Another Gringa Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered our latest giveaway!  I had fun reading all of your comments and retweets :)

And now...drum roll please...

Hmmm...and who might lucky #2 be?

It's Cathy's Crazy Life!  Congratulations, Cathy!  Shoot me an email at cooking4gringas (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll get that CSN Stores gift certificate sent your way.  Thanks again, y'all!  Stay tuned for future contests!

As American as...Cupcakes?

Y'all ate up my last batch of cupcakes so I decided to share some more!  I made these for some friends yesterday just before watching certain film starring Will Smith and some aliens.  No, not Men in Black...that other one.  What's it called?  Oh yes, Independence Day! 

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Playing by the pool, fireflies, watermelon...it just feels like summertime.  This recipe truly captures the pure, innocent joy of summertime.  It's fun and simple.  Also, it happens to be reduced fat/reduced sugar!  Be sure to bookmark this one for your barbecue next year...it's a big hit!

Liberty Cakes
Source: Inspired by fellow Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, Omnomicon

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
12 oz Sprite Zero (sorry...I live in Atlanta)
LOTS of gel food coloring
8 oz Fat Free whipped topping

Directions:

Preheat oven according to cake mix package directions.  Line cupcake pan.

Mix together white cake mix and Sprite Zero according to package directions.

Looks like cappuccino froth!

Pour one third of the batter into a small bowl.  Pour another one third into another small bowl.  Add blue food coloring to one bowl and red food coloring to the other.  I like to add three drops, stir, and repeat until I find the desired color.

The prettiest dirty dishes ever

Place one heaping tablespoon of blue batter into each cupcake liner.  Then place one heaping tablespoon of uncolored batter directly on top of the blue, as though forming concentric circles.  Then top each cupcake liner with one heaping tablespoon of red batter.  Repeat until you're out of liners (I made 2 dozen with this much batter).  Don't worry if your cupcakes look a little lower than usual...this stuff rises a lot!

Bake according to box directions.  Let cool completely.  Once cool, top with whipped topping and a blueberry.  Serve with sparklers and patriotism.

Reminder: Another Gringa Giveaway!

Don't forget!  You have until Monday, July 5th, to enter our latest giveaway to win a $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores!

Two Ways to Enter:

1. Simply comment on this post!
2. Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet the following: RT I entered to win a gift card from CSN Stores and @cooking4gringas!!! http://tinyurl.com/2g29qc9 Then, comment on this post to let us know it was you!

You can comment or retweet or both!  Please only one entry per email address per day; otherwise feel free to enter as many times as you'd like!  The Giveaway will end Monday, July 5th at Midnight (Eastern Time) so be sure to check back every day to enter for your chance to win this fabulous gift certificate! The lucky winner will be announced Tuesday, July 6th.

Hope y'all have a happy 4th of July weekend!

Pequeño Cheesecake

If you think I enjoy cooking, you should see me with a cake pan and a hand mixer.  I like to cook, but I love to bake!  This particular recipe has absolutely nothing to do with Cuban cuisine or my general gringa theme, but I just had to share!  My cousin introduced me to this Martha Stewart recipe (love her...both my cousin and Martha, that is) and it's been a big hit every time I've made it for friends!  I'm sure you'll have the same reaction.  Not only is it delicious, it's simply adorable.  Are they cupcakes?  Are they cheesecake?  Who cares!

Martha Stewart's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

42 Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped (I put them in a gallon bag and released the aggression of studying for boards)
2 pounds cream cheese, softened (let them sit out for a while at room temperature, or zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

Yes, I got a new camera,  Yes, it has a food setting.  You're welcome.

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. You might need to do this pretty often if you don't have a super high mixing bowl.  My mixing bowls are pretty short and Miss Corgi kept waiting for sweet creamy batter to go flying her way.

 Anticipating.

Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22-25 minutes. Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.

 Look how cute!  (Source)

Another Gringa Giveaway!

