#58 - Try 5 new restaurants
Friday, August 19, 2011
Today was the day. I got it! Really, I might have already finished, but I don’t know if I would count a new coffee shop in an airport as a new dining experience! I did just realize I really had six, but here goes!
El Fuego - This delicious restaurant was visited on April 22 when four of us decided to take a small adventure out of Lima. We drove around an hour inland to a little town that had a waterfall you could walk to. It was about an hour hike up to this pretty waterfall. It wasn’t too hard, and it was part of our “Easter vacation” excitement. Eden, Teresa, Cindy, and I enjoyed the day away. On our way home we stopped to eat dinner. We picked “El Fuego” (The fire) where Cindy and I shared a HUGE plate of lomo saltado. I don’t think we finished it even though we shared!
Punta Sal - This was the second adventure. Punta Sal means “the salt point” I guess. Not sure why the restaurant is called that though! It is right on the coast, but not on a point! This was one of those restaurants I didn’t want to visit. In fact, I avoided it for four and a half years. However, I couldn’t leave Peru without trying Ceviche. It’s tradition and I had avoided it for so long. I probably even lied and told a taxi driver I loved it despite not having tried it. They would have been outraged and offended if they knew the truth...I always just tried to tell them all the other wonderful foods I love. So, finally on April 23 (also part of Easter Break) I tried it. Ceviche is fish cured in lime juice. It’s not cooked. I don’t like fish, and the idea of it not even cooked freaked me out. However, it was salty and limey and not nearly as bad as I thought it might be! I really liked the sweet potato on the side though. See picture above for proof of the event. And no, I did not spit it out. I swallowed two pieces!
Rio Shilcayo - This restaurant was chosen out of necessity. This was one of those weeks I could have named multiple new restaurants, but I chose one. This was the week of the senior trip. We ate out every meal for five days. But, on June 4 we finally at at the Rio Shilcayo restaurant. It was tasty. I think we ate there 3 or 4 times and I enjoyed all of them. I think overall the favorite choice was their lomo saltado. Tasty!
La Lucha - This is one that Jessica introduced me to. Over in Parque Kennedy restaurants come and go and this was one I had never tried. It’s another sandwich place but with lots of unique juice options. June 11 Jess and I just wanted to eat and chat, so we tried it out. The “La Lucha” sandwich was great. I can’t tell you what was on it, but it was good! I also tried some new juice. I think the combination was something like carrot, apple, granadilla (a form of passion fruit), and yacon (which kind of tastes like jicama for those of you who know that.) Great little place. If you get to Lima, check it out.
Steak & Shake - This one I wasn’t counting, but then thought maybe I should. I went with the church youth group on a missions trip the first week of August and one of the meals there was a Steak & Shake. Quintin was so excited he had to eat there, so I joined him on August 5 somewhere outside of Chicago. I got some type of cheeseburger and a dark chocolate milkshake. Yum!
Salut - Here was my last one that was finally not in Perú. This one was special because we went today, August 19, for Sarah’s 29th birthday. I haven’t celebrated with her for years, so I enjoyed having a lunch outing with the family (minus Amy who is already teaching in Colorado). I got a crepe with chicken and artichoke, some type of goat cheese, and some spinach too. Delicious. Nice choice Sarah.
#42 - Make 5 new dessert recipes
Sunday, August 14, 2011
I finally completed this list. I guess it didn’t take that long, but it feels like it! I’ve had fun experimenting with several new recipes. Here is the list.
#48 - Pick my own berry of another variety
Monday, July 25, 2011
When I thought about picking some other type of berry I figured I’d go pick raspberries (which I did actually, I just never took a picture....so that could count too), or maybe blackberries or blueberries. Nope, my friend Kim and I went and picked Black Currants and Gooseberries.
The currants were really easy to pick. You just had to dig a bit because sometimes they hide a little bit under the leaves. They are an interesting combination of sweet but tart flavor. I like them. I tried making a black currant bar with them...which turned out to be better served in a bowl with ice cream. It didn’t “pick up” in bar form very well at all. I also made some black currant scones. Much better choice. They were delicious!
The gooseberries were a pain to pick. Literally. They have thorns at least 1/2 inch long and there were lots of other weeds in the patch, some of which were prickly. We got a few scratches, but didn’t pick nearly as many of those. I guess some recipes call for green, unripe, berries. We chose to pick them more red as they are sweeter then. I found a recipe I want to try, but I knew I wouldn’t get around to it this week. Luckily the recipe said “fresh, frozen, or canned” so I tossed them in the freezer and we’ll attempt that recipe soon.
Both were good tossed in a smoothie as well. I’d say this adventure was a success.
#61 - Grill a pizza
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Ever since I first heard that people grilled pizza, I’ve wanted to try. I convinced my family it was a great idea, so Mom & Dad came over to taste test this new thing. Let’s just say it wasn’t the success I hoped for.
