Q&A With Aracari's Culinary Partner, Tammy Gordon As part of a new series, showcasing the experiences provided by some of Aracari's hand-picked travel partners, we'd like to introduce you to Tammy Gordon. She is a Peruvian restauranteur and food entrepreneur, based in Cusco, that Aracari has partnered with for many years to provide memorable breakfasts, dinners, and gourmet lunches for our guest's private expeditions in and around the Sacred Valley. Always amazed by the elevated cuisine Tammy's team cooks up and prepares for our expeditions. Over the years many Aracari guests' have fed-back to us how their trips have been heightened by the al fresco dining we've arranged for them. This level of consistency and quality is why Aracari has continually picked out Tammy and her team as our catering partners in the Sacred Valley, for so long. As travelers ourselves, we love eating great cuisine outside and we know our guests do too. After the year the world has just experienced, dining al fresco, in the company of good friends, and amidst breathtaking natural scenery and fresh air is something most of us by now are craving in 2021. With this in mind, we want to shine a light on our culinary partner, Tammy's life in food, and find out what she had to say about the joys of dining al fresco. 1.What's your fondest memory of cooking and eating outdoors? As a little girl, who grew up in the mountains, being a girl guide was inevitable for me. We always used to cook and camp outside. Perhaps that's why I've always loved the feeling of being out in the wilderness. In these beautiful environments, even simple meals can become extraordinary. So my fondest memory goes back to the days when my mother used to pack up a picnic basket with all
Q&A With Aracari’s Culinary Partner, Tammy Gordon As part of a new series, showcasing the experiences provided by some of Aracari’s hand-picked travel partners, we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Gordon. She is a Peruvian restauranteur and food entrepreneur, based in Cusco, that Aracari has partnered with for many years…
Peruvian ceviche The Pride of Peru Although many Latin American countries lay claim to ceviche, I'm going to remain unashamedly biased, and uphold Peru's claim to the dish. Gastón Acurio, from one of Lima's top restaurants Astrid y Gastón agrees, explaining that because of Lima's prominent position on the coast and its strategic importance as a trading base for the Spanish conquistadores, dishes like ceviche quickly spread to other Spanish colonies, and became assimilated into their own local cuisine. Although there are many variations, even within Peru, ceviche is essentially strips of raw fish which are 'cooked' in lime juice. In Peru it's usually served up with red onion, cilantro (coriander), aji amarillo - a flavoursome and spicy indigenous chili pepper, sweet potato and choclo, a local variety of corn with giant kernals. Whilst there are a wide array of restaurants we can recommend for you try this classic dish, my colleagues and I recently had some exciting ceviche experiences that we'd like to share. Lima with Zest Matt, Erika, Silvana and Claudia from Aracari's sales team recently went on Aracari's Lima with Zest tour - one of our best selling experiences in Lima. Led by local chef Penelope Alzamora this is a great hands-on introduction to Peruvian food, including a cooking lesson where you prepare ceviche and other classic Peruvian dishes. For a full description of Lima with Zest, check out our previous blog about the experience. I recently opted for a truly local experience, at a bustling marketing in Lima. The freshest ceviche in town A great experience is to eat Peru’s celebrated national dish right in the fish market. Last Saturday, bright and early, I headed to Mercado Central in downtown Lima. The market sprawls across two levels of an entire city block, and spills out into the streets and buildings that surround it. I found a popular local fish
Peruvian ceviche The Pride of Peru Although many Latin American countries lay claim to ceviche, I’m going to remain unashamedly biased, and uphold Peru’s claim to the dish. Gastón Acurio, from one of Lima’s top restaurants Astrid y Gastón agrees, explaining that because of Lima’s prominent position on the coast and its strategic importance as…
Peru with flavour Peruvian food is now well established on the world’s gastronomic map. With Michelin-starred restaurants in Lima and cities across the world, more people are getting to know the culinary delights of Peru. While it’s great to sample food from a distant country in your own city, nothing beats culinary travel -getting to know a country through your taste buds. In this culinary blog series, we’ll introduce you to some of Peru’s iconic dishes that will have you booking a flight and a table for as soon as you land! Causa - so much more than mashed potato The potato. Most people know that this humble root hails from Peru. The country boasts nearly 3,000 varieties in all shapes, sizes and subtle flavour distinctions, so it’s not surprising that potato is a staple of Peruvian cuisine, and used in many dishes. When you think of mashed potatoes, you often think of a dish that’s heavy, starchy and certainly served hot. So encountering causa is a surprise for all your senses. First of all, who would have known that mashed potatoes can be so aesthetically pleasing! Causa features tuna or chicken, layered with silky smooth mashed potato and a vegetable layer, often avocado. The colourful layers are often topped with drizzles of sauces, and other vibrant garnishes. Taking a taste leads to more surprises. Causa is served cold, and the layers are flavoured with delicate hints of lime and aji amarillo - the delightfully flavoursome orange chilli pepper that is ubiquitous to Peruvian cuisine. The result is light, refreshingly lifting flavours. Nothing of the heaviness or blandness you might expect from mashed potatoes. A bite that cuts through the layers, results in an explosion of flavours in your mouth. Causa is a Limeño classic, enjoyed especially in the summer, often as a
Peru with flavour Peruvian food is now well established on the world’s gastronomic map. With Michelin-starred restaurants in Lima and cities across the world, more people are getting to know the culinary delights of Peru. While it’s great to sample food from a distant country in your own city, nothing…
