"Secrets of Colombian Cooking" demystifies the fabulous food from my birth country and offers them up in one deliciously digestible tome.
When it comes to my birth country- Colombia - it seems the only things most people know about it are Shakira's music and Colombian coffee. But what about the country’s varied and wonderful food?
Colombian food is uncharted territory for most- even for those who work in the food industry (like many of my chef pals who look at me blankly when I bring up dishes from the “mother land”). But for those who are hungry to know more about Colombia’s fantastic foods, a veritable feast awaits.
From my childhood favourites: buñelos (round, savoury, deep fried cheese fritters), empanadas (also deep fried using corn dough), and pastel de Gloria (flakey pastry enveloping sweet guava paste) to arepas (corn cakes) no one has encapsulated how to make them as well as Patricia McCausland-Gallo.
This Colombian-born and bred chef, and author of “Secrets of Colombian Cooking” (as well as “A Passion for Coffee”) takes the guess work out of how to cook Colombian. And for those, like me, who were raised in a far away land, having a go-to guide that’s been well researched and written is like finding a nugget of gold in the pantry.
For turning me on to Patricia’s book, I say Gracias to my sister Claudia who says it best, “If you speak to Patricia can you tell her thank you from me! Finally I know how to make some of the dishes we grew up eating and I can use ingredients found here!” And given our mom isn’t known for her culinary prowess, Secrets of Colombian Cooking is like having your own Colombian mama cooking next to you.Coming up- an interview with Patricia and a recipe or two from her terrific book!
