South American
Brazilian Shrimp Stew
Moqueca de camarão
Dendê (palm) oil brings to the cooking of coastal Brazil what drums bring to samba: an insistent underlying sensuality. It transforms the coconut milk with its deep orange-red color and makes the flavor of the shrimp sing. But it is as perishable as it is seductive, so smell it before you use it.
Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min
Brazilian-Style Barbecued Steak with a Garlicky Marinade and Dipping Sauce
Churrasco de Sao Paolo al la Parilla con Chimichurri Rojo
Profiteroles with Caramel Sauce
This dessert combines two confections that are popular in Chile: caramel and the small cream puffs called profiteroles.
Mother's Everyday Pimento Cheese
If you really want to make this pimento cheese the way my mother does, and you happen to own a hand-crank meat grinder, run the two cheeses once through the fine blade of the grinder into a mixing bowl. Mother simply used to grind the pimentos with the cheeses, but now she prefers to mash them with a heavy fork on a plate until they break up into tiny pieces.
She uses homemade mayonnaise but also endorses Hellmann's (a.k.a. Best Foods).
Escolar Fish with Mango and Shrimp Ravioli
This dish is a perfect example of Villaran Novoandina ("New Andean") style of cooking. Ingredients native to Peru, such as escolar, aji, and tropical fruit, are combined in whimsical, creative ways. The presentation is very contemporary, yet the bright, satisfying contrast of crisp fish, sweet fruit, and spicy sauce is true to Peruvian flavors.
By Emmanuel Piqueras Villaran
Spinach and Carrot Stuffed Flank Steak
Grilled Matambre
Matambre (literally, "kill the hunger") is a classic South American meat dish. Every family has its own favorite combination of ingredients for the filling — some use vegetables, eggs, and nuts; others use ground pork, calves' brains, and spinach. We kept it simple and went with spinach and carrots.
Traditionally, this dish is poached, but we decided to grill ours. After testing this recipe on both gas and charcoal grills, we found that we prefer the flavor that charcoal imparts to the dish. We used a 22 1/2-inch kettle grill, a large chimney starter, and a 10-pound bag of hardwood charcoal.*
Active time: 2 1/2 hr Start to finish: 3 hr
Ceviche de Pescado
Fish Salad Cooked in Lime Juice
Editor's Note: This recipe and introductory text are excerpted from The Exotic Kitchens of Peru, by Copeland Marks. We've also added some tips of our own below.
For a complete guide to Peruvian cuisine, click here.
The English title of this recipe is not an altogether accurate description of ceviche since it is the lime (or lemon juice) that "cooks" the fish.
Peruvians are justifiably proud of their internationally famous method of serving fish tidbits. A mixed assortment can include squid, octopus, scallops, clams, langostas, as well as pata de mula, a shellfish similar to scallops. Then there are the black scallops of Peru, a rarity. All can be used in a classic ceviche, insuring a variety of textures and flavors.
By Copeland Marks
Espesado de Lunes
Beef Stew
Editor's Note: This recipe and introductory text are excerpted from The Exotic Kitchens of Peru, by Copeland Marks. We've also added some tips of our own below.
For a complete guide to Peruvian cuisine, click here.
This is a special dish that is only prepared on Mondays. My teacher told me that everyone she knew cooked Espesado on Mondays, a ritual that is universally accepted. In the clean and complete Central Market of Chiclayo, a number of the small eating shops were dispensing this to diners who knew what they wanted and expected it on Mondays.
By Copeland Marks
Chocolate-Walnut Puddings
The recipe for these individual puddings comes from the Brazilian restaurant Pampas in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Encebollado de Atun
Onioned Tuna Soup
I first tasted this soup at La Canoa, a restaurant in Guayaquil, Ecuador. They prepared the tuna in the popular style of leaving it mostly rare, then they added it to the soup right before serving. When we serve the soup at the Patria, we use all the meaty trimmings from the tuna steaks we've served as full portions.
By Douglas Rodriguez
Grilled Scallops with Tabbouleh Salsa
Plump scallops, sprinkled with salt and pepper, are lightly grilled and served with a salsa rich in parsley and diced vegetables. The salsa should be made just before eating; otherwise the liquid content of the vegetables will turn the dish watery.
By Nobuyuki Matsuhisa
Conch Tamales with Jalapeño-Cheese Pesto
Unlike most tamal recipes, which use dried corn (masa harina), this one is Cuban-style, made with fresh corn kernels. I've also added a different touch by replacing the traditional pork filling with conch. The flavor and texture proved very popular at Yuca, and it remained on the menu as a fixture.
These tamales are very convenient for entertaining. They can be made ahead of time and frozen, or kept in the refrigerator and then popped in the microwave. In fact, it's not worth making a smaller batch, so you'll probably want to freeze some of them. Likewise, the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.
Steak and Chimichurri Toasts
Chimichurri is a vibrant sauce of parsley and olive oil (with a little kick from red pepper flakes) that's traditionally served on grilled meats in Argentina. In this recipe, flank steak is marinated in the chimichurri, broiled, and then sliced and served on baguette slices with a dollop of the sauce. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.
Brazilian Seafood Stew
This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
The coconut milk can be found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.
By Margaret Jane Ross
Polenta Tamale Pie
Tamale pie, made with a cornmeal-mush crust, dates back to 1911. In this recipe, we use ready-made polenta packaged in a roll. The spicy beef filling takes advantage of the excellent bottled salsas and canned refried beans now crowding market shelves.
Chimichurri Sauce
This Argentinian sauce is served with both grilled meats and fish. Its spice and herbal flavors go well with the smokiness imparted by the grill, and the vinegar’s bite cuts through the richness of steak.
This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Citrus Marinated Shrimp Cocktail
"I'm originally from Ecuador, and I'll never forget the wonderful food there," Maria Budde of Orange, California. "I enjoy re-creating dishes from my home country, and this flavorful starter is typical of my native cuisine. It's simple to make and delicious."
By Maria Budde