Why Didn't Anyone ask What the Hell I Was Talking About?

Last night for dinner David sprung that he was taking me out for Peruvian food for dinner. This put the fear into me. I watch a lot of travel shows and know for a fact that one of the foods commonly eaten in Peru is whole roasted Guinea pig. (EEEK!). After letting me stew for a few hours he sent me a copy of the menu. Being the negative Nelly I am the scary foods stood out. Beef heart kabob, raw fishes, avocado (I am allergic).

At 5pm he came home and we dressed to go out. I wore my teal colored dress and gray high heels. I added a beige cardigan. It turns out the restaurant is owned by a local boy made good who lived for a time in Peru and has hired a highly trained Peruvian chef. This chef was trained in french and Italian food. He cooked a hybrid Peruvian/American palette fusion thingy.


I sampled chile relleno (a mild red chili stuff with cojita cheese and quinoa with herbs (in the picture above). It was Delicious. I also had a small plate of cheeses with quince jelly and the tastiest roasted corn (it was like the hulls left in the popcorn only soft like well popped popcorn). David had Ham and Beef and raisin empenadas. I took a bite of two of each and they were DELICIOUS.


The main course was duck for David and quinoa risotto (basically vegetables and cheeses slow cooled with quinoa instead of the rice). It was excellent! I have eaten but not loved quinoa before. The quinoa risotto was better than any regular risotto I have ever had as well(mine is the one in the distance and the duck is in front). I managed about 1/3 of my serving.

Dessert was a chocolate cake for David and two chocolate truffles for me (I had one but was too full for the second).

The meal was accompanied by a Spanish wine (of which I managed a few sips during the cheese course but stopped sipping during the other courses.

We then walked in my cofortable high heeled shoes for 5-6 blocks to our local super wonderful bookstore. They have a huge selection of used and new books.

One of our first few dates was held here. We shopped the knitting and cooking sections coming away with a gelato cookbook, an obscure book called forgotten skills of cooking (butchering, raising chickens and food from scratch kinds of things). I also found a nifty Fair Isle knitting book. We then walked back the distance to our car picked up Grace at Nichole's house and were home in time to put her to bed for school today.

It was a great evening of good food and the simple pleasures that attracted David and I to each other in the first place. ON top of this...I rocked high heels!!! that is the hugest NSV Ever. When we got home David complained a bit about being over full from our dinner and I felt totally fine (gotta love the band!)

xxxooo