Rachael Ray

So, I’m terrified that I am going to get in big trouble for writing this blog. Big, big trouble. But here goes …

Like many New Yorkers, one of my favorite luxuries is to go out for weekend brunch. It’s such a delicious extravagance to sit down before a Saturday outing, or after church on Sunday, and enjoy gooey French toast, or a cheesy omelet, and perhaps a Bloody Mary or mimosa or two. I like to think of it as the most economical way of dining out – it officially takes the place of two meals, and I unofficially eat enough to take the place of three… Of course, being Latina, I also love South American and Mexican food, but besides the Huevos Rancheros, it’s pretty rare to find brunch options. Thank goodness that’s no longer the case in my neighborhood, because Sazon, a terrific Puerto Rican restaurant, just opened up down the block.

Which brings me to what is going to get me in trouble. For all of the Puerto Ricans in NYC, we don’t have many restaurants out there specifically serving our cuisine, and I think I may know the reason why. Many, many Puerto Ricans come from families with amazing cooks, like my mom. And I bet that like my mom, most of those cooks would kick their kids’/husbands’/relatives’ butts if they found out they paid money at a restaurant for Puerto Rican food, instead of just stopping by to see what was on the stove. So as you read about my delicious brunch at Sazon, just keep one thing in mind: if you love me even a little bit, you’ll be very, very careful not to tell my mother about it!

First of all, Sazon’s brunch included unlimited free Sangria in its Prix Fixe – a key feature if you like a cocktail with your NYC brunch, and don’t want to double the cost of your meal. Second, it included many vegetarian and fish options, which is great and somewhat rare. I had some yummy, flaky vegetarian empanadas to start (which can be awfully hard to find).

All You Can Drink Red & White Sangria!

Veggie Empanadas!

An then salivated over a menu that featured many traditional American brunch items, spiced up by fusing their standard form with Puerto Rican ingredients. Pancakes were decorated with poached mango, and drenched in decadent dulce de leche sauce in place of maple syrup. Eggs benedict kept the poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, but then went Borinquen with a base of Yucca and crab. With a topping of juicy, crunchy, sweet corn salsa, even the grilled salmon went Latino.

Yucca & Crab Eggs Benedict & Avocado Salad

Salmon with Rice & Beans       French Toast with Dulce De Leche Sauce

And here is a fabulous recipe for Dulce De Leche. I slather it on EVERYTHING. Seriously. Hmm….maybe that’s why i have had a touch time losing those few pesky pounds?

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Dulce De Leche

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Ingredients

- 1 quart whole milk

- 12 ounces sugar approximately 1 1/2 cups

- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month!

In the end, I’m still afraid of getting in trouble, but everything was so delicious that I’d love to take my mom to Sazon after church some Sunday. Now I just have to find a way to trick her into going …

If you are in NYC, check out Sazon!

105 Reade Street
New York, NY 10013-3840
(212) 406-1900

As always, Rachael and I would love to hear your brunch stories. And all you Latina’s out there who have a hard time getting your moms to take a break and eat out for a change … please let me know if you figure something out

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