{"id":19724,"date":"2021-12-17T04:48:54","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T04:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/?p=19724"},"modified":"2024-11-03T02:13:07","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T02:13:07","slug":"coquito-sofrito-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/es\/coquito-sofrito-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Organice una fiesta de coquito y sofrito para celebrar su herencia en estas fiestas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Melissa\u2019s coquito and sofrito party is the hottest Christmas party of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here is the sneaky thing about her annual holiday fiesta for friends and familia, says Melissa Aguilera-Rober, a Boricua marketing exec who runs Semiya Marketing<\/a> and lives in Queens, N.Y. with her husband, Alex<\/a>, and two daughters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, coquito & sofrito is super-fun. But Melissa has a not-so-secret party agenda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her annual gathering is actually 4 things:
1) an educational activity<\/strong> designed to immerse everyone in her family\u2019s Puerto Rican heritage.
2) a bonding experience<\/strong> for all the attending generations: grandparents, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, little kids, big teens.
3) a way to hang with her best friends and meet their moms<\/strong> from out of town during the crazy-busy holidays, and
4) finally, because Melissa is nothing if not practical: it\u2019s how she gets all her holiday coquito gifting and sofrito cooking prep done<\/strong>. Way to multitask and mix party time with a heaping serving of Puerto Rico cultura, Melissa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Melissa Started Her Coquito and Sofrito Holiday Tradition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how the whole idea started. About three years ago, Melissa felt super-stressed about the holidays. Christmas was just around the corner \u2014 and she was not ready. Melissa was way behind on her family party planning, cooking and gift shopping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holiday problem 1:<\/strong> Melissa wanted to make some of her family\u2019s favorite Puerto Rican dishes for Navidad and New Year\u2019s dinners. But she couldn’t start until she first made a huge batch of sofrito, Puerto Rico\u2019s traditional seasoning base for just about every traditional Boricua dish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, Melissa could have just bought premade sofrito from the store \u2014 but her grandmother had shut down that cooking shortcut years before. \u201cMy abuela was over and she asked me where my sofrito was. I showed her the jar I bought at the grocery market. And she said, in her way, \u2018Esto es una porquer\u00eda! Quien hizo esto? (\u2019This is junk! Who made this?\u2019)<\/em>,\u201d Melissa says. \u201dEven at age 90,  she would not use store-bought sofrito. So, she and I made some sofrito. And I got used to cooking with homemade.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo I was like: OK. The only way I am going to do this if I do it as a party. This was my selfish way to get out of cooking. So I said to everyone, \u2018We\u2019re having a sofrito-coquito party!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\u2014Melissa Aguilera-Rober, wife, mom, and coquito-sofrito fiesta champion, New York<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Holiday problem 2:<\/strong> Melissa needed about a half-dozen bottles of homemade coquito, Puerto Rico\u2019s beloved coconuty version of egg nog. \u201cMy husband loves wine. But I don\u2019t drink wine. And people seem to appreciate coquito more. So I said you know what? This Christmas, we\u2019re going to fulana\u2019s and fulana\u2019s \u2014 and you know what? I am bringing them all freaking coquito,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa had to find time to make a ton of sofrito and coquito \u2014 super r\u00e1pido. \u201cAnd I didn\u2019t want to. Because I don\u2019t like to cook, and I don\u2019t like to be in the kitchen. My head is elsewhere,\u201d says Melissa. \u201cSo I was like: OK. The only way I am going to do this if I do it as a party. This was my selfish way to get out of cooking. So I said to everyone, \u2018We\u2019re having a sofrito\u2013coquito party<\/a>!\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so she did. Melissa is happy to share the following details of how she organizes her annual coquito\u2013sofrito fiesta, in hopes that other Puerto Rican families take up this super-fun, super-meaningful holiday party tradition. Check out her step-by-step coquito-sofrito party planning guide<\/a>, with video of course!, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can customize it for your family heritage, she suggests: Maybe ponche Navide\u00f1o and salsa roja, to prep for your Christmas tamales and celebrate your Mexican family culture?<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"coquito
Every guest takes home pretty glass jars and bottles with coquito and<\/em> sofrito.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Melissa\u2019s Planning: How to Host a Coquito\u2013Sofrito Party<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Invitations & Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa invited about 30 people: her grandmother, mother, cousins, best friends, their mothers, neighbors, and lots of kids. She scheduled the party in early November, which gave her enough time to get the sofrito prepped and frozen for big-time December cooking, plus everyone has more free time in November and you\u2019ll get more yes RSVPs, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invites went out, asking everyone to bring themselves and enough ingredients to make their own batch of coquito, from the recipe she included (see below). Melissa supplied all the ingredients for the sofrito and the cooking tools and containers: knives, cutting boards, blenders, glass jars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"coquito
Melissa and her mother shopped for all the ingredients for the sofrito, including Puerto Rican aj\u00edes dulce\u2014which can only be found in a real-deal Latino market.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shopping and Setup<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day before the party, Melissa and her mom went grocery shopping for sofrito ingredients at their local Latino market. On their list: bell peppers, aj\u00ed dulce, garlic, cilantro, culantro, cubanelle peppers. \u201cI bought a boatload of stuff: 60 red peppers, 60 green peppers. Then I set it up in a nice display at my house, and I even bought jars so that they can take their sofrito home. Plus, glass bottles for their coquito.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa brought in two long tables, each lined with cutting boards and a block of knives. She asked friends to bring over extra blenders, and plugged about a dozen into a power strip on her kitchen island. Finally, she sorted all the vegetables into separate baskets on a table, making her own mini-Latino market. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"coquito
