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Franchesca

Break Thru Kitchen is a food blog fueled by cultural curiosity. I explore different realms of foods from around the world to inspire others, shift their perspective on cooking, and better their relationship with food.

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Pastelón is a dish traditionally found in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. However, just because the recipe is the same doesn’t mean the techniques are. In a traditional Puerto Rican pastelón recipe, you’ll find that they don’t mash their plantains. Instead of boiling and mashing the plantains, they slice the plantains long ways and fry them. I’ve actually tried that technique once before and though it was unique in texture and delicious, I prefer the Dominican technique. The plantain is smoother and it holds together a lot easier. Pastelón is meant to be the Caribbean version of the Italian dish Lasagna. Plantains plays the role of the pasta, beef plays the role of the beef, and mozzarella plays the role of the parmesan and bechamel. For the full recipe go to: https://breakthrukitchen.com/2021/04/06/pastelon-recipe/ For more recipes like this got to: https://breakthrukitchen.com/ Pastelón What do I need to make pastelón? Ripe plantains. Plantains are practically the straw of the show in this amazing lasagna remix. Make sure they’re nice and ripe! Ground beef. Whether you choose turkey, beef, pork, or chicken it’s up to you! You could even make this vegan by substituting the beef with lentils, mushrooms, and literally so much more. Pretty much anything ground works. Onion. Garlic. Green Peppers. Necessary for flavoring the ground beef and for adding a fresh touch. Mozzarella. Creates the gooey top layer that we all love. Seasonings. Caribbean flavors are a must in a pastelón! Butter. Needed to yield smooth, buttery mashed plantains. Can I make this with green plantains? This recipe is intended to be made with ripe plantains for the flavor contrast of the sweetness in the plantains and the saltiness in the beef and mozzarella. So, you could definitely make it with green plantains, but I don’t know if you could still call it a traditional pastelón. Can I make this with the Puerto Rican technique? Of course you can, and if you’ve already tried my technique I strongly encourage you to try out the other one! Just make sure you add a scrambled egg to your pastelón to make sure the layers stick together. With that addition, you can use my recipe for that technique too!
Pastelón Traditional Dominican Recipe
YouTube Video VVVmTlhWY1Zxc3lOY2c5bnFBZ3hneUlnLnIzeXlSRzJXdUNn
Tres leches is a notoriously delicious cake. Click here for the full recipe https://breakthrukitchen.com/2021/03/03/tres-leches-cake-recipe/ Click here for more recipes like this https://breakthrukitchen.com What is Tres Leches? It’s simply a sponge cake soaked in three different kinds of milk, and topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. And given the name, it’s no surprise that this is a very popular cake in Latin cultures. It literally translates to “three milks” in Spanish. What are the three milk? The three milks are condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. They make the cake sweat, moist, and light. Each bite is like a delicate, spongey cloud. And no I’m not exaggerating. Before I ever had tres leches, I kinda thought it was over-hyped. But i remember the first time I ever tried it, and I was stunned. It gave me tiramisu vibes with the soaked cake, but it carried it’s own uniqueness. It doesn’t have any bitter contrast in flavors like tiramisu has, but it does have a lightness to it, that doesn’t make you want to stop eating it. Like, it’s not overly sweet or rich to the point where it’d be painful to finish one slice. This is the type of cake that makes you want more. The frosting A big factor in the lightness of this cake is the frosting. It’s a light, mildly sweet whipped cream frosting that works excellent with soaked cake. Top it with fresh fruit and you’ve got yourself an A+ cake right there. Will all that milk fit into my cake? It may not seem like it will, but the cake will soak up every last drop of milk. Just pour slowly and evenly along the entire cake, and don’t forget the edges! Thank you for watching my Tres Leches recipe, if you decide to try it out tag me on instagram @breakthrukitchen. Be sure to subscribe down below to get notified when I post more recipes like this!
