Arroz aguado is a variation on the traditional Nicaraguan chicken soup, which is laden with an assortment of seasonal vegetables and bone-in chicken pieces. Yerba buena, a more rustic cousin of mint, as well as cilantro are added to the soup, which adds a distinctive note to the soup and differentiates it from American soups.

Arroz aguado translates into “soft rice,” and, despite the inclusion of chicken and vegetables, it’s the presence of rice that defines the dish and turns it from soup into stew. Rather than add cooked long grain white rice to the soup when it’s finished, it is incorporated in the earliest stage of preparation to guarantee rather blown-out, “soft” grains.

This one-pot meal is easy to assemble and more nurturing than a can of chicken noodle soup. Satisfying in its simplicity, and perfect for when you’re feeling run down.

Note: When reheating leftovers, add a bit more chicken broth as the rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.

Directions
Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes and juice, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot. Add broth, water, rice, cilantro, and mint. Bring to a boil over high heat, then, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, skimming surface from time to time. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. With tongs, remove chicken and place in bowl. Remove and discard cilantro and mint.

Stir potatoes and zucchini into pot and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, carefully remove and discard chicken skin and bones. Shred chicken and return to pot. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls and garnish with mint and cilantro. Serve with limes, avocado, and jalapeños.

Special equipment
large pot or Dutch oven, tongs

Split vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape out seeds with the flat of the blade; reserve empty pod for cajeta or another use. Combine vanilla seeds with flour, tapioca starch, powdered sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to form a fine and sandy meal, then add egg yolks and continue processing until the dough balls up around the blade. Divide in half and proceed to step 2, or wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate up to 1 week.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Turn a portion of dough onto a powdered sugar–dusted surface and dust more powdered sugar on top. Roll dough until roughly 6 inches across, then dust with powdered sugar, flip upside down, and dust again. Continue rolling until dough is just shy of 1/4 inch thick. Slide a thin offset spatula under dough to loosen any places that might have stuck and cut dough into 2-inch rounds. Arrange cutouts on a parchment-lined aluminum half-sheet pan, leaving about 1/2 inch between cookies. Gather the scraps, briefly knead, and re-roll and cut as before. Repeat with remaining dough, for a total of 50 pieces. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 15 minutes, and cool to room temperature directly on sheet pan.

Egg yolks bind the dough while keeping the overall water content to a minimum, so the cookies are easy to roll yet tender after baking.
Vanilla bean keeps the dough flavorful but dry, so it’s easy to handle.
A food processor minimizes aeration of the dough while keeping it nice and cold, so the dough doesn’t need to be chilled and the cookies won’t puff or warp with pockets of air.
Flecked with vanilla seeds throughout the dough, alfajores are the perfect excuse to whip up a batch of vanilla bean cajeta—a goat’s-milk variation on dulce de leche. The combination of gooey toffee sauce and buttery shortbread can’t be beat, but it can be improved upon. My recipe replaces traditional cornstarch with tapioca starch, keeping the alfajores tender and light, with a clean finish that truly melts away. Pair them with a mug of strong black coffee, or a nip of Rainwater Madeira.
1 vanilla bean, preferably Mexican
4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon; 115g)
3 ounces tapioca starch (3/4 cup; 85g)
2 ounces powdered sugar (1/2 cup; 55g), plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon (1g) baking powder
4 ounces cold unsalted butter (1 stick; 115g), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 large egg yolks, cold
1 recipe Cajeta Casera (see note)

Transfer cajeta to a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/4-inch tip. Flip half the cookies bottom side up and pipe a generous dollop of cajeta into the very center, up to 1/2 ounce (4 teaspoons; 14g), or less if you prefer. Alternatively, this can be done with a spoon. Top with remaining wafers and press gently to secure. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. In an airtight container, alfajores will keep 24 hours at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge.

Special equipment
Food processor, rolling pin, 2-inch cookie cutter, offset spatula, aluminum half-sheet pan

Notes
Cajeta can be prepared and refrigerated up to a month in advance. Not only does that make alfajores a breeze to bake and assemble, it ensures that the cajeta has a chance to thicken and cool.

