My Sister’s Fault a Puerto Rican “antojitos” delight. The 2 sisters are from Puerto Rico and have been in the area for some time. One bakes and that would be Rous and one cooks; that would be Angie.
Puerto Rican cooking is full of flavor and spices. And yes there is a lot of fried food, as well. As I am Puerto Rican myself, I can tell you that when I visit Puerto Rico I love eating the food…..fried plantains, pastelillos or turnovers made with meat, chicken or chapin which is a small fish.
The cooking can be very simple or it can be very exotic depending what local ingredients, fruits and veggies you use.
My friend Susan called me the other day to see if I wanted to visit My Sister’s Fault in Milford, Delaware. It is right in town on 10 SW NW Front St. Their telephone is 302-503-7446. And the website is http://www.mysistersfault-milford.com. Take Rt. 1 North and from Rehoboth Beach it is only about 25 minutes or so.
The menu is on the board and desserts are in cases. You can also order cakes for any special occasion.
We had 2 empanadas (turnovers) Puerto Rican style. The real deal. Flavorful, reminding me how good they truly are. We ate them there but you can take them to go and fry them in the comfort of your own kitchen.
We decided on a Cubano or Cuban Sandwich. The bread was warm but not pressed. The pork was delicious, homemade. This Cubano was very big so we had them cut it in half and as you can see it was definitely shareable.
Puerto Rican desserts like flan, pastelillos (pastry) de guayaba which is guava are also available.
It is a small place and the sisters are so friendly. They are open Wednesday through Saturday. They cook and bake on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday through Friday the hours are 8:30 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
We only had a tasting but they offer Puerto Rican rice dishes, slowly cooked pork, stuffed deep fried potatoes and so much more. Check their Face Book Page or give them a call to see what they are offering on a particular day.
Their custom cakes are amazing.
Who’s fault is it? It is My Sister’s Fault.
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This winter in order to get guaranteed warm weather you better go way south, past Florida…..needless to say, my friends, Jody, Cindi and I took off for La Isla del Encanto, otherwise known as Puerto Rico. I think the best time to go to Puerto Rico is February. The temperatures? 77 degrees to about 84 degrees. I cannot believe that on my last day there I was complaining that it was too hot. Well, that stopped me on my tracks when arriving in Baltimore it was a mere 34 degrees. Brrrrrr!!!
My friends had not been there. I told them that the airport could be a little hectic. Guess what? It made a liar out of me. Smooth arriving and picking up the luggage. It early evening, and after a little wine on Ashford Avenue in the Condado section of San Juan we took off for some Puerto Rican fare.
Ashford Avenue is a tourist destination. Oceanfront hotels and a great avenue to do some shopping, exercising or hitting some of the hotels for a little nightcap or some gambling.
We decided to stop at Orozco’s Restaurant at 1126 Ashford Ave. Tel. 787-721-7669. This little restaurant has surprised me on other visits. Even though is in a tourist area, the food is true Puerto Rican. It is small and cozy. You can sit street side or go inside. Latin music is always playing.
A little Sangria for us….it was the first of many Sangrias on the island.
We ordered some Corn Fritters or Sorullos de Maiz. Every restaurant has them. They are served with a sweet sauce. They are stuffed with a little bit of cheese. I was trying to have my friends get a taste of “comida criolla”.
Plantains are a staple of the Puerto Rican cooking. They are used like a potato. You get it in different ways…..tostones (fried plantains) or Mofongo. The traditional Mofongo is shaped in a mortar, adding bacon crumblings, garlic, and broth until mashed to the right consistency. Then it would be turned over on a plate and served with broth on the side. The purists still like it that way like my cousin, Sonia, who was with us through the whole week.
Through the years as innovative chefs in the island learned that the Mofongo could be stuffed…..a new way of serving started. You can get it stuffed with lobster, crab, beef, pork, you name it. We ordered the one stuffed with beef.
Another walk after our meal completed our first evening in Condado.
I am so sure that Puertoricans are getting ready for their weekly trip to the “lechoneras” or pig on a spit local eateries or cuchifrines in the country side. Plenty visitors to the island of Puerto Rico just park themselves on the beach. Believe me, that would be the thing to do after the winter we have had and continue to have in the U.S. But, a visit to this island would not be complete without a sampling or tasting of the local cuisine. It is called “comida criolla” or “comida del pais”.
Puertoricans usually go on Sundays and the “restaurants” can get very crowded, so, the best day would be Saturday. That’s what we did.
