A Spoonful of Sofrito: Chinese people try Panda Express for the first time!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Chinese people try Panda Express for the first time!

Sofrito Lovers,

Once again I've posted another tasting video, but this is one is different.  Check out: Chinese people try Panda Express for the first time!  I love the idea of Chinese elders tasting Panda Express; the reactions are unexpected, surprising, and hilarious!

Panda Express is the McDonald's of Chinese food. It's pure fast food with little to no authentic Chinese flavor.  A few months ago, two locations opened in New York City, the first in the Bronx and the other in Manhattan. 

I remember the pure joy my partner David expressed when I told him about the Panda opening in the Bronx.  David loves Panda Express's signature dish, Orange Chicken, which is not Chinese.  We haven't gone there  together yet, but we've each purchased meals for each other there.  I have to admit it's not THAT bad, but I would never choose it over real Chinese food.

Without further adieu, check out the video posted below!  Watch, laugh, and go taste for yourself! ¡Buen provecho!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Cooking with Drag Queens

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Cooking with Drag Queens

Sofrito Lovers,

Yes, that title is correct!  Today's post is about a web series I stumbled upon by accident: Cooking with Drag Queens. 

This fantastic YouTube channel is co-hosted by a married couple, Fausto Fernos and Marc Felion, and features famous drag queens (mostly from RuPaul's Drag Race) cooking their favorite dishes with the guys.

It's funny, irreverent, and campy as hell.  They cook amazing meals, all the while, laughing, talking, and entertaining the hell out of you.  I'm going to let these videos speak for themselves.  

I've posted one of my favorite videos which features Kim Chi, a Season 8 contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race.  Season 8 of the Race premieres on Logo Monday March 7th; I cannot wait!

Sit back, watch this video, and laugh!  ¡Buen provecho!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Calderos: The Heart of Latino Cooking!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Calderos: The Heart of Latino Cooking!

 

Sofrito Lovers,

I'm not really the type to endorse products, but being the brand loyal Latino that I am I can't help, but share my all consuming love of Imusa Calderos.

Calderos (Spanish for cauldrons) are the heart of Latino cooking!  These aluminum wonders are the pots where countless guisados (stews), sopas (soups), arroces (Rice dishes), and carnes en cazuelas (Stewed meats) are born.

My partner David thinks I'm obsessed with buying calderos.  When I bring a new one home, he always asks if it was necessary to get another one.  The answer is always yes!  Depending on what you're making, you need the appropriate sized caldero.  You can't just make anything and everything in one pot.

I use my smallest caldero to make achiote oil; the second smallest for my white rice.  Medium sized calderos are for my moros (Rice mixed with beans) or my famous yellow rice.  I also use them to make my habichuelas guisadas (stewed beans).

My second largest is where I make small batches of stews or soups.  My largest caldero is where I make hearty stews full of amazing root vegetables, meat, and other delicious veggies.  I also make my amazing sopas there as well.

I'm a die hard Imusa brand lover!  They're light weight, but sturdy and will last you a long time.  They sell them in various sizes and can be found everywhere!  Imusa brand products are sold in hardware stores, super markets, and in large chain stores like Target or Home Depot.

I highly recommend you folks check out the plethora of calderos, pots, pans, and other cooking supplies Imusa has to offer.  As I said before, I'm  a die hard Imusa lover!  David will have to pry my Imusa caldero out of my cold dead hands before I give these babies up! 

Buy one, cook in it, and Buen provecho!

Check out all of the Imusa products here!

 

 

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Carla Hall on Crank Calls, Hot Chicken, and Unlocking Your Creativity

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Special Sauce: Carla Hall on Crank Calls, Hot Chicken, and Unlocking Your Creativity

 

Sofrito Lovers,

Check out this awesome Special Sauce podcast on SeriousEats.com with Carla Hall, formerly of Top Chef and now co-host of ABC's The Chew.  She discusses cooking with love, recipes that move you, and how it took her most of her life to find her true calling as a chef/cook.

Carla is one of my all time favorite "Cheftestants" from Top Chef!  I wanted her to win her season so badly!  Since debuting on Top Chef, she's become a co-host on ABC's The Chew, the only day time talk show dedicated to food culture!

She's hilarious, brilliant, heart-warming, and genuine.  Check out this podcast; you'll fall in love with her!  Listen, Learn, and Buen provecho!

