Peru Delights

05/20/2013 02:02 PM

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Nutty sweets to impress

Last Friday we posted a recipe for Brazil nut turron, one of my favorite cakes. When I made it a few days ago, I was left with a few cups of spare nuts, and I immediately started brainstorming recipes, because I never like to throw or waste food. Brazil nuts are also quite expensive in [...]

Peru Delights

05/17/2013 11:35 AM

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Brazil Nut Turrón

We call this cake turrón although it has nothing in common with the Spanish turrón, or the Italian torrone or nougat. This very sweet cake can have either a chewy or a crunchy texture, depending on how finely or coarsely grated the Brazil nuts are. As you can see in the photos below, I grated them so [...]

Peru Delights

05/15/2013 04:52 PM

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ámaZ – Vibrant jungle in the city

As soon as I entered this restaurant, my senses were transported to the lush Amazon, full of vibrant smells and colors, with the sound of cumbia on the background. ámaZ is beautiful and, like everything touched by the hands of Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, it is refreshingly unique. An upscale Amazonian restaurant has been lacking in Lima for far too long, and no one [...]

Peru Delights

05/13/2013 02:34 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Vegetarian Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo is a dish prevalent in many Latin American kitchens, and Peru is not the exception. I have seen countless versions of this entree, simply called “rice with chicken“, in Latin cookbooks, restaurants, and websites. But I have to confess that when I stumble upon non-Peruvian arroz con pollo recipes, I immediately lose interest. For [...]

Peru Delights

05/11/2013 01:11 PM

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Pamper your mom with these mini-voladores

Light, fragile, sweet, and pretty… these voladores are the mini version of the traditional volador, a dessert popular in Lima for more than a hundred years. The trick to make the best one is to roll the dough until very thin, -almost transparent-, and then prick it all over with the tines of a [...]

Peru Delights

05/09/2013 07:04 PM

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#MoscatoDay – How to pair Peruvian dishes with Moscato.

If you read our bios page you will find out that half of the Peru Delight’s team (ie. my mother) is not only a professional chef, but also a wine expert. She spent many months studying vines, grapes, wines, and everything inbetween, and tasting and pairing them with food. After graduation from the course, she [...]

Peru Delights

05/06/2013 03:34 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Baked Tamalito Verde with Cheese

I wish I could describe in a few words how delicious and comforting this pudding is to me. I call it “pudding“, because even though this recipe is very similar to the one used for tamalitos verdes, it is baked in a pyrex just like a pudding. Cooking it this way is easier and faster than making traditional tamalitos. [...]

Peru Delights

05/03/2013 02:38 PM

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Arroz Zambito – Rice pudding kissed by the sun

Lima has always been a place to enjoy all kinds of extremely sweet desserts, most of them created during colonial times, when nuns spent their days at the cloisters preparing sweets and other delicacies. even back then, two rice puddings were -and still are- very famous. One is the ubiquitous arroz con leche, white and creamy, [...]

Peru Delights

05/01/2013 04:57 PM

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Pan con Pejerrey (breaded smelt sandwich)

Pejerrey -smelt- is a small silver fish (about 6-inches long) easily caught in the cold waters of the Peruvian coast, and I think of it as a poor man´s delicacy. Full of flavor and nutrients, it is used in many recipes, from cebiches to sandwiches like this one, which in Peru we call “pan con pejerrey”. [...]

Peru Delights

04/29/2013 02:45 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Green Split Pea Tacu Tacu with Fried Bizcochito Bananas

In Peru, when when you hear the word tacu tacu, it’s referring to a traditional dish that is hearty enough to satisfy not only a craving but a good appetite. Usually made with leftover canary beans, it is also commonly prepared with any other kind of beans, such as lentils, garbanzo beans, or split peas, like I did today. [...]

Peru Delights

04/26/2013 02:33 PM

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Guargüeros – Fried napkins filled with dulce de leche

These beautiful sweets are one of my birthday-table favorites, along with alfajores, mana, bolitas de nuez,melcochas de chocolate, yemecillas, encanelados, and many other lovely sugar confections. In Lima, you can find them in many bakeries, grocery stores and coffee shops, but there is something rewarding -and relaxing- about making them with your own hands. [...]

Peru Delights

04/24/2013 11:04 AM

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Ají de Gallina tartlets – Old fashioned glamour on your table

Years ago, these lovely tartlets -or hojarascas as we call them in Peru- were ever present at the hors d´oeuvre table in every cocktail or dinner party. Despite being so popular in the past, they were eventually relegated to the old fashioned department, as more chic and sophisticated nibbles became in vogue and replaced them. [...]

Peru Delights

04/22/2013 05:53 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Shake it up with a banana smoothie

Batido de platano (banana shake) is something we all take for granted back home. It wasn’t until I moved abroad that I realized people’s morning ritual didn’t necessarily include this drink. This was also the case with the fresh orange and papaya juice that is so common in Peruvian breakfast tables, but apparently not so [...]