We stopped in 3 Lechoneras. Arriving with our stomachs empty and looking forward to so many of those dishes that I have not had in a while. By the time we finished, we were totally satisfied and I was thinking that if I had another morcilla, toston, pork or lechon, chicharrones or crispy fat, bananas, cuajo, rice, it would be too soon.
From San Juan the town of Cayey is about 34 miles or 55 kilometers. It will probably take you about 45 minutes, hoping you do not hit a traffic jam or “tapon”. The town of Cayey is surrounded by La Sierra de Cayey. It is mountainous, with cool weather and foggy mornings, especially in the “winter”. Don’t laugh, it is true, Puerto Rico has its winter. Definitely, much cooler in the months of January and February.
La Ruta del Comelon was iniated by me on this trip. It is for those that like to eat or sample the different foods PR has to offer. Full of spices, and herbs, the “comida criolla” has a special aroma and taste. It is just Puertorican yum!
La Ruta del Lechon or the Pig on a Spit Rute is well known and documented. It is in Guavate which is part of the town of Cayey. The first “Lechonera” we tried was El Cunao which is in the area but not considered a true Ruta del Lechon. Located on Carr. 1, Km 65.4, Cayey, PR. Tel. 787-263-0511.
Some of the Lechoneras can be very simple and others look more like full-fledge restaurants such as El Cuano. It is still run by the same family. It started small and now it is a thriving restaurant. Every Puertorican has a favorite and my cousins thought this was one of theirs.
Richard took care of us and he took me through a tour of their restaurant. The pigs were ready to roast for Sunday and even though you might not like this picture, it needed to be taken because it is how they prepare the pigs for roasting on the spit.
After they are roasted and it does take awhile, then they are carved and ready to eat.
These ladies’ job was to peel plantains for the mofongo and tostones, and green bananas which are cooked in Puerto Rico and eaten as a vegetable and at times in a marinade. Really good!!
On the photo, on the right, is Richard, who also makes the best “pique” and hot sauce.
We decided to share our bounty, due to the fact that this was not the only place where the Ruta del Comelon would take us. Of course, drinks were ordered.
Tostones made out of green plantains, I do love and these ones were perfectly cooked. Thin, crispy, with a soft center and also huge!!
Morcillas are blood sausages with rice. They a bit of bite to them which made them even better. Don’t wrinkle your nose because if you have not tried them, you don’t know what you ar missing.
Cuajito….this is another one that you don’t want to analyze too much but was so good I would go back for more. It is stewed hog maws or the stomach of the pig…the lining of the stomach. It does sounds disgusting but you just have to try it. Next to the cuajito are green bananas cooked and eaten as a side dish.
Roasted Pig…..the top part is the crispy….you got it; the fat. Even thought this first tasting of the roasted pig was very good….the one we all decided was the best was at the last stop….in a later post.
The next table had sat down to enjoy one succulent lunch….and no, I was not stalking them.
Not missing and very much enjoyed was the pique made by Richard.
My brother and his wife….they were ready for the next stop.
On a personal note….my husband who passed away 5 months ago….we met in Puerto Rico and he would have loved my plate….He was a foodie when that word did not even exist. He loved Puertorican food, and my plate would have been much enjoyed by him.
The Spanish word “picar” means to “mince” or “chop”…..A picadillo is just that; everything is either minced or chopped. It is made with spices, tomato sauce, raisins, olives, garlic, and pretty much, beef is what it is used.
The plantains are so versatile. They are from the banana family; they are a starch, but they do have less sugar than the banana. When they are green they are used to make “tostones” and “mofongo”. But as they ripen, they can be stuffed and even made into a dessert.
Considered a comfort food for so many that have plantains available year-round.
So, there I was looking at two ripe but firm plantains with spots on them. They were not totally ripe, which is exactly how you want them when making Stuffed Canoes. Green plantains are my favorite but I was not going to let these ones go to waste.
The first thing you need to do is peel them. They are much easier than the green ones. A few slits here or there and the skin comes off.
Deep fry them until a golden color. Drain on paper towels and then put aside until ready to stuff.
As I was looking for items to make the picadillo I had to do with what I had on hand. So, basically, the picadillo was made with pork sausage. Actually, it turned out pretty good.
My recipe for Picadillo is called “What kind of Picadillo is that?
