Archive for the ‘Food, Mostly Peruvian’ Category

Newer Entries »

Mayu Film Recommendation: “Cooking up Dreams”

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

We are back with another film recommendation! As you know, Peruvian food and culture are some of our favorite topics of discussion, so we are super excited about the screening of “Cooking up Dreams” from Guarango Association.  The film details a massive food revolution taking place across Peruvian society–yum! The director, Ernesto Cabellos, explores the sense of identity and development opportunities that exists in Peruvian cuisine. For a sneak preview, check out the “Cooking up Dreams” trailer (drool worthy!).

The best news? For our Chicago Readers you can catch a screening of “Cooking up Dreams” as part of the  Chicago Latino Film Festival! There are two showings at the Landmark Theater (2828 North Clark Street)

  • April 21st at 8:45 pm (TODAY!)
  • April 24 at 7:30 pm

General admission to the Festival is $ 10 and can be purchased via the Internet through www.LandmarkTheatres.com or by phone at 312.431.1330. The event will include a showing of the film as well as follow up discussions with the  producers of the film. For more information, check out the Facebook Fan site (with a Spanish translator handy!) or head to Landmark Theaters.

Please help our friends promote this wonderful documentary by spreading the word!

Share

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Community Events, Food, Mostly Peruvian, Mayu News!, Peru | No Comments »

Fair-Trade Chocolate in Your Easter Basket!

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Mayu doesn’t play favorites when it comes to holidays, but when a certain bunny leaves a basketful of goodies (feel free to leave out the Peeps!) at our doorstep, we are all for it. So Easter Bunny, if you are listening, Mayu requests fair-trade chocolate this year. And more specially, the winner of the 2010 San Francisco International Chocolate Salon “Best Organic or Fair Trade Chocolate:” Alter Eco Fair Trade: Dark Quinoa Chocolate.

Alter Eco is a team of “fair trade visionaries” connecting chocolate connoisseurs to fair-trade and sustainable farmers. Mayu loves Alter Eco because they are dedicated to the development of independent producers as well as distributors who are concerned with social issues. Through their partnerships they are able to offer an irresistible range of 16 gourmet Fair Trade chocolate products of superior taste and exotic origins. The Dark Quinoa Chocolate is made with cacao and quinoa from Bolivia, bringing together cocoa and the ancient ingredients from indigenous Andeans. We have already mentioned quinoa a few times on our blog, but wow, pair it with dark chocolate?! Happy Easter to us!

Have a good week!

Follow us via Twitter@shopmayu, our blog or Facebook!

Share

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Fair Trade, Food, Mostly Peruvian, Stuff Mayu Loves | No Comments »

Fair Trade Tastes Good: Wei of Chocolate

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

“Each piece is mindfully prepared and infused with love, mantra and pure intention.”

While in the Phoenix area last month, we came across the Wei of Chocolate which produces the most unique dark chocolate! The spicy chili is our favorite but the newest flavors include Cafe Wei and Wei Dark – I can’t wait to order them online. If you happen to live in Phoenix, visit the Phoenix farmers markets and grab a taste.

Visit Wei of Chocolate for organic dark chocolate enhanced with herbs, spices and floral essences. Mayu encourages you to support fair-trade products of all kinds; from alpaca to chocolate, nature knows best.


Share

Posted in Fair Trade, Food, Mostly Peruvian, Stuff Mayu Loves | No Comments »

Peruvian Food Series: Ceviche!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

In Mayu’s final edition of our Peruvian food series, we want to cover the basics of ceviche, a gastronomical treat for our artisans. Ceviche is a citrus-marinated seafood dish originating in Peru (but our Ecuadorian neighbors may think otherwise!) and epitomizing seafood fusion. You will find this dish in many Southern American countries, each location adding their own touch of individuality.

In Peru, ceviche is composed of diced fresh fish, marinated in lime or lemon juice, sliced onion, chili, salt and pepper. A specialty of our local artisans is ceviche prepared from shark! The local cevicherias serve the entree with a small glass of leche de tigre, which is a small quantity of the lime juice marinade. On the side, you can expect  slices of cold sweet-potatoes or corn-on-the-cob.

Ceviche is rather expensive due to the large amount of seafood required for an individual serving. That being said, our artisans look forward to ceviche during special occasions or celebrations. We have included a simple recipe that should be serviced with boiled sweet potatoes.

Peruvian Ceviche!
Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1.5-2 lbs of white fish (sea bass, flounder, grouper, sole, etc).
  • 1 red onion, sliced finely
  • 1 chili pepper, chopped very fine
  • Juice of 15 limes
  • Salt and pepper

Cut fish into 1/4 inch-dice sized pieces and mix with the sliced onion. Wash and drain well. Season with salt, pepper and the chili pepper.

Toss fish preparation in lime juice and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally (until the fish turns very white). Serve ceviche in martini glasses and garnish with potatoes and lime wedges.

