Inside Gastón Acurio's First English-Language Cookbook 'Peru'

This is a definitive guide to Peruvian cooking, out May 18.

by Hillary Dixler Canavan@hillarydixler May 15, 2015, 1:00pm EDT

Via All Gaston Acurio Coverage on Eater [E] and All Cookbook Coverage on Eater [E]

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Hillary Dixler Canavan is Eater's restaurant editor and the author of the publication's debut book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes From the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters (Abrams, September 2023). Her work focuses on dining trends and the people changing the industry — and scouting the next hot restaurant you need to try on Eater's annual Best New Restaurant list.

Here now is an exclusive preview of Peru: The Cookbook, the first English-language book from acclaimed Peruvian chef and international restaurateur Gastón Acurio. When Acurio first told Eater about the book two years ago, he said he wanted to share recipes that are "very easy to do, anywhere you are in the world, so you can have this Peruvian food culture in your house or as a reference when there's something you want to know — to put some Peruvian soul in any recipe."

While this comprehensive book might not be uniformly "easy" too cook from, Acurio and his publishers at Phaidon have certainly achieved their goal of creating the ultimate "reference." Over the course of 500 recipes, Peruvian classics like ceviche and anticuchos are explored in depth as are dishes that might be less familiar to American readers like chanfainita (beef lung stew), frejol colado (Peruvian bean pudding), plus dishes reflecting the influence of the Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine known as Nikkei. There's also an extensive drinks section, with recipes highlighting Chicha and Pisco. Here, have a look:

Peru: The Cookbook is published by Phaidon and hits shelves May 18. (Pre-order on Amazon)