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 lb. pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean, which is gluten free.)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced manzanilla olives with pimiento
1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil
4 ounces of tomato sauce
A few dashes of Tabasco (optional)
Pepper to taste
A couple of ounces of Velveeta Cheese chopped
Grated Parmesan (about 1/4 cup)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a frying pan, add the Olive Oil, heat and add the pork sausage. Cook for a few minutes and then add the onion. Continuing cooking until sausage is totally crumbled and the onion is soft.
Add manzanilla olives, sun dried tomatoes, and stir.
Add tomato sauce, pepper and Tabasco. Stir and remove from heat.
Add the Velveeta Cheese. Mix it in. (If you want to add another kind of cheese, you know what to do.)
Make a slit in each plantain from top to bottom but careful not to go completely through. You will find that the plantain is very pliable. It will give as you stuff it. Put enough picadillo, just like in the picture.
Then, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until completely heated through.
To serve you can do several things. You can give one to each person, which looks nicer, or just a half. You can serve it with a green salad. The colors would be really nice.
Make them your own. Remember I just kept adding ingredients that I usually like when cooking. I did not have raisins but I would add a couple of tablespoons, as well.
Enjoy them. It is a good combination. The sweetness of the plantains with all those other ingredients make them “deliciosos”.
Have a good one!!
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Some of you know exactly what I am talking about. Others, well you are about to find out.
My grandmother used to make the best “pasteles” at Christmas time. They are part of the traditional Puerto Rican delicacies at this time of the year. Along with aguinaldos, the parrandas or carolings, blood sausages and many other indigenous foods of the Island, pasteles are a must in every Puerto Rican household. There are so many recipes; some people make them plain; others put raisins, olives, chickpeas, etc. It is an all day cooking “ordeal”.
There were times my grandmother used to send them to me to the states overnight. I have never tasted any like hers. Everything so fresh and meticulously prepared, following the traditional “comida criolla” style.
About a year ago I met 2 of my childhood friends in Miami. They also took me to get Puerto Rican pasteles. I don’t know how I could possibly want to make them myself.
Upon returning to Delaware I decided I was going to tackle a few of the pasteles. Well, it was sort of a disaster because, of course, I don’t have a banana leaf in sight, and the day I went to get the ingredients, my good old trusted supermarket, did not have a lot of what I needed. Well, I did not despair and still made them. And, you know what? Even though they looked pretty ugly, the taste was very good.
A few weeks ago I reconnected with another childhood friend, Aileen, on Facebook. Then I saw a notice to her Facebook “friends”, mentioning that once again she was going to be making pasteles this year. Well, I just immediatedly contacted her. She is located in the town of Deerfield Beach, Florida, south of Delray Beach, about 15 minutes away.
What a surprise!! She has more than pasteles. I will give you her information. Her name is Aileen. Her tel. is 239-839-6535. You may also contact her by e-mail at Aileenpasteles@aol.com. She will be glad to send you her menu through e-mail.
Pasteles (minimum order 1/2 dozen)
Masa with pork or chicken $36/dz
Yuca with pork or chicken $36/dz
Arroz con Gandules Pastel $42/dz (I have never have these ones)
Empanadillas or Turnovers
Beef or Chicken $15/dz
Party Platters for 8-12 people (60 empanadillas) $48
Guava and Cream Cheese $9/dz
Party Platters for 8 – 12 people (60 empanadillas) $32
Seafood Fillings: (special order) Shrimp, crab, lobster, etc. Please call for price.
Alcapurrias (frozen)
Masa or Yuca (beef, chicken or pork) $18/dz
Seafood (special order) Call for price
Soup
Butter Squash/Carrot $3/person/bowl
With heavy cream and creme fraiche $1.50/person/cup
Flanes (The ever present Puerto Rican custard) (small, medium, large, extra large)
Milks/Eggs/Vanilla
Espresso Coffee
Cream Cheese & Coconut Milk
Butter Squash and carrots
Espresso and chocolate
Guava and cream cheese
Coquito or Puerto Rican Eggnog
Brandy/Rum $25 (750 ml) bottle
I thought some of you that live in Palm Beach County or nearby counties in Florida would want to know about Aileen’s pasteles.
It is so funny that it seems that at this time of the year everyone of Puerto Rican descent wants to be a “jibaro”. I hope you fill your freezer because as you well know the holidays in Puerto Rico start at the beginning of December and last until that last octavita.
And, for the ones that cannot be in La Isla Del Encanto during the holidays then there is Aileen’s Pasteles.
