Chile: Food & Wine

When I was in Valparaiso, I signed up for a cooking class with Chilean Cuisine with Chef Boris. It was one of the highlights of my trip. Boris is such a talented chef and the company of my fellow classmates, Borla and James, were just wonderful.

The Menu: 

Palta Reina con Atun ( avocado stuffed with tuna)

Machas a la parmasana ( baked razor clams with white wine, butter and parmasan cheese)

Ensalada Chilena ( Chilean tomato salad) 

Pastel del Choclo ( corn pie with meat or vegetables, olives, boiled eggs, spices and sugar on top to make the pastry bubble and brown in the oven)

Empanadas ( meat or vegetable with Boris's secret ingredient)

Leche Asada (Flan)

Pisco sour ( Boris's recipe with ginger, basil and chili pepper ) 

And... a couple of bottles of wine.

Market visit 

Shopping for fresh clams 

Seaweed is good for teething babies 

Preparing the Machas/clams 

Pisco ! 

My First and favorite pisco sour with ginger, basil and chili pepper - incredible!

When you are next in Valparaiso, you can find Boris here: http://www.cookingclasseschile.cl

And, Chef Boris's book on Amazon: 

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-Chile-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0754829898

Boris is currently auditioning for Top Chef: fingers crossed! 

Casablanca Wine Valley: 

The following day ( satisfied from

the feast the night before) I booked a wine tour with Uncorked Wine Tours (http://www.uncorked.cl ). They were very accommodating and allowed me to meet them in Casablanca as they usually start from Santiago. It was a wonderful and informative tour of Chilean wine. We visited Bodegas Re, Loma Larga and ended the tour with a delicious lunch.

Bodegas Re ( known for RE-inventing wine techniques) http://bodegasre.cl

Etruscan Sauce ( using an Etruscan recipe passed down through the ages, the sauce is aged in cherry, mulberry, chestnut, and two different kinds of oak barrels) 

Olive pressing 

Olive oil 

Liqueurs of apricots, cherries, strawberries... 

Old wine methods 

Concrete egg shaped tanks 

Wine tasting! 

Beautiful blends of white and red grapes such as: Charnoir ( Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and Cabergnan ( Canernet Sauvignon and Carignan). I especially loved the RE Pintel 2014.

Loma Larga Vinyards: http://www.lomalarga.com/home/

Foggy and cold like California 

Roses planted next to the vines. If there is a problem, the roses are affected first and the Vinyards can be saved in time. 

Stainless steel tanks 

Wine tasting with Allesandra 

Some general pairings:

Sauvignon Blanc - ceviche, salads and goat's cheese 

Chardonnay - clams ( such as machas a la parmasana ) and fatty fish ( such as salmon) 

Pinot Noir - great for those who do not like white wine but need something lighter. Good with a pesto 

Malbec (light) - meats and roasted vegetables 

Cabernet Franc -lasagne, caprese and matures cheeses  

Valparaiso

Valparaiso, once one of the richest ports in South America during the Gold Rush until the Panama Canal, still retains its rustic charm. It's a big city (a third of a million live there) and filled with cerros (hills) with names such as Alegre, Concepcion and Bellavista, houses painted in bright and different colors and rickety funiculares. 

Being a Unesco site, Valparaiso is trapped inbetween time. It is a mix between the preservation of the old city and modern, graffiti art with adornes almost every building. And, it is charming. 

The Little Dogs of Valparaiso

Most of these little dogs do not have homes but look well fed and warm in their coats

This one followed our walking tour up and down the hills of Valparaiso 

This one was given a scarf to keep his neck warm 

This one followed me around for a while

He's not from Valparaiso but he's cute!