In the Dominican Republic, no day is complete without a dish called La Bandera Dominicana. The name translates to "The Dominican flag"—that's how important it is to our cuisine. (We're not the only country with the same idea: In Venezuela the national dish is a rice-and-beans meal called Pabellón Criollo, which also refers to the flag.) Although the meats and vegetables change, rice and a creamy stew made with red kidney beans are always on the plate. My favorite part of the meal is the concón, crispy rice pieces scraped from the bottom of the pan—you don't get a lot in a pot of rice, and they're such a treat.