Most recipes call for boiling the root whole before cutting it into batons and frying them. I wondered what would happen if I cut first then boiled.

Here’s what I saw:
You can tell right away that the boiled-then-cut baton on the left is unevenly cooked. It has a creamy, gelatinized side (the side that was on the exterior), and a fluffy, starchy side. The baton that was cut-then-boiled was more uniform.

Which would fry up into a better chip?
I fried them both in 350°F peanut oil until crisp.

Again, you can see the difference. The boiled-then-cut chip on the left is smoother, with fewer crags and nooks in its surface, than the cut-then-boiled chip on the right. Biting into them revealed that the one of the right had not only far more crunch, but a much better creamy center. The one of the left was tender, but left a powdery, dry aftertaste in my mouth.

Enough with the zoology lesson; on to the food. The most famous dish of the llanos, and perhaps the most spectacular of Colombia’s immensely varied regional cuisines, is their barbecue. Large cuts of meat are skewered on six foot long metal poles that are leaned vertically toward pits smoldering with hardwood fires. Six to eight hours of slow cooking later, the fat has rendered into a crisp shell and the meat is tender enough to shred with the fingers while still retaining plenty of moisture. Just like the brisket of Texas, seasoning is very sparse seasoning—most often just a heavy sprinkle of salt and perhaps a douse of beer—it’s the flavor of the hardwood that dominates.

Head, Shoulder, Knees, and Toes
Ternera a la Llanera (known locally as mamona), the barbecued quarter of a veal calf, is the most famous incarnation, though my personal favorite is chiguiro, the large aquatic rodent more commonly known in the U.S. by it’s Brazilian Portuguese name capybara. With succulent white meat and a healthy amount of fat, it’s closest comparison is pork shoulder, though chiguiro is far more flavorful, with a slight gamey undertone.

Our trip took five hours, as one of the major bridges was under construction, allowing only one lane of traffic to pass through at time; we had to wait while the cars heading back to Bogotá streamed past us. Not a fun situation when your stomach is still reeling from a 30-fruit tropical fruit tasting the day before.

But the cows are spectacular. The breed of cattle they raise—the cebú (zebu in English)—is originally from South Asia and have large, pretty eyes (like my wife, who I suspect has a cebú somewhere in her ancestry), floppy pointed ears, a distinct hump on their back, abnormally large dewlaps,* and spectacularly flavorful (if lean) meat.

As if we all know what “normal” is when it comes to dewlaps. For a giant rat, it’s shockingly good, though unfortunately, according to at least one local source, the species has recently been deemed threatened, and is no longer available for legal sale.

Even more troubling is talk of the government banning the use of open fires altogether, wood or otherwise. It’d be a tremendous blow to the culinary world. Imagine every barbecue joint in Texas suddenly switching from wood and coal to gas pits. There’d be an understandable uproar. My recommendation: Get down there and try it before it’s too late.

Of all the meats on offer, pork is oddly enough the only one I’ve eaten with consistently mediocre results. Perhaps the Colombian pork is drier, or perhaps it’s that the Colombians are wise enough to use the fatty cuts like the butt, belly, and ham in their wonderful, lightly fermented and semi-dried chorizo and longaniza, leaving the drier loin cuts for the pits. They do develop crisp skin and a great smoke ring, and forget about making pulled pork out of it, but doused with enough aji—the Colombian version of Mexican salsa that ranges from mild boiled egg-based versions to fiery chili sauces—almost any meat is edible.

Eat sausages at every opportunity you get, whether in the Llanos or not. Different from dry-cured Spanish chorizo or crumbly Mexican chorizo, Colombian chorizo is mildly seasoned by comparions. Their flavor comes mostly from the tang of partial fermentation, which lands them somewhere between a fresh Bratwurst and a dried Italian salami or a saucisson sec in flavor.

