Peruvian Cuisine & Pisco Mixology in San Francisco
Pisco Thyme
A truly aromatic herb, thyme has a mythical history and burning it as incense provided courage and assured safe passage to the after life. But if things aren’t as dire and all you need is a little pick me up to start the weekend, then you can use thyme to infuse the flavors of the simple syrup in this Pisco cocktail. Salud!
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Peruvian Pop-up at 18 Reasons
When the 18 Reasons event organizer told me that over 50 people had RSVP’d for the Aji de Gallina Peruvian Pop-up dinner, I knew that cooking this dinner would take a lot of extra planning and patience. Fortunately, those are two things I enjoy about cooking. But to make sure the dish tasted just right and was ready on time, I was particularly mindful about 5 things: scaling the recipe, having the right cooking gear, prep and cooking time, presenting the dish properly, and most importantly, cooking with love.
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Sol Food Lunch at SF Food Lab
For many San Franciscans, driving over the Golden Gate Bridge is often followed by hiking in the Marin Headlands or wine tasting in Napa Valley. But it seems that many are also discovering one of my favorite lunchtime destinations and making a special trip to San Rafael just to eat at Sol Food. For the uninitiated, I am talking about quite possibly the best place for authentic Puerto Rican food outside La Isla del Encanto.
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McDonalds Potato Advertisement
On a billboard strategically placed to be seen by millions of SF Giants fans, a new McDonalds advertisement claims that in their French fries, the potato has been perfected. It hasn’t been just improved, or made to taste better. It has been perfected. I disagree with their claim and find the advertisement to be offensive and misleading in a beautiful and brilliant way. Here’s why.
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Aji de Gallina
Without question, my favorite Peruvian dish is Aji de Gallina — a spicy and creamy chicken stew that made me fall in love with Peruvian food during a spicy epiphany many years ago. But only recently did I learn that its origins can be traced to Medieval Spain and to Roman and Arab cuisines. It’s a true comfort food for me, and a wonderful example of how a dish can evolve, transform, and taste uniquely Peruvian.
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