I just HAD to include this recipe which is one of my favorite easiest and quickest dessert recipes in the world. What is not to love about turning a tropical cocktail into a cool, creamy, dreamy and refreshing dessert!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coconut, shredded, toasted, divided

(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup cream of coconut

1 tablespoon rum or rum flavored extract

8 ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed

8 ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained, juice reserved

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

• In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, reserved pineapple juice, and coconut cream until fluffy.
• Mix in 1/2 cup coconut, rum, and pineapple.
• Fold in whipped cream.
• Spread mixture into crust.
• Sprinkle toasted coconute evenly over top.
• Layer cherries around edge of pie.
• Chill several hours before serving.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Oh my....I know I'm going to cause an upheaval with this one......especially among Puerto Ricans who L-O-V-E their Piña Colada......BUT.....JUST HEAR ME OUT..... it is time for another history lesson.

The piña colada is known as THE official beverage of Puerto Rico.

 The piña colada, Spanish for strained pineapple (piña, pineapple + colada, strained) is a sweet, rum-based cocktail made with light rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with a pineapple wedge or a maraschino cherry.

 Like many cocktails, the history of the Pina Colada is muddled with more than several names being attributed to discovering this fabulous "strained pineapple" drink. Nonetheless, this slushy, fruity concoction combines the best of the Caribbean: rum, pineapple, and coconut.

  The Caribe Hilton Hotel in Puerto Rico claims that their bartender, Ramon "Monchito" Marrero Perez back in 1952  was introduced to a new product called Coco Lopez cream of coconut (containing coconut, sugar, water, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, salt, propylene glycol alginate, mono- and diglycerides, citric acid, guar gum, and locaust-bean gum). After three months of trying out various liquors with the product, Marrero mixed pineapple juice and light rum with it, blended the mixture with crushed ice, and on came up with a sweet, creamy drink that did not really catch on until 1954, when it was served to a group of government officials at a convention there.

But, there is another bar in Old San Juan that makes a similar claim. Barrachina, a restaurant in Puerto Rico, claims to be the birth place of the piña colada. There is even a plaque in San Juan commemorating Ramon Portas Mingot's creation of the beverage.

Here is their version of the story:

In 1963, on a trip to South America, Mr Barrachina met another popular Spaniard and bartender Mr. Ramon Portas Mingot. Don Ramon has worked with the best places in Buenos Aires and associated with 'Papillon' the most luxurious bar in Carcao and was also recognized for his cocktail recipe books. Pepe Barrachina and Don Ramon developed a great relationship. While working as the main bartender at Barrachina (a restaurant in Puerto Rico), Ramon mixed pineapple juice, coconut cream, condensed milk and ice in a blender, creating a delicious and refreshing drink, known today as the Piña Colada.

Now have you ever heard the story that the Piña Colada isn't originally from Puerto Rico?

What?!  You say.

Notice the earliest mention of Piña Colada in Puerto Rico is 1954.

 Now take a look at this one page article of the New York Times in 1950 on page 23:
   "Drinks in the West Indies range from Martinique's famous rum punch to
Cuba's pina colada (rum, pineapple and coconut milk).  Key West has a
variety of lime swizzles and punches, and Granadians use nutmeg in their rum drinks. 
Cubans and Puerto Ricans make a variety of tasty and exotic fruit beverages, 
These include guanabana (soursop juice), _fruta bomba_ (papaya), watermelon
juice, muskmelon juice and a drink of almond blended with banana juice."

Now take a look at the 1922 article of TRAVEL:

"Havana has learned the art of mixed drinks from her nothern
neighbor, and has contributed some original creations.  In Cuba the
ingredients of every known drink are to be had--even those of the South Seas. 
At the end of almost every bar is a heap of ripe pineapples and green
cocoanuts.  An excellent drink is made by mixing the milk of the latter with a
little gin and a panal, a cake of sugar-foam.  But best of all is a pina
colada, the juice of a perfectly ripe pineapple--a delicious drink in
itself--rapidly shaken up with ice, sugar, lime and Bacardi rum in delicate
proportions.  What could be more luscious, more mellow and more fragrant?"

Still need some convincing?

 How about the September 1933 edition of National Geographic with an article entitled: Cuba - The Isle of Romance?

page. 365:
   "For the thirsty there is the "pineapple refreshment," made of freshly
crushed pineapple, sugar, and water.  Some order it colada, which means
strained; others like food and drink together, and order it sin colar
(without straining), with the pieces of crushed pineapple in the glass, a real
treat."

