A Dominican food fight.

AlterEgo

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,210
6,407
113
South Coast
Matilda said:
My Dominican husband and Dominican step children and foster children all love my cooking. They have gone from tipping my food into the nearest plant pot some 15 years ago to having on their favourite list - home made pizza, lasagne, fajitas, curries, cajun sausage stew, and barbecued ribs.

On the other hand I have North American visitors who did not know that chips (aka french fries) came from potatoes, did not know garlic came in another way than in pots, had no idea what ginger was, never eaten aubergines, avocados, didn't eat salad, fish, vegetables, onions and a whole range of things. So it isn't just a Dominican issue.

My father would not let us leave the table till we cleared out plates. I would sit there for hours aged 6 or 7 staring at a brussell sprout. Now I eat everything.

Matilda
Click to expand...



I've eaten Matilda's meals many times, and she's an excellent cook.  Her pizza, totally from scratch, would put most Italians to shame.  Much better than mine.  
 
E

ExDR

Member
Jul 31, 2014
421
0
16
jstarebel said:
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..
Click to expand...

First JS, who does not like gandules? com'on man! Second, why don't you cook whenever you want non Dominican food? As I learned the hard way, you cannot criticize the wife's cooking without repercussion. DR fry chicken is dry and fried hard as are prok chops. The seasoning is the staple for all dishes. DR spaghetti is simply tomatoes flavored noodle.
 
T

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
ExDR said:
First JS, who does not like gandules? com'on man! Second, why don't you cook whenever you want non Dominican food? As I learned the hard way, you cannot criticize the wife's cooking without repercussion. DR fry chicken is dry and fried hard as are prok chops. The seasoning is the staple for all dishes. DR spaghetti is simply tomatoes flavored noodle.
Click to expand...

the upper classes of Dominicans are as good cooks as anywhere in the world. i had a bowl of sancocho in SD, prepared by a lady who is a member of an exalted Dominican family. it was astounding. i cannot remember having anything more delicious anywhere, anytime. the poor cooking comes from the poorer people, who eat to live, and never think of living to eat. if you go to the english speaking caribbean, food is great there. even though people are equally poor, they take pride in the way food tastes. poor Dominicans just want to line their stomachs with something...anything. as long as it breaks the hunger, it is good.

i went to a fish restaurant in Maimon, and the lady served my friend and me a bowl of fish broth as an appetizer of sorts. the thing was stone cold. i asked here if there was any way she could warm it up, and she looked at me as if i was from Mars. in the eastern caribbean, people do not eat cold meat, and cold soup. this is the only place i have seen where people drink cold soup, unless it was designed to be eaten cold.
 
C

Commander Ooh La La USN

Silver
Apr 7, 2014
2,293
2
0
Commander Ooh La La said:
I made my own concoction. I take Graces Red Pepper(6oz), Tobasco(10oz), A1 steak sauce(8oz) and mix it all in one bottle. That is good. It kills on meats!

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Wont work on small fish though, large fish(shark, marlin, tuna, swordfish, etc) it would work to taste. For small fish substitute the Steak Sauce with Lemon Puree.

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
 
C

Commander Ooh La La USN

Silver
Apr 7, 2014
2,293
2
0
the gorgon said:
the upper classes of Dominicans are as good cooks as anywhere in the world. i had a bowl of sancocho in SD, prepared by a lady who is a member of an exalted Dominican family. it was astounding. i cannot remember having anything more delicious anywhere, anytime. the poor cooking comes from the poorer people, who eat to live, and never think of living to eat. if you go to the english speaking caribbean, food is great there. even though people are equally poor, they take pride in the way food tastes. poor Dominicans just want to line their stomachs with something...anything. as long as it breaks the hunger, it is good.

i went to a fish restaurant in Maimon, and the lady served my friend and me a bowl of fish broth as an appetizer of sorts. the thing was stone cold. i asked here if there was any way she could warm it up, and she looked at me as if i was from Mars. in the eastern caribbean, people do not eat cold meat, and cold soup. this is the only place i have seen where people drink cold soup, unless it was designed to be eaten cold.
Click to expand...
There is probably some underlying superstition about soup and why you can eat it hot or it will give you a stroke or something.

