Arroz Con Beans

July 2, 2005 I am a big fan of chorizo. Not the crumbly Mexican kind, but the cured Spanish sausage. Chorizo is a relative of the chaurice used in Louisiana Creole cooking. It adds a delicious flavor to most anything. I use it most frequently in beans in place of ham or bacon. Sometimes I use it [...]

July 11, 2005 A quick and tasty meal can be made of orzo and whatever you have on hand. Orzo is a small rice like pasta that works well in soups or salads. Orzo and Veggies- Boil peas and carrots (and corn if you like) in chicken broth for about 5 minutes, add orzo and cook until al [...]

June 14, 2005 Today I decided to have bacalaitos, codfish fritters, for lunch. They are a guilty pleasure of mine, one of the few fried foods I allow myself to eat. Bacalaitos are a favorite snack and street food in Puerto Rico and can be found at colmaditos, roadside food stands, all over the island. Despite being [...]

June 15, 2005 From the old site Today is the day I will do my monthly menu planning and make out my grocery list. I am frugal, I hate to waste money.That doesn’t mean I am a tightwad, on the contrary, I believe in spending for quality rather than quantity. Learning to budget and plan is key [...]

Pink beans are a staple in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. I prefer them to red beans (habichuelas coloradas) because I think the pink ones are plumper and softer with a more tender skin. The skin on red beans can be a bit thick and they get stuck in your throat sometimes. Ack! There are [...]

June 19,2005 I have the worst record with medium grain rice. My long grain rice is usually perfect, but the medium grain rice is hard for me to do without gooeing it up. Here is a recipe that even I can’t mess up though. I just made this tonight and it was perfect! White and fluffy [...]