Food on the boat in Peru, Sept 2012

A review of the food from the first week of our Peru vacation.

At the airport on the way to the boat we want to eat local, so we try Manos Marenos (Marenos hands).   Even though we are in a food court they have people walking around with menus to take your order and deliver food. E- gets his first version of tuc tuc, beef and onions over rice and beans.  I get a chicken and rice dish which is a mixture of Peruvian and Oriental styles.

Once we get on the boat Raul the chef always manages to plate interesting food beautifully. The first dinner salad has hearts of palm and beet salad in balsamic vinegar, chicken with mashed potatoes and sweet potato sticks.  They always serve a sorbet palate cleanser before dessert, which tonight is chocolate with a sugar wafer.

Breakfast buffet has way too much yummy stuff-multiple meats, breads and fruit.  The cua cua juice is the most interesting-it is pink and bitter.  My favorite is the fried plantains, I eat them every morning!

Lunch is ravioli stuffed with palm fruit and jungle potatoes which are smaller, slightly starchier sweet potatoes.  The sauce on the side is spicy with aji berries which are bright yellow but have the flavor of habaneros. 

Dinner is hearts of palm with a creamy sauce and ginger.  Donella fish over fettuchini with Asian stir fry vegetables.  Always sorbet in the middle!  Dessert is a pear in read wine sauce.

Breakfast treat with the buffet is passion fruit pancakes.  E- likes the salty fried plantains and bacon for breakfast.

Lunch is potatoes three ways, first is mashed with beets so it is red and avocado slices on top, next with aji so it is yellow and palm slices on top, finally something that turns it green with olives, onions and crunchy things.

  It comes with a side of ceviche in a fancy shot glass (with a straw?).

The crew prides itself on having different decor-flowers, table decorations and plates-for each meal, here are some of them.  All the items were available for sale at the last port-they are handcrafted weavings, carvings and jewelry parts and of course local flowers.

We had a cooking demonstration on how to make juanes, a representation of John the Baptists head that is eaten on June 24th.  It is rice, chicken, hard-boiled egg and olive wrapped in special leaves.

Dessert is aguaje (?) ice cream with chocolate sauce and sweetly toasted bread cubes.

Fancy decor

 Pumpkin soup

 Steak with Andean potatoes

Plantain empanadas with creme Anglese.

For this next breakfast we go out on the skiffs and are served while on the water!

 Including decor!

 Cute breakfast sandwiches

and pastries!

Lunch is Donella fish with plantain chips surrounded by 3 sauces, cua cua (pink), cilantro (green), and aji pepper (yellow)

 Another version of Donella fish with hearts of palm noodles, spicy sauce and fancy rice.

 Passion fruit ice cream

One last lunch of hearts of palm salad, fried egg on beef, rice and veg.  There was a birthday on board so dessert was of course birthday cake.