Food

Unlike my long ago trip to Mexico, when I thought I would never look another refried bean in the pod, I have rekindled my love for potatoes. As a child, I would get up during the night turn on the oven and bake a potato. Ice cream was in the refrig and chocolate in a dish... it was the potato that called me. I was in a good place in Ecuador....they love potatoes along with some form of banana and rice which is served at every meal. There are some variations on the theme, but Locro... or potato-cheese soup is a staple. I had read about it before, but once you are there, if you don't like it..you are out of luck at almost every meal. Here is what I observe in the kitchen in the rain forest, asked about in a small restaurant in Quito, and observed through the porthole into the kitchen ... the measurements came from an online Ecuadorian cookbook....4 to 6 servings

• Oil or butter -- 1/4 cup
• Onion, minced -- 1/2
• Garlic, minced -- 3 to 4 cloves
• Potatoes, peeled and diced -- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
• Water or stock -- 4 cups
• Milk -- 1 cup
• Salt and pepper -- to taste
• Muenster, queso fresco or mozzarella cheese, shredded -- 1 cup

1. Heat the oil or butter over medium flame in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and simmer until the onion is translucent.
2. Stir in the potatoes, water or stock, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are falling apart, 30-45 minutes. Mash the potatoes up a bit with the back of a spoon to thicken the soup, leaving it a little chunky.
3. Remove the soup from heat and stir in the cheese. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Variations
add some chopped chili peppers, handful of corn kernels and garnish with avocado...

I can't say I feel the same about twice fried green plantains, but they were also a common side dish. Took awhile to figure out what they were. In the Amazon, with Leslie speaking Italian and Roberto speaking Spanish and me watching figure pointing, I figured out that there were definitely banana's and banana's... some you had to cook and some you could cook or not cook and some you could eat but could be cooked. [I also learned that one palm could be use to improve the prostrate and cure sore throats and another could put you in to a 10 day state of hallucination...I don't think I will be trying that since I can't remember which was which]

In Puerto Rico this is called Tostones.. but after looking on several menus the last day in town, it is Patacones in Ecuador. The key is the green, unripe plantains.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy skillet (medium heat) .put in the plantains in a single layer and let them brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel. When they are cool enough to work with ...flatten with a glass or plate and then shape them into a patty about 1/3inch thick.... then return to the oil in the skillet and brown on both sides....... unripe plantains have a high starch content and you think at first that they have slipped in some potato..but it is all plantain.