Torta Helada

This pastry can be found in just about every pastry shop in Peru, I have also seen them in Ecuador. It is quite beautiful to look at and would certainly be the centerpiece of any dessert table.
I kept thinking different and fun birthday cake.
I found someone to show me how to make this cake!
I should add here that baking or pastries I have very little experience with, so you bakers may do this a lot easier than I did
Bear in mind you can change the fruits and the gelatin to match thus the colour.
It is made in two parts the bizcochuela or the cake part and the whippedcream/gelatin part. I find the bizcochuela texture very similar to angel food cake.

Ingredients for bizcochuela
4 extra large eggs
200g harina de mandioca (flour from yucca root)
250g granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 round baking pan 10" buttered

1. Separate eggs
2. Place egg whites in bowl
3. add pinch of salt
4. whip egg whites until soft peaks
5. Slowly beat in sugar into the egg whites
6. add 1 tbsp. anis liquer or a tbsp. of lemon juice
7. Add baking powder to mandioca and mix
8. add the flour to the batter in 2 parts and mix in with wooden spoon
9. pour batter into pan and bake at 350 for about 25 mins.
note - I was told do not open oven door before 15 mins or cake will fall.
10. Remove from oven, invert on cooling rack and let cool completely
11. When done there should a crust around the cake
12. when cooled, with a sharp knife remove the top crust
13. then remove the crust from around the cake in a circular motion leaving the cake intact.
14. again with sharp knife, carefully slice cake into two layers

Ingredients for Topping
75g pkt. of natural gelatin
200g pkt of strawberry gelatin
about 12 strawberries fresh and as perfect as you can find
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups whipping cream (here evaporated milk with cream is used)
1 round mold at least 10"x6"
large bowl with hot water too unmold the pastry

1. empty pkt of natural gelatin into 2 tbsp. of cold water
2. in a large bowl pour the 3 cups of water, strawberry gelatin and sugar
3. mix until gelatin and sugar is dissolved
4. add the natural gelatin to the mixture (if gelatin has gelatinized just heat in microwave for a few seconds to melt)
5. Mixture should be cool at least room temp.
6. pour some of the mixture into mold just enough to make about a 1/2" layer
7. wash strawberries, hull and slice lengthwise thinly and uniformly
8. arrange the slices around the edges (or however you like) on the layer of gelatin in the mold
9. again pour a little of the gelatin mixture to thinly cover the strawberry slices
10. Set aside
11. pour whipping cream into mixing bowl and whip until soft peaks
12. add the rest of the gelatin mixture to the whipped cream
13. mix in well
14. pour 1/2 of this mixture over the gelatin in the mold
15. Take the top layer of the bizcochuela and place on top of mixture
16. pour another 1/2 of the mixture left on top of the cake
17. place the last layer on top of the mixture
18. pour the last of mixture on top of the cake and smooth

19. place the mold in the freezer for about 30 mins
20. remove and leave in refrigerator for about 2 to 3 hours.

When thoroughly chilled
1. get a cake platter
2. with a sharp knife loosen the pastry from sides of the mold
3. get the bowl with hot water
4. hold the mold into the hot water just about 1 min. or less to loosen the gelatin from the mold
5. invert the mold over the cake platter and gentle jiggle the mold until the cake pops out. (holding your breath may help that the gelatin comes out perfectly) There will probably be some liquid gelatin flowing out as well wipe up immediately

You may now decorate the top with fresh strawberries sliced in half including tops around the edge or however you like.

Cake is ready to be served.
or keep in refrigerator until ready to serve

Enjoy!

Ceviche Caliente de Camarones/ Ceviche of hot shrimps

Appetizer from Lima area

1 lb. of shrimps cleaned and deveined
1 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 onion julienned
4 tbsp. aji amarillo paste
1 aji limo chopped finely
juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp. of cilantro chopped finely
salt to taste
oil
boiled sweet potatoes

1. In a sauce pan heat a little oil and saute the garlic and shrimps
2. Add the aji amarillo, lime juice and the aji limo
3. Mix well and season with salt
4. add the onions cook for 1 more min. and take of the fire.
5. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with the boiled sweet potatoes.

The shrimps should not be cooked for more than about 4 mins.

Aji de Gallina

Gallina means hen and I imagine at some point hens were used to make this dish.
However, I believe just regular chickens are used.
This dish is served everywhere in Peru and I have found it to be inconsistent from delicious to quite unappetizing.
If cooked properly though it is quite an interesting and delicious dish.

3 breast of chicken boiled and shredded
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of oil
1 cup of evaporated milk
2 small onions cut into quarters
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 small (sandwich size bread like french bread) soaked in water and and then water squeezed out
2 tbsp. walnuts finely chopped
4 tbsp. parmesan grated
3 hard boiled eggs sliced
4 tbsp. aji de amarillo
8 black olives
4 large potatoes boiled (peeled)
and cut into slices about an 1" thick
salt and pepper to taste


1. Heat the oil in a pot and saute the onions, garlic and the aji amarillo.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste
3. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil then add the pan stirring constantly.
4. lower heat and cook for about 5 mins.
5. Add the chicken, walnuts and the parmesan and stir
6. Finally add the milk and stir
7. When it thickens, it is done
8. Serve over the potatoes
9. Garnish with eggs and olives and serve

this dish is classically served with white rice

Ponche de Leche

I found this drink in Cusco and fell in love with it.
This is one version I will add another later.

