Recreate the magic of travel at home with a Peruvian-Bolivian dinner—ceviche, anticuchos, and pisco sours full of nostalgia.
By Karen Pearson | September 20, 2020
Cooking Memories From Our Travels During Lockdown
Bringing the Flavours of South America Home
With Covid-19 grounding our travel plans, my partner and I were really missing the excitement of exploring new places. One day while Chris was at work, I decided to surprise him with a homemade dinner inspired by two of our favourite destinations: Peru and Bolivia.
A Taste of Peru: Ceviche & Chicha Morada
For our appetizer, I made ceviche — minus the lettuce and sweet potato, since I didn’t have any on hand. I did include the must-have ingredient: corn, which always adds a great texture and balances the acidity beautifully.
To pair with the dish, I brewed a version of chicha morada using purple corn, apple, lime, and spices. It wasn’t quite the same as the fresh version we had in Peru, but it was a nice homemade substitute and brought back great memories.
The Main Event: Pisco Sours & Anticuchos
Our main course was anticuchos — skewers of marinated meat — served with homemade pisco sours. I’ll admit, making pisco sours without Angostura bitters was a challenge, but we still enjoyed them. They reminded us of sipping cocktails by the ocean in Lima and toasting with friends at La Rosa Nautica on our first day in Peru.
I’d always wanted to try making anticuchos at home, and this seemed like the perfect chance. Surprisingly, I was able to find beef heart at our local butcher shop, and Chris helped with the prep (he’s better at the grilling anyway).
Even though our version didn’t quite live up to the authentic street food in Bolivia, it still hit the spot.
Honouring the Real Thing
According to Chris, the real anticuchos in Bolivia score a 9 out of 10. Ours? Maybe a 4.
Still, the effort and nostalgia made it a special evening. I can't wait to travel again and try the real thing — but for now, this delicious memory was the next best thing.