{"product_id":"10-24-a-taste-of-peru-from-the-andes-to-the-pacific","title":"10\/24 A taste of Peru: From the Andes to the Pacific","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(132, 130, 11);\"\u003eA taste of Peru: From the Andes to the Pacific \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaturday October 24th, 6:30 to 10:00PM\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChef Jeanine Kelly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eGet 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eWe'll begin with \u003cstrong\u003eCeviche Clásico\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eThen we'll move to \u003cstrong\u003ePapa a la Huancaína\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTacu Tacu\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eOur main course, \u003cstrong\u003eLomo Saltado\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003echifa, 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:\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003ea stir-fry served with French fries and rice!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eWe'll also explore \u003cstrong\u003eLocro de Zapallo\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003esimple, nourishing, and incredibly flavorful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eAnd we'll finish with \u003cstrong\u003eSuspiro de Limeña\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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—\u003cem\u003e“the sigh of a woman from Lima.”\u003c\/em\u003e It's rich and indulgent, but served in small individual glasses, making the perfect finale to our feast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eA few things we'll discover along the way:\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAjí amarillo\u003c\/strong\u003e — One of Peru's signature chiles, prized as much for its fruity flavor and brilliant golden color as for its heat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe potato's Peruvian roots\u003c\/strong\u003e — The Andes are one of the world's great centers of potato diversity, and potatoes remain fundamental to Peruvian cooking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCeviche \u0026amp; food chemistry\u003c\/strong\u003e — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeans + rice\u003c\/strong\u003e — This classic pairing brings together complementary plant proteins along with fiber and satisfying complex carbohydrates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe wok meets Peru\u003c\/strong\u003e — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColor is nutrition\u003c\/strong\u003e — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnd perhaps the biggest lesson:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chef Jeanine Kelly","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41660703309882,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0235\/8867\/files\/Peru.jpg?v=1789697183","url":"https:\/\/www.weekendkitchenct.com\/products\/10-24-a-taste-of-peru-from-the-andes-to-the-pacific","provider":"weekend kitchen","version":"1.0","type":"link"}