Discovery

I only need to look south of the border for inspiration. Last year that inspiration came from chef Fipo Moscoso at the Restaurant Hotel Carlota in Quito, Ecuador. One of his amazing dinners was garnished with a sprinkle of sal prieta, a combination of ground corn, peanuts and spices. I was hooked.

The basic recipe for sal prieta contains equal parts of ground toasted corn and peanuts and spices. I decided to make my sal pieta with ¼ cup dry roasted pistachios, ¼ cup corn nuts, 2 tsp dried cilantro, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp achiote verde and salt and pepper to taste.

To make the sal pieta, use a spice grinder to grind the pistachios and corn nuts to a coarse powder, in separate batches. Mix in the herbs and the achiote verde. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Store in a small lidded jar. Serve with oven roasted potatoes or fried plantains or rice.

 

 

Greece is one of the top three olive oil-producing countries in the world, and Greek olive oil is indisputably the finest. The highest grade is extra virgin olive oil. It is distinguished by quality, aroma and taste. Fine olive oil is distinguished in flavor by the type of olive and region it’s grown. Extra Virgin olive oils are loaded with antioxidants that will have a positive impact on health, wellness, and illness if incorporated as a lifestyle backed by numerous studies

Kolossos is my favorite olive oil brand. It combines my love of design, food and color. I was lucky enough to work on the branding and packaging. The bottle is clean and modern and you want to display it in your kitchen.

Kolossos is available in two varieties, mild and robust. The olive oil is 100% Greek, 100% Virgin, each flavor is of only one regional varietals and the olive oil is unfiltered.

Kolossos Mild is unfiltered, from estate grown and hand selected Manaki olives grown in Argolida, Greece. It has a delicate flavor, ripe olive fruit, buttery, with hints of apricot, ripe apple and pine. Kolossos mild is my preferred cooking oil.

Kolossos Robust is unfiltered, from estate grown and hand selected Koroneiki olives grown in Lakonia, Greece. It has a full-bodied, peppery flavor with hints of nuts, green tea and tomato leaf. I like to drizzle this olive oil over fresh salads or on bruschetta. The taste is fruity hints of dried herbs followed by a peppery taste.

Treat yourself to some Kolossos today!