Morales: Food

Being in a Hispanic- European American family, food becomes an important factor to join both sides of the families together. Getting the best of both worlds I came to the conclusion that ‘arroz con gandule, pernil and platanos’ which is rice and pigeon peas, with roast pork and plantains; is my favorite dish from my Puerto Rican side which comes from my father. That man can cook anything from Italian food to Indian food. It’s a long process to make the pork. Marinating the pork shoulder the day before makes a big difference then marinating it the day of. It must soak up all the spices in order it to get the flavor once its done roasting in the oven for about 4 hours. Then comes the rice, which is also a process but not as long. Boiling the peas and adding the rice with a blend of spices adds the touch. Lastly, come the plantains. All that’s needed to do is to cut them and fry them when the food is all ready.

I’ve noticed that it must be a ‘special occasion’ when my dad makes this. Family reunions, BBQs, and family friends visiting are the only times he would make it. The Italian side of my family which is my mothers’ side love Hispanic food. Whenever they visit which is very rare there are never left overs. It says something about Hispanic food. Everyone loves it