A Spoonful of Sofrito: 3 ways to Grill Corn

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

3 Ways to Grill Corn

Sofrito Lovers,

It's the end of summer and Labor Day Weekend, that means the grills and barbeques are coming out of the woodwork.  I love grilled veggies with my burgers, hotdogs, chicken, especially grilled corn!  It's sweet, smokey, and bursting with flavor; I think it's the perfect compliment to any grilled protein. 

Today's post is for all you grill jockeys, who want to grill the perfect corn cob for your friends and family! Check out this article from Serious Eats titled, "3 Ways to grill corn!" and get to get your grill on!

Happy Summer's end!  Happy Labor Day!  Happy Grillin' Day!  Read the post, get to your grill, and invite me over!

The Food Lab: 3 Ways to Grill Corn

THE FOOD LAB

Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.

J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT

I've had three great corn epiphanies in my life. The most recent was when my little sister showed me the best, fastest way to prepare fresh corn on the cob indoors*. Before that, a college friend showed me that you can throw whole corn in the husk on the embers of a campfire and, rather than burning into oblivion, it emerge blackened on the outside and perfectly steamed in the middle.

But the first was the most important.

Check out the rest of the article here!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Some of the best Doughnut Shops in NYC!

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

Some of the best Doughnut Shops in NYC!

Sofrito Lovers,

Doughnuts are God's gift to the world! What is better than a delicious fried ring of dough covered in glaze, powdered sugar, or sprinkles?  Nothing, that's what!

I almost fainted when I saw Eater.com's compilation of amazing doughnut places throughout NYC.  It's about time a list like this was created! Homemade artisan doughnuts are a rare and unique treat! If you've never tasted a freshly baked, non-Dunkin Donut, doughnut, then you must read through this list and immediately choose a place to visit.

By all means, check out the entire list, but my favorite, and the one I think is the best is, "The Donut Pub" on 14th St.  I love that place with an all-consuming passion; their doughnuts are delicious, creative, and beautiful!

Enough of my opinion, establish your own!  Read the article, run as fast as you can to one of these spots and taste for yourself!  ¡Buen Provecho!

14 Excellent New York City Doughnut Shops & Restaurants

By Marguerite Preston  @marguerite_s_p Feb 15, 2016, 5:03p

New York City has a great mix of old and new bakeries that sell excellent doughnuts. The city also has a number of restaurants that serve doughnuts that go the distance. Here's a guide to 14 doughnut destinations worth seeking out.

Check out the rest of the article here!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Puerto Rican bread pudding with rum sauce!

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

Puerto Rican bread pudding with rum sauce!

 

Sofrito Lovers,

I have a huge sweet tooth and love to eat desserts, especially the ooey and gooey type covered in syrup or sweets sauces from my neighborhood bakeries.  As I grow as a chef, I've come to realize that it's time for this amateur to start making some desserts for himself.  

I'm going to start with a delicious bread pudding recipe from the FreakinRican Restaurant, one of my favorite YouTube channels.  The FreakinRican Restaurant Channel features amazing Puerto Rican recipes and easy to follow cooking tutorials hosted by sexy Chef Derick Lopez.

This weekend is all bout the pudding, baby!  I'll let you know how it turns out!  Don't wait for me, though, watch the video, make your own pudding, and taste for yourself!  ¡Buen Provecho! 

 

A Spoonful of Sofrito: 32 Neighborhoods Every Food Lover Should Visit in NYC!

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

32 Neighborhoods Every Food Lover Should Visit in NYC!

Sofrito Lovers,

Eater.com has published another list for us to enjoy, except, I feel a bit slighted. Usually, I love their lists and restaurant recommendations, but when they only mentioned three neighborhoods in the Bronx for their "32 Neighborhoods every food lover should visit in NYC" list, it really shocked me.

The Bronx is food mecca of amazing diversity; there's more to the Bronx culinary scene than Riverdale, Arthur Avenue (Bronx Little Italy), and Mott Haven!  What about the amazing Vietnamese food in Kingsbridge Heights?  The growing, yet already incredible, Bangladeshi cuisine of Norwood?  Have they never heard of the amazing West African cuisine of Mount Hope or Mount Eden?

Again, I love Eater.com, but they've got to make a better effort of covering the food scene in the Bronx.  A borough as big as ours has a lot more to offer, then just Latino, Italian,  Greek and Kosher food. Hopefully, they'll get it right!

I still love you Eater.com, I'm just disappointed.  Not to be a complete asshole, I will admit that I agree with the rest of the list and the recommendations made! Check out the list, then go taste for yourself!  ¡Buen Provecho!

32 Neighborhoods Every Food Lover Should Visit in NYC

by Eater Aug 26, 2016, 11:54am

Katz Deli   Daniel Krieger

New York City has more than 200 major neighborhoods, along with dozens of micro 'hoods. You can spend a lifetime exploring and understanding your way around them. Here's a guide to 32 of our favorite dining districts, with notes about their local culinary superstars.

Check out the rest of the article here!

A Spoonful of Sofrito: Puerto Rican Pork and Veggie Soup!

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

Puerto Rican Pork and Veggie Soup!

Sofrito Lovers,

As you all should know by now, I am a weekend chef and this past Saturday night I prepared a delicious Puerto Rican style Pork and vegetable soup to die for!  I pieced this recipe together using an old pork soup recipe,  YouTube cooking techniques, and my own individual tastes-I love soups to be hearty and full of veggies.

Check out the recipe:

Sopa de carne de cerdo/Pork and Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound of stew pork

1 medium chopped onion

½ green pepper

2 ajices ducles

1 large carrot

2-3 minced garlic cloves

3 potatoes

1 platano

1 chayote

1 small cilantro bundle

2 Tbsp of Sofrito

1 packet of Goya Jamon (ham) seasoning

½ can of Goya tomato sauce

2 Tbsp of canola oil

8-10 cups of water

1 Tsp of cumin

1 Tsp of Oregano

1/4 Tsp of black pepper

1 tsp of Adobo

Packet of Sazon

Salt for taste

1/2 bag of fideos 

Directions:

Rub dry rub on pork and refrigerate covered foran hour or overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil under medium high

heat and brown meat on both sides.

Once the meat is brown, then add water and add jamon packet.  

Let the mixture boil and then lower to medium-low, cover, and boil for 30-40 minutes.

Ina separate pot, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil under medium high

heat and add onions, green pepper, cilantro, garlic, ajices dulces, and

sofrito and cook until translucent.  

Once translucent add tomato sauce and stir together

until well coated (2-3 minutes). Add mixture to the boiling pot of pork. 

Add the carrots and taste for salt and then add Packet of Sazon.  Cook for 10-12 minutes and then add chopped potatoes, chopped platano, and chopped chayote and cook for another 10-12 minutes.

Add fideos and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with rice.