I went through a stage recently where I cross-reminisced, thinking wistfully of making mole in Mexico, the nights out with my family at our local Cantina, ordering only "3 sides of corn-mush, please" as a child (before it closed and became a sports bar), and enjoying creole potato salad at summer picnics with friends... so I created a go-to recipe list whenever I'm feeling like I need a Mexican or Caribbean home-made, healthy (well, not always) pick-me-up.
My sides, I feel, are what really make the meal. You can make pollo con recado rojo, but if you serve it on white rice with a Caesar salad, I for one will be disappointed. My go-to list of sides includes:
- Creole Potato Salad (recipe taught to me by a friend's mom, and then tweaked a bit by yours truly)
- 5 Flavor Rice (my own recipe)
- Tamalito (Chevy's recipe, Mmm)
- Re-fried beans (my own recipe)
- 3 Pepper Salsa (my own rendition)