Last week I took three cooking classes from Maite Eusebio, here in Cuenca. She is Peruvian-born, and her recipes are highly influenced by that origin. She has been living in Ecuador with her artist husband, Alberto Soriano since the 1970’s. Alberto has been Evelyn’s art instructor since we arrived here. There was an interesting article […]
[Recipe] Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
This is our new favorite appetizer for when friends come over. It is SO delicious that everyone who has had it raves about it. Since it combines three of my favorite treats — bacon, shrimp and jalapenos — it had to be a hit! 🙂 There are two parts to this recipe. First, we’ll make […]
[Recipe] Apple Pie
Yesterday we saw how I make a dough-based pie crust for fruit pies. Today we will make the pie itself. After a few spectacular failures, I finally have this down to a process that comes out delicious every time. [Recipe] Apple Pie Recipe Type: Desert Author: Burt Johnson Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 […]
[Recipe] Pie Crust (dough)
It has been awhile since I have posted any recipes. There have been a lot of new recipes developed over the past few months, so let’s try to catch up. I have been particularly busy working with recipes for desert and appetizers, so we will start with what has become a favorite of dinner guests […]
[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 […]
[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 […]