This post post was written in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Maseca. All opinions are our own.

It’s amazing how a smell can bring back so many memories. The minute a bag of Maseca makes it’s way into my home my mind starts thinking of what to make. It definitely inspires me to cook a traditional meal that I usually only enjoy when I travel to Guatemala or El Salvador. I recently had the opportunity to try Maseca’s new Centroamerica flour mix. I decided to make a traditional pot of beans with bolitas de masa (dough balls). The moment I poured water and salt into the Maseca mix my mind began to travel back to the vacations in Central America that I took with my family as a child. The smell of fresh masa being kneaded by one of my aunts is forever engraved into my memory and immediately makes my mouth water.  All I wanted to do was find a comal, flatten out the dough ball, and enjoy a fresh tortilla. However, I waited for my pot of beans with bolitas de masa to cook.

The end result tastes like beans with a fresh tortilla in a bowl. You can serve it with your favorite toppings like Salvadorian sour cream and fresh cilantro criollo.

Ingredients

Beans

• 2 cups of black or pinto beans
• 1/4 cup of diced onion
• 3 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 1 chile (of choice)
• ½ gallon of water

Dough Balls

• 1 cup of Maseca flour
• 1tbs of olive oil
• ¼ tbs of salt
• ¾ cup of water

Toppings (optional)

• Sour cream (I used Salvadorean sour cream)
• Cilantro (I used cilantro criollo)

Cooking Directions

For Beans

-       Rinse 2 cups of back beans.

-       In a large pot combine 1/2 gallon of water, beans, and 3 cloves of peeled garlic. Bring to a boil.

-       Let the beans boil for about 45 minutes.  Cooking times may vary.

-       After 45 add onion, whole chile, and about 15 dough balls to your pot of beans. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

-       When your beans are fully cooked serve with fresh cilantro and sour cream.

Note: The beans and dough balls will absorb the water quickly. If beans look too dry add 1 cup of water.

For Dough Balls

- Combine Maseca flour , olive oil, salt and water into a small mixing bowl. Knead until smooth.

- Form small dough balls about the size of bouncy ball. Makes about 30.

For more delicious recipes made with Maseca visit the Maseca website.

I’ve had baby names on the mind lately, and at this late stage of my pregnancy it’s kind of hard not to. Every sharp kick, jab and foretelling Braxton Hicks contraction is a reminder to stop procrastinating and decide on something, anything, before delivery day.

For my first pregnancy four years ago, it was different, as most first pregnancies tend to be. I was so excited that I basically peed on a stick and ran to a bookstore to purchase a baby name book and started scouring baby name websites immediately in search of a name I would fall in love with. But if you’ve ever looked at one of these books or been on any of these websites, you’ll see that the possibilities are seriously endless. In much the same way I feel when I enter a multi-story department store, I was totally overwhelmed by all the categories, meanings, spelling variations, etc. etc. So many choices, too many choices, and you get to pick just one (well, two, if you use a middle name). One name that will be with your child FOREVER. So I took a breath and a step back and asked myself: Well, what do you want in a name?

Read: In The Name… of Culture?

So I started sorting things out in my head: Do I go with trendy, traditional, classic, cool, strong, sweet or unique? Should it be international, American as apple pie, or a name in Spanish picked off the family tree? Does it have to flow with our last name? How is it going to come off once he or she becomes an adult? Are there any weird nicknames that could come out of it? And importantly, if it’s English-sounding, how will the abuelos and my husband’s family in Central America pronounce or butcher it?

With the first one, once my husband and I found out we were having a girl, it made one part of our baby naming job easier. Her middle name would be the same as mine, Leonor, which is also my mother and grandmother’s name. Now that I’m an adult, I absolutely cherish this name, but truth be told, as a kid, I despised this name. It felt so old-fashioned. But that’s exactly why I love the name now, and the fact that it was passed on to me makes me feel more connected to my family and my roots. I think of my great-grandparents, and what they must have been thinking when they gave this name to my grandmother. Of course, it’s also kind of cool that in recent years, la Infanta Leonor of Spain brought the name back in vogue, and other variations of the name have become a popular choice in naming the newest little princesas of Europe.

After we settled on Leonor for a middle name, picking the all-important first name wasn’t too difficult. We wanted something that flowed nicely into the last name, so we soon settled on Kalila Leonor. Kalila is Arabic in origin. We liked the way it sounded, plus, it has a wonderful meaning: beloved. And yes, the abuelos have no trouble pronouncing it.

