DINING Dominican-style.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

The Dominican Republic is better known for the baseball players it exports than for its cuisine, but the savory comfort food from this Caribbean nation is worth a taste.

Dominican dishes are relatively easy to prepare, inexpensive and tasty. Dining Dominican-style is a great way to introduce new flavors into your kitchen without having to search for exotic foods. The secret is fresh ingredients and simple, fail-proof combinations.

I became intimately familiar with the food of the Dominican Republic while traveling with a group of young professionals on a monthlong Rotary exchange that had us each living with a half-dozen Dominican families. Everywhere our team went, the people were eager to share their homes and their recipes with us, and we definitely didn't go hungry.

We ate several different versions of Sancocho, the multimeat stew that is practically a national dish, dined on roasted Dominican chicken seasoned with peppers and tomatoes, and ate immense amounts of plantains, yuca, sweet potatoes and other root vegetables.

The Dominican desserts were a little too sweet for my liking, but serious "dulceros" might enjoy the small coconut clusters, cakes, tortas, rice and bread pudding, flan and creme brulees. The "postres" reflect the island's history as one of the world's leading sugar manufacturers.

Rice and beans (arroz y habitualas) are a staple of the Dominican diet, and you can find Dominican-grown rice served with black beans, red beans and green peasant peas or "guandules" just about everywhere. Mixed rice and beans is called "moro," rice with meat or seafood is called "locrio" and the combination of rice, beans and chicken is known as La Bandera or the Dominican flag.

The Dominicans don't have much of a taste for "picante" and pepperheads looking to scorch the roofs of their mouths will want to look elsewhere. But what the food lacks in heat, it more than makes up for in texture and flavor. Like the country itself, the cuisine is a mix of different cultural influences.

Many of the vegetables used in Dominican cooking go back to the indigenous populations that lived there before Columbus arrived. The Taino Indians gave the country cassava bread, a flatbread made from the root vegetable yuca. The Spanish introduced new meats, spices and vegetables with Mediterranean and Arab elements and the slave trade that started in the 1500s brought African flavors into the cooking.

Most of the ingredients of Dominican cooking can be found in supermarkets and the less familiar items such as plantains, pigeon peas and yuca can be found in ethnic grocery stores. The Plaza Latina Supermarket, 1333 W. Seventh Ave., stocks a wide assortment of Dominican ingredients and even carries several precooked, frozen dishes such as fried plantains (tostones). You can find Dominican recipes and cooking techniques at Aunt Clara's Dominican Cooking Web site (www.dominicancooking.com).

Cafe Caribeno, a food booth at the Mercado Latino run by Marisela Rizik and her mother, Maria Diaz, serves piping hot Dominican and Cuban specialties every Friday in the Broadway Plaza. Rizik, who hails from the Dominican Republic, serves Dominican-style chicken, rice and beans, salad and even puts a Eugene twist on several dishes by substituting yogurt for milk and tofu for meat. She says Dominican cooking has an elusive quality to it.

"It's very earthy," Rizik says. "It's tasty without being overpowering. You eat it and you feel good."

Dominican cuisine is similar to Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine and identical versions of some dishes can be found in these other cultures. Although there's a heavy reliance on rice and beans, Dominicans are unabashed carnivores. Chicken, beef, goat and pork are popular ingredients and seafood and shellfish is almost as common as these other "carnes."

There are some aspects of Dominican cooking that don't translate as well to North American palates. The Dominicans enjoy burnt rice from the bottom of the pot, which they call "concon." The brittle, brown rice is considered a delicacy, but no matter how much sauce or stew we put on our concon, we found it was just too much for us to chew on.

The large chunks of root vegetables that often are found in Dominican cooking can seem a bit dry to the average gringo. Also, the amount of butter and oil that goes into some foods can be a turn-off to health-conscious eaters.

Nevertheless, there's much more to rave about than complain about. And the fact that Dominican cooking is not particularly well known outside of the island of Hispaniola - with the exception of New York City and Miami where large populations of Dominicans live - ensures that when you serve aranitas (little spiders), or fried yuca appetizers at your next party, your guests will be pleasantly surprised.

For a big party, Sancocho is the perfect pot of food. The Dominicans often reserve this dish for special occasions, and it's not uncommon to see huge pots the size of witches' cauldrons cooking on open fires. The more you can make, the richer the flavor since the stew relies on large quantities of meats, bones and vegetables simmering together for hours, and it's even better the next day.