Peru Delights

04/19/2013 06:05 PM

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#SweetFridays – Carob (Algarrobina) Crème Brûlée

The classic and velvety French dessert known as crème brûlèe has been reinvented as many times as pastry chefs are in the world. My first attempt at preparing it was when I was in culinary school, and my friend Elena and I ventured into making an exotic passion fruit-flavored crème baked inside the fruit. Even though [...]

Peru Delights

04/17/2013 05:19 PM

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Happy Anniversary to us – It’s the wonderful twos!

Can you believe Peru Delights is 2 years old? We can’t! Only when we go back and see all the recipes and articles we’ve put out week after week do we realize we’ve been doing this blog for such a long time. It’s an amazing feeling to see that our material is starting to look [...]

Peru Delights

04/15/2013 05:30 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – How to make a vegan Causa

As many of you know, causa is a very traditional dish from the coast of Peru, and one of our personal darlings here at Peru Delights. We have shared a few causa recipes in the past, including our home’s all time favorite tuna causa, which is famous amongst our family and friends. That causa has [...]

Peru Delights

04/10/2013 03:05 PM

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Lomo Saltado Tacos – Mexican & Peruvian fusion

As I spend a lot of time in the US, where tacos are one of the most prevalent foods, I started wondering a while ago if any Peruvian dish would make a great taco. Thinking about this, it suddenly came to me that lomo saltado, our scrumptious beef stir-fry of Chinese origin, would make a marriage [...]

Peru Delights

04/08/2013 04:13 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Pasta with Huancaina Sauce

Huancaina sauce, the cheesy and spicy cream that serves as the topping for the traditional Papa a la Huancaina, is one of those culinary tokens that enhance almost any savory dish. Similar to Salsa Criolla, in Peru we use this sauce, which is famously perfumed and colored with the one and only aji amarillo from the [...]

Peru Delights

04/05/2013 05:13 PM

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#SweetFridays – Figs brûlée

I’m still in Peru, and still trying to make the most of the last batch of summer ingredients, so today I made yet another fig dessert to savor this weekend. Who doesn’t love crème brûlée? Well, now you don’t have to worry about making the cream, or eating too much sugar, because except for the [...]

Peru Delights

04/03/2013 02:46 PM

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Chicken Cau Cau

Cau cau is a traditional stew made with tripe. Luckily for me, as I’m not that crazy about eating innards, it can also be made with chicken or seafood. If using tripe, it should be cooked with a little milk to bring down its strong taste. Some historians say that cau cau has its roots [...]

Peru Delights

04/01/2013 03:56 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Gnocchi with Seco sauce

Throughout my years as a vegetarian, many friends have shared with me their failed attempts at becoming veggie, too tempted by the piercing smell of a BBQ, a pollo a la brasa, and the likes. But there was never any of that in my experience, because I thankfully got all the support I could’ve wished [...]

Peru Delights

03/29/2013 02:24 PM

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#SweetFridays – Lucuma frozen mousse

Peruvians adore lucumas. These fruits are the epitome of desserts in our country, and they are used in countless recipes, from milkshakes to cheesecakes, mousses and ice creams, etc. Nowadays, some chefs are even making tasty savory sauces with them. This superfood has everything we would ask for: a sweet, earthy flavor that is completely unique, [...]

Peru Delights

03/27/2013 04:06 PM

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Shrimp cocktail with avocado and Golf sauce – A timeless appetizer

How could I ever forget the many times I enjoyed a shrimp cocktail in Lima’s restaurants? Light, healthy, beautiful, and of course delicious, this appetizer has always been one of my favorite things to order when I’m in town. The creaminess of the avocado, the silkiness of the colorful sauce, and the freshly caught and [...]

Peru Delights

03/25/2013 05:41 PM

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Fig Terrine – a favorite summer dessert

There is more than one reason why I love this dessert so much. One of them is that this fig terrine is one of my son´s favorite summer desserts, what makes it truly special for me. But it is also a dish full of ripe and juicy figs and no cooking is involved other than the preparation of the custard -or crème anglaise-, but [...]

Peru Delights

03/22/2013 06:26 PM

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#SweetFridays – Melcochas de chocolate con coco (gooey chocolate and coconut balls)

I have always been a bit suspicious of people who don’t like chocolate. My mind can’t completely grasp how anyone’s taste buds would say no to that glorious taste. I myself am a self professed chocolate addict, and a day hardly goes by without my body demanding its cocoa fix. This week we already posted [...]

