A Dominican food fight.

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
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I've been wondering if I'm the only one who has grown tired of constantly eating Dominican meals. Now my mujer cooks very well, but I find her not wishing to broaden her horizons when it comes to food. Carne tastes like carne. Doesn't​ matter if it's chicken or pork when it's in the exact same salsa it pretty.much tastes the same. I remember asking her to make fried chicken and mashed potatoes. No I didn't​ ask her to make gravy. What I got was overcooked fried chicken naked. Of course I ate it and thanked her for breaking up the food routine, but to say that it wasn't what I had in mind is an understatement. I've also tried fried pork chops, but this was the same effect and spaghetti? Forget about it. Chicken spaghetti? You're kidding right? And forget her using a jar of Italian sauce cause I've tried cooking spaghetti using Italian sausage and Italian sauce, and she wouldn't even try it even though she loves friend Italian sausage. Steak I get when we go out to eat and there have been a few successes. She loves hash browns, and if I'm going to get chicken spaghetti, then it may as well be edible, so I taught her how to make chicken Alfredo pasta which of course she adds cilantro to making it different but surprisingly good. She also likes fried fish fillets and believe it or not, hush puppies and coleslaw. I guess I'm just getting sick of meat in sauce with rice. Oh the rice is always different. Sometimes white with habenchula, other times with guandules which I do like but just not every day. Have to also point out that Gabys habenchula is outstanding and I prefer eating them with just bread. Of course some corn bread would be excellent, but there ain't no way I'm getting this, so pan de agua is fine.

Now why I posted this. How many like San cocho? Ever try eating the dumplings in the stew? Horrible excuse for dumplings if you ask me. Wads of flour and water sit I. The stew and cook and still taste like wads of flour and water. So we we're fortunate enough to get a couple of very large whole fresh hens from a friend that grows them. I talked Gaby into putting one in the caldera with a few veggies and cook them up. Ahhhhh. San Cocho de Pollo she replied. No I said.. Chicken and dumplings served with white rice. Rice being the key word necessary for her to go along with my gringo meal. So she made the change clean, and at the end, I made up some Bisquick dumplings using milk, finely chopped green onion, and a little sharp cheese to spoon on top of the bubbly mixture of chicken on the stove. The look on her face was priceless as I put the lid on the pot after floating the dumplings mixture on top. Your not going to mix I. The dumplings she asked.. I responded with just Trust me. So everything done, we sit to eat, and she tries a dumpling. Wow she says.. etse es pan bueno. She liked them and another small victory for a gringo getting tired of eating as a Dominican every single day. Of course she put a pile of rice in her bowl, covered it with chicken and sauce and mixed in a couple of dumplings before going at it with a spoon , but this is another story..
 

bigbird

Gold
May 1, 2005
7,375
163
0
LOL, I guess you have to grow up eating Dominican food to enjoy it. I didn't and don't .................
 
Feb 7, 2007
8,005
625
113
Can you get her watch a cooking channel instead of cartoons and can you get maybe watch some youtube recipe channels instead of feibooo? Allrecipes.com is great with many video recipes.

Maybe get her try recipes with the Dominican ingredients, but Boricua style: 4 different meals made from plaintains
(I already posted this video 2 years ago)

[video]http://allrecipes.com/video/229/puerto-rican-appetizers-tostones-rellenos/?prop24=RD_VideoLayer[/video]
 
Last edited:

ctrob

Silver
Nov 9, 2006
5,591
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For me, I love to cook, and would just ban her from the kitchen. Do you give her recipes to follow?
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
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In general, I find them to be good cooks but needing supervision for change.  I think your main complaint is the lack of creativity.
They have few options really in their normal life.

Sounds like you're making headway.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
Great topic. I hate Dominican food. My wife kind of knows how to cook Dutch (always with some Latin touch though but still Dutch) but how most of the time cooks is the maid and it's often the same. Slowly she's learning to make lasagna, pasta, meat for nachos or tacos, etc. but it's still 4 times a week rice with beans / guandules / lentejas / other beans or for a change sancocho (of which the liquid is fine but not the stuff they put inside) or asopao. 

Evening: mangu de platanos / guineo verde / yautia, which often means I eat a sandwich or get some food from elsewhere. 

Happily I've never been someone that enjoys food or eating, else I'd really be suffering here. Now my wife says she's the one suffering because she doesn't know anymore how to make me happy foodwise.
 

j&t's future

Bronze
Mar 6, 2007
2,502
27
48
In 9 years I've probably has less than 10 proper Dominican meals. After maybe 7 of those meals I was violently ill.
I don't do Dominican food, I'd rather go without!

Oh, about the beans, I hate then with a passion!
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
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63
In our house my husband cooks the Dominican food usually and I cook Indian, Thai, Chinese, international. Why don't you do half the cooking??

Matilda
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
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83
For me, I love to cook, and would just ban her from the kitchen. Do you give her recipes to follow?