#47 - Pick my own strawberries
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tuesday morning I met up with my college friend, Kim, to go pick strawberries. She had suggested it the week before and I thought it was perfect. I had only been home about three days, wasn’t unpacked or settled, but why not? It was so much fun to just relax in the strawberry patch, catch up with Kim, and get some yummy berries too! The only problem is, it looks like so many berries when you pick them yet I’ve already cleaned and washed them all and made dessert - twice. I froze a few too, but I probably could have used more. Oh well, next time I’ll know! Thanks for a fun morning, Kim!
#99 - Get all my instruments home from Peru
Friday, July 1, 2011
I like instruments. I like music. I’ve collected just a few instruments over the years I’ve been here and I realized a couple months ago I didn’t know how I would possibly get them all home. Well, I did it. I didn’t even have to carry half of them home. My Dad carried my guitar, Mom got the cajon, Amy carried the violin, I carried the viola at Christmas, the charango made its way in a suitcase, and the quena, zampoña, and conc shell all got home too. Oh, and don’t forget the D’anofrio man’s whistle. That made it too.
Now if only I had actually purchased that cow horn...
Friday, August 19, 2011
Today was the day. I got it! Really, I might have already finished, but I don’t know if I would count a new coffee shop in an airport as a new dining experience! I did just realize I really had six, but here goes!
El Fuego - This delicious restaurant was visited on April 22 when four of us decided to take a small adventure out of Lima. We drove around an hour inland to a little town that had a waterfall you could walk to. It was about an hour hike up to this pretty waterfall. It wasn’t too hard, and it was part of our “Easter vacation” excitement. Eden, Teresa, Cindy, and I enjoyed the day away. On our way home we stopped to eat dinner. We picked “El Fuego” (The fire) where Cindy and I shared a HUGE plate of lomo saltado. I don’t think we finished it even though we shared!
Punta Sal - This was the second adventure. Punta Sal means “the salt point” I guess. Not sure why the restaurant is called that though! It is right on the coast, but not on a point! This was one of those restaurants I didn’t want to visit. In fact, I avoided it for four and a half years. However, I couldn’t leave Peru without trying Ceviche. It’s tradition and I had avoided it for so long. I probably even lied and told a taxi driver I loved it despite not having tried it. They would have been outraged and offended if they knew the truth...I always just tried to tell them all the other wonderful foods I love. So, finally on April 23 (also part of Easter Break) I tried it. Ceviche is fish cured in lime juice. It’s not cooked. I don’t like fish, and the idea of it not even cooked freaked me out. However, it was salty and limey and not nearly as bad as I thought it might be! I really liked the sweet potato on the side though. See picture above for proof of the event. And no, I did not spit it out. I swallowed two pieces!
Rio Shilcayo - This restaurant was chosen out of necessity. This was one of those weeks I could have named multiple new restaurants, but I chose one. This was the week of the senior trip. We ate out every meal for five days. But, on June 4 we finally at at the Rio Shilcayo restaurant. It was tasty. I think we ate there 3 or 4 times and I enjoyed all of them. I think overall the favorite choice was their lomo saltado. Tasty!
La Lucha - This is one that Jessica introduced me to. Over in Parque Kennedy restaurants come and go and this was one I had never tried. It’s another sandwich place but with lots of unique juice options. June 11 Jess and I just wanted to eat and chat, so we tried it out. The “La Lucha” sandwich was great. I can’t tell you what was on it, but it was good! I also tried some new juice. I think the combination was something like carrot, apple, granadilla (a form of passion fruit), and yacon (which kind of tastes like jicama for those of you who know that.) Great little place. If you get to Lima, check it out.
Steak & Shake - This one I wasn’t counting, but then thought maybe I should. I went with the church youth group on a missions trip the first week of August and one of the meals there was a Steak & Shake. Quintin was so excited he had to eat there, so I joined him on August 5 somewhere outside of Chicago. I got some type of cheeseburger and a dark chocolate milkshake. Yum!
Salut - Here was my last one that was finally not in Perú. This one was special because we went today, August 19, for Sarah’s 29th birthday. I haven’t celebrated with her for years, so I enjoyed having a lunch outing with the family (minus Amy who is already teaching in Colorado). I got a crepe with chicken and artichoke, some type of goat cheese, and some spinach too. Delicious. Nice choice Sarah.
#42 - Make 5 new dessert recipes
Sunday, August 14, 2011
I finally completed this list. I guess it didn’t take that long, but it feels like it! I’ve had fun experimenting with several new recipes. Here is the list.
- Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake (4-25) - this one I found in a magazine cookbook I picked up at Target about a year ago. It just looked like it had fun recipes, and it didn’t disappoint me! I’ve tried lots. This one called for a smaller cheesecake pan than I could find in Peru, so I modified the recipe to make it a bit bigger. It was super rich, but super yummy too. I don’t think we had any leftovers at the end of that staff get-together night.
