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By Cindy Y. Rodriguez (CNN) — More and more Americans are flocking to Peruvian food and discovering a world of flavor beyond pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken). This diverse cuisine, with influences from Andean to Spanish, Japanese and Chinese to African and Italian, is quickly finding its rightful place in the national food scene. Credit is due in part to Gastón Acurio, the country’s most recognized chef, who acts as the unofficial ambassador of Peruvian cuisine with 34 restaurants in 14 cities worldwide, including the recently-opened La Mar Cebicheria in New York City. In 2008, Acurio, together with Apega, the Peruvian Society for Gastronomy founded Mistura. This 10-day food festival brings together street vendors, herbal stands and high-end chefs showcasing their most popular dishes and attracts over 300,000 every year. Now, scaled-down versions of this event – complete with quinoa desserts, fresh bread, and traditional herbal drinks – are popping up outside of Peru. “We were just walking around and saw everyone here dancing and selling food, so we popped in to see what was going on,” said Manhattan resident La La Brooks. “Now I’m eating some potatoes with this amazing sauce. I need to learn how to make […]

Juanes are typically eaten during the feast of St. John the Baptist and Farmers’ Day. However, this mainstay of Christian missionaries is delicious any day of the year. We have a recipe here that we hope you will try at home. Ingredients: 1 chicken, simmered in broth and cut into pieces when cooled 2 Cups Broth reserved from cooking 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half 3 raw eggs, lightly beaten Salted black olives 6 Cups rice, cooked al dente and allowed to cool 1 Tbs Oregano 1 Tbs Cumin 1 Tbs Tumeric Garlic, Salt and Pepper 6 Bijao Leaves (This is also referred to as Heliconia Leaf. We suggest looking for it in Latin American supermarkets. However, Banana Leaf and aluminium foil can be used as substitutes) Preparation: Bear raw eggs with fork and pour into the rice. Mix to distribute throughout the rice. Sprinkle desired spices and flavors on the rice mixture. Pour the broth into the rice and stir well. Place Bijao leaves (or substitute on a flat surface). Each Juan will consist of 1 cup of the rice mixture. Add 1 piece of chicken, 2 olives and ½ a boiled egg for each Juane you want […]

I am very familiar with the Peruvian restaurant in downtown Miami, Ceviche 105 – because my office used to be just two blocks away from the place.  Every time I had lunch there I would usually pick one of the classic Ceviche 105’s signature dishes like the Ceviche Pucusana or Ceviche Anconero and always be amazed by the service, speed, quality of ingredients and the same great taste you would expect from a renowned restaurant like Ceviche 105. I no longer work in the area but still visit Ceviche 105 once in awhile, especially when I want to delight some friends that visit town and want to try some good Peruvian food. The last time I visited Chef Chipoco’s masterpiece, Ceviche 105, I decided to be a little adventurous and try something different from the menu so I selected the “Trilogy Sliced Fish Tiradito” or “Sampler Trilogía de Tiraditos” for $19.95, which to my surprise was not up to the standards of the other known Ceviche 105’s menu items. Tiradito is a dish consisting of long thin strips of raw fish, marinated in a creamy lime sauce. The problem with the Tiradito I tried at Ceviche 105 was that the […]

This is a cream soup with the main ingredients of hen, peanuts, and garlic and oil. If you don’t want to use hen, chicken is a good substitute. This dish is commonly served as an appetizer. References: Servings- 6 Preparation Time- 1 hour Ingredients: Either 1 hen or 1 chicken (prepare either the hen or chicken into pieces) 8 cups of water 1 cup of peanuts (peanuts should be toasted) 2 tablespoons of corn flour ½ cup of cilantro (prepare the cilantro by chopping it) 1 tablespoon of garlic. (garlic should be grounded) 1 onion (onion should be prepared by chopping) Salt and Pepper (will be used to your own liking) Preparation Instructions: Mix the yellow chili pepper with the peanuts, corn flour, garlic, cilantro with the water. Heat up the oil in a pot and fry the hen or the chicken (whatever you are using). Then season it with saltand add the onion. Continue to fry all the ingredients until the chicken or hen is golden brown and the onions are translucent. Add the ingredients that you blended in the first step to the pan and continue to cook everything. You will want to occasionally stir the contents in […]

References: Servings- 8 Preparation Time- 1 hour Ingredients: 6 egg whites 2 large size cherimoyas 6 tablespoons of sugar 1 lemon (prepare it by draining the juice out of it and setting it aside to use) 1 ½ tablespoons of gelatin (the gelatin needs to be unflavored) 2 cups of chocolate fudge (the fudge should be of the lite variety) Preparation Instructions: Soak the gelatin in 1/3 cup of water then heat it until it is dissolved. Once it is dissolved place it aside and let it cool. Peel and deseed both of the cherimoyas. Then cut them into small pieces. After they are cut put a small amount of lemon juice on them. Whip the egg whites until they are stiff. Then slowly add sugar while you constantly beat the eggs. Continue to add sugar and beat eggs until they are thick in texture and glossy in appearance. While you continue to beat the contents SLOWLY add both the gelatin and the cherimoya. Pour all of the contents into a tube pan and then place it in the refrigerator. Leave it in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Remove it from the refrigerator and and place pan on top of […]

References: Servings- 3-4 Preparation Time- 1 hour Ingredients: ½ of a chicken breast. Cook the chicken breast however way you like and then cut into bite size pieces. 1 boiled potato ½ of a carrot (prepare the carrot by boiling and then cutting into cubes) 1 large onion (prepare the onion by dicing it and then seasoning with both lemon and salt) 4 eggs (prepare by hard-boiling and then cutting them in half. Lettuce Mayonnaise 1 cup of peas (prepare by cooking) Preparation Instructions: Take the prepared onion and potato and mix the two together. Then add the carrots that you boiled and cut earlier, along with the peas, the cut up chicken you already cooked and a couple small spoon fulls of mayonnaise. (more mayonnaise can be added if desired) Mix all the ingredients together. Put a piece of lettuce leaf on a plate and scoop some of the mixture on top. Put a piece of harboiled egg on top of each serving. Some people choose to garnish the dish with some cheese too.

