Every holiday season, we gather con familia and friends to celebrate and commune in joy, and one of the critical ingredients of these gatherings is the food. With such a vibrant and diverse right within our AMIGAS network, we’re sharing some of the recipes, dishes, and cuisine that are bringing life to the holiday gatherings this season.
Now, if the #WeAllGrow community were to have a holiday dinner, it would be a delicious international dinner table. So we asked our community what some of their favorite holiday staple dishes they look forward to making and eating every year are.
If you’re curious about what others are eating this holiday season or want to introduce a new taste into your dinner table from other parts of the world, see what our community members shared below!
Moro de Gandules con Coco (Dominican Republic)
For Denese Duran, this traditional and popular Dominican dish reminds her of her grandma, who would make it for Noche Buena. If you want to try this recipe, you can make it with or without coconut. You can find the recipe here from Cocina Dominicana.
Pasteles, Pernil, and Coquito (Puerto Rico)
In a Caribbean household, you know there’s going to be a little bit of everything on the dinner table! For Heiddi Zalamar, she looks forward to pasteles, pernil, and coquito (which even the #WeAllGrow team can’t get enough of). Find the recipes for each of these below:
Pasteles (recipe from POP SUGAR Latina)
Pernil (recipe from Latina Mom Meals)
Coquito (recipe from Discover Puerto Rico)
Buñuelos y Atole (Mexico)
“Buñuelos con atole, all the way!” says our amiga Lizette Vargas. This sweet Mexican treat makes our mouths water and has even made rounds on TikTok, with moms making it for their kids’ classrooms in holiday colors. So if you decide to make them for your familia, know they won’t be disappointed with this desert treat paired with some delicious atole! You can find the recipe for buñuelos here from Mexico in My Kitchen, and the recipe for atole here from Isabel Eats.
Hallacas (Venezuela)
Every country has its iteration of tamales (Mexico), pastelitos (PR), chuchitos (Guatemala) – you get the idea. For Venezuela, they’re called hallacas, and they come as juicy pork or chicken “tamales” wrapped in a banana leaf. If you’re trying to tap into your Venezuelan roots like our amiga Susi Vellasco and make your own this year, you can watch how to make hallacas here from Root and Elevate’s YouTube channel.
Tameles de Mole (Mexico)
Our amiga Julie Lopez reminisces about the tamales de mole made by her mami, and tbh, we would love some on our dinner table this holiday season because the holidays are nothing without tamales. So now add some with mole? Chef’s kiss. You can find the recipe for tamales de mole here from Mama Maggie’s Kitchen
What other recipes are holiday staples for you and your familia? Share with us here on AMIGAS, y felices fiestas!
About the Author
Priscilla Castro
Priscilla Castro is #WeAllGrow’s Director of Digital Content & Partnerships. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her at @kodeofkondukt. Read more of Priscilla’s pieces here.
