Grocery list help please...

Kaki

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Sep 18, 2005
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I will be needing to purchase groceries and supplies for only 10 days in Bayahibe. I have dishes etc. provided for me but will bring my good knife and favourite pan from home. I will have a microwave oven and 2 burners to cook on/with and a mini-fridge to store perishables. There may be that little freezer with enough room to make ice cubes, but not enough to store 1 kg of frozen meat or vegetables.

If I buy a package of salt, for example, I have close friends in the DR with whom I can leave the remainder but I'd prefer not to have to totally kit out a pantry for only 10 days, when a number of meals will be eaten out.

I will be shopping at the Jumbo in La Romana on the first night and would like an idea of what I will find there and what I should bring from home. In the past I've bought sea salt and juices and milk and seen the fruit and vegetables and coolers of meat, but other than the items that I've bought, I didn't spend a lot of time looking at the real food for making meals. I've also been in a grocery store in Santo Domingo, seeing the sausage and frozen and canned fish and seasonings.

I know that I may shop differently in Canada than many in the DR, stocking shelves with pasta and cans of tomatoes and relying on certain kinds of canned goods that may not be available everywhere. I'm not a chef but don't have a very discriminating stomach either so thrown-together one-pot meals suit me fine.

Can anybody help me with some "must haves" to attempt to cook like a Dominican? I saw a "Dominican seasoning" bottle that looked interesting but my boyfriend said that another one with fewer ingredients was the best and the one his Mom used. I wouldn't have reached for that one first! Will I have to do any cleaning and gutting of shrimp and fish in order to buy it at a fair price? I like ease of preparation at the best of times but particularly when using an unfamiliar kitchen.

Best brand or your favourite breakfast cereal? Best way to make foolproof platanos? The secret to the great Dominican fried chicken? Your favourite cooking oil? The best cheap cut of meat in the DR? The fish that I can count on being the freshest from local waters sold at the Jumbo? Any local delicacies to look out for (like peas and coconut sold under soooo many labels!)?

As a side question, are marshmallows and peanut butter available?

I may think of more questions or ways to guide an answer, but if you have any ideas for me at all, I'd really appreciate hearing them.

Thanks so much for your most valuable help!

Kaki :D
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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Hmmm where to start here???

Fish = Clear eyes = fresher fish...

Seasoning = Anything that says adobo on it will cut it (with or without pimienta you choice)

Cereal = Kellogg’s (or any from US Mills)

Fool Proof Platanos? =
Fried Tostones = Peel the Platanos by making 1/4 inch cuts on all corners and using the tip of the knife to peel up the skin, cut into inch and a half pieces and let simmer in cold water with plenty salt for about half hour, pat dry and use corn oil that would be enough to have the pieces covered and still about an inch 1/2 above them in a frying pot (don't use frying pans or else will make a mess). Dump the already dry pieces in to the boiling oil and just give them a tender flip once a few minutes, once they float to the top of the oil, taken out and use the thingy to flatten them, put them back into the oil and just let them to become golden to your liking and taken them out atop some paper towels to allow the excess oil to get soaked into the towel. That's it!

Platanos sancochados (boiled Platanos)=
Peel as described above and use plenty of water in a deep pot, bring the water to a boil and add salt to taste, cut the platanos in half and dump into the water, when the pieces float and are tender but firm to the fork, taken them out and serve with fried white cheese or salami...

Mangu de Platanos=
Same as the Boiled platanos, but only green ones, when you take them out, use cold water to mash the pieces to a pulp add some fried onion rinds atop and some of the left over oil from the onion frying pan also, serve with cheese or salami.

Fritos Maduros (fried sweet plantains) =
Yellow plantains, peeled as described for tostones but cut in half first then along into 1/2 inch slices, add to the boiling oil and let become darker than golden, for a twist fry some cubes of salami and using a toothpick wrap the just fried sweet plantains around the salami and hold in place with the toothpick from one side to the other protruding. Use big enough toothpicks so that they can be picked by them.

Platano Maduro al Horno (Oven roasted sweet plantano) Use a sweet platano peeled as the one for tostones but don't cut it, just make a slight 1/4 inch deep slit on the middle of it and add sugar (brown sugar better) to it, plenty of it! Put it in the oven for some 25 minutes at 450 degrees and wait for it to become rather golden dark, make sure the sugar doesn't burn at all!! But that it turns into a goo and take it out and serve!

Fish is best bought as natural since you don't have any idea what the heck you're getting when already diced and cut...


