Ecuadorian Recipes: For the Day serves as an homage to my grandmother, Coneja, and an appreciation for authentic cultural cuisine. Coneja was a restaurant owner for a portion of her life and post-retirement, she continues to satiate others. Her profound knowledge and distinct kitchen etiquette is impossible to identically capture, but my hope with this volume is to pass on her recipes in an interactive and engaging manner. This is for my family, friends, and anyone appreciative of Ecuadorian cuisine. 

In this first volume, I share three recipes for the course of a day. In Ecuador, we typically have three meals— lunch as the prioritized and heartiest dish. In this short and savory recipe book I am loyal to this tradition: presenting you with three dishes, created by Ecuadorians and enjoyed for many generations. 

Breakfast, or desayuno, is a lighter meal—usually bread, cheese, and coffee. Special occasions entail a prepared dish, in this case, a bolon or a fried ball of green plantain embedded with cheese and pork belly. Lunch, or almuerzo,  is usually a three course affair. It starts with a soup and is followed by a main dish accompanied with a natural fruit juice. Here I include ceviche, my favorite soup. Like Gazpacho, it is served cold, and is refreshing and light. Perfect for a day on the beach. In coastal regions of Ecuador (like Montañitas) one can find ceviche carts everywhere, including the shore line. Dinner is a light meal— like bread and coffee or a snack like a hand pie. Here we have an Empanada de Morocho, a hand pie with meat and rice enveloped in dough made from hominy. 

Food may be cultural but it is also universal. It serves as a binder for community and love language with one another.  With the process of sharing recipes, we embrace culture and tradition, but also uplift others. I hope to leave you with a little bit of Ecuador and inspiration to cook for and with friends. Here’s to happy cooking!

*Pro tip: if you are cooking, you should not be cleaning.