3 Hours of Water a Day, an Introduction to Different Foods, and a New Job (Because I Didn't Already Have Enough on My Plate)

So apparently there's something going on with the water pipes up here in San Blas. They're doing work on them -- or so I've been told -- and we've only been getting water in the mornings here at the new house. This is a bit of a pain in my ass. I feel so compelled to take full advantage of the few hours of running water that I've intuitively been waking up at 6am to shower and do anything/everything in the kitchen for the entire day before it runs out. This has made me super productive, but I think Hum's about ready to kill me.

Yesterday's big cooking event at 6:30am was Apple Oatmeal Muffins. They're going to be a staple for breakfast in the restaurant. The recipe:

1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup sugar
4 apples
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/8 cup vegetable oil

Peel and slice the apples and place them in a pot of water (with the water just covering the apples). Bring to a boil and let simmer until the apples are nice and mushy.

Mix flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves together. In separate bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, sugar and veg oil. Add to the dry mixture and stir gently. Add apples (you can also sprinkle some sugar on your apples before adding them to the mixture if they're too tart for your taste).

Pour mixture into muffin tins and bake for about 15-20 minutes. I live at uber-high altitude now (and am still cooking in an easy-bake oven), so my cooking times will vary from yours. Just use your judgment and check the muffins as often as you deem necessary.

They came out lovely and delicious. I'm already eating my second one today. I'm going to try to include more recipes in here as the restaurant progresses so you can play at home with me while I'm putting together/changing the menu for the restaurant. And...if any of you have recipes to suggest, I'm all ears.

So I think it's time to tell you a little more about the restaurant. It's going to be a pasta place, as there's nothing like that here in Cusco. The menu will be small -- 6 sauces -- plus desserts (2 a day) and a salad of the day. There will also be one oven-baked pasta per day (lasagna, mac and cheese, etc.). The big thing here are "menus," which is a prix fixe menu (the actual paper menu is called "la carta") for lunch and/or dinner. They can be as cheap as 2.5 soles and it includes a soup and entree and there's usually enough rice or potatoes on the plate to feed an entire family. Most of these cheap menus aren't very good. They're sufficient if you're cheap/poor/hungry, but if you value the quality of your food, you're not usually going to eat a 3-sole menu (though I do know of a few 4-sole menus worth consuming).

Our lunch menu will be around 8 soles. It will include garlic bread, salad and your choice of 2 sauces (a veg and a meat). If you want a different sauce, you can order a la carte. The dinner menu will cost more but include dessert and a glass of wine in addition to the other items. I imagine that many of our ideas will morph as we move towards opening the restaurant, but the general theme will stay the same. And the name of the place is awesome (you'll have to wait a little longer before I reveal that publicly).

So, back to everyday life. Last week I introduced Hum to tacos. Well, he'd already eaten some good ones with me in Arequipa a few months ago, but he didn't realize just how easy it is to throw a bunch of stuff into a tortilla and call it a taco. The previous night he had made a beautifully delicious guacamole-type salsa and we had a lot left over. So I boiled some rice, cooked up some ground beef, cracked open a can of black beans and mixed it all together. I smeared the guac mixture on the bottom of some heated tortillas, poured the rice mixture on top of that and added some chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese. He was in heaven.

I also introduced him to meatloaf and mashed potatoes, which were a big hit. Yeah, sure, Peruvians occasionally eat potatoe puree here, but mashed potatoes are seldom on the menus here. And certainly not MY mashed potatoes. These are by no means healthy, but they are damn good (boiled potatoes, butter, evaporated milk and a hard shredded cheese). I just need to find a better potato masher next time. And Gruyere cheese would be nice, but I know I'm pushing my luck there.

New Job!!
So, I have a new job! Yes, I'm still opening a restaurant and yes, I'm still a massage therapist taking clients (that will NEVER stop), but I applied, interviewed and was offered a position as a travel writer for a local travel agency. It'll be 4 hours a day and I'll be reworking a lot of the copy on their Website, updating their social media connections on Facebook and Twitter (note to self: need to learn how to use Twitter) and eventually help them write a blog, which I have ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE doing. Should be a blast!

That, of course, leaves Hum in charge of the restaurant, which is exactly how I want it. I don't want to be the boss -- I just want to cook and schmooze with the diners. He can deal with the complicated stuff (and he does it much better than me and in a nicer tone of voice). So, if you're looking for a job, ask Humberto. I'm just there to smile and look pretty.