Recipe Report: Sofrito, so good

National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) is the perfect time to add menu items with Latin flavors, from Honduran beans and rice to crispy plantains, amped up “seis leches” cake, vegan sofrito queso and more. 

James Beard: Best Chef South 2024 semifinalist Melissa Araujo is chef/owner of Alma Cafe in New Orleans, where she blends classic Honduran flavors with Louisiana's bounty. This dish translates to "Moors and Christians," and is served not just in Latin America, but in many parts of the American South. Get the recipe

Chips and dip are a classic shareable, but guests deserve a change from the usual tortilla chips and salsa. Angelo Salsa, a popular Latin chef, takes the combo up several notches with homemade crispy plantains paired with a zesty Caribbean-style pepper sofrito. Serve the plantains right out of the fryer for crispiest results. Get the recipe

Although this dessert uses traditional tres leches cake as a base, Chef Adam Ross calls it “seis leches” or “six milks” instead of three because milk foam, whipped mascarpone cheese and other dairy ingredients complete the cake. Paired with strawberries and lavender, it makes a quintessential sweet ending for spring. To make lavender powder, grind dried lavender flowers in a spice grinder until fine. Get the recipe

To appeal to vegan customers at his Tex-Mex restaurant Bar Ama, Chef Josef Centeno created this nondairy queso. It uses coconut milk and dairy-free cheddar shreds to produce a creamy plant-based queso. Chipotle peppers and house-made sofrito add bold layers of flavor. Get the recipe

Pasta is often paired with shrimp, clams, mussels and other shellfish, but chef Rickie Perez partners spaghetti with red snapper in this Latin-accented dish. The ingredients create layers of flavor and color. The recipe might have a fancy name, but the preparation is not complicated. Get the recipe