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CHEF TITA AND THE NEW DOMINICAN CUISINE
The new Dominican cuisine is a form of expression
where I show my imagination, my creativity and all my feelings.
That is how I define my signature cuisine.
THE NEW DOMINICAN CUISINE
I chose this career because I felt identified with it.
My mother is also a pastry chef and we grew up among pots,
chopping boards and mixers,
baking cakes all the time,
making cupcakes and also biscuits.
She always prepared everything for us.
She never gave us jarred baby food.
Why Ines?
Well, it is again because of my mother. My name is Ines, same as my mother.
They always called me 'Inecita', that became 'ita', 'tita'.
They always called me 'Tita' and it stayed.
Working in the kitchen they called me 'Chef', so Chef Tita.
It stayed that way. It is quite a catchy name,
people like it and it's also funny. I identify with it as well.
My inspiration comes really...
My inspiration has been how we have been losing in the Dominican Republic
the use of the wonderful products we have.
Our typical sweets, for example, have been disappearing,
our creations, our ancestors' recipes.
This is really a source of concern for me.
We are losing our traditional gastronomy.
That is why I became interested.
I want to rescue all our regional products that we don't use anymore
and use them in a modern avant-garde cuisine
to be able to make the most of it and take it to different countries
to be up there in the world gastronomy.
Well, I had the opportunity to travel to different countries, especially Peru,
I had the chance to go there three times on a gastronomy research.
It is one of the cuisines I most admire
because it has had a huge influence over the last six years
and the country has united for the same cause.
They have a slogan: Cooking recipes for a better country.
The use of their own products and traditional recipes,
with a more modern touch, has been one of my inspirations.
And knowing the most advanced techniques in the world gastronomy
I said: "Why not apply them to our gastronomy
and my own products?".
So I became interested in taking it to a new level.
Gastronomy really narrates the history of a people
and the different social phenomenons that happen through history.
It is interesting to see how one sees their influence.
For example, in our gastronomy
the influence of the settlers arriving to La Española.
They colonized us, found the aboriginals and there was a period there, a...
a line in our gastronomy.
Then the African women arrived giving shape to the Dominican cuisine
and applying the techniques they were already using.
This marks history and belongs to the expression of a people
and its idiosincracy.
It is very important for me not to lose that essence,
not to lose what distinguishes us as Dominicans
and our form of expression, and how we can sell ourselves to the world.
We are now raising awareness in the Dominican Republic.
There are even a lot of farmers that are growing organic produce,
in Constanza, for example, in Loma de Constanza, in Jarabacoa.
In Ocoa, they are producing small buds. This is an interesting time.
People are starting to appreciate the kind of produce
without fertilizers that are healthier for the human body.
Well, my favorite Dominican dish...
I really like rice. I love having it with "guandules" in a casserole.
Thewith a touch from the Northern coast of Samana,
with a bit of coconut
and eat it with a 'Boca Chica' style fried fish with a lot of flavor and spices.
One of those fish they sell by the beach.
I started collaborating with you
and I feel really proud because I have found a really interesting space.
When I try to find information on the Dominican Republic gastronomy
there was never enough.
And everytime I tried to search for something on dominicanaonline.org
everything was there.
It is credible and so I am interested in collaborating with you
to be a voice, and that you can spread the word on my project
so everyone can know about it.
I would like to invite everyone who follows dominicanaonline.org
to follow my posts and my collaboration that I do with all my heart.
They can also visit my web page at www.cheftita.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook
@cheftita and in Instagram @lacheftita.
It has been a pleasure for me. Please visit dominicanaonline.org.
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ONLINE PORTAL
CURRENT AFFAIRS EVENTS
INFORMATION HISTORY
ECONOMY EDUCATION
SOCIETY DIASPORA
AND MORE
VISIT TODAY THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ONLINE PORTAL...
...AND COME TO EXPLORE THE CARIBBEAN