- Dark Chocolate Cream Pie (5-6) - this one was in the same cookbook as above and I made it for the “Cindy came home after a week at the middle school outdoor education trip” reunion. Rachel made homemade pizza while I made the pie. It was pretty tasty!
- Crockpot Tapioca Pudding (5-18) - this one came about because I was out shopping with Gretchen one day and we found tapioca, something I had never seen in Peru before. When I saw it I knew I had to pick some up and try it. My dad loves tapioca pudding, and since he was visiting about a week later, it only made sense to find a recipe to use it. I think I would modify the recipe slightly in the future, but it was definitely still good.
- Key Lime Cheesecake (6-24) - this was a “happy birthday Dad” item, even though he wasn’t there. Amy was visiting and I had wanted to make a key lime something for quite a while. The limes are easy to come by in Lima, so it was logical to do it while they were still cheap! I think we all loved it!! Light and fluffy, if you can call cheesecake light! (I guess I never took a photo of that one. Oops!)
- Peach and friends pie (8-14) - note the gap in time here...apparently I didn’t do much creative baking in July. I had a whole lug of peaches and so decided to find a new recipe. The “and friends” portion of it included apples and blueberries. It tastes really good, but I fear the pie left over for tomorrow might be soggy...it’s a really juicy pie! Perhaps one better suited to consuming in one sitting.
#48 - Pick my own berry of another variety
Monday, July 25, 2011
When I thought about picking some other type of berry I figured I’d go pick raspberries (which I did actually, I just never took a picture....so that could count too), or maybe blackberries or blueberries. Nope, my friend Kim and I went and picked Black Currants and Gooseberries.
The currants were really easy to pick. You just had to dig a bit because sometimes they hide a little bit under the leaves. They are an interesting combination of sweet but tart flavor. I like them. I tried making a black currant bar with them...which turned out to be better served in a bowl with ice cream. It didn’t “pick up” in bar form very well at all. I also made some black currant scones. Much better choice. They were delicious!
The gooseberries were a pain to pick. Literally. They have thorns at least 1/2 inch long and there were lots of other weeds in the patch, some of which were prickly. We got a few scratches, but didn’t pick nearly as many of those. I guess some recipes call for green, unripe, berries. We chose to pick them more red as they are sweeter then. I found a recipe I want to try, but I knew I wouldn’t get around to it this week. Luckily the recipe said “fresh, frozen, or canned” so I tossed them in the freezer and we’ll attempt that recipe soon.
Both were good tossed in a smoothie as well. I’d say this adventure was a success.
#61 - Grill a pizza
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Ever since I first heard that people grilled pizza, I’ve wanted to try. I convinced my family it was a great idea, so Mom & Dad came over to taste test this new thing. Let’s just say it wasn’t the success I hoped for.
- I made the crust a little too big and too thin (yet too thick in other places) so it kind of sunk into the grates.
- Due to the sinking, we had burning because the crust was too close to the fire.
- I probably needed more flour to help hold it all together.
- Leave the pizza on the pan in the grill to keep it together.
- Flip the crust from one pan to another so the other side could cook.
- Rotate the pan so the hot spot didn’t burn one section of the pizza.
- The pizza directly on the grill tasted like it was grilled, the one on the pan did not.
- The pizza directly on the grill looked terrible, the one on the pan looked beautiful.
- The pizza directly on the grill was burnt in some places and still doughy in others, the one on the pan was evenly cooked.
- Do some more research on the internet to figure out how to not burn and get this thing to lay evenly on the grill.
- Putting it on a pan could be an option, but maybe just for the first side so it firms up a bit, but flip it directly onto the grill so you get the grilled flavor.
- Definitely make the crust smaller. Maybe personal size pizzas would work better. They’d be a whole lot easier to flip!
#47 - Pick my own strawberries
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tuesday morning I met up with my college friend, Kim, to go pick strawberries. She had suggested it the week before and I thought it was perfect. I had only been home about three days, wasn’t unpacked or settled, but why not? It was so much fun to just relax in the strawberry patch, catch up with Kim, and get some yummy berries too! The only problem is, it looks like so many berries when you pick them yet I’ve already cleaned and washed them all and made dessert - twice. I froze a few too, but I probably could have used more. Oh well, next time I’ll know! Thanks for a fun morning, Kim!
#99 - Get all my instruments home from Peru
Friday, July 1, 2011
I like instruments. I like music. I’ve collected just a few instruments over the years I’ve been here and I realized a couple months ago I didn’t know how I would possibly get them all home. Well, I did it. I didn’t even have to carry half of them home. My Dad carried my guitar, Mom got the cajon, Amy carried the violin, I carried the viola at Christmas, the charango made its way in a suitcase, and the quena, zampoña, and conc shell all got home too. Oh, and don’t forget the D’anofrio man’s whistle. That made it too.
Now if only I had actually purchased that cow horn...
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