No. I don't give her recipes. She also isn't real big into fayboo or cartoons. Don't get me wrong, years went by without any issues. Well, except Rabito.. (pig tails in brine) I ain't eating that, but everything else was and is great. It's just her lack of wanting to try something else. She's fine with what her diet is now, and I'm not. That's where the food fight comes in. And Bill's right that I am making headway including scalloped potatoes, green beans with bacon and onions instead of Yucca with cheese and onions, but I can't hardly eat the carne anymore. I've even went through the Louisiana hot sauce on everything routine but that stopped working too. I'm not really looking for advice. I was just interested if I was the only one having this issue or if others were too.
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
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333
83
In our house my husband cooks the Dominican food usually and I cook Indian, Thai, Chinese, international. Why don't you do half the cooking??

Matilda

Now that sounds like a great routine Matilda. Question. Does your Dominica husband eat regular Chinese food? Or will he only eat chicken because every other meat used he believes is from dead Chinese people?
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
Great topic. I hate Dominican food. My wife kind of knows how to cook Dutch (always with some Latin touch though but still Dutch) but how most of the time cooks is the maid and it's often the same. Slowly she's learning to make lasagna, pasta, meat for nachos or tacos, etc. but it's still 4 times a week rice with beans / guandules / lentejas / other beans or for a change sancocho (of which the liquid is fine but not the stuff they put inside) or asopao. 

Evening: mangu de platanos / guineo verde / yautia, which often means I eat a sandwich or get some food from elsewhere. 

Happily I've never been someone that enjoys food or eating, else I'd really be suffering here. Now my wife says she's the one suffering because she doesn't know anymore how to make me happy foodwise.

That's what I'm trying to avoid Mauricio. I don't wish for her to believe that I think her cooking doesn't​ make me happy. How did you get past this?
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
We're on St. Martin a lot, and the French side has some wonderful restaurants. Pickled turkey gizzards, savory crepes, and even Foie Gras. She also likes duck as well, but of course these things are not usually cooked at home. On Providentiales where we met, I took her to Mango Reef for our first dinner date out. I ordered an appetizer of crab,scallops,shrimp,and lobster in a cream mushroom sauce wrapped in filo dough and baked. It's absolutely fabulous, but she wouldn't even try it. She asked for the pork chop which was a stuffed pork chop done up very nice, and wouldn't eat it either. She did like the wine and bread with butter. It was the most interesting dinner date I had ever been on. After this, when we went out to eat, I would talk to the waiter/waitress and tell them I have to order for her first to make sure she would eat it and then I would order for myself. I had about a 50/50 shot at her eating what we ordered. Now we are able to order dinner together, so we are definitely making and have made some good headway. I'm telling ya. Dominicanas are funny when it comes to food. And what's up with Dominicans and green vegetables??
 

irishpaddy

Bronze
Sep 3, 2013
1,166
460
83
I've been wondering if I'm the only one who has grown tired of constantly eating Dominican meals. Now my mujer cooks very well, but I find her not wishing to broaden her horizons when it comes to food. Carne tastes like carne. Doesn't​ matter if it's chicken or pork when it's in the exact same salsa it pretty.much tastes the same. I remember asking her to make fried chicken and mashed potatoes. No I didn't​ ask her to make gravy. What I got was overcooked fried chicken naked. Of course I ate it and thanked her for breaking up the food routine, but to say that it wasn't what I had in mind is an understatement. I've also tried fried pork chops, but this was the same effect and spaghetti? Forget about it. Chicken spaghetti? You're kidding right? And forget her using a jar of Italian sauce cause I've tried cooking spaghetti using Italian sausage and Italian sauce, and she wouldn't even try it even though she loves friend Italian sausage. Steak I get when we go out to eat and there have been a few successes. She loves hash browns, and if I'm going to get chicken spaghetti, then it may as well be edible, so I taught her how to make chicken Alfredo pasta which of course she adds cilantro to making it different but surprisingly good. She also likes fried fish fillets and believe it or not, hush puppies and coleslaw. I guess I'm just getting sick of meat in sauce with rice. Oh the rice is always different. Sometimes white with habenchula, other times with guandules which I do like but just not every day. Have to also point out that Gabys habenchula is outstanding and I prefer eating them with just bread. Of course some corn bread would be excellent, but there ain't no way I'm getting this, so pan de agua is fine.

Now why I posted this. How many like San cocho? Ever try eating the dumplings in the stew? Horrible excuse for dumplings if you ask me. Wads of flour and water sit I. The stew and cook and still taste like wads of flour and water. So we we're fortunate enough to get a couple of very large whole fresh hens from a friend that grows them. I talked Gaby into putting one in the caldera with a few veggies and cook them up. Ahhhhh. San Cocho de Pollo she replied. No I said.. Chicken and dumplings served with white rice. Rice being the key word necessary for her to go along with my gringo meal. So she made the change clean, and at the end, I made up some Bisquick dumplings using milk, finely chopped green onion, and a little sharp cheese to spoon on top of the bubbly mixture of chicken on the stove. The look on her face was priceless as I put the lid on the pot after floating the dumplings mixture on top. Your not going to mix I. The dumplings she asked.. I responded with just Trust me. So everything done, we sit to eat, and she tries a dumpling. Wow she says.. etse es pan bueno. She liked them and another small victory for a gringo getting tired of eating as a Dominican every single day. Of course she put a pile of rice in her bowl, covered it with chicken and sauce and mixed in a couple of dumplings before going at it with a spoon , but this is another story..

