Cooking in Cusco

It's always a highlight sharing favourite places with family and friends, and we have certainly enjoyed spending a few weeks with Sophie in Cusco and more recently with Tish and Al. But today's outing, organised by Tish, was a new one for me as well as Tish and her friends.  A cooking class - Peruvian style.

Living in a household with several Peruvians for a number of weeks, watching and assisting in food preparation, as well as eating out rather frequently, I have become familiar with a number of Peruvian dishes and styles of cooking.  However, this was so much more than a cooking lesson - it was a market shopping experience with tastings and explanations, a culture lesson and history lesson as well.  It was interesting, informative and above all, thoroughly entertaining.

Tish found a couple of options for cooking classes in Cusco, booked one only to have them cancel the morning of the class.  So at short notice she booked the alternative - a cooking class with the owner himself of a very nice restaurant in Cusco. Apparently he doesn't usually do cooking classes, and the last one he did a few weeks ago was with a BBC team doing a story on Peruvian cuisine.  We were very privileged indeed.  Eric from Marcelo Batata restaurant is an excellent ambassador for Peruvian cuisine and an interesting and entertaining guy.  We had an amazing afternoon...

The afternoon began at mid-day, with a hostel pick up then off to the local market (Mercado Wanchaq) to get supplies as well as find out more about Peruvian produce.  Straight away it was obvious that Eric knows his stuff - just wish I could remember all the facts and figures about produce.

Apparently Peru has very diverse climates - in fact 28 of the 32 world climates so they are able to produce a huge variety of foodstuff. At the market we tasted several fruits, some common ones like kiwi fruit, pears and custard apple (cherimoya) which is native to Peru, as well as some Peruvian delicacies like lucama  and tumbo - a type of passionfruit.

Tumbo

Lucama

We looked at some of the thousands of varieties of potatoes, as well as dried potatoes, grains, cheeses, vegetables and spices - particularly aji (chilli). I've noticed that many of the sauces and spice mixtures are made from fresh ingredients more frequently that what I would do at home.  What a great opportunity to ask all those questions I'd been storing up.  Awesome.

After a couple of hours in the market we headed back to the restaurant where a large table was set with cutting boards, plates sharp knives etc.  We were going to be working right in the middle of the restaurant and other diners.  But our first item on the menu was to take place at the bar, not the table.

We were shown how to make 2 different drinks with Peru's national drink - Pisco.   And of course we got to make our own drink of choice.  Delicious!! Eric has been experimenting with Pisco infusions - adding other ingredients to Pisco.  The chilli infusion was amazing - spicy!!

Time to start preparing our entree - Causa limeña de Pollo. Following Eric's instructions, our entrees all looked pretty good.

I loved the part where we picked up our plates and drinks and simply moved to another table to eat, leaving restaurant staff to clean up our preparation tables.  Magic!!!

We didn't start preparing our main course - Alpaca Saltado until about 4.30  Time flies when you're having fun!!  More chopping - and Eric was very particular about the shapes of the items.

and a drink for the cook ...  Passionfruit Sour with mint and basil.  Delicious!!!

Only the outside pieces of the onions were used - they have the best shape and look good on the plate.  Mmmmm.   Alpaca tenderloin was diced into fairly large pieces so they wouldn't overcook and dry out - there was a reason for everything.  Alpaca is very lean meat ... no fat whatsoever.

Time to start cooking - into the kitchen - only a small kitchen, and 4 staff already working away.  But it's an open kitchen so we could all sit along the servery and watch the proceedings.  This was the best part. Eric obviously enjoyed this part as well.

First he cooked a single serving, showing and explaining the process as he went.  Searing the meat, caramelising the onions and chillies .... having flames leap into the pan - especially when the Pisco was added.  Who could get the highest flame????  There was such a buzz as we all took turns to create our dish.

Once cooked, restaurant staff 'plated' it up for us - chips neatly stacked on the sides, rice decorated with a face, and of course our colourful alpaca stir fry.  Impressive and tasted so good too!!

What a spectacular day.  I had tasted both these dishes previously, but there's something more satisfying in creating them yourself.  Even better to do it with a group of friends!  Thanks again Tish.

BTW - both dishes were better than I have tasted before too.  Gee I'm a good cook!  

Sometimes things just work out for the better!!!

Pikillacta, bird-watching, lunch and ice-cream!!

Pikillacta is a Pre-Inca site about 30kms from Cusco.  Whilst talking to some of Zac's friends, most of whom are involved in tourism, I mentioned that Pikillacta was one place we hadn't been to but planned  to while Sophie was here.

Another amazing day, but I'll let Sophie tell the story.... http://essellesbabble.blogspot.com/2012/03/family-day-our-to-pikillaqta.html

Cop out I know, but necessary if I'm ever going to catch up.