Melissa’s youngest daughter Soleil, 7, at the sofrito vegetable table, \u201dshopping\u201d for her batch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Welcome Your Guests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As everyone arrived, Melissa handed them a pre-made coquito. With rum for adults, virgin for kids. Some friends asked for vegan, but Melissa didn\u2019t have a recipe, like this delicious vegan coquito<\/a> from our Healthy & Delicioso Familia Kitchen expert Naihomy Jerez<\/a>. (We emailed it to Melissa. She\u2019ll be ready next year). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their friends and family caught up, danced to the salsa music, and ate the traditional food Melissa had catered in from her local Puerto Rican restaurant (P.S. you can order pasteles nationwide from them here<\/a>), including that beloved Boricua fried treat: stuffed alcapurrias<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI let them have some fun for a bit, and then I asked everyone to go to their sofrito station,\u201d says Melissa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"coquito
Chopping all the ingredients to make sofrito, under the watchful eyes of an abuela.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let the Chopping Begin \u2014 It\u2019s Sofrito Time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dEveryone lined up at the two tables. Before each person was a little basket, a cutting board and a knife. I made the announcement: \u2018First, we are going to be making the sofrito. Come get your ingredients.\u2019 Each person visited the vegetable table and \u2018shopped\u2019 for the ingredients they needed for sofrito, filling up their basket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they got back to their cutting boards, I said, \u2019Now you need to chop everything. Not too small. Not too big.\u2019 And I showed them examples of how big everything should be cut,\u201d says Melissa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"coquito
Melissa asked her mom friends to bring extra blenders, so she had enough for everyone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once all the spices and vegetables were minced just right, everyone took turns going to the row of blenders in her kitchen. They whirred and zapped the sofrito mix to its perfect liquidy-creamy state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEach blender makes about 4 jars, so that was nice. Everyone had a lot sofrito they could take home,\u201d says Melissa. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"sofrito
First, everyone chopped. And then everyone blended, resulting in this creamy sofrito.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Let the Coquito Mixing Begin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crowd took another eating and drinking break, until Melissa called them back to their stations: \u201cTime to make the coquito!\u201d Everyone returned to their places at the long tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe sofrito is a little more complicated, which is why we made that first,\u201d explains Melissa. \u201dMaking coquito is much easier.\u201d Everyone tosses their ingredients in the blenders and then pours them in special glass bottles, sweetly decorated with twine and Puerto Rican flags. \u201cI had asked everyone to bring the coquito ingredients, because that would have made it too expensive if I bought them all,\u201d says Melissa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"coquito
Melissa and her dearest amigas toasting the success of another coquito-sofrito fiesta.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Everyone took a turn at the blender station and within 10 minutes, all the coquito batches were ready to store and chill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misi\u00f3n cumplida. Everyone went home happy, carting their jars of sofrito and bottles of coquito. Holiday seasoning sauces and hosts gifts: done! Another successful coquito and sofrito fiesta. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa smiles at the memory. Her kids have a new fascination with the Puerto Rican traditions of their family. \u201cThey are very connected to my husband\u2019s Argentinian side,\u201d says Melissa. \u201dAnd this gave them this a new appreciation for their other side, my Puerto Rican family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dWhen you are in your own country or back on our island, stuff like this just happens naturally,\u201d Melissa says. \u201dBut when you live in the States, you have to put in the work to have activities like this to help our kids experience the culture. I find that, specifically with the Puerto Rican culture, it does not happen on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dSince we started doing these coquito\u2013sofrito parties, I have seen such a huge change in my own kids. There is such a level of awareness of their heritage and our community that has been sparked.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that, says Melissa, is the best holiday present of all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"coquito
Everyone celebrates another successful coquito and sofrito fiesta. To be repeated next year!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To find traditional Puerto Rican recipes you can make with sofrito, check out our Puerto Rican favorite family recipes<\/a><\/strong> section. To see recipes from Melissa’s husband’s Alex\u2019s Argentinian side of the fam, check out his aunt Marta\u2019s Familia Kitchen Recipe Contest winning<\/a> chimichurri<\/a> <\/strong>and Alex\u2019s favorite traditional drink to serve at his family-famous Argentinian asados<\/strong><\/a>: Fernet<\/strong> and Coke<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to Host Your Own Coquito-Sofrito Party? Here\u2019s How<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\n\t \n\t \t\n \n <\/svg>\n\t Print<\/span>\n\t <\/a>\n\t <\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Recipes for Melissa\u2019s Coquito & Sofrito<\/h2>\n\n
\n \t\t \t\t\tRecipe by Melissa Aguilera-Rober<\/span>\n \t\t\n
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