Dominican Republic

Just got back, yeah just missed the Earthquake-the food was awful- I lost 10 pounds, but I thought this was interesting. It's edible

http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee13 ... nt=077.jpg

Pray for Omarion. So sorry you didn't enjoy the food that three million people across the border in a culturally unrelated country on another tectonic subplate could use right about now.

Santander wrote:Pray for Omarion. So sorry you didn't enjoy the food that three million people across the border in a culturally unrelated country on another tectonic subplate could use right about now.

Although we weren't supposed to we did bring the rent a car across the border into Haiti for a day..The people were great and the ox tail soup was delicious..

Whew-We just barely made it out of there

I've been to the DR twice. I really feel for the people on the island. The DR is poor. Can't imagine how bad Haiti must be. I am lucky to be born in a country where I can be concerned about food as a hobby and not wonder when I'll have my next meal.

If you want an interesting food scene in the Caribbean, look to Puerto Rico. Don't need a passport and don't have to go through customs, plus they have a road called, "The Pork Highway". Need I say more?

Tom in NC wrote:I've been to the DR twice. I really feel for the people on the island. The DR is poor.

Actually, by Caribbean and even Latin American standards, the DR isn't doing too bad, if you consider GDP PPP a good measure of a country's wealth. Their HDI (Human Development Index) rating is medium, which is the second to worst category, but even that ain't terrible. Also, the DR has the second largest economy in Central America and the Caribbean.

Look, the DR isn't Luxembourg, but its not definitely not Somalia, or even Haiti. I don't want to make assumptions about how you drew your conclusions that "the DR is poor" and that you feel bad for the people on the island, but if you did so based on observation only, remember that looks are often deceiving.

Oh, and by the way, to all the people who have been talking ish about Dominican food, while I have never been there, Dominican food in NYC is one of the things I miss most about living there. I imagine that the food on the island can't be much worse. In fact, I'd wager that its executed with greater variety, more freshly and of course, authentically.

Habibi wrote:Oh, and by the way, to all the people who have been talking ish about Dominican food, while I have never been there, Dominican food in NYC is one of the things I miss most about living there. I imagine that the food on the island can't be much worse. In fact, I'd wager that its executed with greater variety, more freshly and of course, authentically.

H,

Can you elaborate a little on DR food? I was thinking about going there until the earthquake happened. Then I figured that they didn't need my fat ass taking up precious resources on Hispaniola. I'm still curious, though.

Again, I've never been to the DR, so my knowledge is based solely on what I've eaten here....here are some examples.

Mangu - plantain porridge eaten plain for breakfast or topped with the stew of the day for lunch/dinner.
Bacalao - stewed with onions and peppers, delicious.
Chicharon de Pollo - chicken "lollipops." OMFG delicious, especially when fried "hard."

Perhaps these dishes aren't that unique to Dominican cooking - you can find analogues in all sorts of Caribbean cuisines, its just that the DR restaurants in NYC seemed to be making much tastier versions of the Caribbean dishes I love. Including all the pork stuff - chicharon, lechon, etc.

Based on this website, it seems that Dominican cooking is far more varietal than my knowledge indicates.

I think we've discussed this at some length before when the DR came up. Can't find it. Here's my take, as someone who has travelled around the DR several times, who knows a bunch of folks who have lived in the DR (in towns and cities, not resorts) and who has had Dominican neighbors -- great people, great country, great baseball, great cigars and rum, unremarkable food, both as a cuisine and as a place to eat, and even compared to other places in the Caribbean; indeed, even among the cuisines of Hispanola. I LOVE the DR. The food just isn't that great.

There's little that is purely Dominican that can't be found at a Puerto Rican or Cuban place. Chicharones de Pollo, sancocho, mondongo and mangu all have analogues that I think are the same as or objectively better from other Caribbean countries. Certainly, the bland mangu is bested by fufu and especially mofongo. Not that I wouldn't welcome a good Dominican place or 2, but the already underappreciated Puerto Rican places should scratch whatever itch one has for this food.

Habibi and I share an affinity for Presidente bien fria, and I wish they'd bring that back to the Chicago market. Dominican places come and go in Humboldt Park/Logan Square. The legendary RST was interested in the cuisine and would report, as would I. It's been a while since I've paid close attention. My DR connections haven't mentioned any new places recently.

Habibi wrote:Again, I've never been to the DR, so my knowledge is based solely on what I've eaten here....here are some examples.

Mangu - plantain porridge eaten plain for breakfast or topped with the stew of the day for lunch/dinner.
Bacalao - stewed with onions and peppers, delicious.
Chicharon de Pollo - chicken "lollipops." OMFG delicious, especially when fried "hard."

Perhaps these dishes aren't that unique to Dominican cooking - you can find analogues in all sorts of Caribbean cuisines, its just that the DR restaurants in NYC seemed to be making much tastier versions of the Caribbean dishes I love. Including all the pork stuff - chicharon, lechon, etc.

Based on this website, it seems that Dominican cooking is far more varietal than my knowledge indicates.

Next time my Cuban mother in law makes Bacalao, I'll try to score you some. Good stuff. PS, one item that is relatively uniquely Dominican in the Caribbean and truly widespread there is quipe' (kibbeh) owing to a significant Syrian/Lebanese population -- which population in itself is not unusual in Latin America or even the Hispanic Caribbean; it's just that kibbeh as a snack food doesn't pop up much other than in the DR and Brazil.