But wait, there's more.... I could be a godmother

After our fabulous day dyeing wool in Chinchero, Sophie was to get samples of all the colours, so we visited Hillaria in her Cusco shop.  Actually we returned twice - once to show Tish and Al one of favourite experiences and a second time to collect Sophie's samples and give Hillaria some photos of our day at her family home.

My Spanish is not very good..... still, but it's such a sense of achievement, as well as a much richer experience when we are able to engage in some conversation like these visits to Hillaria's shop.

Our first visit with Tish and Al was one of these.  Both Hillaria and her sister Augusta were in the shop and they had all the wool that had been dyed the previous weekend.

Augusta was spinning some of the dyed wool, and tried to give me a lesson in spinning.  Even with a LOT more practice, it would take me months to spin one of these!

Augusta also had her 2 year old son in the shop..... meet Augusto

He was very engaging, but we made the mistake of referring to him as 'she' - he has quite long hair tied up in pig-tails.  Augusta explained to us that he hadn't had his first haircut - that would take place after his baptism in May, and be performed by his padrino (god-father).  Her would in fact have 2 god-fathers - one for the church baptism and one to cut his hair.  Then she asked if I would like to be Augusta's madrina (god-mother).  Sophie was similarly asked.  WOW!!!  We both declined - don't think we will still be here in May, but who knows???  But wouldn't that be another amazing experience to write home about!!

The next day we returned to pick up Sophie's samples.  Not sure what she is going to do with them, but they will always bring back some fantastic memories.

Mmmm Nice poncho Sophie.

Hey, look.  I got it!!!

Oh.. did I mention that Sophie made a few purchases from Hillaria as well.  Their textiles may be more expensive than some other places, but the quality is definitely there .... and you just can't put a price on the experiences we've had!

Time for celebration - dinner at Limo.  Yum!!

Dyeing in Chinchero - Part 2

As if organising this adventure and actually getting ourselves out to Chinchero on our own (Sophie and I went ahead) wasn't exhilarating enough, our day spent with Hillaria and her family was a real treat.    It was such a privilege to be welcomed into their home and to be shown the whole process but Sophie was over the moon at being shown the traditional ways of dyeing fibres using natural dyes.  She's keen to try things out back home.  Of course the materials may be different, but as Hillaria says, 'The process is the same, just experiment with materials.'

Everywhere we seem to go is UP, and this trip was no different.  Hillaria's daughter, Elizabeth, had explained that Hillaria would pick us up at our accommodation.  In my mind, I thought.... she either drives or will be in a taxi.  Wrong.  Hillaria was there to meet us ... on foot ... and carrying 3 large bags of materials for the day's work.  So began the uphill walk to her family home!!!

The home consisted of mud brick buildings enclosed in mud brick walls and the dyeing was to take place in the back yard (weather permitting). Other family members (mum, a brother and a sister) were also there for the day's work.

 

Once the pots of water were on (Hillaria's brother took care of fires all day), our first task was to collect plants for the process.  We collected leaves from a particular plant with a Quechan name for green dye, and yellow flowers from another for yellow dye, although this was to be supplemented with dried flowers of the same variety.

Back to the house and it was all systems go.  Huge amount of leaves were added to the pot.  Wool was wound into large skeins and added to the pot.

Pots were kept boiling for several hours before the wool was lifted out.  It's amazing to see how tangled it was with leaves, twigs, flowers etc, and other skeins ... and then to see how easily it all shook out.  Unbelievable.

Unbelievable to think that all these colours come from plants!!! But we have seen at least some of it.

Sophie has been invited back to learn about more colours....

Nothing was wasted.  Throughout the day as one lot of fibre was removed from the pot, more ingredients were added to pots to revitalize the dye and produce a slightly different colour.

Red was very interesting - it doesn't come from a plant, but from the cochineal bug, expensive to buy so they really get the most out of it.  Dried cochineal bugs are ground using well worn, very old tools... family heirlooms for sure!

First use of this ingredient produces a rich colour...

But other colours can be made from this fibre, by soaking it in baby's urine!!!!  Can't imagine how they discovered that secret ingredient.  

So the day progressed, adding various ingredients - plants and minerals to produce and fix a whole range of colours.  

We were shown various other processes throughout the day....

scraping a root to produce a sudsy liquid for washing fleeces and fibres.  Apparently also excellent for washing your hair - keeps it shiny and never goes grey!!!  Maybe I should have had some of that years ago.

Spinning.... this was a sight too.  Hillaria hacked some fleece from a hide with a knife, and then proceeded to spin it using a small wooden tool often seen around these areas.  Amazing to see it being wound from a lump of dirty fleece into spun fibre!!!

Hillaria's mum was using a backstrap loom to make belts.  She sat on a sheepskin on the dirt floor in the building that served as their kitchen / dining area.  

  

It was great to have Zac and Milka with us to translate - but we also got along quite well with some Spanish and lots of actions.

It was such a unique experience. This look says it all.....

And .... we've been invited back next time in Cusco.  Woohoo...