Cuban black beans might be my favorite food to get in all of Florida. They truly are the food of South Florida. While my family isn’t Cuban, we spent a lot of family celebrations at Cuban restaurants. They were our go-to. And the black bean soup was always a favorite (along my other favorites like ropa vieja and picadillo (recipe coming soon!)).
The most critical part of Cuban black bean soup? The sofrito. In this instance it’s a combo of red onions, green bell pepper, garlic and some spices that give the beans some good flavor.
It’s September! Almost. A few days shy but I figured I’d put up a post of some things to make this weekend, for Labor Day. I’m headed to Hawaii but if I was here, there are some things in this list that I would be making for
1. Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies – I am ALWAYS on the look out for iterations of chocolate chip cookies. This version is a banger. I love it. Coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
2. Melty Baked Brie with Walnuts, Honey and Figs – Baked brie is so underrated. I think it’s because people are used to seeing it wrapped in puff pastry and drizzled with like honey. They’re used to a trashy version (and for the record, I LOVE that version). This is a classier version of that. It’s melty and gooey. The crunchy walnuts, sweet honey and ripe, juicy figs are glorious.
3. Earl Grey Scones – Having a blog can be weird. I have no idea why this recipe has taken off in the last couple of weeks but it’s brought in SO much traffic. It’s an oldie of a recipe but it’s good. I love these scones. So here ya go.
4. Peach Walnut Cocoa Nibs Snacking Cake – This cake is SO good. It’s a such a sleeper of a recipe. I posted this and no one cared. Lol. That happens sometimes. But I can assure you that it is so delicious. The streusel topping is amazing. And peach and cocoa nibs work surprisingly well together.
5. Miso White Chocolate Chip Cookies – An iteration of chocolate chip cookies with a hint of savory added via Miso. The white chocolate chips are a nice change from the regular dark chocolate chunks I use.
6. Roasted Carrot Potstickers – We can’t just eat sweet things in the month of September. I need veggies. These potstickers are an amazing vehicle for delicious pureed carrots spiked with ginger and sesame oil.
7. Spicy Sambal Oyster Noodles – This isn’t exactly “late-summery” or anything like that. These are what the internet likes to call “evergreen.” Meaning, you can eat them any time you dang well please. They’re spicy and savory and so so good.
8. Payday Lobster Cherry Tomato Pasta – For when that direct deposit hits! This is for that time of the month when you’re feeling sorta spendy and you got some money to spend. I actually love buying a lobster tail and putting it in dishes—it feels so luxurious.
9. Ginger Shrimp Stir-Fry with Garlicky Bok Choy – I can eat a whole bowl of sautéed green onions. This dish has A LOT of green onions added to bok choy the shrimp. It’s a delicious, easy to make dinner.
10. Pumpkin Tahini Loaf – I didn’t want to pull out the fall stuff all early but here it is: the first glimpse of the upcoming season. I’m excited for it!
I’ve made this cake exactly 10 times. Haha. Whenever I think I know what I’m doing, cakes love to come out of the oven all messed up and tasting mediocre; they laugh in my face and humble me right to the ground.
All that testing was worth it because we now have a delicious cake that will remind you exactly of a piña colada. It has a balance of flavors of equal parts pineapple, coconut and rum. It’s only slightly boozy-tasting.
When I was making this cake, it reminded me of Hawaii. And yeah, a lot of that has to do with how many frozen piña coladas I consumed before noon when I visited.
I’ve only been once—last year for the first time—and it truly is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. There’s a vibe in Hawaii, I can’t explain it. But I think whenever I go to lands where the indigenous culture is so alive and celebrated, it gives the place a magical vibe. I feel similarly when I visit New Mexico.
