“You’ve got to be adventurous and willing to get out of your comfort zone because Latin American cuisine is full of passion, very loud and not at all shy” said the Chef about relishing Latin American cuisine. Carlos Gomez,of Jewish, Porto Rican and Columbian descent, flown in from the United States, to showcase a feast as spicy as the Jalapeño, exuded a passion similar to his food at the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
“You’ve got to be adventurous andwilling to get out of your comfort zone because Latin American cuisine is full of passion, very loud and not at all shy” said the Chef about relishing Latin American cuisine. Carlos Gomez,of Jewish, Porto Rican and Columbian descent, flown in from the United States, to showcase a feast as spicy as the Jalapeño, exuded a passion similar to his food at the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
.gif)
The Governor’s Restaurant, host of the Latin American leg of the World Spice Food Festival, 2011,was warm and inviting, with a fusion of aromas from half way across the world. The food, the wine, the music and the laughter of those adventurous and curious enough to take a stab at something foreign,created an ambience that couldn’t be dampened by Colombo’s wet weather that evening. Standing in the midst of his masterpiece was Chef Carlos in all his glory, with pride and passion in his eyes. With an unrelenting dedication to the preparation of some of the world’s most exotic dishes, Carlos raved about cooking his famous dishes with Sri Lanka’s proud spice as well.
Kicking off his career in French cuisine, Carlos’ love for travel entwined with his love for food, and inspired him to create dishes of fusion. At the Latin Food Festivalone could enjoy Sushi Rolls with a Latin spice infusion, one of the most unique preparations yet.
Delicacies that grabbed my attention
Peruvian Roast Chicken
One of the most flavorful roasts I’ve ever tasted. Every bite with a subtle flavor of spice and herbs.
Salads with ingredients as fresh as morning’s dew with a burst of flavors as exotic and loud as the land they came from.
Being somewhat curious myself, no fresh salad or the most delectable Roast satisfied the urge to taste the most signature of dishes. So I had to ask the expert what the most authentic Latin American dishes were for the night. His eyes lit up at the opportunity to rave about his pride and joy, and soon indulged in a conversation, withPupusas and Tamales being the hot topic.
Tamales, a chicken dish, i thought had a very interesting method of preparation and unusual ingredients in the marinade. Mexican spices and Chocolate!!! That combination shall inspire my own cooking in the near future. The succulent chicken steamed in a bed of vegetables and cradled in corn husk, was cooked to perfection.
Looking forward to a dish that featured Mexico’s beloved Jalapeño, I was presented with something that looked like a roti. Yes, it had a name. It was called Pupusa. Upon noticing the confusion on my face, I was soon told that it was made with baby corn flour, Mozzarella cheese and of course jalapeño. And that indeed made a whole lot of sense.
Influenced by the numerous TV documentaries on how “HOT” the jalapeño was I soon discovered it really was not. I came to the realization that if the jalapeno and the red chillie asked the magic mirror who the hottest of them all was, the mirror would simply say “Red Chillie.”
The Argentinean BBQ stole my heart with juicy steaks and chops to chomp down on. Although not truly authentic in Latin American cuisine it was more than welcome to enjoy its stay. The sauces ranging from regular BBQ to passion fruit to Guava set my senses on fire for want of more.
All in all, a pleasing night, that fueled a craving and curiosity. Sure, it was very different from what our local palates are familiar with, but as the saying goes, “Variety Is the Spice of Life”
(Text by Antonia , Pix by Waruna)
.gif)
.gif)
0 Comments