In the end, we went down a route that is fairly telling of our hybrid, bicultural and bilingual American-Latino lives. We were definitely very American in giving our daughter an uncommon first name, something that would distinguish her from the herd. But we are also very proud of our culture and heritage and wanted a name that reflected that. And since I already had a family name that had been passed on to me it was easy to pass along the torch.

We’ll probably go down the same route of choosing a not-so-common first name and family middle name for this new baby girl. I do have a short list, and that’s a good thing because we have a short amount of time to decide. As I write, I’m feeling those practice contractions, yikes!

How did you chose your children’s names? Did your heritage play a part in the decision?

{Photo courtesy of Cynthia Leonor Garza}

This traditional candy from Guatemala is made with condensed milk that hardens into a stick, or canillita, and then just melts in your mouth. So simple, sweet and delicious.

I still get ridiculously excited when someone brings me a box of canillitas from their travels.  It had never occured to me that I could actually attempt to make them myself! I just know it’ll be a treat for my girl and we could have fun making them this Halloween and Día de Muertos season.

I recently received in my inbox this canillitas recipe made with a bit of honey. Let’s make them and let me know what you think!

Canillitas de Leche

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

½ cup honey

4 cups powdered milk

1 ½ cans condensed milk (sweetened)

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup powdered sugar

Cornstarch (for kneading)

Preparation

1. Place all of the ingredients except the cornstarch in a stand or hand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on low for 30 seconds. Change the mixer to medium speed and mix for approximately 1 minute or until mix forms a stiff consistency.

2. Place the sugar mixture on a clean work surface dusted with a bit of cornstarch. Knead the dough for a minute with your hands, using cornstarch in order to prevent sticking.

3. Roll or pipe the mixture into 24 desired shapes, dusting with a little cornstarch as you go.

4. Wrap the shapes in cellophane or other desired wrapping.

All pictures © SpanglishBaby Media, Inc

Funny thing that I grew up in El Salvador where seafood and fish have always been abundant–and insanely delicious–but I didn´t appreciate that until I moved away. As a kid I detested shrimp, oysters and would only eat fish in ceviche.

Now, on a hot summer day, all I crave are some ostras frescas, a fish ceviche, coctel de camarón or even a mojarra frita with an ice-cold drink.  Since I only get to feast on Salvadoran seafood once a year when I go visit, I´ve gotten pretty good at making up my own recipes to serve up seafood. I especially like to make pinchos de camarón (shrimp skewers) on the grill because they are fairly inexpensive, super easy to make, look beautiful on the grill (always gotta impress!) and taste sabrosos.

Five  food blogueras and us have taken on a monthly Mizkan Cooking Challenge and for August we had to come up with a Sabroso Grilling recipe using a World Harbors marinade as an ingredient.  I decided to make and share with you all my delicious marinated pinchos de camarón.  You will love!

Recipe: Marinated Pinchos de Camarón {Shrimp Skewers}

Ingredients

• 1lb of peeled, deveined and tail on medium-size shrimp (frozen is fine, just run under cold water to defrost)
• 1 medium red onion
• 1/2 lb of cherry tomatoes
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 bottle, divided, of Jamaican Jerk (or your favorite flavor) World Harbors Marinade
• 15-20 skewers (I prefer bamboo skewers because they don’t heat up as much)

Directions

1.  In a bowl, place the shrimp and add half a bottle of Jerk Marinade from World Harbors.  Toss until all the shrimps are coated with the marinade.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2.  While the shrimp are marinating, cut the onion and bell peppers into nice chunks and set aside

3.  If you are using bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 10 minutes.

4.  Once the shrimp are ready, discard the marinade  and have fun (and invite your friends for this part!) inserting cherry tomatoes, shrimp, onions and peppers one by one into each skewer.  I do at least three shrimp per bamboo skewer.

5.  Fire up the grill to medium heat and place the prepared skewers (or kebabs) directly on the grill, but try to avoid a direct flame.  Cook for 5 minutes–or until done–on each side.  You know a shrimp is done when it starts turning pink.  Allow the cherry tomatoes to burst open so they become even more flavorful.

6.  Remove the skewers from the grill.  You can either serve them as kebabs or remove the skewers and place the shrimp and veggies in a serving plate.  Pour the remaining Jerk Marinade in a small bowl to be used for dipping.

Get even more Sabroso Grilling inspiration when you check out the recipes (with video included!) that these Latina food bloggers created.  Just click on the badges below.

