I once came across a recipe for dulce de leche (caramelized milk candy) that described how to make it in a double boiler. The idea is that it will not burn as it condenses and caramelizes, so you don't have stir it constantly. I love homemade dulce de leche, but the thought of standing and stirring for an hour is always a little daunting. And inevitably I get a phone call or something else calls me away from the stove and I burn it anyway. The double boiler method sounded less stressful, so I tried it.

It worked beautifully, but slowly. It takes one to three hours longer in a double boiler, depending on how much you make. But you only have to stir with with a whisk once in a while, and (very important) make sure that the water in the bottom of the double boiler doesn't boil away. Leave it uncovered so that the water can evaporate away, and make sure the boiling water is not touching the bottom of the bowl or pot holding the dulce de leche. Otherwise the recipe (see below) is the same - just use a double boiler (or a bowl set over boiling water) instead of cooking it directly on the stove. It's ready when it's very thick and golden caramel brown.

Recipe for Dulce de Leche
Recipe for Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Cookies)
Almond Shortbread Alfajores
Chocolate Alfajores

I mentioned salsa criolla in my last blog, because it's often served alongside papas rellenas, but I decided it deserves a mention all its own. It sounds too simple to be anything special - it's really just some raw cut up onions and spicy peppers. But it has so much flavor. It's the little details in the preparation that make it great - the soaking and salting of the red onions, the key lime juice, the vinegar. The onions somehow taste sweet and not as strong as raw onions normally do. It's delicious on sandwiches, especially with roast beef or roasted pork. And if you're into food presentation, salsa criolla can really decorate a plate, thanks to the prettily sliced onions which are traditionally cut into thin half moons.

You can make salsa criolla with any hot pepper. I often use jalapeños. But true salsa criolla is made with aji amarillo, a spicy yellow/orange pepper, which you can sometimes find in the frozen section at Latin food markets. Or you can grow your own - I'm planning to try that this summer.

Recipe for Salsa Criolla

Papas rellenas are often served as round bite-size appetizers. That's the trendy way to make papas rellenas, perfect for when you are having a party. But traditional papas rellenas have an oblong shape, and they're rather large - entree size large. It took me a long to time to realize that they are supposed to look like an actual potato! But what a treat, because that ordinary looking potato on your plate is actually fried mashed potatoes surrounding a hidden seasoned ground beef filling! Yum! In Peru, papas rellenas are served with salsa criolla, a kind of onion salsa with lime juice and hot peppers. Many kids (and some grown-ups) also enjoy them with ketchup.

Recipe for Papas Rellenas
Recipe for Salsa Criolla Peruana
Recipe for another kind of Peruvian stuffed potatoes - Causa Rellena con Pollo

Kiwicha (also known as amaranth) is another Andean supergrain like quinoa - an ancient crop cultivated for thousands of years by civilizations like the Incas, but one that we are only just now rediscovering. Like quinoa, the seeds of the kiwicha (kee-wee-cha) plant are very high in protein, with a more complete compliment of amino acids than most other grains. Kiwicha seeds are much smaller than quinoa - more the size of poppy seeds. The colorful plant is hardy enough to grow well high in the rugged Andes, an area inhospitable to conventional farming. The seeds are popped like popcorn and sold as cereal and snacks in South America.

Kiwicha is widely available (usually labeled "amaranth") in health food stores and supermarkets. Jen Hoy, About.com's guide to macrobiotic cooking, has several excellent recipes for this healthy grain on her site, such as Cinnamon Amaranth Grits and Amaranth Scallion Pancakes.