Thanksgiving at Daisy’s

Here’s one of our best Thanksgivings ever. We’re bumping this post up in case you want some great holiday ideas.

This year, Rachel and I were invited to our friend Daisy’s house for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a time for celebrating family traditions, and like many families, Daisy Martinez’s yearly observance of the holiday is one of integrating her American-ness with her cultural identity, which is Puerto Rican and Latino.

Turkey (“Pavo” in Latin-American Spanish) the iconic American centerpiece of Thanksgiving, has also been integrated into Puerto Rican culture as Pavochon, which was probably created by New York Puerto Rican immigrants (“Newyoriquens“) between 50 and 70 years ago as an affordable substitute for roast pork, or Lechon, for Christmas.

Related: A Jewish Puerto Rican Thanksgiving

Like Lechon, Pavochon is rubbed with a garlic, salt/pepper and oregano wet adobo and marinated for over 24 hours and then roasted. This one was marinated for 48. In the last half a century, Pavochon has since been imported back to Puerto Rico,  is a popular dish eaten throughout the year and is served alongside Lechon in the central Guavate region.

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Welcome Cookstr!

The Cookstr web site launched this week is the first recipe site to partner with cookbook publishers and includes celebrity chef recipes from cookbooks.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the launch party for Cookstr, a new recipe web site that will feature selected content from actual published cookbooks, which includes the celebrity chefs you all know and love (Mario Batali, Jamie Oliver, Julia Child, etc) as well as non-celeb but hardcore cookbook authors such as Mark Bittman or Madhur Jaffrey, and famous four-star restaurant chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Eric Ripert and Daniel Boulud. This differs significantly from other recipe-type sites such as Recipezaar, where the content isn’t vetted or even tested, or even recipe sites like Food Network’s where the recipes are limited to what their own specific celebrity chefs have cooked on TV. If you want Nigella’s actual cookbook recipes, you either have to buy her cookbooks — or go on Cookstr.

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Podcast #18 and #19: Bagels with Daisy Martinez

Click Here for the Daisy Cooks! Website

Click Here for the Daisy Cooks! Companion Volume (Amazon.com)

Click Here to Listen to the Off the Broiler Podcast (Part1)

Click Here to Listen to the Off the Broiler Podcast (Part2)

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The very hot and spicy Daisy Martinez, former model and native Brooklyn Girl turned TV Latino cooking show goddess. (NOTE: THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS FREELY LICENSEABLE UNDER GFDL)

Daisy’s classic Garland range, nearly identical to Julia Child’s in the Smithsonian.

Daisy’s Arroz Con Pollo with Maduros and Salad (Jason & Rachel Perlow)

New York Strip Steak Pinchos marinated in Recaito, Mustard, Garlic, Parsley, Olive Oil and Lime Juice with Daisy’s Yellow Rice and Grilled Napa Cabbage (Jason and Rachel Perlow)