Growing up in a Latino household was a spectacular experience. One of my favorite parts of my culture has always been the food. Oh the foods.
Being that both my parents were born in Guatemala, they cooked a lot of typical Latino foods with a Chapino (Guatemalan) twist. When I ate dinner at any of my American friends' houses, I couldn't help but notice the difference in foods.
College was rough in that I missed having the home-cooked meals my parents made, as any college student does. I grew a whole new appreciation for my culture, and now that I'm a mom and soon-to-be wife, I'm making sure my family enjoys the same cuisine I did growing up.
Without further ado, below are some of my favorite foods, Latino style:
1. Carne Asada (Grilled Steak)
I'll take a Latino cookout over hot dogs and hamburgers ANY DAY. Thin flank steak, yellow rice, grilled green onions and pico de gallo to top it all off. The rest of the food in this picture is pretty dope too.
2. Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)
This is a no-brainer. This tasty dessert takes about 25 minutes to cook and all you need is rice, milk, condensed milk, cinnamon sticks and even raisins if you wish. Best part? It's creamy and you eat it warm, unlike its American version sold in refrigerator sections at Wal-Mart.
3. Elote Loco (Corn on the Cob)
A lot of people tend to judge me for this one, but I shamelessly enjoy this way more than corn with butter. Mayo, mustard and ketchup on sweet corn sprinkled with white cheese is UH-MA-ZING. It's the best snack to have when you're strolling through a park with friends. And hey, if you want chocolate on it like this one, I won't judge.4. Jocón (Beef Stew)
I'm so sorry I couldn't provide a picture with higher resolution to show an up-close look at how ~delish~ this dish is. There's many variations to a Latino-style beef stew, but this is definitely my favorite. First of all, IT'S GREEN. Second of all, it has so much more texture and taste to it than any other type of stew I've tried. If you've never tried it, please please make it tonight. I even tracked down a recipe for you! Hint: It'll tell you why this soup is so green.
5. Granizada (Snow Cone)
This is another one of those foods I get judged for. But oh my goodness, for someone who loves crushed ice and has a bad habit of eating it, this girl loves a Latino-style snow cone! Instead of using sugary syrup, you top off the shaved ice with lemon juice, salt and pepita de calabaza. That last ingredient is toasted pumpkin seeds that you grind in a blender.
By the way, you can add those same ingredients to almost any fruit. It's especially good on mangoes!
6. Paletas (Popsicles)
These delicious Latino-style popsicles are usually fruit flavored and have a thicker build to them than an American popsicle you buy from the ice cream man.
Paletas are usually bought from someone who looks like this:
No joke. If you want a genuine paleta, you won't want to buy it at a store. Find someone who sells it on the street! Unfortunately, you won't see too many, if any, here in the states.
If there's a neighborhood paletero where you live, tweet me (@leslysnews) and let me know what other Latin American recipes you enjoy!