If you've never had tostones, do yourself a favor and start making them today. Tostones can be topped with sautéed shrimp for a fancy appetizer, served plain as a snack, or as a crisp accoutrement to rice and beans. Pro-tip: Salt them the moment they come out of the frying pan to ensure the salt sticks to the surface. Bonus: Plantains are versatile, high in fiber, and deliciously sweet and savory.

Chef Tip: Use green (unripe) plantains for this recipe. If your plantains are very deep yellow/brown, those are maduros, and are too soft and sweet to be made into tostones. To smash the tostones you can use a tostonera press, or any flat-bottomed surface such as a plate, measuring cup,large wooden spoon, or even a pot/pan. If you have a tortilla press, that works great too! Just put a little less pressure than you would for masa.