Chicken stew with green rice Reference: Prep time: Servings:6-8 Ingredients : 1 tender chicken ½ cup vegetable oil 2 crushed garlic cloves 1 chopped onion ¾ cup coriander leaves that are both chopped and blended with a ¼ cup water ¾ cup peas Ground Fresh yellow/ají amarillo 1 tablespoon of paprika ½ cup of black beer 8 medium size yellow potatoes. Peel and cut the potatoes in half. 1 cup of rice 1 red pepper. Cut the red pepper in strips. 1 small leek 6 celery stalks 6 ½ cups chicken broth Cumin to taste Salt to taste Pepper to taste Preparation: Clean chicken then cut the chicken into pieces. Prepare the broth by boiling the following for two hours: 10 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of salt, head, the legs and the spine from the chicken, large pieces of celery and leek. Season the chicken and then fry the chicken in hot oil until its outsides are golden brown. The chicken does not have to be cooked all the way through at this point. Remove the chicken from pan. Cover the chicken. In the same oil that the chicken was cooked in, sauté the garlic, the chopped onion and […]

This is a traditional pervian restaurant that has been around for generations. It is often compared the tamales that the Mexican culture made so famous. References: Servings- 10 humitas Preparation Time- 2 hours Ingredients: 8 fresh ears of corn ¼ cup of either vegetable shortening or lard 2 teaspoons of salt 1 tablespoon of aji amarillo paste an additional 4 tablespoons of either vegetable shortening or lard 4 ounces of cream cheese ½ teaspoon of cumin Preparation Instructions: Take the ears of corn and cut the ends off. Then very carefully remove the different layers of the husk. Try to keep the big pieces of the husk as well together as you can. Then scrape the corn kernels off the cobs and into a bowl. Take a large pot and cover the bottom of it with some of the corn cobs that you have. Add an inch of water into the pot. Take the corn kernels and put them in either food processor or blender. Then blend or process until you get a smooth texture. If the corn is to dry and is giving you a difficult time to blend it then simply add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk. […]

Ingredients Servings: 6 2 lbs shrimp, with shells and heads 4 cups water (more if necessary) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tablespoon aji panca chili paste (can substitute tomato paste if necessary) 1 teaspoon aji amarillo chili paste 1 cup peas, either fresh or frozen 1/4 cup long-grain white rice 1 -2 ear of corn, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 1 lb russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 1 teaspoon salt (to taste) 1/4-1/2 cup queso fresco, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 cup evaporated milk 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped 3 eggs Directions NOTE: Aji panca, aji amarillo and queso fresco can be found at Hispanic markets. You may be able to find the cheese at a well-stocked grocery store as well. Remove heads and shells from shrimp, and refrigerate the shrimp. Put shells and heads in a medium saucepan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. While shells are simmering, heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir […]

Papas a la Huaincana is an original side dish from the upper city of Huancayo in Perú. The dish consists of sliced and boiled yellow potatoes covered in a melted mix of queso fresco (fresh white cheese), ají amarillo (yellow peppers), garlic, evaporated milk, lime juice, and crushed saltine crackers. While this dish isn’t particularly gorgeous to look at, you can bet it’s delicious. And of course, cooking it does have its complexity. Ideal as an appetizer, the Papas a la Huaincana is a great for familiar reunions or for those nights you have one of those spicy food cravings. You can make this appetizer in less than 30 minutes. Here’s what you’ll need: Ingredients: Here’s what you’ll need: 8 yellow potatoes, boiled and peeled 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 4-6 saltine crackers 8 oz. of queso blanco (white cheese) A pinch of salt ½ cup of ají amarillo (Ají paste also works) 2 hard-boiled eggs in slices Parsley Preparation Instructions: Making Papas a la Huaincana is quite easy, the toughest part is finding that sweet spot where the cream sauce is just perfect. You can make it extra spicy, or less creamy. It’s a matter of personal taste. Peel […]

If you love Manjar Blanco, you won’t want to miss this sweet Peruvian dessert. While Alfajores are considered a traditional Argentinian dessert, Peruvian cuisine has its own variation. Ingredients: Here’s what you’ll need: 120g of cornstarch 90g of wheat flour 8 tablespoons of butter 65g of sugar 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoonful of dry yeast 1 tablespoon of brandy ½ teaspoon of baking soda Vanilla extract A pinch of salt Preparation Instructions: Place the cornstarch, measured flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk briefly to combine; set aside. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl once with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, pisco or brandy, and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add the reserved flour mixture and mix until just incorporated with no visible white pockets, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a piece of […]

References: Servings- 4 Preparation – 1 hour Ingredients: 2 whole chicken breasts. (Prepare the chicken breast by cutting them into thin medium size or bite size pieces.) The juice of 8-10 limes 1 tablespoon of either fresh yellow aji paste or puree 2 garlic cloves (prepare the garlic cloves by mincing) 2 sweet potatoes (prepare by cooking and cutting into thin slices. 1 aji limo (red hot aji). You will want to both deseed and devein the aji limo and then cut it into thin julienne Corn kernels (prepare the kernels by cooking them) Chopped parsley leaves (this will be used to garnish your dish) Salt and Pepper Cumin Preparation: Place all of the chicken into a bowl and season it with the salt, fresh yellow aji paste, the pepper and the cumin. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl well and let it marinate for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes add the garlic along with the juice of the the 8-10 limes you squeezed earlier. Again mix all the ingredients in the bowl and let it marinate for 20 additional minutes. Place the finished product on plate and top it with the onions and chopped aji limo. Serve the […]

