January 15 | Peru

Color Scheme: Orange, Brown and Turquoise

With Around the World in Quarantine, I want to ensure we are experiencing countries and cultures from all over the world. In an effort to diversify those experiences, I began tracking the countries, regions and continents of where we’ve “been”. I chose Peru because it has such a rich culture and cuisine. Researching the countries with the best cuisine in the world, Peru was one of the top choices within South America.

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Tablescape

• Orange Napkins | I purchased about five of these from Missions Thrift. I was drawn to the subtle floral design in the napkin.
• Brown Appetizer Plates | I purchased these from the Durham Rescue Mission Thrift Store for $1 each. They’re very unique, and I love how the brown plates complement the orange plates.
• Orange Dinner Plates | As a Tennessee Volunteer alumna, you can never have too much orange, so I was super excited when I found them. I purchased two and they were $1 each.
• Natural Woven Charger| When I saw these, I knew I had to have them! I was at the Black Flea Market and originally walked away because they were $15 for two. I came back and asked if she would sell them for $10, and she agreed. I’m so glad she did. I’ve used these a few times already, and they never get old.
• Colorful Place mats | Spoiler alert: These aren’t place mats. They’re actually napkins! I knew I wanted to use these because the colors are so vibrant and reminded me of Peruvian culture from my research of Peru.

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Menu

First Course: Peruvian Ceviche and Causa de Atun

We were literally so hungry that I forgot to take a picture! I enjoyed the ceviche, but it wasn’t Donnell’s favorite. However, we both loved the causa de atun. With a base of potatoes and a filling of tuna, this was right up the Priest’s alley!

Second Course: Peruvian Quinoa Soup

Third Course: Jalea Mixta with Salsa Tartara

For the main entree, I made jalea mixta, a mixture of fried mahi mahi, shrimp and calamari with a salad topping and a base of sweet potatoes and cassava. I also added chifles to this dish. It was a hit with both of us! To make this dish healthier, I used my air fryer to fry the fish instead of the conventional method of fryer.

Fourth Course: Suspiro a la Limeña

One thing you should know about the Priests is one of us has a sweet tooth and the other does not. I loved this dessert! It’s essentially dulce de leche with a Pisco infused whipped cream topping. It was absolutely delicious!

Cocktails: El Capitán and Pisco Sour

We tried two Peruvian cocktails tonight, the El Capitán and the Pisco Sour. The Pisco Sour was my absolutely favorite. Donnell liked it as well. With the El Capitán, I realized that I’m not really a fan of vermouth and neither is Donnell.

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Playlist: Afro-Peruvian Music on Spotify

We always play music to create the experience. This was a fun and playful playlist that we both enjoyed!