Before I ever landed in Perú, I knew that I wanted to go home with new recipes. It’s true that I could Google a bunch of Peruvian recipes to cook with my family and friends, but if I was going to make them the dishes that I loved eating during my semester abroad, then I wanted to be able to make those dishes with fond memories in my heart. With that in mind, Rachel and I have regularly been cooking food with her host mom since the beginning of the trip, and I am pleased to announce that I will be coming home with a few of my favorite recipes, and wonderful memories from learning how to prepare those dishes.
Cooking with Mamá Monica is always a joy because she is such an energetic person. Every time I come to her door for another cooking lesson, she greets me with a smile, besitos, and the meal for the day already in mind. So far, Rachel, Monica, and I have cooked Cebiche, a Peruvian dish made with raw fish, Torta Helada, a cake made with Jell-O, chocolates, and homemade Chicken and Dumplings. The Chicken and Dumplings were an opportunity for us to teach Monica a recipe after she had already taught us so many. The family loved it, and it will definitely be an American addition to their Peruvian cookbook.
Cooking will be a special memory that I take home from Perú because there is absolutely nothing touristy about it. I have visited a lot of different cities during my time here, and I have seen many famous places, but the time that I have spent cooking with Rachel and Monica will always be some of the special moments that I take home from Perú. Before we even touch the food, she always explains the entire process in her normal, animated way of talking. She uses her hands to pantomime every step, and talks more rapidly as the time to cook approaches. While we are cooking, Monica excitedly takes pictures of us to record the step-by-step process. We spend the afternoon chatting in Spanish about topics varying from feminism, to what her daughter in Florida is keeping busy with. For us, cooking isn’t only a time to share recipes; it’s a time to share stories and bond with one another.
After we’ve finished cooking, we sit and enjoy our meal together. I have yet to cook anything with Monica that I haven’t enjoyed, and I plan to gather more recipes from her still before I go back to the States. I only have a few weeks left before I return, and as that time grows near I become excited and sad at the same time. There are many things that I look forward to going home to, but I will also miss many things from my time in Perú. I hope that by taking down recipes now and cooking them later, I can always keep a piece of Perú with me.
Cooking with Mamá Monica is always a joy because she is such an energetic person. Every time I come to her door for another cooking lesson, she greets me with a smile, besitos, and the meal for the day already in mind. So far, Rachel, Monica, and I have cooked Cebiche, a Peruvian dish made with raw fish, Torta Helada, a cake made with Jell-O, chocolates, and homemade Chicken and Dumplings. The Chicken and Dumplings were an opportunity for us to teach Monica a recipe after she had already taught us so many. The family loved it, and it will definitely be an American addition to their Peruvian cookbook.
Cooking will be a special memory that I take home from Perú because there is absolutely nothing touristy about it. I have visited a lot of different cities during my time here, and I have seen many famous places, but the time that I have spent cooking with Rachel and Monica will always be some of the special moments that I take home from Perú. Before we even touch the food, she always explains the entire process in her normal, animated way of talking. She uses her hands to pantomime every step, and talks more rapidly as the time to cook approaches. While we are cooking, Monica excitedly takes pictures of us to record the step-by-step process. We spend the afternoon chatting in Spanish about topics varying from feminism, to what her daughter in Florida is keeping busy with. For us, cooking isn’t only a time to share recipes; it’s a time to share stories and bond with one another.
After we’ve finished cooking, we sit and enjoy our meal together. I have yet to cook anything with Monica that I haven’t enjoyed, and I plan to gather more recipes from her still before I go back to the States. I only have a few weeks left before I return, and as that time grows near I become excited and sad at the same time. There are many things that I look forward to going home to, but I will also miss many things from my time in Perú. I hope that by taking down recipes now and cooking them later, I can always keep a piece of Perú with me.