Dominican fried chicken =
Just start by peeling off the fats off your chicken and cutting it into pieces, the more the better. Make sure to add a little adobo to season the chick and drop the pieces into a pot with some water on it, put the lid on the pot and let it steam for about 10 minutes or enough so that no pink remains when you cut into it. After that you place the pieces atop some paper towels and let dry and make sure to put enough adobo on it. You allow the stuff to get into the chick, then you use bleached wheat flour mixed with some eggs to cover the chick parts with it. Drop the chicken into the boiling corn oil and let it get golden to you liking. Presto!

My fav cooking oil = Mazola (con mazola nunca estas sola, lol)

Cheapest cut of meat = ??? Can't be best if cheap now can it? = Ground beef or $ Palomilla.

Peas = Libby’s or Del Monte.

Aside question = Yes Marshmallows and peanut butter are ample available.


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Kaki

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Sep 18, 2005
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Perfect!

serve with fried white cheese or salami...

OMG, that all sounds so great! Exactly the kind of info I wanted! I've added white cheese and salami to my grocery list.

I've had the Dominican salami and seen it fried, but can you aid a rookie on frying cheese? I don't fry too much at home so much of it is a foreign thing to me unless I've seen it in front of me. Do you batter it like the pubs here, or just dump it in the pot and pull it out before it turns to sauce?

Thanks so much PICHARDO!

Kaki
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
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Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
Ok:
There are two kinds of white cheeses in the DR, one is to fry the other, well the other is for everything else but frying.

Make sure to ask for "Queso Blanco de Freir" or Frying white cheese.

To make sure it won't melt before it becomes golden dark and ready: Pat the cheese slices (at least half an inch thick slabs) with some of the same bleached wheat flour (no eggs)and then dump into enough oil that it covers it. Make sure the oil is on medium fire not full. Otherwise it will turn dark and the inside will remain raw.

When using frying white cheese don't waste your money on brands, just pick the cheapest one. As soon as they hit the oil all quality goes to the nada.

The best salami is so far induveca or salami de mallita.

The best white cheese (frying and not frying) is made by Productos aguila of Sosua or the Sosua brand.

To add a "national drink" buy some Malta Indias and a can of sweet condensed milk, mix the Malta with some condensed milk in a big jug and using another equally big jug, shake from jug to jug with ice until it becomes super cold. Serve as soon as made!!!
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
Dang!!! All this talk about Tostones, Queso Frito and Salami made my stomach grumble!!! And when I added the Malta con condensada it went ballistic!

Now I have to go out and get all that stuff to feel better!!!!
Why you little snake!!!! LOL!!!!!
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
BTW:
Never drop frying cheese by hand into the frying pan, use a long cooking fork to ease them into the oil, avoid splatters at all costs. Oil burns are nasty and dangerous!!!!
 

Kaki

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Sep 18, 2005
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Who me? A snake?!

Sorry buddy! Didn't mean to torment you over Queso Frito, but you've certainly got me anticipating great things, and--amazingly enough--thinking that I can actually do it all myself! The drink sounds ultra-exciting and I've never ever heard of it before in all my travels to the fair DR. After working out my plantain chops this month, I'm going to keep it alive once I get home.

Maybe I'll bring my tongs, which I use for all cooking at home and will be great for all the frying.

I leave on January 9. If anybody has more hints, tips and ideas, please keep adding as you think of them!

Kaki
 

jivequeen

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Dec 31, 2007
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Whooo! I am an experienced cook and I fear that I could not meet the challenge!

In my country, ground meat can be hazardous to one's health. Aside from cooking it thoroughly, which is not a big deal, various bacteria abound in UNGROUND meat - all of it! Having seen the raw goat, chicken, etc. hanging outdoors (the flies having a real feast no doubt and leaving lots of eggs) how does one ensure bacteria free meat? Surely salami coming from that source can be bad for the tummy. I have experience this kind of "food poisoning" and it is more than distress for 24 hours. I would be extra leery of purchasing this kind of food where refrigeration can be iffy even when the meat/food started out "good".

Don't want to turn out to be a party pooper but I really am interested in a reply.

Happy eating!!
 

twincactus

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www.dominicanstotheusa.com
FWIW I never boil my platanos before frying, just cut them in 1 inch pieces and fry until they float, then take out and smash and return for a few minutes until they float again.

Bacteria free meat? Surely you jest. Just cook it or get it at a market right after they butcher a steer. That's why you buy live chickens at the market and they will kill them and get them ready for you if you're not up to the task.

