«Ya te puedes casar»: Cooking For Our Communities
Most volunteers here in the Dominican Republic are very familiar with being given great quantities of delicious Dominican food, juice and coffee by host families, friends, neighbors, and sometimes strangers. But one of the special ways volunteers can share parts of their lives and their culture is to cook their favorite dishes for Dominicans! Below are six compiled stories about sharing our favorite meals, sides, desserts, and drinks with members of our communities. ¡Buen provecho!
Garlic Bread
On Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) I introduced my host family to garlic bread and now they’re obsessed with it — they won’t stop talking about it. I had just moved and someone had put a bunch of stuff in my oven while they were helping me move, to help carry it all. And I guess somehow I missed the fact that there was a giant roll of Frog Tape, which is the tape you use for painting, in the oven. So I started cooking the garlic bread and there was all this smoke coming out of my oven and it smelled terrible. I opened my oven and discovered that all this plastic had melted in my oven. So I quickly took out the garlic bread and smelled it and luckily it didn’t smell like melted plastic, so I figured it was okay to eat. I served it to them and they said it tasted delicious! Now they’re all obsessed with garlic bread and want me to show them how to make it!
- Education Volunteer, Monte Plata
Eggplant Parmesan
One day while I was chatting with my host mom, she mentioned that she loves lasagna and she loves eggplant. And what is eggplant parmesan if not basically an eggplant lasagna? So I told my host mom about my eggplant parmesan recipe and she informed me that it would be called pastelón de berenjena in Spanish, or eggplant casserole, which I thought was essentially accurate (although I did later learn that pastelón de berenjena is actually a very specific dish and something entirely different from eggplant parmesan). Several weeks later, she asked if I would make my pastelón de berenjena for Nochebuena so I took the guaguita to the nearest grocery store and got all my ingredients! [Warning: do NOT attempt to go grocery shopping the day before Nochebuena. I have never been in a more crowded store in my life.] I spent the day of Nochebuena battering and frying my eggplant and making the layers of eggplant, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. Then I borrowed my dueña’s oven to bake it. Even though it was different from the pastelón de berenjena they were expecting, it was a big hit! Everyone really enjoyed it and they declared: «ya me puedo casar.» I hope I can make it again next year!
- Education Volunteer, San Cristóbal
Jambalaya
I make my jambalaya with longaniza because I can’t find andouille sausage here. My friends in my community really like my jambalaya but they always say «Ay esa comida de Fulana siempre pica demasiado» and I say «No es que pica demasiado, es que yo uso sazones y ustedes no saben sazonar su comida jajaja.»
- Education Volunteer, Monte Plata
Plato del día Family Lunches
Every Sunday back home, my family and I ate family dinner together. So here in-country, I tried to recreate that with my host family and have a host family lunch that I would cook every Sunday. I try to cook classic Dominican foods like la bandera with beans, rice, and chicken, things like that. And in this photo, I made beans and rice with arepitas de maiz, which are like cornmeal fritters with star anise, and a salad. It’s a special moment where I’m cooking and I’m trying to do it with a recipe I found online, but my host grandma always ends up saying: “Oh you could also do this!” or “Here, let me help you!” and it’s really nice and it’s a nice bonding moment. And then we all enjoy the food afterwards and it’s a sweet time!
- Education Volunteer, Monte Cristi
Iced Coffee
I love to make iced coffee and cold brew coffee, but Dominicans in my community only drink their coffee hot. So, naturally, my don and doña, friends and neighbors are very curious about my cold coffee! When they ask to try it, they always say they really like it! And sometimes they come back other days to ask for more. But I don’t think they’ll begin making iced coffee in their own homes any time soon.
- Education Volunteer, Monte Plata
Pumpkin Cinnamon Pancakes
I just made pancakes with my host family! We made them a few nights ago and tonight. My host sister had never made them before we made them together and she quickly became a pro! My host sister and I like them a lot, my host mom will eat them if she has to, and my host dad doesn’t like them at all hahaha. In the photo, we did a cinnamon-auyama batter.
- Youth in Development Volunteer, Monte Plata
Dulce de Leche
I wanted to make something sweet to share with my co-workers at school, so I made a dulce de leche. It went so much better than I thought it would! The ingredients were simple: evaporated milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt, and I stirred it for about two hours. They LOVED it and called me a doña. I made it again on bread rolls for my neighbors of all ages, and it brought smiles to their faces. After I had a site change for safety reasons, I made it for my new host family, and they all loved snacking on it, looking very surprised and excited that I had made it. In all of the instances, I am reminded of how food is the best because a) it’s delicious and b) it brings people together! All of us getting a sugar rush from the dulce de leche together have been sweet moments in all senses of the word “sweet.”
- Youth in Development Volunteer, Hato Mayor & Monte Cristi
Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
Once my doña taught me how to use the Dominican oven, I was good to go. I had told my don and doña about some of the things I’ve made and they said they wanted to try them! So I told them that once I started making things on my own, I’d bring them samples of things I cook or bake that seem different and would interest them. I’ve shared cinnamon rolls, lemon-blueberry muffins, and cheesy potato soup. It makes me feel better that I can share my food with them because they help me a lot around my house and to feel comfortable here and they also enjoy my cooking! One of my friends from school, one of the consejeras, Paulina, noticed that I was always bringing treats over to my host family’s house and asked me to bring her food too! So I started including her in sampling my dishes as well.
I had a big craving for lemon-blueberry muffins, so I brought frozen arándanos back from the capital and I made a batch of lemon-blueberry muffins. After I brought some for Paulina to try, my school staff noticed and asked me to share with them too! Five people ended up trying Paulina’s muffin that day! So before winter break, I decided to make a big batch of muffins for the whole school staff. They loved them! Many Domincians have not actually had blueberries before because they are not easily accessible in this country. Blueberries do not grow well in this climate and you can really only find them in the grocery stores in Santo Domingo.
And then the kids noticed the muffins and wanted to try them too! I started having baking sessions with a few students at a time most Saturdays, a maximum of 4 people over at a time, and I’ll get them a treat to take home. I think I’m going to start having cooking sessions too!
So cooking is what I do to relax and also to engage with my community! Being able to do something and share it with people in my community makes it so that I am no longer described as: «ella no sabe nada.» So even though my Spanish is still improving, now they know I can cook and bake!
- Education Volunteer, Independencia
