Latin-American cuisine is not something I cook a lot of at home. I am not quite sure why since it is one of my favorites, but ever since these tequitos and now these ah-mazing platanos, I hope my patterns are changing.

I tweeted about how excited I was to finally cook this exotic fruit and my e-friend Olga – from one of my favorite food blogs, Mango & Tomato – tweeted back and helped me figure out how it’s done. Thanks, gurrl!

You’re probably wondering just what is so kick-ass about this dip but I am not going to tell you. I guess you’ll just have to make it and taste for yourself…

Ingredients:

2 very ripe plantains

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

Salt

“Kick-ass dip”:

3 tbsp sour cream

1/2-1 tsp sriracha sauce (to taste)

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp lime zest

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Procedure: Cut off about 1″ of both ends of plantains. Peel and slice on a diagonal into 1/2″-thick slices. Place skillet over medium heat and add oil and butter. When oil is hot, add about half of slices into oil and cook 2-3 min per side, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt while plantains are still very hot. Fry the second batch and repeat procedure. Serve warm.

To make dip, simply stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

This dip would also pair fabulously with crudités (that’s raw vegetables to you un-cultured Americans) or tortilla chips.

In other news, I will be spending next week camping in Cape Cod. The thought of going an entire week sans manicure kind of gives me the shakes, but I am pretty excited for the change of scenery and the much, much needed relaxation. While there, I plan to visit Provincetown so I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions as to where I should eat/drink while there? Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!