Tastes of Magic in Lima

A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune of taking a trip to Lima to participate in the first edition of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants Awards.  The capital of Peru dates back to the times of the first Conquistadors. Amazingly, the noble descendants of Pizarro's First Captain, Jeronimo Aliaga, still reside in the same house which he built back in 1535.  It is the oldest house in America that is continuously inhabited by the same family.  Lima is South America's third largest and - for many good reasons - one of the most important megacities and culinary destinations in the region.

stuffed, baked potato dough called Papa Rellena (L) and Charito Oysters a la Chalaca (red onion sauce) at the traditional Queirolo Taberna in Lima, a family business which dates back to the 1880's!

The country's mind-boggling diversity of regional ingredients lends itself to a cuisine that is commanding the respect, curiosity and admiration of chefs and gourmands worldwide.  Fact: Peru grows more than 4000 varieties of potatoes.

with the wonderful team at Lima Tours, enjoying a luxurious lunch at the Larco Herrera Museum restaurant.  The museum houses an incredible variety of historic Peruvian artifacts, as ancient as 2300 B.C.

 lobster goodness at Mercado restaurant

There is an astonishing array of marine life in the Peruvian Pacific waters, where the country's coastline is just shy of 2000 miles long.  Currents, both hot and cold create distinct aquatic environments in which different species of fish and shellfish thrive, depending on the temperature of the current in each environment.

Further to the east, the mighty Amazon River offers up its own bounty of countless exotic fish and other delectable river creatures, delightfully omnipresent on restaurant menus everywhere.  And right along the middle of Peru, the Andes mountains rise up majestically to form the fertile agricultural heartland that produces fruit and vegetable varieties found nowhere else in the world.

ceviche at its best from the country that invented it

Dining around Lima, an outsider may easily observe just how obsessed the Limeños are with their local food culture.  There, it is not with "what do you do?" that conversations are begun, but rather with "where have you been to eat so far?"

Chefs, restauranteurs and foodies in Peru go to great lengths to promote their magnificent cuisine, and the world is just beginning to take notice.

On our way to visit Mistura, Latin America's largest annual food festival, our taxicab driver beamed with excitement as he provided us with valuable advice on what to try first and how to pace ourselves.  "Mistura is heaven on earth for food lovers", he happily postulated.  The festival takes place underneath a very large cluster of tents, pitched side-by-side on the sandy beach of Magdalena del Mar district, also known as Lima's Costa Verde.  Much like the Louvres Museum, this festival is impossible to experience in just one visit.  At least 3 days are de rigueur for sampling the country's hundreds of regional dishes, cooked to order right before your eyes.

some of the country's finest bakers making fresh bread onsite at Mistura

The final count?  84 courses in 9 days, enjoyed with some of the warmest, most hospitable people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Cuisine is just one of many tricks up the Peruvians' sleeve, and I look forward to discovering more of their magic on another visit, hopefully very soon.  

Best Wishes,

Maroun

lunch at Mercado in Lima.  L to R: Chef/Owner of Contramar Mexico City, Gabriela Camara, American TV Chef Rick Bayless, GM of Hotel B, Ignacio Masias, me, Malabar' Chef/Owner Pedro Schiaffino and my lovely colleague Laurie

the lovely Boutique Hotel B in the bohemian-chic district of Barranco, Lima

From Beirut to Rome: Good Food Makes A World of Difference.

We just returned from an incredible vacation to the Middle East and Europe.  At culinary capitals like Beirut and Rome, food is a natural vehicle for good times, creating the great memories we bring back home and cherish forever.

Take breakfast at my parents' house near Beirut, for example.  My mother makes her own thyme pies, and my father organically grows the most delicious tomatoes I have ever tasted in my life.  Put the two together, and this combination is flavor perfection.  I couldn't think of a better meal to kick-start my day.  I also sneaked back a few pies in my suitcase on the way home.  I'm happy to share my recipe for these thyme pies - called Man'ousheh in Lebanese.  Simply send me an email!

A typical Lebanese breakfast: Preserved Lamb with Eggs; Garlic Yogurt (Labneh); Hummus; Balilah, an assortment of Vegetables and Pickles, all enjoyed with Lebanese bread.

Mom's Middle-Eastern dinner feast

Lunches and dinners in Lebanon were no different.  We visited several great restaurants (as well as home kitchens), where we experienced some of the most sumptuous and elaborate meals.  Invitations would come in at random from friends and family, and for no specific reason other than "just to have a good time." This is how magic is created around the dining table, bringing people together to enjoy and celebrate life, which turns into a chance to try out new flavor combinations.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, and I invite you to try out my latest recipe below: a Lebanese-style vinaigrette, guaranteed to liven up any salad you make and become a staple in your repertoire.  Enjoy!

