Dunkin Donuts

Dunkin Donuts. Did I get your attention?

In the middle of our tour of historic Downtown Lima, our tour guide Enrique takes us by none other than Dunkin Donuts, and tells us we have a 5 minute break. The American-food deprived college students in our group were on that doughnut counter like white on rice. Even the tour guide bought a coffee! Since I had only arrived 3 days before, and liked the meals I had been served so far, I did not think it necessary to miss home quite yet.

After hearing all of their lip-smacking and moans of satisfaction, I gave in at the airport a couple days later. Uh, American Dunkin Donuts needs to take a tip from their Peruvian brothers. The Dunkin Donuts in Peru serves the BEST doughnuts I have ever tasted. I seriously think they lace the delicacies. They had frosting flavors I could never imagine. I had a doughnut covered in toasted coconut, and when I bit into it, liquid caramel oozed out. I also had a doughnut frosted with a mint green fruity goodness. Fast forward to the night I left Peru. I tried to spend all of my soles so I would not have have to exchange money. I made sure to spend down so I had 5 soles left, enough for one last doughnut at the airport. This time I had duranzo, peach icing with jimmies. Divine!

Last week, my brother, sister-in-law, and I stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way out of town. I had a boring old maple glazed. Sigh.

What if?

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If you have known me more than a day, you know I don't like milk. Never have. Cheese is a different story--love the stuff! But milk? I will drink pretty much anything else before milk. It was torture growing up because the full mug of milk always sat dutifully next to the dinner plate, and we had to drink the milk before we were excused. What made the scenario even harder was the fact that my mother, the one who served the milk and excused us, did not like milk herself! I have never seen my mother, or my father for that matter, drink a glass of milk. Once I became an adult, I stopped drinking it. I keep milk on hand for cooking or cereal, but not drinking.

So, then, why in the past week, have I craved milk? Craved it in such a way that I have finished 2 quarts. I had to run up to Fresh Market 5 minutes before they closed last night just so I could get a new bottle of milk. Heaven forbid I went without milk until this morning! I cannot get enough of the cold white stuff. AND I just discovered the yummy goodness of organic Jersey cow milk. Not like the watery skim I have always had from the grocery store. This Jersey milk is fresh, and creamy, and I am hooked.

Why am I writing about milk in a blog about Peru? It hit me last night. What if they do not have milk in Peru? I know they will have milk (tres leches cake anyone?), but what if it's not my milk? What if it is made from a goat or llama? What if it does not taste right (to my liking)? What am I going to do for 3 weeks? What am I really going to be able to drink there?

This inner conversation continued this morning, as I brewed my green tea. What if they do not have tea? May I take my own tea bags with me? Or will the airport security search my bags in a false belief that the tea bags might carry something else? What if I cannot have green tea? I have been assured there is a Starbucks (they are every where...go figure) 10 minutes from the house. Will it have the same tea options as American Starbucks?

Who knew such simple things could turn us around. There. Now I'm off to enjoy a glass of milk. (My mom must be falling out of her computer chair right about now.)

Peruvian Food

There is a Peruvian restaurant near my school, and another one in Charlotte, called Genaro's Rotisserie & Grille. Everything is cooked to order and looks amazing. I decided I needed to try some foods to learn about what I will eat in Peru this summer.

The owner, Duilio, met me and explained the menu, and then personally cooked my order. Now, if I had thought ahead, I would have taken pictures of all of the food to share with you before snarfing it. Sorry! I'll take pictures next time. (And yes, there will be a next time.)

I tried Potatoes a la Huancaina (Papa a la Huanchain). It is a dish served in the Highlands, and is potatoes with yellow pepper, lots of cheese (everything is better with cheese!), olives, and boiled eggs. It is served cold, and the potatoes, olives, and eggs swim in the creamy (and spicy) sauce. It was like a really soupy potato salad, and very good.

I also tried Stuffed Shrimp Avocado (Palata Rellena de Camarones). It was the best shrimp salad I have ever tasted served in an avocado half. The shrimp salad was creamy, but packed with chunks of vegetables. I would definitely eat it again.

Of course, the visit would not be complete without fried plantains and dessert. Plantains are like bananas but smaller, and cooked like potato wedges. These plantains were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. They can be addictive.

For dessert, I ordered my favorite standby: Tres Leches Cake. The cake was soaking in milk, so moist and flavorful. It had a marshmallow type frosting, which normally I would not prefer, but worked really well.

So, I guess this foodie experience tells me that I will not go hungry while I am in Peru! I am excited to try new things, and eat all of the seafood. I intend to go back to Genaro's to try more things on the menu!

Foods Around the World

This has been an ethnic weekend of food!

On Thursday night, I joined the Magellan Society of Young Professionals through the World Affairs Council of Charlotte at Deejai Thai. I have just recently been introduced to Thai food, and am learning the menu. Thailand is known for its peppers. Following the lead of two other ladies, one from Malaysia, I ordered drunken noodles. I ordered my meal and the server asked me what level of hot: 1 through 5. I told her I was new to this eating, so 1 or 2? "1! Definitely 1!" she told me. The girl next to me, Charlotte, asked for a 5. The server whipped her head around so fast, "5?! You sure you want 5? Maybe 3?" My dish was wonderful, flavorful, and a touch of spicy. Charlotte's dish of 5 was red, while mine was more brown, and I was impressed that she did not even break a sweat. I think I could eat some more Thai...

On Friday, a parent of one of my students came to talk to our class about Peru (more on that later). Mrs. Carrasco showed the children pictures of food from Peru. She talked about the hot sauces. She told me I need to order the green sauce, that is all I will be able to handle. (After Thursday night, I'm beginning to get a complex!) Mrs. Carrasco said Peruvians eat a lot of seafood, pesto, pasta, and rice, and cheese. Yum! The children were excited about the food and licking their lips. Then she put up her last slide, a picture of a meat kabob. My students were jumping up and down by this point, yelling, "Steak! I love steak!"

"This..." said Mrs. Carrasco, "is the heart of a cow." My sweet, quiet, well-behaved Abby, drops her jaw to her desk, and emphatically shakes her head while saying, "Oh no! Never mind, I don't think I want to try THAT!" Heehee.

I'm trying to prepare myself; who knows what I will be asked to eat. People keep joking and saying I'm going to have to try guinea pig. They say it tastes gamey like rabbit. I don't know if I can handle that, out of respect for my childhood pet guinea pig, Oreo, and my rabbit nephew, Mazie.
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On Saturday, my neighborhood hosted an Indian food night. We have a large Indian population here, and the community asked them to showcase their cuisine. My friends cajoled me into going to the dinner (I have never been a fan of curry or Indian food). I realized that much of their food is vegetarian, which is good for me. I was a big girl and tried everything on my plate! I actually enjoyed my meal; there is something to be said for eating with the cook. I even went back for a second helping. My favorite was the black lentils that I mixed with rice...a bit spicy...but amazing!

Today, our Spanish teacher, Sra. Kolarska, invited me to her home for lunch. She is from Bulgaria, but has traveled much of Europe and speaks 5 different languages. I was served gazpacho from Spain, quiche from France, meatballs from Bulgaria, Spinach salad, homemade Bulgarian yogurt, and a marshmallow cake. What a mix of flavors and colors!

I love food. What a great weekend! I'm excited to try everything in Peru. Well, almost everything...