You may remember me talking about a collection of online stores so diverse, you can find anything from a vanity for your bathroom to a tricycle for your child.  Of course, I'm talking about CSN Stores!  Our last giveaway was such a success, CSN Stores has decided to host another!  I know, they rock.  The grande prize?  A $40 gift certificate to CSN's cookware.com!  Imagine using those $40 to get these:

Baking dishes by Le Creuset

Or to put it towards a larger purchase like this:

Stand mixer by Kitchen Aid

Two Ways to Enter:

1. Simply comment on this post!
2. Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet the following: RT I entered to win a gift card from CSN Stores and @cooking4gringas!!! http://tinyurl.com/2g29qc9 Then, comment on this post to let us know it was you!

Please only one entry per email address per day; otherwise feel free to enter as many times as you'd like!  The Giveaway will end Monday, July 5th at Midnight (Eastern Time) so be sure to check back every day to enter for your chance to win this fabulous gift certificate! The lucky winner will be announced Tuesday, July 6th.

Again, this giveaway is open to readers with addresses in the U.S. and Canada, as CSN Stores only ship to those countries (for now).  Good luck, y'all!

Costa Rica's Finest

As I've mentioned earlier, my fiance and I recently traveled to Costa Rica to celebrate our graduations.  We had an absolutely amazing time there.  We enjoyed some tropical cocktails poolside, we experienced some exciting outdoorsy adventures, but most importantly, we ate.  A lot.

Plato Tipico

Perhaps the most famous dish of Costa Rica, gallo pinto is a unique combination of black beans and rice.  Costa Ricans eat it with every meal.  Don't believe me?  Try it as a side dish with an omelet this Sunday morning.  See?  I told ya so.

The name gallo pinto means "painted rooster" or "spotted rooster."

Source

See the resemblance?  The best part about gallo pinto (okay, the second best part...the best part is the taste obviously) is that it's really easy to make.  Convenient, too!  If you have some cooked rice lying around, it's a great way to spice it up and turn boring old leftovers into a new and exciting side dish.

Gallo Pinto
Source: Recipe Zaar 


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, finely choppied
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked rice
2 cans Goya black bean soup, heated and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 sliced green onions

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until it just begins to soften.  Add garlic and continue to sauté until onion is golden.

Add spices and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir well to combine.

Add beans and rice.  Combine well and cook until it is heated through.

The gallo pinto will have a cohesive consistency...think fried rice.  Use an ice cream scoop to serve neat compact servings.  Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

There you have it!  Have you traveled somewhere in Latin America and fallen in love with a dish?  What was it?

Recap: Give Your Cocina Some Color

You may remember that we hosted our first giveaway (sponsored by CSN Stores) a couple of months ago.  The winner of this contest was a reader named Evan.  Evan is a Southern beau engaged to a belle, named Christina, who is half Brazilian...so i guess that makes him a gringo!  Evan and Christina chose the Le Cruset mortar and pestle in Caribbean blue as their lovely prize.  Here's Christina enjoying her fiance's new toy!

 That looks like fun!

Mmm...mustard seeds!  I wonder what they cooked with that?

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest and congrats again to the winner!  I've got another giveaway up my sleeve in the very near future, so stay tuned!

Veggies del Verano

Verano is Spanish for "summer."  With the first day of summer quickly approaching (which is silly because it's felt like summer for about a month here in the South), I thought it would be fun to present a dish featuring seasonal vegetables.  I love seasonal food.  Whether it's watermelon in the summertime or cranberries at Christmas, some foods just help you stay in the moment.

I found this recipe on Cooking Light, one of my favorite sources for healthy recipes.  It combines seasonal ingredients with healthy preparation.  Plus, it's got a lot of Latin flavor!  I made a few adjustments and it was delicious!  I apologize for my iPhone pictures...my camera is temporarily temperamental.