The salad complemented the heavier dishes perfectly

Similarly, after traveling to Italy, I am reminded that a dish as straightforward as a Roman pasta with fresh tomatoes, cooked to perfection is why simple good food always wins.

One of the many simple but great meals we enjoyed in Rome. Pictured here in the Jewish Ghetto.

When you experience meals that are made with love and the most wonderful of ingredients, life gets instantly better.  Whether to Rome or Beirut, or anywhere your journeys take you, here's to more travel, good food and happy memories around the table.

Best Wishes,

Maroun

Family-made Limoncello at a lemon orchard in Sorrento, Italy

Simple pastas and risotti make the best meals. Rome, Italy

Classic Lebanese Salad Dressing

Use this dressing (or vinaigrette) to add some zing to any of your favorite salad ingredients!

Mom's salad dressed with the classic Lebanese vinaigrette

Makes 1 Cup


1/2 cup fresh lemon juice - never from a bottle
1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt - kosher salt is great for dressings
ground black pepper to taste
Optional: a pinch of Sumac spice

Add all ingredients to a bowl.  Mix just before serving.  Dressing some salads (such as those containing warm roasted vegetables) ahead of serving is perfectly fine.  Use your own judgement in this case.

The Makings of a Great "Kibbeh Party"

There are TWO essential recipes for any food-making party to be successful. 

Grab a few great friends

Add a beautiful setting, in our case, our friends’ gorgeous house

Sprinkle on a good amount of sunshine

Finish with the consummate labor-of-love meal, in this case Kibbeh Lebanese Meatballs

Pair that with a beautiful bottle of wine

Enjoy!

Sarah (pictured) and Pat graciously hosted the party

I’m lucky to have all these elements in my life here in San Francisco.  A couple of weeks ago, we decided it was time for another Kibbeh party.  It was our most successful one yet! 

The luscious combination of freshly-ground lamb from our favorite butcher in North Beach (San Francisco’s Italian neighborhood), imported pine nuts from Lebanon, Bulgur cracked wheat, a staple in Mid-Eastern cuisine and a stovetop onion and spice mix kept the kitchen smelling sweet for days.

The fixins: pine nuts, stuffing and shell mixture

So, grab a few of your friends (and other key ingredients) and throw yourself a fabulous Kibbeh party that you will soon not forget!

Kibbeh – Lebanese Meatballs. 

For the outer shell:

2.2 lbs. (1Kg) ground red meat, I prefer Lamb

2.0 lbs. (just under 1 Kg) fine bulgur wheat, #1 grade

2 medium onions, grated

3 Tbsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. Lebanese or Middle-Eastern spice mix, also called Bhar

1 Tbsp.  cumin

Salt

For the stuffing:

1.1 lbs. (1/2 Kg) ground meat: If you have lamb for the shell, use lamb for stuffing

2 onions, chopped very finely

2 Tbsp. Labneh, Lebanese or Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Generous pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

1 cup of pine nuts, toasted stovetop with a Tbsp. olive oil

Salt

Peanut or corn oil for frying

Outer shell:

Cover and soak the bulgur in cold water for 30 minutes.  Drain, squeezing the water out with your hands.  Add to a very large bowl.  Grate the onions and remove the excess liquid.  Add to bowl.  Add meat, cinnamon, spices, and a very generous pinch of salt.  Knead by hand in the bowl for about 10 minutes until all ingredients are well incorporated and the mixture comes together like bread dough.  Set shell mix aside.

Stuffing:

Sauté the meat in a large pan until all the liquid evaporates.  Add onions and sauté until pale.  Add the labneh, salt, spices, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes, incorporating well.

When ready to stuff, it’s good to remember to have a finger bowl handy to keep your fingers wet; it will be easier to shape the balls this way.  Grab a portion of the shell mixture the size of a Ping-Pong ball, roll it in your hands to form an evenly shaped ball. 

Holding the ball in the palm of one hand, puncture a hole in the middle of the ball with your other hand’s index finger.  Turn the ball in a circular motion in the palm of your hand.  As you turn, continue to gently push with your finger to form a larger hole for the stuffing, almost but not all the way through.

Stuff the now-hollow shells with a heaping teaspoon of the stuffing.  I like to add 3-4 pine nuts into each shell along with the stuffing.  Close the top of the shell with your hands to form a conical shape.  This takes a bit of practice, but with some patience, you will easily master this step.