Disclosure:  This recipe and post was made possible thanks to the sponsorship from Mizkan Americas.

El Salvador, where I grew up, is a very Catholic country where all religious traditions are observed as part of the culture. One of those is Cuaresma, or Lent.

We didn’t really have the tradition of giving something up during the 40 days of Lent, other than meat on Fridays. Those days, I knew some form of fish and veggies would be served at my house. Growing up I was never a fan of fish or seafood, so I would most likely just eat veggies or plátanos fritos and frijoles. Any excuse for platanitos is good, no?

We’re not practicing Catholics in my home, but I respect the tradition of Lent and know it is a huge part of being Latino. These two veggie recipes from Ani Simon (Nestlé Culinary Expert) I´m sharing below are perfect for meatless-Fridays. The Zucchini Boats Stuffed with Lentils and Potato Corn Patties with Cream Sauce are fun and easy enough to make that you can invite your kids in the kitchen with you and enlist their “help” in making these. They will love to scoop the flesh out of the zucchinis to make boats!

These two recipes include ingredients that are very common to find in most Latin households: media crema and salsa Maggi.  So much so, that I remember that, when traveling from El Salvador to Houston to visit my dad every year, I had to load up my suitcase with large bottles of salsa Maggi for him to pour all over his rice! I’m not joking here. My dad’s main encarguitos were always salsa Maggi and queso Petacones.

Well, we don’t need to get any of these ingredients in through customs anymore. Nope, now we have Walmart for that. I was able to find Nestlé Media Crema and an abundant supply of Maggi seasoning sauce at my nearest Walmart store. Oh, and while I was there I stocked up on some delicious Mexican Jarritos soda, too!!! (My daughter loves the Fresa flavor; I’m more of a Mandarina!)

Zucchini Boats Lent Recipe

{Click on any of the two images below to download and print both recipes}

Potato Corn Patties Lent Recipe

We truly hope you enjoy making and eating these. Please let us know if you do and if your niños were able to help you cook.

Disclosure:  We received a gift card and compensation as part of the Walmart Moms program to facilitate this post. As always, all stories and opinions are our own.

Got Milk booth at BlogHer 10

You’ve already been reading on our Facebook page, Twitter stream and on Tuesday’s post that last week Roxana and I spent four days together in NYC during the BlogHer annual convention.  To be able to continue to grow SpanglishBaby into an organic community with real and loud voices, we need to branch out where people are paying attention. Let me tell you, SpanglishBaby was getting lots of attention at BlogHer and it’s all yours!

Part of that attention was a call from the Got Milk? people asking us to support their infamous Milk Mustache campaign.  My first thought was, “What does this have to do with raising bilingual and bicultural children?”  Then I started thinking about milk in general and how it’s always been part of my bicultural life.  I started getting images in my head and savoring the taste of memories of the glass of leche con guineo (banana) I was served practically every morning in El Salvador as an essential part of my breakfast.

I realized that milk is an integral part of our cultura as Hispanics.  How many of you grew up on Chocomilk, or avena con leche, or all sorts of licuados made with milk and exotic fruits like mamey and papaya?  It’s as if our mamás and abuelitas knew that skipping breakfast can put kids at a disadvantage at school. Studies now suggest that breakfast skippers have a harder time concentrating in the classroom, which could interfere with learning and school performance.  Really, who can concentrate on an empty and growling stomach?

Plus, there has to be truth to the remedio casero of drinking a warm glass of milk to soothe you before bed.  I can see it in my 3YO daughter how she demands her lechita right after dinner every night as a way to calm herself down.  It’s almost addictive, she needs it. Like her mamá needs a café con leche before starting the day!

So, I decided I would be happy to  join three amazing bloggers–Audrey McClellan, Lori and the beautifully pregnant Christine Young–in sporting a Milk Mustache and be the bilingual/bicultural Latina representing our community.  Tell me, how did I do?  And I’ll tell you how they get the Milk Mustache to stay!

By the way, was checking out the Elige Leche website and found some great milk-based recipes in español that have a taste of home;  like a tres leches cake and natilla de maracuyá.  Sabroso and good for you.

What are some of your favorite traditional and nutritional ways to drink milk or use it in a recipe?

Disclosure:  I was compensated to be part of the Got Milk? campaign during BlogHer ’10. All statements are my own and my family’s obsession for milk is real.