A popular mash that's served late in the day and sometimes served with a soup is "mofongo," a mix of plantains and fried pork skins (chicharron) seasoned with garlic.

Finally, for a prime example of just how simple and delightful Dominican creations can be, whip up Morir Sonando (to die dreaming) a liquid swirl of orange juice, milk, ice and sugar that tastes like a Creamsicle and just might live up to its name.

Sancocho

(Seven-meat hearty stew)

This is one of the few Dominican dishes that will require some time and extra effort. Sancocho is usually prepared for special occasions. You can add or subtract meats and substitute potatoes for the harder to find root vegetables. Serve with a cold beer.

2 pounds beef with bones

4 lemons, cut in halves

2 celery stalks

1/2 teaspoon coriander/cilantro

1/2 teaspoon powdered oregano 

1 tablespoon mashed garlic

4 tablespoons oil

1 pound pork

1 pound goat meat

1 pound pork sausage (longaniza)

2 pounds pork ribs

1 pound bones from a smoked ham

1 1/2 pounds chicken

1/2 pound malanga (or taro root) cut into 1-inch thick pieces

3 unripe plantains, 2 cut into 1-inch thick pieces

10 corn dumplings, optional

1/2 pound cassava (yuca) cut into 1-inch thick pieces

1/2 pound yam cut into 1-inch thick pieces

1/2 pound potatoes cut into 1-inch thick pieces

2 cubes beef bouillon (optional)

2 corn cobs cut into 2-inches long pieces (may be omitted)

2 teaspoons vinegar

2 teaspoons chili pepper sauce or agrio de naranja

Cut the meat (except the pork sausage) into small pieces and scrub with the lemon.

Place the beef in a pan and add the celery, coriander, oregano, garlic, vinegar and salt. Marinate for at least half an hour.

In an iron pot, heat the oil, add the beef and stir. Cover and and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a few spoonfuls of water if the meat sticks to the pot. Add the pork and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the meat (except for the chicken) and let simmer for another 15 minutes, adding tablespoons of water as needed to prevent it from burning. Add the chicken and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add 1 quart of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the yam, malanga and the 2 cut up plantains. Add the corn dumplings. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and add water if necessary. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking.

Let simmer until the last ingredients added are tender. Grate the remaining plantain and add to the pot. Let simmer until the stew is thick.

Salt to taste. Serve while hot with white rice. Serves 6.

Mofongo

(Garlic flavored

mashed plantains)

2 tablespoons mashed garlic

1 cup oil

4 unripe plantains

1 pound pork cracklings 

4 cups prepared beef stock

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Saute the garlic with a teaspoon of oil. Reserve.

Peel the plantains and cut into 1/2 -inch thick pieces.

In a deep frying pan, heat the oil and fry the plantains until golden brown.

Using a wooden mortar, mash the plantains, garlic and cracklings together. Serve preferably in a wooden mortar, garnished with the beef stock. Salt to taste.

Moro de Guandules Con Coco

(Rice with pigeon peas

and coconut)

5 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon finely chopped coriander/cilantro

1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 pinch oregano

1/4 cup chopped green peppers

1/2 teaspoon mashed garlic

1/8 cup capers 

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons tomato paste

2 cups boiled green pigeon peas (guandules)

1 cube chicken stock

4 cups water

2 cups coconut milk

4 cups uncooked rice

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in an iron pot on medium heat and add the herbs, peppers, garlic, capers, celery and salt. Stir while adding the tomato paste. Add the peas, also while stirring, then add the chicken stock.

Once well heated, add the water and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking. When all the water has evaporated, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer on very low heat. Wait 15 minutes, uncover, stir, and add the remaining oil. Cover again and wait another 5 minutes. The rice should be firm but tender inside. If necessary, cover and leave another 5 minutes on very low heat.

Serves 4.

Batida de Lechoza

(Papaya milkshake)

2 cups papaya cut in cubes

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 cups milk

2 1/2 cups ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix at high speed until well blended. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Morir Sonando

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups ice

Using a blender or stirring vigorously, blend the orange juice, milk, sugar and ice. Serve immediately.

Adjust proportions to suit your personal tastes. Serves 1.

Lewis Taylor can be reached at 338-2512 or ltaylor@guardnet. com.

CAPTION(S):

A Dominican meal might include (clockwise from lower right) Sancocho, a hearty meat stew; moro, a mix of rice and beans; and Morir Sonando, a liquid swirl of orange juice, milk, ice and sugar that tastes like a Creamsicle.