Cannabis Cooking for the Holiday Season

• With the holiday season in full-swing, there’s no better time to start cannabis cooking with one of NYC’s best cannabis chefs.
• Chef Isamar De La Cruz went from cannabis cooking secretly at her friends house, to bringing Elevated Eats to fruition.
• Chef Isa shares her Infused Arroz Con Dulce recipe.

8-minute read

Get Cannabis Cooking for the Holidays with Chef Isa

The holidays are in full swing, and delicious cannabis cooking is at the top of our Christmas lists! We recently had the pleasure of sampling some mouthwatering treats from Chef Isamar De La Cruz. Her cookies are absolutely to die for! They’re just like we want them—sweet, flavorful, and a little chewy. More importantly, without even a hint of grassiness, they deliver a lovely bodily high that had us grinning all the way home and into our beds. As a Food Network veteran and the owner of Elevated Eats, Chef Isa is one of NYC’s finest cannabis chefs. So we had to ask her to share some of her secrets with us.

How did you get into cannabis cooking? 

High! The funny thing is that I got into cooking with cannabis over 10 years ago. I had just graduated culinary school, and I was still living with my parents. My mother frowned on cannabis so much that I couldn’t come home smelling like it. In most Latinx households, cannabis was—and still is—considered a horrible drug that will ruin your life. So I started my cannabis cooking by making my cannabis butters and oils at my friend’s house. I made batches of baked goods and stashed them in my sock drawer. Fast-forward 6 years later. I had worked in numerous restaurants and at Food Network. But I wanted to create a space where people could enjoy the comfort of both cannabis and food. I wanted to bring people together with my love and passion for cannabis cooking while breaking the stigma within my own community. In 2016, my company, Elevated Eats, was just an idea in my head. But, in 2018, my cousin Karen, who’s also a chef, helped me bring that idea to fruition.

Most decadent infused holiday menu you could dream up?

As a chef, I’m always creating elegant menus. But when I think of a dreamy infused holiday menu, I think of all of my family’s traditional dishes. They’re the ones I only eat during the holidays—but infused!! Mami’s pastelon is sweet plantains, ground beef, and mozzarella cheese layered almost like a lasagna. Then moro, which is rice and peas, and potato salad. Plus, crispy roast pork shoulder. Oh, and we can’t forget the coquito and flan for dessert!

Which strains do you think are best for cannabis cooking?

Super Lemon Haze is one of my favorite strains for cannabis cooking because of its citrus notes and the subtle boost of energy it gives you. Also I like using classic OG Kush. Its calming effects make you feel like you’re floating on Cloud 9 by the time you get to that last bite.

How do you choose strains for cannabis cooking?

When I choose strains for cannabis cooking, I look at mainly for flavor, aroma, and potency. I want to incorporate infused oils while preserving dishes’ flavor. I’m careful to keep them from being overwhelmed with the taste of cannabis.

Do you have a preference for cannabis cooking or baking?

The Libra in me can’t decide between savory or sweet. I love both cannabis cooking and baking. That’s like asking a chef what’s their favorite meal to cook. Ha!

Are there strains that work better with sweet and some that work better with savory foods?

Absolutely! Sweet strains, with notes of fruit and citrus, like Gelato, Blue Dream, Tangerine Dream, and Lemon Haze are my go-tos for baking. They add that sweetness that’s needed for treats. The aromas in my kitchen are such a delight! When it comes to savory, I’d say to avoid the sweet note strains unless you are making a sweet/savory dish like a butternut squash soup. My go-to strains for cooking savory are OG Kush, Sour Diesel, Premium Jack and Purple Kush. Those terpenes come through very well with any savory dish you put together.

What kitchen tool is a must-have for cannabis cooking?

When I made cannabis butter years back, I did it with a thermometer over the stove top. So I couldn’t really leave its side until it was completely done (1-2 hours). Now, thanks to my MagicalButter machine, I can make infused butter, oils, and tinctures all in one! It’s made cooking with cannabis so much easier!

What are your thoughts on good dosing?

