Mofongo Mocano

Every semester I start my Conversation class off with a discussion about culture. I ask them to think about their own culture and what elements make up Dominican culture. Inevitably, someone will mention mofongo. This comment will be followed in quick succession by another: mofongo mocano. 
That is to say, according to my students,  the truest form of mofongo (and the most delicious) comes from Moca, a smallish town about 20 minutes outside of the Santiago city limits. 
And every semester, I experience the same expressions of horror and chorus of gasps when I mention I haven't yet tried this national treasure. 
So when the lovely Alexis and her beau Rolando invited me for a little Sunday road trip to remedy the situation, I could barely contain my excitement. 

The road trip started, like all good road trips, on a lazy, sunny Sunday with an ice cold beer to go and a crispy fried quipe (a Dominican street food staple). 
Rolando had the radio turned up and the windows rolled down and I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling the whole 20 minute trip. 

We made Rolando pull off to the side of the road so we could pop out and snap a few pics by the giant Moca sign. 

A is for Alexis!

M is for Molly!
(Poor Rolando, there wasn't an R)

Soon we were pulling up to the famous "Mi Terraza," a thatch roofed shack worthy of any "Diner, Drive-ins, and Dives" episode. 

The menus,  fittingly, are in the shape of a pilón, the wooden mortar and pestle used for mashing the mofongo into creamy deliciousness. 

We decided to order two types of Mofongo: the clásico (mashed plantains, garlic, and chicharrones), and completo (mashed plantains, garlic, longaniza, chicharrones, cheese)
Chicharrones, you may remember, are crispy fried slabs of pork belly. 
Longaniza, on the other hand, is a typical Dominican seasoned pork sausage. 

We sat right next to the kitchen, close enough to hear the pork rinds sizzling in their own fat (yummm) and to catch a few glimpses of the chefs pulverizing the plantains.
I was too shy (and with that realization any notion I had of being a sassy world-traveling journalist was instantly shattered, haha) to ask to snap a photo, but luckily Rolando saved the day and snuck around the door to capture these candid pics.
(Resolution number 1: be more brave!)

See that  blue garbage barrel-- it´s full to the brim with chopped plantains!!  just waiting to hit the hot oil. 

Soon our server was bringing us two heaping, HEAPING, mounds of mofongo. 

That was my best attempt at a look of shock, haha, although it looks more like I am frightened than anything. And actually, probably with good reason. Mofongo is not for the faint of stomach. Basically, its fried plaintains, fried pork belly, and a handful of garlic all mashed together, smothered in cheese, and served with a side of beef broth. 
Imagine mashing together French Fries, bacon, and garlic and then stuffing the mixture with sausage and cheese, and you´ll get something similar. 

Here´s a closer look at the beauty, or I suppose, the beast, depending on how you  want to see it. 
Whatever you decide, you simply can´t call it anything else but delicious. 
Creamy, crunchy, chewy, gooey. 
Smiles all around. 

(My personal favorite part, finding a bite with a particularly crispity-crunchity morsel of pork rind.)

By the time we left, a line was filling out into the street just to get their hands on their own helping of Dominican gold. 

With my diet thoroughly and happily ruined for the day (did I mention I ate brownies for breakfast?), we decided to go all out and continue the binge back in Santiago with the newly opened Sweet Frog.

The idea is that you get to pick your own frozen yogurt and top it with anything you'd like from the eye-popping selection of goodies. You then pay by the weight of your cup. For those who like their ice cream chock-full of chunky topping goodness, like me, this is paradise. 

I opted for 4 different types of frozen yogurt (pistachio, turtle, snickers, and sweet coconut), and an eclectic mix of just as many toppings (twix bars pieces, cookie dough bites, mango bubble things, and gummy bears). Don't  mock my selection!

P.s. I realize gummy bears and ice cream make a fairly odd combination, but I just really wanted to eat some gummy bears!

Tummies full up, we decided it was time to roll ourselves home. Alexis and Rolando deposited me at my doorstep, and I waddled myself up the stairs and onto my bed where I took a nice little Sunday afternoon snooze (i.e. fell into a food coma). What a perfect way to spend the Sunday.