Rivers and Rice
Though they don’t quite share the same deserved fame and spotlight as the barbecue, fried fish and rice and corn-based breads are ubiquitous foodstuffs in the Llanos. Fresh river fish like the large amarillo or the piraña-shaped cachama are caught and cooked up coastal-style, served with fried plantains of two types: the smashed green plantains known as patacones (tostones is the more familiar term to us), and sweet, ripe black plantains called maduros. I prefer the sweet. Deeper in the llanos, heading towards the more dangerous Guerilla territory, I’m told that giant armadillo is not an uncommon item for barbecue, though according to an 1880 article from the New York Times, the meat is greasy. I hope to judge for myself these days. I’ve yet to meet a quadruped I didn’t like.

Before frying, the fish is scored at microscopic intervals all along both sides in order to break up some of the many bones, tenderize the flesh, and help it cook faster. After a quick dusting in highly seasoned corn meal, it goes into the fryer where it crisps up within minutes. Served with the highly acidic orange-fleshed limes of the region, it’s moist, juicy, well-balanced, and perfectly satisfying, with none of the muddy flavors that farm-raised freshwater fish can carry.

Even more impressive is the hospitality shown to us. We were there mid-week during the off-season, when most restaurants and hotels are closed. The small, family-owned fried fish shop we stopped at was opened by the father-and-two-kids team just for our benefit. We ate fried fish while they sat next to us eating their own tasty looking lunch of stewed beef rib soup. The simplest aji I know is as easy and delicious as it gets: chop up an onion, some hot peppers, and cilantro, top up with water, and season with salt aggressively. Try it. Seriously.

I’m pretty obsessed with mushrooms at the best of times, i just love their texture and their ability to absorb so many flavours, which is why they work so well here. they’re sliced thinly and then sautéed with fresh thyme, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and then stirred through with natural (coconut yoghurt) to create a rich, creamy mix that absorbs so well onto crusty sourdough bread.
ingredients
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• half an onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon coconut yoghurt
To serve
• 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of pepper
method
1. place the onion and garlic in a pan with a good drizzle of olive oil and cook for 5-10 minutes over a medium heat until soft.
2. once the onions and garlic are soft, add in the mushrooms and give it all a good stir.
3. leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes until soft.
4. just before serving, add a good pinch of thyme, salt and pepper and stir through the yoghurt and lemon juice.
5. when ready; spoon the mushrooms on top of the toast and serve with another sprinkle of thyme, salt and pepper.

This pasta is a perfect warming dinner. the mushrooms, onions and garlic go so well with the creamy yogurt and lemon sauce, and the spinach, basil and sage add a real freshness to the whole dish. you can add more cloves if you like it super garlicy, and throw in any extra veg too like peas or spinach for some extra greens.

ingredients
2 portions pasta, we use brown rice pasta
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
large handful of fresh spinach
large handful of fresh basil
small handful sage leaves
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt, we use coconut yoghurt
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
method
cook the pasta as per instructions on pack. once cooked, drain and leave to one side.
place a pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil, the onion and garlic, cook for 5-10 minutes until golden.
add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
stir through the spinach and leave to wilt for about 2 minutes.
once everything is cooked, mix through the herbs, lemon juice, natural yoghurt, drained pasta, a pinch of salt and a crack of fresh pepper.

This is such a warming, easy supper that is really simple to throw together with kitchen cupboard ingredients and some fresh veg.

ingredients
1 onion (peeled and chopped)
3 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 heaped teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 heaped teaspoon of ground cumin
a pinch of chilli flakes
1 x 400g (14oz) can of chickpeas (drained)
2 servings of brown rice (i use short grain and used leftover rice here, which i heated thoroughly before serving)
100g chestnut mushrooms
two handfuls of fresh spinach
1 lemon
large pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
1 x 400g (14oz) can of coconut milk
method
cook the rice.
the rest of the meal will take 15 minutes to make, so start it when the rice is almost ready.
dice the garlic and the onion. place them in a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, lots of salt and pepper. sauté for five minutes or so until they soften.
while they cook, slice the mushrooms.
stir in the spices, letting them toast for a minute before adding the chickpeas and mushrooms. let them cook for five minutes before adding the coconut milk and brown rice.
bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes, then turn down the heat, stir through the spinach and allow it to wilt.
finally add the lemon juice.