  Earlier this week Peru was honored with the award of Top Global Culinary Destination. This marks the third straight year the every growing popular country has won this award. Lima, Peru has started showing up on peoples backlists of places to visit all over the world. One of the main reasons is because of the cuisine that Peru is becoming ever so popular for. Since 2009 the amount of tourists that showed up in Lima has increased by over 2 million. With so many different influences from all around the world it is very difficult to define Peruvian Food. While there are definitely some staple ingredients with many Peruvian dishes depending on the meal it is easy to see influences from various parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. While it may not be easy to take a quick trip to Peru every foodie should be doing themselves a favor and googling Peruvian Restaurants in their local area. They are popping up all over the country and in major cities it is becoming more of a normalcy for famous Peruvian chefs to open up restaurants. Find out what all the fuss is about.

This is a traditional dessert in Peru. The main ingredients are fried dough and manjargblanco filling. Guargiieros originate in the souther regions of Peru. References: Servings- 8 Preparation Time- 1 hour Ingredients: 8 egg yolks ¼ cup of pisco (use whatever pisco you enjoy) 2 cups of evaporated milk 2 cups of condensed milk Powdered Sugar Vegetable oil 1 cup of flour Preparation Instructions: Knead the flour with the pisco and the 8 egg yoks. Continue to roll the dough until it turns in a thin sheet that you can cut into squares. Cut squares with the dough you rolled. Cut 8 equal squares. Roll up each square and sell the edges using water then cook the rolled dough in a pan using hot oil. Once they are fried and finished cooking carefully drain them of any excess oil and place them aside to cool down. In a pot put the evaporated milk along with the condensed milk. Bring the contents to a simmer while continually stirring the mix. Continue to do this until the mixture begins to thicken. Then remove from the pot from the heat and let it cool down. Fill the fried rolled up tubes/Guargueros with manjarblanco […]

One bit of this delicious pasta and you will be a fan for life. The best part about it is that it is easy to make and you wont have to spend all day preparing it. Reference: Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 2lbs of spaghetti. 13 or 14 yellow chili peppers. Prepare the peppers by ensuring that they are deseeded and cut them into small pieces. 12 ounces of Philadelphia cream cheese. 2 cloves of garlic (prepare the garlic by chopping it finely) ¼ cup of vegetable oil Salt and Pepper 2 pieces of corn (prepare the corn by removing the kernels) 1 hardboiled egg 1 onion (prepare the onion by chopping it) Preparation: In a pan put tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat it up. Once the oil is heated place the chili peppers that you cut into the pan and brown them. This should only take 2-3 minutes. Once they are browned add one more tablespoon of vegetable oil. Place the cooked chili peppers aside Add the rest of the oil to the pan, heat it up and fry the chopped onion. Then add the garlic mix everything and cook for a couple more minutes. Then […]

When you talk about traditional Peruvian recipes you need to include this one in the conversation. Another easy but delicious recipe. Give it a shot! Guaranteed you and the family will enjoy it. References: Servings- 4-6 Preparation Time- 45 minutes Ingredients: 6 medium size potatoes (prepare the potatoes by peeling them) 2 egg yolks 1 cup of fresh cheese (prepare the cheese by grating it) 3 tablespoons of parsley (prepare the parsley by chopping it) 2 tablespoons of butter Salt and Pepper 2 tablespoons of chili pepper sauce. Preparation Instructions: Cook all six potatoes in boiling water and add salt to the water. Once the potatoes are cooked and cool off carve a hole in each won using a small spoon. With the part of the potato you scooped out add it to a mix with the 2 egg yolks, cheese , pepper sauce, and salt and pepper. Mix all the contents well. Using a spoon to stuff the potato and then spread butter on the outside of the potato. Pre heat your oven t0 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes. Raise the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and then proceed to cook […]

We know for instance is a sauce so popular in Peru, it’s actually sold even in McDonalds and most fast food venues, and that people like it so much they eat it with most foods. The popularity of this sauce came almost at the same time as Pollo a la Brasa. We say almost because at first it was served plain, no dressings nor side dishes; as time went by people started serving Pollo a la Brasa with French fries, but since most of the creole cuisine has a spicy side, the yellow pepper sauce was added and became known as Ají de Pollería because it was served in every restaurant who’s main dish is Pollo a la Brasa, this places are known as Pollerias. To prepare this sauce is actually very easy, you just need to put in the blender, 3 clean yellow peppers along with 5 ounces of fresh milk for a couple of minutes, then add black mint paste, just a little because it’s what actually gives it the spiciness while the pepper is for flavor. Add a teaspoon of salt, a couple of gritty yellow potatoes and chopped onions. As everything blends, carefully add a soup […]

References: Servings- 6-8 Preparation time – 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup of sugar 4 regular sized eggs Ground Cinnamon 1 can of undiluted evaporated milk. You will need the necessary amount to blend the lucumas. 1 can of condensed milk 4 lucumas (prepare each lucuma by bothe peeling them and deseeding them) 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract Preparation: Blend and process all of the lucumas with milk. Continue to do so until a thick puree is formed. Then you will want to force the lucuma through a strainer. Put both the evaporated and the condensed milk in a pan along with the sugar. Bring the contents to a boil. You are going to want to stir it constantly and continue to do so until the contents in the pan thickens and you are able to see the bottom of the pan. Add the lucuma puree and keep cooking all the ingredients until once again it thickens. Once it thickens add the teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then remove from heat and let all of the ingredients cool. Beat the egg whites until they are thick then carefully and slowly fold them into the milk mixture. Transfer all the ingredients to a […]