Page. 380:
   "I have sat at a sidewalk cafe table, surrounded by well-dressed, well-fed
people, sipping a pina colada, and listening to an orchestra of flashing-eyed beauties play and sing their native music with its strange, yearning rhythm."

Hate to burst your bubble! The Pina Colada is not native to Puerto Rico although it doesn't mean we haven't made it our own.

Ever wonder why the Piña Coladas you make at home taste nothing like the ones served at your favorite tropical destination? Most recipes simplify the colada into a mixture of rum, pineapples & ice with a splash of coconut milk. A flavorful Piña Colada has two kinds of rum (light and dark), cream and even bitters added which make the concoction a true tropical delight. Use high quality Puerto Rican rum in this recipe for the best result.  Now off to the basic recipe that can be made with or without the rum.:

We find all sorts of uses for sugar cane in Puerto Rico and here is another recipe to prove that.

Serve these chuletas with mashed batata (white sweet potato - you can make them just like the mashed potatoes you're used to) along with a side of mixed greens topped with the typical Puerto Rican dressing of Mayoketchú (home made dressing of mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice, adobo, and ketchup).

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless center cup pork chops

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

ground black pepper, to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely minced

1 tablespoon sofrito

1/4 cup port wine (your preference of ruby or tawny)

1 white onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon butter (optional)

adobo, to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup red cooking wine

cilantro leaves, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

• Season pork chops with allspice, nutmeg, pepper, 1 garlic clove, sofrito, and port wine.
• Cover and marinate overnight.
• Heat olive oil and butter in skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and two garlic cloves.
• Add adobo, to taste.
• Sautee until onions are softened but not browned.
• Remove pork chops from marinade. Set marinade aside.
• Place pork chops in skillet.
• Turn pork chops frequently (to keep them juicy).
• When pork chops change to a uniformly light color, add marinade to skillet.
• Stir in molasses and cooking wine.
• Taste and reseason if necessary.
• Bring heat to low. Cover.
• Cook until desired tenderness (approximately 10 minutes).
• Before serving, remove chops from skillet.
• Bring sauce to boil until reduced - keep a watchful eye so that sauce does not burn.
• Pour reduced sauce and onions over pork chops.
• Garnish with cilantro.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Now for a art history lesson....before getting to the cocktail with the same name!

Flaming June is a painting by Frederice Lord Leighton, produced in 1895. Painted with oil paints on a 47 inch by 47 inch square canvas. It is thought that the woman portrayed alludes to the sleeping figures the Greeks would often paint which were collectively referred to as Venus. The (toxic) Oliander branch in the top right, symbolises the fragile link between sleep and death.

Flaming June was auctioned in the 1960's, during a period of time known to be difficult for selling Victorian era paintings, where it failed to sell for its low reserve price of $140 (the equivalent of $840 in contemporary prices).

In 1963, Luis Ferre, a noted Puerto Rican industrialist and politician -who would be elected governor five years later - was on a trip around Europe, engaged in purchasing paintings and sculptures for the Ponce Museum of Art in Puerto Rico, which he had founded. On a stop in a gallery in Amsterdam, he found "Flaming June" abandoned in a corner. He became impressed by the painting's beauty, and asked the owner about it.

The owner said no one was interested in the painting because it was considered too old fashioned for the time. But he added that if Ferre was interested in it, that he could have it for $10,000. Even though Ferre thought it was expensive, they entered into an agreement that Ferre would wire the money for the painting. The man gave his word to not sell it to anyone else.

Antonio Luis Ferre, the son, many years later related that his father spent a sleepless night, worried that the gallery owner wouldn't keep his promise. Ferre called him in the morning, assuring him that the money would be wired and asking him  to keep his promise - which he did, even though other people had already gone to the gallery and liked the painting.

Thus, "Flaming June" traveled to the Ponce Museum of Art and was prominently displayed. In later years, it was loaned to important expositions around the world, with the renewal of interest in Victorian art. As noted by El Nuevo Dia Newspaper on April 22, 2001, Puerto Ricans are proud of having rescued the painting from obscurity and feel that " it now belongs to Puerto Rico".

The painting was honored by Mexican singer Luis Miguel (who was born in Puerto Rico) in his music video for the song "Amarte es un placer".

Now to the cocktail recipe.....the cocktail picture doesn't do it justice and neither does the painting picture, but, the whole point of the story is that the cocktail was made in honor of the painting, as they are the same color. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 ounces dark rum

6 ounces passion fruit juice

splash Peach Schnapps

 grenadine

DIRECTIONS:

• Fill a shaker with ice.
• Pour in rum, passion fruit juice, and schnapps.
• Shake well.
• Strain into two martini glasses.
• From the edge of the martini glass, slowly add a bit of grenadine which will settle to the bottom.

