Last week, I went to a 2-hour cooking class at an amazing restaurant, called La Warmi. Warmi is a Quechua (aboriginal) word for strong, self-sufficient woman. It's really interesting to me that there are many Quechua words mixed into spanish here in Ecuador, for example wawa is a word for baby and I learned the word for drunk, but obviously forgot it from lack of use.
I made sure to eat lunch at this restaurant before I signed up for cooking class and it was the best meal I've eaten here in Ecuador, hands down! The cooking class was so much fun! We made ceviche (amazing!), potato tamales, and a fried dessert made with fine grated yuca and topped with a molasses sauce made from panel (a raw sugar), water and cinnamon. I brought home recipes (!) and I can't wait to try making these dishes at home. All the dishes were incredible and delicious. I got to cook with a retired man who is visiting Ecuador with his wife. They live in Seattle. I'm hoping to go visit them and cook with them.
This cooking class was one of my top experiences in Ecuador! Tomorrow, I'll go sign up and pay for another class! I can't wait!
And this is the lunch that I had before my cooking class. I need to eat here again!!