When it comes to good dosing, I feel like it’s essential to always incorporate CBD. We all have different levels of tolerance when it comes to cannabis. That’s especially true with edibles because they definitely hit differently compared to smoking a joint. CBD Is the kryptonite of THC. So It’s crucial to dose the levels of THC and CBD evenly. By doing that, we create a more relaxed and manageable state for our guests.

You’re on a desert island and you can only have one: cannabis butter or cannabis oil and why?

Cannabis oil. I say that only because It’s more diverse in the kitchen. I mostly use cannabis butter for baking and the occasional risotto or mashed potatoes. On the other hand, cannabis oil is my bestie when I’m cooking anything —and also my decadent brownies!!

What cannabis cooking do you recommend for the holidays, and would you share the recipe with us?

For me, cannabis cooking for the holidays means traditional and comforting dishes. I’m based in New York, so that’s especially true because it’s the wintertime here.  My favorites are warm coconut arroz con dulce (rice pudding), stuffed sweet plantains, and holiday cookies that I can decorate with my family. I’ll definitely share my mama’s Coconut Arroz Con Dulce recipe. It’s easy to make, delicious, and it’s vegan!

Infused Arroz Con Dulce (Puerto Rican Rice Pudding) Ingredients

2 cups medium-grain white rice

6 cups water

6 cups coconut milk (almond, oat, or cashew works too)

3 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise

4 whole cloves

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

1 pinch salt

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ cup cannabis-infused coconut oil

Infused Arroz Con Dulce (Puerto Rican Rice Pudding) Garnishes

Sweetened shredded coconut flakes (my fave!)

Raisins

Craisins

Fresh berries

Infused Arroz Con Dulce (Puerto Rican Rice Pudding) Instructions

Soak the rice

• You can do this up to 12 hours ahead. Rinse the rice in a colander under cold running water. Transfer the rinsed rice to a large mixing bowl and cover it with at 5 cups of cold water. Allow the rice to soak for 6-8 hours. If you don’t have time to soak the rice, just add an additional 15 minutes to the cooking time

Infuse the coconut milk with spices

• When you’re ready to cook the rice, scoop out 1 ½ cups of the soaking water and set it aside. You’ll use this in the simmer liquid and for thinning the rice as needed. Drain the rest of the water from the rice and set the rice aside.
• Pour the coconut milk and 1 cup of the reserved rice water into your pot (preferably nonstick). Add the cinnamon, star anise, and cloves to the liquid in the pot. Bring this mixture up to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once the coconut milk starts to boil, turn the stove off. Let the spices steep in the liquid for 20 minutes to infuse the coconut milk with their flavor. After 20 minutes, remove the spices from the pot and discard them.

Cook the rice

• Then, turn the stove back up to medium heat. Stir the drained rice into the pot of coconut milk with a wooden spoon. Allow the coconut milk to come to a gentle simmer, stirring after 5 minutes. Once the milk forms small bubbles, reduce the heat down to low, and give the rice another thorough stir.
• Cook the rice gently. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Then stir the rice every 5 minutes to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching. It’s also essential to keep the coconut milk from simmering or boiling. The surface of the milk should steam, but there should be no bubbles breaking the surface. After 20 minutes of gentle cooking, the rice will begin to peek through the surface of the milk when you stir it and sound like the gentle rustling of a newspaper.
• Stir the sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and vanilla extract into the pot. Continue cooking the mixture on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir it occasionally. If you find that the mixture is thickening too much, thin it with more coconut milk or the reserved rice water. Add just a ½ cup at a time.

add garnishes and infuse with cannabis oil

• Finally, stir in any garnishes and your cannabis-infused coconut oil. Then continue cooking the rice pudding on low heat for an additional 5 minutes. Stir it gently.

How can we keep up with everything you’re doing?

We’re always posting our future events, collaborations, and recipes on IG @Elevatedeatsnyc and on Elevated Eats NYC.  When I’m cannabis cooking at home for my family, I also post some of my delicious creations on my personal IG @ChefIsamar. I also want to continue to expand and bring together the community of people who love cannabis and food. To do that, I ultimately want to launch an Elevated Eats food line that people can find at their local supermarkets nationwide.