From Family Kitchen to Campus Table: SBU Student Tells Family Story Through Food

Sharing a meal remains one of the most meaningful ways people connect. Clari Guzman '27, a communications major, returned to SBU Eats' Cooking from Home program this April to share her family's traditional Dominican dessert, Habichuelas con Dulce. Building on her previous feature with Locrio Dominicano, Guzman partnered with SBU Eats Chef Albin Melo to make her family's recipe accessible to the campus community at East Side Dine-In.

Habichuelas con Dulce is a creamy, sweet-and-savory dish made with red beans and is deeply rooted in Dominican culture. The dish reflects the country's rich culinary heritage, drawing influences from Spanish, African and Taíno traditions dating back to the colonial era. Its ingredients typically include beans, coconut milk, sugar, warm spices and, in some variations, sweet potatoes and raisins.

While the recipe differs from household to household, Guzman used the one that her grandmother has been using for years. The carefully processed bean paste is simmered with evaporated, condensed and coconut milk until it reaches a thick, silky consistency, absorbing the aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The dessert is traditionally topped with galletitas de habichuelas con dulce, small, round cookies decorated with a classic pattern.

The dish is mostly prepared and enjoyed during Holy Week, particularly on Good Friday, when many Dominicans refrain from eating meat. For Guzman, Habichuelas con Dulce represents family, tradition and national identity.

"Every Easter during Holy Week, my grandmother and I would cook this dish together" shares Guzman. "The kitchen would fill with sweet aromas, laughter and love. Those moments tied me to her so deeply. Now, as an adult, when I make it on my own, especially at this time of year, I feel that same tender connection - like I'm carrying on a legacy of care, history and love with each bite."

Through Cooking from Home, hosted by SBU Eats by CulinArt, Guzman introduced the SBU community to her family's traditions and heritage.

Chef Melo shared that he also prepares Habichuelas con Dulce for his family during the holidays. For him, the dish is a way to express love and maintain a meaningful connection to his own roots.

Launched in 2022, Cooking from Home invites SBU students to share recipes that have shaped their lives, whether family favorites, cultural staples or traditional dishes. In collaboration with SBU Eats chefs, students bring these meaningful meals to campus, sharing the stories, traditions and connections behind the food with the campus community.