Events

Zesty Lemonade Pisco at Omnivore Books

by Nico on April 24, 2013 in Events

Zesty Lemonade Pisco

One of my favorite pop-up venues in San Francisco is hands-down Omnivore Books. Why? Not only do I get the pleasure of supporting the authors that stop by to talk about their new books, but I get to surprise the audience with Pisco cocktails and Peruvian desserts. And who doesn’t like surprises? Would you like a Pisco cocktail? Yes please! The cocktails and desserts that I make for an event at Omnivore Books are often inspired by the author’s book, and for Toby Sonneman’s Lemon: A Global History event I enjoyed making a Zesty Lemonade Pisco cocktail and a dessert with Pisco and lemon zest.
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On The Chef’s Stage at SF Garden Show 2013

by Nico on April 4, 2013 in Events

Pisco + Peru at SF Garden Show 2013

On March 21, I took the audience at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show on a gastronomical tour of Peru + Pisco during my first ever appearance at a Chef’s Stage. Though I’ve performed on stage before, it was not as a chef, but as a guest musician playing percussion with a Flamenco group from Spain at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. This time, instead of playing my hand drums, however, I would be performing solo, sautéing and simmering on a stove top, and mixing cocktails on a side table. In other words, almost the same thing, right? So how did I end up on the stage this time? It all started with an invitation from the Chef’s Stage Coordinator, Jay Estey.
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Peruvian Pop-up Dinners at 18 Reasons

by Nico on February 23, 2013 in Events

Peruvian Pop-up Dinners at 18 Reasons

Last Tuesday’s rainy night in San Francisco was the perfect setting for preparing a Parihuela seafood soup at the first Peruvian Pop-up dinner of 2013 at 18 Reasons. And like every time I cooked dinner there, I was excited to be sharing Peruvian food and culture with the 18 Reasons community. But the night was also bittersweet for me because it was the last time I would be working with Olivia, the Program Coordinator at 18 Reasons. Since August of 2011, we worked together on 6 Peruvian pop-up dinners and 1 Pisco cocktail class, and the menus we prepared showcased the unique culinary history of Peruvian cuisine. Here’s how we did it.
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Maricel Presilla at Omnivore Books

by Nico on January 23, 2013 in Events

Gran Cocina Latina at Omnivore Books

Last Monday, I had the pleasure of serving a Pisco cocktail and Peruvian dessert at Omnivore Books where Maricel Presilla took the audience on an intimate and personal journey through Latin America and spoke about her new book, Gran Cocina Latina. In the process, she asked the audience “what is Latin America?” and gave us a sense of what it was like to travel to different countries over a period of three decades, cooking with the locals, learning about tradition, and compiling recipes to share with the world.
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Two Years of Pisco Trail

by Nico on January 2, 2013 in Events

Two Years of Pisco Trail

Pisco Trail was born two years ago on Jan 1, 2011. Two years ago. From dinner, dessert, or cocktail pop-ups at 18 Reasons, Omnivore Books, The Red Poppy Art House, and The HUB, 2012 gave me the opportunity to continue to share Peruvian cuisine and culture with San Francisco. I was also very excited to travel to New Orleans to do a Pisco cocktail demonstration and to cook a special 5-course Peruvian Independence Day dinner at Carmo.
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