I'm in Pucon, Chile - an adrenilin junkies dream of a town. 'Will the weather be good enough to climb the 
volcano at 5am tomorrow morning?' are the words on everyones lips. 'I've the afternoon off, I'm gonna cycle til my legs drop off,' I heard the other day.... Doubting my existence as one of the same species, I ask around for a traditional Mapuche cookery experience and word on the street is that Ana Epoulef (raykiyen@yahoo.com) is my gal. A kilometre short of the town of Curarrehue, Katy and I jump off the bus and make our way to 'Cocina Mapuche.' Between us, Ana, May, Katy and I rustle up some fine Mapuche fair - (2 inches in length) pinenut soup - freshly ground wheat bread with salsa - savoury doughnuts - potato, onion, forest floor wild mushrooms and dark, deeply flavoursome cabbage bake, along with tall, spikey stem salad and small and crimson flowered lemon and mint squash. I grate potato, ring the water out of it before dropping small balls of the leftover dough into boiling milk for 10 minutes. We add some mint and voila - dessert! Thank you Ana and May for welcoming us into your kitchen, for the wealth of knowledge you shared with us and the delicious and unforgettable meal we enjoyed with you and your family.
volcano at 5am tomorrow morning?' are the words on everyones lips. 'I've the afternoon off, I'm gonna cycle til my legs drop off,' I heard the other day.... Doubting my existence as one of the same species, I ask around for a traditional Mapuche cookery experience and word on the street is that Ana Epoulef (raykiyen@yahoo.com) is my gal. A kilometre short of the town of Curarrehue, Katy and I jump off the bus and make our way to 'Cocina Mapuche.' Between us, Ana, May, Katy and I rustle up some fine Mapuche fair - (2 inches in length) pinenut soup - freshly ground wheat bread with salsa - savoury doughnuts - potato, onion, forest floor wild mushrooms and dark, deeply flavoursome cabbage bake, along with tall, spikey stem salad and small and crimson flowered lemon and mint squash. I grate potato, ring the water out of it before dropping small balls of the leftover dough into boiling milk for 10 minutes. We add some mint and voila - dessert! Thank you Ana and May for welcoming us into your kitchen, for the wealth of knowledge you shared with us and the delicious and unforgettable meal we enjoyed with you and your family.
