Food-Loving:: Bolivian Food.

So for those of you who frequently read or happen to follow my blog know that Bolivia has a special place in my heart and is a truly unique place to me. I don't know for how long I've had this desire to have some good Bolivian food, but unfortunately there really isn't any great Bolivian restaurants here in the Pacific Northwest. So I did some internet research on Bolivian food in Florida.

And to my amaze I found a restaurant (Las Americas) that specializes in Bolivian cuisine in Little Havana, Miami. Eeek! I couldn't wait to try just about everything that was on the menu.

I had invited my mom to dinner and was truly excited about this because she has never had any Bolivian food other then the anticuchos (grilled beef hearts) I had made at home. Needless to say it was quite a feast. We started off with some salteñas-- a type of Bolivian baked empanada. I know I have mentioned in previous posts my love for these. Perhaps, I should try to make some on my own and share them on the blog.... what do you think?

Looking over on the menu I noticed that one of the soup specials for the day was sopa de mani (one of my favorite Bolivian soups), but the waitress soon informed me that they had just given another table the last order. So we ordered some bowls of sopa de quiona instead. Quinoa is a tiny yellow grain that is grown in the Bolivian highlands. An interesting little fact: the Incas held the crop to be quite sacred and actually referred to the quinoa as chisaya mama or "mother of all grains", the Inca emperor would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season by using "golden implements".

I wanted my mom to try a typical dish from the city of Cochabamba (side note: Cochabamba is definitely one of my favorite cities in Bolivia). This dish known as silpancho has quite a few different layers. The bottom of the plate consists of a base layer of rice, which is then followed by layers of potatoes, on top of all this is a super thin schnitzel-style meat, which is then covered with yet another mixed layer of chopped tomato, onion and parsley. All of this is then topped with either one or two fried eggs. Let me tell you when I first encountered this meal at Palacio del Silpancho in Cochabamba I was left a bit speechless and wasn't quite sure how I would finish it all. Las Americas Restaurant didn't disappoint.... it was pretty close in flavor to what can be found in Bolivia.

Plus we also had some pique macho, which is a meal that consists of chunks of beef, sausage (hot dog type) plus french-fry cut potatoes and to top it all off sliced boiled eggs, tomatoes, onions, olives and jalapeños. The entire dish is then finished with ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. Typically in Bolivia instead of the jalapeño, a locoto pepper garnishes the dish. This pepper is primarily found in Central and South America.

Along with the meal we had mocochinchi - a dehydrated peach cider. This is probably one of the (if not THE) most served beverages in Bolivia. You can find it in any region of Bolivia and is surprisingly quite sweet. In Bolivia you'll see this sold on street corners and in parks and plazas, usually in large glass jars, along side other drinks such as chicha and somó. So as you can tell that it was quite the feast and it definitely helped fill that craving I had for Bolivian food.

sketchbook no. 1

Hope everyone had a great weekend. This week I would like to start off by sharing with you a bit about my sketchbook blogposts, these posts will include photos from my sketchbook along with work-in-progress.

I am really excited for the following piece.... an interchangeable ring. This particular shape known as Chakana or Incan Cross is commonly seen used in Bolivian textiles as well as in ruins and artifacts. The inside circle of the Chakana will have space to insert various textiles that I have brought back from my travels to Bolivia.


This ring will be part of my World Textile collection, which is similiar to the diseño collection in the sense that it will use silhouettes of iconic patterns native to each country. However, this collection differs a bit because each item from the collection will include a piece of typical textile from that particular country.


These next two pieces are part of the diseño collection. Both of them focus on patterns commonly seen in Moroccan tile work and architecture.

Bolivian food.

Last week, when I was putting together my blog post about my awayo earrings and how my travels to Bolivia have influenced my work. I stumbled upon some photos I had taken of food---more specifically Bolivian food and I'm now definitely craving some. haha. Too bad there really isn't any authentic Bolivian restaurants here in Washington. Here are just a few photos of all the lovely items that can be found at various markets throughout Bolivia:








One of the most common staple foods found throughout various regions of the world is potatoes and the origin of the potatoe is the Andean Mountains of South America. The potato was cultivated more than 6,000 years ago near Lake Titicaca, on the border between Perú and Bolivia, where still the greatest diversity of wild species can be found. The Aymara Indians developed over 200 varieties on the Titicaca Plateau at elevations above 10,000 feet.


This photo is of "chuños" or freeze-dried potatoes. Chuño is still produced the same way as it was in the time of the Incas.

The process for making chuño includes spreading the potatoes out on the ground on frosty nights. During the day the potatoes are covered with straw to protect against the burning rays of the sun. This is what causes to the potatoes to be completely white. After exposure to several nights of frost, the potatoes are then trampled by foot to eliminate any remaining moisture the potatoe might have retained as well as to remove the skins. After this, the potatoes are exposed to the cold for two additional nights. This basic freeze-dry process is the starting point for two varieties of chuño: black and white.

I really do think that food is a great way to learn more about the culture, history, and people of a country-- thus I believe you should try everything. And by everything, I mean everything from lamb's brain to tripe. Really....you might be surprised by how delicious some things might taste.



that's me...


Here is one of my favorite Bolivian pastries....


Salteñas! Salteñas are delicious pastries that are filled with your choice of meat: beef, pork or chicken mixed in a sweet, slightly spice or very spice sauce. The pastries include green peas, pieces of boiled egg, a black olive, some raisins and a few other ingredients.

Street vendors are another great way to get a feel of what is typically eaten in a certain region.


This is another item I am craving. Don't get me wrong, I have tried making my own anticuchos de corazon or beef hearts here in the states. But these street vendors really have some sort of special secret since they taste so delicious there. Anticuchos can be readily found on streetcarts and street food stalls (anticucheras).


