My hubby graciously allowed me to write down this recipe for a Colombian wheat and pork stew called cuchuco. I didn’t know of its existence, but once I tried it, I was sold. It is perfect in winter as it has wheat or barley kernels, as well a cabbage varieties. If you are into one-pot stews, this one is definitely one to try!
Tada, today I’m introducing a specialty that actually comes from Spain and has been adapted in Latin America with local products: turrón. In Germany, we would probably call this nougat. Turrón traditionally consists of a honey-sugar syrup that is mixed with egg whites and almonds. This “paste” is then pressed into relatively flat bars and then cut into pieces or cubes. I use the version with peanuts (maní), which are much cheaper to buy in Uruguay and are also native to the country. The Uruguayans have simply replaced almonds with a local product: peanuts. Turrón basically comes in two varieties: “duro”, i.e. hard turrón, or “blando”, i.e. the softer verrsion. I opted for the hard version. You should definitely be prepared to take at least 45 minutes to make this delicacy and you will need some arm muscle. However, I think it’s well worth the effort.
Yay, today I get to introduce Colombian buñuelos with German ingredients. I already have a buñuelos recipe on the blog. However, for the previous recipe we had to make the cheese ourselves. But now I managed to make a recipe with cheeses that are readily available in Germany. So let me introduce to you these cheese fritters. They are traditionally served in December, for sure for Christmas, but also for New Year’s. If you would like to learn more about Colombian Christmas traditions and recipes, check out that blog post. Just as I managed to make Colombian pandebonos with this farmer’s cheese, I replaced the Colombian queso costeño with it. I also like to use a mix and throw in feta cheese. As cheeses have a different amount of liquid, I had to tweak the recipe a bit, but then it was perfect!
Pollo sudado is a popular chicken stew in Colombia. First you fry some vegetables, mainly onions and tomatoes, and to this mixture you add raw chicken and raw potatoes. You cover this with a lid and steam this with the water slowly. “Sudado” literally translates as “sweated”, the idea is that the chicken is steamed in the liquid of the vegetables. This may sound a bit strange, I agree. I was suspicious, I mean raw chicken is not something anyone wants. However, since it is one of the favorite dishes of my husband, I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised. It does get a different kind of flavor from this vegetable steam. The best thing? It tastes even better on day 2 or 3!
Have you every heard of “alfajores”? These are sandwich cookies that are usually filled with the caramel cream called dulce de leche. They originally stem from Andalucia in Spain, but have become extremely popular in Uruguay and Argentina. Supposedly about 10 million (!) alfajores are sold each day in Argentina in 2023. The “original” is usually made with flour and cornstarch and creates this nice crunchy texture, however, my version below contains flour and almonds instead. The classic alfajor is usually rolled in coconut flakes, however, I will used chopped almonds for this version.
Today I am introducing the Venezuelan dessert to you named “quesillo”. Quesillo is the Venezuelan name for a custard that is normally known as flan. Flan originates in Spain and is commonly consumed and enjoyed in Latin America as well. There is a reason I have several flan recipes on my blog, you may try the classic flan, flan with pineapple, flan with coconut, chocoflan with a chocolate cake and the cousin called leche asada, which does not require a watherbath. There are a lot of recipes out there, each family has their little secret. However, what they usually have in common is a) the caramel layer on top and b) milk or heavy cream and eggs. But that is about it, some recipes require only egg yolks, others use the full egg, some may ask just for milk and others only cream. Quesillo does use sweetened condensed milk and usually a dash of rum for extra flavor. Preparing this dish only requires around 10-15min, the rest will be taken care of by the oven and fridge. The word “quesillo” comes from the Spanish word “queso” as a slice may look a bit like a slice of queese with some holes in it.
Guiso de lentejas can be translated as lentil stew and is thoroughly enjoyed in Uruguay. Unfortunately, I never had the priviledge of eating this dish in Uruguay, somehow my family was not that much into legumes. Legumes are probably enjoyed all around the world, Uruguay is no exception. Typically this stew is seasoned with different meat (here also bacon) and gets its characteristic flavor from the tomatoes instead of the broth. Plus point, it comes together in about half an hour and is definitely a hearty dish for the whole family.
If you have been on my blog before, you probably know that I have a lot of corn flatbread recipes from Colombia and Venezuela on here, they are normally called arepas. Today I am going to introduce you to the gluten-free version that is made with sweet corn and is filled with cheese. In Venezuela these are called cachapas, in Colombia arepas de choclo. The Spanish word for sweet corn is choclo, hence the name. Normally the sweet corn is cooked and directly cut off the cob, however, I decided to go for canned corn as in Germany usually only sweet corn is sold. I had tried already once to make cachapas, however, I was not completely happy yet. But then I had the privilege to eat cachapas at my husband’s cousin again. Her husband is Venezuelan, so obviously he knew exactly how to make them. Of course I immediately asked her for the recipe, which she happily let me know. So I set to it and guess what, they tasted marvelous, so I finally felt OK to share the recipe here. So let’s make cachapas with cheese filling!
You can also make the cachapas and melt the cheese on the top if you find the procedure described below too complicated
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If you are in the mood for a fluffy and airy dessert, this is for you. This is meringue made in a waterbath and there is a reason it is called isla flotante or “floating island”. It is so airy, it is only floating. It is perfect for anyone who can’t eat gluten as it does not contain any flour. As stated, you will prepare a meringue and bake it in a waterbath. The top is caramelized. You may serve it just like that or you can serve it with the custard called Sabayon. I also caramelized some strawberries since I like some fresh component. Even if you serve it with all these extras, you will only need five ingredients in total: eggs, sugar, vanilla, alcohol and strawberries. May I interest you in this dessert?
Today I am introducing rice pudding or in Spanish “arroz con leche” and I will tell you how I got the recipe, which is a super sweet story. But first let’s talk about this dessert. Arroz con leche is an extremely universal recipe. For example, rice pudding is enjoyed in the Scandinavian countries. In fact, rice pudding is often served during Christmas season and they have created their own little traditions and customs around it. In Germany rice pudding became famous during and after World War II as a cheap main meal (I have to say, I still don’t get how a sweet dish can be served as a main meal). Rice pudding is also famous in Spain and made it to Latin America at some point. You may wonder why I am introducing this universally loved recipe here. The answer is because one reader of this blog went out of her way so that I was able to obtain the cookbook containing this recipe. But let’s start at the beginning.
