Pestiños
Every country has its own version of a sweet fried dough dessert and the Spanish’s version of the treat is called Pestiños. It’s long been associated with most of the...
https://www.chefspencil.com
Christmas
Make your Christmas the merriest it has ever been with these festive Christmas recipes that will astound you and your loved ones.
Bacalhau da Consoada
Bacalhau da Consoada, the Christmas Eve cod, holds a profound place in Portuguese Christmas customs and food. Crafted with salted and dried cod (bacalhau), a culinary staple ingrained in Portuguese...
Roscón de Reyes | Spanish Kings’ Cake
The roscón de reyes is a light pastry that is traditionally eaten on Three Kings Day (Jan 6), but can be enjoyed before and after this date. It is a large ring...
Aletria
Aletria is a sweet Portuguese pasta dessert prepared with extremely fine noodles such as vermicelli or angel hair pasta. While resembling Arroz Doce (Sweet Rice), it features a distinct starchy...
Cochinillo Asado (Roasted Suckling Pig)
Cochinillo Asado is a timeless dish, that has been a part of Spain’s Christmas culinary tradition since medieval times. It’s typically made using a suckling pig is a pig that...
Cod Ajoarriero Style
Celebrating Christmas in Spain, means you’ll be served fish in some form or another, as per tradition. One of the most popular and delicious fish dishes is this stew made...
Broas de Mel
During Christmas in Portugal, Broas de Mel cookies become one of the main culinary highlights. Originally from Madeira, they are a sweet combination of molasses, honey, flour and a mix...
Arroz Natalino
Arroz Natalino is a traditional rice dish served for Christmas throughout Brazil. It boasts a complex flavor that’s both savory and sweet, thanks to ingredients like raisins, nuts, garlic and...
Mollejas en Escabeche (Pickled Gizzards)
Mollejas en Escabeche is a traditional dish prepared in Puerto Rico during the festive season. This dish offers several variations; the meat can be replaced with fish or entirely substituted...
Spanish Marzipan Recipe
Marzipan is a traditional Christmas dessert whose main ingredients are almonds and sugar. It is a sweet treat made of almonds and sugar crushed with a mallet lightly toasted under the...
Puerto Rican Tembleque (Coconut Pudding)
Coconut is perhaps one of the most defining flavors of Puerto Rican cuisine, particularly when it comes to desserts. Creamy, sweet and simple – that’s what Tembleque is all about....
Mountain Snails/Caracoles a la Montañesa
In the Basque region of Spain, and Cantabria especially, snails are often collected during the last few weeks of the year and so have been a traditional dish prepared for...
Kerststol (Dutch Christmas Bread)
Kerststol is a popular dessert-type bread served around Christmas time in the Netherlands. Although unclear, it’s believed its origins come from the German Stollen, which has a similar recipe and...
Chicharron de Cadiz
Chicharron de Cadiz is an delicious pork appetizer popular in southern Spain region of Cadiz, where it always finds a place on the Christmas dinner table. It isn’t in itself...
Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog)
Some people think of Coquito as a Puerto Rican copy of the popular British eggnog. And while some recipes for coquito nowadays include egg yolks, giving them more of a...
Peru Natalino (Brazilian Christmas Turkey)
Influenced by the American Thanksgiving & Christmas food traditions, roast turkey has become a beloved Brazilian Christmas dish, even though turkey is not a native bird to Brazil. In Brazil, roast...
Sylta
Sylta is a type of meat hash, mostly eaten these days by the older generation. It is made with meat from the head of a calf or pig, that has been...
Turron (Spanish Almond Nougat)
Spanish nougat, or Turron as it’s otherwise known, is a beloved traditional sweet treat prepared during the Christmas holidays in Spain. Recipes for it date back centuries and include simple...
Bacalhau com Broa
Bacalhau com Broa serves as the go-to winter dish for warming up during the colder months in Portugal. Frequently served for Christmas in Portugal, it aligns with the region’s longstanding...
Cappelletti in Broth (Cappelletti in Brodo)
These small stuffed egg pasta has been a culinary symbol of Emilia-Romagna for centuries. Typically filled with mince and cheese and submerged in a vegetable broth, cappelletti were one of...
Rosolli (Finish Beet Herring Salad)
No Finnish Christmas feast is complete without a beet herring salad on the table. Its tart and savory flavors and medley of textures works amazingly well with main dishes like...
Janssons Frestelse (Jansson’s Temptation)
This comforting dish, also known as Jansson’s Temptation, is a traditional Swedish Christmas casserole made with potatoes, onions, pickled sprats, bread crumbs, and cream. It is a signature Christmas dish...
Christmas Finnish Rice Porridge (Riisipuuro)
Christmas porridge in Finland was traditionally prepared from grains like oat or barley, but this custom changed around the 19th century along with the import of rice and has remained...
Arroz Verde (Mexican Green Rice)
Arroz verde, which means Green Rice in Spanish, is a popular dish for so many Mexican meals. It adds heartiness and flavor, and an eye-catching pop of color to your...