by Betty Cortina As the consummate conference of cool— SXSW—takes place in Austin this week, we continue our week-long exploration of Latin food and cooks in the Texas capital. Up today: a new food trailer hits the city’s already vibrant mobile food truck scene, proving what we’ve known all along—that Latin food in Texas is way more than tacos. Llama’s Food Trailer specializes in authentic, home-style Peruvian food with chef-y, sometimes vegetarian, sometimes gluten-free twists. Because this is Austin, after all. The story of how Llama’s got its start is the stuff of immigrant nostalgia. A Peruvian-born, Texas-raised guy is so proud of his native food that he wants to find a way to share it with the world. Or at least with the city he lives in. “Like every Peruvian,” said 30-year-old Miguel Barrutia, “I dreamed of opening a Peruvian restaurant to teach people about our food.” But a bricks-and-mortar restaurant would have taken big money and “that wasn’t in my plan.” Instead Barrutia, who also works in local real estate, decided to start with a food truck, which would minimize overhead costs but still let him get up and running. He tapped into friends for help—a friend’s sister […]

References: Servings- 6 Preparation Time- 50 minutes (not including the time it takes to soak beans/overnight) Ingredients: 1lb of black beans 2.bs of brown sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 3 cloves 1 ½ sesame seed (prepare the sesame seed by toasting) ½ cup of evaporated milk Preparation: You will need to soak the black beans in water overnight. Then cook beans in the water until they are soft and cooked well. Put the beans through a strainer (you may need to force them) and then in a pan place put the bean puree in. Add the milk, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves to the same pan that you put the bean puree. Bring the contents in the pan to a medium heat while you continually stir all the ingredients until it becomes thick and you can see the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and take out the cinnamon sticks and cloves and add 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds and stir them in. Place all the contents in the pan into a large bowl and garnish the dish by spreading the remainder sesame seeds on top.

Gnocchi is a favorite in Italy. Now it is a favorite in Peru. Like so many other dishes Peruvian chefs both professional and novelists have taken a delicious food and made it their own. Try this delicious dish with you and yours. Your family will ask you to prepare this recipe over and over. References: Servings- 5-7 Preparation Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 2lbs of cassava 9 ounces of flour 3 ounces of parmesan cheese (cheese needs to be prepared by grating it) 1 egg Nutmeg Salt and Pepper 1 cup of cream 5.5 ounces of pariah cheese (prepare the cheese by grating it) 7 ounces of buttery cheese (prepare by grating it) 3.5 ounces of Portobello mushrooms (prepare the mushrooms by slicing them) 3 tomatoes (prepare the tomatoes by peeling them and deseeding them) Basil (prepare the basil by chopping it) 1 tablespoon of olive oil Salt and pepper Preparation Instructions: Peel the yucca and then put it in a pot with water and cover it. Bring the water to a boil and proceed to cook the yucca until it is nice and tender. Then put the cassava through a sieve and allow it ample time to cool Add flour […]

References: Servings- 6 Preparation Time 1.5 hrs Ingredients: 2lbs of yellow potatoes The juice from 2 limes (be careful not squeeze them to hard) Yellow chili pepper (prepare the pepper by grounding it) 1 medium sized beat Salt and pepper Ingredients for the Stuffing: 3 chicken breast filets. (Prepare the chicken by cooking it and then shredding it into pieces) Mayonnaise 4 hardboiled eggs. (cut the eggs into slices) red pepper (cut the pepper into pieces to be used for garnish/decoration later) Preparation Instructions: In a large pot with water cook the potatoes in boiling water. When they are done cooking peel the potatoes and press them until they turn into a puree. Season them with salt and pepper, the lime juice you prepared, ground chili, and some vegetable oil. Cook the beet in boiling water. When it is done cooking peel it and proceed to cut the beet into pieces. Then blend the cut pieces of beat with just a little water so that it tuns to a puree. Mix the beet puree with the potato puree. Mix well. Spread mayonnaise on the first level of the causa. Cover the top with avocado and the egg slices you cut […]

As Peruvian food is becoming more popular in the United States illustrious Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio is starting to open up restaurants around the country. Chicago is the next lucky city that will get to taste what all the hype is about. Currently Acurio has restaurants in the U.S. in both San Francisco and New York. This celebrated chef is the founder of Astrid Y Gaston in Peru, which is considered to be one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. His restaurant “Tanta” in Chicago will have signature Peruvian dishes including various types of flavors of ceviche, Tiraditos, anticuchos, lomo saltodo and many other traditional Peruvian meals. Whether you already enjoy dining on Peruvian food or have never tried it before, Gaston Acurio’s restaurant will surely become one of your favorite places to dine. If you have never heard of Gaston Acurio think of a Peruvian Emeril Legasse. Acurio is nothing short of a major celebrity in Peru and some may even consider him a hero, as Peruvians are very enthusiastic about the food and culture that Acurio is now spreading around the world. Acurio’s restaurant uses the freshest and most authentic ingredients to ensure that you get […]

This is an awesome dessert that is suitable to be served after any dinner. If you enjoy coconut based desserts then this recipe is for you. Melts in your mouth! References: Servings- 6 Preparation Time- 1 hour Ingredients: 1 large coconut. (the coconut should be fresh and prepared by peeling it and shredding it) 1lb of sugar Juice from the coconut (make sure you save the juice from the coconut) 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds (prepare the sesame seeds by toasting them) 1 tablespoon of butter 5 egg yolks ½ cup of port Preparation Instructions: In a pot, combine the sugar along with coconut juice and bring the contents to a boil. (make sure to stir occasionally) As you stir gradually add the shredded coconut and continue to stir all the content s as you do this. Once the mixture thickens and you are able to see the bottom of the pan remove the pan from the heat and add the egg yolks one at a time while continuing to stir. Then add the toasted sesame seeds, butter and the port. Put all pan over a low heat and stir everything in it until it becomes a soft ball. Then […]

