Newsletter: 🌯 A South America tour + a honey cake demo for Rosh Hashanah 🍯

🌯 A South America tour + a honey cake demo for Rosh Hashanah 🍯

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South American cooking in Argentina, Peru & Brazil

As a continent, South America is rich in diversity between its countries, but whether you look to Argentina or Brazil, Peru or Colombia, each country and its cuisine is built on exceptional local produce, ancient tradition, and a multilayered set of influences from incomers across the centuries. We have three books newly added to ckbk that bring you some of the tastes and traditions of South America.

Raised and trained in Buenos Aires, chef Cesar Bartolini has worked in top kitchens in the UK and Argentina. His book The Food and Cooking of Argentina documents both his personal experience of his country and the rich multicultural heritage of its cuisine—such as his own Italian heritage. Sections introduce the many geographical regions, or focus on areas of culinary importance—such as Argentine Beef and the Asado.

Find then a generous helping of recipes, such as these for Salmon Ceviche with Pink Grapefruit and Avocado, vibrant Chimichurri sauce to accompany that all-important asado, and caramel-filled Alfajores cookies.

Food writer Flor de Deliot was born in Lima, and has written extensively on Peruvian cuisine. The Food and Cooking of Peru delves into Peru’s ancient heritage, including that of the highly sophisticated Incas. The very earliest evidence of farming has been found in the foothills of the Andes. Flor explains the ways in which Peruvian cuisine results from this long history, and particular ingredients, such as corn, potatoes, and fish:

‘It is said that cooks in Peru can make three meals a day for a year without precisely repeating any one of those meals, such is the delightful variety of ingredients to be found in this geographically diverse country.’

Recipes are organised by type, and there is thoughtful information about core ingredients—such as Meat & Poultry—and particular feast days—such as Carnival. Try Chilca-Style Fish Soup, Andean Spiced Potatoes, or sweet Spiced Rice Pudding with raisins and walnuts.

Fernando Farah grew up in Rio de Janiero, and at his family farm outside the city. A food writer, he shares his passion for Brazilian cuisine through articles, books and his popular food blog Cuca Brazuca.

The Food and Cooking of Brazil is a distillation of that knowledge. In the author’s words:

‘Brazil is a country of dazzling beauty, with a wide variety of different climates and ecosystems. With millions of kilometres of richly fertile land, a lush coastline, and some of the longest rivers in the world, Brazil has the means to supply itself with almost every kind of ingredient. The country is also home to a population of great ethnic and cultural diversity, whose heritage is expressed in vibrant art and festivals, and epitomized by a lavish love of Brazilian food.’

Find sections on subjects that play a part in Brazil’s cuisine, such as The African Influence, and regions like The Amazonian Rainforest.

Recipes are a vibrant mix—try Octopus and Broccoli Rice, Black Bean Fritters with Prawn Sauce, sweet Banana Meringue Pie, or this Creamy Caramel Custard.

Explore our South American bookshelf

Pictured above: Seafood rice from The Food and Cooking of Peru by Flor Arcaya de Delio

It’s September, so don’t forget the sourdough!

For 12 months of the year the Real Bread Campaign (led by Chris Young author of Slow Dough, Real Bread) promote and inform, encouraging people to make and source real bread. Since 2013 Sourdough September is a special month-long initiative that aims at getting people understanding, making, and buying, genuine sourdough bread. Support local artisan bread makers, and if you feel like making your own, we’ve got you covered.

Find recipes for everything from your Sourdough Starter, to a classic San Francisco-Style Sourdough, to Sourdough Bagels and Sourdough Pizza, in our recipe collection Getting Started with Sourdough.

Once you are hooked on all that tangy, crusty deliciousness, explore our Sourdough Bookshelf, for hundreds of recipes that make the most of sourdough’s unique qualities.

Browse our Sourdough bookshelf

A Rosh Hashanah bake from Bea’s Bakery

Rosh Hashanah—Jewish New Year—is September 22 to 24, a time when Jews around the world gather to mark the beginning of the year in the Hebrew calendar. Sweet foods play a central role in the feasting, symbolising a sweet and happy year ahead. Bea’s Bakery, a California institution, makes a traditional Honey Cake that would fit right into your Rosh Hashanah preparations. The recipe is from their book It’s a Sweet Life, and shown here, or also on the recipe page on our site, you will find a great film of Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri of Bea’s Bakery demonstrating their honey cake for CBS Los Angeles.

For a full array of Rosh Hashanah goodies take a look at this Festive Spread for Rosh Hashanah.

Ingredient focus: dried fruit

By dried fruit, we mean fruit that has been prepared by desiccation, which was traditionally done by sun drying, and is now often standardised with industrial processing. This is partly to cope with demand, as dried fruit is a universally popular food. Drying serves both to preserve the fruit, and also intensifies sweetness.

A mix of dried vine fruit—raisins, sultanas and currants—is at the centre of much historic British baking, such as a traditional Fruit Cake. Dried figs and apricots are also widely eaten and used in cooking, and dates are one of the most important sweeteners globally.

While dried fruits are delicious naturally sweet snack foods, and a gift to bakers, they are also important in savory dishes, especially in the Middle East—such as in this Tagine of Lamb with Apricots. Explore our collection of 12 Ways with Dried Fruit—find recipes such as Brussels Sprouts, Arugula, and Dried Apricot Salad, these Fig Einsteins, and Maple Coconut Granola and Yoghurt Parfaits.