-Tim
 

jivequeen

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Dec 31, 2007
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FWIW I never boil my platanos before frying, just cut them in 1 inch pieces and fry until they float, then take out and smash and return for a few minutes until they float again.

Bacteria free meat? Surely you jest. Just cook it or get it at a market right after they butcher a steer. That's why you buy live chickens at the market and they will kill them and get them ready for you if you're not up to the task.

-Tim

But, Tim, our friend has said she will be shopping at the Jumbo store and I suspect her ability to find the "right" market where fresh meat is available is limited.

As I said, I am an experienced cook and in my country (Canada) I always know what my food sources are. My opinion is that I would either bring canned meat (salmon, tuna, ham etc.) or buy it at the Jumbo store if it is available. I have much less concern about fruit and veggies. But, I would wash all of it and then peel all of it to ensure healthful food. I would use bottled water to wash greens and other foods which are not going to be cooked.

Am I overly cautious?? I may be in the same position as Kaki one day and I think her question about cooking is great. I would always put myself in a position of caution rather than $$$. I would love to have the experience of a DR cook to help me buy and cook local food. What a treat that would be!!

But, my interest in cooking does not sound like it is the forte of our questioner. It sounds like she needs really basic info - like I would need to buy food. Then, our experiences can make our venture into DR foods emulate the DR cuisine and meet our tastes.

I have to say that I did try to buy some DR foods to use at home. I bought a bottle of spice that had some herbs in it but found it to be primarily salt. I have eaten home cooked foods from Trinidad and Cuba and the DR cuisine seems to be surprisingly bland. Even the food at an "all inclusive" is not at all what I would expect to represent the Dominican cuisine. Perhaps none exists.

I love food so I surely hope someone will inform me.

Happy eating!
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
FWIW I never boil my platanos before frying, just cut them in 1 inch pieces and fry until they float, then take out and smash and return for a few minutes until they float again.

Bacteria free meat? Surely you jest. Just cook it or get it at a market right after they butcher a steer. That's why you buy live chickens at the market and they will kill them and get them ready for you if you're not up to the task.

-Tim

I'm lost at the "Boiling before frying"??

When I said to dunk the platanos after cutting them into pieces in plain salty water, it was "not" into boiling water...
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
Whooo! I am an experienced cook and I fear that I could not meet the challenge!

In my country, ground meat can be hazardous to one's health. Aside from cooking it thoroughly, which is not a big deal, various bacteria abound in UNGROUND meat - all of it! Having seen the raw goat, chicken, etc. hanging outdoors (the flies having a real feast no doubt and leaving lots of eggs) how does one ensure bacteria free meat? Surely salami coming from that source can be bad for the tummy. I have experience this kind of "food poisoning" and it is more than distress for 24 hours. I would be extra leery of purchasing this kind of food where refrigeration can be iffy even when the meat/food started out "good".

Don't want to turn out to be a party pooper but I really am interested in a reply.

Happy eating!!

Ok:
The reason why in your country ground meat can be a bio-hazard is 100% because it isn't cooked well done, but as many well developed countries love to just have their meats with red tones on it (blood). Dominicans cook their meat until it isn't able to mooh any more, no reddish browns, not juicy pinks anywhere.

Is not that we don't know how meat is supposed to be tasted, but that we learned to play it safe when our electricity is not that faithful at home or at the butcher's.

They could had sent all those cows and lambs to the DR instead of having had destroyed them. We would have cooked them well done and we don't fancy brains or rare meats.

Salami is cured meat, as in the longer it dries, the better.

Have yet to meet the person in the DR that ate rotten salami, unless they found it under the couch and mistook it for a beef jerky...

Bacteria can't survive when meat is cooked as Dominicans cook. Now, I don't know how you cook where you're from, but there's no possible way that unless a piece of meat was already spoiled, that after being cooked well done it would have bacteria alive on it...
 

Kaki

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Sep 18, 2005
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What about the eggs? Here in North America we refrigerate them and it is suggested that you not even buy from a refrigerated case in direct sun and at home don't store them in the egg holders in the door of the fridge since it's not cool enough. How is it that the eggs in the DR don't get full of salmonella when sitting on the counters of non-air-conditioned homes for a days at a time? My little bar fridge in Bayahibe may not have room for eggs: am I free to leave my eggs on the counter too? For how long?

Thanks for all the ongoing comments and ideas. I'm going to take it all with me.

