Carapulcra, Papa Seca & Pork Stew
The Carapulcra is a potato and pork stew that was first prepared by the Incas over 500 years ago. What gives this dish its unique flavor and consistency is its main ingredient, papa seca, or dehydrated potatoes. Slow cooked with hot peppers, peanuts, cloves, cinnamon, anise, pork, and red wine, the result is a stew that is hearty, spicy, and complex — a true mix of Inca, European, and African flavors.
Read more →
This Peruvian potato salad has a spicy, creamy, and colorful dressing that is a vehicle for one of the most important ingredients in Peruvian cuisine — aji amarillo, a smoky yellow hot pepper with a subtle fire.
View the updated recipe for Papa a la Huancaina →
Empanadas
In Peru, empanadas are a vehicle for almost every savory Peruvian dish, but if this is your first time making empanadas, you need to start with the classic — ground beef with olives and hard boiled eggs. And though empanadas can be baked or fried, nothing compares to baked empanadas just out of the oven. All you need to do is sauté a savory filling, shape and roll a little dough, put one inside of the other, and let them do their magic at 375°F. What are you waiting for?
Read more →
Peruvian Tasting at 18 Reasons, The Mission, San Francisco
Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of cooking some of my favorite dishes at the first Peruvian Tasting Night at 18 Reasons for a gastronomical tour of Peruvian cuisine. I was thrilled that the event sold out weeks in advance, and it was a wonderful opportunity to prepare some of the recipes from Pisco Trail for an audience excited to learn more about Peru and the cultures from all over the world that have influenced its cuisine.
Read more →
Chupe de Camarones, Peruvian Shrimp Chowder
Chupe de Camarones is the Queen of Soups, a spicy shrimp chowder from Arequipa in la Sierra of Peru. This soup is so popular there, that you can tell the day of the week by the variety of Chupe that is being served at local restaurants. But Chupe de Camarones also has erotic origins dating back to the Incas, and here is what you need to make this Inca aphrodisiac at home.
Read more →