10/24 A taste of Peru: From the Andes to the Pacific

A taste of Peru: From the Andes to the Pacific 

Saturday October 24th, 6:30 to 10:00PM

Chef Jeanine Kelly

Get ready for a delicious journey through one of the most diverse and exciting food cultures in the world. Peruvian cuisine is a beautiful meeting place of ancient Andean traditions, Indigenous ingredients, Spanish influences, African cooking, and the flavors brought by Chinese and Japanese immigrants. The result is food that is incredibly layered—bright, spicy, fresh, savory, and deeply comforting.

This menu takes us from the Pacific coast to the Andes and into Peru's vibrant criollo cooking tradition, with a little Chinese-Peruvian influence along the way.

We'll begin with Ceviche Clásico, Peru's iconic raw-fish dish, where fresh white fish is transformed by lime juice, ají amarillo, red onion, and cilantro. We'll talk about the fascinating chemistry of "curing" fish with acid—and why the tiger's milk, or leche de tigre, left behind is considered almost as important as the fish itself. Sweet potato and Peruvian choclo provide a wonderful contrast to the bright, spicy ceviche.

Then we'll move to Papa a la Huancaína, a perfect example of Peru's love affair with the potato. Peru is home to thousands of varieties of potatoes, many developed over thousands of years by Andean farmers. Potatoes are naturally rich in potassium, vitamin C, and carbohydrates for energy, while the ají amarillo brings both beautiful color and a gentle chile heat.

Tacu Tacu takes humble ingredients—beans and rice—and turns them into something completely irresistible. The combination provides fiber, plant protein, and complex carbohydrates, while pan-frying creates that wonderful crisp exterior. It's also a great lesson in the Peruvian tradition of making something delicious from what is already in the kitchen.

Our main course, Lomo Saltado, takes us in an entirely different direction. This sizzling combination of beef, tomatoes, red onion, soy sauce, vinegar, and French fries is a classic example of chifa, Peru's Chinese-Peruvian cuisine. Chinese immigrants began arriving in Peru in the 19th century, and their wok cooking techniques became woven into Peruvian food culture. The result? One of the world's great culinary mash-ups: a stir-fry served with French fries and rice!

We'll also explore Locro de Zapallo, a comforting Andean pumpkin and potato stew. Pumpkin and other squash were important crops in the Americas long before European arrival. Here, they're combined with ají amarillo, potatoes, milk, herbs, and queso fresco. It's a wonderful example of how Peruvian cooking can be simultaneously simple, nourishing, and incredibly flavorful.

And we'll finish with Suspiro de Limeña, one of Peru's most famous desserts. This silky dulce de leche-style custard topped with port-infused meringue is as dramatic as its name—“the sigh of a woman from Lima.” It's rich and indulgent, but served in small individual glasses, making the perfect finale to our feast.

A few things we'll discover along the way:

Ají amarillo — One of Peru's signature chiles, prized as much for its fruity flavor and brilliant golden color as for its heat.

The potato's Peruvian roots — The Andes are one of the world's great centers of potato diversity, and potatoes remain fundamental to Peruvian cooking.

Ceviche & food chemistry — Lime juice changes the proteins in fish, creating the opaque, firm texture associated with ceviche. It doesn't make raw fish equivalent to fish cooked with heat, however, which is why proper fish handling and freshness matter.

Beans + rice — This classic pairing brings together complementary plant proteins along with fiber and satisfying complex carbohydrates.

The wok meets Peru — Lomo Saltado is a delicious reminder that food cultures evolve through migration and exchange. High-heat wok cooking became part of Peru's culinary identity rather than remaining separate from it.

Color is nutrition — Peru's native ingredients bring an extraordinary palette to the table: golden ají amarillo, orange squash, purple and yellow potatoes, red onions, green herbs, and brightly colored corn. Those colors often signal different phytonutrients and antioxidants.

And perhaps the biggest lesson: Peruvian food doesn't fit neatly into one category. It is Andean, coastal, criollo, Indigenous, European, African, Chinese, and Japanese—all at once. Tonight's menu is a chance to taste that history, one dish at a time.