Kaki
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
What about the eggs? Here in North America we refrigerate them and it is suggested that you not even buy from a refrigerated case in direct sun and at home don't store them in the egg holders in the door of the fridge since it's not cool enough. How is it that the eggs in the DR don't get full of salmonella when sitting on the counters of non-air-conditioned homes for a days at a time? My little bar fridge in Bayahibe may not have room for eggs: am I free to leave my eggs on the counter too? For how long?

Thanks for all the ongoing comments and ideas. I'm going to take it all with me.

Kaki

The reason eggs and other foods are required to be refrigerated in America and other developed nations, is that farm foods are seldom any close to major cities if ever, and by the time the chicken lays the egg till it reaches your table, it takes an awful long time. In the DR eggs in the market sit no more than a day or two at best. Eggs don't retort to creating bacteria just because of not being refrigerated. Eggs become spoiled because the sac with proteins and a whole bunch of other stuff decays with time if not over a certain temperature to have the egg become a chick over soon.

When eggs are to be sitting for more than 2 or 4 days, they can do so safely always that enough air is ventilating all around the crates. That is needed so that heat doesn't build up and starts the decay process sooner.

Salmonella is not going to happen out of the blue on eggs, it takes the feeding or habitat of the hens to be contaminated with the bacteria for it to make it to the eggs. In the US and other industrialized nations this happens more often than the very, very, very rare occasions it does in the DR.

In the DR, the eggs that make it from the granjas to the market are washed before they're put for sale in those supermarkets and at the granjas for a long time now. Not a 100% fool proof wash but enough to remove any dirt and foreign material from them. If your eggs are soiled where you buy them, don't buy there no more.

Sitting out of the fridge is not going to rot your eggs but will cut the shelf life of them by 3/4 of what they could last if refrigerated.

Eggs are used very much in the DR's diet, so they don't last long at the counters like in your diets at your home countries. If you will use only a few eggs a week, buy them by half dozens or so.

Eggs are discarded out of refrigeration after 1 week in homes in the DR.

About using bottled water to clean your greens, I think is a good idea since you don't have the good bacteria that most Dominicans and foreigners that reside for a long time in the DR, already have developed in their stomachs.

Think in the way of those bacteria that some yogurts aid with your digestion when you eat them. They are good bacteria to have. Since you only stay briefly in the DR, your stomach has very little of it and can become ill when exposed to certain foods there because you lack them to aid your digestive process.
 

Kaki

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Sep 18, 2005
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PICHARDO, you rock!

I love and eat a ton of vegetables all the time, but "greens", like lechuga, aren't a bulk of my diet (making salads is way too finicky for me when I could be doing something else). Is there something you'd recommend like a Caribbean spinach or that type of green? If not, washing of leaves may not be a big concern for me. I have had what was called "spinach" at resorts, but it was more similar to chard as I'm familiar with it. Same, but different. I would buy and eat both of those.

Any guidance on buying fresh mushrooms please?

Kaki
 

jivequeen

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Dec 31, 2007
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Wow, Pichardo, you are a wealth of information! I feel so lucky to have hit on this thread.

Your information about eggs is great. I have been aware that dry Italian salami's will last a long time but I didn't equate it to something I might buy in the DR.

I don't need to cook in the DR to get some real DR tastes. Might you be so kind as to provide us with a recipe that Kaki might try while doing her own cooking and me here in Canada. I love chicken and beans and rice and can do what I like with the combo but I would truly love to try what you would call a traditional dish served in the DR. Please do not spare any details. Tell us how you would cook the chicken, the rice and the beans and all the flavouring spices and veggies. I am sure that you have a recipe you love. Maybe the one your mother made for you??? You must be from the DR to offer such great information. I look forward to your recipe if you have time.

With it I know I will be eating happily!!

Jivequeen
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
I am sure that you have a recipe you love. Maybe the one your mother made for you??? You must be from the DR to offer such great information. I look forward to your recipe if you have time.

With it I know I will be eating happily!!

Jivequeen

The best recipe I love that is done in the DR but was adapted from the Lebanese and Moroccan that came to make the DR home, has got to be Tipiles!!!!!

It takes a while to prepare the thing, but it' worth the wait!!!
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PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
Is there something you'd recommend like a Caribbean spinach or that type of green?

Any guidance on buying fresh mushrooms please?

Kaki

Have you ever tried Dominican Berro? If not try it, but also take a bunch of it and put it into your blender or food processor and make a pulp to blend with tomato soup!!! Some Crackers and you'll have a tasty Caribbean soup delight!

Mushrooms are not that commendable yet in the DR, some can be found in supermarkets and fresh markets, but if I were you, I would stick to the canned species...
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