Sabor London :. Latin American Food, Music, Culture

Ajiaco

2012-01-15T12:01:00.001Z

Ajiaco is a chicken and potato soup, and a regional variation on the better-known sancocho. It originates from Colombia’s capital, Bogota, in the Altiplano region of the country. This region lies 2,600 meters above sea level, making a warming winter broth a suitable local favourite. The key ingredient in the soup is guasca, a herb only produced in the area from which ajiaco originates. It is this herb that gives the dish its distinct flavour.

In the Altiplano, there is less variety in the crops available than in Colombia’s warmer regions. Consequently, whereas sancocho is made with a variety of different vegetables and tubers, the recipe for ajiaco typically uses three or four different types of potato, with each providing different tastes and textures.

SABOR’S AJIACO
(Chicken and potato soup from Bogota)

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
3 cloves of garlic
2 red onions
salt to taste
2 litres of chicken stock
12 small yellow potatoes (also known as papa amarilla, yellow potatoes can be found in South American shops in Brixton, Elephant and Castle and Seven Sisters)
2 corn cobs, cut in half
4 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm slices (new potatoes or jersey royals are ideal)
4 purple potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm slices (also known as truffle black potatoes, purple potatoes can be found in the supermarket. Red potatoes can be used instead, as they also retain their shape when cooked) 1 bunch of spring onions
1 bunch of coriander
8 tablespoons of guasca (this herb can be found dried in Brixton, Elephant and Castle and Seven Sisters; soak the dried herbs in water before use to get a more aromatic flavour)
250 ml of double cream or sour cream
4 tablespoons of capers, drained
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced

Method
First, marinade the chicken breasts with the salt, onions and garlic and leave over night.

The next day, place the chicken breasts into a heavy 4-litre casserole dish. Add water, cover the dish and cook until the chicken is tender. When cooked, remove the chicken from the dish. Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Cut the chicken into strips.

Cook the yellow potatoes in the casserole dish with the chicken stock, until the potatoes start to disintegrate. At this point the soup should be thick and fairly smooth.

Add the spring onion, coriander, sliced white and purple potatoes, guasca and corn halves to the soup, and continue cooking.

When cooked, remove the bunches of spring onions and coriander.

To serve, divide the chicken strips between four deep bowls and pour over the soup. Dress each bowl with 3 tablespoons of cream and 1 tablespoon of chopped capers. Place the slices of avocado over the top, and serve.

Caipirinha

2011-08-01T17:41:00.003+01:00

The caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil. Its main ingredient is cachaça, which is a wonderfully sweet sugar cane rum.

1 lime, quartered

2 teaspoon brown sugar

50 mls cachaca

Chill a rocks glass with cracked ice. Place the lime quarters in the bottom of a mixing glass; add the sugar, and muddle, extracting the juice and the oil in the skin from the lime quarters. Add the cachaca to the mixture in the mixing glass, dump the ice from the rocks glass into the mixing glass, and shake well. Pour the entire contents of the mixing glass back into the chilled rocks glass and serve. We can have as many variations as you like, just replace some of the lime juice with another fruit.

Pisco Sour

2011-07-28T17:31:00.005+01:00

Peru and Chile both claim that the pisco sour is their invention.. What is known, is that the Peruvians they blended it. Pisco is a grape brandy made from the muscatel grape.

50 ml Pisco

25ml of egg white

1 or 2 depending on taste teaspoon of sugar

25ml of fresh lime juice

Angostura bitters (optional)

Crushed ice

Place the Pisco, egg white, sugar, lime juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker or a blender . Shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass and add the bitters. You can also serve in an old fashion whisky glass as we do it at Sabor.

Mojito

2011-07-15T17:07:00.002+01:00

Invented long ago in Havana’s Bodeguita Del Medio bar in Havanna, this drink has been enjoyed by Cubans for generations.

2 tender sprigs of fresh mint

2 teaspoons of caster or brown sugar

30mls fresh lime juice

50mls Havana Club Anejo

Soda water

Muddle one mint spring with the simple syrup or sugar and the lime juice in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice. Strain over cracked ice over the highball glass, top with soda, and garnish with the remaining spring of mint.

Margarita

2011-07-03T17:03:00.001+01:00

No one knows who invented the margarita. Its origins are as mysterious as the pyramids, but with more hangovers. Margaritas are pretty ubiquitous, and you can get them from some horrible frozen margarita machine, one of my pet hates!!!!!! But the real deal is so much better. Stop buying that horrible day-glo green mix and go back to the basics:

50mls tequila

25mls Cointreau

30mls fresh lime juice

Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a salted rim. Salting the rim: Rim the edges of the cocktail glass by rubbing a lime piece on the outside rim of the glass, then dipping the outside rim into a saucer of course salt.

Cocktails

2011-07-01T14:34:00.000+01:00

As the summer peaks, it's time to enjoy the gardens and an opportunity to entertain at home. We get asked a lot for any ideas for a Latin flavoured “trago” or cocktail to spice up the gathering, especially by those expecting South American guests.

The first thing is to think of drinks that would complement the food that will be served and also about your guests drinking preferences, as we Latinos are a diverse bunch. Our different countries have unique customs, aesthetics, and cultural influences. One thing that unites us all though is our love of getting drunk. Let’s face it, the history of Latin America is pretty bleak. If you had been conquered by Francisco Pizarro and Hernan Cortez, kidnapped from Africa to cut sugar cane or lived under a military/communist/fascist dictatorship, you'd want a drink too, so don't blame us, as we also love to have fun.

In Latin American thanks to the weather we can grow a variety of exotic tropical fruits, and this has helped us to come up with some pretty fun cocktails. A lot of men think cocktails are for girls, but the recipes we use at Sabor, that I'm going to share with you in the next few postings, can be enjoyed by anyone without fear.

Carmenere

2011-06-30T13:26:00.002+01:00

Running a restaurant I get asked a lot about recommending wines, as our wine list is mainly South American. I drink a lot of these types of wines, even though at home I tend to have a broader choice, late last year for instance we drank lots of French wines, inspired by a trip to the Loire Valley and Bordeaux.

I get very impressed by the quality of wine production both In Argentina and Chile, every year we see at the International wine fair more boutiques wineries showcasing their wines. There is more emphasis in the quality rather than the quantity we saw in the nineties, but lets remember that South America produces more vine varietals than Malbec.

Carmenère, Chile's accidental gift to the world of wine, has been described as both things. Whatever you think of that country's most controversial grape, it's amazing that, until 1994, Carmenère didn't exist in South America. Or rather it did, but no one knew it was there.

When a visiting French academic called Jean-Michel Boursiquot identified Chile's Merlot plantings as Carmenère, it caused general consternation. Had some dodgy Del Boy nurseryman substituted one for the other back in the mid-19th century? The more prosaic truth was that, in those days, many vineyards were co-planted as so-called field blends. Maybe Carmenère adapted better than Merlot.

The more immediate problem facing the Chileans was that their 'Merlot' sold very well, thank you, largely because it tasted of Carmenère. So what should they do? Own up about the difference between the two, go on as before by misleading wine drinkers, or just fudge the issue?

The official statistics suggest that the issue has been resolved. Out of Chile's 115,000 hectares, Merlot allegedly has 11.5 per cent and Carmenère 6 per cent. But the figures are pure fantasy. There was very little real Merlot (called Merlot Merlot by Chileans to differentiate it from Merlot Chileno, or Carmenère) planted before the mid-Nineties, and Peter Richards, author of The Wines of Chile, reckons that somewhere between 50 and 80 per cent of the combined total is actually Carmenère.

The issue here is one of integrity. Many Chilean companies continue to label blends that are dominated by Carmenère as Merlot. It is perfectly legal to include up to 15 per cent of the former, but I think that economic imperatives - Merlot is the more famous name, despite the fact that it rarely produces great wine outside Bordeaux - have made them parsimonious with the truth.

These days there is a growing number of own-up Carmenères on the market, Here at Sabor we loved the ones produced by Julio Bouchon, which has some notes of chocolate, peppers and green tobacco, in combination with ripe fruits like cherry and plums. I recently found the amazing Antun Ninquen Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, that was the clear stand-out of 25 wines we tasted one long evening, and we were happy to add it to our wine list.

Antu Ninquen Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

2011-05-13T13:47:00.003+01:00

This Chilean blend is an award winning wine that is loved by Robert Parker amongst others. We loved it so much that we would like to share some of this wine's flavorsome details.

Ninquén (nin-ken), meaning ‘Plateau on a Mountain’, is the name of this unique Estate which is the first of its kind in Chile. Antu which in the Mapuche or “People from Earth” language means “Sun” is a range of wines inspired from this ancestral tribe, renowned for its perseverance. Antu Ninquén - “Sun of the Mountain”- is a premium wine that best sums up our philosophy: Create and show only the best from our land.

Appearance: Deep ruby red.

Aromas: A big core of ripe black cherries and blackberries, complemented by nicely melted touches of vanilla and cedar from a well integrated ageing oak

Flavours: Nice acidity over very ripe black fruit. As always, this wine is muscular and powerful, full of ripe and nicely textured tannins combined with the cedar from the oak ageing giving to this wine a lingering but creamy finish

Varietal Composition: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon; 30% Carmenère

Appellation: Colchagua Valley

Vineyards: Ninquén

Aji Amarillo

2011-03-25T12:45:00.006Z

My favorite chilli is aji amarillo, long and thin peppers, about 3-5 inches in length. Don’t be fooled by the name – amarillo means yellow in Spanish – because ripe aji amarillo are bright orange and unripe ones are yellow. The seeds inside will make a dish very spicy so just remove them to lower the heat level. The aroma and its fruity, somewhat sweet flavor add to the spiciness, making it unique from other hot peppers.

Aji Amarillo is consider the most important ingredient in Peruvian cooking by the famous Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio.

Here at Sabor we use aji amarillo in dishes such Papa a la Huancaina, potatoes with a yellow creamy sauce; Causa, a cold potato dish colored and flavored with yellow aji; and as a garnish on Escabeche, pickled fish. Another common use is as a side dipping sauce that can accompany any meal.

