SAY BAH HUMBUG TO UNHEALTHY EATING…BE JOLLY WITH BLACK BEANS

As much as we love the preparations and celebrations of the holiday season, all of the hustle and bustle can take a physical toll on how we look and feel. We tend to ditch the healthy diet, and instead, use the season as an opportunity for over-indulgence.

It’s easy to understand why we “fall of the wagon” with our food choices in between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Wherever you go, there is somebody offering you cookies and chocolate or a glass of good cheer. Or during your many trips to the mall, instead of eating beforehand, you have a feast at the food court. This dining-on-the-run, coupled with a scary schedule, increases your weight and decreases your energy levels. However, research shows that certain foods can help, such as a very beneficial bean, the Black Bean. Continue reading “SAY BAH HUMBUG TO UNHEALTHY EATING…BE JOLLY WITH BLACK BEANS” »

Pancakes and Puerto Rico

Last week we shared with you some Christmas Eve traditions from Cuba and Colombia. As we noted, the employees at Nueva Cocina represent many Hispanic cultures, so this week we are focusing on traditions from Puerto Rico, where the holiday celebrations begin as early as November and can continue until mid-January.

Beginning in early December, churches conduct Misas de Aguinaldo, which are masses held at dawn featuring the singing of Christmas carols. This period of time culminates in Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), which actually has more significance than Navidad (Christmas Day) for most Puerto Ricans. In fact, presents are actually exchanged on January 6th, which is El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day), although some Puerto Ricans give gifts on Christmas Day too. Continue reading “Pancakes and Puerto Rico” »

Nueva Cocina Nochebuena!

One of the biggest “Living la Vida Deliciosa” nights of the year in any family is Christmas Eve. In fact, in some Latin cultures, Christmas Day is generally a quiet day, whereas Christmas Eve or Nochebuena, (“Good Night”) is the night that families and friends celebrate.

The Nueva Cocina family is a melting pot of many Hispanic cultures. This allows us to develop our Latin recipes from a wide array of Latino countries, from Peru to Puerto Rico, Columbia to Cuba and more. We wanted to share with you some of our favorite memories and moments of Nochebuena: Continue reading “Nueva Cocina Nochebuena!” »