Chicken and Summer Veggie Tostadas with Black Beans
Source: inspired by Cooking Light

Now that's what I call summer veggies!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 chicken breasts, sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped red onion (1 medium onion)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 limes
1/2 cup salsa verde
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
4 wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese
1 can Goya black bean soup

Directions:

Preheat broiler.  Combine first 4 ingredients.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Sprinkle spices evenly over chicken and add chicken to pan, sautéing until almost fully cooked (3-5 minutes).

Cut the limes into quarters.  Add veggies to the pan.  Squeeze the limes over the veggies and chicken, then add the lime quarters to the pan.  This step is important because the lime juice heats, allowing the other ingredients to simmer in its juices.

 So colorful!

Continue to sauté until done.  Stir in salsa and cilantro.  Heat can of black beans until warm.

Arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over each.  Broil no more than one minute.  I would watch this and remove immediately after the cheese is melted.  Here's what happens if you over-broil:

I shall turn you into tortilla chips.

Spoon chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.  Top with black beans.

Yum!

And there you have it: tostadas, with a healthy and seasonal twist!  What's your favorite healthy Latin dish?

Bailamos Mucho, Y'all

Oh blogging world, how I have missed you!  It's been a crazy month.  My group and I finished up our research study (which won an award, by the way), I graduated from physical therapy school, my fiancé graduated from law school, and finally, we spent a week in Costa Rica.  More on my culinary adventures in Costa Rica later.

The title for this blog post comes from a former professor of mine.  We were in Guatemala, and she was translating a Mayan woman's description of a traditional Mayan wedding.  After the marriage ceremony, the couple and all of their guests dance and drink and eat for hours upon hours.  Instead of saying that in Spanish, my professor just said "bailamos mucho, y'all!"  I'm pretty sure that sums up my last month.

I'm thrilled to be back into a normal routine, and I have a list a mile long of all of the things that I want to write about for you!  So without further ado, I present to you the return of Miss Gringa!  I'd like to kick things off with a refreshing summer beverage; something that truly captures the essence of the title of this post:

{Mojito}

Mojitos are a traditional Cuban highball.  You'll find these all over the Caribbean, but the actual birthplace is Cuba.  They've become quite trendy recently in posh cocktail bars in the States.  Unfortunately, most American places serve far from the authentic.  You'll see peppermint schnapps instead of mint leaves, Sprite instead of sparkling water, and worst of all, syrup instead of sugar cane.  I've found one authentic mojito before, and it was $14 in South Beach.  Here's a way to enjoy it, authentically and affordable, at home!

Ingredients:

 

1 teaspoon cane sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice (squeeze half of a lime and throw in the leftover wedges)

2 tablespoons Rose's sweetened lime juice

4 mint leaves

2 oz. white rum

2 oz. club soda

sugar cane

mint sprig

(Note: You can substitute 1 tablespoon of cane sugar and 4 tablespoons of lime juice for the first three ingredients.)

Directions:

Combine first six ingredients into a plastic pitcher.  Do not attempt this in a glass pitcher!

Muddle everything together.  A muddler is best for this, but if you're like us and registered for one but aren't getting married for a few months, a pestle from a mortar and pestle, a potato masher, or a mean pounder will do.

You want to make sure you squeeze everything you can out of those lime wedges and mint leaves.  The more flavor, the better!  The club soda may bubble a bit while you're doing this, but that's okay.  Just make sure you're not muddling so vigorously that your pitcher overflows.

Fill highball glasses with ice and pour.  Garnish with a stick of sugar cane (if available) and a sprig of mint.  Enjoy!

How cute are these?

Source

¡Lo Siento!

I know, I'm the worst blogger ever.  It's been way too long.  I miss y'all!  Here's what's been keeping me away from you:

That's right.  That is my doctoral hood.  I picked up my graduation regalia today because in 11 days, I will be Dr. Gringa!  Our research paper is done, we're finishing up our research poster, and I'm taking a 6-day course in vestibular competency.  Each day is about 12 hours long, so I don't have much energy left to write when I get home.  But to be honest, there isn't much to write about because they're feeding me so I haven't been cooking!

