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Dominican Christmas and Holiday Traditions

Dominican Christmas and Holiday Traditions

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When temperatures start to fall and the sun begins to set a bit earlier, corner fruit stands and roadside fruit vendors in the central square or parque of towns and cities in the Dominican Republic start displaying their seasonal decorations: apples, pears, and grapes dangling from strings, a lot like seasonal baubles. 

Content (Read: 4 mins)

How are Dominican…

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Guarapo de Jagua (Genipa Fermented Drink)

The Guarapo de Jagua is a fermented beverage, one of the most refreshing traditional Dominican drinks, and a great alternative to soft drinks.

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Guarapo de Jagua is one of those “obscure Dominican gastronomic secrets” that we have mentioned so much in our blog. One of those recipes that sometimes we ask ourselves why even bother writing it.

There is no glamor here. There are no secrets or tips. There is not much traffic on the internet looking for this recipe, nor waves on social media.

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Do We Really Do This?

Do We Really Do This?

Not long ago I came across a thread in one of our favorite forums* in which people discussed Dominican cooking. A friend of ours commented that most Dominican cooks use lots of seasonings and sopitas / calditos (bouillon/stock cubes) in their food. Is that really so?

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Save Money Cooking at Home - 5 Easy to Follow Ideas

Save Money Cooking at Home – 5 Easy to Follow Ideas

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In times of crisis and financial woes (which may come at any or all times), we look for ways to spend less money on food. We bring to you some great money-saving ideas for feeding yourself or your family on a budget and still eating healthy and flavorful food. As a historically disadvantaged country, Dominican cuisine is full of home-cooked meals that satisfy, and don’t…

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Longaniza Hamburgers

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Is it summer yet? Pardon me, but this concept of seasons is so foreign to us Dominicans. We seem to only have two seasons: comfortably cool, and hellishly humid and hot. Call them what you want. If where you live you can already drag the grill out of its winter hibernation, then I suppose these Longaniza Hamburgers come just in time. Here in the…

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My Berlin Summer

I’m sure that somebody, somewhere, has probably come up with a similar dish and a similar recipe, but how these Plantain and Onion Fritters first came to me is quite a winding road.

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Guavaberry Drink and Jam - Cocolo Culture

Guavaberry Drink and Jam – Cocolo Culture

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“Drinking Guavaberry / Watching the sun go down / Woman that’s all I need! / In San Pedro de Macorís.

Guavaberry, Juan Luís Guerra

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For many Dominicans, myself included, the famous 440 song was the best introduction to Cocolo culture. And of all the ingredients that make the flavorful stew that is the Dominican culture, c…

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Creamy, Cheesy Spinach with Pork Chops

Protected: Creamy, Cheesy Spinach with Pork Chops

Serve this Creamy, Cheesy Spinach with Pork Chops when you’re short on time, but want everyone to clean up their dinner plate. Nobody will complain about eating their veggies.

Should you be asking yourself why two recipes back to back that feature spinach, the answer is “why not?” The main reason is that I already had a lot of frozen spinach at home that I needed to use; the second reason is…

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Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Rolls

Chicken breasts don’t get any better, of course with the help of a few favorites. Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Rolls Filled with Ricotta and Spinach is what’s for dinner if you want to shine.

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Stuffed Cubanelle Pepper Boats with Avocado Sauce

Stuffed Cubanelle Pepper Boats with Avocado Sauce

The beauty of these Cubanelle Pepper Boats Stuffed with Avocado Sauce is that although this particular combination may not be quite a Dominican thing, the flavors and ingredients are all familiar to us. And trust me on this: They go very well together. Better yet, this is very easy to make, makes a great one-pot meal, and requires no baking.

It’s the perfect summer dish.

Yeah, so I am kinda…

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What time is lunch?

The times of day when people eat breakfast, lunch and dinner are defined by practical considerations like work routines, weather conditions and daylight hours, combined with socio-economic and cultural factors. Maybe I’m over-analysing a simple fact, because when one thinks about it, this is fairly obvious.

In terms of the way mealtime schedules have evolved and been shaped, the Dominican…

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Dulce de Cajuil (Cashew Apple Jam)

Dulce de Cajuil (Cashew Apple Jam)

I’ve mentioned this more than once: re-creating and documenting some of our traditional recipes is definitely a collaborative work. Nobody knows each and every one of our traditional dishes. Also, there are so many versions (by regions, towns, even family versions) that it’s simply impossible to know them all.

Enter this Dulce de Cajuil (Cashew Apple Jam).

I always make a point of mentioning…

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How to Make Cativia (Cassava Flour)

How to Make Cativia (Cassava Flour)

We already have a recipe for cativía (or catibía, more on that later) in our collection, so this may be confusing. Let me start by clarifying what cativía is: Dominicans also use the name for Empanadas de Yuca (Cassava Empanadas), but cativía is in fact the name for cassava flour (also known as tapioca).

Cativía is an ancient food, and what I found during my research is what led me to re-write…

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Yuca al Mojo de Ajo (Cassava with Garlic Sauce)

Yuca al Mojo de Ajo (Cassava with Garlic Sauce)

I know for a fact that Yuca al Mojo de Ajo (Cassava with Garlic Sauce) is a popular dish in both Cuba and the Dominican Republic. I could have spent some more time researching where else it turns up, and its many possible incarnations. However, I’ve written about yucabefore, and mentioned that it’s popular in many Latin American dishes, so I’ll turn my eyes elsewhere: garlic. The ingredient that…

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Dominican Desserts - 10 Most Popular Recipes

Dominican Desserts – 10 Most Popular Recipes

“Dominican Desserts” is one of the most-searched-for terms on our blog. We don’t really need to explain why they are so popular, but I will: A Dominican lunch meal is only properly ended with a “dulcito” — an endearing term for desserts in the Dominican Republic, usually served with a “cafecito”.

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How to Cook Yuca (Cassava) - 10 Essential Recipes

How to Cook Yuca (Cassava) – 10 Essential Recipes

Cassava (best known by the Arawak name yuca) it’s one of the most ancient ingredients in Dominican cooking, and perhaps the most important culinary inheritance bequeathed to us by our Taino ancestors.

Here we’ll show you how to cook yuca, and 10 popular recipes to do it.

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Zucchini Noodles with Garlicky Shrimp

Zucchini Noodles with Garlicky Shrimp

This is not the first time I post a zucchini noodle recipe. The fact that I post another recipe in a few years should be taken as an endorsement, weird as it sounds. The reason why I like both of these recipes, besides tricking my brain into thinking that I am eating actual noodles, is that both recipes have ingredients with strong flavors. The first one Mambá, and this garlic.

Speaking of…