Set the formed shells on a baking sheet for frying, or freeze the shells until hard, then pack into freezer bags. They can keep for up to 5 months in the freezer.  Frozen shells can then be fried without thawing, as per below until they turn golden-brown, about 10 minutes. 

Forming the meatballs with friends is a fun labor of love

Frying: set the oil temperature to 350F (about 175C) and fry the freshly made shells for 6 minutes or until deeply golden brown.  Make sure you have enough oil to cover the shells for deep frying.  When done, drain on a plate covered with paper towels.  Serve with a fresh salad or your favorite Labneh or Greek yogurt.

Note: for a healthy alternative to frying, use the fresh or frozen meatballs in your favorite soup or broth.  I like to serve the meatballs with chicken soup.  Just cook them in the soup until done.

Makes about 60 meatballs.

Tabbouleh salad pairs beautifully with Kibbeh, so does good wine and sunshine!

A Hearty Winter Meal for All Seasons.

I belong to a small legion of people who don't mind Winter.  In fact, I am going to go as far as saying I enjoy it.  I usually cook with intent focus when I'm spending time indoors during cold weather, but not this year.  I was traveling a lot for work and just could not find the time.  I think most people would agree with me that soups, stews and roasts just don't taste the same in warmer weather and for that, I'm going to have to wait another year. Although, the two recipes below are definitely exceptions to that rule.

We had a wimpy season in San Francisco this year, but I felt the full force of Winter on a recent business trip to Switzerland.  I visit the country twice a year to lecture at a hotel school and while I was there last month, my dear friend Karin invited me to cook a meal at her place in the beautiful lakeside town of Vevey, and I was happy to oblige!

My plan was simple: to put together a proper meal for a cold day.  That morning, the temperature had dipped below freezing and Karin and I were both in the mood for something hearty and comforting for dinner.  On the menu was Hummus (naturally!), followed by "Loubieh bi Zeit", French Green Beans cooked in Olive Oil and stewed, juicy tomatoes.  For the main course, I made a Lebanese potato and meat stew called "Yakhnet Batata" and for dessert, we had Ghirardelli chocolate squares I had brought over from SFO!

"Loubieh bi Zeit" (Green Beans Cooked in Olive Oil). Serves 4 - 6.

1 kg. (2 lbs.) frozen French green beans (haricots verts). Fresh greens beans work well, just cut the stems off from each end.

4 large ripe tomatoes (or 2 large cans diced tomatoes)

1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 small can (about 3 tbs) tomato paste
1 tbs salt & 1 tsp pepper

Once the onions have sauteed, in goes the bag of frozen beans

Next you add the tomatoes, the spices and the paste before adding water and cooking everything on low

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and fry the onions and garlic on medium-high heat until pale in color.
Add the beans and continue cooking until the beans turn a pale green color.
Add salt, pepper, paprika, tomatoes, tomato paste and mix well.
Cover the beans mixture with hot water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the beans are softened, about 35 - 40 minutes.
Serve warm as is or with your choice of cooked rice.  Brown rice tastes great with this dish.

"Yakhnet Batata" (Potato Meat Stew).  Serves 4 - 6.
I prefer chicken as the protein for this dish.  Although traditionally, it is made with lamb, which is also excellent.  

1.5 kg (48 oz) potatoes, peeled, washed and cubed
600g (20 oz) boneless chicken breast or thigh meat (according to your preference), cubed
1 entire head of garlic, peeled & crushed
2 1/4 tbs unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbs salt
1.5 tsp allspice
1 tsp pepper
6 cups water

Heat vegetable oil in a large pan and fry the potato cubes over medium-high heat until golden.  Remove onto a paper-towel lined plate.
Fry coriander and garlic with 1 tbs butter in the same pan over low heat. Stir till fragrant for about 2 minutes.  Set aside.
Add butter to a large pot and fry chicken cubes until golden brown.
Add water to the chicken and bring to a boil over high heat.  Skim any foam that accumulates on the surface.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes (or 2 hours if using lamb).
Add fried potatoes, salt, allspice and pepper to chicken and stock. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat. Cover. Cook for 15 minutes.
Add coriander and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
Serve warm with a rustic loaf or your choice of bread on the side.

Note: the Kibbeh meatball making party I wrote about in my last post was a huge success.  The girls and I had a fantastic time cooking together and catching up.  We made lots of meatballs and ate some that night.  The rest we froze.  

The fried meatballs were a huge hit at dinner that night, and I am going to post the recipe sometime this Spring and I'm even planning on a second Kibbeh party with more photos, so stay tuned!