In addition to flavor, aji amarillo has health benefits as well due to its high levels of capsaicin, a natural ingredient in hot peppers located in the pepper’s ribs, which is good for pain relief, as a digestion aid, and in fighting inflammation.

In the UK the supply of this Aji is very irregular, so when we get it, we buy a good quantity and make a paste that we can use later in various recipesj, and we would advise anyone to do the same.

Pasta de Ají Amarillo

2011-03-25T12:32:00.009Z

This chilli paste is use in many peruvian recipes especially in ceviches (we have even done a sorbet and is great with pasta). It can be freeze in small containers so that it can be easily thawed when needed.

Ingredients:

• 1lb (½ kg) ají amarillo

• ½ cup sugar

• ¼ cup vinegar

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

Wash, stem, seed and devein ají amarillo. Place in a large pot of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until ajíes are soft. Strain ajíes and place in a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the other ingredients. Blend to form a creamy paste. Press through a fine mesh sieve to remove any pieces of skin.

Chillies at South American kick to the world food

2011-03-25T11:43:00.011Z

Ajíes (Capsicum)

Ajies mean hot chilli peppers in Spanish (also spelled chili), is the fruit of the plant capsicum of the nightshade Solanaceae family, in their various forms are what give every dish its essential flavour.

Ajíes feature prominently in pre-hispanic mythology; one of the legendary brothers who were the forefathers of the Inca Empire, Ayar Uchu, is named for ají in Quechua. Cultivated since prehistoric times in Peru and Mexico, it was discovered in the Caribbean by Christopher Columbus. He thought them as a more masculine version of Old World peppers, so he named them pimento in contrast with pimenta. Diego Alvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, brought the first chile peppers to Spain, and first wrote about their medicinal effects in 1494.

Ajíes are used in two basic forms; as an aderezo which is a seasoning or dressing included in the preparation of a dish or as accompanying sauces or salsas. Just add a little aji to soups, stews, meats of ceviches to give a wonderful kick to the food. They are used dried or fresh and can be blanched to reduce spiciness. The various ajíes can also be bought in jars ready made in markets and specialty food stores. Here at Sabor we used a different types and always get asked about to describe the differences, I’ll be posting on many different types of aji in this blog since they are intrinsic to South American cooking .

Sabor 2010 Highlights

2010-12-31T13:16:00.000Z

Colombian Food

2010-11-13T14:36:00.009Z

I get asked very often "what is Colombian food like"!!! Let me start by answering this by giving you a background about Colombian food, and South American food generally. Colombia is just North of the equator, and well within the tropics, so of course our climate is very different to Europe. Although we have two short rainy seasons each year, this usually just means that it rains torrentially for half an hour a day, then the sun comes out brilliantly again. The temperature depends entirely on altitude. My own origins are in the coffee-growing region of Risaralda, a mountainous area west of the capital Bogota. Where I grew up (the small town of Quinchia), you could hitch a lift in a jeep and be down by the lush banks of the Rio Cauca in a hour, basking in hot sun (>30C) any day of the year. If you went up the mountains into Los Nevados del Ruiz instead, you could be throwing snowballs within a couple of hours - as long as your chest could stand the altitude!

tropical fruits are available all the year round, not just mangoes, papaya and pineapple (which we eat super-fresh by the slice from street vendors all the year round), but also guava, maracuya, and tomatillo. We love meat, and our beef (usually from zebu cattle, herds of which cover the mountain sides in some parts of the country) is every bit as good at Argentinian - though it tends not to get exported. Like the Spaniards, we also make full use of our pigs, and chorizos, morcilla and chicharron (fresh hot crispy pork belly pieces) are hugely popular. Colombia also has two coastlines - the Caribbean and the Pacific, and many huge rivers, including a stretch of the upper Amazon, so fish is excellent, very varied and always fresh. Trout is particularly popular, cooked with a variety of sauces, whilst various types of white fish are ideal for ceviche, the classic South American dish of raw fish marinated in citrus juices, mixed often with mild onion slices and a little sliced chili pepper, and garnished sometimes with fresh 'popped' corn kernels. This is an ideal party dish, as it can be prepared a couple of hours in advance, can be eaten just with a fork, and is zingy and appetising. On the Caribbean, coconut milk is often added to ceviche to give it a mild and fruity flavour. On the Pacific a stronger flavour of lime juice is typically preferred.

Like all cuisines, Colombian food has a starchy base. Potatoes come orginally from South America of course, and we have many types. Yuca - an African import - is another staple root vegetable. However rice is served with very many meals, and corn is particularly important. Instead of bread (at breakfast for instance) we usually have arepas - thick discs of reconstituted dried corn kernels, mashed with a little salt and then simply griddled. These are delicious straight off the griddle, spread with homemade butter or buttermilk, and perhaps topped with a slice or two of cheese, or some just-laid eggs from the chicken in yard which will typically have been cooked 'en caserola' - a bit like a cross between frying and poaching. If you have a stronger palate, some people swear by minced kidneys on top of arepas for breakfast. For a special treat, we enjoy arepa de choclo - these are made not with dried and reconstituted corn kernels, but with fresh sweetcorn which has been boiled, mashed, seasoned, then formed into thick patties - sweet, soft and slightly salty all at the same time, absolutely delicious when freshly grilled and buttered.

As in the UK, Christmas and the New Year are the time of year when families are reunited, though unlike you we usually have the benefit of doing this in lovely weather! Hence for us December and January are like Christmas, the New Year, July and August all rolled into one. Early in January, once the New Year celebrations are over, festivals and carnivals are held all over the country, but especially in Baranquilla, Manizales, and Pasto. The holidays seem to go on for weeks sometimes and large family groups seem to roam the country visiting far-flung relatives in all parts. Outdoor swimming pools and amusement parks all over the country are as busy as the beaches - and the bars. Personally I love to get out into the countryside horse-riding, especially it if means I can reach one of the more remote valleys, to enjoy swimming in one of our many natural thermal springs, or to eat fresh grilled trout fished out of the stream.

Everyone cooks. Many of the traditional Christmas specialities are ideal for getting children involved with their mothers, grandmothers and aunties in stirring natilla (a thick corn-based custard, flavoured with cinnamon). When set, but ideally still warm, natilla is served with bunuelos, fluffy sweet doughnuts with a slightly 'tangy' flavour which comes from being made with fresh (often homemade) mild white cheese. Tamales are another tradition at Christmas, and again ideal for sharing the effort. People 'muck in' to mix the corn dough, prepare the filling which is most often of chicken and vegetables, and wrap the assembled packages in banana leaves ready for steaming. Empanadas are also made in vast quantities - small 'pasties' which can be filled with shredded beef, or mushrooms and cheese, or almost anything! encased in a crispy fried cornmeal shell or a light flaky baked wheat pastry crust (very typical of Chile, but now also popular in the more tropical countries of the continent). These are always served with aji, a fresh relish of tomatoes, onions, chilis and lime juice which really gives these snacks some kick!

Parties are big of course. More than in the UK (it seems to me), all age groups get together collectively, to talk, to eat, to drink, and often to sing and to dance! Live musicians often come to people's homes - it's very easy to hire a mariachi band in the big cities of the country. There will always be food, and in my experience there will always be a full hot meal for anyone who wants to sit down for that. Small groups will form to catch up on gossip over a plate of braised beef with potatoes, yuca and vegetables, crispy fried chicken, or mondongo (delicious spicy tripe stew), which will arrive unprompted like magic from the kitchen. Meanwhile most people will be chatting (or flirting) over drinks, whilst a continuous stream of snacks circulates - empanadas, chorizos, tamales, bunuelos, and maybe small plates of ceviche. The most traditional beverage in colombia by the way (apart from beer) is aguardiente, a aniseed-flavoured clear spirit, usually drunk neat. It can be an acquired taste for foreigners - thankfully the Latin American classics like Margaritas, Mojitos, and Caipirinhas are well known and usually expertly prepared.

Lulo, an exclusive Andean fruit

2010-09-25T14:34:00.003+01:00

As a person that was brought up in the Andes in Colombia, I learned to love fruits from a very early age, thanks to my father’s passion and tradition of planting fruit trees, and in some cases naming the trees after kids. For me, the most delicious of South American fruits are mango, maracuya (passion fruit) and lulo. Lulo in particular has inspired me and given so much pleasure in our kitchen at Sabor, that early this year we decided to plant around 2000 trees on our farm in Quinchia, in the coffee-growing region of Colombia, and I would like to share with you all you some facts about this delicious fruit.

Lulo is an exclusively Andean which can be compared with gooseberry, kiwi and lime, and which has a floral aroma. Its scientific name is Solanum quitoense and it comes from the Solanum genus of the Solanaceae family. The Solanum genus also includes 3 food crops of global importance: tomatoes, aubergines and potatoes.

Lulo is indigenous to the tropical region of the , primarily(although it is now also grown in Central America). Its Colombian name 'Lulo' comes from the Quechua "ruru" which means fruit or egg. In Ecuador it is known as Naranjilla (little orange) for its acidity, round form and orange colour when fully ripe, although the pulp and juice remain green. The fruit's tartness is reminiscent of a Seville orange, the species used for making marmalade.

Lulo grows on a bush - it is a perennial which takes around 10-12 months to produce fruit. In Colombia it grows in warm climates between 800m and 2000m above sea level. Traditionally it is difficult to cultivate, as it is delicate and susceptible to disease and parasites, however new hybrids (not GM) are proving more fruitful. Traditional bushes are waist high, but our lulo de la selva grows 5-6 feet high, produces an abundance of fruit and retains a good flavour even after processing. The lulo used in cocktails at Sabor comes from a co-operative of luleros in Belen de Umbria, Risaralda in the coffee belt of Colombia, we hope very soon it will come from our family farm!!!!!!!!.

In South America the fruit is used widely in juices, milkshakes, jams and desserts. The juice has a floral aroma and is often blended with water (or milk) and sugar. The tartness can be subtly balanced with pressed apple or pear juice, with a dash of elderflower cordial.