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
 
C

Commander Ooh La La USN

Silver
Apr 7, 2014
2,293
2
0
the gorgon said:
i mean, if i had asked for vichyssoise i could understand, but fish broth should be steaming...
Click to expand...
I was with AZB like 6 years ago maybe and we went to this food truck in the Monument area and they had this real good fish soup. Best fish dish I have had since I stop taking dates to Marisco Center.

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
 
Fulano2

Fulano2

Bronze
Jun 5, 2011
3,340
658
113
Europe
the gorgon said:
the upper classes of Dominicans are as good cooks as anywhere in the world. i had a bowl of sancocho in SD, prepared by a lady who is a member of an exalted Dominican family. it was astounding. i cannot remember having anything more delicious anywhere, anytime. the poor cooking comes from the poorer people, who eat to live, and never think of living to eat. if you go to the english speaking caribbean, food is great there. even though people are equally poor, they take pride in the way food tastes. poor Dominicans just want to line their stomachs with something...anything. as long as it breaks the hunger, it is good.

i went to a fish restaurant in Maimon, and the lady served my friend and me a bowl of fish broth as an appetizer of sorts. the thing was stone cold. i asked here if there was any way she could warm it up, and she looked at me as if i was from Mars. in the eastern caribbean, people do not eat cold meat, and cold soup. this is the only place i have seen where people drink cold soup, unless it was designed to be eaten cold.
Click to expand...



Why did she cook herself? My first wife, dominican, was a friend of Franco (de seguros) and a Yunen daughter, but we never ever had them cooked something for us. 
 
T

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
Fulano2 said:
Why did she cook herself? My first wife, dominican, was a friend of Franco (de seguros) and a Yunen daughter, but we never ever had them cooked something for us. 
Click to expand...

some people like to do things which require skill and creativity. it does not matter whether or not they are rich. i guess making things like a marble cheesecake present a challenge, and they do it for the recreation, and not because they cannot afford to buy one.
 
carlos

carlos

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 29, 2002
3,784
762
113
some of the most enjoyable, spiciest food I have ever encountered is that of the Indo-Caribbean communities.
 
carlos

carlos

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 29, 2002
3,784
762
113
Africaida said:
Agreed, love love food from Trinidad.
Click to expand...

side note: A few years back my friend from Guyana brought me some home made hot sauce his grandma made. I am not sure what peppers she used but it was super hot.

loved it
 
B

bigwhiskey

New member
Aug 29, 2010
383
4
0
Commander Ooh La La said:
There is probably some underlying superstition about soup and why you can eat it hot or it will give you a stroke or something.

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


My mother in law makes a good but simple hot sauce she uses a dried red chili peppers and fresh green chili peppers for me . It gets better with age.
 
jstarebel

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
ExDR said:
First JS, who does not like gandules? com'on man! Second, why don't you cook whenever you want non Dominican food? As I learned the hard way, you cannot criticize the wife's cooking without repercussion. DR fry chicken is dry and fried hard as are prok chops. The seasoning is the staple for all dishes. DR spaghetti is simply tomatoes flavored noodle.
Click to expand...

You really didn't read my post very well I see. No matter, I'll keep on working on expanding my wife's horizons and working with her to include some meals that are more western into our routine. So I do have a funny one though. There was a small standing rib roast at the market a couple of days ago. The first time I brought one of these home, it ended up being braised and in sauce as if cooking Rabo de oxo. When she saw it this time she replied,, ahhhh. Yo recodar y promiso no cocinando carne de el con salsa. We had prime rib tonight with baked potato and stir fried broccoli with red onions. I did have to finish her piece of meat off in a cast iron skillet so it wasn't crudo. I loaded up her baked potato with bacon, cheese, and sour cream (yuk) , and she loved it. Another mark in the win column.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom