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Bogotá Eats & Drinks is Moving!

Well, I have been thinking about this for a long time and now I am pretty sure I'm going to make the switch. The blog is going to Wordpress.

I love Blogger and I highly recommend it for anyone starting out, but it seems that Wordpress has a lot of added benefits, widgets, and plug-ins that will hopefully add to the blog (and I promise, this year I will really try to be more consistent with the posts!)

Soon the whole blog business will be moved over HERE. It's still sort of under construction but it will be up and running soon...there are sooo many new restaurants opening up around town and I want to visit them all and share the latest on what Bogotá is eating and drinking.

So stay tuned and for the meantime, eat, drink, and be happy!

LOCAL {Gastronomía Nacional}: Colombian Cuisine with an Urban Spin

Appreciation for Colombian cuisine in Bogotá is constantly improving and evolving - it is after all more than just ajiaco and empanadas, and it holds the same potential for creative expression as any other cuisine. Aside from the fact that there are at least a dozen culinary schools in the capital, teaching many young eager people the skills required to be a chef, there are also established chefs who, with their influence, are creating an awareness and re-introducing typical ingredients and flavors to a more contemporary kitchen.

One of these chefs is Francisco Pinzón, who runs the kitchen at Local {Gastronomía Nacional}. His culinary inspiration comes from his childhood memories of growing up in Bogotá as well as cuisines that, over time, migrated in this direction. After working his way through several restaurants and cuisines around town, he is now a strong supporter of the organic food movement, sustainable agriculture, and "cocina de mercado" - which is basically working a daily menu depending on what is in season and available at the markets.

One of his principal inspirations is Leonor Espinosa, from the restaurant Leo Cocina y Cava. She is one of the only Colombian chef's involved in the Slow Food Movement and is truly interested in preserving traditional cuisine and techniques by implementing them in more brazen reinterpretations of the originals. Pinzón believes that Espinosa's cooking is a bit more aggressive, while his only alters small details in standard dishes such as ajiaco, carimañolas, and arroz con pollo. This is his way of adding a personal "urban" spin.


I chose Local to celebrate my birthday last year and I was pretty impressed. I hope their success continues and goes on to further educate Colombians, as well as visitors, on the array of ingredients and dishes that are available here. A short glossary is also included in the menu to further this process of culinary education.


Here are some items that were on the menu in May last year:


• Pasteles Tolimenses con tahine de arvejas (Tamal from Tolima w/ Pea Hummus)
• Morcilla Artesanal con Poleo (Colombian blood sausage with poleo, an herb traditionally used in preparation of morcilla)
• Sopa de Tomate y Trucha Ahumada (Tomato and smoked trout soup -  inspired by the cuisine of the high plains of Boyaca and Cundinamarca)
• Costilla de Cerdo ahumada con BBQ de tamarindo (Smoked ribs with tamarind BBQ sauce)
• Flan de Almojábana (Flan that borrows the flavors of a typical Colombian bread made with corn flour, cheese, eggs, butter, and sugar)




+ Join LOCAL {Gastronomía Nacional} on Facebook




CALLE 69A # 9-09
211.8285

Coca Colla vs. Coke in Bolivia

"LA PAZ — President Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous leader known for chewing coca leaves at UN meetings, is making a fresh push for the plant, this time in the form of the soft drink "Coca Colla."

Intended to rival its more famous US cousin, Coca Cola, the fizzy drink is at the center of a plan coca growers from the Morales stronghold of Chapare in central Bolivia submitted to the government last week to boost coca production."

Read the whole article here.

Happy New Year & Miami's Gastronomic Revolution

Best wishes to everyone in 2010 --- I know this has nothing to do with Bogotá but at least it's a post!!!


I no longer live in Miami but it will always be home. For the 10-plus years I did live there, it was never really considered a gastronomic hot spot. Of course you could get great food; a lot of Cuban cuisine, seasonal stone crab, Nuevo Latino, and lovely seafood, to name a few. You could also find a lot of farmer's markets during the cooler months and there was even a CSA (community shared agriculture) distributing fresh produce from the Redlands - but it  never really had that food-town feeling that places like New York, London, Hong Kong, or Paris have, for example.

This was true until very recently. In this article from the New York Times, Frank Bruni details some of Miami's best dining options available right now.

Although I am a little jealous that all this happened right after I left, I can say that a lot of it began while I was still there. Local chefs like Michelle Bernstein (my ex-boss at the Mandarin Oriental's Azul) continue to gain popularity along with talent like Michael Schwartz and several others. These names draw attention to Miami in a great way and bring the city closer to recognized food-town status.

I'm excited for my Miami and I hope to visit soon and eat my way around town...

Recipe: "Colombian" Coke-Glazed Cocktail Sausages

I first tried these suprisingly delicious sausages last summer when my neice and nephew were in Bogotá for a visit. We were only going to test the recipe and try a few - the rest were going to be saved for later, but they were so damn good that we scarfed them down in less than 10 minutes.

It's a really simple recipe that we found in a cookbook of Colombian recipes. According to the author, the recipe is from the coastal region of the country, but I have always heard of several other recipes using Coke including cakes and ham glazes from the U.S., U.K., and even Thailand. Really, I think recipes with Coke as an ingredient can be considered a part of global cuisine.

Some people find it offensive to even consider using Coke as an ingredient but for a product that has become so imensely popular throughout the world, well, that is how cuisine is formed. You borrow, experiment, taste, think, and ultimately a product once thought of as only a beverage can become a common ingredient.

Like tomatoes! The love apple was once thought to be poisonous, then an aphrodisiac, and now? A kitchen staple all over the world. I know it is a stretch to compare a naturally growing fruit to a product made up of refined sugars and carbonated water, but it's basically the same thing.

So, don't diss cooking with Coke. It's good and these sausages are too.

P.S. Drink Coke responsibly - all things in moderation, people...


Coke Glazed Cocktail Sausages

25-30 cocktail sausages
2 cups regular coca-cola

Prick each sausage with a fork then place in a pot with the Coke. Boil, uncovered, over medium to high heat for about 45-50 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and the remaining syrup coats the sausages. Allow the sausages to cool slighty then try not to eat them all in one sitting.

KIMAYA Purple Corn Drink

The other day I was faced with a tough decision: Coke or Kimaya. I chose Kimaya because after I read the flyer I realized that I had found the fountain of youth...no, not really, but they certainly claim that the drink is good for just about everything - it lowers cholesterol, it's anti-ageing, rich in vitamin C, calcium, and the list goes on and on...

The drink was actually quite good. It's sweetened with just enough cane sugar and tastes like fruit juice, kind of. I can't say it tastes like corn, or more specifically purple or blue corn, but it was nice and refreshing. So far the drink, which is made in Colombia, is only available at this one place - YdeYuca at the Codabas market in the northern part of Bogotá. It's worth the trip to check out the produce market and shops and then  feast on the best carimañolas in town and a Kimaya.

Cra. 7 No. 180 – 75

Abasto Restaurant in Usaquen

Recently we tried a new restaurant - not new to Bogotá but new to us. We usually end up at the same old favorites but this time we decided to be a little more adventurous.

This time we headed over to Usaquen. This part of Bogotá used to be considered outside the city limits a long time ago, but the city has grown so much that now it's right in the middle of it all. Despite the fact that sprawl has managed to swallow it whole, the area retains a really quaint feeling. A lot of the architecture remains in tact, there is a weekend flea market that is generally a bit more "up scale" than the one downtown, and you can stroll through the streets, some of which are still cobblestone.  Usaquen, in other words, is really nice. I love it and even moreso now that there are so many restaurants popping up.

One of them is called Abasto (the name refers to pantry provisions) - this place has a changing menu and the idea is that they use only the freshest available ingredients found at the markets every morning. They don't try to be pretentious or anything - it's just good, simple food.

The decor is warm and cozy, the kitchen is open, there's a fireplace in the middle section, and all the way in the back is a little shop/pantry. They stock everything from fresh produce to sea salt from La Guajira, locally made cheese and a whole bunch of goodies (including agave nectar which I had never seen anywhere in Bogotá before).