So many more posts for my blog could have come out from last week-end’s trip to Puerto Rico.
It is so funny because my friends, here in Rehoboth, are used to me not letting them touch their food at a restaurant until I have taken pictures. I had to work a little harder in the Island of Enchantment since they were not used to it. Slowly they got the hang of it. Some of the pictures were taken so fast that I am not really going to publish them. You are probably saying “thanks”. Enough is enough, right? Oh, well.
I stayed in Isla Verde, which is a district of Carolina, bordered to the north by the Atlantic Ocean and to the West by the San Juan area of Condado. It is a tourist area of Puerto Rico, where restaurants, bars, and casinos are found. Some of the hotels found are The Ritz Carlton, El San Juan Hotel, and The Intercontinental, among others.
The beach is a beautiful cove. Walkers, joggers and sunbathers are all over the place. Also, you will find the man selling fresh coconut ice cream. I did not have any, which is probably good since now I am paying for my indulgences.
I walked the beach in the early evening and also sat down to join all the beachgoers on Saturday for a little bit of sunbathing. The water was so warm; but cold to some of the natives.
I reminded myself how relaxing this visit was. But, all good things come to an end and so was my trip.
On Tuesday, the “primas”, or cousins got together for lunch at the Metropol Restaurant. It is a Cuban and Puertorican restaurant, located at Avenida Isla Verde, tel. 787-791-5585. It is right next to the Club Gallistico of Puerto Rico. This is the club where cockfights take place. Cockfighting in Puerto Rico is recognized as a cultural right of Puertoricans and I am leaving it at that.
The Metropol serves latin food and I wanted something typical since I was taking a plane that evening. We had croquettes, turnovers, corn sticks, alcapurrias, which are plantain fritters, accompanied with a red sangria.
One appetizer that brought memories was the fried plantain chips. These were long, just like my grandmother used to make them.
The service was good and the restaurant was comfortably crowded. The decoration was definitely Spanish.
I had been on a chicharrones de pollo kick. These are pieces of chicken, fried; but not just like any old fried chicken. I can’t explain it but they are delicious; crispy and so well seasoned. Puertorican rice and beans were a must, of course. Our waiter told us they were the best. My lunch also included fried ripe plantains.
For dessert we had the diplomatic pudding that was like a flan, but a thicker consistency and included coconut. To tell you the truth it was o.k. but not that great.
The vanilla flan also was good but I have had better, including my own.
Oh my gosh, we were so full. How can anyone eat this way at lunch? Do they still have siestas in Borinquen?
We decided to visit the El San Juan Hotel, which was down the street. Walking was going to be the way we were going to get there. A little exercise, por favor.
There are 2 hotels that I truly love in Puerto Rico. One in Old San Juan, El Convento, and this one, the El San Juan Hotel. I was longing to see if it had stayed the same.
Entrance to El San Juan Hotel
The El San Juan Hotel is located at 6063 Isla Verde Ave., Carolina, P.R. 00979. Website is www.elsanjuanhotel.com. It is part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection. There are only 24 hotels under this designation and 2 of them are in Puerto Rico. The Conquistador in Fajardo, on the eastern side of the island is also one of them.
Silver Bar
I cannot say enough about this hotel. It should be the pride of San Juan. It will take you back to a time of craftmanship, a time of ease and elegance; a time of sophistication and style.
I was mesmerized with the woods and floors used throughout, the shops, the restaurants and how the hotel still can be a tropical paradise exuding old-world classic elegance at the same time.
And yes, we went to the Casino and deposited $20 in no time.
This hotel is priceless; still one of my favorite hotels just like the one in Wilmington, Delaware, The Hotel DuPont, and The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia.
Guess what? The moment I laid my eyes on that beautiful chandelier, I knew it had not changed.
O.k., you already know that I grew up in the Island of Puerto Rico. Well, sometimes I like to cook some of the dishes that remind me of La Isla del Encanto.
These dishes might or might not look the part, but they usually do taste pretty good. That was the case tonight.
I had 3 ripe plantains on my counter. To tell you the truth the ripe plantains are not my favorite; green ones are.
My brother, Jose, who lives in Puerto Rico loves to cook. He also has a passion for the weather. If you are his friend on Facebook you will definitely know the weather patterns in the Caribbean. So, it’s great that the weather and recipes are at my disposal.
This morning I saw the recipe for “piononos”. I thought, why not?