Special Sauce: Carla Hall on Crank Calls, Hot Chicken, and Unlocking Your Creativity 

by Ed Levine 

 

"Cooking is the way I can give a piece of my heart to someone," says The Chew's Carla Hall. On this week's Special Sauce, I chat with Hall about how she hopped around on her career journey, going from being an accountant at Price Waterhouse ("Accounting was my safety job, but I hated it," she recalls) to modeling in Europe (she often paid for her lodging there by cooking for her hosts) to running a lunch delivery service in Washington, DC, to becoming a contestant on Top Chef.  

Check out the Special Sauce Podcast here!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Fake-ass American Tacos with ground beef!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Fake-ass American Tacos with ground beef!

Sofrito Lovers,

This weekend, I was in the mood for some delicious fake-ass American tacos!  I could've gone to Taco Bell or Jesus Taco, but I decided it was time for me to learn how to make them myself.  

Before I continue with my post let me clarify something, Fake-ass American tacos are those hard shell tacos filled with ground beef, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheese, onions and whatever else people can stuff in there.  You know what I'm talking about, those types of tacos you get at Taco Bell or Jesus Taco. They're the Americanized version of real Mexican Tacos, which contain meat, onions, cilantro, and radishes in a soft corn tortilla.

Determined to make truly authentic Fake-ass American Tacos, I decided to look on YouTube for a recipe.  I vaguely remembered watching a video on Tacos on one of my favorite cooking channels, CookedbyJulie, and decided to look it up.

I was right!  Julie had posted an awesome recipe for Fake-ass American tacos two months ago!  I immediately got to work!  Here's a picture of my homemade Fake-ass American Tacos:

They were delicious!  I've posted Julie's cooking tutorial below!  So next time you have a craving for Fake-ass American Tacos you know where to go and what to do.  No need to run to the border!

Watch it, cook it, taste it, and Buen Provecho!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Super Bowl NYC: Where to watch the game!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Super Bowl NYC: Where to watch the game!

Sofrito Lovers,

This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday!  To be honest, you couldn't pay me to give a damn about some stupid football game, but I can't deny that this American ritual has its own amazing food rituals.

I've attended a few Super Bowl parties in my day and the only thing that made these moronic get togethers bearable was all the amazing comfort food.  The wings, stuffed potato skins, Cubanito sandwiches, wine, and beer were the true stars of the night, not some loud-ass game.

In the spirit of the weekend, I've posted another amazing article from Eater.com to help you find an awesome venue to enjoy this amazing celebration of bar fare and comfort food; oh yeah, football too.  Whatever!

Check out the article, go chow down and ¡Buen Provecho!

Super Bowl NYC: Where to Watch the Game

Patty Diez on Feb 1, 2016, 4:59p

Arrogant Swine

Nick Solares

Whether or not your team is playing, Super Bowl Sunday is a time for enjoying nachos, wings, and other comfort foods, with beer to wash it all down. Here's a guide to 12 great dining options for Super Bowl Sunday in New York City.

[Restaurants are listed by geography: south to north in Manhattan, and north to south in Brooklyn.]

Check out the rest of the article here

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Where to Celebrate the Year of the Monkey!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: A pinch of advice that will add a lot of flavor to your life.

Chinese New Year NYC: Where to Celebrate the Year of the Monkey!

[Dumplings at Kings County Imperial]

Sofrito Lovers,

This upcoming Monday is Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) and if you've never had the pleasure of partaking in this amazing celebration, then this should be the year you do.  The food, fun, excitement, and celebration are amazing.  I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I enjoy the food aspect the most!

The Chinese celebrate Lunar New Year by preparing special noodle and dumpling dishes, which in their culture promotes longevity, prosperity, and success.  Due to their cultural significance, these dishes are prepared with the utmost attention to detail and highest quality ingredients.

As a Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year gift, I'm posting this awesome article from Eater.com of the best restaurants and eateries to go to celebrate the start of the "Year of the Monkey!"  

Now get yourself to Chinatown, Brooklyn, or Queens and enjoy the incredible beauty and spectacle of Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year!  Have fun, Happy New Year, and buen provecho!

Chinese New Year NYC: Where to Celebrate the Year of the Monkey

Patty Diez on Feb 3, 2016, 5:03p

[Dumplings at Kings County Imperial]

Daniel Krieger

Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is a festival to celebrate the turn of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. This year, the Year of the Monkey, the celebration falls on Monday, February 8. Restaurants all over the city are offering special additions to their menus such as noodles and dumplings said to promote longevity and prosperity respectively. From Chinatown to Williamsburg, here are ten restaurants celebrating with specials this weekend:

Read the rest of the article!