Now that the weather is starting to turn just the tiniest bit chilly, it’s time for soup! There’s nothing quite like a cozy bowl of soup to warm you up from the cold, especially if there are noodles in it.

I’m all about the fall weather, now that it’s the middle of September. I mean, I love summer, but I really, really love fall. Give me all the cozy, all the sweaters, and ALL the pumpkin spice. Hmm, would pumpkin spice soup taste good? I imagine it would be really really tasty: roasted pumpkin with all those warming spices sounds amazing.

Also amazing is this slightly spicy, super creamy, coconutty Thai red curry noodle soup. This soup is super simple to make thanks to store bought curry paste. Store bought curry paste is truly a kitchen lifesaver. It adds so much flavor to everything. It’s something Mike and I always have in our fridge, tucked away in case of emergencies.

I’m pretty obsessed with mushrooms at the best of times, i just love their texture and their ability to absorb so many flavours, which is why they work so well here. they’re sliced thinly and then sautéed with fresh thyme, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and then stirred through with natural (coconut yoghurt) to create a rich, creamy mix that absorbs so well onto crusty sourdough bread.
ingredients
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• half an onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon coconut yoghurt
To serve
• 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of pepper
method
1. place the onion and garlic in a pan with a good drizzle of olive oil and cook for 5-10 minutes over a medium heat until soft.
2. once the onions and garlic are soft, add in the mushrooms and give it all a good stir.
3. leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes until soft.
4. just before serving, add a good pinch of thyme, salt and pepper and stir through the yoghurt and lemon juice.
5. when ready; spoon the mushrooms on top of the toast and serve with another sprinkle of thyme, salt and pepper.

This pasta is a perfect warming dinner. the mushrooms, onions and garlic go so well with the creamy yogurt and lemon sauce, and the spinach, basil and sage add a real freshness to the whole dish. you can add more cloves if you like it super garlicy, and throw in any extra veg too like peas or spinach for some extra greens.

ingredients
2 portions pasta, we use brown rice pasta
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
large handful of fresh spinach
large handful of fresh basil
small handful sage leaves
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt, we use coconut yoghurt
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
method
cook the pasta as per instructions on pack. once cooked, drain and leave to one side.
place a pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil, the onion and garlic, cook for 5-10 minutes until golden.
add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
stir through the spinach and leave to wilt for about 2 minutes.
once everything is cooked, mix through the herbs, lemon juice, natural yoghurt, drained pasta, a pinch of salt and a crack of fresh pepper.

This is such a warming, easy supper that is really simple to throw together with kitchen cupboard ingredients and some fresh veg.

ingredients
1 onion (peeled and chopped)
3 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 heaped teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 heaped teaspoon of ground cumin
a pinch of chilli flakes
1 x 400g (14oz) can of chickpeas (drained)
2 servings of brown rice (i use short grain and used leftover rice here, which i heated thoroughly before serving)
100g chestnut mushrooms
two handfuls of fresh spinach
1 lemon
large pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
1 x 400g (14oz) can of coconut milk
method
cook the rice.
the rest of the meal will take 15 minutes to make, so start it when the rice is almost ready.
dice the garlic and the onion. place them in a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, lots of salt and pepper. sauté for five minutes or so until they soften.
while they cook, slice the mushrooms.
stir in the spices, letting them toast for a minute before adding the chickpeas and mushrooms. let them cook for five minutes before adding the coconut milk and brown rice.
bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes, then turn down the heat, stir through the spinach and allow it to wilt.
finally add the lemon juice.