Piononos
3 ripe plantains
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup of freshly grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon water
Peel the plantains and cut them in 4 slices each. Easier said than done. I got 3 slices from each one. Maybe the plantains in Puerto Rico are bigger. I am not sure.
In a large frying pan heat oil and fry the plantains only until golden. That was not that bad.
Take out from oil and place on paper towels until they cool off and can be handled with your hands.
Form the plantain into a loose pinwheel and secure with a toothpick. That was tricky!! Either some were too ripe or some were not.
Stuff the cavity with the Cheddar Cheese. Please note that the recipe called for 2/3 of a cup of Cheddar Cheese but I ended using a cup and maybe even a bit more.
Whisk eggs with salt. Add water and flour and whisk a little bit more until it is all blended.
Pour over the stuffing and don’t worry I poured it all over the piononos.
Heat oil again and fry them, turning them once. They won’t fall apart because between the toothpicks and the egg mixture they are secured.
Take them out after a few minutes and place on paper towels to drain. Take the toothpick out.
Serve and enjoy.
Piononos Made In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
To tell you the truth, they were really good.
Then, I started thinking, you know on the eastern side of the Island, by Luquillo Beach and also near El Yunque (rainforest) how could those women that work the “kioskos” make these piononos among all the other dishes they have to cook so fast? It took me longer than I thought.
Then, I have yet to hear any of my Puerto Rican friends say; Oh, I have been making piononos. Not one single one has ever told me they have made one. So, what am I doing here in Delaware making them for? I love to eat, that’s why and part of having a passion for cooking is not to complain about cooking. I will master the piononos and might even stuff them with crab meat. You will be the first to know.
My brother, Jose, is probably laughing his head off.
That’s my post tonight…..talk to you later….have a great evening….
You are wondering if I am there or here. Well, I am here, at the Delaware Beaches. But, it is like anything. You go on vacation, had a good time and you spread the word. Plus, in our Delaware and Maryland beaches, we have a fair amount of residents that winter in Puerto Rico. These posts might give them a taste of what this Island is all about.
And this post will be about food. Puerto Rican food and its flavors.
We decided to try a restaurant called Raices in the town of Caguas. Caguas is only 20 miles south of San Juan but it might take you an hour to get there, depending at what time or day of the week you decide to travel.
Raices is located on Urb. Villa Turabo, H-31, Caguas. The tel. is 787-258-1570 and the website is www.restauranteraices.com. It is a great website written in English and Spanish. This restaurant also has another location in Old San Juan, on Recinto Sur Street #315. Tel. 787-289-2121. I am reviewing the one in Caguas, though.
I met my family there and decided to go very early to see if I could get some pictures of the restaurant. The restaurant is completely decorated as it would have been in 1949 in the Island, showing what was important at that time. The staff is dressed as the “jibaro” and you really don’t know what I am talking about.
Jibaro is the term used to describe the mountain people, just like hillbillies in the United States. They lived in-land and are the backbone of the Puerto Rican culture. The Jibaro was poor, uneducated and probably illiterate. But, they were honest, hospitable, self-sufficient and most of all, proud. The Jibaro is pretty much gone from the Island but there are some that are still jibaros at heart. Raices memorializes the soul of the Jibaro.
Puerto Rican food is unique; well seasoned, but not spicy unless you add some of home made sauce “pique”.
Cooking with foods of the island like coriander, papaya, plantains, root vegetables, annatto seeds, and the spice called adobo used as a base for many dishes give that “criollo” flavor.
My favorite tropical fruits used in cooking are pineapples, guavas, papayas, mangoes and coconuts; a real treat.
I was looking forward to tasting some of Raices’ food and someone suggested I try the Pork Chop Kan Kan served with Mofongo (plantain mash). It was huge, tasty, delicious and the edges of crispy pork rind probably gave my arteries a shock but worth it.
Pork Chop Kan Kan
I also had the cream of plantain soup and that was outstanding. I would recommend it anytime.
Creme of Plantain Soup
Other members of my family ordered the Tornado which was a skirt steak stuffed with Raices Mash and crowned with shrimp and mushroom and onion sauce.
A few other dishes ordered were served on the Mortar (Pilon) and it was Mofongo (Plantain) served with shrimp, octopus and mahi mahi.
Sangria, freshly squeezed orange juice and drinks were very well received, as well.
Raices gets crowded. On Thursdays, there is live music.
Enjoying lunch with my family; it is a time to exchange ideas and to remember how lucky we are to have each other.
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