Tuesday, January 23, 2007

La Casa de Don Cucho in Pachacámac, Part Three: The Video


There are three different recent posts about La Casa de Don Cucho:




First off, it's not my video but one I found posted by RafaelAndes on You Tube.

It looks like it was made as a promotional piece by Instituto de los Andes in Lima, which trains future chefs and food professionals. The video is in Spanish, but there really is very little dialogue. A techno Afro-Peruvian soundtrack accompanies the entire video.

First, we find Cucho La Rosa at work making his famed lomo saltado at the outdoor kitchen of his restaurant, La Casa de Don Cucho in Pachacámac. He uses a common technique in coastal Peruvian cooking, essentially stir-frying in large pans over high heat.

Don Cucho then greets the director or an official from the Instituto Los Andes.

The first batch of scrolling text reads:

La Casa de Don Cucho, Lima-style criollo cuisine and pachamanca (referring to the Andean cooking method in which the food is cooked underground withhot rocks).

We watch Don Cucho prepare one of his signature dishes: Lomo Saltado Ocucaje.

Ocucaje is a fine Peruvian pisco; this dish is Cucho's interpretation of the classic lomo saltado (beef, onion, and tomato stir fry topped with fried potato strips). In Cucho's version, the dish is flambeed with Ocucaje pisco.

Watch as the dish is plated. The upside-down bowls contain perfectly-shaped mounds of Peruvian white rice.

Next, close-ups of Peruvian beverages: the classic pisco sour and chicha morada, a sweet yet tart purple corn drink. There is a close-up of a frothy cóctel de algarrobina.

Next, the Piqueo de Papas y Cremas, Andean Potatoes in Three Creamy Sauces.

The text names the three potato strains used: papa amarilla, papa huamantanga, and papa huayro; as well as, the three creamy sauces: huancaína, rocoto, and huacatay.

We see a causa limeña, the potato terrine, also made with the flavorful yellow potato, papa amarilla.

The text reads:

Chicken, avocado, and mayonnaise; loved by all.
La que gusta a todos; What everyone likes.

Camaronada de Camarones one of the appetizers we ordered on our visit, consists of stir-fried marinated shrimp, and is absolutely delicious.

The Tacu Tacu a lo Misio, or Poor Man's Tacu Tacu, is Cucho's variation of a hearty coastal dish which involves mixing rice and beans, frejoles, and shaping them into little patties, which are then fried and served with breaded meat, cooked plantain, and topped with a fried egg.

For dessert, the video shows us picarones, fried pumpkin fritters, and a close up of the very sweet and creamy suspiro a la limeña.

Finally, the video has a short plug by Cucho:

"Los Andes is the university of haute Peruvian cuisine. Come do your internships here; call me at 9-920-6219. Together we can reclaim the old, traditional, criollo cuisine. We're waiting, thanks ."

There is a shot of the handwritten menu chalkboard, which reads Arroz con Pato (duck with seasoned rice), Frejoles y Cabrito (kid goat stew with Peruvian beans), Lomo Saltado (beef, tomato, and onion stir-fry), and Seco de Res (beef stewed in a cilantro sauce).

The video concludes with some exterior shots of La Casa de Don Cucho.








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TAGS: Peru, Peruvian, food, cooking, cuisine, cocina, comida, gastronomía, peruana

2 comments:

Programa "Tiro Libre" said...

Buena Don Cucho, maestro de maestros, el Perú entero agradece todo lo que haces por sus secretos, la mejor de las suertes, ya estaremos por ahí, felicitaciones Alejandro por el Blog, buenísimo

Miguel Alayza

::Alejandro:: said...

Gracias por los comentarios!