Books & Cooks Letter A: Adobo

Today’s April 1st! And I’m rolling from one blogging challenge right into another one. This month I’m participating in my fifth annual Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Take a look at my previous years’ posts – 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019!

This year I’m going to be combining two of my passions – cooking and kid lit for Books & Cooks! I’ll be bringing you great recipes based on spices of the alphabet that pair perfectly with kid lit books! First up? The letter A and mouthwatering Adobo!

Spice: Adobo

Adobo is a lot of things to a lot of people. It can be a sauce, seasoning mixture, a dish and more. It can also be found in many cultures in many areas of the world. Today we’re focusing on Adobo spice mixture from Puerto Rico. This spice combination includes garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and sometimes dried citrus. And I can only imagine every family has their own way of making adobo.

Book Review: Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya

This is the story of a boy learning about his family and in turn learning more about himself. When Marcus gets in trouble (again) at school, his mom decides for some much-needed time away and they travel to Puerto Rico for spring break. There, Marcus is focused on finding his father who lives somewhere on the island. Along the way, Marcus meets family and friends who show him where he came from and that support him in where he wants to go. The character building and setting in this novel are top-notch and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey!

Recipe: Mama’s Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice

Although this recipe has a lot of ingredients, I’m so excited to try it in my own kitchen. Arroz con pollo is an extremely popular dish in Puerto Rico and I’m so excited to share this version with you. I love any dish with rice as a base and with all the flavors developing together in one big pan, it sounds ah-mazing! Since we’re all stuck at home, now might be the time to try out something new in the kitchen – Mama’s Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice!

During the month of April, I’ll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2020. For my theme this year (Books & Cooks), I’ll be combing children’s books with cooking spices and including a recipe to bring the book into your very own kitchen! I love to cook and read, so I thought this would be a fun way to combine two of my passions. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! Let’s dig in!