This Creamy Tomato Garlic Hummus is dreamy and rich textured with a hint of heat. Make it as spicy as you’d like. This healthy vegan dip can be served with freshly chopped veggie sticks, slathered on sandwiches, alongside salads or spread on bagels and toast. You can make an easy lunchtime wrap by simple scooping a nice portion of hummus into a large tortilla and adding a rainbow of veggies or greens – maybe a few grains like quinoa or cooked and chilled farro too. The flavor in this bean-filled hummus goes a long way to perk up produce. Omegas. I’ve been really into learning more about omega 3 fatty acids lately. And so I’ve been adding foods like walnuts and flax oil more to my diet – good vegan sources of omega 3’s. And an easy recipe to use these ingredients in is hummus. I’ve replaced my usual olive oil ingredient with a mix of walnut and flax oils And I’ve tossed in a few omega-3 rich raw walnuts too. But you can use EVOO if need be.

We always get a lot of questions about quick, easy weekday suppers and how to eat well when you’re really busy, so i’ve started putting together a little bank of recipes that tackle this for you – starting with this easy pea and spinach pasta. i’ve been making this a lot recently and it’s a real winner. it takes just ten minutes to put together, you only need six ingredients, there’s very little washing up and you don’t need to chop anything.

ingredients:
1 serving pasta, we use brown rice pasta
2 tablespoons coconut yoghurt
handful of fresh spinach
juice of half a lemon
handful of frozen peas
drizzle of olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
Put the pasta in a pan of boiling water and cook to the instructions on the pack. once cooked, drain and leave to one side.
if you’re using frozen peas, then cook them in with the pasta for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
once the pasta is cooked; drain and add the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, peas, spinach, salt and pepper.
give the whole thing a good stir before serving.

This creamy brussels sprout pasta bake is the perfect way to use up any of your christmas leftovers. the thinly sliced brussels sprouts are mixed through the creamy, mustardy sauce and pasta, with the breadcrumb topping turning golden in the hot oven to make a delicious crispy layer.

ingredients
450g pasta
200-300g brussels sprouts
400ml almond milk
45g nutritional yeast, plus 1 tablespoon for the topping
45g tapioca flour
30g dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
2 slices of bread (we use sourdough bread)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
method
preheat the oven to 200c, grill setting.
very thinly slice the brussels sprouts, you want them to be a similar texture to slaw.
in a large pan, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. once cooked, drain (reserving a little of the pasta water) and leave to one side until needed.
Scatter the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the pasta and cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the top turns golden.
once cooked, top with a pinch of pepper before serving.

This creamy brussels sprout pasta bake is the perfect way to use up any of your christmas leftovers. the thinly sliced brussels sprouts are mixed through the creamy, mustardy sauce and pasta, with the breadcrumb topping turning golden in the hot oven to make a delicious crispy layer.

ingredients
450g pasta
200-300g brussels sprouts
400ml almond milk
45g nutritional yeast, plus 1 tablespoon for the topping
45g tapioca flour
30g dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
2 slices of bread (we use sourdough bread)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
method
preheat the oven to 200c, grill setting.
very thinly slice the brussels sprouts, you want them to be a similar texture to slaw.
in a large pan, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. once cooked, drain (reserving a little of the pasta water) and leave to one side until needed.
make the white sauce by placing the tapioca flour, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, mustard, almond milk and a pinch of salt into a large pan over a medium heat. cook until the mixture begins to bubble, continuously whisking to ensure the mixture stays smooth and doesn’t form any lumps. if the mixture ever becomes too thick, lower the heat and stir through some of the reserved pasta water to loosen up.
once the sauce is smooth, mix the pasta and sprouts through the sauce and spoon into a baking dish.
make the topping by placing the bread and 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast into a food processor and blending until it reaches a bread crumb like consistency.
scatter the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the pasta and cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the top turns golden.
once cooked, top with a pinch of pepper before serving.

