Recipes | I've Been Cooking

Pen Patat

Pen Patat is a traditional Haitian sweet potato pudding baked until set and fragrant with warm spices. This lush, custardy dessert blends coconut, evaporated, and condensed milks with banana, raisins, vanilla, rum, and lime zest for deep tropical flavor and a caramelized edge.

🇭🇹 Haiti$$

Daraba

Daraba is a hearty Central African okra and peanut stew with beef and dried fish, simmered with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spinach, then served over rice. Rich, silky, and mildly spicy, it balances savory depth with the trademark okra-thickened texture.

🇹🇩 Chad$$

Midway Atoll Coconut Grits

Creamy, island-inspired stone-ground grits simmered in coconut milk and finished with toasted coconut, macadamias, juicy pineapple, and bright lime zest. A tropical, dairy-free twist on a cozy breakfast bowl with a fragrant hint of vanilla and a touch of brown sugar.

🇺🇲 United States Minor Outlying Islands$$

Juba Sorghum Pudding

A warm, cardamom- and cinnamon-scented sorghum pudding enriched with milk, coconut milk, and ghee, studded with raisins and dates. Comforting and naturally gluten-free, it’s a classic-style Juba-inspired sweet pudding.

🇸🇸 South Sudan$$

Sancoche

Sancoche is a hearty Caribbean one-pot stew loaded with salted pigtail, chicken, pigeon peas, coconut milk, and a medley of root vegetables and green bananas. Rich, savory, and gently spiced, it’s comfort food meant for sharing.

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago$$

Fougasse Monégasque

A festive Monégasque sweet bread scented with orange blossom water, citrus zest, and anise, enriched with milk, butter, and eggs. Studded with candied fruits and raisins, then topped with nuts, sesame, and pearl sugar for a celebratory crunch.

🇲🇨 Monaco$$

Maple Mousse

A silky, maple-sweetened mousse stabilized with gelatin and folded with whipped cream and mascarpone. Finished with toasted pecans and fresh berries for a creamy-crunchy, no-bake dessert.

🇨🇦 Canada$$

Plăcinte moldovenești

Traditional Moldovan hand-pies made with a soft, elastic dough and a variety of fillings—savory (cottage cheese with herbs, potato-onion, cabbage-carrot) or sweet (apple-cinnamon, jam)—pan-fried or baked and served warm, often with sour cream or honey.

🇲🇩 Moldova$

Dambou

Dambou is a vibrant Nigerien millet couscous dish tossed with steamed greens and aromatics, enriched with peanut powder and savory dried fish. It’s hearty, fragrant, and lemon-bright, offering a balanced, satisfying main with West African flavors.

🇳🇪 Niger$

Kiribati Pandanus Pudding

A creamy, island-style dessert from Kiribati featuring fragrant pandanus puree, coconut milk, and soft tapioca pearls, gently sweetened and traditionally set or served in banana leaf. Comforting, aromatic, and naturally dairy-free and gluten-free.

🇰🇮 Kiribati$$

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