Week #5: Dominican Republic

Balancing act.

Buenas tardes! This week, we're traveling about 9,000 northwest from Mauritius to the Dominican Republic, on the eastern side of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean! And, it's perfect timing, because Dominica's annual Carnival culminates in the last week of February!

Like other countries we've traveled to, Dominican cuisine also blends indigenous and colonial influences. Here, the culinary traditions of Taínos Indians, Spaniards, Africans and more collide to create unique flavors and preparations.

Many Dominican meals feature their high-starch staple: rice and beans. Now, that's something I'd eat without intentionally trying to prepare an international meal. Plus, I'm only feeding my wife and me. So, in order to try new recipes and keep them light, I'll most likely skip that side dish. Also, chicken was on sale recently, so I've got a bunch in the freezer. Guess what my main protein will be this week?

Transporting milk.

The Dominican Republic has a few signature dishes, and I'll prepare a couple of them this week. I found a recipe for one dish called Pollo Guisado (basically, Braised or Stewed Chicken) in a World Community Cookbook I own called "Extending the Table: Recipes and Stories from Argentina to Zambia in the spirit of More-with-Less," which can also be made with beef or pork.

I'll also be making Chicharrones de pollo, the Dominican version of fried chicken, another widely popular dish. I'll probably bake mine instead and avoid the excess fat, but I'll be sure to use all the classic flavors and seasonings of the traditional version.

My third dish is TBD, but I'm leaning toward a soup recipe I found... That one's just going to have to remain a surprise!

Así que, venga a cocinar conmigo. Vamos a pasar un buen rato! (So, come and cook with me. We'll have a great time!)

(What would I do without Google Translator...?!)

Anyone want some plantains?