In order to introduce lulo to the British palate, as part of our mission to popularise Nuevo Latino cuisine, Sabor turned to Fruto del Espiritu as a supplier. As well as Sabor, Fruto del Espiritu supplies clients such as the Dorchester Bar, where the a lulo twist on a Mojito has led to the Mulito. Another favourite is the Lulo & Amaretto Sour (which we created at Sabor), building on the natural tartness of Lulo. Fruto del Espiritu has also introduced lulo to over 50 schools and youth clubs throughout the UK as part of a Healthy Eating & Enterprise programme, where students have to create their own cocktails.

The History of Latin Music in London

2010-08-31T15:37:00.003+01:00

We would like to share this article about Latin music in the Uk, written by Amaranta Wright from Candela Live, a London base Latin music and culture promoters.

Notwithstanding the cheesy album covers, Candela explores the rich and idiocyncratic story of Latin Music in London to celebrate LaLinea's 10th anniversary festival this year.

It was 1981. I mostly remember the legs of dark, glossy-haired, poncho-wearing folk, as I squeezed through them to get to the front. There, I had full view of Gilberto Gil as he sung his acoustic version of Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry. Perhaps it was the playful, sweet percussive serenity of his music, its simplicity and richness, or the sheer emotion it generated in the room. Whatever it was, it blew this nine-year-old away and I still thank the flaky babysitter, who ever she was, who failed to turn up that night, forcing my parents to sneak me into the Hammersmith Palais on a cold winter’s night. It was my first ever concert and it cemented my love for Latin Music forever.

The pioneer of Latin Music UK: Don Marino Barreto

Many would be surprised to know how long Latin Music has entranced audiences in the UK. Back in the 1940s Cuban bandleader Don Marino Barreto made his name playing to pilots on the Salisbury Plain during the Battle of Britain. After the war, Barreto passed his band over to Edmundo Ros who became the most successful musician in Britain, across the board.

The 1940s and 1950s and the Curious Case of a One Man Latin Allure

Arriving from Caracas, Venezuela, Ros became a sensation after Parlophone released Los Hijos de Buda in 1941. He went on to have several hits, including Rhythms of the South and Arriba and his albums sold briskly. His biggest hit, The Wedding Samba, even crossed over to the U.S. Top Five, selling three million copies in the process.

The charismatic Latino attracted the cream of London society to his appearances at the lavish Coconut Grove on Regent Street. The national headlines he made, when a defendant in a high-profile divorce case implicated him as a catalyst for his marriage's demise, only made him more popular. He even taught then-Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret to dance.

He owned three nightclubs in the West End, including the Coconut Grove site which he bought and renamed Edmundo Ros' Dinner and Supper Club, and was a DJ on Radio 2. His radio programmes became the ‘housewives choice’, as he tailored his Latin big band sound to the English ear by emphasising melody over rhythm. The cool society scene created by Barreto and Ros, opened the door for other Afro-Caribbean immigrant artists such as Rita Cann, the distinguished pianist who formed her own Latin Band in the 1940s. Ros was awarded the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 New Year's Honours List.

Playing to the stereotype of Latin cheese: the popular Edmundo Ros

The 1970s and 1980s and the Music of Latin Solidarity

During the 1960s, the popularity of Latin Music gave way to Beatlemania and the ascent of English pop. In the early 1970s, however, it came back in a different form, when political refugees started to flood in from the wave of dictatorships sweeping through Latin America, starting with the coup that overthrew socialist President Allende in Chile in 1973 to the US interventions in Central America of the 1980s. With the political migrants, many of whom were creative types and musicians, you had a developing interest in the Nueva Trova and Canción de Protesta (protest music) of the likes of Argentina’s Mercedes Sosa, and Cuba’s Silvio Rodriguez. The exiled years of Brazilian legends Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso in West London added much allure to this cool London sub-culture.

In these de-politicized times, it is difficult to imagine political Latin music having widespread appeal, yet Andy Wood, La Linea promoter who started his career putting on concerts for the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign describes a buzzing scene that tapped into the broader politically activity in Britain at the time. “The Nicaragua Campaign had thirty full time staff and brought loads of artists. We had support from the Greater London Council (run by ‘Red Ken’ Livingstone) who helped bring the likes of Rubén Blades, Inti-illimani and Silvio Rodriguez. This was before the dance class boom. People enjoyed dancing to live salsa, without worrying whether they were dancing on the one or the two.”

The Impact of Latino Immigrant Culture

Accompanying the influx of political refugees was an even bigger wave of economic migrants in the late 1970s, mostly from Colombia, fleeing both the political and economic terrors of a 40-year long civil war. A second Colombian wave came with the further economic slump caused by the busting of the drug cartels in the late 1980s. Today, Britain has the world’s third largest Colombian Diaspora, after the US and Spain.

Out of the spotlight, the Colombian community, known to be great salsa lovers, built their own thriving music scene in London. The Guardian writer Richard Williams remembers the Monday night in 1975 when a grungy punk-rocker pub, acted as stage for the first salsa band to across the Atlantic. A 29-year-old Héctor Lavoe, already a legend in the US and South America, played to a scrawny London pub crowd and, according to Williams “for a couple of hours made its seem like the only place to be.”

In the years to come, the sheer numbers of Latinos in London and their musical nostalgia ensured an audience for some of the salsa greats who came to play in London year after year through the 1980s– Colombia’s Grupo Niche, Gilberto Santa Rosa and El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Willie Colón and Venezuela’s legendary Oscar de Leon. to name a few.

The Colombians in London certainly played a big part in kicking off the Salsa club phenomenon. For, as well filling their own clubs, their party spirit spilled over into the mainstream Latin themed bars that were springing up all over London offering salsa classes. Paul Young, who jumped on the trend by congregating thousands of salsa fans in weekend Congresses says, “a lot of those people were introduced to Latin music and artists such as Tito Puente, purely through the dance.”

The allure of Latin rhythms allowed many British musicians such as pianist Alex Wilson and Robin Jones of Salsa King or DJs Snowboy and Gilles Peterson, to make a living off their passion for Latin music. But the influence hasn’t all been one way. You can hear the appreciation of English pop in the much of the music of Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, from London, London Veloso’s melodic tribute to the city to Gil’s stunning Brazilianisation of The Beatles’ Hello, Goodbye. Other migrating Latinos have infiltrated the English music establishment behind the scenes: Percussionist Roberto Pla, who started out with Boney M.,Venezuelan-Argentine Stereophonics drummer Javier Weyler or Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera from Colombia. As solo artists all have fused Latin rhythms with British pop and electronic styles.

The 'Latin Boom' of the 1990s

The years of Canción de Protesta and the Latino immigrant culture bubbling under London’s surface, coincided with the advent of World Music which was being promoted by mainstream music magazines such as NME. The influential music weekly displayed artists such as Bhundu Boys and Kid Creole and the Coconuts on the cover for the first time in Britain.

With his stream of chart successes in the UK such as Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy, Kid Creole in particular became hugely influential in providing the Anglo audience with the bridge into Latin Music, says Andy Wood, “Kid Creole invented World Music before anyone had a name for it. By synthesizing Latin and Caribbean music for a wider audience, I would say he did what Edmundo Ros did, but for a different generation.”

This opening of the doors, together with the revival of traditional Cuban music, according to Wood, prepared the ground for the success of Buena Vista Social Club in the nineties. “The popularity of the Buena Vista artists was not the product of some big marketing master plan, as some people think,” says Nick Gold, executive producer of the Buena Vista series, “but the live performances, great reviews and word of mouth of an already receptive audience. The Wim Wenders film then made it into an international phenomenon.”

Then, of course, came the invasion of the commercial superstars via the US - Gloria Estevan, Ricky Martin, and Shakira - who provided the Saturday night anthems of London’s now prolific Latin-flavoured venues such as Bar Salsa and Havana and added to what the Evening Standard described as “The Latin Boom.”

This English and London Latino appreciation for a common sound culminated in the Latin mega-festivals that began with Salsa 2000 in Battersea Park, which had Celia Cruz, Oscar de Leon, Ruben Blades and Alberto ‘El Canario’ sharing the stage. This was followed by the launch of La Linea, which celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year and Clapham Common’s Latin Splash, which drew 9,000 people in 2005.

The Future of Latin Music in London

The new generation: club culture taking Latin Music forward in the UK

The impact of the estimated 700,000 strong Latin American community (mostly in London) can been and in the many established yearly music festivals - Carnaval del Pueblo, Colombianamente and Colombiage - that are now part of London life.

The Latin music of choice has changed, however. “We always used to open La Linea with a salsa band,” says Wood. “But La Linea is about New Latin Music and sadly there is not a lot new happening in Salsa.”

The great bands such as Cuba’s Los Van Van that are able to reinvent themselves through the generations will always fill venues, but there is more interest now in fusion groups such as the Cuban Hip hop-timba project Orishas, or the electronic tango outfits Bajo Fondo and Gotan Project.

The new, however, still sits comfortablu side by side with the appreciation for traditional orchestras. Andy Wood remembers the double-Cuban bill he put on with Orishas and the legendary Orchestra Aragaon, which was like a passing of the baton.” When Orishas went on first, Orchestra Aragon band leader Rafael was looking distinctly nervous when he looked out to see all the girls who were throwing themselves at Orishas and said this doesn’t look like our audience. But in fact when they went on the same girls were dancing just the same in the second half, only they weren’t passing them their numbers.”

Meanwhile, a new Latin movement that London can call its very own is being created by the first generation of Latino-Brits, now coming of age and making their mark on London, mostly noticeably on the Club scene. Their music of choice is Urban Latin with its creative fusions of Afro-Latin genres Bachata, Bomba, Plena with Salsa, Hip–hop and House. The big names Tego Calderón, Calle 13, and Pitbull have already played in London to audiences that are the most eclectic yet. At La Bomba, London’s biggest Latin Urban party Jamaican, Asian, Arab as well as white and Latino Londoners. “Whereas the salsa scene began to alienate people with its obsessive focus on dance technique,” says La Bomba promoter DJ Joe Luis. ”This scene brings it back to the music and culture of the Spanish Caribbean. Its recreating that inclusive atmosphere and making it even more part of the ever broadening spectrum of British music culture.”

