Last month, before Peruvian independence day, Teresa Izquierdo passed away, and an entire country mourned the loss of one of its greatest and humblest cooks. Though I never had the opportunity to meet Teresa, her cooking has made a wonderful impression on me. And I feel that I’ve gotten to learn a little bit about her magic by recreating the… Read more →
This traditional Afro-Peruvian dessert was first prepared over 400 years ago, and though it’s similar to a pudding, the combination of black beans with milk, sugar, and spices, make this dish uniquely Peruvian. Inspired by the origins of this dessert, I enjoyed using tools such as a mortar and pestle or a strainer — and I learned that simple ingredients… Read more →
Apple Lattice Pie from Three Babes Bakeshop to celebrate the beginning of apple season, mmm… pie…. Read more →
Enjoyed all over the world, caramel custard has many delicious variations — from the crème caramel or flan topped with soft caramel, to the crème brûleè or crema catalana topped with hard caramel. But this Peruvian crema volteada, like all Peruvian desserts, has a special touch. And its unique ingredient is quinoa, or kinwa in Quechua, which originated in Peru… Read more →
The week before my Peruvian Tasting at 18 Reasons, I was very excited to attend a week-long cooking camp at Tante Marie’s Cooking School. And much like a boxer before a fight, or a runner before a race, I was the cook before the big tasting event — ready to hone my knife skills and tackle any recipe that was… Read more →