Adventure 32: A Lesson in Peruvian Cooking

I have never had Peruvian food. I think this may be in part due to the fact that I don't like potatoes. Also, I've never noticed a restaurant in the area that serves Peruvian food. Well today's adventure not only entails Peruvian food, but a cooking lesson.

The dish, Picante a la Tacnena, named for the town it originates from, my friend (and chief for the evening) Miguel's hometown.

We started with 3 boiled potatoes, mashed with a fork. Not American mashed with added milk and butter, just the potatoes. I'm already nervous that this is our first ingredient. Miguel told me later it's usually 4 potatoes, but he decided to take it easy on the potato-hater.

Next the sauce. An entire bag of these crushed chilies, with chunked beef, water, oregano, and salt. 

It simmered for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, there was some basic long-grained white rice cooking on the side.

When the sauce was ready, the entire bowl of potatoes was added.

Once the potatoes were stirred in, it simmered for another 10 minutes.

Then dinner was served... and in less than an hour. The easiest cooking class I've had!

It was delicious. It wasn't very spicy like I thought it would be with those crushed chilies. I didn't even mind the potatoes. Mashed is the perfect way to disguise their dirt taste.

So, I've had Peruvian food now. Check. Machu Picchu, here I come!

Time spent on adventure: 1 hour

Money spent: $0 (a complimentary class and dinner, it pays to have friends who will teach you what they know)

Recommendation: 8 out of 10 adventure points!