Tag Archives: Food

Peruvian_clay_pots_1

Cooking with Peruvian clay pots and check out that awesome Peruvian potato.

Peruvian_clay_pots_1

Well I am the proud owner of a Peruvian clay pot bought in a local market for about 15 Nuevo Soles. My girlfriend is used to cooking with these types of pots and it was something new to me. My first thought was, “it will probably break after the first meal.” But no, she tells me that they usually last for up to 3 to 4 months.

 

We have cooked rice and potatoes in it for about 3 weeks now and it still looks pretty new except for getting a little black on the bottom from the gas stove. The clay pot cleans up pretty easy.

 

I will attest that the food tastes better than cooking in a stainless steel pot or maybe its just you expect it to taste better.

Take a look at that potato dish that was cooked in the Peruvian clay pot. To die for!

Now this is an unfolding story that I’m going to put together in between my chores of herding Alpaca at the farm. I will put the recipe together for you and do an article on Peruvian potatoes.

Now this Peruvian potato is called (Chiara Emilla) and some have really deep purple streaks throughout. You have to keep a rather close eye on them when you cook them or they get water logged pretty easy if over cooked.

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alpaca_in_bag

The perfectly greasy alpaca served in a plastic baggie on a bus in Peru, South America.

If you happen to get lucky on a bus between the towns of Arequipa and Puno, Peru and the bus stops to allow a Peruvian lady to board and sell her deliciously greasy alpaca. Then I have one word for you…buy! Santa Lucia, Peru is the town the lady is from to be exact my friend just informed me. My friend was telling me about the Peruvian lady and we hoped our bus would be the lucky one.

alpaca_in_bag

The bus suddenly braked hard and a lady dressed in traditional Peruvian highland clothing boarded and reached into her white bucket and removed the brightly covered cloth covering the plastic bags of alpaca. I immediately said I would buy two bags of alpaca. She handed me two warm bags and I paid her 6 Nuevo Sols ( 2.25 USD.)

Imagine a lightly greasy cheap plastic baggie filled with perfectly cooked alpaca, red Peruvian potatoes and big Peruvian kernels of corn served warm on a cold bus ride high in the lightly snow covered mountains of Peru, South America.

This is the kind of food you want to eat with your fingers and be sitting on a cold bus in the mountains of Peru to thoroughly enjoy. The alpaca was perfectly greasy and the small red potatoes and big corn kernels had a hint of the alpaca grease.

It’s the simple things of travel you remember the most.

Lip smacking good to the last morsel is all I can say.

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Traditional Christmas celebrated in Lima, Peru.

 

One thing you can bet on seeing in the homes of Peruvians during Christmas is Panettone and hot chocolate. Panettone is similar to a fruitcake, but only lighter.

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Recipe for Panettone by Mario Batali from the Food Network here.

Celebrating Christmas Eve in Central Lima, Peru I was treated to the traditional Peruvians sweets during this time of year. Once the clock strikes midnight and the madness of the fireworks subsides, the sweet hot chocolate is poured and the Panettone is gently removed from its wrapper and sliced.

panettone_cut_peru

 

A prayer is spoken silently to ones self. Then the toast of hot chocolate and the panettone is served. I found the Panettone rather nice. Fluffy, candied fruits and not to sweet… perhaps sums it up on the taste.

 

panettone_table_peru
boiled_shrimp1

Boiled Shrimp in Salt Water

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Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs of big fresh shrimp bought from an old toothless man with a big grin. His big cooler should be pretty well worn and kept in the middle of his shack. It also helps that he has old fishing net strewn about, so you are sure to get tangled in it. Maybe an old lazy dog with three legs adds a little extra fun.

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tortilla_avocado

Guatemala Tortilla with Avocado

tortilla_avocado

A nutritional snack/meal for 60 cents in Guatemala. When I’m in the mood for a simple meal and not wanting to do dishes, I make a quick trip to the market and gather these ingredients. I’ll sit outside my room with a nice view and open my trusty pocketknife and slap these ingredients on a hot fresh tortilla. Squeeze some lime and green picante sauce on top and enjoy nature’s bounties. Also nice to take on a day hike.

  1. Tortilla
  2. Avocado
  3. Tomato
  4. Garlic
  5. Onion
  6. Lime
  7. Green Picante Sauce