Can I just say, Yum!
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| Me and Patty getting ready to compete in the upcoming, "Whose the next Foodnetwork Star?" |
So, while I hate the day to day, "what's for dinner" type cooking, I love the cooking experience when I get to make something new or make something taste bud popping. It doesn't get much better than a personal cooking lesson on an authentic dish from Peru from someone who grew up there! Thank you Patty for showing me how to put a little passion into a meal and for loving garlic as much as I do.
We first went to Rancho Market to get our food. I've never been there and loved it. Did you know you could get 10 pounds of oranges for a dollar (on special)? Who knew. And, the small bunches of cilantro I get at the local grocery store are anemic compared to the bunch I collected here for the same price. You can even get a crunchy churro rolled in cinnamon in the back to quiet little kids or loud gringos (me). Trust me, I'll be back again!
The food was great, but the company and conversation was even better. I loved watching Patty throw in a handful of this and a smack of that (all just a teaspoon or so).
She learned how to make this dish from her mother who still lives in Peru. She would cook it over open flames in earthenware they made. What a rich, full-sensory experience she must have had. I can only imagine how beautiful it was to feel the heat of the fire, to smell the aromas of heavy garlic and freshly ground cumin, to watch the stew simmer as the flames licked the side of the pan, and sit stirring with the sounds of the village swirling around.
Since most of the recipe was a little here and a lot there, I doubt I'll ever be able to duplicate it. But, I'll have fun trying and every time I taste it I'll smile as I think of Patty laughing.
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