Olla de Carne, which translates to pot of beef, is Costa Rican comfort food at its finest. Slow-simmered beef and a wide variety of vegetables (traditionally whatever was abundant at the time) creates a stew which warms you to your core and feels so, so …
If you have ever set foot in Costa Rica, it is a safe bet that you have eaten gallo pinto. This dish of simply seasoned rice and beans was served at every Costa Rican breakfast table I ever sat at, and with good reason. Gallo …
Thai tea is one of those absolutely delicious things that few people realize is so easy to make at home. All you need to do is visit your local Asian grocer, or hop on the internet, and pick up a packet of Thai tea mix. Steep it, add a bit of sugar, and then top with half and half, and voila: homemade Thai tea just like your favorite restaurant. Continue reading Thai Tea Pudding
Quick, simple, and delicious, mango sticky rice (khao niew ma muang) is one of the finest desserts not only in Thailand, but the world over. It is as simple as cooking rice, whipping up a quick sauce of sugar and coconut cream, and topping it …
Panang curry is my go-to whenever we order Thai food. It is spicy, rich, and slightly sweet, which really does it for me. For me, panang cannot be beat. But for years whenever I tried to make panang (or any other) Thai curry at home, which we often do, I was disappointed in the results. It was just never as flavorful as what I got from the restaurant. It took many rounds of pretty-good-but-not-great curry until I finally figured out the missing pieces. With a few simple additions, you can take your homemade Thai curry up to restaurant quality. But before we get into that secret flourish, let’s focus in a bit on panang curry. Continue reading Thai Panang Fish Curry
Thai beef salad is, in many ways, a perfect appetizer. It has thin slices of grilled beef resting on a bed of tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs, all rounded out with a spicy, tangy, salty, sweet, and explosively flavorful dressing. Padded out with a bit …
When you think of horchata, you probably think of a cold glass of sweetened rice milk spiced with cinnamon. This is the most prevalent variety in the US, available at many taquerias and Mexican restaurants. It is a delicious and refreshing drink, and perfect to …
Growing up, chicken nachos were my absolute favorite food. There was a Mexican restaurant about a fifteen minute walk from my house, and my friend and I would head over there after school to gorge on those glorious plates of chips, chicken, and cheese. The trick to their nachos, which puts them on a tier above every other nacho plate I’ve had, is the use of a queso sauce. Melted cheese is wonderful, but pouring queso over the chips first ensures that cheese reaches every part of that magnificent pile of chips, eliminating the dreaded under-topped nacho. Continue reading Stovetop Chicken Nachos
This recipe came to me after I fell into an obsession with arroz con leche. Arroz con leche is, essentially, Mexican rice pudding. There are some variants where it is made with sweetened condensed milk, but I prefer the simpler and less sweet version of …
