the ins and outs of Peruvian cooking
We call this cake turrón although it has nothing in common with the Spanish turrón, or the Italian torrone or nougat. This very sweet cake can have either a chewy or a crunchy texture, depending on how finely or coarsely grated the Brazil nuts are. As you can see in the photos below, I grated them so finely that they resembled grated Parmesan … [Read more...]
As soon as I entered this restaurant, my senses were transported to the lush Amazon, full of vibrant smells and colors, with the sound of cumbia on the background. ámaZ is beautiful and, like everything touched by the hands of Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, it is refreshingly unique. An upscale Amazonian restaurant has been lacking in Lima for … [Read more...]
Arroz con pollo is a dish prevalent in many Latin American kitchens, and Peru is not the exception. I have seen countless versions of this entree, simply called "rice with chicken", in Latin cookbooks, restaurants, and websites. But I have to confess that when I stumble upon non-Peruvian arroz con pollo recipes, I immediately lose interest. For … [Read more...]
Light, fragile, sweet, and pretty... these voladores are the mini version of the traditional volador, a dessert popular in Lima for more than a hundred years. The trick to make the best one is to roll the dough until very thin, -almost transparent-, and then prick it all over with the tines of a fork, and bake it until cooked but still … [Read more...]
If you read our bios page you will find out that half of the Peru Delight's team (ie. my mother) is not only a professional chef, but also a wine expert. She spent many months studying vines, grapes, wines, and everything inbetween, and tasting and pairing them with food. After graduation from the course, she founded the Peruvian Wine Society, a … [Read more...]
I wish I could describe in a few words how delicious and comforting this pudding is to me. I call it "pudding", because even though this recipe is very similar to the one used for tamalitos verdes, it is baked in a pyrex just like a pudding. Cooking it this way is easier and faster than making traditional tamalitos. Another difference is … [Read more...]
Lima has always been a place to enjoy all kinds of extremely sweet desserts, most of them created during colonial times, when nuns spent their days at the cloisters preparing sweets and other delicacies. Even back then, two rice puddings were -and still are- very famous. One is the ubiquitous arroz con leche, white and creamy, served warm with a … [Read more...]
Pejerrey -smelt- is a small silver fish (about 6-inches long) easily caught in the cold waters of the Peruvian coast, and I think of it as a poor man´s delicacy. Full of flavor and nutrients, it is used in many recipes, from cebiches to sandwiches like this one, which in Peru we call "pan con pejerrey". This is no more than fried breaded fish … [Read more...]
In Peru, when when you hear the word tacu tacu, it's referring to a traditional dish that is hearty enough to satisfy not only a craving but a good appetite. Usually made with leftover canary beans, it is also commonly prepared with any other kind of beans, such as lentils, garbanzo beans, or split peas, like I did today. Green split … [Read more...]
These beautiful sweets are one of my birthday-table favorites, along with alfajores, mana, bolitas de nuez,melcochas de chocolate, yemecillas, encanelados, and many other lovely sugar confections. In Lima, you can find them in many bakeries, grocery stores and coffee shops, but there is something rewarding -and relaxing- about making … [Read more...]