Peru Delights

03/20/2013 06:46 PM

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Pescado al olivo (fish with black olive sauce) – A dish for Good Friday

Years ago I found a recipe that proclaimed itself as the perfect dish for Good Friday. It consisted of a lightly poached fish served with a delicious black olive sauce, just like the one used for octopus in black olive sauce -pulpo al olivo, in Spanish. That was my inspiration for lunch today, since we are still in [...]

Peru Delights

03/20/2013 06:46 PM

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Fish with Black Olive Sauce – A dish for Good Friday

Years ago I read the perfect recipe for Good Friday. It had lightly poached fish and was served with a delicious black olive sauce, just like the one used for octopus in black olive sauce -pulpo al olivo, in Spanish. That was my inspiration for this delightful dish, only that I pan fried the fish fillets and added a flavorful [...]

Peru Delights

03/18/2013 03:43 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Lemon pie, an American classic

This pie is an American classic, but in Peru we adopted it as our own a long time ago and don´t want to give it back. Saying that it’s one of the country’s favorite desserts is not an exaggeration, and the main difference with the original recipe is that we make it with Peruvian limes -not lemons-, small, intensely green, [...]

Peru Delights

03/13/2013 04:53 PM

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de Porres turns one: A year of pairing our Peruvian table

Guest post by Danielle Bell. Nearly one year ago to this date my boyfriend Pablo and I began de Porres. Our idea was to host a monthly dinner party with dishes influenced by his native Peru and desserts inspired my American South, for the intellectually and gastronomically curious. Having cooked for one another often, we [...]

Peru Delights

03/12/2013 05:19 PM

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Sachatomate or Tamarillo. From Peru to the world

It´s name means “tree tomato” in Quechua, but in other parts of the world its known as Tamarillo. Its texture and flavor are similar to the tomato’s. There are a few varieties and we enjoy them in spicy sauces, desserts, compotes, etc. They can be eaten raw or cooked.

Peru Delights

03/11/2013 12:24 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Chupe de ollucos, a very special soup

Last week we posted a recipe for chupe de camarones, one of the most flamboyant dishes of our varied gastronomy. The sturdy and colorful soup, that is prone to put you to sleep, was born in Arequipa, but its fame has grown so much that you can find it in every traditional restaurant, and in [...]

Peru Delights

03/08/2013 05:04 PM

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#SweetFridays – Easiest quinoa chocolate muffins ever

When the week is coming to an end, the last thing I want is to spend a long time in the kitchen. But this sometimes clashes with my strong desire to eat dessert! The result is I usually go to one of my favorite pastry shops in town (either in Lima or New York), and [...]

Peru Delights

03/06/2013 05:32 PM

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Pollo al Sillao (Roast chicken with soy sauce) – Kickin up the flavor

When my children were very young, and I spent a lot of time experimenting and playing in the kitchen, this was one of my favorite dishes: roasted chicken thighs with soy sauce, garlic and ginger, served with roasted sweet potatos and fluffy white rice to mop up the flavorful juices. The sweet potatoes were very easy to [...]

Peru Delights

03/04/2013 03:08 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Cauche de queso, an unforgettable appetizer

Potatoes and cheese. Is there a simpler combination of ingredients that is as satisfying on every possible level as this? Everyone may think Cebiche is the most popular dish in Peru, but I say that is debatable. When it comes to comfort food, our native potatoes, accompanied by a big slice of Andean (and in [...]

Peru Delights

03/01/2013 02:29 PM

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#SweetFridays – Dried corn humitas (humitas de mote)

If you read our blog last week, you’ll remember we posted a recipe for Champus, a mazamorra-like dessert, traditionally served hot during cold winter months in Lima. This dessert is very simple, except for the unexpected addition of an ingredient that is widely popular in the Andes, called mote. Mote is nothing more than shelled [...]

Peru Delights

02/27/2013 11:36 AM

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Chupe de camarones (Shrimp chupe) – Our champion soup

Soups were revered by ancient Peruvians, who cooked several kinds of them. Of these, one of the most popular and tasty were-and still are- chupes: thick soups, with potatoes and legumes. Rokros, mostly made with vegetables, were very thick, and it is believed that the famous locro is a derivation of this type of soups. [...]

Peru Delights

02/26/2013 04:21 PM

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Sweet Pepino – Refreshingly unique

This fruit has been around in our country for more than 6000 years. Can you believe how old it is? It´s very sweet and juicy, and behind all that sweetness it has a semi-neutral flavor that is hard to identify. In Peru, other than pepino dulce (sweet cucumber) it has a funny nickname: “Mata-Serrano“ which means “killer [...]

Peru Delights

02/25/2013 02:39 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Chicha Morada Paletas

I don’t think we have a name for paletas in Peru. Either we call the commercial ones by their brand name, like D’onofrio’s “BeBe,”or we use something more general like helado de agua (water ice cream). However, when our friend Ericka Sanchez from Nibbles and Feasts asked us if we had a paleta recipe, we [...]