Ubicado en Mala y a 1h y 10 minutos de Lima se encuentra Tullpu, un restaurante de cocina creativa peruana dirigido por el chef Julio Jaime Miranda Bianchi. El restaurante tiene apenas 3 meses y nos acercamos para ser los primeros en documentar la pasión con la que Julio transforma los platos de la tradicional comida peruana. Julio, de 33 años y con ascendencia italiana comenzó a interesarse por la gastronomía desde muy chico, cuando veía a su abuelo experimentar con la comida cada vez que se acercaba a la cocina. Después de terminar la escuela, decidió perseguir su primer sueño: estudiar gastronomía e irse a Lima para ganar más experiencia. Conocía a la perfección el mundo de los pescados y mariscos, pero quería aprender muchísimo más en vez de quedarse solo con los aspectos clásicos. Él sabía que los maestros de los pescados y mariscos eran los japoneses y dio sus primeros pasos en el restaurante Edo, ubicado en el Centro Comercial Jockey Plaza. Nos comenta que tuvo buenos maestros, pero era muy comercial para él y queria seguir perfeccionando sus técnicas y conocimientos. Continuó su aprendizaje en restaurantes muy conocidos como Osaka y Amor a Mar, donde pudo […]

Alfajor de Majarblanco is a delicious dessert that is easy to make. This has been a favorite treat in Peru for years. There are many different variations to this delicious cookie that are sure to put a smile on you and your families face with every bite. Reference: Servings- 5 Prep time: 1 hour Ingredients: Manjarblanco 2 cups of sifted flower ¾ cups of butter 4 tablespoons of sugar Preparation Instructions: In a bowl mix the butter, flour and sugar together. You will want to either blend it with a fork or a pastry blender. Continue to knead the flour, sugar and butter with you hands until you are able to form uniformed dough. On a floured surface, roll the dough then cut the dough into circles using a cookie cutter. Place the cutouts on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for between 12-15 minutes. When finished cooking remover from the onion and let cool, Take a cookie and spread one side of it with Manjarblanco then proceed to cover it with another cookie (just like oreo cookies are)

Papa rellena is a similar to the American mashed potato. The main difference is that in the middle it has a delicious ground beef center. It is a comfort food that is enjoyed by individuals of all ages. It is very similar to an empanada. References Servings: 8 Preparation: 1 hr Ingredients 2lbs of white potatoes. Salt and Pepper 4 eggs (three will need to be hardboiled while keeping the other fresh) 6 tablespoons of oil ½ pound of ground beef 1 cup of chopped onion 1 garlic clove (prepare by mincing) 1 teaspoon of paprika 6 seedles black olives (prepare the olives by cutting into quarters) ½ cup of tomato (prepare the tomato by peeling, deseeding and dicing) 1 teaspoon of minced parsley 1 teaspoon of minced cilantro ¼ cup of raisins Preparation Wash the potatoes and then place them in a medium size pan in salted water. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until they are soft. Then remove the potatoes and peel them. Put the potatoes through a strainer. Let the potatoes cool and then add 1 egg and mix it in until it is both soft and smooth. In a large skillet pour […]

References: Serves 6 Ingredients: 12 red pimento-style peppers ½ lb ground veal ½ lb ground pork 1 onion that is  chopped finely 1 garlic clove 5 tbsp of virgin olive oil 3 tomatoes that are peeled, deseeded and chop (or you can use 1 can of tomato paste) 3-4 tbsp of parsley 1/3 cup of white wine 2 slices of white breat with the crust cut off. Crumble up the bread 2 large eggs Flour Cinnamon, ground nutmeg and thyme Salt and pepper Directions: Cut the stems off of all the peppers and scrape them out. Using a teaspoon can make this task easy. Roast the peppers in the broiler until they are charred a little. Season all of the mat with garlic thyme, cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Let the meat stand seasoned for 15-20 minutes. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Saute the garlic along with ¾ cup of onion. Saute the ingredients until they are tender. Add the tomatoes to the sauce pan and fry for 5 minutes. Add to the saucepan 2 tablespoons of parsley, ½ cup of white wine, salt and pepper to taste. Cook everything for 15 minutes. Sieve in a […]

Like many others throughout the country who enjoys trying  new cuisine I have become increasingly fond of Peruvian food. Just this past week I had the pleasure of dining at Victoria’s in Lantana, Florida. While I have dined there in the past this was my first trip there with my Peruvian friend who knows much more about what authentic Peruvian food should taste like. This dining experience we ordered ceviche mixto, jalea mixta and chaufa de mariscos. All the food was delicious. The ceviche mixto was a perfect blend of various seafood in a delicious traditional Peruvian ceviche juice. The  jelea mixta was plentiful and delightful to the pallet as was the chaufa de mariscos. While the restaurant was under construction and a little hectic, the wait staff did not miss a beat. They were friendly, attentive and on the top of their game as the restaurant was packed with patrons and nobody was waiting long for their food. On top of that my friend with plenty of experience with Peruvian food thought that the restaurant was very authentic. He was especially impressed with the ceviche dish. Whether you are a person who has already had Peruvian food or someone […]

