newsletter
october 2007
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Pica Peru Events
*Throughout the year Pica Peru hosts events to share its appreciation for Peru and Peruvian food. These fun events are a great way to learn more about Pica Peru and meet our staff.
Tattered Cover Peru Slideshow (Denver, CO) Kazia Jankowski, Ross Wehner, and Renee del Gaudio, co-authors of Moon Peru, will be share their adventures of writing the Moon Peru guide at Denver’s famous Tattered Cover bookstore. Through a vivid slideshow, Kazia will share her love of flavorful Peruvian cuisine, and Ross and Renee will tell their story of road tripping through the country in an old Jeep. 1628 16th St., Denver. Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.tatteredcover.com.
Treats Open House (Wiscasset, ME) For most of its wine tastings, Treats lays out a spread of European cheeses and rustic French breads. But in honor of Pica Peru, the first Friday of November, it will pair South American wines with flavorful Peruvian food. Kazia Jankowski will be present to share the pictures and stories of Peru and its cuisine. 80 Main St., Wiscasset, ME. Fri., Nov. 2, 6 p.m. For more information, visit: www.treatsofmaine.com or call 207-882-6192.
Limon Restaurant Presents Pica Peru (Denver, CO) As fall takes over the northern hemisphere, escape to the warmth of South America with a classic Peruvian dinner. Alex Gurevich, chef/owner of Limon Restaurant, will serve a four course, Peruvian dinner accompanied by a pisco sour (the national Peruvian cocktail) and two wine servings. While Gurevich explains the food, Pica Peru’s Kazia Jankowski, a food writer for Denver’s 5280 Magazine and co-author of the guidebook Moon Peru, will show a Peru slideshow. All proceeds of the dinner will go to the non-profit Better Peru to assist families in southern Peru. 1618 E. 17th Ave., Denver. Tue., Nov. 16, 6 p.m, $50. For more information, contact Kazia Jankowski at kazia@peruculinaryvacations.com
Peru in San Francisco
Last week, when chatting with execs of Saveur — the prominent US magazine that features authentic food and travel experiences — we learned about Limon restaurant in San Francisco. A quick internet search had us looking at photos of Limon’s sleek lounge and a modern Peruvian menu. Next time we are in the bay area, we will certainly be stopping into Limon for an anticucho de puplito (a grilled octopus kabob) and seco de costilla (slow braised shortribs with a spicy cilantro sauce). Clean grilled octopus and tangy cilantro seco are two of our favorite Peruvian flavors. For more information on Limon, visit www.limon-sf.com or call 415-252-0918.
Return to China
In the 1880s, hundreds of Chinese arrived in Peru as contract laborers for sugar plantations and guano mines. These immigrants were the first to introduce stir-frying and soy sauce to Peruvian cuisine. Last month, Peru returned to the Chinese motherland. Peruvian Chefs Adolfo Perret of restaurant Punta Sal and Daniel Manrique of restaurant Segundo Muelle cooked an all-Peruvian, authentic meal at the Grand Hyatt Beijing on Tian Au Men Square. The restaurant critics, journalists, and epicureans who attended the dinner savored the stir-fried dish of lomo saltado, as well as the sashimi like tiradito and sweet Lima desserts like picarones (pumpkin doughnuts). In honor of the event, we share with you a simple tiradito recipe.
Tiradito Appetizer
Serves 2
4 ounces tilapia filet
5 teaspoons pureed rocoto (or jalapeño pepper)
¾ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger, juiced*
¼ stalk celery, minced and juiced*
Salt
1 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped
*To juice ginger and celery, simply wrap them in cheesecloth and squeeze juices into a liquid measuring cup.
1) Along the grain, cut tilapia filet into 1/8 inch slices. Align slices on a chilled plate.
2) Mix the rocoto, lemon, ginger and celery juices, as well as salt. Pour over tilapia slices.
3) Garnish with cilantro.