How Hispanics Celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA

Cuban Plátano Frito

2.3 millions of cubans live in the US. One of the most common staple side dishes at the Cuban dinner table, and at the Thanksgiving dinner table for that matter, is without a doubt the plátanos maduros fritos.  What the pie is to Americans the plantain is to Cubans. Although not a dessert, Cubans enjoy having something sweet with their dinner. Some of the most popular ways that plátanos fritos are served is with frijoles negros (black beans) with sour cream on the side, or along with a savory pork recipe. By taking very ripe plantains and pan frying them with butter or oil you can achieve the famously wonderful crispy caramelized outsides and soft warm insides of the plantains. The secret is using very, very ripe plantains. The blacker the better although they should be purchased yellow and allowed to ripen at home. It’s hard to know (when you buy them black at the store) if they have truly ripened or just been thrown around a lot and gotten all bruised up. We’ve added a simple and delicious recipe here.

Colombian Arroz con coco

One of the best Latino dishes to pair with Turkey and cranberry sauce is the sweet and savory Columbian take on white rice. Arroz con coco (coconut rice) is made using coconut milk, plump, juicy raisins and salt. Columbians usually like to serve this with seafood, but the sweetness / savoriness of the rice is what makes it go so well with the Turkey and cranberry sauce. One of the tasty tricks to making this dish really amazing is to cook the coconut milk separately in a pan so that it comes to a boil, simmers, evaporates and leaves the separated bits of browned coconut.  This way of preparing the coconut milk gives the rice a warm and cozy caramelized, toasty flavor. Another way you may eat this dish at your Columbian neighbor’s house is to actually have it served as a dessert by adding cinnamon and creme to the recipe.