Naturally due to the pandemic, we take many measures to be as safe as we can. But we are happy that our son, Justin, daughter-in-law Lourdes and granddaughter Audrey have returned to the mainland after a few years of living in Key West. Now we can now visit with them much more often! “An eight year old transforms way too fast to miss out on the wonder of it all”, says this grandpa. Last week we met them at a restaurant with a large patio and safety protocols clearly observed. The restaurant serves the foods of Peru. The menu is a careful curation of some of the most beloved dishes of that astonishingly culinary blessed country. While scanning the ‘contactless’ menu that I viewed through an app on my phone I was reminded of the period of time we wrote our cookbook “New World Kitchen” that features the cuisines of all of South America and the Caribbean. It was one of the most educational endeavors I’ve ever taken. I was inwardly delighted to recall those times. I was also wondering … what in the heck will our granddaughter order here? She has grown a touch finicky compared to when she was a few years younger. Socialization at grade school is what I attribute this too. Peer pressure takes many forms. She was blissfully ignorant of what her granddad had decided to order. Her mother is the soul of patience and she found a simple, child friendly chicken dish on the menu. What I had was listed as “Corazón”. I knew this actually is more commonly known as ‘Anticuchos’ from our cookbook research. They are grilled kebabs made from veal or cow hearts. These lustily chimichurri marinated skewers are deeply engraved in the memories of every meat eating Peruvian. The garlic, herbs and vinegar of chimichurri are perfect with the hearts. Many folks there grew up watching anticucheras … the women who cook and sell anticuchos on the streets of Peru.
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Now it’s time to hit the ‘Listen on WLRN’ button at the top to hear the remainder of my show. ‘A Word On Food’ airs on WLRN every Saturday around 8:30 a.m. at 91.3 and also 91.5 on the radio. I want to thank so many of you who tell me in person how much you are enjoying the show! Please check out my Instagram photos and my new IG TV cooking videos @normanvanaken