Again, loyal readers, I apologize.  I promise I will be back to cooking and back to writing as soon as I'm done with this madness!

A Kitchen Fit for a Gringa

One of the very first things we did when we got engaged was get registered.  Hey, if people wanna buy us presents, I'm gonna give them that opportunity!  We were sure to include kitchen items that were conducive to Cuban cuisine.  I thought y'all would appreciate those ideas for your own cocinas!

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

A roasting pan is the cornerstone of any Cuban kitchen.  Why?  Because pork is the cornerstone of Cuban cuisine.  It is important to have a good roaster, and this one (by Calphalon) is rather inexpensive!

Source: Crate & Barrel

A muddle is essential to good mojitos.  Mashing limes and mint together perfectly blends the flavors together.  This muddle, by Crate and Barrel, is especially good because it's long enough to use directly in the pitcher.  Which brings me to my next point...

Source: Crate & Barrel

This pitcher is acrylic.  I know, I know, it's not as fancy as a glass pitcher (which is why we registered for one of those too), but it is a necessity.  Good mojitos need to be made directly in the pitcher and you need to be able to keep muddling them to refresh the flavors each time your guests would like a refill.  I've seen people try to do this in a glass pitcher.  It does not end well.  Get an acrylic pitcher or don't try mojitos at home.

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

Okay, so fun margarita glasses aren't really a necessity.  But look how fun these are!  A blender is also important, not just for margaritas but for mojito daiquiris (more on that later).

Source: Crate & Barrel

We did not actually register for a chip and dip platter because I have a really fun Florida Gators one, but I definitely think it's a necessary addition to a cocina.  Especially if you're into entertaining, this is a must have.

Source: CSN Stores

A mortar and pestle is critical to grinding fresh spices.  It's also very useful in making guacamole.  We'll have to ask our recent giveaway winner how this particular mortar and pestle worked out for him!

Source: CSN Stores

I cannot overemphasize the importance of a good skillet.  Not only that, but it's not a bad idea to have several skillets specifically made for specific dishes.  I have an omelet pan that I'm pretty much obsessed with.  This particular pan by Rachel Ray would be perfect for plantains.

Source: Crate & Barrel

I recently discussed the importance of a good cast iron skillet.  My favorite thing about this particular tool is that the older it gets, the better it is.  There's something really fun about that, and I love it.

Source: Crate & Barrel

An espresso maker is essential to good Cuban coffee (more about that later).  Some people use a stove-top kettle, some people use something as fancy as this.  We have one by Krups that I like a lot, but I couldn't resist posting this one because it's so pretty.

  Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

I always thought flan could only be served round, but I recently discovered that a loaf pan is a perfectly suitable and much easier choice!

Do you have a favorite piece of Gringa Gear in your kitchen?

And We Have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered our first sponsored giveaway!  A winner has been selected by a random number generator and that person has been notified.  We'll have a follow-up post as soon as the winner receives their prize!  Stay tuned for more giveaways!

Last Chance!

Don't forget!  Today is the last day to enter our first sponsored giveaway!

3 chances to win:

1. Become a follower on here and leave a comment telling me which prize you'd like (you only get one...I know, I want all three too).  If you're already a follower, tell me that in your comment.
   
2. Become a fan of Cooking for Gringas on Facebook (if you are already a fan and you live in the U.S. or Canada, you are automatically entered).
3. Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet this contest. 

Good luck!

Cast Iron Skillet Fajitas

I had a birthday recently, and one of the many fabulous presents I received from my wonderful and generous loved ones was a cast iron skillet.  The Southern girl that I am, I immediately made cornbread.  But then I got to thinking...maybe I could expand my cast iron horizons.  Maybe I could venture even further south.

