Semiserious Chefs

Americans love yogurt. We particularly like it sweet, often with berries or fruit, and even flavored like favorite desserts and pies. We like it in single portions and easy to grab on the go, including, but not limited to, the ever-popular squeezable tubes for children. We also have what is marketed as ‘drinkable yogurt.’ Now […]

For this egg sandwich I wanted to go with a rustic feel and a smoky taste. Thus the idea of a smoky Gouda and bacon egg sandwich was born. I think I like this idea of coming up with new sandwiches. If you didn’t know already, I’m kind of a breakfast food guy and egg […]

As I was putting together the recipe for our Bourbon Barbecue and Crispy Chili Pepper Bacon Cheeseburger, Vanessa pointed out that instead of actually writing out step by step how to cook the bacon for the recipe, I might as well save myself some time and write a standalone post outlining the most efficient way […]

Ceviche is a traditional dish made using an acid, typically a citrus juice, to marinade raw fish. It is believed to date back to the Incan Empire, but with so much immigrating in and out of the area, and the basic-ness of the idea, it’s pretty unrealistic to allow one civilization full credit. There were […]

The idea for this dish is pretty straight forward. Perico means ‘Parrot,’ which the dish is supposedly named for it’s many colors. The most basic recipe for perico involves eggs, onions, and tomatoes, with salt and pepper. Many people like to substitute green onions for some or all of the onions, as I have done […]

This dish came about after my week-long exploration of Latin American mashed plantain breakfasts. Finally, after plenty of savory, I created a sweet dish. For my own tastes I like just a dash of cayenne pepper included in the dough, but you can always leave it out. This is an especially fun and easy dish […]

There are two ways to go about plantain arepas… well two places to start. Do you want Arepas de Plátano Verde, Green Plantain Arepas, or Arepas de Plátano Maduro, Ripe Plantain Arepas? Green plantains tend to taste a little less banana-y, while ripe plantains are sweeter. Some folks even add some sugar to make a […]

This plantain breakfast, enjoyed by both the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazonian cultures, as well as the High Sierra Peruvians, is unique from the others I have tried in that it uses ground annatto seed, which is called achiote by the locals. Annotto has a very unique flavor. It has a flowery aroma with hints of […]

This mashed plantain dish hails from Peru. Amazonian Peru. This is a relatively important note, as different parts of Peru produce different staple foods. For instance, in the mountainous Andes regions (Sierra) you are more likely to see crop based dishes with potatoes or quinoa, and slow roasted meats, commonly guinea pig. Along the coastline, […]

The world culture history in the name of this recipe is just outstanding! ‘Fufu’ comes from West Africa. It is the name for a sticky dough that has been made from a boiled and mashed starch, typically African yam, cassave/yuca, or plantain. In this instance it’s mashed Plantain Fufu, though not quite the same texture […]