Visions of Coco Danced in My Head

I admit it. I've stolen. I've stolen food off my mom's chopping board and taken spoonfuls of whatever was cooking in her caldero. But, there was no food that I enjoyed stealing more than her Arroz con Dulce. Arroz con Dulce is a Puerto Rican coconut rice pudding that involves several steps, my favorite being the part when the rice is cooking in the sweet coconut liquid, soaking up all of its savory flavors. Seeing that my mother only makes this dish during Christmas, tuve que aprovechar.

I can recall those days when I carefully watched from a distance her motions. I eagerly waited with the biggest spoon I could find in my hand, imagining how it would taste to drink up some of the treasured mixture of milk, coconut and sugar. When she turned her back I snuck up behind and scooped up some liquid, but oh! The wretched metal spoon gave me away as it banged loudly against the aluminum pot. After a quick scolding I'd scurry off, spoon in hand. After years of this game, my mother decided to add extra liquid to the mix, so that I could finally enjoy more than a stolen spoonful of the liquid the rice greedily soaked up. Now as an adult I feel lucky, not only do I not have to sneak a taste, but I could drink a whole cup of it if I wanted to!

This past weekend my mother and I cooked up a batch of Arroz con Dulce, and guess what? We both got our own cup of the mixture to drink for ourselves. I knew it, I knew I wasn't the only one who snuck some out of the caldero!

Below are some pictures of the process, and of the finish product. I've included our family recipe for Arroz con Dulce, which of course, includes two extra cups of the liquid mixture for you to enjoy!

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Arroz con Dulce

2 cups long grain white rice (Soak in water for 1 hour before cooking, then drain)

1 - 14 oz. can of coconut milk

1 - 14 oz. can of cream of coconut

2 - 14 oz. cans of evaporated milk

1 Tbsp cinnamon

3 whole cloves

2 cups of sugar

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups raisins

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

Add some coconut flakes if desired

Pour everything into a pot, adding the drained rice last. Cook on low heat until the mixture starts to boil, stirring occasionally. Set aside two cups of the liquid and use as you like! Add the drained rice and then cover. Cook until rice is tender, again stirring occasionally, and it should look like the rice is sticking together. If the rice looks too loose add more of the removed liquid. Once the rice is cooked, scoop it out and flatten onto a dish (you might need more than one dish), spreading the rice out to the shape of the plate. Cover with aluminum foil, refrigerate and serve chilled.

Una Navidad GuateRiqueña

The holidays are always interesting in our bi-cultural household. There’s no way my mother could get into the Christmas spirit without her pasteles and neither could my father without his tamales. Growing up in a bi-cultural household has given me the best of both worlds, and this is even truer during Christmas time. These are the months that I can choose to eat a warm Puerto Rican pastel washed down with a satisfying cup of Guatemalan Atol de Elote. Or, I could eat a Guatemalan tamal followed by a slice of decadent Puerto Rican Arroz con Dulce. Yes, in our household there is no discrimination, such unheard of combinations are completely allowed. And, why not? It makes our holidays that much more flavorful!

Having such a variety of food during the holidays makes this season one that I eagerly await. I can’t wait to help my mother cook up a batch of Arroz con Dulce, or take a trip with my uncle to downtown Los Angeles and search the blocks for the woman who will fill our empty pitchers with her comforting Atol de Elote. And, of course, I can't forget the Pernil and Arroz con Gandules. These dishes are so good, we make them even if it's not Christmas!

With so many dishes, I could write for months and still would not be able to tell you about all of the wonderful food my family and I get to experience during these special months. So in favor of time and space, I’ve prioritized and gathered together some of my absolute favorite recipes of the holiday season. Look out for my next post, which will feature a recipe for Arroz con Dulce, a coconut flavored rice pudding from Puerto Rico.

¡Bienvenidos a mi nuevo blog!

I started Sabor a Mí: A Taste of My Latin Food and Culture, to share with the world the wonderful flavors and colors of my world. As expressed in the title of my blog, my focus is to write about Latin food and culture. I’m not here simply to publish recipes, but to publish stories that allow you to see how certain foods have truly become a part of mine and my family’s life. I am a first-generation American, my mother’s family is from Jayuya, Puerto Rico and my father’s family is from Guatemala City, Guatemala. I guess this would make me a GuateRican?

Although I’m technically a hybrid, I’ve always felt more Puerto Rican, partly because I was born in New York City, and raised in the Bronx for several years. And at home, my mother almost always cooked Puerto Rican dishes. Now, as an adult I am seeking to explore my Guatemalan roots through the dishes that always remind my father of home. But, because I have grown up with more exposure to my Puerto Rican roots, many of my posts will discuss comida criolla.

I hope that through this blog you are not only inspired to cook the tempting dishes of my world, but that you also develop an appreciation for all types of Latin food and culture.

(The view from my cousin's home in Jayuya, Puerto Rico.)