Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 pound unpeeled medium shrimp
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (or 1 tsp. aji amarillo paste, if available)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Dash Tabasco sauce
• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 small head green cabbage (about 1 1/4 pounds), chopped (about 1 quart)
• 1 pound baking potatoes (about 2), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 4 ears of corn, halved
• 2 quarts water (or seafood stock)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Preparation

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the shrimp and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are pink and firm, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel them and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, cayenne, paprika (or aji amarillo), cumin, oregano, and another teaspoon of the salt to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the Tabasco, squash, cabbage, potatoes, corn, and water to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the peeled shrimp, the remaining teaspoon of salt, and the peas, if using. Cook until the shrimp are just heated through, about 2 minutes.

Food & Wine, tweaked

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) dried yellow potatoes (amber in color)
• 3 tbsp. butter or oil
• 1 red onion, chopped finely
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• pepper (to taste)
• cumin (to taste)
• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) pork (shoulder or belly), cubed
• 1/2 kg. (~1 lb.) chicken, cubed
• 2 tbsp. aji panca paste (or much less of rocoto paste)
• 1 tbsp. aji amarillo paste
• 2 small cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp. port
• 2 tbsp. Pisco [CP: can sub tequila, in a pinch]
• 1/2 c. unsalted, roasted peanuts, ground medium-fine in a spice grinder
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 6 butter or vanilla cookies, crushed
• 1 piece dark chocolate (or drinking chocolate), grated

If you don’t have aji panca paste, it is much milder than either aji amarillo or rocoto; for instance, a good replacement for 1 tbsp. aji amarillo + 2 tbsp. aji panca is around 1 1/2 tbsp. aji amarillo, or perhaps 2 tbsp. for a spicier dish. (I haven’t tried the rocoto substitution yet.)

Preparation

Wipe off the dried potatoes with a damp cloth, and toast them in a pan without oil for several minutes until they change to a dark golden color. Cover them with water and let stand overnight (or at least two hours). Drain, and wash them several times, until the water runs clear.

Fry the red onion in the oil/butter, until it is almost golden. Add the garlic, pepper, cumin, pork, chicken, aji pastes, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Let all brown and then cover with water and cook for around 10 minutes. Add the drained dried potatoes and boil until the potatoes are almost tender, about 40-60 minutes.

Add the port, Pisco, peanuts, broth, and butter/vanilla cookies (in pieces small enough that they dissolve when cooked). Cook for 15 or 20 minutes over a low heat. Stir occasionally until the potatoes are cooked. Add the chocolate, and let stand before serving. Serve with white rice.

Translated by me from Bibliotecas Virtuales

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. quinoa
• 2 1/2 c. water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3/4 tbsp. aji amarillo paste
• 2 tbsp. “Delicioso adobo” (follows)
• 3 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp. of olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• salt to taste

Delicioso adobo

• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder or flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon achiote powder (ground annato)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt

Preparation

Rinse the quinoa well and dry it in a colander. Put it in a medium saucepan, add the water and cook for 20 minutes or until the quinoa starts to pop. Drain it. Put the oil and butter in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until the onion is transparent, 5-7 minutes. dd the aji amarillo paste, the “Delicioso adobo,” the parsley (save a bit for garnish), and salt to taste. Add the drained quinoa and mix completely. Serve hot with the rest of the parsley sprinkled on top.

Ingrid Hoffman, Delta Sky Magazine (trans. from Spanish)

Ingredients

• 1 part fresh lime juice
• 3 parts pisco
• ice
• sugar to taste (less than one part)
• 1 tsp. egg white
• Angostura bitters

Preparation

Combine lime and pisco in a blender. Add sugar to taste. Add plenty of ice and blend (or, alternately, shake and strain, with the egg white). Spoon in egg white and blend again. Serve immediately in highball or rocks glasses. Add a drop of bitters to the top for decoration.

Lonely Planet Peru

Ingredients

• 7 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2-3 cups of water

Preparation

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of the water.

Add the flour, salt, brown sugar, and melted butter to the bowl of a standing mixer, or to a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix ingredients lightly.

While stirring, gradually add the 1 cup of water with the dissolved yeast. Add a second cup of water gradually, mixing dough at the same time. Continue to add small amounts of water, until the dough comes together and can be kneaded.

Knead dough vigorously (with dough hook attachment if using a standing mixer) until it is smooth and stretchy and does not stick to the counter or bowl. Add more water as necessary if dough seems dry. It should take about 8 minutes to knead the dough in a mixer, and about 20 minutes by hand.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until double in bulk (or overnight in the refrigerator).

Divide dough into 16-18 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven.

Flatten each ball into a circle on the counter (you can work with half of the balls at a time if you don’t have much space). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough circles into flat, 6-inch diameter (approximate) circles. Let dough circles rest for 5 minutes, so the gluten can relax slightly.

Using a dough scraper or knife, firmly score a triangle in the circle of dough. Roll the edges of the circle in towards the lines of the triangle and press edges down slightly. You should have a triangle piece of dough with raised edges. Repeat with remaining circles of dough.

Place triangles onto a baking sheet (or directly onto the pizza stone, if using) and place into the oven, throwing some ice cubes onto the floor of the oven at the same time to create steam.

Bake breads (in batches if necessary) for about 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown on the edges.

Remove from oven and let cool. Serve warm with butter.