For vegans and vegetarians who still love and miss sancocho stew, I've created a simple Vegan sancocho recipe that is hearty and filling. Full of familiar flavors, rich, filling, and comforting, serve this meatless stew with steaming rice, and find a new dish for special days. Re … | Continue reading
Carne guisada is one of the main parts of La Bandera Dominicana – the traditional Dominican lunch meal – a dish served several times a week. Of all the carne guisada recipes, this simple but tender, and flavorsome Dominican carne de res guisada is a clear favorite. Read Carne Gui … | Continue reading
This Pastelón de yuca recipe is one of our favorite pastelón recipes and a fabulous choice for family get-togethers and potlucks. Everyone will love its layers of buttery yuca purée, the delicious melted cheese, and creamiest chicken filling in this cassava and chicken casserole. … | Continue reading
If you are wondering why you've never heard of Gaviao navideño before, you're in good company. This traditional Dominican Christmas drink is perhaps one of the most obscure recipes in our blog, a comforting drink originating in one of my favorite parts of the country. Read Gaviao … | Continue reading
We absolutely adore pasteles en hoja, but let's be honest: they are a lot of work to make. This recipe for pastelón "en hoja" al horno simplifies the process and retains the flavors and textures we like so much. Your guests will love it, and you'll love how much less work this is … | Continue reading
You can't miss this homemade Mandarin liqueur recipe, the lovely Licor de mandarina drink, and end the Christmas dinner with the taste and aroma of our favorite holiday fruit. It is surprisingly easy to make, making it a wonderful holiday gift or a welcome hostess gift. Read Lico … | Continue reading
Secret Santas? Family gift exchanges? I have the solution for you. Here are some ideas for inexpensive food gifts for your family and friends. Read Easy, Inexpensive Edible Homemade Gifts on Dominican Cooking. | Continue reading
Fluffy, and delicious, dulce de coco horneado o cocadas (flourless coconut cakes) will melt in your mouth, the very essence of tropical indulgence. It is one of our favorite desserts (I love anything with coconut), it is very easy to make, and will always be welcome by your guest … | Continue reading
Layers of creamy mashed potatoes, stuffed with juicy beef, and lots of melted cheese. Who can resist this pastelón de papa our amazing ground beef casserole with layers of mashed potato and cheese? Not me, for sure! Read Pastelón de Papa (Potato and Beef Casserole) on Dominican C … | Continue reading
Mantecaditos (butter cookies) are perfect to serve alongside the afternoon cafecito. These Dominican cookies are very easy to prepare, even for the novice baker. Read Mantecaditos (Easy Dominican Butter Cookies) on Dominican Cooking. | Continue reading
Following our series comparing other Latin American and Caribbean cuisines to Dominican gastronomy, we now tackle one of Latin America's most complex, rich, and better-known cuisines. Let's compare Mexican vs Dominican food and what makes them different. Read Dominican Vs. Mexica … | Continue reading
For newcomers to Dominican cuisine, it may be a surprise to find Kipe, Arroz con fideo, Niño envuelto, and Tipili. They're all recognizably Middle Eastern dishes. Learn about Middle-Eastern-Dominican cuisine, and how it came to be an important part of our gastronomy. Read Middle … | Continue reading
While I love a classic fried empanada, baked empanada has its advantages. If you're looking for a healthy empanada dough with no butter, this vegan-friendly, easier, quicker, lighter alternative calls for oil instead, and it can be combined with any sweet or savory fillings. Read … | Continue reading
Our breakfast Ponche dominicano de desayuno (Dominican eggnog) is a creamy morning drink, perfect for the cooler days of the year. This beloved, nutritious, and comforting drink is very popular for its nutritional properties, and just perfect to start the day full of energy. Read … | Continue reading
Looking for the easiest Christmas chicken recipe? Check out this Dominican-style pollo navideño, with all the flavors you've come to expect, in a less-complicated chicken roast for the biggest feast of the year. Read Pollo Horneado Navideño (Christmas Chicken) on Dominican Cookin … | Continue reading
Serve delicious empanaditas and pastelitos with your picadera, they are a must at a Dominican party. This recipe has options for different doughs, fried and baked, and fillings with chicken, pork, beef, cheese, seafood, vegetables and sweets. There's one for every taste. Read Emp … | Continue reading
