Semiserious Chefs

This punny recipe came about with my desire to learn new uses for African and Asian yams. When I say yam, you probably think of those dark orange sweet potatoes they sell in most every US market. They are, in fact, exactly that, sweet potatoes. I know, this is where you say, “No, no, no! Sweet […]

This plantain breakfast, enjoyed by both the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazonian cultures, as well as the High Sierra Peruvians, is unique from the others I have tried in that it uses ground annatto seed, which is called achiote by the locals. Annotto has a very unique flavor. It has a flowery aroma with hints of […]

Despite prevailing wisdom, grenadine is not a cherry-flavored syrup. It never has been. Grenadine is actually made from pomegranate juice and sugar. And it’s surprisingly simple to make at home. Real grenadine should be a deep magenta color; not some sort of bright neon red or pink shade like you see with many of the […]

This mashed plantain dish hails from Peru. Amazonian Peru. This is a relatively important note, as different parts of Peru produce different staple foods. For instance, in the mountainous Andes regions (Sierra) you are more likely to see crop based dishes with potatoes or quinoa, and slow roasted meats, commonly guinea pig. Along the coastline, […]

The world culture history in the name of this recipe is just outstanding! ‘Fufu’ comes from West Africa. It is the name for a sticky dough that has been made from a boiled and mashed starch, typically African yam, cassave/yuca, or plantain. In this instance it’s mashed Plantain Fufu, though not quite the same texture […]

This ‘sauce,’ mojo (MO-hoe), is ‘of the Creole Peoples,’ or those of Spanish decent, criollo (cre-OH-yo). You might find it bottled, but why bother, when you can make it yourself and have it taste SO much better? Traditionally made with seville oranges, also known as bitter orange or naranja agria. If you aren’t able to find […]

Samboosa are Arabic fried triangle pastries. They are most often savory, so the title word here, halwah or ‘sweets’ gives us a clue that this is a fried triangular pastry sweet snack. The original recipe I played off called for cashews and walnuts, but I am really not a fan of walnuts. For my rendition […]

The plantain. Beloved by so many countries! And not the least of these, Puerto Rico. Mofongo (pronounce moe-phone-go) refers to a garlicy mashed plantain ball containing chicharrones, or fried pork rinds. (Bacon is an acceptable substitute.) What you choose to do with it after that offers creativity. Most often it is served with a sauce […]

Have you ever tried your hand at making hash browns from scratch, but found the results to be less than ideal? Perhaps the outside of the hash browns look okay, but on the inside it’s nothing but a starchy undercooked mess. I’ve seen this more than I’d like to admit. Fortunately, there are steps you […]

This mashed green plantain breakfast (or lunch, or dinner) goes by the unique name of Mangú. One story goes that a visiting American Marine once tried the dish and announced, “Man! Good!” leading to it to forever be called such with a local accent. Another, perhaps more likely theory, states that the original name might […]