Many Dominican New Yorkers pronounce words such as "pastelito" and "pastel" almost as if the "S" were absent. Here, the spellings follow suit. But the roast pork filling of my pastel was unaffected — there's no "S" in "pernil."
Also shown: a tub of habichuelas con dulce, which I devoured in one go. (Moderation would have been wiser.) This confection, literally "beans with sweets," is an Easter favorite in the Dominican Republic; pasteles, which are beloved in Puerto Rico and prepared in several other Caribbean countries, are particularly associated with Christmas. In New York, both pasteles and habichuelas con dulce are readily available year-'round.
El Sazon de Mi Abuela
1561 Westchester Ave. (Ward-Manor Aves.), Soundview, Bronx
718-860-3406
