HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

As soon as Christmas celebrations ended, I mean, meeting with friends, exchanging gifts, meeting with family, shopping, .... And we're a little tired of so much celebration ... now our expectation is to receive the new year 2011.

And it has to be with great joy, because according to how we receive the new year, we`ll spend during the whole year 2011.

And we have many cabals to get the year: when it is 12:00 am:

For luck: Eat 12 grapes under the table and think for a wish for each grape.

Dance the whole night away and celebrate. Clean the entire house-that is clean and sweep with 12 lemons. Buy and place yellow flowers in a base. Boil leaves of flowers, and then swim, this is called flower bath. Place lentils in a bowl, rice, beans…etc.. To avoid missing a meal.

To travel: Go to run with your suitcase, Passport, Money, throughout the block, this is fun because the neghbors will say you ¡Enjoy your trip!

For Money: having big bucks in your wallet, climbing as high as posible, may be on a chair, and scream your lungs  ¡I will suceed!. Drink a fine champagne. Get Drees glamorousu.

For happiness: use a yellow underwear

For love: Use a red underwear, or write the name of your loved one in a small piece of paper and place it inside the glass of champagne and drink it.

Candles: Blue: to have peace, Yellow: to be abound; Red: To be in love; Green: to be healthy; White: To have clarity; Orange: To preserve intelligence (be careful with candles)

Burn and old doll: Made of old clothes, and put in it all the negative things we had in the old year (be careful with this).

Bursting fireworks: for marriage, joy and happiness (be careful with fireworks).

Of course, all these rites and cabals are traditions and customs of each family.

However, I believe in the power of the mind, just think what you want, imagine yourself in that situation, close your eyes and as if it were a movie-you the main actor-as you look. For example: imagine that you look happy, smiling, with a lot of health, surrounded by family love, a couple, living in a beautiful house, with great joy, with a good job, with great success, with a nice car, traveling, and with a cute pet (I love dogs).

And you see so, what you’ve imagined and wished that you’re one step that it will come truth. But it is also important to learn to share, because whatever you give you receive.

¡¡¡  HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011   !!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The Christmas is approaching, homes have lights and Christmas decorations,fireworks are heard,  the shops are full, it seems that everyone expects the last minute to buy gifts.

And as the hour is near, do not know why one feels some homesickness, maybe for the memories of beings ones who are no longer with us, maybe in the heavens or maybe living abroad. But you have to lift those spirits, because there is always someone close to one,  and remember that it not only is buying Christmas gifts, we`re  celebrating the birth of Jesus, so that's what we have to celebrate.

In my case,  we're getting together at home. Normally in a Christmas dinner in my country we eat turkey, tamales, salads, rice, pineapple, applesauce, sometimes pork, and of course his inevitable Panettone bread, and milk chocolate...This is my turkey recipe:

Preparation:

1 turkey 8 kg

2 cups cider or champagne

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp mustard

Salt and black pepper

½ cup of pisco

2 tbsp orégano

1 tbsp honey
1 white onion
butter 50 grs.

Preparation

Insert pisco over the turkey

Mix cider with salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, oregano, paprika and honey

Place turkey mixture and let stand 8 hours.

Place turkey on a white onion, chopped preveiously.

Place inside the turkey branches of Rosemary and 2 or 3 green apples.
Add Butter (50 grs) over the turkey.

Bake at 350 F for 2 hours 30 minutes.

Secrets:

Some, place two days before the turkey in a bucke of salt and a Little sugar (to make it moist), then dry de turkey and add all the ingredients.

Others, add Coca Cola and dark beer or a Little of sugar blondy.

   

PISCO SOUR

Pisco Sour is the signature drink of Perú, and I love Pisco Sour, specially when I`m in a meeting sharing with my friends, who have told they love my recipe...and there is step by step:
Ingredients
3 measures of pisco (of course made in Perú)
2 measures of lemon juice
1 measure of sugar syrop
1 egg white
15 ice cubes
Cinnamon
Preparation
Blend the pisco, lemon and sugar syrop. Them add the egg white and the ice cubes until it looks foamy.
Served in glass and add the cinnamon (just a little)
Trust me you will like...but not taking too much.

Sugar syrop recipe:
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
Boil until syrup note that this type and let it cool.

PALILLO-STICK

The variety of Turmeric grows in Peru is called "Curcuma Longa, and takes the name of" Stick "and its main crop is in the Peruvian jungle, recent studies indicates that this variety is rich in bisdemethoxycurcumin, an anti oxidant that can combat the accumulation of proteins that are parked in fighting the dreaded Alzheimer brain.

The Machigengas (tribe of the Peruvian jungle) say that turmeric is a good diuretic and prevents constipation (flu).

It also acts as anti-inflammatory respiratory, joint and urinary tract, is also useful in cases of prostatitis.

It also stimulates blood circulation, they not only use it as medicine, culinary flavoring and coloring, but also effectively trim, as the spread on the skin, provides moisture and freshness.