Peru Delights

02/22/2013 02:59 PM

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#SweetFridays – Champus, a fruity dessert to feel good about

If you ever feel like making a very light, low-fat dessert that is also good for you, you may want to try a delicious, fruit-filled champuz or champus. This traditional dessert from Lima, that has a funny name that makes one think of shampoo (no idea where the name comes from), was originally prepared as [...]

Peru Delights

02/20/2013 12:36 PM

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Jalea de mariscos – A perfect lunch to enjoy during Lent

Even though this is not an official Lent dish, it has all the requirements to be one of the favorites of the season because it is made with none of the “forbidden” foods; just a mixture of fish and seafood (octopus, shrimp, squid, scallops, etc), with the addition of chifles (thinly sliced and fried plantains). [...]

Peru Delights

02/19/2013 05:22 PM

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Sacha Inchi, Peru’s super nut.

It is very similar to a peanut and can be eaten as it is or in the form of oil. The oil is like a magic potion for the body, and it´s considered one of the world’s most powerful super foods because of its high levels of antioxidants and essential fats. One tablespoon daily in [...]

Peru Delights

02/18/2013 02:20 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Let thy food be thy medicine with this tasty artichoke tart

Artichokes are not only beautiful and complex on the outside, but they are also filled with deep inner beauty in the form of nutrition. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this, is the way Amelia, our cook, used to save the water in which she boiled artichokes, and drink it [...]

Peru Delights

02/15/2013 10:11 AM

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Passion fruit mousse – A no-bake dessert full of sweet passion

Since passion has been on our minds these past few days, especially yesterday, on Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t stop thinking of one of my favorite desserts: passion fruit mousse. Known as maracuya in Peru, passion fruit is one of those wonderfully versatile fruits with countless mouthwatering uses. Maracuyá is used to make juice, ice cream, [...]

Peru Delights

02/11/2013 12:21 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Pepian de Choclo (Corn, chili, and cilantro stew)

As you may have realized, in Peru we eat a lot of stews, and we also eat a lot of tamales. If you want to imagine a dish that will certainly please the Peruvian palate, put a tamale and a stew together, and there you have it. Its name: Pepian de Choclo. This recipe is [...]

Peru Delights

02/08/2013 03:39 PM

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Welcoming the Year of the Snake with Tallarin Saltado (Stir-fried noodles)

We are welcoming the Year of the Snake in the Chinese Horoscope, by banqueting on one of our favorite foods: Chifa. This kind of cuisine is craved throughout Peru, and is a varied and intensely flavored expression of Peruvian and Chinese fusion. The usual way of eating it is ordering many dishes to share, and [...]

Peru Delights

02/07/2013 03:37 PM

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Ají Mirasol – Kissed by the sun

Aji Mirasol is a sun-dried chili pepper with a unique flavor and intensity. It’s less floral and citric than fresh chili peppers, and has a more complex and concentrated taste. The best thing about it is that the drying process makes it lightweight and gives it a long shelf life, keeping its piquancy for many [...]

Peru Delights

02/06/2013 03:51 PM

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Caiguas rellenas -Caiguas filled with beef, raisins and olives

They have a long story in our country, so long that in pre-Colombian ceramics there are many evidences of the time caiguas have been around in Peru. You can spell the name as caigua, caihua, cayhua, and many other ways. But they are also known in several other countries with different names, like pepino, and [...]

Peru Delights

02/05/2013 04:08 PM

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Papa seca – Dried potatoes

Drying potatoes is an ancient way used to this day in Peru to preserve these crop. To do it, potatoes are first cooked in boiling water, drained, peeled, and cut in medium dices or thin sticks. Then these pieces are sun-dried until they lose all their moisture and look like small crystals. After this process, [...]

Peru Delights

02/04/2013 04:04 PM

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#MeatlessMondays – Grandma`s “Russian Salad”

Let me start by telling you that this is not my actual grandmother´s recipe. I gave it that name because I found it in one of my mom´s cookbooks, called “La Cocina de la Abuela“ (grandma´s kitchen). Throughout the years, I´ve tried several recipes from that book, and always liked them, so when I was [...]

Peru Delights

02/02/2013 12:25 PM

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10 new ways to enjoy a Pisco Sour

It’s Pisco Sour Day again, and to celebrate we’ve made a compilation of our favorite Pisco Sour creations that have been going around the web lately. We love it when people get creative with our favorite national drink, and we hope you find in them new fun and delicious ways to enjoy your Pisco. Here’s [...]

	Peru Delights
	Peru Delights is a loving tribute to the intoxicating flavors, colors and aromas of Peruvian cuisine. Every Peruvian is a foodie at heart, and we would love to share with you our most mouthwatering dishes. Here you will find recipes, book & restaurant reviews, interviews, videos, ingredients, & much more. Enjoy!

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