After a very long weekend (5 days!) for Chilean Independence holidays, I am getting ready to head north for my third tour in Texas at Central Market’s cooking school in early October. Since many of you reside in the Lone Star state, I wanted to share the...
The starting point of our RTW trip was, fittingly, at a fitness spa in Baja Mexico, Rancho La Puerta, where I was invited to be guest chef on South American cuisine at their cooking school, La Cocina que Canta. To call Rancho La Puerta simply a spa is rather...
CamuCamu: This edible fruit grows in a small, bush-like tree in the Peruvian flooded rainforest and is harvested by canoe. The fruit is a bright reddish-purple color, which imparts an attractive pink tint when juiced. Locals love CamuCamu for its mood...
For a long time, Cusco was regarded as a quick stopping off point en route to the ancient city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. With the thin, 11,000-foot air (drink your coca tea!) and once rampant backpacker scene, Cusco has markedly improved on the hotel...
I recently read a study that Chileans now eat the most ice cream in Latin America at over 6.5 liters (nearly 4 gallons) per year, per capita. That’s around 27 million gallons of ice cream for this smallish nation of 15 million people. Chileans take their...
Love yoga? Love wine? Love Nature? We do. If you find it hard to get back into your fitness and healthy eating routine post holidays, we have some inspiration for you. January may be cold and dreary, but it's summer in Chile! Break out of the winter...
With thousands of miles of coastline and the chilly Humboldt current from Antarctica, Chile is one of the most blessed countries in the world with a plethora of species of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and sea vegetables. There are literally dozens upon dozens...
I won’t lie. I find (Chilean) pisco not very attractive, for my paladar at least. The smell of it still conjures up drunken memories of piscola (pisco + coke) in the university during my junior year abroad in Santiago. The hangover from those damned drinks...
Sorry I have been somewhat desparecida as of late. Between numerous work trips in South America, we’ve been hunkering down to finish our brand new website. After months of designing, writing, editing, and programming; we are super psyched to debut the revamped...
Out of the whole year, September is my favorite month. Early spring. The Andes gleam with white snow. The first wild flowers dot the vineyards as the buds break on the vines. The almond and plum trees decorate the valley floor with white and pink...
Think it’s possible to overdose on caffeine? It is. Especially when you're slipped it, unknowingly. Most serious coffee drinkers, like myself back in the day, scoffed at the decaf crowd. A bunch of wimps and health freaks that were missing the whole point of drinking...
One of the things that I most love about living in South America is the street food. Those roadside stands, the market tables, and the hawkers are such a huge part of the eating experience here. Here’s my short list of my favorite street foods from...
This past weekend I finally saw the movie, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I had been holding out until I finished, and digested, the book. It’s been a while since I have read a novel that has captivated my imagination so vividly. The main character, Lisbeth...
This Saturday, my husband and I went out to the tapas bar at the Ritz Carlton Santiago called Arola. Arola is the new-ish project of Spanish Michelin-starred chef, Sergi Arola, from Barcelona. The new debut has gone hand-in-hand with an unveiling of the Ritz's new...
I have been holding out on you guys a little. I took off on a trip to Uruguay without a peep. Sorry about that. We got wrapped up in the beach, grape harvest, scouting new artisan cheese makers near Colonia for our tours. Every time I visit Uruguay, I come home...
Yesterday I turned 35. For many years, I always felt I had to do something to celebrate my birthday. Trips to Buenos Aires, the beaches of Uruguay, parties on terraces, etc. etc. Perhaps it was because for most of my life before I moved to South America, my...
Patagonia has been on our mind a lot as of late since the Torres del Paine park suffered a major forest fire in early January. Fortunately, the park is now open as is Explora hotel in the park. There's so much talk of Patagonia that people think it's...
Summer is the best. I wait all year for this season in Chile. Hot, dry sunshine-filled days that feel like a loving hug. The nights still dip into the mid-50s and there's light until 9pm. At 4pm, it can feel hot but find a shady tree, and that balmy summer breeze...
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