Semiserious Chefs

This dish came about after my week-long exploration of Latin American mashed plantain breakfasts. Finally, after plenty of savory, I created a sweet dish. For my own tastes I like just a dash of cayenne pepper included in the dough, but you can always leave it out. This is an especially fun and easy dish […]

There are two ways to go about plantain arepas… well two places to start. Do you want Arepas de Plátano Verde, Green Plantain Arepas, or Arepas de Plátano Maduro, Ripe Plantain Arepas? Green plantains tend to taste a little less banana-y, while ripe plantains are sweeter. Some folks even add some sugar to make a […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Kelewele (pronounced kay-lay-way-lay) is a West African street food that is particularly popular in Ghana. Commonly sold as cubed bits, people also like to slice them more like fries or potato wedges, and sometimes as medallions. These spicy seasoned and fried treats are great for parties, hors d’oeuvres, side dishes, and even tossed on salad. […]

This recipe takes its roots from Ghana. The southern states in particular lean heavily on cassava and plantain as major staples, but the common culture throughout the country is to serve a meal centered around the starch of choice with a soup or stew, most often tomato based, and added protein, very often fish. Like […]