A FANTASTIC CUISINE!
(FTSF Blog Hop)
I tried to cook…..but I’m afraid I’m a failure!
I have learnt that I can keep myself alive by
preparing very simple dishes that are also very boring, but that can keep me
going in good working order. That’s about it!
My strong point is to participate in the eating,
especially when it comes to the traditional South American cuisine which is
usually very, very good.
There are so many delicious and creative dishes that
can be found in the Southern Cone (Chile and Argentina), or on the coasts of
Peru and Ecuador, or up in the highlands of the Andes.
The cuisine is very interesting, as it is a blend of
the traditional food of the native inhabitants, combined first with Spanish
staples and then with other typical foods that were made popular by the various
immigrant communities.
In Peru, for instance, there is a fantastic blend of
Andean, Spanish and Asiatic cooking; and German kuchen is famous in the lake
district of Chile.
I want to highlight some specific natural foods and
some classic dishes. The internet is full of good recipes, so I will leave
those for a later post.
EMPANADAS.
Empanadas are stuffed pastries that are popular all
over South America. It is believed they were brought by the Spaniards and as
time went by, they have been adapted to the various regions, so that now each
region has its own distinctive flavor and style. There is a basic beef version
and a chicken alternative, but there are also vegetarian empanadas, and others
that are filled with seafood or cheese or combinations of all of these.
Empanadas are made with tender dough that soaks up the
flavor of the filling, and all in all, they make a delicious treat. They can be
baked or fried, big or small. A big empanada is enough for a complete meal.
Chilean National Day is always celebrated with
“empanadas y vino tinto”, that’s empanadas and red wine. (Chilean red wine is
justly famous world wide).
TRAY WITH EMPANADAS
Source: Gonzalo Rivero, CC BY SA 3.0.Wikimedia Commons
CALDILLOS
There are various “caldillos” and many of them are
consumed in Chile and other coastal regions along Peru and Ecuador. They are
basically broths (or chowders) and the main ingredients are usually sea foods
or fish.
The most famous is the Caldillo de Congrio, a
delicious dish that originated in Chile. The basic ingredient is the Congrio,
or Conger Eel, a species usually found in the part of the Pacific Ocean that
surrounds the coasts of Chile.
A similar Caldillo is the “paila marina”, also a broth
or chowder based on shellfish and fish cutlets. The word “paila” describes the
earthenware dish that is always used for these caldillos.
CALDILLO DE CONGRIO
Source: Daniel Norero, CC BY SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
PAILA MARINA
Source: Astroguato, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
CEVICHE.
Ceviche in Spanish America is basically raw fish and
sea food marinated in citrus juice, mainly lime and lemon juice. The acid acts
on the protein of the fish and literally cooks it. Ceviche usually includes
tomatoes, onions chili and cilantro.
Peru is justly famous for its variety of ceviche, and
many Peruvian business managers have opened restaurants in the various
countries, where the principal delicacy is the Ceviche. All Peruvians swear
that it is the quality of their lemons that makes a good product, and I really
believe that is so.
CUY (GUINEA PIG)
This animal is a staple of the Andean highlands of
South America, where the rural communities actually breed their own animals as
a source of food.
Roasted Cuy has become a well known dish in Ecuador
and Peru, and I am told it’s delicious.
ROASTED CUY
Dtarazona, CC BY SA 3.0.Wikimedia Commons
HUMITAS.
This dish is a product of the Quechua speaking Native
Americans from the pre-Hispanic period. It is traditional in Argentina,
Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
The humitas are usually prepared with ground fresh
corn, onion, basil, and lard. This paste is wrapped in corn husks and baked or
boiled. They are tied up with string while they boil, to keep them together.
They are delicious!
HUMITAS
Source: Marcos Katz, CC BY SA 3.0.Wikimedia Commons
Quinoa is called the super grain. It is rich in iron
and other nutrients, and is gluten-free, which is a great aid to digestion for
many people.
Quinoa is delicious. It is usually cooked like rice.
It can also be used as flour from which quinoa bread is made. It is very
versatile and combines well with meats and salads, as well as being used to
make pasta and cookies.
It is considered to be one of the important agricultural
products for the future, as it gradually becomes better known.
QUINOA PLANTS
Source: Mauricio Chedel, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
ASADO, THE KING!
No need for words! Devoured in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia and more!
Source: Gonzalo Velasco, CC BY SA 3.0.Wkimedia Commons
SPANISH VERSION
(This blog is bilingual)
En este
post me refiero a algunos platos característicos de la América del Sur. No soy
muy buena cocinera, pero me ofrezco para comerlos, ¡son deliciosos!
Gran
parte de los platos típicos de esta zona tienen su origen en las costumbres de
los habitantes nativos. Posteriormente se incorporaron otros elementos de la
cocina española y finalmente se integraron los aportes de los diversos grupos de
inmigrantes.
LAS EMPANADAS
.
Las
empanadas son confeccionadas con una pasta blanda que absorbe el sabor del
relleno. Este relleno es fundamentalmente carne o pollo, aunque puede incluir
verduras, queso, o mezclas que combinan todos estos ingredientes.
La empanada
se consume en todos los países, y específicamente en Chile, el aniversario de
su independencia se celebra siempre con empanadas y vino tinto.
LOS CALDILLOS
.