I have a question about the " growing " of the hens ...do you use the white or brown eggs and how often should they be watered when planted first ?
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
We're on St. Martin a lot, and the French side has some wonderful restaurants. Pickled turkey gizzards, savory crepes, and even Foie Gras. She also likes duck as well, but of course these things are not usually cooked at home. On Providentiales where we met, I took her to Mango Reef for our first dinner date out. I ordered an appetizer of crab,scallops,shrimp,and lobster in a cream mushroom sauce wrapped in filo dough and baked. It's absolutely fabulous, but she wouldn't even try it. She asked for the pork chop which was a stuffed pork chop done up very nice, and wouldn't eat it either. She did like the wine and bread with butter. It was the most interesting dinner date I had ever been on. After this, when we went out to eat, I would talk to the waiter/waitress and tell them I have to order for her first to make sure she would eat it and then I would order for myself. I had about a 50/50 shot at her eating what we ordered. Now we are able to order dinner together, so we are definitely making and have made some good headway. I'm telling ya. Dominicanas are funny when it comes to food. And what's up with Dominicans and green vegetables??

Dominicans are not adventurous when it comes to food. i made this exquisite dish from shrimps, cream cheese sauce and mushroooms, from a recipe given to me by a Louisiana chef. i offered a serving to an abogado in POP, and he asked me for some lime, before tasting it. i told him that if it was to be eaten with lime, it would be in the recipe. he got miffed, and left the table. the expats loved the dish.

i once tried to get a bunch of Dominicans to try cheesecake. no luck...
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
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Now that sounds like a great routine Matilda. Question. Does your Dominica husband eat regular Chinese food? Or will he only eat chicken because every other meat used he believes is from dead Chinese people?

Ha ha. He will eat my chinese food but never in a Chinese restaurant or take away as of course it is made from dead Chinese people. He asks me if I have ever seen a dead Chinaman. I say no. He says point proved, they have all been eaten.

Seriously though, what I did to start with was to mimic Dominican food. So instead of Sancocho I do Irish stew. Instead of chicken rice and beans, I cook chicken curry (chicken dopiaza) with rice and dal (curried lentils). Instead of Dominican spaghetti I do Spaghetti Bolognese. Instead of albondigas I make kofta curry with meatballs. Instead of Dominican stewed goat I do Moroccan lamb stew (with goat). I also do stuff Dominicans love like home made pizza. Just try and think of Dominican/rest of world fusion dishes - if you want any recipes just pm me.

matilda
 

Fulano2

Bronze
Jun 5, 2011
3,287
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Europe
I guess I am the lucky one here.
My wife loves Thai, Chinese, Indonesian (which I Cook a lot) food. We have been to the UK  regularly and she loved all the pies, fond of F&C. 
She doesnt like most french stuff, so No paté, livers etc and No "carne con sangre"...which my daughter and I just love, entrecote, filet pure etc but bleu chaud.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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South Coast
I understand the OP.  The months we live in DR, our maid cooks, and everything was guisado in red sauce. Over the years, I taught her how to cook other things, after I couldn't stand it anymore. Admittedly, I think Mr AE was a happy camper, his comfort foods, lol. Grilling is another option that worked for us.  Taught her Italian, Asian stir-fry too.  And how to use "new" herbs like parsley, basil, paprika. 

After many years, maid quit this year, so will have to break in another one when we go back, or do the cooking myself, which I don't mind at all. 

Mr AE eats almost anything, even spicy stuff, so I'm lucky. Loves all veggies except green beans and broccoli, but will eat them.  
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
32,504
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dr1.com
Dominicans are not adventurous when it comes to food. i made this exquisite dish from shrimps, cream cheese sauce and mushroooms, from a recipe given to me by a Louisiana chef. i offered a serving to an abogado in POP, and he asked me for some lime, before tasting it. i told him that if it was to be eaten with lime, it would be in the recipe. he got miffed, and left the table. the expats loved the dish.

i once tried to get a bunch of Dominicans to try cheesecake. no luck...

My wife would eat your cheesecake, all of it, at one sitting. She isn't a big meat fan but we have traveled a lot, South America, Europe...etc She loves to try new foods. I agree with the general assessment of Dominican food and Dominicans attitude towards food, however the Dominicans we travel with are very open to trying new dishes.
 

Tom0910

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2015
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644
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I showed my girlfriend an online recipe for chicken parmesan written in spanish and she now makes the best chicken parm I've ever had anywhere. She won't touch it though.