Grandma Vs. Mom: Who Cooks Better Dominican Lebanese Food? | National Geographic

Summary

In this heartwarming episode of 'Grandma Versus,' Lorena Abrau, a stunt performer and content creator, challenges her Dominican grandmother and mother to a cookoff, where each must prepare the other's iconic dish. As the family members dive into the recipes, the video explores the deep connection food has to heritage, memories, and tradition. From cooking rice and beans to shaping and frying kibbeh, the show highlights the importance of family recipes, culinary secrets passed down generations, and the joy of discovering flavors that connect us to our roots.

Takeaways

• 😀 Food connects generations, bridging cultural gaps and preserving family traditions.
• 🍴 Lorena Abrau’s family blends Dominican and Lebanese culinary influences, with food being an integral part of their culture.
• 👩‍🍳 Lorena’s grandmother, Tita, relies on memory and instinct rather than recipes to prepare her iconic dishes.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The cook-off between Lorena, her mother Rochi, and Tita reveals how cooking together strengthens family bonds.
• 🧑‍🍳 The challenge involves Lorena and her family preparing each other’s signature dishes for the first time, creating an opportunity for learning and sharing.
• 😄 Tita’s humor and personality shine through, making the cooking experience more lively and joyful.
• 🍗 Lorena’s mother, Rochi, brings efficiency to cooking, preparing large batches of food at once, a trait she learned from Tita.
• 🌍 Lorena’s cultural roots are a blend of Dominican and Lebanese heritage, which is reflected in the food they prepare.
• 🥄 Cooking not only connects them to their family’s past but also helps preserve their cultural legacy for future generations.
• 💡 Through this cook-off, Lorena realizes the significance of using the full range of ingredients and following family traditions to recreate authentic flavors.
• 🎉 The cook-off highlights the differences in how each family member approaches cooking, with Tita working more intuitively, while others follow recipes more closely.

Q & A

What is the significance of food in Lorena Abrau's family?

Food plays a massive role in Lorena's family, with Dominican and Lebanese roots influencing their cuisine. It connects generations, cultures, and traditions, and is a central part of their lives, bridging their past and present.

What dish does Lorena's grandmother, Tita, cook in the competition?

Tita is cooking her signature dish, rice and beans with bistec, which is a family recipe passed down from her mother.

What challenge does Lorena face while preparing her mother's dish?

Lorena faces the challenge of making a dish that she has never prepared before, as she is cooking her mother's recipe for the first time.

Why does Lorena's family use smoked pork in their beans?

Smoked pork is added to the beans for flavor, and it’s a common practice in Dominican cooking. It also reflects the cultural importance of pork in their cuisine.

How does Lorena feel about her cooking skills compared to Tita's?

Lorena feels that her cooking doesn't quite compare to Tita’s. She mentions that Tita’s dishes are always full of flavor, and she is learning a lot about her cooking methods, especially the ingredients she never used.

What is the role of mint in the preparation of kibbeh (kip)?

Mint is used in the preparation of kibbeh (kip), a traditional Lebanese dish. Lorena's mother uses it in the seasoning mix, giving it a distinctive flavor.

How does Lorena’s mother approach cooking efficiency?

Lorena's mother is an 'efficiency maximizer.' She prepares large quantities of food in advance, following her mother’s recipes but making them more time-efficient for a busy lifestyle.

What does Lorena’s mother do to ensure the perfect texture for kibbeh?

Lorena’s mother uses a little bit of olive oil on her hands to shape the kibbeh, which helps maintain the proper texture and shape, making the fried kibbeh crispy and flavorful.

What makes Tita's onions stand out in the dish?

Tita's onions are seasoned with a combination of spices, salsa, and soy sauce, which gives them a rich, flavorful taste. Lorena recalls loving the sauce so much that she would drink it as a child.

What is the 'real Dominican bite' as shown in the video?

The 'real Dominican bite' consists of taking a little bit of everything—rice, beans, bistec, and other components of the dish—on the same fork, giving a complete, authentic taste of Dominican cuisine.