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Recipe: Pisco sour
This year I decided to put the last bottle of pisco I had in my cupboard to good use and made a round of pisco sour to celebrate with friends. Generally speaking, there are three types of pisco: quebranta (the least aromatic), mosto verde or Italia (the most aromatic) and acholado (a mix of both). Quebranta and acholado are the better ones for making cocktails. I used the classic ratio of 3:1:1:1 (pisco to egg white, syrup and lime juice), although some prefer a 4:1:1:1 ratio. I made a test run with water and stevia instead of syrup and found it less sweet and quite enjoyable. If you make your…
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Recipe: Jugo surtido ("assorted" juice)
The funny thing about this juice is that the name tells you nothing, however everyone in Lima (possibly in Perú) knows exactly what to expect. The taste of a classic jugo surtido is, I’m sure, ingrained in the memories of millions of limeños who have ever set foot in a juguería (juice bars). When I was growing up, the best juguerías could be found in mercados (markets). Popular flavours were papaya, lúcuma con leche (lúcuma and milk), fresa con leche (strawberries and milk), plátano con leche (banana and milk), surtido and especial (surtido plus algarrobina and egg). I hated lúcuma until my mid-20s, the other single-fruit ones were common at…
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Recipe: Cacao maca smoothie
Confession time: despite being Peruvian, I don’t like maca. I do try to get some in my diet because it’s meant to help with hormonal balance, but I have to find ways to disguise its flavour. I’ve been making a smoothie mix with the dry ingredients listed below, which I multiply 3 or 4 times and store them in a jar, making it easy to chuck in the blender in the morning. I’ve used avocado and/or coconut milk for thickness and fat content. I don’t use any sweetener (IMO you don’t need any if using coconut milk, anyway) but that might be overkill for you, so go ahead and add…
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Recipe: Kombucha chilcano
This is a healthier twist on the traditional cocktail chilcano de pisco. I use kombucha instead of ginger ale to lower the sugar content. I’m not sure if the alcohol negates the beneficial probiotic effects of the kombucha but it sure tastes great. I used ginger & lime kombucha this time, but any ginger-flavoured kombucha will do.
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Product review: Tonicka kombucha
I get excited every time I see a new brand of kombucha popping up because that means I can continue avoiding making my own. The medium size of Tonicka kombucha (330 ml) comes in an elegant dark bottle that made me think of boutique beer. I bought it at Dr Earth for $5.14 (discounted from $6.50). They make only one flavour, which is a good thing because that means no added sugary mixes to their brew. I liked its crisp, tangy flavour. Will buy again. Tonicka Kombuchawww.tonicka.com.auOn Facebook
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Recipe: Supercharged hot chocolate, two ways
It’s still winter! I don’t know about you but when it’s cold I don’t fancy a smoothie, but a hot chocolate. I wouldn’t have one at a regular cafe because of the dairy and sugar content, so I make my own in my trusty Klean Kanteen insulated flask. It’s pretty filling thanks to the fat content, so it can easily replace breakfast.
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Recipe: Coconut affogato
Who doesn’t like affogato? Besides people who don’t like coffee. Or ice cream. Or cold coffee. Well, you get my point. Because I have no desire of consuming regular ice cream any time soon (the dairy and sugar combo just kill me), I’ve been making my affogato with frozen coconut cream. I haven’t added any extra flavourings yet but I suspect it would be equally delicious with a dash of vanilla or almond essence, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