I know I usually focus on Caribbean cuisine, but in honor of my friends in Cozumel, I decided to whip up some fajitas in my new skillet!  In the past, I've marinated my fajita steak at least overnight.  This time, I added alcohol to my usual marinade, allowing it to tenderize the meat during cooking.  I love when my experiments allow me to be impatient efficient!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup sweetened lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound skirt steak, trimmed, not yet cut!
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 medium yellow onion, julienned

Directions:

Combine all ingredients through olive oil in a large bowl.  You may be wondering what I mean by sweetened lime juice.  I suppose you could just use regular lime juice, but the sweetness mixed with the tequila and the spices made for a killer combination.  I recommend something like Rose's...

...which you should have on hand if you like making good mojitos. 

More on that later.

Once all of your "marinade" ingredients are combined, throw the steak in there and toss a few times until fully coated.

Heat cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles off of it.  Add steak and half of the remaining "marinade."  If you use thin cuts like I do, you won't need to cook it for long...I did about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Once brown, remove from pan.

Look at that tequila bubble!

Pour remaining "marinade" into the pan.  Add veggies to the pan and toss to coat.  Cook until onions are soft.

Slice the cooked steak into strips.  Slicing it against the grain and on the bias will help to make it more tender.  Reduce heat to low, and add steak to the skillet.  Stir everything together until evenly combined.

Serve immediately with tortillas (white corn tortillas pair nicely with this recipe), cheese (sharp white cheddar again, pairs nicely) and guacamole.

Using an ordinary skillet would work too, but this color only comes from cast iron!

looks good enough to eat

Mexican food is one of the most popular genres of food in America.  What's your favorite Mexican dish?

I've always been your biggest flan

Also nominated for blog post title: "you should have put him in custardy."  If you know where these references are from, you are my new hero.

Flan is a type of custard.  You may find savory varieties throughout Europe, but flan is dulce in Latin America.  And it is good.  There are only six ingredients in most recipes, yet flan can be very difficult to make.  In fact, I have been quite intimidated by the flan for quite some time.  It doesn't help that my future in-laws make fabulous flan...such big shoes to fill!

Fortunately, I have a friend who, too, is a gringa.  We met through our men, as her husband is also a Cuban Knight (that is, he is of Cuban descent and attended the University of Central Florida).  We figured with our gringa powers combined, and with the help of her suegra, we could tackle the most daunting dessert in all the land!

Here you have it, folks.  Flan, courtesy of Señora M:

Ingredients:

Flan:
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Combine flan ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Sra. M cracking some eggs

Next, combine sugar and water in a medium pan over medium-high heat.  Do not over-stir.  Just make sure the entire mixture is the same color (no dry sugar allowed).

This next part is hard.  Just watch that pan and let it sit there.  Do not touch it.  While you are waiting, get a water bath going, as you would for cheesecake.

Sra. M's mother-in-law told us to "wait until you can smell it" or "until it turns golden brown."  Well, that's the kind of vague, mystical instructions that I feel most gringas can't handle.  I'm a scientist!  I need numbers!  I want exact amounts!  A few minutes later, we started to smell it, but it still wasn't the right color.  As we debated what to do next, the mixture magically changed color to golden brown...almost instantaneously.

Magic.

The boys can smell it.  Don't they look like meercats here?

That step is the trick.  If you get that part right, you're good.  Next, pour your new caramel into an ungreased loaf pan.  ¡Cuidado!  This stuff is hot!  Tip the loaf pan back and forth so that the caramel covers the entire bottom and as much of the sides as possible.  This is tricky too, because the caramel cools quickly.  It's much easier to move liquid around than it is to move molasses around, so try to work quickly.  Every time I've had flan with my future in-laws, it's round.  This was hard enough to get it in a loaf pan, and I think it would be much more difficult to cover a round pan effectively.

Our covered pan

Next, pour your flan batter over the caramel.  Place in a roasting pan and pour the water bath around it.  Place in the oven and bake at 400˚ for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

When it's done baking, it should look like this:

Yes.

Let it cool overnight in the fridge.  Serve it cold.

Custard's last stand...for it shall soon be eaten.

Florida's Finest

Y'all know that I am a Florida girl, and this is one of the many Floridian habits that I just can't shake (along with craving fresh squeezed OJ and ditching the lines at Disney...FastPass anyone?)  I think it's high time that I introduce to you one of my absolute favorite secret ingredients...