BUEN PROVECHO!

For this sangria, you want to use a dry fruity wine like pinot grigio.

Now this is a very pretty sangria, but, it is a very potent sangria. With that said, be sure to savor it....slowly.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bottle white wine

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 cups your favorite tropical fruit juice/pulp (mango, passionfruit, cactus fruit, guava)

1/2 cup dark rum

1/4 cup sugar, preferable raw sugar

2 cups fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, chopped

2 cups apples, starfruit, pears and/or peaches, unpeeled, cored or pit removed, chopped

1/2 cup oranges, unpeeled, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

• Combine all liquid ingredients.
• Stir in sugar until dissolved.
• Stir in fruit.
• Chill in refrigerator at least one hour for even better flavor, overnight.
• Serve as is or over ice.

BUEN PROVECHO!

The classic sangria, which is prepared in Spain with dry red wine, sugar, orange juice, and other ingredients, is given a thoroughly Puerto Rican twist with a hefty dose of the island's rum.

Typically it's dark rum that is used in this sangria. You have your choice of which dark rum you'd like to use (I like Bacardi Anejo). Here are a few of  many choices:

1. Bacardi 151 (this is the rum that is traditionally used with this sangria recipe) is a straw colored overproof rum that has a slightly buttery nose with a warm, lingering peppery finish.
2. Bacardi Select is a dark mahogany colored rum featuring a maple nose, warm taste and hints of smoke.
3. Bacardi Anejo is a blend of one to six year old Puerto Rican rums with a maple nose and smooth, mellow flavor that finishes dry.
4. Bacardi Gold is a golden colored rum with a rich, mellow taste and hints of pepper.
5. Bacardi Spiced is a rum with a hint of almond in the nose and is followed by a buttery flavor with a slight touch of pear.
6. Captain Morgan Private Stock has a nutty, sweet, candy flavor.
7. Castillo Gold is a tarnished gold colored rum with a smooth silky taste and a reserved alcoholic finish.

You can also try mixing things up by adding your own fruits and juices to make your sangria just the way you like it. The key is to pick interesting or bright colorful fruits to make the sangria come alive. Use Rioja wine or even burgundy wine and also use the more inexpensive wines for mixing into sangria.

If you are not familiar with the rum version of sangria, you will be pleasantly surprised at how "authentic" tasting it will be with the rum rather than with brandy which is traditionally used in Spain. Remember, sangria needs to be sweet because people want to taste that sweetness and balance out the acid from the wine and fruit juices. Just like a marriage, you need a little sweet to balance out the acid.

Garnish with sliced orange wheels ( I add apple slices soaked in lemon juice) serve out in the patio and enjoy with friends.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bottle red wine

1 1/2 cups frozen passion fruit pulp, thawed (or mango)

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice

1 cup dark Puerto Rican rum

1 cup sugar (traditionally raw sugar is used - a type called panela)

1 cinnamon stick (optional)

1 large orange, unpeeled, diced ( I like to use navel oranges)

2 cups peaches, pears, and/or apples, unpeeled, pit or core removed, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

• Stir all liquid ingredients together along with sugar, until sugar has dissolved.
• Stir in fruit.
• Let chill in refrigerator at least one hour (even better if chilled overnight).
• At time of serving, stir or shake well.
• Serve as is or over ice.

BUEN PROVECHO!

Passion fruit puree can be found frozen in many supermarkets, along with other tropical fruit purees. If you like your dessert with the caramelized top, sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar over each mold and place under the broiler for 2 to 4 seconds or until glazed. This dessert goes AWESOME with a little coconut ice cream on the side.

INGREDIENTS:

5 eggs

1 cup passionfruit puree, pulp with seeds, or juice

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In bowl, thoroughly mix eggs and passionfruit.
• Thoroughly mix in heavy cream and sugar.
• Pour mixture into ten 4 ounce molds.
• Place molds in a pan filled with water half way up the molds.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven to cool off.
• Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

BUEN PROVECHO!

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups ripe star fruit, chopped

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons lime zest

DIRECTIONS:

• Place star fruit, sugar, and lime zest in medium sized saucepan.
• Place saucepan over medium heat.
• Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, constantly stirring until liquid has reduced and and thickened. If you have a thermometer, cook until 220 degrees fahrenheit.
• Let cool.
• Place in sealed container.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

BUEN PROVECHO!