There you have it, the culmination of our Spring food series! We hope you enjoyed learning more about Peruvian cuisine. From bread, quinoa, cheese and seafood, Mayu artisans really know their way around the cocina. We hope to have more exciting recipes and creations coming this Summer.

Bon appetit!

Come back  to Mayu for more on eco-fashion, fair-trade and hand-knit alpaca accessories! Follow us via Twitter@shopmayu, our blog or Facebook.

Share

Posted in Food, Mostly Peruvian, Peru, Stuff Mayu Loves | 2 Comments »

Peruvian Food Series: Pan (aka bread)!

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Hanging out in the bottom portion of the food pyramid, we want to discuss the importance of pan to our Peruvian friends. There must be something in the Andean air, because wow, can Peruvians make delicious pan. The life of a panadero (baker–enjoy the free Spanish lesson) starts super early in the morning (3AM!). The pan must be mixed, kneaded and baked so the families can enjoy with cafe con leche (assuming you know this one!) in the morning. Every town has their own way of making pan, but you really can’t go wrong when serving freshly baked bread each day, can you? To the right is a Peruvian panadero removing pan from a traditional, wood-burning oven. This particular woman makes hundreds of loaves of bread for her community; some say it is the best in Peru!

One of the most popular recipes with the Chiquian’s is pan con queso. Can we imagine a better combination?! Bread and cheese may evoke thoughts of a Parisian cafe, but with a little Peruvian flare, you have an incredible recipe. Unfortunately, pan con queso can not be enjoyed year round, so our artisan friends have to wait until the rainy season to indulge (rain=more food for the cows=more milk=more pan con queso). Pan con queso is super easy to make, all you need are a few simple ingredients. When making this recipe in our test kitchen, we used fresh, crusty, french bread and gruyère cheese from the local farmer’s market. The fresher, the better! The nutmeg adds a nutty, cinnamon taste, really complementing the gruyère. Serve it with desayuno (breakfast) or lonche (dinner). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 12 slices of fresh bread
  • 12 slices of gruyère cheese
  • 3 eggs-separated
  • 1 teaspoon of corn starch
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Spread the slices of bread -both sides- with butter (using about 2 tablespoons of butter). Place in a deep baking dish and then place a slice of cheese over each piece of bread.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks and then add the corn starch, 1 tablespoons of melted butter, salt and pepper. Beat the egg whites to form peaks, and then add the nutmeg. Mix egg whites with the beaten yolks.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread and bake it for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Keep checking back  to Mayu for more Peruvian recipes, updates on eco-fashion and details our new Fall hand-knit alpaca accessories! Follow us via Twitter@shopmayu, our blog or Facebook.

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Food, Mostly Peruvian, Peru, Stuff Mayu Loves | No Comments »

Peruvian Food Series: Quinoa

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Here at Mayu we love quinoa; it is packed full of fiber, loaded with protein and is even rumored to be a “superfood!” We are not alone in this craze–our artisan friends use quinoa all the time. Far superior to potatoes and corn (nutritionally speaking), quinoa is easy to prepare (cooks faster than rice), nutty and delicious. Mayu artisans use quinoa in place of rice, couscous and other grains. And quinoa is not just a side item; our artisans use it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don’t know where to find quinoa? Check out the rice aisle at your grocery store–or for those who support local co-ops (woo hoo!) you can usually find quinoa in the bulk foods aisle.

Cooking quinoa:

The easiest way to prepare quinoa is to cook it like rice or pasta. Fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Add the grain to the boiling water (serving suggestions are 1/4-1/3 cup dry per person), turn the heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the water and allow the quinoa to cool. Fluff with a fork.

Here are some of our favorite ways to dress up quinoa:

Breakfast: Combine a cup of cooked quinoa with 1/2 cup of skim milk and 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, and microwave for 60 seconds. Great alternative to oatmeal (and “great alternative to oatmeal” rarely crosses our lips at Mayu!).

Side dish: In our kitchens, anything goes with quinoa. You can add roasted tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, etc. Balsamic vinegar also adds a nice kick to quinoa. Feel free to top your quinoa with shrimp, tofu or chicken. Honestly, it’s just a vehicle for condiments and toppings!

Dessert: Here is Kate’s all time favorite quinoa recipe. Her host family use to serve it with milk, very similar to rice pudding and tapioca! The quinoa soaks up the cinnamon, sugar and milk to make a super sweet (and savory!) treat. Try substituting almond milk and agave nectar for the milk and sugar to boost the nutritional stats.

Finally, if you are not already sold, check out quinoa’s nutritional info:

Serving Size: 1/4 cup (42 grams) dry

Calories: 160
Total Fat: 2.5 grams
Cholesterol: 0 grams
Sodium: 10 grams
Total Carbohydrate: 28 grams
Dietary Fiber: 6.5 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Iron: 15%  Daily Value

Bon appetit!

Share

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Food, Mostly Peruvian, Peru, Stuff Mayu Loves | No Comments »

Newer Entries »