We started with some empanadas, made in-house. The filling was cheese, mole, and chicken. They were quite good - nothing out of this world - but yummy, served with an avocado puree instead of the traditional ají.

As a main I had Penne with Calamari, Chorizo and Fresh Tomatoes. Very homey dish but the flavor of the chorizo was awesome. Really nice combination of flavors and something you could easily whip up at home.

I apologize for the pictures - I know they look less than appetizing, first due to the Blackberry camera and second because the presentation isn't really their forte - I guess it's part of their "charm".

The other main we tried was a very simple seared salmon with a side of roasted mini-potatoes (pastusa and criolla varieties) with thyme and olive oil and a minty chimichurri sauce. Again, like my dish it was simple, nothing extravagant, but the flavors were all fresh and stood out for what they were.

On a side note: my dining partner and beau is in the learning process when it comes to some foods so when I identified the stem in his potatoes as thyme (tomillo in spanish) he ate it. Yes, he ate the twig...haha...we've got some more learning to do.

Well, by the time we finished eating, twigs and all, we had no room for dessert but I will be back for that another day. They had some nice sounding ones including a chocolate torte that I had read about in a review somewhere.

Cra 6 . # 119b - 52

Usaquén

2151286

Gastronomía @ Corferias

So, yesterday I went to the Gastronomía event and ate a whole lot. Unfortunately I don't have much of a knack for photography so I didn't take a single picture....I know, I know, there's no excuse.

But anyways, here is a quick recap of what was eaten at the Local Cuisine pavilion:
Lechona
Arepa de Chocolo (sweet, yellow corn cake with cheese)
Longaniza from Sutamarchan
+ the rest of the goodies from a picada like papa criolla, morcilla, chicharron, ripe plantain, etc.
Tangerine juice

We were so full after this first stop that we didn't have room for much more even though we still had the International Cuisine pavilion left to visit. An espresso from Amor Perfecto was nice and strong with a beautiful crema and finally, dessert from the 14 Inkas stand (a Peruvian restaurant in Bogotá) called Bananarequipe - or something like that. It was an excellent combination of a banana mousse with arequipe  and little pieces of cake that had been moistened by the other ingredients. I wanted to have a second course of dessert but they had sold out of merengón!!! I will post on this exquisite dessert soon because I was left with a serious craving.

All in all it was a nice fair. There didn't seem to be a lot of people but maybe that was due to the fact that this weekend is a holiday and the weather hasn't been so great. There were a number of cooking competitions and demonstrations, barista competitions, and a few amusing infomercial kind of stands selling knives, pans, and mandolines.

On a side note, some culinary students from the SENA (government funded educational program) created a dessert called "Postre de la Pasión" whose ingredients include passion fruit and Viagra - yes, that Viagra. According to this article , the students received some guidance from a doctor while they were developing the dessert. I don't know if Passion or Prescription would be a more apt name for this dessert/concoction.

The Easiest Lime Dessert

If you need a dessert on the fly, then look no further - this is it. This very citrusy mousse-like dessert is delicious and simple. I also made a quick mint syrup to go with it and it cuts the tart citrus flavor very nicely.

Lime Dessert

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup whipping cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Place the lime juice, cream, and condensed milk in a blender on high for 6-10 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice.

Pour into small ramekins or wine glasses, cover, and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

Mint Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 cups mint leaves, blanched

Blanch the mint leaves (about 30 seconds in boiling water) then transfer to ice cold water to stop cooking process. Drain and set aside.

Place the sugar and water in a small pan and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Allow the syrup to cool down then place in a blender with the blanched mint leaves and process on high. Strain the mixture using a fine sieve.

Serve the lime dessert chilled with the mint syrup on the side.

Pepino Melon: Uninspiring Exotic Fruit

This is called a pepino melon. It's a fruit native to the Andes and I was told to eat it like any other fruit. You peel it, slice it, and enjoy...

I'm not going to lie - it's not delicious. It's not sweet like a fruit and it tastes a bit more like cucumber but with the soft, watery texture of a melon. It might be a different variety altogether though because all the pictures I found online showed round fruit - not elongated like this one. Who knows?

Either way I don't think I'll buy it again unless I bump my head and forget I've already tried it once. With so many amazing fruits in Colombia, this one doesn't stand a chance...

Here's a link FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_muricatum

Guaromelon shots @ 1/4 de Arte

Aguardiente is a very potent and equally popular sugar cane-based liquor here in Colombia. It's never been a favorite drink of mine but everyone else seems to love it. Its super sweet, anise-flavor usually turns me off but last night my friend Nick, bartender extraordinaire, served us a delicious shot: the fantastically named GUAROMELON (like watermelon, in case you're still scratching your head). "Guaro" is short for aguardiente...

It tastes like watermelon, of course, and the anise flavor of the aguardiente blends in perfectly. I'm not going to reveal the recipe (although if you know anything about bartending you'll be able to figure it out), but  instead I'll just encourage you to go to 1/4 de Arte (a.k.a. Nick's bar) and try one, two, three, or four for yourself.

The place is half art gallery featuring the work of young Colombian artists and half bar which always has good music, a great host (Nick), and some very tasty cocktails and shots. And if you're hungry you can even order a full meal or just nibbles from a couple of restaurants nearby.

Oh and I almost forgot the bathroom! Yes, they have two bathrooms in fact, but one is more fun than the other. The walls are painted like a chalk board and there's a bowl full of chalk, so you can scribble graffiti all over the walls and leave clever little message and drawings for your friends. As you can imagine, this becomes a lot more entertaining after a few guaromelon shots...

1/4 de Arte (Zona T)
Carrera 12 # 83-61

Gastronomía Food Fair at Corferias - November 11, 2009

Blogging doesn't just give me an excuse to procrastinate endlessly - tinkering with this little blog nearly all day - I can also share some interesting things with people who end up at Bogotá Eats.  For example:

I've set up an event reminder for GASTRONOMÍA at Corferias here in Bogotá (see column to your right). If you live in Bogotá or you might be here around mid-November then you should definitely check it out. I went last year and ate a lot.

Several pavilions are used to showcase different foods, beverages, and cooking accessories made in Colombia. All the culinary schools are present and there are a variety of cooking competitions and demonstrations throughout the day.

There are also tons of stalls with all kinds of food from around the country. It's like eating heaven but it makes lunch one of the hardest decisions you'll make all year.

Cuy = Guinea Pig = Lunch?

As of yet, I haven't had the pleasure of eating cuy (guinea pig). I saw them being roasted at a food festival earlier this year - a  whole "litter", if you will, skewered onto a revolving spit-like contraption - kind of a like a ferris wheel for when you plan on having your pets for lunch.

Well, today Bubba traveled to Pasto, Nariño,  in the south-western tip of Colombia. Cuy is a delicacy there, as it is in many Andean countries  like Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia - so naturally he ate one.

"The skin is crispy like lechona and the inside is kind of like chicken but more slimy." (eeewww, is all I have to say).

As you can see in the picture they leave on the head and everything, making it very difficult to forget what you are actually eating. Plus, before they bring you the main dish (pictured), you are served up the cuy liver, to open your appetite, of course.

As unappetizing as all this sounds I do plan on trying cuy at least once in my lifetime. I have eaten the largest rodent on Earth and I'll eat this little domesticated one someday too...sure am looking forward to it - I think.

Above, we have a close-up of the head, jaw wide open. This picture alone is making me think twice about eating cuy.

And here we have a picture of the fine establishment where the cuy was eaten - don't forget to write down the name for your next trip to Pasto!!!

Making Homemade Arepas

Venezuela always seems to get the credit for arepas, but as far as I'm concerned, they're Colombian too. Historically speaking the arepa was probably being consumed in and around the Andean region before either of these countries were even formed, so no one can truly claim them as their own - I guess that means we'll just leave it at that.