We always get a lot of questions about quick, easy weekday suppers and how to eat well when you’re really busy, so i’ve started putting together a little bank of recipes that tackle this for you – starting with this easy pea and spinach pasta. i’ve been making this a lot recently and it’s a real winner. it takes just ten minutes to put together, you only need six ingredients, there’s very little washing up and you don’t need to chop anything.

ingredients
1 serving pasta, we use brown rice pasta
2 tablespoons coconut yoghurt
handful of fresh spinach
juice of half a lemon
handful of frozen peas
drizzle of olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
method
put the pasta in a pan of boiling water and cook to the instructions on the pack. once cooked, drain and leave to one side.
if you’re using frozen peas, then cook them in with the pasta for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
once the pasta is cooked; drain and add the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, peas, spinach, salt and pepper.
give the whole thing a good stir before serving.

This is such a warming, easy supper that is really simple to throw together with kitchen cupboard ingredients and some fresh veg.

ingredients
1 onion (peeled and chopped)
3 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 heaped teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 heaped teaspoon of ground cumin
a pinch of chilli flakes
1 x 400g (14oz) can of chickpeas (drained)
2 servings of brown rice (i use short grain and used leftover rice here, which i heated thoroughly before serving)
100g chestnut mushrooms
two handfuls of fresh spinach
1 lemon
large pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
1 x 400g (14oz) can of coconut milk
method
cook the rice.
the rest of the meal will take 15 minutes to make, so start it when the rice is almost ready.
dice the garlic and the onion. place them in a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, lots of salt and pepper. sauté for five minutes or so until they soften.
while they cook, slice the mushrooms.
stir in the spices, letting them toast for a minute before adding the chickpeas and mushrooms. let them cook for five minutes before adding the coconut milk and brown rice.
bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes, then turn down the heat, stir through the spinach and allow it to wilt.
finally add the lemon juice.

This pasta is a perfect warming dinner. the mushrooms, onions and garlic go so well with the creamy yogurt and lemon sauce, and the spinach, basil and sage add a real freshness to the whole dish. you can add more cloves if you like it super garlicy, and throw in any extra veg too like peas or spinach for some extra greens.

ingredients
2 portions pasta, we use brown rice pasta
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
large handful of fresh spinach
large handful of fresh basil
small handful sage leaves
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt, we use coconut yoghurt
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
method
cook the pasta as per instructions on pack. once cooked, drain and leave to one side.
place a pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil, the onion and garlic, cook for 5-10 minutes until golden.
add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
stir through the spinach and leave to wilt for about 2 minutes.
once everything is cooked, mix through the herbs, lemon juice, natural yoghurt, drained pasta, a pinch of salt and a crack of fresh pepper.

I’m pretty obsessed with mushrooms at the best of times, i just love their texture and their ability to absorb so many flavours, which is why they work so well here. they’re sliced thinly and then sautéed with fresh thyme, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and then stirred through with natural (coconut yoghurt) to create a rich, creamy mix that absorbs so well onto crusty sourdough bread.
ingredients
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• half an onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon coconut yoghurt
To serve
• 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of pepper
method
1. place the onion and garlic in a pan with a good drizzle of olive oil and cook for 5-10 minutes over a medium heat until soft.
2. once the onions and garlic are soft, add in the mushrooms and give it all a good stir.
3. leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes until soft.
4. just before serving, add a good pinch of thyme, salt and pepper and stir through the yoghurt and lemon juice.
5. when ready; spoon the mushrooms on top of the toast and serve with another sprinkle of thyme, salt and pepper.

Now that the weather is starting to turn just the tiniest bit chilly, it’s time for soup! There’s nothing quite like a cozy bowl of soup to warm you up from the cold, especially if there are noodles in it.

I’m all about the fall weather, now that it’s the middle of September. I mean, I love summer, but I really, really love fall. Give me all the cozy, all the sweaters, and ALL the pumpkin spice. Hmm, would pumpkin spice soup taste good? I imagine it would be really really tasty: roasted pumpkin with all those warming spices sounds amazing.

Also amazing is this slightly spicy, super creamy, coconutty Thai red curry noodle soup. This soup is super simple to make thanks to store bought curry paste. Store bought curry paste is truly a kitchen lifesaver. It adds so much flavor to everything. It’s something Mike and I always have in our fridge, tucked away in case of emergencies.