Help!!!

[la_bocachica]

I'm from a Puerto Rican decent, but I don't know much about the Puerto Rican culture or it's cuisine. But, I'm in the process of learning.
I enjoy plantains, but I don't know what to look for when buying them at the store and if I'm suppose to wait for them to ripen like a regular banana?
Problem #1 - I bought a plantain and it was hard as a rock. I thought that if I cook it, it will soften. (NOT AT ALL!) It was still hard, it just got a little browner..
Problem #2 - I also like Latin music, but I don't know what artists/albums I should purchase. I like salsa or meringue type music, but mexican.

[emc2]

Hi Sounds a Little Like Me !
E-Mail Me at prcooking@yahoo.com
I might be able to help a little with some of your Q.

EMC2

[Xiac]

I can tell you much of the Excellent food that you can find in the Isla de Encanta, unfortunetly, most of the best dishes, I cant make well (ni papas). Navidad just recently passing us by, offeres some of the best PR has to offer with Perneal (roasted pig) and the many things that go with that.
Rice and split-eyed peas is popular at that time and is quite good. I prefer Good old Arroz e habituelas (rice with pink beans)
Coquito is quite a treat with or without rum. Its somewhat like a more smooth version of eggnog.
My personal favorate is Arroz con Dulce. Its hard to compare to anything but its basically rice, cream of coco, cinnamin, and a bunch of other ingredants. If you find someone who makes it right, this can be the best thing you have ever tasted. There is a nice lady in Guayanilla that makes the best Arroz con dulce you can imagine. Im still trying to imitate it. Let me see if i can dig up the receipe for it.

Anyway those are a couple great seasonal foods, but there are a ton of others. The food is one of the things I miss the most about Puerto Rico. Well that, and the nice weather, great People, beutiful sceenery, excellent beaches, not to mention the Beautiful women. Ok everything about Puerto Rico is great. Can anyone find me a good paying job down there so i can move back dowwn there?

[chikititalinda73]

Originally posted by la_bocachica
I'm from a Puerto Rican decent, but I don't know much about the Puerto Rican culture or it's cuisine. But, I'm in the process of learning.
I enjoy plantains, but I don't know what to look for when buying them at the store and if I'm suppose to wait for them to ripen like a regular banana?
Problem #1 - I bought a plantain and it was hard as a rock. I thought that if I cook it, it will soften. (NOT AT ALL!) It was still hard, it just got a little browner..
Problem #2 - I also like Latin music, but I don't know what artists/albums I should purchase. I like salsa or meringue type music, but mexican.

Hola bocachica, I'm new to the forum, so sorry for the late posting, I'm puertorican, born and raised in Philadelphia, I just LOVE, salsa, you can't go wrong with Marc anthony, he's awesome, but if you want " la crema" (the best) you try el Gran Combo, Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Sonora Ponceña, Ismael Miranda, Richie Ray, these are some of the best singers of their time, now if you want some modern singers, once again Marc Anthony, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Domingo Quiñones, la India and Michael Stuart are all good, if you have a cd burner you can down load and install morpheus and try downloading some of their music before purchasing any of their cd's, I have a HUGE collection of Salsa Cd's, I can go on forever with really good singers, but this should get you started for now~!

[lcool]

Can not help you with your plaintains question, however, as far as music (salsa) I can recommend the following: Victor Manuelle, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Marc Anthony, Oscar De Leon,
El Gran Combo, Celia Cruz, Tony Vega, (my man) Tito Nieves,Ley Alexandro, Grupo Niche, Frankie Negron. I think any one of the above you will love.

[tiggboriqua09]

most have salsa:
el gran combo
gilberto santarosa
la india
tito nieves
tito rojas
frankie negron
celia cruz
victor manuel
==========================
merengue
melina leon
manny mannuel
la makina
elvis crespo
olga tanon
and about the plantains (tostones) the recipe is already posted here take care best of luck