Tapioca starch breaks down at relatively low temperatures, eliminating the starchy aftertaste associated with traditional cornstarch-based recipes. Powdered sugar dissolves more readily in a low-moisture dough, leaving no trace of grit.

Salvadoran alguashte is a versatile two-ingredient condiment made from pumpkin seeds and salt. It adds a deeply earthy, nutty flavor to everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to savory dishes.
Husk-on pepitas deliver a more complex flavor than shelled ones do.
Sifting the alguashte through a strainer removes any stubborn fibrous bits.
Alguashte is a seasoning popular in El Salvador made up of ground pumpkin seeds and used as a condiment for fresh-cut fruits like mangoes both ripened and green, jicama, oranges, and other tropical fruits and seeds. The aromatic, nutty ingredient is also used in savory Salvadoran dishes.

The pumpkin seeds used for alguashte are typically either from ayote or pepian, two different squash varieties (though some people use the terms interchangeably). Depending on where you shop, you may not be able to find pumpkin seeds labeled with the squash variety specifically, which is fine as long as the pumpkin seeds you buy still have the husk on—it’s the husk that, once toasted and ground with the inner seeds, brings a deeper and more complex flavor to what is otherwise a seemingly simple, two-ingredient condiment.

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole hull-on pumpkin seeds (1 1/2 ounces; 45g)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (8g)

Salpicón may be served immediately (see note for serving suggestions) or toasted slightly in skillet: Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring, until beginning to crisp and dry out, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Special equipment
large pot, strainer, food processor, large mixing bowl, large skillet (optional)

Directions
In a medium stainless-steel or cast iron skillet, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat, stirring and tossing frequently, until seeds have browned lightly in spots and have a lightly roasted aroma, about 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to a small plate or bowl and allow to cool, about 5 minutes.

Using a high-powered blender or a spice grinder, grind toasted pumpkin seeds to a fine powder. Using a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, sift the powder to remove any larger fibrous pieces. Regrind if necessary. Mix powder with salt until well incorporated.

Special equipment
High-powered blender or spice grinder, fine-mesh-strainer

Make-Ahead and Storage
Alguashte can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Salpicón is traditionally served with white rice and small red kidney beans. For recipes see gallopinto.

Latin American Cuisine: Salpicón (Nicaraguan Minced Meat)

Ingredients
2 pounds beef round, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Cold water
1 lime
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Directions
Place beef, 1/2 bell pepper, 1/2 onion, 2 teaspoons salt, peppercorns, and garlic in large pot. Add enough cold water to cover ingredients by 2 inches. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, then, immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beef is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Strain beef in sink, and remove and discard bell pepper pieces, onion pieces, peppercorns, and garlic. Cool 10 minutes.

Place half of beef, half of remaining bell pepper, and half of remaining onion in food processor and pulse until mixture is finely chopped. Transfer to large mixing bowl and repeat with remaining beef, bell pepper, and onion. Season squeeze lime over beef and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt.

Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer beans for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, cover beans, and let rest 1 hour. Bring beans back up to boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt and garlic, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until beans are tender, 30 to 60 minutes.

If storing the beans, cool completely, transfer beans and some of the cooking liquid to quart-sized zipper-lock bags. When ready to use, thaw out in refrigerator and heat on stovetop in saucepan or microwave.

For the rice: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2/3 of onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains are shiny and evenly coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water or broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Place bell pepper on top of rice.

Rice should be prepared 1 day in advance for gallopinto.
Goya sells “Central American Beans,” which are the small, red kidney beans that are standard issue in Nicaragua. If you can’t find them, use small black beans.
This recipe makes more beans than necessary for the gallopinto, but leftovers may be reserved for other use.
Gallopinto is served either soft or crisp—cook according to preference.
Latin American Cuisine: Gallopinto (Nicaraguan Rice and Beans)
For the beans
1 (16-ounce) bag dried small red or black beans
Salt
7 garlic cloves, peeled
For the rice
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup), divided
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 green bell pepper, cored and seeded

Directions
For the beans: Spread beans out in a rimmed baking sheet. Pick out any debris and broken beans. Transfer beans to colander and rinse under cold running water. Place rinsed beans in a large pot and cover with cold water; water should cover beans about 3 inches. Let soak for 30 minutes.

