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cocina:  puerto rican  cuisine  by Patricia Virella | 1 2 3 4

My earliest memories of food are at home in my family's kitchen, watching my Mom cook everything from bread pudding to fried bread. No matter what was on the menu, or whether she was cooking for a big holiday celebration or an ordinary weekday meal, she always managed to make cooking something special. As she handed down the tradition to me, she showed me that the freshest ingredients are what make the biggest difference in your cooking, not necessarily your skill level. The lessons she taught me have proven useful for every cuisine I attempt. But my greatest culinary inheritance from my mother comes from the familiar tastes of mi isla: Puerto Rico.

With so many different cuisines and cultures getting a second look because of their wonderfully unexpected flavor combinations, Puerto Rican cuisine is often inexplicably overlooked. It offers fabulous edibles that are both exotic to the tastebuds and straightforward to prepare. From Ponce to San Juan to Mayaguez, there is always something new to try in Puerto Rico. Here's how to get started with exploring the many culinary riches that Puerto Rico has to offer…

building blocks
The foundation that provides Puerto Rican cuisine with its distinctive blend of flavors is sofrito. Combining cilantro, bell peppers, tomatoes and many other ingredients, this is the building block of your flavors. The ultimate cooking condiment, sofrito goes into practically every Puerto Rican dish you will make, which is why most Puerto Rican cooks make large amounts of sofrito and freeze it for up to a month (after a month, the cilantro will start to taste like freezer burn).

A rule of thumb to remember before you get started: Puerto Rican cooking is not based heavily on technique, like French cooking, but instead relies on the use of only the highest-quality ingredients. The fresher the ingredients, the better and more authentic your food will taste. Another key to successfully creating this island fare is to have everything ready before you start cooking. Once you've gotten comfortable with your ingredients and the recipes, you will know how to time your meat, rice, etc. so it all comes out perfectly. For the beginner, however, it's always best to prepare your ingredients before you fire the pan up.

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