Up until today I'd been buying pre-made arepas in the supermarket. Brands like Don Maiz, Delicias del Maiz, and La Bumanguesa are all pretty good, plus there is a lot of variety available (white corn, yellow corn, with cheese, super thin, thick, with or without salt, etc.).

But on my last trip to the supermarket I decided that I should start making my own. Instead of buying a bag of arepas, I brought home a bag of white cornmeal and this morning for breakfast I made the dough and shaped 6 little arepas. I cooked one to go with my fried egg and refrigerated the rest for snacks throughout the week.

The easiest way to make homemade arepas is to buy a bag of P.A.N. pre-cooked white cornmeal. All you have to do is add water and salt, then you shape them, cook them, and you're done.

I think the most time consuming part of the whole process is making the patties. They don't have to be perfect (kinda like mine) but what is important is a consistent thickness so that they cook evenly. It's pretty simple:

Homemade Arepas
Yields 6 patties

1 1/4 cup luke warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup P.A.N. white cornmeal

Place the water  and salt in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the cornmeal and begin to mix with a fork. Once most of the water has been absorbed, start mixing with your hand until a slightly tacky dough forms.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes then get to it...

Take a handful of dough and start shaping patties - avoid cracked edges and try not to make them any thicker than 1/4 of an inch.

Place the arepas on a hot, lightly greased skillet and cook until they start to turn golden brown (about 8 minutes) then carefully flip over and repeat on the other side.

Once both sides are a little crisp and golden they should be done. Tap the arepa and it should sound slightly hollow.

Some Notes:

• If you are making several arepas then have your oven preheated to keep them warm while you cook the rest.
• If you want to make more arepas you can just double the recipe without any problem.
• To make cheesy arepas, grate some cheese and add it to the dough before cooking. Another alternative is to sandwich some cheese inside the dough and seal the edges.
• You can shape the patties and store them in the fridge for a couple of days. That way you'll have arepas ready to throw on the skillet for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
• In Colombia, arepas are usually served with butter and salt or fresh cheese. I also like them topped with cream cheese.
• I've never been to Venezuela but from what I gather, one major difference is that they tend to split their arepas in half and smear the inside with butter or cheese or fill them to make a kind of sanwich. Colombian arepas are usually too thin or full of cheese to split in half...

Have you ever made your own arepas? How did it go?

How do you spell cilantro?

This blog is pretty funny with its pictures of food market typos from around NYC.

Guanabana (Sour Sop) Sweets

Bubba got a cool job that requires occasional traveling and on his last trip he brought me some guanabana sweets from this quaint little shop outside of Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca.

Wikipedia does a good job of describing the flavor of guanabana as, "...a combination of strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus flavor notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana."

Sounds delicious doesn't it? The citrus notes get a little lost in this candy version but I think I can identify a bit of strawberry and banana on the palate? Or maybe not. Either way they're mighty tasty...

Get Your Tamal at "La Puerta Falsa"

"La Puerta Falsa" is a tiny little restaurant located in La Candelaria - Bogotá's beautiful colonial sector. The building itself is around 400 years old but the restaurant opened its doors in 1816. Since then, the family run business has been serving traditional "santafereño" cuisine like tamales, hot chocolate, agua panela, and just a few other local specialties.

I had heard about this historical landmark and regional culinary hotspot for so long but never knew where it was located. It turns out that I had walked right by it on several occasions never even knowing it was there. The tiny, unassuming entrance just blends in with the centuries-old architecture.

The dish that makes "La Puerta Falsa" so famous is the tamal. Within Colombia you'll find that there are several varieties of tamal depending on what region you're in. Some of the typical components include cooked yellow corn dough (as a base), and then add-ons such as rice, chicken, pork, vegetables, capers, eggs, and much more. All of this is then wrapped in a banana leaf, tied up with some twine, and steamed.

So about a month ago, after visiting one of the wonderful museums in the area, I finally had my first visit. I didn't know exactly what or how to order so, on this occasion I took my dining partner's lead - a tamal (of course) and hot chocolate - a very typical combination here in Bogotá.

