Culinary Adventures with Camilla

  Earlier this year I discovered the writing of George Mahood when I came across  Not Tonight, Josephine: A Road Trip Through Small-Town America . You can read my thoughts about that book in my post -  Road Trip Food + Jake's Scrambled Eggs . In any case, that cemented my admiration of Mahood's writing.  Then, earlier this month, I read  Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain  by George Mahood and made a California Chip Butty . So, when  Travels with Rachel: In Search of South America  by George Mahood* popped up in my Kindle suggestions, I ordered it immediately. On the Page photo from amazon.com As usual Mahood seamlessly fuses the informative and the hilarious when he recounts his and Rachel's belated honeymoon through South America. In typical Mahood-fashion, much of the hilarity ensues through the couple being frugal in their spending. One example was then they wanted to save three dollars on a tour which had them hunt...

Our family toast: Inca Kola, Chica Morada, and my Chilcano De Pisco What to do when your husband isn't consuming eggs and you had planned on Pisco Sours for Peruvian independence day? Well, if you're me, you look for another mixed drink that uses pisco and doesn't use eggs! Eureka. I found mention of a chilcano de pisco , which is not to be confused with chilcano de pescado . The former is a cocktail made with Peruvian brandy; the latter is a Peruvian fish soup that sounds delicious, but is definitely not this. Though I have had Pisco before, I did some reading and wanted to share some fun facts about this unique brandy  that is produced in Peru and also in Chile. Pisco must be made in one of five coastal regions of Peru, including Ica, Lima, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna; it cannot be aged in wood at all; it can only be distilled once, and only in a copper pot; it has to be distilled from wine as opposed to the leftovers from wine production; and Pisco can ...

Christie of  A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures  has our blogging group sharing rice recipes this week. She wrote: "Rice is such a versatile and buget friendly ingredient. From tossed into salads, added to stuffing, or just plan buttered with salt and pepper, it's the best side dish!" I am looking forward to getting all sorts of new rice recipes as it's still on my okay-to-eat list. But that's a story for another day.  I made this dish for a friend's birthday celebration last year. Last year! But I haven't had a chance to post about it. Geez... First, here are other rice offerings... A Slightly Unconventional Arroz de Pato by Culinary Adventures with Camilla Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake by A Day in the Life on the Farm Cold Rice Salad by That Recipe Peruvian Arroz con Pollo by Pandemonium Noshery Shaking Beef with Vietnamese Red Rice by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks Skillet Rice and Beans with Kielbasa by Cheese Curd In Paradise Wil...

Not all of my culinary adventures require me cooking. I love getting recommendations for authentic restaurants. It's not that I don't appreciate chefs' adaptations and making recipes their own; however, when I hear of an 'authentic' spot from a native of that country, I always make a point of going! So, when my friend Berniz recommended  Andes Café in San Mateo for authentic Peruvian food, I made a point of putting that on the weekend's plans. It seemed a good spot to stop for dinner on our way home from San Francisco. I'm so glad we stopped! The owner whose name is Blue welcomed us and chatted with us about the menu. R and I perused and then decided on Chicha Morada, Ceviche Mixto, Papas a la Huancaina, Anticuchos de Corazon (yes, we tried the beef heart!), and we took two Inca Kolas for the road. Blue said, "Most Americans don't order like this. This meal will be just like what you would eat in Peru." Sweet!! Chicha Morada ...

This is a dinner that I made for the Frydenholm Mortensens when we invaded their abode in Ry, Denmark over the holidays. I had been reading - and was duly inspired by - Edward Lee's Buttermilk Graffiti.  I am not going to comment too much on the book because it's a bookclub pick for later in the year. Just know that it's not the first time I'm reading this book. I doubt it'll be the last. I've been a fan of his since Mind of a Chef  and his recipes and sentiments are timeless. I picked this recipe because it looked as if it had a lot of flavor. And it would be easy to do between our visits to museums and the copious board games we were playing. Also, I write 'inspired' because a true Pollo a la Brasa  is slow-cooked over charcoal. This version was roasted in the oven. But the flavor profile remains. I did leave out a few ingredients as we didn't want it too spicy for little palates. In my mind, the Green Ají Sauce made this dish. I ...

It just so happens that two of our friends both hosted taco parties for Halloween. So, I signed up to bring the same thing to both parties: homemade salsas. Inspired by some Peruvian pastes I had found*, I whipped up the following as my offering at both potlucks. While I read variations of these recipes as I researched, the final salsas are my own creation (read "not totally traditional"). I am sharing these in order of spiciness, least to most. These are all best made the day before you plan to serve them as the flavor has time to develop. Salsa Criolla  makes 1 to 2 pints Ingredients 4 organic red onions 2 red jalapeno peppers 1 C fresh mint leaves 1/2 C freshly squeezed lime juice, from 3 to 4 limes 1 C apple cider vinegar 2 t freshly ground sea salt 2 t organic granulated sugar 1/2 t freshly ground pepper Procedure Peel onions and slice the onions as thinly as you can. I used a mandolin slicer, but with some well-honed knife s...

When D and I were at Whole Foods this evening getting spices for his school project (click to read about that: here ), I came across a container of Pichuberries. Since I had never seen those before, I put it on our shopping cart immediately. Meet the pichuberry! What is a pichuberry? It's a Peruvian fruit known as aguaymanto or Inca berry. It looks like a small, golden tomatillo; it's about the size of a large marble. R's assessment: it tastes like a mix between a star fruit and a tomato. He's right. From my reading...the pichuberry has almost 20 times the vitamin C as an orange and could be known as an anti-diabetic fruit. They reduce sugar levels in the blood and stimulating hormones that secrete insulin in diabetic patients. We will definitely be buying these again. They were tasty!

Christmas in Peru, as everywhere else in the Christian world, is a time of celebration and libations. The 24th of December – “ la noche Buena ” (the good night) – is a huge feast, when families gather to enjoy good food before opening their presents together after midnight. Because we were just rolling back into town after three days away, I needed something quick and easy...but still elegant. I picked a hearty, spicy Peruvian stew: Parihuela . While I cooked, the boys helped the Nonni trim the tree. Though it is similar to the French bouillabaisse from the port of Marseille, its flavors and ingredients are uniquely Peruvian. Two things guarantee a great parihuela : using fresh ingredients and serving it immediately. Traditionally a firm flesh white fish as the main ingredient, such as the center cut of a cod or sea bass. But since Dungeness crab are in season in California, I also added some for flavor, contrast, and to enhance the presentation. And my dad picked u...