The anticuchos often come with a boiled potato on the end of the skewer...


Tomorrow, I'll get back to some photos of a few of the pieces from the 80's revisited series!

World Textile (Awayo/Bolivia)- Earrings

Let's visit Bolivia through some pictures and talk a little about yesterday's treasury pick of my World Textile (Awayo/Bolivia)- Earrings. As perhaps some of you that have been following my blog know from previous posts, that Bolivia definitely holds a special place in my heart. Some of my jewelry in my Etsy shop is influenced by my travels there. Here is a picture of the earrings from my Etsy shop:


On my travels there, I was amazed by all of the beautiful woven textiles. One of the best areas in La Paz to get all sorts of Bolivian handcrafts is south of the Iglesia de San Francisco known as Calle Sagárnaga. This image is taken from Calle Sagárnaga looking down towards the Iglesia de San Francisco.


Iglesia de San Francisco is also personally one of my favorite pieces of baroque-mestizo architecture---the church has a truly stunning and intricate carved façade. The façade includes fanciful carvings of birds, masks, pine cones in a mixture of Spanish and Indian traditions. The church was originally built in 1549 by the Franciscans but was collapsed by heavy snow in the early 1600's and rebuilt in the middle 1700's.


Heading back up towards Calle Sagárnaga and Mercado de Hechiceria (The Witches' Market).


As mentioned before, in this area, you will find all kinds of artesianal work as well as...


vendors selling llama fetuses and dried frogs for Aymara rituals, and soapstone figurines and aphrodisiac formulas. Little interesting fact about the llama fetuses:

"There are two different purposes that the dried llama fetus fills, the one that is seared on a plate with herbs and sweets is for good luck in business, while the regular dried llama fetus is to protect your home. It is widely known fact that most homes in Bolivia have these dried llama fetus interred in the foundations of the building."



Aymara textiles are prized throughout the world. Traditional Ayamara art depict the landscape, animals and plants of the Altiplano. While Aymara textiles otherwise known as awayos will often show images of llamas, fish, condors, stars and other designs. However, most of the textiles are also striped, similiar to the patterns of the terraced mountain slopes around Lake Titicaca.


Here is a photo of the terraced hillsides taken on a visit to the Islands of the Sun and the Moon on Lake Titicaca.


The Aymara textiles are woven by hand, using wooden looms. While the dyes used to color the textiles are made from boiled flowers and leaves. The textiles are strong and truly can last for many years. Each pair of my World Textile (Awayo/Bolivia)- Earrings incorporate a piece of awayo that has been brought back from my travels in Bolivia

The pieces of awayo are placed inside of these sterling silver domes that have the silhouette of the Chakana or Incan Cross pierced out. The Chakana or Inca Cross is an Andean symbol. The word chakana is derived from the Quechua word chakay, meaning "to cross". This cross represents the three tiers of Inca life: the lower world, this world and the higher world. The three levels are also known to represent the the snake, puma and condor. It is an icon that has been seen in the Incan culture, whether worn as a talisman or used in the architecture (i.e., temple steps).

While the hole in the center denotes Cusco, which is believed to be the center of the Incan empire and also represents the circle of life. The twelve outer corners are believed to mark the twelve months of the year. While the four main arms are thought to symbolize North, South, East and West.

I really do love traveling---- meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and seeing how all these aspects influence who I am and my work.

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UPDATE: just to verify, the pieces of awayo that I purchase to make the pieces are considered "scrap" pieces. I do NOT cut up large woven pieces.

Pachamama.

The goddess Pachamama is revered by indigenous people of the Andes. In Incan mythology, it is believe that Pachamama (translated as "Mother Earth") is a fertility goddess that presides over harvesting and planting. To give thanks to the Pachamama, people usually toast to her honor before every meeting or festivity and in some regions they spill a small amount of chicha on the floor, before drinking the rest.

So in honor of Pachamama or "Mother Earth"......Happy Earth Day! Earth day is celebrated each year on April 22nd in order to bring awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. However, every day is truly earth day....so do something green and make it part of your daily life.

*(image taken in Coroico, Bolivia)

Wednesday's Artist of the World (No. 1)...

Every Wednesday, I will travel ("so to say") to a different part of the world. I will pick a different country each week and artist whose work I find interesting. So that will roughly be around 192 countries to travel to.

Country-Bolivia:
I have had the pleasure to personally travel to and experience Bolivia. The people of landlocked Bolivia continually struggle with poverty. Despite being the poorest country in South America, this country continues to amaze me with its unparalleled beauty. Bolivia is rich in some of the most amazing scenery, as well as vibrant people and culture. My work has been and continues to be influenced by my travels there.

Here are some images from my personal travels:
La Paz, Bolivia



Coroico, Bolivia

Artist-Roberto Mamani Mamani:
Mamani Mamani is an Aymaran artist born in Cochabamba, Bolivia in 1962. Mamani Mamani's contemporary paintings draw influence from his Aymaran culture, the people and land of Bolivia. I am drawn to the artist's use of vibrant colors and traditional Aymaran symbols which allow his paintings to tell a story of his people and land. His use of these vivid colors and symbols carry a specific meaning, for example: the use of yellow suns in his work are male while blue moons are female, and horses represent the colonization and enslavement of his people by the Spaniards.


"Nostalgia de los Andes"
oil pastels on paper, 2006




"Madre del Arco Iris"
oil pastel on paper, 2006

....and here I am with one of Mamani Mamani's works in the Museum of Contemporary Art (Museo de Arte Contemporaneoin) in La Paz, Bolivia.