Over 30,000 people of Chinese origin live in the Dominican Republic, and their influence in many areas of our culture, commerce, academia, and gastronomic heritage is quite apparent. Some of their dishes have been incorporated into our national cookery repertoire. Read Chinese-Do … | Continue reading
I never say no to a bowl of steaming, comforting Crema de auyama, the light and creamy Dominican Pumpkin cream soup. With a vegan and dairy version, this soup has delicate yet sophisticated flavors suitable for all tastes and diets. Perfect as a light dinner or as an entree. Read … | Continue reading
Yuca starch, also known as cassava starch, is a versatile ingredient, great as a gluten-free choice, and its incredible thickening power makes it a star ingredient in various cuisines worldwide. Learn how to make the main ingredient in hojaldras, the Dominican cookies. Read How t … | Continue reading
Chicken gizzards are mostly dark meat full of nutrients, but many people don’t know how to prepare them. They are not an uncommon part of our traditional cooking repertoire, and here I teach more about this uncommon, flavorful chicken meat and tell you how to cook it. Read Stewed … | Continue reading
When I want to serve something out of the usual rice dishes in our repertoire, it's time to put this Moro de habas on the table. If by now you've mastered all our other moro rice recipes, it's time for something new. Try my family classic, an attractive alternative to everyday ri … | Continue reading
One of our most popular Dominican eggplant dish, this berenjena guisada – stewed eggplant – combines the smokiness of roasted eggplant and the flavorful combination of vegetables and seasonings typical of our traditional "guisados" in a vegan dish that everyone will enjoy. Read B … | Continue reading
Yaroa, flavorful, incredible dish that hails from Santiago, has become the newest classic in Dominican food, and is a newcomer to the street food scene in the Dominican Republic. This is a dish that checks every box in the "best street foods" checklist. Here's my take on it. Read … | Continue reading
This year, our little Dominican corner on the internet turned 22. Can you believe it? I certainly had no idea when I created what I thought was something I'd share with friends and family that it would become a life project and a calling. But things are changing... Read A New Cha … | Continue reading
If you're looking for Locrio recipes to inspire your next meal, you've come to the right place. This is the complete collection of locrios, from the fanciest to the simplest. There's certainly no lack of options here, and you'll surely find one that'll make everyone at the table … | Continue reading
Carne de chivo guisado picante (Spicy Goat Meat Stew) is a recipe from the Northwest of the Dominican Republic where goats are said to feed on wild oregano. Read Chivo Guisado Liniero (Spicy Goat Meat Stew) on Dominican Cooking. | Continue reading
A Dominican colmado is a neighborhood store, but it is also a place to socialize, meet your neighbors, pick from an enormous array of products, have a beer, and much more. Let's show you why we love this vital part of Dominican food culture, and what it means to us. Read El Colma … | Continue reading
Our most unusual locrio recipe, Locrio de berenjena, a rice and eggplant dish, is the perfect meatless choice for vegetarians. We've made some changes to the traditional recipe that we've found to greatly improve it, but it retains the spirit and flavors of the original one. Read … | Continue reading
Eggplants are one of our favorite vegetables. Inexpensive, healthy, and versatile, the lovely eggplant lends itself to countless rich dishes and combinations. Here are our favorite eggplant recipes and more helpful information about this interesting and popular vegetable. Read Ta … | Continue reading
Tayota guisada con longaniza (stewed chayote w. pork sausage) is a humble but flavorful Dominican dish, the delicate flavor of the tayota benefits from the strong flavor of the longaniza. It is an easy dish with complex flavors, filling, economical and comforting. Read Tayota Gui … | Continue reading
Yautía – or malanga as it's called in some countries – is a popular tuber in the Caribbean. Inexpensive and versatile, it can be used in many dishes, like this creamy Puré de yautía, or malanga mash. Check out our recipe and learn more about our beloved root vegetable. Read Puré … | Continue reading
Arenque con huevo (herrings and egg) is an example of how exotic foods ended up in Dominican cuisine, this is a dish with reputed "special" properties. What are those? Read Arenque con Huevo (Herring and Eggs) on Dominican Cooking. | Continue reading
