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The Best Chocolate Cake EVER

There are 2 things in the world that I love more than anything else: my son Danger (I'm a stage 5 clinger/helicopter mom) and chocolate cake! So deep is my affection I even have a chocolate cake hat designed by Christine A. Moore, who gifted me her creation after learning of my obsession. Thank you, Christine! Danger shares my infatuation for the world's best confection and we can think of no better way to spend our Saturdays than to hunt down the perfect slice. We've found some real knockouts in our neck of the woods (Alcove, Proof, Republique) but Danger still thinks my chocolate cake is the best. This declaration obviously got [...]

By | 2018-04-23T16:00:45+00:00 April 23rd, 2018|Desserts, Recipes|0 Comments
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Island Ratatouille Pie

Spring is here and nothing quite puts the season on the plate like a batch of ratatouille.  If you've never had it, it's a vegetable dish usually made with onions, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. The veggies are sauteed or roasted with a little oil until they've softened and released their juices. Ratatouille can be served hot or cold or in a Disney movie prepped by the cutest team of rodents ever. Traditionally, ratatouille is accompanied by a few slices of crusty bread to sop up its savory sauce. I wrapped my ratatouille with a pie crust and dressed it with an herbaceous lemon ricotta to create a one-pot dish [...]

By | 2018-04-19T16:00:28+00:00 April 19th, 2018|#IslandFlavor, Appetizers, Dinner, Fruits & Veggies, Recipes, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Pastelón, Puerto Rican Shepherd’s Pie

  What I love the most about social media is that it allows me to connect with people that I would never have met otherwise and my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE is getting a message from another Boricua who feels as strongly about Puerto Rican flavors as I do. I recently received this note from Hilarie Santiago: Dearest Monti, I've been a huge fan of yours since your appearance in Master Chef 3. I truly identified from the beginning, being a Puerto Rican mom, hustling to make a better life for her  baby. Let me just say, you are a fantastic mom and Danger is a lucky little guy, to have [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:22+00:00 November 8th, 2016|#IslandFlavor, Recipes, Uncategorized|2 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: The Freakin’ Rican Burger

Everyone has a favorite burger recipe and the Freakin' Rican is mine. I developed the recipe when I competed on Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef because it’s Puerto Rico in one juicy bite. The patty is made from 50% short rib, 25% sirloin and %25 pork shoulder, all coarsely ground. I season the patty with sazón, a Puerto Rican spice blend and then layer it with a chunky sofrito (flavorful tomato based sauce) and slices of creamy meunster cheese. Then come the smashed ripe plantains and strips of crispy thick cut bacon. I top those with tomato, onion, and arugula and sandwich all of it on a potato bun toasted with garlic [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:22+00:00 July 29th, 2016|#IslandFlavor, Proteins, Recipes, Uncategorized|2 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Abuela’s Rice and Beans

There's nothing I love more than getting messages like this one: My name is Jamie and I watched you on MasterChef and I just saw you on The Kitchen. My mom is from Puerto Rico and her mom used to make "the best" rice and beans. She doesn't know how to make it, she's not a good cook and she's been in America for a very long time. Do you happen to have a good traditional recipe for rice and beans? It seems simple but I wouldn't know where to start with seasonings. Thank you!!! Jaime, one of the biggest reasons I focus on Puerto Rican flavors is that they [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:22+00:00 July 26th, 2016|#IslandFlavor, Fruits & Veggies, Recipes, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Coconut Hot Fudge Sundae

July 25th is National #HotFudgeSundaeDay. It also happens to be Danger's birthday (he's turning seven) which makes this day one of The. Biggest. Days. of the year for me. What better way to celebrate than with a tropical, coconut hot fudge sundae! My little man Danger loves sweet fried plantains (he may not have been born on the island but that kid is Puerto Rican I tell you!) and he loves chocolate, so I combined those flavors with one of our favorite things in the world: vanilla ice cream. This is a really easy quick sundae but if you don't have sweet plantain, you can substitute a ripe banana or [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:22+00:00 July 23rd, 2016|Desserts, Fruits & Veggies, Recipes, Sauces, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Simple Sofrito

When it comes to building flavor, the french have mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) and creoles have the holy trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers).  Puerto Ricans have sofrito.  While it is the base of hundreds of Puerto Rican dishes, sofrito is derivative. You see Puerto Rican cuisine is the original fusion cuisine, with influences from Africa, Europe, and Asia. Much of our food is adapted from different cultures and sofrito is no different. This powerhouse of flavor was brought to the island by Italian immigrants that relocated in the 1800's during the Second Industrial Revolution. The Italians (along with other Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Corsica) were granted land after swearing loyalty [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:23+00:00 July 22nd, 2016|#IslandFlavor, Fruits & Veggies, Recipes, Sauces, Uncategorized|2 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Limbers (Frozen Fruit Pops)

It doesn't matter where you are in Puerto Rico- your block, your school, or in a downtown plaza- someone will always be selling frozen fruit juice pops called limbers. My Abuela Alicia lived in a tenement building in Rio Piedras and had a neighbor that would sell them out of her apartment. My brother and I would hand her fifty cents through a gap in her wrought iron door and in return we would get two little dixie cups filled to the top with frozen sweetened coconut milk. It was the tastiest way to stay cool in a world with no air conditioning. These frosty, refreshing treats are named after [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:23+00:00 July 17th, 2016|#IslandFlavor, Desserts, Fruits & Veggies, Recipes, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#IslandFlavor: Tropical Shrimp Salad

I think Glenn Frey put it best when he said, "The heat is on." When the fever of summer hits,  the last thing I want to do is spend an extended period of time in front of my stove. Which is why this fourth of July weekend I'm bringing a tropical shrimp salad to the BBQ. Not only does it make for a cool and refreshing side, shrimp cook quickly.  If you work it right you can leave the kitchen without breaking into a full sweat. Of course, quick cook times can be a double-edged sword. Just 30 seconds over can leave you chewing on a rubbery mess.  But I’m [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:23+00:00 July 3rd, 2016|#IslandFlavor, Appetizers, Fruits & Veggies, Proteins, Recipes, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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#StopFoodWaste: Leftover Coffee Mug Cake

If you aren't a coffee drinker props to you for being OK with going through life without one of THE BEST THINGS IN THE WORLD. If you're anything like me though, you enjoy a few cups every single day of your existence. There may be crazy times when you just can't drink it all and where you find yourself with a bit of leftover go-go juice. Don't you throw that cold java away! At the very least fill an ice cube tray with it and freeze it for amazing iced coffee. I prefer to put in a few more minutes of work and make myself a little leftover coffee mug [...]

By | 2017-12-19T00:37:23+00:00 April 7th, 2016|#StopFoodWaste, Desserts, Recipes, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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