Getting closer to the (fish) source

This week we are “hanging out” with our youngest son Erick in Lima (Peru). So, while the Mom works, Dad and son are spending good quality time during the day.

Most of our day is spent searching for the finest --not necessarily the most expensive-- source of ceviche and the many other expressions of the Peruvian cuisine. The main ingredient of ceviche being fresh fish –I was going to say “raw” fish but Erick corrected me to say “fish cooked with the acids of lime juice”--, knowing that the flesh was just recently a twitching fish muscle, makes me feel even more in touch with the source itself. The main ingredient of ceviche is indeed ‘fresh’ fish, mixed with finely cut red onions, chiles, cilantro and lots of lime juice. The end product is ceviche*, which is a delicious, tender, spicy concoction that makes your eyes tear with the experience. The liquid part they called ‘leche de tigre’ (tiger’s milk) and is sometimes served separately in a small cup by the side. Bottom line, if you don't like "fish flavors" no need to apply.

Ceviche is quite an important part of the local diet and as you can see from the pictures, we’re not having any trouble finding new outlets of this finest of feasts. My counterparts in the Pacific Ocean are doing a darn good job at keeping their fish under control, and it shows.

Erick has been living the "single guy in his twenties" life in Cusco for the last two years and is enjoying himself so much that we don’t see a way to entice him to return closer to home any time soon. Can’t say that I blame him. I give him credit for his resourcefulness and ability to create the life he has chosen for himself. And at the same time he is building his own repertoire of skills (Peruvian cuisine, sales, Spanish, thriftiness), which will come in handy as he approaches his AARP years. In one of our conversations he expressed his feeling of satisfaction and sense of worth when his employer (SAS travel) has come to rely on his services and abilities to make an impact in the local economy. Isn’t that what we all want? To be appreciated and to feel that our contributions make a difference? If all employers could figure this out, they’d have a much happier and stable workforce.

We left Emerald Isle during the middle of winter and are now in the middle of summer in the Southern hemisphere. Even though the air temperature is not higher than in the 80s, it feels quite warm in comparison. The only consolation is to look at the Yahoo Weather Website to keep reminding me that bicycle trips to the post office would be rather painful this time of the year. Still, we’ll continue on the search of the best ceviche in town and if we fail to succeed, at least the lining of our stomachs would not have suffered in vain.

*NOTE: The Godfather asked what's in the picture of the ceviche pictured at the top? Clockwise from the piece of line: Seaweed, fried fish, scallop showing some of the leche de tigre", brownish kernels, fried green plaintain, sweet potato (orange), more plaintain, yellow/white kernel. In the center of the plate is more of the seaweed covering the main event, the Ceviche. The second picture shows another rendition of the ceviche. The four "sticks" to the right are pieces of yucca and the four sticks to the left are of sweet potato.