Bronx Foodie is actually on vacation this week, in the Dominican Republic celebrating Carnival and DR’s Independence Day. Read on after the jump for 5 foods you should try this weekend in honor of Dominican Independence Day. But first, I had to share the results of my Valentine’s Day meal with our readers.

I ended up making almost everything from scratch. The crab cakes appetizer came out tasty, but a little dry. Next time I’ll try frying instead of baking them. Then I made grilled skirt steak (in a grill pan), mashed potatoes, and asparagus. The entire entree came out great and I served it with red wine. I decided I wouldn’t have time to make the Tiramisu, so my sweet husband went to Arthur Avenue and bought two huge peices from Palombo Bakery. They were delicious.

Now, onto my vacation. By the time you read this, I will be lounging in the sun in beautiful Santo Domingo. But it occurred to me today that I was most excited about the food I’ll get to try. And you don’t have to travel to the Caribbean to taste great Dominican cuisine. Here are five things that you should try this weekend at your local Dominican Restaurant. They are not exactly the healthiest foods, but if you’ve been cooking as much as I have, you deserve a treat.

My 5 Favorite Dominican Foods
1. Mofongo (a mix of plantains and crispy pieces of pork drenched in a thick gravy.)
2. Camarones en Salsa Criolla (Shrimp cooked in a tomato sauce)
3. Pollo Guisado (chicken stew that gets its caramel color from soy sauce and sugar)
4. Asopao (A soup that has lots of rice. Kind of a rice stew)
5. Pollo al Horno (the rotisserie chickens that are usually cooking at the front.)

Here’s some other fun things to try:
1. Morir Sonando (beverage made of milk and orange/lime juice. Tastes like a smoothie.)
2. Maduro (fried sweet plaintains)
3. Yuca (boiled cassava with garlic sauce.)
4. Mangu and Salchichon (a common breakfast of plantains that have been boiled and mashed with butter or oil with a side of dominican sausage.)
5. Sancocho (a hearty soup of chicken, meat, plantains, potatoes, and more)

Programming note: Bronx Foodie will be back on March 11, but the BxNNers will come up with something Bronx and food related to fill in next Friday. Enjoy.