Panna Cotta is a classic Italian dessert that is very easy to make and absolutely delicious. I woke up craving a coconut dessert, so I decided to make a coconut version of Panna Cotta, by adding some coconut milk and topping it with a home made rapsberry sauce. The best thing about this dessert is that you can make it one day ahead, so it is great for entertaining. Read more…

This is a wonderful side dish that you can prepare and serve with your favorite meat, fish or poultry. I added cilantro and thyme, but you can be creative and add your favorite herbs. This Carrots with Lime side dish is easy and quick to make and tastes delicious! Read more…

This time of year there is nothing better than cooking in your crock pot. One single pot, slow cooking and great smells. Now that’s comforting and that’s what I love to cook during the winter. This lentils and beef stew is really easy to make and delicious over white rice. The perfect weeknight dinner. Enjoy it! Read more…

Do you have pork spine?, I asked the butcher at my local market. He looked at me like I was from another planet and said “no, we don’t have that!” Okay, thank you, I said.

I was plannig to make Sopa de Maiz Pelao, a soup that my grandmother used to make. She would add pork spine(espinazo de cerdo) and the flavor was fantastic. So I started getting the rest of the groceries and thinking about that soup I was craving so badly. Well, I decided to buy pork ribs and use them instead.

I made the soup yesterday for lunch and it was delicious. I did not miss the pork spine at all. After I had my soup I called my aunt in Florida and told her the story. She laughed and told me that in this country pork spine are called pork neck bones.

So, if you want to make the soup the way Mamita used to make it, ask your butcher for pork neck bones, but if you prefer my way, use pork ribs. Either way, it is a wonderful soup!

For those who don’t know what hominy is, it is white or yellow dried corn and is used in Mexican pozole. In Colombia, we use it in arepas de maiz pelao, mazamorra or soups. You can buy it and cook it at home from scratch, or just buy it pre-cooked in cans. Read more…

Jamaica is a beautiful island located in the Greater Antilles and was the home of Bob Marley, one of my favorite musicians.

Some ingredients used in Jamaican cuisine are similar to the ingredients used in Colombian cuisine. Some examples of this are: plantains, yuca, coconut milk, beans, avocado, tropical fruits and anatto.

As you may know by now, my friend Joan from Foodalogue is having a virtual culinary tour and this week she is going to Jamaica. So, I will be joining her with a traditional Jamaican side dish, rice and peas.

Soon you may be asking, “where are the peas in this recipe?”. Well, in Jamaica, beans are called peas. This recipe is flavourful and delicious and is especially good with fried plantains on the side. Read more…

Pasta with Tomato sauce is a classic dish and I think that everyone should have a good tomato sauce recipe. This one is simple and easy to make and is delicious!

Growing up in Colombia, the only tomato sauce that I had was from a jar, so when I met my husband, whose grandmothers were Italian, I realized that I needed to make a homemade tomato sauce for him. He can pretty much eat pasta with tomato sauce every day and be happy!

One day when we first met, I wanted to surprise him with a nice Italian dinner, so I made a delicious tomato sauce, so I thought. As he began eating it, he made a strange face and asked me what I put in the sauce? I told him the list of ingredients… tomatoes, garlic, cilantro… “Cilantro?!” he said. “No wonder why it tastes like salsa. You don’t put cilantro in tomato sauce!” He has been making fun of me for that ever since.

It is so normal for me to add cilantro to every dish, that I though it was going to be delicious. What he doesn’t know is that I forgot to add cumin Anyway, after that Colombian-Italian tomato suace, I made a variety of different tomato sauce recipes until I came out with this one just recently and he said that this is the best tomato sauce that he has ever had. Enjoy! Read more…

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I have a weakness for arepas and I eat them almost every day for breakfast. Eating arepas makes me happy and connects me with my country.

In Colombia we eat all kinds of arepas and these Arepuelas or Anisitas (sweet arepas) are very popular on the Atlantic coast of Colombia. You can eat them with hot chocolate for breakfast or just as a quick snack with coffee. They are crispy, sweet and delicious. Enjoy! Read more…