I first read about the Asian Culinary Forum via a tweet, and though I’ve always been interested in Asian cuisine, the description for their symposium on Asian + Latin American food was made for me: From lomo saltado to jerk chow mein, Brazilian sushi to Korean tacos — learn about culinary exchanges old and new between Asia and Latin America.… Read more →
Many chefs, cooks, and food writers are enthusiastic about tasting new dishes, creating new recipes, or exploring new restaurants. So it’s not often that we think about not being able to eat or that there are people in the U.S. that are hungry. During the recent IFBC conference in Portland, I learned that 1 in 5 children are hungry in… Read more →
Last Saturday July 28 was Peruvian Independence Day and I celebrated by cooking a 4-course dinner at Carmo Cafe in New Orleans. And a few days later, on Tuesday July 31, I prepared a similar 3-course menu at 18 Reasons in San Francisco. And though cooking for over 70 people in two cities required more planning and time in the… Read more →
I am always proud to say that potatoes are from Peru, and that quinoa was once called the “Mother grain” by the Incas who first cultivated it in the Andes mountains. But did you know that the Incas also grew tomatoes in the Andes? Perhaps for that reason I enjoy making dishes like gazpacho soup in the summertime. But regardless… Read more →
In Flamenco music, artists speak of Duende — the magical moment in a performance when the spirit of Flamenco comes out in the dance, song, or rhythms of the guitar. I am not sure what the culinary equivalent is, but last week at a special dinner in Oakland, I tasted the Duende that was created in Camino’s kitchen to honor… Read more →