You are going to love today's guest post by Shirley Solis!
When my family started RV’ing around the U.S., our darker Latino complexion inspired others to ask “Where are you from?”
Through that simple question, I realized people were curious of other cultures, nationalities and races. It didn’t take long for me to introduce the Hispanic culture to the new families we met along the way. Curiously enough, the easiest way for me to do that was to COOK FOR THEM.
Food was a delightful and taste abounding way to share my heritage and to inspire others to learn more about Latin America. In the inspiration of the moment, my hosts and I often found ourselves pronouncing Spanish words and naming out dishes in syllables to make our experience even richer.
Months later, I often learned my hosts had been inspired enough to learn Spanish from that one simple, yet transformational experience.
Since we all have to eat, the kitchen is one of my favorite and easiest ways to learn another language with children.
Learn Spanish in the Kitchen
Here are the names and pronunciations of some delicious Latin American dishes you
could make with your children, while you learn Spanish and amaze your tastebuds:
Carne Guisada (kar-neh ghee-zah-dah)
or beef stew, is the perfect Puerto Rican meal. This is a main dish found in most restaurants and often cooked at home. The meat is submerged in a special sauce and stewed for a long period of time until it is very soft and juicy…delicious!
Chuleta de Cerdo Frita (choo-leh-tah de ser-doh free-tah)
or fried pork chop is a delicious and flavorful meat, which can be accompanied with rice, yuca and salad. This delicious meat is marinated overnight for its best flavor.
Picadillo de Papa (pee-kah-dee-yoh de pah-pah)
or ground potato is a dish with ground beef and potato. The name comes from the Spanish word picar, which means “to mince” or “to chop.” This dish is very popular in Latin America, with slight variations in ingredients. In Cuba, it is simply known as Picadillo and has significantly more meat than potatoes.
Ceviche de Pescado (seh-vee-cheh de pes-ska-doh)
is a national dish of Peru, eaten as a first course or main dish. Ceviche is a citrusmarinated seafood, which is also eaten in Ecuador with slight variations. Peruvian gastronomy is among the most famous in the world and this dish is among its highlights. In Peru, the fish is “cooked” in the acid of the lime juice, while in Ecuador the seafood is quickly heated in water and cooked just until the color turns. Ceviche could be made with fish, shrimp, octopus or mixed seafood.
Arroz Imperial (ah-rohss eem-peh-ree-ahl)
or imperial rice is a favorite Cuban recipe among Miami residents. With a layer of rice, chicken, mayonnaise and cheese, this rice is deliciously filling and very tasty! Authentic recipes and images of these dishes could be found online or in my Latin American cookbook, Not Just Tacos.
You will find that as you engage your children in the kitchen and begin to cook Hispanic meals, they will be curious about not only the culture and food, but also about the language.
A Free Gift:
As part of this special 31 Days of Homeschool Spanish series, I would love to give you a FREE ebook copy of my book, Not Just Tacos, for you to enjoy with your family. To claim your free copy, visit NotJustTacos.com and make sure we stay connected at ShirleySolis.com
Join us for a Homeschool Spanish Facebook Party tonight 7/20/15 at 8PM Eastern!
Visit the other posts in this series by clicking this image:
31 Days of Homeschool Spanish is sponsored by Classes By Beth.
Starla @ Pressing In and Pressing On says
This is awesome! and it’s making me want some yummy comida! <3
Katie Hornor says
So, glad you liked it Starla! Let us know what you tried first and how it came out 🙂