Eggplants are one of our favorite vegetables. Inexpensive, healthy, and versatile, the lovely eggplant lends itself to countless rich dishes and combinations. Here are our favorite eggplant recipes and more helpful information about this interesting and popular vegetable. Read Eg … | Continue reading
Few will have heard of Locrio de queso. Our large collection of locrio recipes would be incomplete without this one. If you're looking for something different to serve tonight, this simple and delightful vegetarian fried cheese with rice dish may be just what you need. Read Locri … | Continue reading
One of our favorite meat dishes, Carne de cerdo guisada o Puerco guisado is a Dominican pork stew that is a juicy, meat dish. One of our favorite lunch dishes, this pork in flavorsome tomato sauce is fairly easy to make. Let me teach you how and our favorite ways to serve it. Rea … | Continue reading
Discover the easiest and most delicious Longaniza frita recipe. This is a family-friendly Dominican pork sausage recipe that is very popular and versatile. Get your pan ready, and let's make fried longaniza sausage that will have everyone at the table happy and satisfied. Read Lo … | Continue reading
You cannot enjoy a plate of succulent Mangu without some Cebolla roja con vinagre, the Dominican sauteéd red onions with vinegar that are invariable served with our favorite breakfast, or on other of our favorite dishes. Read Cebolla Roja con Vinagre (Sauteed Red Onions with Vine … | Continue reading
By Dominican spices, we mean spices traditionally used in Dominican cookery, and not necessarily grown in the country. Each cuisine has its distinctive combination of spices that gives it its signature flavor; these are the must-have spices in the Dominican cook’s pantry. Read Do … | Continue reading
Aguají, or Sopa de plátano (plantain soup) is a symphony of intense flavors in a light soup that we appreciate as a comforting dish for our bodies and souls. Caribbean people love the taste of the wonderful plantain, a staple of our diet for centuries; it really shines in this di … | Continue reading
Locrio de salchicha may be an acquired taste, but this colorful, vegetable-rich rice with Vienna sausage is a Dominican classic rice dish and something of a guilty pleasure for me. It doesn't appear often on our table, but we end our meal with clean plates whenever I make it. Rea … | Continue reading
Harina de maíz is a creamy Dominican cornmeal-based porridge-like dish made with its namesake main ingredient: cornmeal. It can be served as a dessert, or as breakfast or dinner. It's a favorite of children and grownups and – better yet – it is quick, easy, and inexpensive. Read … | Continue reading
Do Dominicans Eat Spicy Food? Is Dominican food spicy? These are common questions from first-time travellers to our country. While not every Dominican shares the same likes and dislikes, and tastes vary from person to person, so let me give you the short answer... Read Is Dominic … | Continue reading
If you're looking for the authentic Dominican Locrio de longaniza recipe, you've found it here. With all the ingredients and sabor criollo our moms and grandmas would recognize and love. Read on and get ready to enjoy this lovely dish of rice with Dominican sausage. Read Locrio d … | Continue reading
Curious to know what food comes from each region? Follow us on a culinary tour and get to know the Dominican regions, learn about its regional gastronomy, and what the Southwest, Northwest, Cibao, South, North, and Santo Domingo regions are known for. Read Dominican Republic Food … | Continue reading
Bacalao guisado combines salted codfish with potatoes in a flavorful and colorful stew. Economical, toothsome, and easy to make, Bacalao con papa is an ancient and very popular traditional Lenten staple in our country. Check this recipe, and you can enjoy it year-round. Read Baca … | Continue reading
This recipe for Dulce de coco (coconut sweets) calls for few ingredients, is easy to prepare, and results in a delectable dessert with tropical flavors that you can not resist. Learn how to make one of grandmother's greatest hits, and enjoy the Caribbean's loveliest coconut candy … | Continue reading
Dulce de batata, or Jalea de batata is a humble but creamy and delectable Dominican sweet potato pudding. So easy and quick to make; it always gets us out of a jam. Bookmark this foolproof recipe, and serve without too much effort, something that everyone will appreciate. Read Du … | Continue reading
Bring the beauty of the stunning Samana Bay to your kitchen with this Pescado con coco recipe. This fish with coconut milk sauce is a mix of fresh fish, vegetables, and herbs in a hearty sauce with all the spices and tastes that we love. It's a recipe that won't disappoint. Read … | Continue reading