A Spoonful of Sofrito: I Learned To Make My Grandma's Puerto Rican Rice!

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

I Learned To Make My Grandma's Puerto Rican Rice!

 

Sofrito Lovers,

The title of this blog is misleading!  I'm not making my grandmother's Arroz con gandules, a handsome sweetie pie named Eli from PeroLike is making his abuela's famous pot of "Puerto Rican Rice."  Unfortunately, I never knew my abuelas and never had their cooking.  Sad, right?

I chose to post this PeroLike DIY because I love how Eli, a fourth generation Boricua born in the U.S., goes on this journey of cultural reclamation and reaffirmation simply by cooking this quintessential Puerto Rican dish.  Cooking has this powerful way of linking us to our families, cultures, and memories.

Watching Eli on this journey reminded me of how I felt a few years back when I decided that cooking was going to be my new hobby!  Naturally, I wanted to start with Boricua cuisine.  I wanted my foray into the kitchen to be this culturally exploratory experience.  I can't tell you how gratifying and empowering it felt to make my first caldero de Arroz con gandules.  It was a spiritual revelation; it was moving and powerful.

Watch, laugh, cry, and then go taste for yourself!  ¡Buen Provecho!