Tres Leches Cake Recipe
YouTube Video VVVmTlhWY1Zxc3lOY2c5bnFBZ3hneUlnLlY4dHp6MTJvZFpn
Tiramisu is a dessert that no one can resist, even the people who don’t necessarily have a sweet tooth. And that’s what makes this recipe perfect; the flavors work heavenly together. The crisp ladyfinger biscuits, bitter coffee, toasted rum, and sweet mascarpone create a beautiful symphony if flavors that I personally can’t get enough of. What is Tiramisu? The name itself, tiramisu, translates to “pick me up” in Italian. This refers to the two caffeinated ingredients that are present in the dessert: espresso and cocoa. Tiramisu is a coffee flavored Italian dessert. It is made by dipping ladyfingers in coffee and rum, layering a whipped mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs, and sugar, and topped with a thin layer of cocoa powder. It’s said that it originated in Veneto, the northeastern region of Italy, in early 1970s at the restaurant Le Beccherie in Treviso. So, unlike sfogliatelle which were invented in the 17th century or cannoli which were invented somewhere between 827-1091 AD , tiramisu isn’t one most sacred of Italian desserts. It wasn’t introduced into American restaurants until the 1980s. That being said, it has never gone away. It would be nearly impossible to find an Italian restaurant that doesn’t (rightfully) have tiramisu on the menu for dessert. Now, although tiramisu is a classic recipe, it doesn’t mean it’s extremely hard to make. Actually, it only takes a couple of ingredients. Mascarpone, egg yolk, & sugar The creamy filling that goes in between the layers of soaked ladyfingers is a mixture of mascarpone, egg yolk, and sugar. Just like the ladyfingers or coffee, mascarpone cheese is one of the ingredients you cannot leave out of this recipe. It has a similar texture to cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta, and whipped cream, yet it is so incredible different from them all. Mascarpone is an Italian soft cheese made from cream. It’s American counterpart is, not surprisingly, cream cheese. But trust and believe that these are very different things. While similar in look and application, American cream cheese is firmer and has a stronger taste than its Italian counterpart. Mascarpone has a looser, velvety texture, and mildly sweet flavor. In short, mascarpone cheese is way less tangy than the stuff you put on your bagel. If you can’t get your hands on any, try any of the ingredients with similar textures listed above. The ladyfingers Ladyfingers are sweet, light, dry, egg-based, sponge biscuits. They are called ladyfingers because they are kinda shaped like fingers and they are notorious for being an essential ingredient in tiramisu. Ladyfingers can be eaten as is, but they really shine in recipes where they are soaked in a syrup or other liquid. So, without a shadow of a doubt, this is the kind of cookie that goes great in tiramisus. Find my full recipe for ladyfingers here. Coffee Since this is a coffee flavored dessert, you want to make sure you are using good quality coffee. I used espresso coffee from an actual espresso machine, but a stove top espresso maker works well too. And if you can’t get your hands on either, just make sure you’re using a good quality coffee brand. Rum The best rum for tiramisu is dark rum. Light rum has the same sweet but subtle flavor as dark rum. It even has just as much alcohol by volume as dark rum. So, what’s the difference and why should you use dark? Well, dark rum isn’t filtered and bottled right after being distilled. Instead they are aged in charred oak or wooden barrels for a period of time, and this is where they end up developing a darker color and a bolder flavor. In short, to make the most flavorful tiramisu you’re going to want to use dark rum. And those are all the ingredients you will need to make a traditional Italian tiramisu.
Traditional Italian Tiramisu Recipe
YouTube Video VVVmTlhWY1Zxc3lOY2c5bnFBZ3hneUlnLmlBOXk3S09rY2VR
Calling all home bakers! Ladyfingers are simply a dessert you need to know how to make. These classic ladyfinger biscuits are quick and simple to make at home. And yes, of course you could go to that nice Italian store that sells the pricey imported cookies, but where’s the fun in that? What are Ladyfinger biscuits? Ladyfingers are sweet, light, dry, egg-based, sponge biscuits. They are called ladyfingers because they are kinda shaped like fingers and they are notorious for being an essential ingredient to the dessert we all know and love: tiramisu. They’re also known as boudoir biscuits, sponge biscuits, sponge fingers, naples biscuits, savoiardis, and biscuits a la cuiller. I feel like everyone always assumes these biscuits are originated in Italy because of their famous connotation to tiramisu. But really, Ladyfingers originated in the late 15th century at the court of the Savoy. They were created to mark the occasion when the King of France came to visit. Later, they were given the name Savoiardi. The eggs Since this is an egg-based recipe, you need to make sure your handling your eggs correctly. Separate the egg whites and yolks during the prep. Mix the egg white with half of the listed sugar with a electric hand mixer until it form thick peaks. Mix the egg yolks with other half of the listed sugar with a hand whisk until it becomes light in light in color. Want the secret ingredient for a perfect Ladyfinger? Fold, don’t mix. The definition of folding is carefully adding a light, airy mixture (in this case egg whites) to a thicker, heavier mixture. This has to be done carefully so that the egg whites don’t deflate and lose all of the air that was beaten into them. So essentially, the secret ingredient to a perfect homemade ladyfinger is air! What other recipes can I use these cookies in other than Tiramisu? Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the kind of cookie that goes great in tiramisus. However, they also work well in icebox cakes, eclairs, trifles, and so much more. Let them cool completely before working with them. When they are fresh out of the oven, they are quite delicate on the inside and just a bit crisp on the outside. If you don’t wait for them to cool, you risk the ladyfingers falling apart. When you leave them to cool completely they will firm up and get crispier on the outside and spongy on the inside. Especially if you’re making tiramisu, goodness please let them cool completely. The biscuit will be able to soak up so much more of the coffee and rum mixture if it is stale. For the full recipe visit https://breakthrukitchen.com/2021/01/22/ladyfinger-savoiardi-biscuit-recipe/ For more recipes like this visit https://breakthrukitchen.com/
Lady Finger Savoiardi Cookies Recipes
YouTube Video VVVmTlhWY1Zxc3lOY2c5bnFBZ3hneUlnLnNNNTdiWmstenZZ
Egg benedict is truly a classic. And it appears way more difficult to make than it truly is. Let me show you my easy and simple recipe for this old fashioned breakfast dish. Hollandaise sauce has this huge stigma to it. And you know what I get it, it’s very easy to mess up. But, besides taking a little extra care with your hollandaise and mastering the art of poaching an egg, this is a pretty simple recipe. Now if you can’t get your hands on English muffins, you can also use a bagel or a roll. And if you can’t find Canadian bacon, you can use regular bacon or even ham. And an easy way to up the flavor in your hollandaise sauce is to add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little kick. Some tips I have for you are to be very attentive of you hollandaise sauce. First off, make sure to use a double boiler. If you don’t know what that is, it’s simply a large bowl set on top of a pot half filled with water. You cook the hollandaise sauce on the bowl and you want to make sure to do so over low heat so you don’t risk scrambling the eggs. The hollandaise sauce should be just that, a sauce. It should thinly coat a spoon. And as far as the poached egg, practice makes perfect! Use a large spoon to spin the water in one direction, creating a tornado like effect to the center of the pot. Pouring the egg into the center lets it spin around it self and create a beautiful poached egg. Once your egg is in the water, lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes before removing from water and letting dry on paper towel. Don’t skip the paper towel step because placing the egg directly on the muffin creates an unpleasant soggy muffin. And who wants that! If you don’t have any lemon juice, vinegar works as a good replacement in this recipe. But whatever you do, make sure you have chives on hand to top the egg benedict. It’s a game changer. For the full recipe visit https://breakthrukitchen.com/2021/01/16/egg-benedict-recipe/ For more recipes like this visit https://breakthrukitchen.com/
Classic Egg Benedict Recipe
YouTube Video VVVmTlhWY1Zxc3lOY2c5bnFBZ3hneUlnLnlWRnYtMDQyd2xN
What the hell is a cotoletta? It’s the Italian word for cutlet. It’s essentially a slice of meat, with or without bone, dredged in egg, breaded, and fried with oil or butter. It’s often made with veal, but I grew up eating it with chicken. And let me tell you, my dad makes a mean cotoletta. It’s kinda one of those things you make when you need to cook up something quick, so I have eaten a lot of these in my day. And every single one has been delicious. The secret to a juicy chicken cutlet is cooking it on low heat. This allows the chicken to cook and the batter to crisp up simultaneously, so you have juicy chicken on the outside and a perfectly browned crust on the outside. Another secret tip for these cutlets is cooking them in oil AND butter. Usually people pick one or the other, but this recipe works best if you use both. The oil gets the job done way better but the butter adds a nice richness of flavor that you would be missing out on if you skipped it. For the full recipe visit https://breakthrukitchen.com/2021/01/10/italian-cotoletta-aka-breaded-chicken-cutlet/ For more recipes like this visit https://breakthrukitchen.com/
Cotoletta Di Pollo Alla Milanese aka Italian Style Chicken Cutlet Recipe
YouTube Video VVVmTlhWY1Zxc3lOY2c5bnFBZ3hneUlnLllkei10Ym9od2xr
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