This past weekend I decided to cook a Puerto Rican meal. The menu: pollo guisado (stewed chicken) with white rice. For dessert: flan.
There was something special about that day, I was nostalgic. I was cooking, hubby was watching football, and little one was playing. The aroma of pollo guisado filled my kitchen and house. For a few minutes, I was transported into Mami's kitchen in Puerto Rico. I closed my eyes, and breathed in the delicious aroma of chicken, with sofrito, cilantro, and spices. It made my heart warm; and brought so many precious memories.
Growing up I loved going into Mami's cocina and lifting the lids off the pots to see what she was cooking. Or when she was sofriendo el sofrito (process of putting a little bit of oil in the pot, and putting sofrito on it to simmer) was the best part of coming home. I would peek in the cocina, and she'd say "Bendito mi'ja, ni siquiera he empezado a cocinar" (meaning that all she had in the pot was the sofrito which inundated the house with aromas of ajies dulces, onions, recao, cilantro, and pepper).
I have so many fond memories of Mami cooking in the kitchen for her family, for her children. I look at my son, and hopefully, I will be the "planting the memory seed" of sights, tastes, textures, and aromas of his Mommy cooking. I want him to remember his Mommy's special dinner, or when he becomes an adult, he can say wow, that brought back memories of my Mom. I truly love cooking for my family, for my husband, and for our son. Especially when it's a recipe that I was brought up with.
Now, speaking of recipes. Of course, I don't have a recipe perse of my pollo guisado cause I kind of eye-ball everything. I learned to cook like that from Mami. Haha! But I did look on-line for some similar recipes and the closest one to how I made mine can be found here. Other similar recipes of pollo guisado can be found here, and here.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVopFmEfIXgqwlwtc4ziBgIyrBTdn-VFq4NhROB8wvip3zbOKy7bSQWK2XBm1fLbTlUgo0vksEMXa0N_1fYq5B8HcQilT_NficeTfcQ0RdTrQii-UF0BrO-uMUnu9H_F2qaWk6fg-3SCQ/s320/2.jpg)
My yummy pollo guisado in the pot.
Served over rice....... simply delicioso!
We can't forget dessert. I have become an expert in making this delicious flan. It has become my go to dessert for events, parties and gatherings. It's so creamy, and delish topped with caramelized sugar....ahh, I tell you, take a bite and you're in heaven! The original recipe can be found here.
¡Buen provecho! Please comment, share and/or like! Love to hear what you have to say.