If your new year's resolution is to learn to cook Latin or Caribbean cuisine, you should familiarize yourself with the basic seasonings that make the cuisine so tasty. Here are the top three seasonings to keep on hand.
The first seasoning on my list is sofrito. If you were to keep just one item on hand, this would be it. Sofrito is a versatile, aromatic puree of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, culantro, onions, garlic and sometimes ham. It can be added to just about any dish and usually is. Sofrito tastes best when it�s fresh. You can easily make your own sofrito.
Adobo is the second thing on my list. Adobo is a garlic, herb and spice seasoning used to flavor meat, poultry and fish. You can make a wet version to use as a marinade or make a dry mix to make ahead and keep on hand for use at anytime.
The third seasoning on my list is achiote oil (also called annatto oil). Achiote oil, is olive oil that has been flavored and colored with achiote (annatto) seeds. The oil turns an orange-gold color and is infused with a mild nutty flavor. This oil is used to make yellow rice and add color to other dishes. It is very simple to make your own with olive oil and annatto seeds.
Photo � by Hector Rodriguez Licensend to About.com