AJI DE GALLINA

Today I had lunch a very delicious "aji de gallina", salty foods I don`t like to cook with exact measurements, anyway here is my recipe

Ingredientes:

1 Chicken breast

1 stalk celery

1 tbsp oil

½ chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ tbsp of “palillo” (optional)

2 yellow peppers blended (if you like spicy)

6 slices of bread/soaked in mil kan chicken broth

Salt  and pepper to taste

Chopped pecans to taste (optional)

Chopped parsley to taste

Hard eggs

Preparation

Boil the chicken breast in water, celery and salt, then fray and reserve.

In a pan add oil, onion, garlic, palillo and the chili liquid, then add the shredded chicken and bread blending.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Add pecans and parmesan cheese to taste.

Check the consistencyit must not be watery , you can keep adding chicken broth or milk.

Finally add the copped parsley.

Served with potato, egg and rice...Enjoy...!!!

REGRESA

Lucha Reyes, una cantante peruana-muy criolla, con una voz inigualable nos canta el vals "Regresa"...la recuerdan???

EL AJI AMARILLO (Capsicum baccatum.Variedad: pendulum)

CARACTERÍSTICAS:

A esta especie pertenecen muchas de las variedades cultivadas en nuestro país, especialmente las de la costa, donde fueron encontrados restos de ají amarillo de 4000 años de antigüedad, en las zonas arqueológicas de Huaca Prieta y Ancón.

La corola del ají amarillo es blanca con manchas amarillas o rojas; su fruto es generalmente de color anaranjado, aunque varía en algunos casos; y posee semillas de color cremoso o blanquecino.   

DISTRIBUCIÓN:

En el Perú el aji amarillo desarrolla en costa, sierra y Amazonía hasta unos 1500 msnm, en climas cálidos con temperaturas de entre 16 y 24 ºC.

USOS:

1) Alimento: El fruto se usa como condimento por su sabor picante, como verdura en ensalada, y como base para la preparación del ají de gallina, papa a la huancaína, salsa de ocopa, cauchi de queso, escabeche y varios platos más.

2) Medicinal: Analgésico odontológico; picaduras de abejas, avispas, arañas y alacranes; tratar orzuelo, reumas, amigdalitis, hemorroides externas, hipo rebelde, galactóforo, contra los sabañones, antigripal y sudorífico.

3) Ornamental: Una vez secados los frutos son utilizados como adornos de cocina.

EL OLLUCO

El olluco o papalisa (Ullucus tuberosus) es una hortaliza de tierra, un tubérculo de tamaño por lo general pequeño en comparación con la papa, de forma alargada, de cáscara lisa y delgada con protuberancias. Es originario de nuestros Andes donde también fue domesticado, su consumo es frecuente en la costa peruana en platos muy apreciados como el olluquito con carne o con charqui (carne seca de llama).

También se consume el olluco seco o deshidratado, que se procesa como la papa seca y se utiliza en preparaciones diversas como en los picantes. Otra forma de consumo es el olluco deshidratado por exposición a heladas, lavado y secado, hasta obtener la harina.

Consumir el olluco fresco, resulta ser una opción adecuada para platos bajos en calorías ya que contiene más de 80% de agua, poco almidón y cantidades insignificantes de grasa por tanto es bajo en calorías. Sin embargo, al consumirlo en su forma seca o de harina es un alimento que conserva sólo la parte sólida sin agua siendo de esta manera un alimento que enriquece el plato en cuanto a las calorías.

Respecto a las vitaminas y minerales contiene pequeñas cantidades de calcio, fósforo y vitaminas del complejo B, pero destaca en otras como la vitamina C y el hierro.

La dieta saludable requiere de variedad de alimentos y el olluco es un alimento nutritivo que puede alternar a la papa, que es también un tubérculo bondadoso y ampliamente consumido.

COMIDA PERUANA

Adoro la comida peruana, con su ajicito, su cebollita...y todos los itos posibles.
De hecho que mi plato preferido es el "Olluquito", aquí les paso la receta, disfrútenlo:
Receta:
1K (2lb) de Olluco, cortado en juliana fina
4 cucharadas de aceite
250 grs (1/2 lb) de carne de res picada en tiras delgada
1/2 taza de cebolla, finamente cortado
3 dientes de ajo
1 cucharadita de comino
2 cucharadas de ají panca
1 cucharada de ají amarillo
1 cucharadita de páprika o de pimentón
sal y pimienta al gusto
2 cucharadas de perejil picado
Preparación
Remojar los ollucos en agua con sal durante 1 hora.
Calentar el aceite en una olla y freir la carne hasta que este dorada. Retirar y reservar.
En el mismo aceite, freir la cebolla junto el ajo hasta que esté transparebte. Agregar el pimentón, ají panca, ají amarillo, comino, sal, pimienta al gusto. Cocinar unos minutos.
Agregar los ollucos previamente escurridos y la carne. Tapar la olla y cocinar a fuego lento hasta que el olluco esté tierno, aproximadamente unos 15 a 20 minutos, moviendo ocasionalmente. Agregar el perejil y mezclar.

Acompañar con Arroz, y por supuesto con su ajicito...que rico..!!!