Sancocho

2010-08-15T11:16:00.002+01:00

Soups are an important element in the South American cuisine. In my home they played an indispensable part of the main meal. Most South American soups originated in European kitchens, but a few like sancocho date back to pre-Hispanic times. In fact sancocho was the sacred dish of the Incas, who used it not only as energy food but also as an offering to the gods, asking for good health. With the introduction of pucheros or cocidos by the Spaniards local ingredients such as corn, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, squashes, peppers and yucca were used as ingredients

This is one of our Collaboration with Perfiles Magazine, A Latin American London Base Magazine.

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Sabor Reviewed in Umami Greek Magazine

2010-07-16T14:36:00.004+01:00

"I begin with Sabor, in North London. Sabor is a very particular Latin-american restaurant, where each dish comes from another Latin America country. I really like the owner, Esnayder Cuartas from Colombia, who welcomed me in the restaurant as if I was his best friend. Once I had my first Mojito and Caipirinha, I felt like practing my Spanish and ordered a selection of empanadas, from Colombia, the Carribean and Bolivia, followed by a Peruvian Aji de Gallina; a marinated chicken breast fillet, served with sun dried tomatoes, herbs and golden Mayan potatoes; a dish that speaks of Sabor's name."

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Colombian Independence Day - 200 Years Anniversary

2010-07-06T11:42:00.002+01:00

Sabor is proud to be collaborating with Vinopolis in the celebration of 200 years of Colombian Independence this year. For this event we have created a new range of cocktails using Colombian fruits, which will be served at a special event at Vinopolis on the evening of 20th July.

What if Latin America Ruled the World?

2010-06-14T19:25:00.006+01:00

Some of us at Sabor went to Colombiage for the first time just a couple of years ago; this is a festival of Colombian literature, music, cinema and even gastronomy, which has been held at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith for the last couple of years. During that weekend in 2008, we were captivated by Oscar Guardiola-Rivera's interview with Gerald Martin, who at that time had just published a biography of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (highly recommended).

Since that time Oscar has become a good friend and regular customer of Sabor, and we were excited when we heard that he had a book of his own coming out, to be titled 'What if Latin America Ruled the World?'. Oscar's earlier books have been aimed at the academic community, but this promises to be a great read for any members of the general public with an interest in the broad sweep of history and geo-politics, especially if they are particularly interested in Latin America.

We don't think we can improve on what his publishers have to say about the book, so we've reproduced their introduction to it below - it's well worth a read.

"For most Europeans and Americans, Latin America is still little more than their underdeveloped sibling, its inhabitants pitching up in Madrid, Paris and London, or struggling across the Rio Grande into the USA. It is a place of exuberant music, mesmerising football, extravagant beauty, fantastic literature, drug-trafficking and guerrilla warfare – in short, exotic, dangerous and exciting.

In this counterintuitive and hugely engaging book, Oscar Guardiola-Rivera sets the record straight about Latin America’s role in world. He shows that, far from fitting its stereotype a region of banana republics and idealistic utopias, the peoples of Latin America have risen up and now stand together. Taking control of their own destinies and resources while distributing rewards, Latin Americans have resisted some of the worst consequences of the unfettered market policies associated with deregulated finance, demand sustained by debt, resource depletion and ‘free trade’ that have wreaked havoc elsewhere. Retelling the story of Latino peoples from their pre-Columbian origins through the Spanish and Portuguese ascendancy and the British commerce and piracy of the Caribbean, to the IMF and ‘the end of history’ until today, this book shows that the official story of globalisation is wrong and misleading.

After having witnessed South American countries fare better than most during the current Great Recession, make their mark in global debates about climate change and assume their role as world leaders, as in the case of Brazil, the rest of the world seems ready to listen. Making its presence felt from Quito to Shanghai, from Brazilia to London and from Buenos Aires to New York, Latin America no longer specialises in losing.

While the world acknowledges the continuing importance of the US in international affairs, few have noticed that with Spanish language and culture in the ascendant the US is quietly but quickly becoming the next Latin American country. In fact, Guardiola-Rivera argues, the next Barack Obama is more than likely to be of Latino origin.

Oscar introduced the book to British audiences during the Hay Literary Festival –the most important of its kind in the United Kingdom, and one of the most reputed literary festivals in Europe - last 31 May. The highly qualified audience attending Hay gave the book a very warm welcome, and the ‘preview’ copies of the book sold out in less than a day. Oscar will be appearing in several venues presenting his book and speaking of its wider implications in the context of the celebrations of the bicentenary of independence in the Americas. On 11 June he will appear at Birkbeck College. On 27 June, Oscar will be at the Trycicle Cinema in London for the ‘Women in Power’ workshop and film exhibition. On 29 June, Oscar will join historian Eduardo Posada-Carbó at the British Library to celebrate the bicentenary of independence in Latin America and the Caribbean, after having talked to Muslim intellectual Tariq Ramadan at UCL’s Bentham House on the same day. On 14 July Oscar will be at Sabor for a special fundraiser on behalf of Latin American arts festival Colombiage, featuring a selection of readings from his book, and a book signing session. Copies of What If Latin America Ruled the World? will be available for purchase that day.

This is an unmissable opportunity to share what many critics and commentators are already calling ‘an experience’ with Oscar. His appearances in person always involve a fun and deeper experience, as confirmed by the attendants to this years’ Hay Festival and University of East Anglia’s reputed encounter of storytellers from around the world. ‘It’s the man, not just the book. You have to go and see him!’, says Kevin Conroy Scott from London-based literary agency Tibor Jones. On 14 August and 27 August, Oscar will be appearing at the Edinburgh Literary Festival, before travelling to the USA in September for the American launch of his book. In the second part of 2010 Oscar will be at Southbank, and on 16 November in conversation with the author of Gabriel García Márquez’s biography, Gerald Martin, at the Instituto Cervantes in London. Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo, the most reputed and widely read newspaper of Brazil, is preparing a feature on the book including an interview with the author. He is scheduled to appear on radio and television in Britain, Spain, Mexico and the United States during the first leg of his book tour.

Both a hidden history of the modern world from the silver peso (the world’s first truly global currency) to Latin America’s clever use of its grassroots politics, new economics and culture, aimed at developing the region’s rich resources, and an imaginative vision of the world to come rooted in a sure understanding of the past, What If Latin America Ruled the World? is essential and entertaining reading."

A Brief History of Chocolate

2010-06-01T13:07:00.000+01:00

Chocolate is one of the most fascinating of all the foods that South Americans Indians gave to the world. The cacao tree originated in the Americas, probably in the basins of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers, where most species of cacao are still found. Cacao grows in shady tropical forests protected from the strong sun. Wild Cacao must have spread from Amazonia to other regions and probably was domesticated in Central America. When the Spaniards arrived in what is now Mexico they found the Aztecs using cacao beans to make a drink that was so special that it was served to the emperor in gold goblets. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac, which is why the emperor drunk so much of it. This sweetened drink was made with toasted ground cacao beans, hot or cold water, and spices such as achiote (annatto) or ground hot peppers. It was accessible only to the ruling class and nobility because cacao beans were so expensive (they were, in fact, used as currency by both the Aztecs and the Mayas).

The Name of the drink, Xocoatl, may be related to Quetzalcoatl, who it was believed taught the people how to grow and use cacao. The Nahuatl word for the cacao tree is cuauhcacahuatl. Our word for the processed cacao is chocolate derived from the Aztec xocoatl, which probably meant 'bitter drink'.

At the begining of the conquest the Spaniards found xocoatl unpalatable. In addition to the fact that it combined cacao with odd spices (and no sugar), it was prepared by beating it to a foamy consistency. By 1591, some Guatemalan women had created tablets that could be dissolved in hot water and sweetened sugar to make a chocolate drink. Only then did the Spaniards take a serious interest in chocolate, and in 1631 they brought some cacao beans to Spain. There they began making elaborate mixtures of cacao beans, sugar, spices, almonds, and hazelnuts, all ground together to make a paste that was eventually exported to others countries in Europe. Even so, it was not until 1928 that C. J. Van Houten developed a process for making cocoa powder for drinks and cacao butter for solid chocolate.

When this sweeten European creation returned to the land of cacao's birth a few years later , it quckly became a drink of the Andes countries.

Hay Festival in Cartagena

2010-05-30T17:42:00.000+01:00

We are delighted to share this article about the Hay Festival in Cartagena, written by Kevin Conroy Scott, a literary agent at Tibor Jones & Associates that also promotes and represents Latin American writers such as Juan Gabriel Vasquez and Oscar Guardiola Rivera in the UK . Kevin is also on the board of the Colombiage Arts Festvial. This article was published by the NewStatesman on 21 May 2010

Hay while the sun shines

Kevin Conroy Scott

Published 21 May 2010

Kevin Conroy Scott reports from a Latin outpost of a British literary festival

Ian McEwan is milling around the beautiful

courtyard of the Santa Clara Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia. "The temperature here is wonderful," he says. "This must be the temperature of paradise." The British novelist is in town for the Hay Festival Cartagena, one of six international offshoots of the annual literary event in Hay on Wye. But what exactly is a festival like this doing in a place like Colombia?

Despite its many problems and its strict class system, Colombia is going through something of a renaissance. The country's president, Álvaro Uribe, has been in power since 2002 and has presided over a period of relative calm after 30 years of violence in which drug cartels funded paramilitaries in the jungle, who in turn protected the cartels' business interests (almost 80 per cent of the world's cocaine comes from Colombia). Uribe's solution was aggressively to tackle the narcotics trade in the jungle while providing more security in major cities.

It has been a controversial strategy, drawing criticism from human rights groups. Senior figures in the Uribe administration have themselves been linked to drug trafficking and right-wing death squads. But eight years on, Colombia is arguably a safer place. Or at least it feels that way.

In Cartagena, the "Venice of the Caribbean", time stands still as horse-drawn carriages pass down lantern-lit streets and the voices of street vendors float on the tropical breezes. I asked Peter Florence, Hay's founder, how he felt about the festival coming to Cartagena. "For most countries, security is taken for granted. But security is new for Colombia. And that security feels like an adventure."