Boil rice without stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated and you can see small bubbles bursting on the surface of the rice. Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook (do not stir, do not remove lid) for 15 minutes. Remove and discard bell pepper. Fluff rice with chopsticks or fork, then let cool and refrigerate for 1 day.

For the gallopinto: Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add remaining onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and 2 cups beans to skillet and cook, stirring, until rice is evenly coated. Continue to cook, stirring, to allow flavors to meld and mixture to become slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat an additional 10 minutes. (See note.)

Special equipment
rimmed baking sheet, large pot with lid, zipper-lock bags, large heavy-bottomed saucepan with lid, large skillet with lid

Note: Masa freezes beautifully. After forming the balls of masa (see Step 1), place extras on a baking sheet in a single layer for 1 hour, then transfer to a zipper-lock bag or airtight container and store in freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, set masa balls on a plate at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then proceed with recipe.
How to Make Pupusas (Salvadoran Stuffed, Griddled Tortillas) With Masa
Ingredients
1 recipe masa dough
1 recipe Perfect Refried Beans, cooled
2 cups shredded queso Oaxaca or mozzarella
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 recipe quick curtido
Hot sauce and lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions
Using wet hands, roll masa dough into 15 golf-ball-sized balls. Place balls on a baking sheet and cover with a moist towel. Working with one ball at a time, use your thumb to press a deep indent into the ball, then use your hands to work it into a small “bowl” with a 1/4-inch-thick edge.

Lightly coat a large cast iron skillet with oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add pupusas and fry, turning once, until well-browned and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Drain pupusas on a paper towel-lined plate, than transfer them to plates and top with curtido. Serve with hot sauce and lime wedges, if desired.

ike its kissing cousin, the Mexican gordita, Salvadoran pupusas are a stellar corn flour pancake stuffed with fillings such as shredded cheese and braised meats, then griddled. Pupusas have the advantage of being stuffed before they’re cooked, ensuring an irresistible gooey layer of cheese inside. Our recipe features a simple refried bean filling in addition to melted Oaxacan cheese, and gets topped with curtido, a simple cabbage, carrot and onion slaw.

Why this recipe works:

Two basic fillings—refried beans and shredded cheese—keep things simple, allowing you to focus on forming the pupusa shells. Plus, the thick, not-too-wet fillings won’t leach out of the delicate pupusas as you stuff and griddle them.
The masa harina dough comes together in a matter of minutes and brings a ton of homemade flavor to the dish.
The quick, refreshing curtido slaw adds brightness and acidity to the flavorful beans and rich cheese.

For the Flour Dredge: In a medium bowl, whisk together seasoning salt, flour, black pepper, white pepper, cumin, curry powder, paprika, MSG, and cayenne.

Fit a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, lift chicken from brine and dip in the flour mixture to completely coat, using fingers to press the flour coating onto every nook and cranny.

Special equipment
Two wire racks and rimmed baking sheets; large cast iron skillet

Make-Ahead and Storage
The chicken is best eaten right after making.

Place about 1 heaping tablespoon refried beans into the bottom of the “bowl,” then top with about 1 heaping tablespoon shredded cheese. Using moist fingers, carefully bring dough edge together, enclosing the filling within, and press to seal. Roll the ball in your hands to return it to a uniform ball shape. Carefully pat pupusa down into a flat round about 4 inches wide and about 3/4 inch thick; if edges crack, run a wet finger around them to smooth them. Place pupusas on a baking sheet and keep covered with a towel as you work. Repeat with remaining masa balls and fillings.

Pollo Campero is a restaurant chain that originated in Guatemala and is now famous throughout much of Central America and beyond—in particular for the juicy, flavorful, and richly spiced fried chicken recreated by this recipe.
Shallow-frying the chicken ensures crispy, golden brown pieces all over without the amount of oil required for full deep frying.
A small dose of MSG gives the chicken the savory flavor of the original.
The last time that my mom flew back from El Savador, I greeted her at LAX with an excited “Hi, Ma!” She responded with an urgent, “El Pollo Campero is in that maleta (suitcase).”

