Heating Up in the Kitchen

It was 88 degrees today in our kitchen. That's if you were standing near the windows, away from the stoves. This is the time of year to be in Butchery.

Hey, but we can cook! Colombian food today. Interesting how on a continent, the political and regional history can be so unique, and disparate. Colombia is a country of conflict. For much of its history, the people have been poor, the crime rate has been high, and the politics have been corrupt. The cuisine is heavily influenced by the indigenous foods (corn, beans, squash, chilies, yucca, potatoes and an abundance of tropical fruit) and Africa (coconuts, plantains, peas, palm oil.)

Andrea and I worked together on African Pork Peanut Stew. We sautéed diced pork in oil, then added spices: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne. After those became fragrant, we added garlic and onions, some tomato paste, and chicken stock. That mixture stewed together for a while, and we added puréed roasted peanuts, which thickened and enriched the sauce. Surprisingly, it didn't taste peanutty. To finish, we stirred in some sautéed green peppers and diced tomatoes.

Silvia made rice with pineapple and coconut milk. It went perfectly with the spicy stew.

We started with arepas con camarones (shrimp cakes):

And finished off with a pineapple cake that Derrick made. It was reminiscent of a pineapple upside down cake -- the same kind of genoise-like texture, but all the pineapple was inside. Definitely worth trying at home.

But man, it was hot.