Among the authors attracted to Hay Cartagena is Mario Vargas Llosa. His talk was dominated by the buzz phrase of the festival, "perpetual presidents". Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Colombia's feared neighbour, Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, were mentioned as culprits. "Perpetual presidents have left their countries in disaster," Llosa said through a translator. "As a Peruvian I have a lot of experience with this." This was greeted with raucous laughter and applause. Later I met a business teacher from Cartagena, and asked her about the audience's reaction. "Uribe is trying to change the constitution to remain in power for a third term in the same way. But most Colombians don't want to change because we think things are good now."

In Cartagena there is a sense that there are now two Colombias. At one of the many lavish parties hosted by Bogotanos with second homes on the coast, a live salsa band played while empanadas and aguardiente were served by the pool. When I returned to my hotel in Getsemani, the working-class quarter just outside the old town, I met a French economics professor who had retired to Cartagena. He told me that "64 per cent of Colombia is owned by 0.04 per cent of the people. That's where all the problems stem from."

It is often said that periods of great instability produce great art. If this is true, I asked Juan Gabriel Vásquez, a Colombian author whom many tip as the heir apparent to Gabriel García Márquez, is Colombia going through a golden age during this time of relative quiet? "I don't think conflict leads invariably to great art," he said. "If it did, Colombia would have produced nothing but masterpieces since 1810."

But Colombia is full of masterpieces. And people's attitudes towards culture are changing as the country begins to export more of it. The pop singers Shakira and Juanes have both sold millions of albums in the US and Europe. But what is more surprising is the international success of the telenovela, the Colombian soap opera. On my way back to London, I stopped in Bogotá and met the king of the format, Fernando Gaitán, the screenwriter/producer who created the global hit Ugly Betty. "Colombia is well known by everyone for its violence. So I thought it was very interesting to counteract that image," he said, surrounded by his awards in his penthouse office. "Colombia is a country that consumes its own culture. This is very rare. My work focuses on everyday lives, the matters that are universal, like love stories. It's the universal stories that travel abroad, not the stories of violence."

So does Hay Cartagena, with all its gravitas and prestige, need to reflect the more complicated texture of Colombian culture? The

London-based Colombian academic Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, author of the forthcoming book What If Latin America Ruled the World?, just shrugged. "Given that there are so few scenarios for rational discussion in my country, that Hay Cartagena exists is an unqualified good for Colombia." And there's new hope for Colombians who think their country is stagnant. In March, the constitutional court rejected Uribe's attempt to change the constitution to get a third presidential term. And now Colombia is in the grip of election fever. The former mayor of Bogotá, Antanas Mockus, is gathering momentum as the candidate of choice for the left-leaning student population looking to challenge the long conservative rule. They go to the polls later this month, so Colombia won't have a perpetual president any time soon.

Kevin Conroy Scott is a literary agent at Tibor Jones & Associates and on the board of the Colombiage arts festival

Empanadas Paisas

2010-05-27T14:04:00.003+01:00

This is one of our Collaboration with Perfiles Magazine, A Latin American London Base Magazine.

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ChocQuibTown at Jazz Cafe

2010-05-17T11:54:00.009+01:00

As we are music lovers we are delighted to see the mighty Afro-Colombian group Choc Quib Town make a rare UK appearance. They have won critical acclaim for their enticing fusion of hip-hop, dub, electronica and rhythms from Colombia's Pacific coast, and they will be appearing at the Jazz Café on Monday 24th of May - we have tickets for sale at Sabor.

Their innovative sond fuses funk, North American hip-hop, jamaican ragga, and elements of electronic music in order to produce elaborate beats. They also incorporate traditional rhythms from Colombia's Pacific coast such as bunde, currulao, bambazu, and aguabajo as well as other Latin American and caribbean rhythms such as salsa songo and guajira. Choc Quib Town shows that there's much more to discover about is more to discover about Colombian Music.
They also have a new album out called Oro, which led to them being nominated for best new artist at the Latin Grammy's last year. Billboard.com said that "what makes "Oro" (which contains music from the band's first two Colombian releases) so interesting is that every track finds a new way to interpret the traditional sounds of the country's Pacific coast". It was also very enthusiastically reviewed (four stars!) by the Daily Telegraph last week - they described it as "a sound that feels at once timeless and euphorically current".

Latinos at Tate Modern 10 Year Celebrations

2010-05-14T14:56:00.000+01:00

Tate Modern is celebrating 10 years this weekend. They have a Free Festival with lots of activities Like 'No Soul For Sale" A Festival of Independents arts Spaces from all over the world .

There are three Latin American Art Collectives participating, including Casa Tres Patios from Medellin Colombia, a non-profit, independent artist run organization based in Medellín, Colombia. Their mission is to promote contemporary art and to serve as a meeting place or intersection for artists of various disciplines and cultures. Through a continuing program of activities coordinated by local, national and international artists and arts organizations, they aim to promote exhibitions, artist residencies, competitions, conferences, lectures and workshops that focus on artistic and intellectual and cultural exchange and development. http://www.casatrespatios.org

Lugar a Dudas, an independent

nonprofit space, is located in Cali, first city of the department of Valle del Cauca. The city has a population close to 2.400.000 inhabitants and it is located in the southwestern zone of the country. Its purpose is to promote and disseminate the contemporary artistic practices. As its name suggests, Lugar a dudas (Room for doubts) is a laboratory for research, confrontation, reflection and critic. Its programs, events, exhibitions and workshops, aim to make visible problems and discrepancies of the context we live in; to stimulate discussion and to propitiate experiences that accompany transformations of the cultural sectors of Cali and the region. http://www.lugaradudas.org

Capacete Entertainment. Research residency program for artists, curators and critics in the visul field. www.capacete.net

Ceviche

2010-05-07T19:48:00.004+01:00

This is one of our contribution to Perfiles a London base Latin American Magazine

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Tamal Antioqueno

2010-05-07T19:17:00.009+01:00

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Cacao

2010-04-15T14:29:00.001+01:00

This is one of our contributions with Express News about the Chocolate, it's importance and uses in the South American Cuisine

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Cimarrón

2010-03-05T12:30:00.009Z

On Thursday 18th March the superb Colombian joropo band Cimarrón are coming to the Union Chapel in Islington. Performers like this bring back memories for me of my upbringing in Colombia, and in particular the diversity of musical and other cultural experiences which we were able to enjoy. I'm delighted to see troupes like Cimarrón coming to the UK and bringing with them their roots and their culture to share with us. Details of the concert may be found here - we are selling tickets in the restaurant.

In my early teens i became a member of a youth group in my home town Quinchia, in the department of Risaralda in the coffee region of Colombia, this group was set up by university students from our town, that having moved to Pereira, our departmental capital to continue the university studies, realised how little was on offer in our town for young people. The Corporacion Quinchia Nueva was set up, first as an study group, and it developed into a cultural organisation, in the absence of an official cultural organisation in the town. It consisted of various groups, such as sports teams, theatre, band and a dance troupe that was the most successful of the lot. By winning departmental folk dance championships and touring all around the country, this troupe developed to the point that it became the Ballet Michua, the official ballet company of the department of Risaralda. Folk dance had offered me a fantastic outlet in my youth, by learning about the different cultural regions of the country, and offering the opportunity of travel and broadening my horizon. Like the CQN there are many cultural organisations in Colombia, teaching young people about their roots, their communities and most importantly being an active part of the community.

Cimarrón is a seven-piece with spectacular, super-tight performances of joropo music and dance. Hailing from the vast Orinoco plains which stretch from Colombia into Venezuela, joropo is a fast traditional rhythm played on harp, bandola and cuatro accompanied by bass, cajon and maracas. Cimarrón fire up flawless virtuosity with a heart-stopping sense of drama.

Led by harpist Carlos Rojas and based in Colombia, Cimarrón have been experimenting with the music of their homeland for the past two decades, on the search for new musical horizons whilst staying true to their roots.

The mestizo people who inhabit the llanos [plains] on the great Orinoco river are descendants of Spanish settlers, African slaves and Indigenous Indians. This is cattle rearing country where life revolves around country ranches. Music accompanies the daily working tasks such as milking and cattle drives. The word Cimarrón, meaning wild bull, is a symbol of liberty in Los Llanos.

Find out more at http://www.astarmusic.co.uk/?page_id=15 or download their mp3 EP from Amazon.

The Importance of Corn

2010-03-02T12:38:00.002Z

As part of series of articles on gastronomy which Sabor has been contributing to Express News, we submitted the piece embedded below about corn. Corn was as important to the pre-Colombian inhabitants of the Americas as it is today.

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Empanada History

2010-02-16T14:21:00.002Z

If there was one theme which might bring war to Latin America, maybe it would be not football, not global warming, not border disputes, nor the disagreements between Chavez, Uribe and Correa - but the humble empanada.

The empanada can be (and at times has been) the subject of many debates and discussions about which is the best, the most original, the most ancient and most tasty. At the same time, this very dish is one of the elements which demonstrate that, despite borders and differences of names and accents, Latin America is a single entity.

The paisa, saltena, tucumana, llaucha, pucacapa, pastel frito, empanada argentina, pomonha - it doesn't matter where it's eaten, the pastry which

wraps and covers the filling, the secret heart of the empanada, the mix of flavours and the delicacy of the pastry is the same. The ritual of eating it and discovering its entrails is the same as that which allows humanity to discover the world and surprise itself with the true heart of things.

Empanadas in the Middle East
The most ancient references to the empanada are to be found in the very cradle of our civilisation. It's known that a dish very similar to the empanada was enjoyed in Persia centuries before the birth of Christ. Also, ancient Greece was know for its cereal-based pastries which were exported all over the Western world, including Armenia, Morroco and eventually Latin America.

Empanadas in Spain

In Spain, what originally considered an Arabic dish was eventually converted into a popular dish enjoyed by the general public. The delicate and individual Arabic empanada turned into the empanada gallega (Galician empanada), a dish of soft pastry filled with meat or fish.

Many Galicians came to America and brought with them their gods, their fiestas, their religious processions, their traditional dances, their language, their sins and of course their food. In this way, the empanada finally came to America, coming together with local produce and new forms of preparation to create something new and different, uniting what had existed before the arrival of the boats, and all that occurred afterwards.