Pollo Campero is a food chain that originated in Guatemala, but has since become a cultural icon throughout Central America, including my family’s native El Salvador. Their signature dish is delicious and succulent fried chicken that’s layered with spices, perfect when paired with tortillas, french fries, a dinner roll, or—a more appropriate Central American side dish—yuca fries.

Our airport scene is more or less how it goes every time, my mother arriving with an entire piece of carry-on luggage meticulously packed with boxes of Pollo Campero fried chicken. So what if it isn’t crispy? It’s a taste of home that she’s tenderly transported back to us in the States. Even after the long journey, the flavor is still mouthwateringly savory, with a pronounced pepperiness that tickles the nose.

These days, you’ll find Pollo Campero in a number of cities in the US, but with travel limited—both domestically and internationally—it seemed high time to recreate this dish in the comfort and safety of my own kitchen. It took me a while to recreate the dredging’s specific spice profile, but this version, which includes both white and black pepper, cumin, curry powder, chile pepper, and more, hits closest to my sense memories. Just as important: a small dose of MSG, required for its savory, umami kick. Of course you can leave it out, if desired, but the chicken won’t quite taste like home without it.

Transfer fried chicken to the prepared rack and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Return oil to 350°F (175°C) and repeat with remaining chicken.

Ingredients
To Brine the Chicken:
5 cups (1.2L) water
1/2 cup (3 ounces; 85g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume or the same weight
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red chile flakes
10 bone-in chicken pieces (about 4 pounds/1.8kg total), preferably drumsticks and thighs
For the Flour Dredge:
2 cups (9 ounces; 255g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce; 20g) seasoning salt, such as Lawry’s
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons MSG
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
To Fry: Vegetable or other neutral oil, for frying (about 4 cups/1L)

Directions
To Brine the Chicken: In a very large mixing bowl or vessel, stir together water, salt, black pepper, and red chile flakes until salt is dissolved.

Add chicken, making sure it is submerged in the brine. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 and up to 12 hours.

Salvadorans and Central Americans know the tingling feeling that mango verde provokes. The sight of it starts us involuntarily salivating. On its own, green mango’s flavor is perhaps too intense, so Salvadorans reach for two key ingredients to help balance it out. The first is, counterintuitively, fresh lime juice, which somehow manages to quell some of that sour intensity. On top of that goes a generous sprinkling of nutty and toasty alguashte, a ground seasoning made of roasted pumpkin seeds and salt.

Place the dredged chicken on rack and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

To Fry: Line a second baking sheet with a wire rack for the finished fried chicken. Fill a large cast iron skillet with about 1 inch oil and heat to 350°F (175°C) over medium-high heat. Working in batches and being careful not to overcrowd the skillet, fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center (but not touching the bone) registers 150°F (65°C) for white meat and 165°F (75°C) for dark, about 15 minutes per batch (note that frying times can vary depending on the size and shape of the chicken pieces).

Two key ingredients are all that’s needed to tame the bracingly sour flavor of unripened green mango: fresh lime juice, and alguashte, a ground condiment made from roasted pumpkin seeds.
Fresh lime juice meets green mango’s intensity with its own tart bite.
Rich and nutty alguashte (ground roasted pumpkin seed seasoning) adds earthy depth.
Mango verde, or mango tierno as it’s known throughout El Salvador and Central America, is green mango that’s been cut from its branches before it ever gets the chance to ripen. In contrast to its more mature orange counterpart, this pale green mango is crunchy—somewhere between a carrot and a cucumber in firmness—and packs a sharp, sour punch.

The resulting dish is eaten practically everywhere: as a street food, a festival snack, an after-school snack, or at a bar alongside a cold beer.

Green mango can sometimes be hard to find, but don’t let that put you off from trying alguashte: it’s also popular on other fresh-cut fruits, including ripe mangoes, jicama, oranges, and other tropical fruits and seeds, as well as stirred into savory dishes.

Ingredients
4 green (6-ounce; 170g) mangoes (see note), peeled, halved, and pitted
Fresh juice from 1 lime
Alguashte, for sprinkling
Kosher salt

Directions
Arrange the peeled mango halves on a plate. Squeeze lime juice all over, then generously top with alguashte. Season with salt and serve.