2 cups hot milk
1/2 cup of Pisco
1 egg
honey or sugar to taste

u
Place all ingredients into a blender and whip

Pour into a glass and add a dash of cinnamon for garnish

Strawberry and milk shake/ fresas con leche

Easy as 1 2 3

1 pt. of strawberries washed and hulled and quartered
2 cups of milk
sugar to taste

1. mix strawberries and sugar and place in a container and freeze
2. place frozen strawberries in blender
3. add milk
4. blend
5. taste for sweetness

This is a very popular drink in Peru and quite delicious!

Chicken Salpicon - recipe

Chicken Salad ( this is a great dish for leftover chicken )

2 breast of chicken boiled and shredded
3 potatoes like yukon gold boiled and cut into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups of green beans parboiled
1 carrot parboiled
1 small onion julienned
2 tomatoes chopped
1 cup of lettuce preferably green leaf chopped
oil and vinegar dressing ( simple vinegar red or white mixed with some olive oil )
salt and pepper to taste ( sea salt and fresh ground pepper if possible )

note - if the oil and vinegar mixture is too tart a little bit of sugar added rounds out the flavour

1. Chop the green beans and carrots into bite size pieces
2. In a bowl mix the shredded chicken, potatoes, green beans, carrots, tomatoes and onions.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the dressing and let it coat all the ingredients

You can make this ahead and keep in refrigerator just before serving mix with the chopped lettuce.

any questions please feel free to contact me :)

Ceviche de Pescado - recipe - appetizer

Ceviche can be found in every part of Peru and probably is the national food :)


1 3/4 lbs. of white fish like cod
1 red onion cut into strips
2 peppers like jalapeno or milder if you can find chopped
tsp. of ground garlic
juice of about 15 to 18 limes
salt and white pepper to taste

Accompaniments
boiled or roasted sweet potatoes sliced
boiled corn cut into smaller pieces

1. Cut the fish into cubes
2. Season with salt, pepper and the garlic
3. add the pepper and the lime juice
4. let marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator

serve on a bed of lettuce with accompaniments

Pollo al Ajillo Peruvian - recipe

This of course is the Peruvian version of the Spanish dish

Chicken with Garlic Sauce

3lb. chicken cut into pieces
6 cloves of garlic sliced
1 tbsp. ginger minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 onion cut into strips
to taste - salt, black pepper, parsley (chopped)
oil

1. Season the chicken with salt
2. Place oil in saute pan and heat
3. brown chicken on both sides and remove from pan
4. In the same pan add a little more oil saute the garlic and the ginger until soft and golden.
5. Then add the onion to the pan, cook until translucent
6. Add the white wine to the pan carefully.
7. Now place chicken in the wine/onion mixture
8. cover and cook on low heat for about 20 mins.
9. Add a tbsp. of chopped parsley
10. Cook uncovered until chicken starts browning again. You may want to turn up the end to get a nice brown colour.
11. Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve

You could pair this dish with a Gewurtztraminer which would amplify the flavours of the ginger. Also, you could also use this wine to add to the food.

Aguadito de Pollo - recipe

Soups are a very important part of the Peruvian cuisine and is the first dish of the lunch menu.
There are many kinds of soups from caldos, consome, cremas, chupe etc.
Aguadito I believe is common to all parts of Peru.

This is a very easy and quick version.

recipe - aguadito de pollo

2 1/2 lbs. of chicken cut into pieces
half an onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic smashed
1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
4 cups of water (boiling)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup of peas (fresh or canned)
1/4 cup of blended cilantro
1 ear of corn (kernels) or small can
1/2 cup of rice
1/2 red bellpepper cut into strips
2 potatoes cut into halves
tsp. black pepper or to taste
salt to taste
2 tsp. oil

1. Mix together the smashed garlic, onion and aji amarillo with the oil.
2. Add chicken to boiling water and boil for about 5 mins. more.
3. Add the cup of chicken broth
4. Add the peas, rice, corn kernels, bell pepper and potatoes.
5. Add half of the cilantro paste
5. Cook for another 30 mins or so. check for doneness of potatoes
fork should pierce it easily
6. Add rest of the cilantro, blk pepper, salt to taste and serve.

This should serve about 4-5 people.

Note:

In Peru eating soup is a spoon and fork affair. The meats are usually cut into larger chunks and the presention looks great. For me though I prefer cutting the meat into bitesized pieces.
Also since this is a soup and I believe in using ingredients at hand or whatever is fresh you can substitute the vegetables.

this is a really delicious and simple dish and my picky 11 yr. old son loves it.