The Empanada in the UK

The Cornish pasty is a pasty typical of the county of Cornwall, which despite having a history in a country far from those referred to above, has ended up being very similar. This dish has been known in the UK since the twelfth century, and is considered native to Cornwall, however in the present day the filling is typically of beef, onion (native to the Middle East) and potato (native to the Americas). At times though Cornish pasties have been produced with a surprising variety of sweet and savoury products - and sometimes both together.

In summary, the history of empanadas transcends national boundaries and the ages. At Sabor we always have them on our menu, sometimes to a traditional recipe and at other times using recipes which are uniquely our own, so as to prolong their appeal. Generally wheat flour is used, whilst in countries like Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador the pastry is made with cornmeal, which makes them more crunchy, and in the Caribbean they are sometimes made with a black bean pastry.

Generally empanadas are accompanied by a sauce which may be a little hot or spicy, e.g. Colombian aji, which is a mix of tomato, onion, coriander, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice and salt, which gives us a very tasty mix of flavours.

If you would like to share your favourite empanada recipe, you can send it to me at info@sabor.co.uk. If we use your material we would like to invite you for a free dinner for two with cocktails and wine.

Empanadas Express News

2010-02-16T11:51:00.005Z

We are contributing a regular column to Express News, and this is our article about empanadas.

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Gastronomia Con Sabor

2010-02-06T14:28:00.013Z

At Sabor we are passionate about South American food and culture, and we like to promote and to share our work with as many people as possible. We have joined forces with Express News, a Spanish-language newspaper for the Latin American community, who are celebrating ten years of publishing in London, to lauch a bi-weekly column called 'Gastronomia Con Sabor'. In this column, we will be covering some of the background to our food, sharing some of the recipes that we use, and giving some tips on entertainment in the Latin American style. Those of you read Spanish may be interested to read this - the first column is reproduced below. Check here for up-to-date content from Express News.

Ferran Adria

2009-10-17T10:21:00.009+01:00

Last Monday I went to the Restaurant Show with Rafi and Daz, Sabor head chef and one of his team. Without a doubt the highlight for us was to listen to Ferran Adria, head chef of "El Bulli", which is widely considered the best restaurant in the world (voted as such by the judging panel of Restaurant magazine for the last three years). He was interviewd by the editor of Restaurant magazine, and was there to promote his new book A Day at El Bulli. With the first question the man was off like a rocket to share with us his passion.

There is no easy way to explain the food of Ferran Adria at El Bulli. You need to eat there and that's difficult because his 50 seat restaurant, a two hour drive north of Barcelona in Spain, only takes 8,000 people a year and two million apply for places. Most of us simply won't make it there, not even by having a personal plea to the man himself.

If you've ever wondered why so many restaurants now offer dozens of courses in degustation, it is Adria's influence. If you wonder why chefs are serving ingredients foraged from the seashore - or spices from Africa or flavours from South America that you've never heard of - it is because he started searching for new ingredients and combinations.

It was Adria who first used seaweed extracts to make flavoured, wispy foams, or synthesized spheres of flavour - for instance olive oil balls that taste of the pure essence of olive and that look like olives themselves. He started cooking - or freezing really - in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. He started deconstructing dishes and presenting food as works of art.

Speaking in Spanish through a translator, which was great for me as I did not want to have anything lost in translation, he says that for him "creativity is not copying". What he is interested in is the food and making diners happy rather than business. That is the course he decided to follow in 1994, ten years after he joined El Bulli. It was then that he broke out of the mould of traditional French haute cuisine, established by great chefs such as Auguste Escoffier and Antoine Carême before him.

Ferran Adria's work is labour intensive. He says that in western developed countries it won't be economic to develop avant-garde, high-end cuisine. The manpower required is enormous. Adria has 70 people working in his restaurant to serve just 50 people each night. He said that El Bulli is not a profitable enterprise. It is supported by a range of spin-off businesses and consultancies that in his own words 'bought the freedom for him, to be able to do what he does at El Bulli.

Without a doubt he is the most inspiring person I have come across in the food industry and listening to his philosophy and experiences was a very enlightening experience.

Mercedes Sosa Tribute

2009-10-08T15:46:00.012+01:00

Many of us at Sabor were sorry to hear, earlier this week, that Mercedes Sosa, the Argentine folk singer who became a powerful voice of resistance to authoritarian Latin American regimes, died on 4th October in Buenos Aires. A leading light of the "nueva canción" (new song) movement that pushed for social justice in the 1960s and '70s, Sosa was 74.

I grew up listening to her music, as students we always played our favorite songs. She possessed a deep, alto voice and a strong sense of conviction, and had a warm, engaging personality. These qualities helped to make her one of the few Latin American musicians who could, over five decades, command a wide international audience. Described as "the voice of Latin America", she was revered as a commentator on the political and social turmoil that afflicted the region.

Driven into exile in Europe in 1979, Sosa returned to Argentina in 1982 and enjoyed a career renaissance and enormous popularity that endured throughout her life. "La Negra," as she was known, always sang in Spanish. "Her undisputed talent, her honesty and her profound convictions leave a great legacy to future generations," her family said in a statement.

If you're not familiar with Mercedes' work already, do take a look at this video on youtube, an excellent performance of one of her most moving songs.

Thanks to life (Gracias a la Vida)
by Violeta Parra
(translated by Ron Adams, 10/07/09)

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me two bright eyes that, when I open them,
Can perfectly distinguish black from white
And in the distant sky with her starry backdrop,
And from within the multitudes, find the one I love.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me hearing that in all its wide ranging
Records night and day, the rattle of chains and canary songs,
Tyrant shouts, the roar of war, slander, misfortune’s storms,
And the tender, loving song.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me meaning and learning.
From them come the words I’m thinking and now confess:
"Mother," "Friend," "Brother"; and the light shining
On the road of the soul where love travels.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me the strength in my tired feet.
With them I have crossed cities and seas
Valleys and deserts, mountains and plains
To your house, down your street to your heart.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me the passion that shakes my soul
When I see the fruits of real human understanding,
When I see far beyond the bad to the good,
When I look deep into your clear eyes.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me so much laughter and so many tears.
With them I rescue happiness from the crush of pain—
The two materials that form my song,
And your song, that is my song too,
And everyone’s song, that is my special song.
Here’s to the life, which has given me so much.

Empanadas Paisas

2009-10-07T09:28:00.007+01:00

Empanadas are one of the most traditional Latin-American dishes, with their origin in the north of Spain, introduced by the moors during their occupation of the Iberian peninsula. Today you can find empanadas in almost any high street in Latin America as one of our favourite street snacks. There are lots of types of empanadas, and different varieties are typical of different territories, both the filling and the pastry can be made with different ingredients. Beef, chicken, pork, or fish, which may or may not be mixed with vegetables, are all to be found. The empanada dough is generally made with wheat-flour, and can be either baked or fried, but in countries like

Colombia

and Ecuador, empanadas are made with cooked corn or cornmeal, which makes them a bit more crunchy. In the Caribbean the dough is sometimes made with a black bean puree. Empanadas are best served hot and are usually accompanied with a spicy salsa.

Depending on the size empanadas can be served as a canapé, starter, main course, or even dessert - obviously depending on the filling. Empanadas de Cambrai are a particular favourite in parts of Colombia, the pastry is made with cassava flour, and the empanada is filled with a sweet guava paste, rather like Spanish membrillo. Empanadas are a good party dish as they can be made in advance and fried or baked just before you serve them.

In this article I want to give you a recipe for the Empanadas Paisas, which are traditional from Antioquia and the coffee region of Colombia where I come from. As a child I knew that if my mother was making empanadas, we were expecting a visitor. We all learned the trade from our mother, but out of five brothers and sisters my sisters Nidia and Liliana are the empanada queens. Nidia, whose recipes I'm sharing with you, makes them using shredded beef, her empanadas are smaller, Liliana minces the beef and makes them bigger. This just goes to show, that even in the same family, the basis may be the same but the detail is very much a personal preference.

Empanadas Paisas (beef and potato patties)

Ingredients

500 grams beef brisket
20 grams each of spring and red onions, chopped
10 grams cumin seedsSalt and pepper
40 ml of vegetable oil
500 ml of water
125 grams each of chopped red onions and chopped spring onions
4 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped
400 grams (4 medium-sized) potatoes, boiled in their skins
500 grams dry yellow corn or you can use cornmeal

Sauté the additional onions and spring onions in oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry an additional 3 or 4 minutes. Mix in the ground meat and meat stock and cook for about 10 minutes. Peel and mash the cooled, boiled potatoes and add them to the meat and vegetable mixture. Mix the salt, pepper and ground cumin seed into the meat and potato mixture. If you can find it, add triguisar which is a saffron mix you can get at the Latin markets for the seasoning.

Boil the dry yellow corn meal in sufficient water to cover the corn, for about halfan hour. The key to good dough is not to overcook the corn. Put the cooked corn through a grinder. Alternatively you can use cornmeal, follow the instructions on the packet, and make sure the cornmeal is cooked otherwise the dough is going to crumble.

To the ground corn adds salt. Knead the dough until it is thoroughly mixed and form a firm ball. Pick off small pieces and form into the size of small balls. Flatten each piece thin, with the help of a piece of plastic and a rolling pin. Put about 1 spoonful of the meat mixture in the centre of the flattened ball, depending on how big you would like to make them. Fold over and pinch edges together to close and form a pretty edge, using a cup, form a half moon, cut it, put them in the fridge, until you are ready to fry. Place in deep, hot vegetable oil and fry about 3 or 4 minutes until golden brown. Remove and put on paper towels in a colander. Serve immediately or reheat in a paper bag in the oven prior to using. The meat mixture can be made in advance and stored in the freezer, but the dough must be made fresh the day of use.

Makes about 60 empanadas

Served with Aji

Recipe for Aji

2009-10-06T13:38:00.002+01:00

Ají

Ají is a spicy tomato and coriander salsa, that is usually is served in any Colombian Restaurant, we enjoy scooping it up to crusty meat filled empanadas, yucas fritas, also spooned over grilled meats or fish. Ají is as important to Colombians as chimichurri is to the Argentineans. This is our Sabor version, which is influence by growing up in the coffee region of Colombia.

