Chilcano — Pisco and ginger ale variations with lime, blood orange, grapefruit, and pineapple
January 11-17 is officially Chilcano week in Peru, so to celebrate I experimented with different variations. And though it’s still winter in Califonia, you can taste a little bit of the Summer in Peru by preparing this simplest of cocktails: Pisco, lime juice, ice, ginger ale, stir, done. Here’s how you can share this cocktail with a group of friends in a DIY Peruvian fashion.
Read more →
Pisco Prune Punch
Some recipes are born by accident, others by necessity. You like buñuelos but can’t afford milk and eggs? Use a sweet potato and squash purée instead and make the Peruvian donuts — Picarones. The upper class chef throws away beef hearts? Marinade them in hot peppers and vinegar, grill them and make the Peruvian kebobs — Anticuchos. So if a recipe calls for prunes soaked in Pisco, what do you do with the leftover Pisco? You accidentally make a cocktail.
Read more →
Two Years of Pisco Trail
Pisco Trail was born two years ago on Jan 1, 2011. Two years ago. From dinner, dessert, or cocktail pop-ups at 18 Reasons, Omnivore Books, The Red Poppy Art House, and The HUB, 2012 gave me the opportunity to continue to share Peruvian cuisine and culture with San Francisco. I was also very excited to travel to New Orleans to do a Pisco cocktail demonstration and to cook a special 5-course Peruvian Independence Day dinner at Carmo.
Read more →
Panettone Bread Pudding
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed Panettone with hot chocolate during the month of December and specially for Xmas. What could be a simpler pleasure than a sweet, buttery, and fruit flavored bread that comes in a box which makes it the gift of the season among friends and family in Peru? Well, last week, I broke my tradition and tried something completely new — I made a Panettone bread pudding.
Read more →
Pisco Milk Punch No. 2
After making the Pisco Milk Punch No. 1, I promised my vegan friends that I would prepare a version they could enjoy. So into the Pisco lab I went with three kinds of vegan friendly milk: rice milk, almond milk, and soy milk. Several cocktails later, I can present the Pisco Milk Punch No. 2: almond milk, vanilla essence, sweet vermouth, Pisco, garnished with cinnamon powder.
Read more →