Back in the USA, they are called guinea pigs and kept as pets. Here they are called cuy and are a gourmet feast most often served for special occasions and celebrations. We were invited to a special cuy dinner by Gloria, Evelyn’s Spanish teacher, last night for a night of feasting, music… and Spanish. Only one member of the […]
Learning To Cook Italian in Cuenca
For the last three weeks I have been taking Italian cooking classes at a restaurant a little over a block from our condo. I am still amazed whenever I process that sentence — I have never lived somewhere with a good restaurant only a block away (let alone the 20 or so we now have), […]
[Recipe] Sirloin Steak
Ecuador has lots of good food, but beef is rarely listed as a favorite. It tends to be tough, and since BBQ’s are rare, we can’t cook it our favorite way. We therefore mostly do without steak. I recently discovered a way to make delicious tender sirloin steak though. Obviously, you want to start […]
[Recipe] Chicken Tetrazini
This is a pasta dish that Evelyn used to make in California using the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas. When I started cooking, this is one of the recipes I got her to teach me. Of course, I made a few modifications in the subsequent years. For one thing, I no longer wait until […]
[Recipe] Locra Papa
“Locra” means “thick soup”, so one should never say “Locra Papa Soup.” Rather, it is simply “Locra Papa — the best soup you’ve ever tasted!” ☺ On May 23, I published a blog entry talking about a cooking class I took at La Warmi for locra papa. I promised I would post the recipe once […]
[Recipe] Eggs Benedict
A favorite Sunday brunch indulgence of ours is eggs Benedict. We haven’t found a good one here in Cuenca, so I decided to give it a try. I was surprised by just how easy it is to make. Of course, it has enough calories and fat that we will still hold it back for special […]
Locra Papa with La Warmi
Locra Papa is an Ecuadorian specialty that Evelyn loves when done well. La Warmi held a cooking class this morning in which they taught how to make it, along with a chicken and hearts-of-palm salad. I decided to go and see if I could learn anything useful. I ended up eating the absolute best locra […]
[Recipe] Pasta With Spicy Shrimp
I had lunch with a local restaurant owner last week, and took the opportunity to ask him where he buys meat and seafood. I mentioned that I had bought some shrimp for paella from the local mercado, and he immediately piped in “I’ll bet it was bland, soggy and tasteless, right?” And yes, he was […]
[Recipe] Key Lime Pie
A couple days ago I posted my recipe for a graham cracker crust (using honey bran cookies). This key lime pie is what I use that crust for. My sister-in-law (Pauline) gave me a “4 ingredient cookbook” as a joke gift for Christmas 2002. Never having successfully done more than boil water before then, I […]
[Recipe] Graham Cracker Crust
It is not possible to purchase pre-made graham cracker crusts in Ecuador, which leads us to learn how to make our own. In the process, I discovered that mine taste one heck of a lot better than those store-bought ones, so I am glad to have been forced into this. Since graham crackers are unknown […]