Ingredients

300 ml of vinegar
1 bunch spring onions
1 bunch coriander
2 hot red chili peppers
2 medium red onions

Finely chop the onions and coriander. Blend the chili peppers with the vinegar. Mix everything together adding salt to taste. Cumin is sometimes added also.

Totó La Momposina

2009-09-03T14:48:00.001+01:00

Our owner/manager and many of the staff and customers of Sabor are long-term fans of Totó La Momposina, and are thrilled that she's coming to London to perform at Cargo in Shoreditch on Wednesday 16th September. Totó La Momposina is a Colombian Singer who has dedicated herself to preserving the music of the Caribbean coast of Colombian, which is a heavily rhythmic hybrid of Spanish, native South American, and Afro-Cuban influences. As such it mirrors what happened during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Many rhythms were born from this fusion, of which gaita, cumbia, porro, chalupa and mapale are perhaps the most representative. Totó herself is often referred to as 'The Queen of Cumbia'. She mastered the different styles and rhythmic variations of the Colombian Caribbean so well that she was invited to perform at the 1982 Nobel Prize ceremony for eminent novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez - another native of the region.
La Momposina was born in the village of Talaigua, on the island of Mompos, located in the Magdalena River near Colombia's northern (Caribbean) coast. Not only was her family musical (her parents were fourth-generation musicians, her father a drummer, her mother a singer and dancer), but her village was blessed with the presence of Ramona Ruiz, a skilled, veteran cantadora (female peasant singer) who helped train La Momposina in her teenage years.
La Momposina traveled up and down the Colombian coast, learning as much music and dance as she could -- from village celebrations to the common, everyday songs sung as accompaniment to daily labor. During this extended research period, La Momposina was honing her vocal and performance skills as well, discovering a rich power in her voice that soon made her extremely popular locally. In 1968 sbe formed her own band, continuing to perform at smaller local functions but now also expanding her horizons in hopes of building a professional career. Word of her vocal prowess spread quickly, and by the '70s, she had begun making international appearances, touring Europe and most of the Western Hemisphere.
In 1982, after performing at the Nobel Prize ceremony for Garcia Marquez, she left to spend four years in Paris studying the history of dance at the Sorbonne. During this time, La Momposina recorded her first album, 1985's Totó La Momposina Y Sus Tambores. She returned to Colombia in 1987, reconnecting with her roots by touring in the more immediate region, and also traveled to Cuba for further musical study. In 1991, La Momposina was invited to join Peter Gabriel's WOMAD concert festival; she toured the world once again, and subsequently recorded a second album for Gabriel's Real World label. La Candela Viva was released in 1993 to much acclaim, and helped put La Momposina in great demand at music festivals around the world. The follow-up album, Carmelina, appeared in Europe in 1996. She continued to perform across the globe, now incorporating her grandchildren, as well as her children, into her large performing troupe and elaborate stage show. Her fourth album, Pacanto, was released in 2000.Her latest U.S. release, Carmelina, originally released in Europe in 1996, is a showcase of how tradition can stay vitally alive.
"The traditional music I sing is what's been in my own family for generations and generations," she explained. "These days a lot of people have forgotten about traditional music, especially in Colombia. They want what's now. But you have to remember the past."

The Colombian Exchange and Food Fusion

2009-08-23T12:46:00.007+01:00

This is the second part of our occasional posts about the history of Latin American food. Check out the introductory article here. At Sabor Restaurant we're interested in all the possibilities of cooking inspired by Latin American ingredients and techniques.

When Columbus returned to the New World on his second voyage, he brought cuttings for such Old World favourites as wheat, chickpeas, onions, garlic, cauliflower, bean sprouts, beets, radishes, spinach, lettuce, melons, oranges, grapefruits, lemons, pears, apricots, almonds, sugar cane, cherries, and figs. The exchange had begun. Many of the Old World plants (which had their origins in Asia and Africa as well as in Europe) adapted quickly to their new home. Sugar cane, in particular, grew well, becoming one of the staples of the economies of the islands. He also brought cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens, which quickly multiplied, thanks to the rich grass and other vegetation.

In contrast to the North America explorers, who brought their wives with them, the Spaniards in the south didn't bring women from home and instead depended on Indian women to prepare their foods. These creative women used their own foods and techniques, as well as the foods the Spaniards brought, to create new dishes that would be acceptable to Europeans, thus giving birth to the creole cuisine of Latin America. The Indians quickly adopted European animal foods, and pigs and chickens became part of Indian households. Unfortunately, for many Indians the greater variety of foodstuffs did not represent an improvement in lifestyle. However the Spaniards introduced to the New World a wide range of new ingredients, techniques, and culinary customs, just as the Moors had done in Spain over the preceding centuries.

The first settlers came from Andalusia, and their heritage is still very strong in the Andean countries. They brought oranges and olives, spices such as cumin and saffron, and the use of nuts and olive oil in cooking, which they inherited from the Moors. Tapas were invented in Andalusia, and variations of them can be found in every Latin American country, including empanadas, pinchos (small shish kebabs), croquettes, and escabeches (pickled foods), to name just a few. On the other hand, the influence of the Basques, who settled in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay, is reflected in the penchant there for using fruits in savoury dishes.

The Portuguese also were arriving in South America during this period, claiming and settling along the east coast. They started their exploration in the 1500's, not long after their rivals in Spain had discovered the continent. Their influence is seen most in Brazil, where the Portuguese language is spoken and Portuguese customs and foods blended with myriad other influences to shape the region. The Dutch and French settled in other parts of Latin America, but they were not major players in the region. The Portuguese experience was different from the Spanish. In the first place, the Portuguese had no problem adapting to the tropical climate, because they were more predisposed to the tropics than the Spaniards. They brought their own foods, too, including sugar cane, bacalhau (salt cod), olives, sausages, wine for cooking, and the widespread use of eggs, cloves, cinnamon, and sugar, which the Portuguese inherited from the Moors. They also brought dishes such as cozidos (stews), cuscuz (couscous), codfish cakes, and pork with clams.

The Portuguese soon realized that the forest was extremely important as a source of food and that the Indians living there would have to teach them how those foods were processed. The Tupi-Guarani Indians had been growing cassava for about 5,000 years in the Amazon forest of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. This root was the bread of the natives in those areas, and the Portuguese quickly adopted it in all its forms, almost to the exclusion of the wheat they brought with them. They loved the freshly made cassava bread, and many believed it to be more nourishing and digestible than wheat bread. (Ironically, cassava is nutritionally inferior to wheat).

Cassava became the basis of the Portuguese diet, and today it is part of the daily diet of millions of people in Brazil. In some areas of Venezuela and Colombia, cassava bread is consumed more than cornbread or wheat bread. Later on, when Portuguese women started to arrive, Indian women taught them how to make all sorts of delicate confections with the cassava. They also taught them the process of fermentation, which was used to prepare some of their delicacies. For example, they prepared wonderful preserves and the carimii cakes that have nourished Brazilian children for generations. The natives of Amazonia contributed the famous fish pirarucu, which in northern Brazil is sometimes more important than salt cod or beef jerky. The turtle is another important food of the region, because of the variety of its uses. Brazilians use the meat, as well as the innards, in a number of unusual dishes. They also use turtle fat for cooking. Today turtles are raised in sizes that range from the size of a hand to three to four feet in diameter. The Indians had many uses for corn as well. Fresh corn was ground to make pamuna, which was wrapped in cornhusks. Today this dish is called pamonhas, and the corn is mixed with coconut and sugar and steamed like a tamal, a contribution of Brazil's African cooks. Another Indian specialty is canjica, originally called acanijic, which has become a national dish. It is made with cracked dried corn or fresh corn. coconut, sugar, and cinnamon. The Indians contributed the practice of using leaves to wrap foods for cooking and hot peppers to season foods, which the Mrican slaves embraced wholeheartedly.

Elegant South American Wines

2009-08-18T20:45:00.006+01:00

It is a generally held belief that all New World wines are powerful, full of fruit, and perhaps a little brash. Whilst there are certainly many examples which support this notion, it is far from being a universal truth. In South America, there are many vineyards planted in cool climate, mountainous regions, and these can be as subtle and delicate as any European wine.
A good example is the Julio Bouchon Carmenere Reserva. This has a solid gratifying core of fruit, but presents it with an elegance reminiscent of a fine St Emilion from Bordeaux. A cool mouthfeel and soft tannins combine to make this a wine one can readily enjoy in the summer. Although it has plenty of structure to stand up to pairing with food, it is a long way from the blockbuster red some might anticipate.
Another excellent example is the Bosca Chardonnay Finca Los Nobles from Argentina. This has a real minerality, and an abundance of citrus flavours to complement its’ depth of flavour, and surprising length. The closest comparison I can find is to a Chassagne Montrachet from Burgundy, and it is remarkable value in that company.
These are just two examples of wines which might just surprise with their complexity and sheer class. Many others can be found in the region, and on the Sabor wine list!

Discovering Latin America - Charities 2009

2009-08-14T14:56:00.014+01:00

Every year the good folks at Discovering Latin America choose two good causes in Latin America to be the beneficiaries of the cultural events organised by DLA for the forthcoming year. This year’s choices were made in July, and Kiya Peru have been selected as the charity to be supported by the 8th Discovering Latin America Film Festival, which takes place later this year, whilst the proceeds of the first Discovering Latin America Literature Festival will raise funds for Raleigh International in 2010. See below for more details.

8th DLA FILM FESTIVAL
Kiya Survivors - Peru

Kiya Survivors is a Peruvian charity building and working in educational centres catering for special-needs, abused and abandoned children. Kiya also offers support to young and violated women and families living in severe poverty.
The Mayor of Chinchero, Peru donated 2 buildings to Kiya Survivors to be used as a drop in centre in the village. The rooms are in a great location but are very run down and need doing up before we can commence work in them. The drop in centre will provide immediate onsite physiotherapy, speech therapy, early stimulation sessions including weekly baby massage, support from a social worker to help families with re-housing, water/electricity installation, health issues and getting work along with a psychologist to support children and families in abusive or difficult situations at home. Food and milk would also be provided along with vitamins and regular health checks including an anti-parasite programme.