What I didn't realize was that the chocolate came accompanied by two slices of buttered bread, an almojabana, and a large slice of fresh cheese. I could have just had that for lunch and been fine but I still had a huge tamal coming too! It was all delicious and well worth it but next time I'll know to order either one or the other - but not BOTH!

In my opinion, La Puerta Falsa is a must if you happen to be in La Candelaria. The food is really good, plentiful, inexpensive, and the location is an important part of Bogotá's culinary heritage. Just don't forget to keep your eyes open so you don't miss it and make sure to bring a large appetite.

Buen Provecho!

La Puerta Falsa

Calle 11 no. 6-50

Chocafé Fudgy Cookies

Saturday September 19th was Día del Amor y la Amistad here in Colombia as well as in several other countries. That's basically the same as Valentine's Day - so, I thought it'd be nice to make some cookies for my beau.

The recipe was originally from an old Cooking Light magazine and my mother and I were drawn to it because in the picture they looked moist and chewy plus they sounded incredibly easy to make. They are in fact very easy to make and even easier to eat!

This time I decided to make an addition of coffee just for the sake of experimentation and to make them a little more "local", seeing as I am in Colombia after all. To my very pleasant surprise they were a success. Still moist and chewy but with an added depth of flavor.

Try them with or without the coffee - either way, they are delicious...

Chocafé Fudgy Cookies
Yields about 3 dozen

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Gently melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder and both sugars. Dissolve the instant coffee in the yogurt (optional) and add to the mixture in the saucepan. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture to saucepan and stir until thoroughly combined and moist.

Drop by 1 tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet or silpat (about 2 inches apart) and bake for 8 minutes (don't overcook these or they will lose their chewy fudginess). Once removed from the oven, cool for 2-3 minutes then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

My Menu Collection: or a mild case of kleptomania

One day about 10 years ago, Adam, my friend from culinary school, mentioned something about collecting restaurant menus and ever since then I thought it sounded like a pretty spiffy idea. Now, whenever I visit a new restaurant I try to take home one of their menus as a memento.

 How do I get my hands on these menus? Well,  the average restaurant usually has an old menu or two lying around and if you ask nicely and bat your eyes, they'll let you go home with one. Others unfortunately are really protective of their menus and they leave you with very few options - lie, cheat, and steal.

 

As a result of this kind of unreasonable attitude I have had to pilfer (to steal stealthily in small amounts and often again and again) a menu or two. I don't feel too guilty and usually I don't act alone. In order to carry out my plan I usually have to enlist the help of a family member, a friend or a large coat. 

My collection now consists of about 68 menus from 5 continents - some are photocopies, some are take-out menus, some are originals, and all are full of yummy memories....

   

Here are some of my favorites, listed in no particular order (the ones marked with an asterisk are the menus pictured above and below...):

      

The Sala - Bangkok (Thai dinner and traditional dances)

Heichinrou - Hong Kong (first time I ate chicken feet)*

Formula One Paddock Club - Shanghai (my first F1 race)

Yong Foo Elite - Shanghai

Courtyard - Beijing (overlooking the Forbidden Palace)

Ying Chow - Adelaide's Chinatown

Bridgewater Mill - South Australian winery

Carnegie Deli - NYC

Tony Jr's - Philadelphia (Philly Cheesesteak)

Michy's - Miami*

Azul - Miami (worked here for one year)

Alegria on Sunset - L.A. (my first mole sauce)

YO! Sushi - London (my first conveyer belt sushi)

The Angel in the Fields Pub - London (my local pub)

Pizza Express - London, Hong Kong and Shanghai

Belgo Central - London (the place for mussels and frites)

Villandry - London (amazing food)

Wagamama - London (always a favorite)

Local - Bogotá (my coat was my accomplice here)

Wok - Bogotá

Los Arrieros - Camino Tunja, Colombia

Restaurant du Senat - Paris (culinary school field trip)

Le Clou - Strasbourg (an experience in dining alone)*
Izote de Patricia Quintana - Mexico City

Taquería El Califa - Mexico City (lots of taquitos al pastor)

Sushi Itto - Mexico City (soy sauce with chile toreado)