Are you tired of eating the same thing over and over again? Want to try something different and invite some friends for dinner? Here are 3 classic Peruvian dishes just for you: Chilli pepper chicken This one is a classic you can’t miss. Boil 600 g of chicken in 600 ml of chicken broth for 20 minutes. Drain the chicken, remove it and set back. Put the frying pan on a fire with two tablespoons of olive oil, once hot add some sliced onion, four chopped garlic cloves, a pinch of ground cumin, a pinch of turmeric and two yellow chili peppers (if you can’t find these chopped peppers you can use a tablespoon of yellow chilli paste). Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion is browned. Soak 5 slices of bread without crust or 6 crackers in the chicken broth and crush them with a blender until you get a mixture. Add 60g chopped toasted walnuts, 50g parmesan cheese powder and the boiled chicken. Keep heating for about 5 minutes. Add 170ml of evaporated milk and salt to taste then continue to boil for a few more minutes. Serve it warm with cooked rice decorated with cooked potatoes […]

By Ily Goyanes Ceviche House sits inside the longstanding Miller Square plaza on 137th Avenue and Miller Road. Serving up tallarin saltado, aji de gallina, chilcano, and of course, ceviche for over thirty years, owner Jose Lopez is responsible for bringing Peruvian cuisine to Florida. At one point Lopez had four restaurants in South Florida, but now he’s focused on his original location alone. “It’s very hard to find real Peruvian chefs,” he explains. Rather than skimp on authenticity, he closed a few of his locations. One would expect that anointing his restaurant “Ceviche House” that the place would specialize in ceviche. There are eight types of ceviche on the menu, but unfortunately, the taste and quality don’t add up to a namesake restaurant. We tried the ceviche de la casa ($24.95), which Lopez assured us was plentiful. We have to say that we’ve had better ceviche in several other places. The leche de tigre aka citrus marinade, was okay, not extremely flavorful or noteworthy. We took offense that the shrimp were already cooked, as were other seafood ingredients. Upon asking Luisa Marinel, chef and Lopez’s wife, she confirmed our suspicions. “Yes, they are steamed beforehand.” The ingredients of a ceviche, be they shrimp, […]

References: Prep/cooking: 1 hour Servings: 6-8 Ingredients: 4 lb of fresh mushrooms. The mushrooms need to be both cleaned and sliced. 3 garlic cloves. Mince all three cloves. 1 medium size onion, julienne 1 ½ tablespoon of chopped parsley 1 ½ tablespoon of chopped cilantro 3 ají limo / chili. They need to be deseeded and deveined and then finely chopped Squeeze the juice out of 6-8 limes. Salt Pepper Cooking Instructions Combine the mushrooms with the garlic, onion, chili, salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro. Pour both the juice squeezed from the limes along with the olive oil and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to your liking Serve the mushroom ceviche on lettuce leaves or on a plate. Garnish the mushroom ceviche with a slice of chili.

This recipe not only tastes amazing but it is very nutritious. It good on any occasion and can be served as either a main dish or as a side dish to seafood or some other meat entry. References: Servings-6-8 Preparation Time- 1 hour Ingredients: 2cups of wheat (prepare the wheat by soaking it and washing it) 2 tablespoons of olive oil 4 tablespoons of butter (butter should be room temp) 1 white onion (onion should be prepared by chopping) 2 cloves of garlic (garlic should be prepared by chopping it) 1.5 teaspoons of dried out thyme ½ cup of white wine. 2 tablespoons of yellow chili/pepper. (prepare aji by deseeding and deveining) 3 cups of beef bouillon 1 cup of cream salt and pepper 1/5 cups of broad beans. (prepare beans by cooking) 150g of cheese (prepare cheese by grating Parsley (just for garnishing your finished plate) Preparation Instructions: In a pot heat up the olive oil along with two tablespoons of the butter. Once they are heated add the chopped onion and garlic. Sautee them until they turn golden brown and the onion is transluscent. Add the aji chili and mix in with onions and garlic. Add both the […]

References: Servings- 5-6 Prep time- 45 minutes Ingredients: 1 or 2 large yuccas vegetable oil salt Ingredients for Salsa Huancaina: 7 yellow chili peppers (prepare peppers by deseeding and deveining). Oil 1 small onion (prepare the onion by chopping) 10.5 ounces of either ricotta or feta cheese 2/3 cup of milk 1 clove of garlic (prepare the garlic by mincing it) Preparation for Yucca: Wash and peel the Yuca. Split each yucca into 2 or 3 pieces. Cook the pieces of yucca in boiling water. You want to cook the yucca until they are soft. Once they are soft drain the yucca and let it cool. Cut the yucca into pieces that are 1.5 to 5cm. Heat oil in a pan and once the oil is hot fry the yucca until it is browned. Season the yucca with salt and pepper. Preparation for Salsa Huancaina: Place chopped Peruvian aji amarillo in a blender and blend it with the milk. On a skillet heat one tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, place the chopped onions on the skillet and cook them until they are tender. Add the garlic to the skillet and mix the onions and garlic together. Place […]

References: Preparation: 20-25 minutes Cook Time: 1.5 hours Servings: 6 Ingredients: 1 whole chicken 3 tablespoons of white wine 4 tablespoons of white vinegar 3 tablespoons of canola oil. 2.5 tablespoons of garlic powder 2 tablespoons of paprika 2 teaspoons of pepper 1.5 teaspoons of cumin 1 teaspoon of salt 1 lemon (prepare by squeezing the juice out of it and setting the juice aside) 1 quart of cold water Preparation: In a bowl, combine the vinegar, wine, oil, garlic powder cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix all the ingredients very well together. Add the lemon juice that you set aside to cold the cold water. Trim any fat off the chicken that you are able to. Wash the chicken very well with the lemon water. Then place the chicken in a zip lock back. Pour all the ingredients in the bowl into the zip lock bag all over the chicken. Rub the mixture into the chicken with your hands being sure to cover every part. Seal the zip lock bad and place in the refrigerator for at a minimum of 2.5 hours. (Do not keep in refrigerator for more then a full day) Place the chicken on a […]

