Is Andean Food Latino Food?
I love the Andes. I’ve lived and cooked there for more than 30 years. And I’ve written a cookbook which has sold more than 40,000 copies – Foods of Ecuador (Comidas del Ecuador). Now when I hear about Latino foods I’d like to think that our offerings, straight from the peoples of the glaciers and their country-folk on the coast were part of this cuisine. What I generally find is lots of material on Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and I wonder where is South America….
Well, let’s start by presenting it to you, the world. The foods of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and the indigenous parts of Argentina and Chile are incredibly varied, full of new flavors and extremely interesting ingredients. Peru uses various dried chiles (ajíes) in dishes which link Inca, Spanish, Arab and Asian touches. Peru and Bolivia also use potatoes in ways you would never believe. In coastal Ecuador and the Pacific coast of Colombia, green plantains meld with seafood and coconut in smooth, rounded flavors. All of these countries have so much to offer the culinary world. Oh, and I particularly adore the mother grain quinoa. I prepare it in some of the traditional ways (like in soup or “atamalado”, still need to perfect quinoa “chicha”, the fermented drink of the Incas) AND I also use it in creations like popped quinoa in chocolate chip cookies or made into a pilaf to fill vegetables and smothered with dried porcini bechamel. In fact, porcinis are now grown and exported from the Andes, all over the world.
I’d love to share with you this ancient, delicious culinary heritage. Let me know what most interests you and I’ll do my best to answer questions, post recipes, to food talk the Andean way.
Posted by: michellefried in Uncategorized
September 24th, 2007 at 1:14 am
This is a great start Michelle – I look forward to many, many posts.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Thank you for placing FOOD OF THE ANDES there! I´m wondering if eventually I should decide to call the book: FOOD OF THE ANDES AND ITS LOWLANDS, since I do have recipes for plantains, pineapple, seafood, etc.
October 6th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Thank you for sharing!
September 16th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Hi Michelle,
Is “Comidas del Ecuador” available in English?
Cheers,
Kevin
March 5th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Hi Kevin,
No it’s not available in English yet. Within the year another book with many of the same recipes will be available in English.
May 7th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Michelle, I am an Ecuadorian living in USA. When I came here six years ago, I brought your Book Comidas del Ecuador, which has help me a lot. I will be looking for your new book (I read it in Vistazo). I an interested in new ways to prepare quinoa.
May 9th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Elizabeth, Good to hear that my book helped you eat like at home, while in the US.
As of Friday I have a new version of Comidas del Ecuador out on the shelves. This one is full of new “yapas”. (For those of you who don’t know the word that comes from Quichua, the principal indigenous language spoken in Ecuador, a “yapa” is something special, something extra and free. )
The completely new book, mentioned in Vistazo, is full of new ways of using quinoa. Let’s hope it is out soon.
May 9th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Elizabeth,
Could you tell me about your interest in quinoa… What do most like about it? How do you enjoy eating it?