Families living in severe poverty with children who have some form of special needs will also benefit of this project. Right now Kiya supports 20 families and hopes, with our funding,to support 50 families.

1st DLA LITERATURE FESTIVAL
Raleigh - Costa Rica and Nicaragua

Raleigh is a youth and education charity working for sustainable development based permanently in Costa Rica & Nicaragua. The aim of this project is to build a primary school for the children of Ximiri in the Chirripó Indigenous Reserve in Costa Rica. The local development association has asked Raleigh International to help in the construction of the new school. The project has been approved but they have no funding to build it. The money will be used for materials and construction of the facilities.

Children who attend the school, local labourers during construction, teachers and parents for having facilities to support the education of children will be the direct beneficiaries of this project supported by DLA.

Alex Wilson’s Salsa Con Soul Orchestra, Ronnie Scotts, 3rd - 4th September

2009-08-11T13:29:00.004+01:00

Our friends at London Salsa Scene tell us that one of our favourite musicians Alex Wilson has more shows coming up at Ronnie Scotts - here's what they have to say:
"Somewhere between London and Havana, volcanic activity has triggered the emergence of a new tropical island – Salsa Con Soul.
Catch the eruption as Alex Wilson (right) and his 12 piece Salsa Con Soul Orchestra let rip with their latest high energy fusion at three concerts at the legendary Ronnie Scotts in London's Soho, Thursday 3rd - Friday 4th September.
Salsa Con Soul is the latest destination on Alex Wilson's circumnavigation of world rhythms and beats. The UK's top Latin/jazz piano man/band leader and featured instrumentalists will deliver driving salsa dura, laced with deeply felt soul and gospel vocals, drenched in Latin flavas, beats and rhythms at three concerts (early and late concerts Friday 4th September - book the late one if you want to stay on).
This is an opportunity to hear some of the most authentic and tastiest salsa grooves you’ll hear anywhere in the world played live by the UK's No1 salsa crew and some of the finest salsa musicians around. Alex Wilson will play tracks from his 6th and latest album Salsa Con Soul (2008), his first totally dedicated to a genre he has made his own, salsa with soul, cranked up with bone aching gospel vocals. Expect to hear too some of Wilson's best known tunes - “Ain’t Nobody” & “Show Me” from his 5th album Inglaterra and “R&B Latino” from the eponymous album, with vocals from Aquilla Fearon, Niaomi Phillips & Elpidio Caicedo.
Wilson’s 5th album Inglaterra was his first to feature the fire water of Salsa Dura neat, with tracks like Show Me and Ain’t Nobody appearing on 10 compilation albums and burning up dance floors in salsa clubs across the UK. This was another ground-breaking album, featuring the first ever Brit-Reggaeton-Salsa track and the first fusion of Cuban rhythms with Bhangra beats. Wilson's 3rd album - R&B Latino - created a cocktail of Cuban rhythms and R&B to blow away the cobwebs on the dance floor.
With Salsa Con Soul, Alex Wilson has continued his relentless assault, only this time the burning yin fires of soul and gospel infuse the muscular, urgent yang drive of Cuban timba and hard salsa, creating a sensual, romantic vibe made for Ronnie's crepuscular hallows."
TO BOOK TICKETS & FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ronnie Scott’s: 020 7439 0747 or visit: http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/ and http://www.alexwilson.net/ and www.ronniescotts.co.uk/performances/detail/592/alex-wilson-salsa-orchestra/
Salsa Con Soul Orchestra line-up: Alex Wilson - Keyboards - (Courtney Pine, Jazz Jamaica); Aquilla Fearon - Vocals; Naomi Phillips - Vocals; Elpidio Caicedo - Vocals; Steve Dawson - Trumpet; Annette Brown - Trumpet; Trevor Mires - Trombone; Alistair White - Trombone; Javier Fioramonti - Bass; Emeris Solis - Congas; Dave Pattman - Timbales; Will Fry - Bongos

Latin American Food History Part One

2009-07-23T12:35:00.003+01:00

One of our aspirations at Sabor Restaurant is to promote and to share the variety of Latin American food, and first of all we must celebrate the contribution made by the original inhabitants of the New World, the American Indians, or whatever you wish to call them, to the food of the contemporary world. The fifteenth century marked the beginning of the European Age of Discovery, and when Christopher Columbus embarked on his historic voyage in 1492, landing in Latin America by accident, they found not only new cultures but a large number of foods that were native to Latin America and which they brought back to Europe. These were ingredients, plants and animals that the original inhabitants gathered, domesticated and ate for many millennia before the European laid eyes on them, including corn or maize, chocolate, potatoes, beans, vanilla, tomatoes, chillies and pumpkins, which had never been seen before in Europe. This is to counter the accusation often made that the American Indians did not really make much of a contribution as far as the domestication of animals and plants is concerned as they loafed in their hammocks with tropical fruits dropping into their laps.

Inca agriculture, for example, was highly developed, because the Incas were great experimenters. They experimented with habitat, yield, hybrids, and growing time. They dried meat, potatoes, and other root vegetables to avoid famine. They knew how to extract the poison from bitter cassava (yucca) to make a meal. They also knew that planting corn, squash, and beans together would achieve optimum results, because corn provides shade and support for the delicate beans, squash provides ground cover for moisture retention and minimal soil erosion, and beans regenerate the soil, providing the nitrogen needed by the other plants. To enrich the soil further, the Incas used guano (seabird droppings), a nutrient-rich fertilizer. (The richest guano, found off the coast of Peru, helped replenish many depleted soils in Europe after the conquest.)

Corn, Cassava and Other Staples

The New World's most important contribution to the global larder was probably corn. For pre-Columbian communities corn played a very important role. The Aztecs had a god and goddess of corn, Centeotl and Chicomecoatl, whom they represented in their ceramics and paintings. They held festivals for planting and harvesting, and used corn in celebrations and for communal meals, in dishes such as tamales, and corn based drinks.

In the 15th century the Aztec and Inca Empires, building on earlier cultures, already had an ingenious agricultural system using elaborate terracing and irrigation to cultivate food on steep Andean slopes and in coastal river valleys. The Incas had tremendous respect for the earth, and their culture revolved around agriculture. Anything to do with farming was considered holy and religious, and they revered corn and quinoa as life-giving foods. At harvest time, they would hold thanksgiving festivals and spill a little of their first drink of chicha de jora (a fermented corn drink) on the ground for Pacha-Mama, or Mother Earth.

The Indians of the tropics made a bread from the bitter cassava (yucca), which is easy to grow and can be kept for a year or more. In fact, cassava played a major role in the conquest because it could be prepared in large quantities, it was cheap, and it kept well. The Portuguese took it to Africa, where it became a staple food. Cassava fed African slaves during the long journey to the New World. The Spaniards introduced cassava to the Philippines and Southeast Asia, and today it continues to be a major ingredient in the diets of peoples throughout the tropics.

Farther inland, in the cooler climates, other foods were discovered. Potatoes were a staple food among Andean peoples. They grew in temperate zones, at altitudes that ranged from sea level to 10,000 feet. Another great contribution to world cuisines was the tomato. At one time, Europeans and North Americans worried that it, too, might be poisonous. However, the tomato was accepted early on as a medicine to treat diarrhoea, liver and gallbladder disease, and digestive disorders. Today, the tomato enjoys tremendous popularity throughout the world. Hot peppers, beans, and squash, which along with corn were staples of the Indian diet, also have become staples of many societies around the world.

Verano con Sabor

2009-07-01T11:52:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since we've sent out an update but meanwhile things haven't been standing still at Sabor. As always we've been working on new recipes in the kitchen, so that our menus can continually evolve. Our empanadas have always been popular, but now we offer a selection of three as a single starter: in addition to the traditional Antioqueña from Colombia, filled with beef and potato, we include a Caribbean version, cornmeal stuffed with mixed seafood, and a Bolivian salteña, a wheat patty stuffed with queso campesino, cheddar, mozzarella and smoked paprika. All accompanied by aji, a fresh relish of tomato, onion and jalapeño chilli.
A lot of our new dishes are inspired by the prospect of warmer weather, and this includes our pescado cartagenero, a delicious pan-fried fillet of sea bass served with arroz verde - coriander-infused rice and peas – and coconut milk tomato sauce. If you prefer stronger flavours however, our rabbit with chocolate sauce is making a come-back... To round off a meal you might enjoy our lulo parfait – lulo is also known as naranjilla in Ecuador, or 'little orange'. It has a sharp but fruity flavour somewhat like gooseberry, and we serve it with brevas colombianas, ripe green figs preserved in syrup. We think you'll like it!
Happy Hour
Cocktails are an important part of a good latin night out, and at Sabor we have always offered the latin classics (margarita, caipirinha, mojito, etc) as well as our own creations using some of the fruits which are unique to Latin America such us lulo and mora. To welcome the summer, starting immediately, we are having a happy hour every day from 5.00 – 7.00pm when you can get two cocktails for the price of one.
New Wine
The wines of Chile and Argentina are as bold and flavorful as the Latin food, but also these days increasingly complex and elegant. We had a massive tasting of new wines from all of our suppliers last month – it's a tough job but someone has to do it – and we've revamped our list considerably as a result.
To take just one example we have added a new Torrentes from Bodegas Colome. Torrentes is the white variety unique to Argentina, typically it has fresh aromas of grapefruit, roses and apricot, really good for a warm summer's evening. We also added some wines from Michel Rolland, possibly the best-known winemaker on the planet, who is producing tremendous wines out of Mendoza, Argentina. A stunning example on our list is the 2004 Val de Flores Malbec – complex on the nose with a great balance of jammy red fruit, floral peppery notes and mild spice. Who said South America doesn't produce great wine?
Are you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
If you enjoy these updates and are on Facebook or Twitter, then think about subscribing to our Facebook page, or following our tweets. You'll get instant updates on what's going on here, and we also intend to offer special last minute "treats" that will be only be available for those who receive our tweets or Facebook updates. Don't get left behind and don't miss out! Sabor fans will be the first to know about fun freebie's that we offer from time to time. We also hope that we can use these updates to share information with you about all the great Latin concerts, films, and other shows going on in London all the time - and that you will share some updates with us.