This versatile Peruvian potato dish makes a great light meal or a fine addition to a buffet spread. Causa can be layered with any number of fillings — chicken salad and tuna salad are favorites. Served cold, causa rellena is often topped with extravagant garnishes and sauces for a colorful presentation. 4 to 6 servings Ingredients Yellow (Yukon gold) potatoes — 2 pounds Oil — 1/2 cup Lime or lemon juice — 1/4 cup Ají amarillo chile paste (optional) — 2 or 3 tablespoons Salt and pepper — to taste Filling (see variations) — 2 cups Hard-boiled eggs, sliced into rounds — 2 or 3 Pitted black olives — 6 to 8 Method Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are tender and cooked through. Drain and set aside to cool. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Put the potatoes through a ricer or mash with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in the oil, pepper paste if using, lime or lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Line a casserole dish or baking pan with plastic wrap, pressing it down to fit the dish. Spread half […]

If cuisine is your thing and trying new food is a hobby then you likely can’t help but notice the growing number of Peruvian restaurants popping up throughout the country. Some cities such as Miami, Florida even have full on festivals whose complete and total focus is on the delicious Peruvian food that is quickly migrating to the United States. The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an article stating that Peruvian food is the next big thing in the world. In addition Zagat reports that over the past ten years the number of Peruvian restaurants in such cities as New York, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, Boston and Philadelphia has grown four times in number. Even in non-Peruvian restaurants it is not uncommon to see variations of Peru’s most famous dish Ceviche on the menu. One of the greatest gifts that Peru has to offer to the world is their wonderful cuisine and the beautiful country is finally getting its long deserved moment in the sun. Whether it is the vibrant citrus marinated and fresh tasting ceviche or a slowly stewed chicken or seafood dish Peruvian food is sure to satisfy the pallet of anyone.

Bistech a Lo Pobre is a very popular way to prepare steak in Peru. With the main ingredients being steak, potato, onions and eggs it is common to serve this dish with salad and/or rice. Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 4 sirloin steaks cut to 1/2 inch thickness 4 cloves garlic, mashed salt, pepper, cumin and smoked paprika to tast 2 large onions, sliced thinly 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes. The Yukon needs to be  peeled and thinly sliced. 1 packet Sazon seasoning (optional) 4 tbsp olive oil 4 extra large eggs Instructions Rub garlic on each individual steak. Season each steak with salt pepper, smoked paprika and cumin. Heat the olive oil in either a large frying pan or skillet. Add the thinly sliced onions and the potatoes into the frying pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the Sazon. Saute the onions and potatoes over medium to medium-high heat, until they are both very tender. It should take roughly 8-10 minutes. Once the onion and potatoes are tender remove them from the pan and place on a serving platter. Using the same pan place the steaks and cook them to the temperature you desire. […]

References: Serves- 8 Preparation- 45 minutes Ingredients: 2.5 lbs of fresh trout (prepare the trout by cutting it into small cubes) Juice of 12 limes (be sure not to squeeze the lime to hard as it will make the flavor a bit bitter) 5 garlic cloves (prepare the cloves by blending) 2 onions (prepare the onions by cutting into thin Julienne) 1 rocoto (prepare by slicing. It will be used to garnish the dish) 1 tablespoon of yellow aji (prepare by blending or pureeing) Parsley (prepare by chopping) Cilantro (prepare by chopping) Salt and Pepper Tomato Onion Cooked Kernals Preparation: Place all of the trout on a large serving plate. Add the garlic, aja and pepper. Then mix it into the fish very well Pour half the limejuice you extracted from the limes earlier all over the trout. Season all the ingredients with salt. Cover all the ingredients on the plate thus far with the onion, parsley and cilantro. Put some more salt over the onions and pour the rest of the lime juice over the top of the plate. Garnish the entire plate with the sliced rocoto. Serve each plate by first placing a piece of lettuce on it. […]

References: Servings- 6 Preparation Time- 30 minutess Ingredients: 1lb of squash (prepare the squash by peeling it and then cutting it into pieces.) ½ cup of oil of your choice (we recommend using vegetable oil) 1 onion (onion should be medium sized and prepared by cutting and finally chopping 2 garlic cloves (prepare the garlic clothes by grounding them) ¾ cup of peas 3 potatoes (prepare all the potatoes by skinning them and then cutting them into quarters. 2 ears of corn (prepare the corn by cutting it into slices) ¼ cup of evaporated milk. 1 teaspoon of oregano 3 olives (olives should be prepared by pitting them and cutting them in half) Salt and Pepper ¾ cup of either ricotta or feta farmers cheese (prepare the cheese by dicing it) 2 teaspoons of aji amarillo fresco. Preparation Instructions: In a pan, heat up the oil. Once the oil is hot begin to sauté the onion that you chopped along with the garlic, aji and oregano. After they have cooked for three minutes add the squash, peas potatoes and the corn. Cover the pan with all of the ingredients and continue to simmer all of it all the contents in […]

This is Peru’s style of fettuccini alfredo. With beef tenderloin tips it both looks and tastes delicious. It is commonly served as a main dish in many households because it is easy to cook easy on the tastes buds. References: Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 1.5 hours Ingredients: 1lb of yellow peppers (prepare the peppers by deveining them, deseeding them cutting/chopping them) ½ cup of vegetable oil 8 saltine crackers 9 ounces of fresh cheese (prepare the cheese by cutting it into pieces/cubes ½ cup of vegetable oil 1 hard boiled egg 2lbs of beef tenderloin (prepare the tenderloin by cutting into bite size pieces. 1 onion (prepare by cutting julienne style) ½ teaspoon of sugar ½ cup of red vinegar ½ cup of soy sauce 2 tomatoes (prepare both tomatoes by deseeding and cutting into thick slices) ½ teaspoon of parsley (prepare parsley by chopping it) 2 tablespoons of either pisco or brandy ½ teaspoon of parsley (prepare the parsley by chopping it) ½ cup of cream ½ cup of olive oil salt and pepper 6 tablespoons of parmesan cheese Preparation Instructions: Using a quarter cup of the vegetable oil blend the yellow pepper. Slowly add cheese, crackers and two […]

