Good Eats in Quito

Sadly I don't have a photo of hornado, which is the standard Quiteño plate. I posted about it during the Fiestas de Guapulo. I ate 3 plates of it this weekend! It is pulled pork, piled over some combination of llapingachos, mote, salad, avocado, or other local foods. I really want to be able to cook Ecuadorian food so I have been testing out a few recipes lately. I make a mean quinoa stew, and this week I decided to learn how to make patacones (smashed fried plantains covered with queso fresco). They turned out pretty delicious, and I made some scrambled eggs with caramelized onions, candied bacon, and toast to accompany them.

 Patacones and Candied Bacon

Laura and I also tried Crepes and Waffle, a breakfast chain, for the first time. They have a massive menu with dozens of sweet and savory crepes. I went with the Normandy because that was always my favorite sandwich from a little French bakery in my hometown, and I was very glad I did.

 Crepes galore!

Today I went out to lunch for a set almuerzo, or menu del dia. It started off with locro (pictured below) which a cheesy potato soup covered with a slice of avocado. The second course was a chuleta (pork chops) with potatoes. It also came with fresh pineapple juice and a piece of cake. All for a couple of bucks!

 Locro- Potato cheese soup

When I go home, I want to be able to cook some Ecuadorian food for my family. I think my mom would especially like Encebollados, a coastal fish stew, so it is time to get experimenting!