Photo by The Infamous Gdub

I think one of the treats I took the most for granted when I lived in El Salvador and, later, in Mexico was the paleta, the ultimate frozen treat.  They are everywhere and anywhere.  I grew up with the ding, ding of the bell hanging from the paletero’s cart as he walked in front of my house at the same time every afternoon.  My favorites were the paletas de coco, de fresa, pistachio and horchata.

I still remember the time my father, who lives in Houston, went to visit me in Mexico City.  He would make me take him to the corner paletería every single day to devour one or two paletas.  I seriously thought it was a bit obsessive from his part.  I could understand if he wanted something more típico, like quesadillas de huitlacoche, something he just couldn´t find in Texas.

Now that I don’t have paletas at every street corner, I get it and I crave them. You might think a popsicle is just a popsicle. How different can they be?  If you´ve ever had a popsicle in a Latin country you know what I´m talking about.  These paletas are thick, creamy, rich and totally natural.  The typical Mexican ones have bits and chunks of the fruit frozen in them.  Since diversity is what Mexican culture is all about you can find paletas in tons of flavors ranging from fruits, nuts, flowers, cucumbers and even chiles.  Yes…have you ever tried a mango con chile paleta?  Yum, yum.

I live in L.A. where I can find comparable-tasting paletas if I look and go out of my way.  The paleteros in my hood don´t carry the real deal.  Natural is so hard to come by these days.  So, my best alternative is to make them myself for my paleta-obsessed 3 year old.

I recommend spending a couple of dollars in a basic paleta mold that you can reuse.  I bought these some months ago and really like that I can pop out each one individually.  Another option is to use paper cups and wooden popsicle sticks.

For any basic paleta de agua you will need fruit, water, probably some lime, and a blender. The idea is to make a chunky juice and then just pour it into the molds and freeze for 5 hours. The chunkier, the tastier.  Try this site for a good variety of simple recipes.

If you want to get more fancy and prepare a heartier paleta, I´ve got a couple of tasty milk-based recipes that Toma Leche sent my way.  Somehow, they convinced a bunch of the best paleterías in California to share their most popular recipes. And now, I’m sharing my favorite recipe with you. A paleta can’t get more real or nostalgic than this.

This is also a great summertime activity with your kid where you can tell them in Spanish all about arroz con leche, paletas and the memories they stir.

Paleta de Arroz con Leche (makes 12 paletas)

Ingredients

1 cup of rice

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup whole milk

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup condensed milk

To make:

Put the rice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan with enough water to cover the rice completely and a bit more.  With the heat on low, let the water evaporate just to where it’s level with the top of the rice and add the whole milk. Continue simmering until the rice is “al dente.”

Add the sugar in the saucepan and mix together.  After 5 minutes add the evaporated milk and mix.  Once the rice is cooked through, transfer to a serving plate and then add the condensed milk.  You can blend the rice and milk before pouring into the paleta molds.  For an extra touch, add a pinch of cinnamon and/or raisins to taste.  Put in the freezer for four hours.

When you’re ready to take the paleta out of the mold, pass it under warm running water and gently pull until it comes out.

Tell us, what’s your favorite sabor de paleta?

Disclosure:  I was invited by the lovely ladies of Toma Leche to learn about their new campaign and was treated to a tasty paleta.  All the words I wrote about my paleta obsession are completely mine, mine.

Photo credit: roland

Like so many Latin foods, words, and traditions, the incarnations of what we usually call “salsa” are innumerable.  As a Salvadoran, I grew up with Chirimol, which is kind of similar to what you find at mexican restaurants as “pico de gallo.”  It’s easy to make, and delicious.

Cebollas, Limon, y Sal–these are a few of the strong sabores in chirimol, and they all work to balance eachother perfectly.  No matter what the occasion, every family celebration I remember from my childhood featured chirimol.  Whether we used it to put atop tortilla chips, or on the rice beside our turkey at Thanksgiving, it was always there. A constant flavor. I still have a hard time throwing a party without it, even if it doesn’t fit the menu at all.

I don’t think it’s about the flavors, at least not completely. It’s delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it’s no delicacy. What it represents, however, is hours spent with mis hermanas, with mi abuelita, with my mami, and my many nieces, dicing and talking, laughing, and singing.  Usually we made the Chirimol once the party started, and as we each took an onion, some tomatoes, the cilantro, and the chile to dice, tears from onion fumes and laughter would roll down our cheeks.  Tears are not an official part of the recipe, but like so much of my cooking, onion-induced tears inevitably add to the salty goodness of the dish!

