Parade Magazine: Roast Brussel Sprouts and Wild Brown Rice

Roast Brussel Sprouts and Wild Brown Rice

I personally prefer smoked over fried and roast turkey. The orange-tea smoky flavor infuses the whole bird to render even the breast meat juicy. As my father cooks at least three turkeys, each using a different cooking technique mentioned above, he’s also preparing several carb-loaded side dishes.  Read more

Turkey Empanadas Served with Mango Tomato Salsa over Brown Rice and Black Beans

Turkey Empanadas
Turkey Empanadas

Black, rounded, sans-serif characters spell out the title, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. A medium image of a single, red splattered drip in the shape of a bird’s wing protruding out of a young boy’s profile is easy to recognize because of the book’s popularity. A few years ago, every reader on the subway train was engulfed in this Pulitzer Prize book by Junot Diaz. The novel is about a Dominican family’s immigration experience via generations. An intriguing story, it has the adult cartoons, bad boyfriends, childhood memories, teenage love stories, lecherous dictators, college drama, the Dominican Republic’s 20th century history and a nerd boy descended from a curse many times evil because of the sincere actions of his grandfather. A friend, Danny Rodriguez, wrote a serious book review on his blog, The Cultural Critic Who Carries a Kampilan….

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Ethereal Pancakes

Pancakes Whipped from Thin Air

Ethereal Pancakes
Ethereal Pancakes

In the Southern states, the announcement of a snowstorm sends crowds to grocery stores stocking their fridge with milk and eggs. The following week, the snow is melting, the roads are increasingly accessible and the sidewalks are being de-iced. From a non-cook’s perspective of looking at a fridge full of milk and eggs, these pancakes will look as if they were whipped from thin air. This whipped eggy batter produces ethereal, airy pancakes that will melt in your mouth. Serve these with caramelized apples and toasted walnuts. Enjoy! Read more

2010 New Year’s Dinner for Two: Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables, Brazilian Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas over Brown Rice

Happy twenty-ten! My New Year’s meal was spent with good friends celebrating Kwanzaa while eating black-eyed peas mixed with couscous, collard greens, baked chicken, lasagna, and other delicious pot luck dishes. We started the evening by giving thanks to our ancestors (Ashay!) and honoring our community elder. Our hostess asked her guests to bring two pieces of fruit. We brought her a pineapple and a banana.

The next day, I slept in a few more extra hours and started making our New Year’s dinner: baked chicken with roasted root vegetables, black-eyed peas over brown rice, Brazilian collard greens, and a sparkling wine that was (…ahem) too sweet!

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Blood Oranges, Grapes and Italian Pistachios in Rose Water

May we ring in the New Year on a refreshing start. The holidays gave me a few extra pounds that I intend to give away by Spring. I forgot we were invited to a Kwanzaa celebration. That means, I don’t have to cook a New Year’s dinner. After the midnight champagne toast, it’ll be nice to wake up to a citrus salad and lounge around the house until it’s time to socialize. Happy twenty-ten.

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