Son
sopas contundentes generalmente a base de pescado o mariscos. El más conocido
es el Caldillo de Congrio, plato típico
de Chile, por cuanto el Congrio que es una anguila, se obtiene en las costas de
este país.
Otro
caldillo famoso es la `paila marina. La paila es la fuente de greda en la que comúnmente
se sirven estos caldillos.
CEVICHE
Este es
un plato basado en pescado crudo o
mariscos crudos, que se marina en jugo de limón o de lima. El ácido cítrico
literalmente cuece el pescado. Se suelen agregar tomates, cebolla,
cilantro y ají.
CUY
Este
animalito roedor es típico de las zonas Andinas, donde las familias rurales los
crían para su consumo. Se come asado, con papas y verduras.
LAS HUMITAS
Se hacen
con choclo rallado, que se mezcla con cebolla, albahaca y manteca de cerdo. Esta
pasta se envuelve en las hojas del choclo y se hierven en una olla profunda.
Suelen amarrarse para evitar que se desarmen. Son deliciosas.
LA QUINOA
Este es
un grano que su cultiva en las tierras altas de la Cordillera de los Andes. Le
dicen “el grano milagrosa” por su salto poder nutritivo, que además está libre
de gluten.
Se
cocina en forma semejante al arroz. También se puede transformar en harina, que
se usa para hacer pan, pastas y galletas.
La quínoa
combina bien con carne y con ensaladas. Se le considera como el alimento del
mañana.
EL ASADO
ES EL REY!
La foto
lo dice todo, no se necesitan palabras.
More about similar topics in a future post. Más sobre temas similares en un próximo post.
LANGUAGE TIPS FOR ENGLISH
Words that go together! * Have
a rest - * Do the shopping - * Make furniture - * Catch sight of – * Break the rules
LANGUAGE
TIPS FOR SPANISH.
Expresiones
de uso frecuente: * A bulto - * Cría
fama y échate a dormir -
* De pocas carnes
How is your level of comprehension? Cómo
está su nivel de comprensión?
© 2013
joanveronica (Joan Robertson)
I will be very happy to receive your comments! Just
click the word “comments” lower down.
Oh my you left me quite hungry at the end of this post, especially for empanadas!! Thank you so very much Joan for linking up with us again! Hope you have a great night now :)
ReplyDeleteHi Janine, thanks for the visit and the comment! I will be back to comment tomorrow! I'm falling asleep at the moment, have to get up early. See you!
Deletehi joan, i'm glad you think that my rope vases are beautiful :) thank you for admiring...i'm sure there are things that you find enjoyable to do even with the arthritis that you are talking about..
ReplyDeleteby the way, i am originally from the Philippines and we also have empanada that looks like the one on your picture and i love our empanada :) i bet the spanish empanada is also good!
thanks for stopping by at my blog, huggies♥
rea
Hi Rea, so happy to read your comment! I'm glad to know you are from the Philippines, that sounds interesting. Most Spanish speaking countries have varieties of the empanada, it is so easy to make a regional variety using the products of each specific place, something like the French omellette which is also so versatile. I hope to see you around, so have a good day!
DeleteEverything looks and sounds delicious except for the rat on a plate. I scrolled by that one so fast I thought I read "little guy". Combination of my thoughts "little" guinea and cuy I guess. I had empanadas and for the life of me I can't remember where but the memory of it is delicious and mine was a sweet one. Hmm, is there such thing as an apple empanada? Okay now I'm thinking I had that at Taco Bell and that hardly seems a relevant comparison.
ReplyDeleteHi Kenya, I had a good laugh over this! That may look like a rat, but it's not! The meat is tender and delicious, also clean! And yes, there are many sweet empanadas, apple, pear and quince comes to mind! Thanks for the visit!
DeleteI absolutely LOVE your food posts - I grew up on Mexican and Mexican American food - and the humitas make me think of the tamales my mom used to make. And I'm going to make that potato soup you shared a little while back. I am looking forward to it. :D I just love your blog and sorry I haven't been by more often...know that I love all you do!! Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteHi Cyndi, so happy with your comment! Do tell me how that soup goes, and I know you don't have much time, I'm clear on that! Thanks again for your support, and have a good weekend.
DeleteOnce again, you bring us culture with class! I'd love to visit and try these dishes. Spicy food and I are very much friends. Having traveled to many countries, I'm very open to most of these dishes, although I always have to question eating fish that's not cooked, regardless of the country. I'll bet the Roasted Cuy is a very sweet meat, kind of like squirrel or rabbit. Okay, you've done it. I'm hungry. lol I think I'll come too when Gabriela visits you! lol Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Rich, this was a welcome good morning for me! I've been slow to get started today, I was hammering at the computer unitl late last night. I loved your comment, and it would be loively to have both you and Gabriela come visit! It get's lonely here at times. Especially watching cats that don't belong to me (or me to them!) living their lives and ignoring me- However, comments like yours inspire me to continue my effortas, so we will surely meet again. Have a good day!
DeleteThe roasted guinea pig - oh my! I've never seen that before. Never knew there was enough meat to eat on them. Quinoa is becoming more popular here. I have a giant bag downstairs.the Humitas Sound awesome!
ReplyDeleteHi Kate, many thanks for the visit and the comment! That cuy has certainly grabbed people's attention! Mind you, it's not eaten here in Chile, that is a Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador thing, seems like it came from the Inca Empire. I'm glad that Quinoa is beingb used, that's important, and the humitas ARE delicious! See you !
Delete