You may have heard phrases “My recipe is the best” or “I have a secret ingredient”. These are lies, and here we’ll tell you why. Many times you may have gone to a restaurant and tasted a great Ceviche, or perhaps not that great, and wondered why is the flavor so different?, why is it that the one served at this place better than the one served at that other place? Is it because of an additional ingredient? Or perhaps because of a different way to cut the fish. The owner of the renowned ceviche restaurant El Verídico de Fidel, Mr. Fidel Aymar, reveals to us the real secret technique to make a very good dish even better while keeping it simple. Well, Japanese ninja have secret techniques, why can’t Peruvian cooks have theirs? The secret technique to achieve a ‘legendary’ dish, is in the preparation of the fish itself. It has to be fresh, almost as fresh as if you’ve just taken it from the sea. Once we have our super fresh fish, we need to dice it, in small cubes, and rinsed. Then add no more than half a lime’s juice, why only half a lime’s juice? Why […]

The PeruvianFood.com crew went to the South Beach Wine and Food festival event “Pescado and Pisco” hosted by the renowned chef Gaston Acurio. The event took place on the rooftop of the Betsy hotel in South Beach last Saturday. It started a few minutes late event and there were roughly 120 people in attendance. Famous Univision news anchor Maria Elena Salinas covered the event. We were able to exchange a few words with Gaston and tried to see if he would reveal the name and location of his soon-to-open new restaurant in South Florida. Unfortunately he said his lawyers were still putting the paperwork together and although he already had the place picked out he could not tell us more. We also asked him if he would endorse any Peruvian food restaurants in our local area but he said he has never had a ceviche in South Florida. In addition we asked him if he had heard of Ceviche 105 (one of the most popular ceviche joints in Miami); he said he heard good things about it but hasn’t had the chance to try it for himself. We believe Gaston Acurio participated in this years SOBE event because the opening […]

Intercontinental Hotel, Mumbai are opening a new ultra elite 20/25 cover Peruvian Restaurant and need a CDC for the same. Around 5 to 6 years experience. Salary and perks will be at par with industry norms. Intercontinental Marine Drive is F&B driven hotel and has 1 Indian restaurant- Kebab Korner, 1 Thai restaurant -KOH by Ian Kitichai, 1 gastro pub- Long & Short, 1 roof top award winning bar – Dome. If you are interested contact us trough the email admin@idea180.com

References Servings: 3 Preparation: 1 hour This lite Peruvian dish comes from the Port of Callao. It is dish that is served cold and is often served as an appetizer. This a perfect dish to enjoy along side a nice cold beer at the end of a long, fun beach day. It is easy to prepare and sure to put a smile on anyone’s face. Ingredients 12 mussels (they should be tightly closed) 2 medium size onions (prepare them by chopping finely) 3 key limes (squeeze the juice into a glass and set aside for use) 1 tablespoon of of aji amarillo fresco blended with 1 tablespoon of fresh yellow aji chili ½ red hot pepper. (prepare by rinsing, deseeding, deveining and chopping finely) ¾ cups of cooked kernels ½ tomato (prepare tomato by peeling, deseeding and cutting into small cubes) 1 tablespoon of oil Salt Pepper Preparation Thoroughly rinse all the mussels. Get rid of any mussels that do not appear to be tightly closed. Cook the mussels in boiling water. As soon as the open remove from water Carefully open all the mussels with a knife and place them on a serving dish. In a bowl, you will […]

References: Servings 2 Preparation: 3 hours (most of it just letting the fish marinate/cook) Ingredients: 1 Pound of squid ½ cup of fish stock 4 cilantro leaves ½ tablespoon of mince garlic ½ tablespoon of minced ginger ½ tablespoon of minced habanero pepper ½ of a lime 1 full teaspoon of minced celery (to be used for garnish) 4 pieces of julienned habanero (to be used for garnish) 2 cilantro sprigs (to be used for garnish) Preparation: Clean all of the squid tubes. Separate them into 3 equal groups. Remove the purple skin on the squid tubes from just one of the groups. Then cut into thick rings and set that group of squid aside. These will be used to make the leche de tigre sauce. With the other two groups of squid, cut into thick rings and again set them aside. Cook the squid rings for one minute in pot of boiling water. After one minute immediately remove from the boiling water into a strainer and cool with cold water. Repeat this step for the purple squid rings as well. Mince the ginger and the garlic and remove all the veins and seeds that are in the habanero pepper. […]

References: Servings- 6 Ingredients: 2lb of white rice 4 garlic cloves (prepare garlic by mincing it) 1 onion (prepare onion by chopping finely chopping) ½ teaspoon of cumin 6 black olives (prepare olives by deseeding and cutting into quarters) 1 lb of ground beef/meat ½ of raisins 3 eggs (prepare by cooking them hardboiled style and then cutting into 8 different wedges) ¼ cup of parsley (prepare the parsley by chopping it finely) ¼ cup of oil 1 teaspoon of paprika Salt and Pepper Preparation: Prepare the white rice in rice maker or however you usually prepare white rice. In a large skillet heat the oil. Once the oil is heated sauté the onions until they are tender and then add garlic and cook for approximately one more minute. Add the paprika, cumin and pepper to the skillet. Mix everything well and then add the meat/ground beef. Cook the meat making sure to stir it on occasion. You should cook for 8-10 minutes or until there is no more liquid in the skillet. Add the olives, raisins, parsley and cooked eggs to the skillet. Once again be sure to mix everything well. Serve each plate wit 2-3 scoops of the […]