I hope you enjoy this easy recipe at your summer barbacoas, and that you’ll share your favorite version of “chirimol,” “salsa,” or “pico de gallo!”

How to Make Chirimol:

Photo credit: Smabs Sputzer

Dice all of the following and toss together with salt, pepper, white vinegar (the cheaper the better) and lemon juice to taste.

Roma tomatoes
1 red onion
1 bunch green onions
a handful of cilantro
as much or little jalapeno as you dare

It’s a simple recipe, and has a lot of room for individual taste.  It’s impossible to give you exact measurements, because in my opinion, the vinegar should only be highlighted by the lemon, but some prefer the lemon to take on a larger role.  Similarly, I like to have the amount of diced tomatoes nearly equal to the onions, but my sister swears that the onion should dominate.

Luckily, it’s also incredibly hard to mess up!

Chirimol is also the easiest way to make amazing guacamole–just add the chirmol to mashed avocado until it tastes delicioso and that’s it! I get so many compliments on my guacamole, and it’s so easy.

Also, you can toss the chirimol with a can of corn for a quick corn salad.

Elsie Rivas Gomez is a mother, wife, teacher, and writer living in Pasadena, CA. She was born in El Salvador and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her first collection of poetry, Swimming in El Rio Sumpul, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. You can find her blogging over at MamaFeminista.

Photo by SauceSupreme

I remember traveling from El Salvador every summer to my Dad’s house in Houston and being in awe every time we would pass by a random pupusería in the middle of Texas.  Back then, you had to be very Salvi to even know what that word meant without putting on a grossed-out snarl on your face and going:  “pupu…what?!”

Now, I’m happy to report, that I’m no longer pupusa-deprived when I travel to Texas or anywhere in California.  Pupusas, that mouth-watering Salvadorean staple dish made with cheese, beans, chicharrones, etc stuffed into a corn tortilla, have captured the taste buds of oh-so-many around the world.  It’s also very common to find a pupusa stand in any farmer’s market in Los Angeles, along with a winding line of hungry brunchers.

Photo by intimaralem85

Of course, like any native, I’m still not able to find that one place that makes them taste the same way they do in El Salvador.  My husband says the same about tacos de suadero!  I guess it’s the cheese in pupusas that makes the difference?  Don’t know.

So instead of complaining, I just make my own…and make-up my own!  They are so easy to make and so easy to stuff anything you want your child to eat, he might never see it coming once it’s folded into yummy melted cheese.  Plus, it’s made to be eaten with your hands.  Please don’t ever let me catch you using a fork and knife for these.  You  are meant to scorch your fingers!

They are also great for play dates and/or parties at your house.  You can prepare the masa and have the kids make their own little balls and choose their own stuffing.  Their little hands will love patting these into a tortilla shape once stuffed.  Delicious, nutritious, cultural and fun….hmmmm..pupusas!

Below is how I make them.  Notice that the measurements aren’t exact because these type of dishes evolve as you make them.  The traditional stuffing is any combination of cheese, pork meat (chicharrón), refried beans.  Now in the U.S. they have fused into tons of creative combinations of ingredients including chicken and veggies.

Photo by besighyawn

How to Make Bean + Cheese Pupusas

• 2 Cups of Masa Harina-the most familiar and popular one is Maseca

• 1 1/2 Cups Water

• Salt to taste

• 1/2 Cup Quesillo (available at most Latin supermarkets) or any type of soft shredded cheese

• 1 can of black or pinto refried beans

1.  Combine the masa harina, water and salt in a bowl until the consistency is that of dough.  It should not stick to your hands.

2.  In another bowl, mix the refried beans and the cheese until well combined.

3.  Take some masa with your hands and form several small balls.  You should have enough for 6-8 pupusas, depending on the size you want.

4.  Take one ball at a time, poke a hole with your finger and fill it with the beans + cheese mixture.

5.  Close the hole and flatten with your two palms, in a clapping motion, until you;ve formed a disc.

6.  Place the pupusas on a pan or iron skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.  You can add a little oil to the pan but it’s not necessary.  The trick to knowing when they’re done is that dark yummy spots will form on the surface.

That’s it!

You can also try these combinations:

• Spinach and cheese
• Shredded chicken, zucchini and ricotta
• Pork, beans and corn

Enjoy, and let us know if you come up with delish combinations we can add to our repertoire.