Green mangoes are different from merely underripe mangoes: They’re picked from the tree while still crisp and fully sour. They are often sold at markets that specialize in Central American ingredients, though depending on where you live and shop, they may be hard to find. If you can’t locate true green mangoes, try to find the most underripe mangoes you can. Also note: Green mangoes are typically a smaller, palm-sized variety, not the huge one-pound Tommy Atkins mangoes that predominate at most American markets. If you do use a Tommy Atkins, just one or two fruits should suffice.

Make-Ahead and Storage
This dish is best made right before serving.

Colombia is nothing if not diverse. My wife grew up in Bogotá, a sprawling city-in-the-mountains where the food consists mostly of stick-to-your-ribs stews and soups, fried or grilled meats, and plenty of starches. The kind of stuff you need to keep you going in the thin air up at 2,600 meters (for point of reference, that’s a good 50 percent higher than Denver). More than once over the course of visiting various family-in-law members I’ve been reduced to a whimpering, quivering mass pleading for mercy in the face of an endless train of boiled potatoes, yuca, arracacha, platanos, , and the starchy, large-kerneled local corn. And that’s before the meat, cheese, and ultra-sweet desserts even arrive at the table.

On my most recent trip, we made the journey out of Bogotá southeast to the llanos, the vast plains regions where most of the country’s excellent beef comes from. The ride is only 90 kilometers as the crow flies, but can take several hours by car along the winding roads and long tunnels that lead you 2,100 meters down through the mountains.

The simplest filling is a bit of shredded or sliced cheese, most commonly Guayanés, a soft, slightly sour fresh cheese similar to low-moisture mozzarella (you can use mozzarella if you’d like). Waxy-fleshed avocados similar to the fuerte cultivar we find in the U.S. (not to be confused with the creamy Hass avocado) are also a common filling, as is shredded chicken, black beans, chicharrón (crispy pork skin), shredded stewed beef, or cuts of grilled beef.

The version I have here is my own take on arepas rumberas—”Party Arepas,” so-called because they’re the kind of thing you want to eat after a night of drinking a bit too much cerveza and aguardiente. Made with pork shoulder stewed in stock with roasted chiles and onions, it’s topped with cilantro and dry crumbled fresh cheese (you can use Mexican queso fresco, queso blanco, or even feta). This is best accomplished by starting them in a skillet, then finishing them in an oven.

The key to forming them is to create to larger arepas, stuff the cheese in the middle carefully seal up the edges then use your hands to shape them into an even round.
Because they tend to be thicker than standard arepas and you need the cheese to be melty, I find that finishing them in a toaster oven (or on the cooler side of the grill if you’re grilling them) is the easiest way to go about it.

Sandwiches
While in Colombia you’re far more likely to see wide, thin arepas made with toppings, in Venezuela, arepas tend to be thicker, with fillings sandwiched into them after splitting. The method for making these arepas rellenas (stuffed arepas) is pretty much exactly the same, though they are thicker so will need even more gentle cooking to cook through without burning on the exterior.

This is best accomplished by starting them in a skillet, then finishing them in an oven.

The chili that was invented in San Antonio is said to be a bowl of “red”: tender, individual stewed chunks of beef swaddled in a spicy, cumin-spiked sauce made from red chilies, which lend the dish an appealing russet hue. Texans take this heritage very seriously. While those joint resolutions failed in the US Congress, the Texas legislature made chili the state dish back in 1977. The text of the resolution is characteristically spirited: “One cannot be a true son or daughter of this state without having his taste buds tingle at the thought of the treat that is real, honest-to-goodness, unadulterated Texas chili,” it says. The next clause goes further, declaring that only Texans produce the “best and only authentic concoction of this piquant delicacy.” The resolution concludes by saying that “the only real ‘bowl of red’ is that prepared by Texans,” before proclaiming chili the state’s official dish. More controversially, the Illinois General Assembly declared the city of Taylorville, which has a lively chilli cook-off scene, the “Chilli Capital of Illinois” in 2016.