1.   Another fine assembly was fried oysters set over a smoky mix of mashed plantains and bacon, along with sauteed spinach and a minty sauce called huacatay.

2.   Even old standards like mofongo, a garlicky mound of mashed plantains filled with chunks of pork, shellfish and other meats, can rise to the occasion.

3.   His name was Manuel Gustavo, but I affectionately nicknamed him Mangu, after a mashed plantain dish that is a staple of Dominican diet.

4.   There are Puerto Rican pasteles made of mashed plantains, with a faint yellow-green cast.

5.   In the kitchen, relatives prepared the national dish of rice and beans, mashed plantains, oven-baked bread, fish and salad.