After attempting and failing (for a variety of reasons) to get our first taste of Puerto Rican food, today Mom & I finally got a taste of part of our heritage.
Because we were eating on the run, it was simple appetizers as a culinary introduction again. In this case, it was beef empanadas, shrimp empanadas, fried sweet plantains, and we split a pastry.
Last things first: the pastry resembled a simple glazed twist donut, but had at least as much in common with a cheese danish. Not for dessert fans who want super-sweet stuff- this had a good balance. The glaze was honey based, and the cheese filling was slightly sweet and slightly savory.
The sweet plantains were also tasty, but unlike some we’ve had from other Caribbean/Central American/South American cuisines, these were not buttered and sugared before cooking. No cinnamon, either. Instead, they let the fruit speak for itself.
Finally, the empanadas. Gotta say, these were excellent. The crust was more like I’m used to in American fruit hand pies, kinda buttery and flakey, as opposed to the ones we get at Colombian restaurants (usually a hard but tasty corn-based shell, akin to what you’d find on an American corny dog). Whoever made those crusts knows how to bake, and the fillings were first rate, too. The shrimp one had a tomato sauce, onions and other bits in there with the cocktail shrimp, and the ground beef ones were kind of like a really good meatloaf or pot roast.
(No pix, because it’s impossible to balance food in your lap and take good pix in a car.)
** Adobo Puerto Rican Cafe **
Tipical Puerto Rican Food filled with soul and generations of flavor passed on thru our ancestors.
www.adobopuertoricancafe.com
Because we were eating on the run, it was simple appetizers as a culinary introduction again. In this case, it was beef empanadas, shrimp empanadas, fried sweet plantains, and we split a pastry.
Last things first: the pastry resembled a simple glazed twist donut, but had at least as much in common with a cheese danish. Not for dessert fans who want super-sweet stuff- this had a good balance. The glaze was honey based, and the cheese filling was slightly sweet and slightly savory.
The sweet plantains were also tasty, but unlike some we’ve had from other Caribbean/Central American/South American cuisines, these were not buttered and sugared before cooking. No cinnamon, either. Instead, they let the fruit speak for itself.
Finally, the empanadas. Gotta say, these were excellent. The crust was more like I’m used to in American fruit hand pies, kinda buttery and flakey, as opposed to the ones we get at Colombian restaurants (usually a hard but tasty corn-based shell, akin to what you’d find on an American corny dog). Whoever made those crusts knows how to bake, and the fillings were first rate, too. The shrimp one had a tomato sauce, onions and other bits in there with the cocktail shrimp, and the ground beef ones were kind of like a really good meatloaf or pot roast.
(No pix, because it’s impossible to balance food in your lap and take good pix in a car.)
