Arequipa: Food

The first thing to note about Peruvian food is that they eat potatoes with everything.
This was my favorite photo from the trip.


There are amazing markets filled with people and smells and wonderful colors where you can pick out your meats and produce and grains. It's nice to be so close to where your food comes from. to be more connected to the people who harvest it, and to see it in such a raw state (picture chickens with heads and feet, and fish laying unskinned). We had a challenge to go to the market and get everything we need to make the kids a traditional american meal. We made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies, and apple pie. It was quite the experience.



Here are some traditional Peruvian Recipes we ate while there:
Lomo Saltado
1 lb. tenderloin
2 onions, sliced in strips
2 tomatoes, peeled and cut into lg. pieces
1 hot pepper, cleaned and cut in strips
1 lb French-fried potatoes
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut heat into small pieces or strips and brown in oil. Add remaining ingredients and cook until tender. Serve with rice.

Arroz Verde con Pollo
I ate this for breakfast made by some chatchawan women overlooking coca canyon.
8 pieces skinless chicken
salt and pepper
1/2 cup oil
1 big red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, blended in a food processor with a little water
1/2 cup Guinness stout or lager beer
2 bell peppers, sliced for added color (1 red and 1 green or or yellow. This is optional)
3 cups rice
1 cup mix peas
2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1.Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Fry in oil until golden brown and remove from fire. Leave to cool.

2.In the same oil, saute the chopped garlic, onion, bell peppers and cilantro.

3.Add the chicken and stir for 2 - 3 minutes. Add beer and simmer for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked.

4. Add the rice and mixed peas. Mix well for a couple of minutes. Add chicken stock (salt if needed) and simmer for another 20 minutes or until rice is cooked and slightly burnt at the bottom.


I'm sorry I haven't posted anything about Peru, it has kind of been a lot to process especially since I came home sick, and am still recovering. I figured I'd start somewhere simple.