Source: Everglades Seasoning

Everglades Seasoning is amazing.  You use it instead of salt and pepper, but it adds a little something extra beyond that.  It has natural tenderizers in it, so it's great on meat.  It also has several other spices in it, but even the manufacturers won't reveal what those secret spices are.  ¡Que misterioso!  Everglades Seasoning also makes a low-sodium version of their spice jar, as well as a version with no MSG.  I have to admit that I have not yet purchased either of these healthier options.  A little bit of Everglades Seasoning goes a long way, and I've been working on my bottle of the original stuff for a while.

One disclaimer I will say about this stuff is that unfortunately it's not available everywhere.  It's available in most stores in the South and along the east coast.  If you have Publix in your area, you're in good shape.  Fortunately for those of you who live further away from Florida, Everglades Seasoning products are available on their website.

So what exactly can you make with Everglades Seasoning?  Allow me to introduce you to my Quick and Easy Guacalmole!

For every ripe avocado, add:

• 1/2 teaspoon Everglades Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Then combine in a mortar and pestle and serve.  It doesn't get any easier than that!

And speaking of mortar and pestle, don't forget...you have until this Friday, April 9th to enter our first sponsored giveaway!

One thing I love about Everglades Seasoning is the response I get when I introduce it to non-Floridians.  Do you have a secret ingredient from your hometown that you like the share with people from other areas?  How about a recipe unique to your home state?

Give Your Cocina Some Color

Y'all know I love to cook, but did you know that I also love to shop?  Not necessarily buy.  Shop.  I grew up summering in a tiny town in Massachusetts and when I wasn't at the beach, I spent my days browsing window displays of quaint New England shops.  This love has stayed with me throughout my life, and I can frequently be found strolling through the Virginia Highlands looking at little boutiques.  You know where else I like to window shop?  On the internet.

My recent find has everything from corner tv stands to cardstock (can we say printable wedding invitations?) to dog beds to...gasp...kitchen toys.  Yes, CSN Stores was a great find.  Not only do they have a wide variety of stores with ridiculously good deals, they have lots of great customer reviews so you can educate yourself before you buy a product...which I think is very important with online shopping.  And luckily for you, CSN Stores found me too!  Gringas y gringos, may I present to you Cooking for Gringas' first sponsored...

GIVEAWAY

Readers, you have the opportunity to win one of these three fabulous prizes:

A ceramic mortar and pestle by Le Creuset, perfect for grinding fresh spices...in Caribbean Blue

 A stainless steel muddle by Rosle, great for making mojitos

  A 10" open skillet by Rachel Ray, excellent for cooking plantains...in Yellow

Unfortunately, this contest is only open to residents of the U.S. or Canada.  I sincerely apologize to my Mexican readers, and I promise I will find you a giveaway soon!

3 chances to win:

1. Become a follower on here and leave a comment telling me which prize you'd like (you only get one...I know, I want all three too).  If you're already a follower, tell me that in your comment.
   
2. Become a fan of Cooking for Gringas on Facebook (if you are already a fan and you live in the U.S. or Canada, you are automatically entered).
3. Follow cooking4gringas on Twitter and retweet this contest.

You're welcome to use all three options to enter!  One winner will be selected next Friday, April 9th at 5:00 PM.  Good luck!

The Great Plantain Ripening Experiment

I've heard that you can get plantains to ripen faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an apple.  I've also heard that you can get plantains to ripe faster by placing them in a brown paper bag with an orange.  Maybe I've been working on my research study too much, but I felt like experimenting last week.

the control, condition A (apple), and condition O (orange)

I didn't have any brown paper bags around, so I used these grocery bags from Trader Joe's and stapled closed.

1 week later: not much of a difference between the control and the two conditions

So there you have it.  A failed experiment that left me with nothing but an overripe orange.  In conclusion, you can't alter time.  That only works on Lost.