Jan-Feb-2016_Final-1-4-16-attempt2

ECUADOR

Crema de Aguacate Sopa Creamy Avocado Soup Makes 6 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED 7 cups chicken stock 4 soft avocados, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Tasty Streets To be sure, the real culinary treasures in Ecuador are what’s sold on the street. Panaderías or bakeries seem to sit on every block offering freshly baked savory bread ( pan de sal ) or sweet bread ( pan de dulce ). The sweet ones come with cheese fillings (kind of like King Cake) or sometimes guava jam. Humitas look like tamales but are so much more. They are made of ground corn that is mixed with eggs, cheese and butter. Humita vendors wrap the soufflé-like tubes in banana leaves, which keep them moist and warm. Many sidewalk vendors also serve hornado (pork pulled off a roasted pig). This usually comes with a little piece of crispy pig skin (don’t mind the hair) and mote, large white corn-like kernels similar to hominy. Llapingachos are thick, crusty potato pancakes stuffed with cheese — usually a side dish along with homemade potato or plantain chips. While in Cuenca (a colonial city, 8,000-feet above sea level with lively street life and beautifully preserved architecture), we discovered a tiny doorway that led to one of the best-tasting sándwich de pernil spots in the country. Served in miniature buns, a lady behind a simple counter would slice off pork so tender you wondered why you ever messed with a guinea pig. This was no signature dish. This was the only dish served at this tiny paradise.Three sandwiches with a bottle of Pilsener beer (a national brew), and you may never come home. Taking it Home When I did return home, one of the things I realized immediately is what one could describe as the Galapagos affect. While vegetables and fruits in Ecuador come in many shapes and forms, the common Ecuadorian variety often is found nowhere else.That makes recipes a challenge when you’re back at home.This is especially true of the soup. Ecuador should be the world capital of soup.The day’s biggest meal, which typically is almuerzo or lunch, consists of a delicious soup, an entrée (meat with some sort of rice or mote) and a dessert (usually fruit). Topping the list is locro de papas , a simple potato soup, but it requires a certain type of Ecuadorian potato. The soup is garnished with slabs of avocado. What, you may ask, is avocado doing in soup? Sounds strange but I read later in a cookbook that the avocado actually cools the soup to a temperature that is best for tasting the subtleties of food. Thankfully, another favorite soup we came across requires neither native potatoes nor rooster feet. It’s a hot (yes hot) soup called

Rouses salt and black pepper to taste Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish HOW TO PREP In a blender or food processor, pulse 1 cup of chicken stock with the avocados to make a purée. In a separate soup pot, heat the remaining chicken stock over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to low. Temper the avocado mixture by slowly introducing the hot broth into the blender a scoop at a time. Transfer the warm avocado from the blender to the soup pot. Stir combine. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Crema de Aguacate that calls for only four ingredients: chicken stock, avocados, lemon juice and fresh cilantro. Heat it up slowly and you can taste a little bit of friendship — no feet required. GET MOJO FOR YOUR MONEY

Look for Latin American sauces, seasonings, beans, flours, oils, and canned vegetables on our International aisles. Nobody on the Gulf Coast sells more for less!

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