Rican cuisine has been no different, with contributions from Spanish, French, African and more recently American food.  One pillar of Puerto Rican cooking is its seasoning, sofrito, which gives it its distinctive flavor. I was born and raised in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.  I grew up among women who…

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Who is Coqui The Chef?

Coqui the Chef

by: Tania Lopez (owner and creator) I am the proud Latina mother of three; a boy, a girl and a frog. My son and daughter are the light of my life and the frog…well that is an interesting story. Growing up Puerto Rican, I grew to appreciate our love affair with food. The way we were raised in my family and community, meant that the first thing you would ask someone coming over to visit was, “What would you like to eat?” or “Did you eat something?” Somehow we knew…

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Introduction to Arroz con Gandules

Back to Recipes Arroz Con Gandules is the national dish of Puerto Rico. It is a rice-and-pigeon-pea dish which is seasoned with sofrito and smoked ham. Puerto Rican cuisine has been influenced by the foods of many cultures, including Spanish, African, Central and South American, and even North American cuisines. There are also many roots and beans used in Puerto Rican cooking that were a part of the diet of the Taíno Indians, the island’s original inhabitants. In this series of free instructional cooking videos, you’ll learn how to cook…

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La calabaza: tan pobre y tan rica

Calabaza

(CL) – Es uno de los vegetales más nutritivos, ricos en vitaminas, especialmente la A, y con un gran poder desintoxicante, diurético y antioxidante. Eso sin contar su gran versatilidad en la cocina ya que es protagonista en sopas, guisos, postres y un sinfìn de recetas… , Pero a su vez la calabaza es pobre en calorías y es uno de los alimentos más económicos que puedan existir. La calabaza, también conocida como auyama o zapallo, en distintas partes de Hispanoamérica, es conocida desde hace muchos siglos en América y…

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Coquito – Los Ponches de Navidad también tienen su historia

(CL) – Las navidades hispanas siempre se han caracterizado por ser alegres y sabrosas, por su buena música, deliciosas comidas y por sus originales y tradicionales bebidas. La cena de navidad en la que se une la familia y los seres queridos es una tradición que comienza antes de la era cristiana en Roma. No fue hasta el año 354, cuando el obispo romano Liberio estableció que la fecha oficial para celebrar la Navidad sería el 25 de diciembre. Es en esta época del año cuando sólo podemos disfrutar de…

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