This is part four of an interview with Craig from Travelvice. Read parts one, two, and three. In this final installment Craig shares two recipes that he and Tatiana routinely make for their CouchSurfing hosts.

Papas Doradas (Golden Potatoes) ala Travelvice

This is a super-simple one for the sometimes absentminded chef.

You’ll need:

• some potatoes
• a big pot and a frying pan (or two)
• cooking oil
• salt
• curry power (optional)
• cheese that melts easily (optional) and a cheese grater (also optional)

1. Purchase potatoes (of similar size), wash the dirt off ‘em, then toss ‘em in a pot of water (making sure you have a pot big enough to fill over the level of the potatoes). Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until they’re only partially done (maybe only 30% cooked).

2. Grab a frying pan and put a bunch of oil in there (don’t just coat the pan, we’re gonna be frying the potatoes in there, so there should be plenty–but don’t go overboard). Put the heat on high.

3. Drain the water and bring out a knife. Now, slice the potatoes with their skin still on, making something like a thicker potato chip. Each potato will probably make around 8-12 slices, but it really depends on the size of the spud and your slices. They shouldn’t be thin or too thin–think chunky chips.

4. Now, toss the potato slices into the heated oil and listen for the sweet sound of Latin America (…frying oil). Occasionally check the slices, waiting until they’re golden brown, then flip onto the other side. Forgetting about them and overcooking takes a while, so no worries there.

5. When they’re ready, take the cooked potato slices out of the oil and place them on a large plate. Immediately shake a liberal amount of salt onto them. In my style (which is damn tasty), I prefer to add a bunch of powered curry and grated cheese (sliced thin, if I don’t have the tools) to the still-hot slices.
Making a bunch of these is necessary, as folks love ‘em (and also make a great snack while drinking beer). But beware: it can take awhile to cook. It’s best to have a second pan going to speed things up, and also be cooking something else in the meantime (like the main entrée if it’s a part of lunch/dinner).

Arroz Árabe (Arabian Rice)

This dish really has nothing to do with anything Arabian, but Peruvians have named it as much anyway. Instead of making your unimpressive, boring white rice in the hostel, grab a couple people and have folks get in on this sweet, tasty variety.

You’ll need these amounts to serve about six men and women:

• a pot with a lid
• cooking oil
• 100 grams of angel hair pasta
• 200 grams of rice
• 100 grams of raisins
• 1 tablespoon of curry
• 1/3 tablespoon of salt
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 liter of Coca-Cola
• chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1. Put the pot on the burner and coat the bottom with oil.

2. Break the raw angel hair pasta into pieces and fry on high heat until they get medium to dark brown.

3. Add the uncooked rice, powered curry, and ground garlic to the pot and continue to fry and stir it on high heat until it looks like the majority of the raw rice has been fried.

4. Add the raisins, salt and water (preferably heated or boiling) into the pot. The water level should be enough to cover the rice. Turn down the heat when it all starts to boil and put the lid on.

5. When the rice is almost done, pour the Coca-Cola in there, stir it up a bit, and turn off the heat. Put the lid back on.

6. Wait 5-10 minutes for the rice to finish cooking, then serve (optionally topping with chopped pecans or walnuts), and enjoy!

Thanks Craig for taking the time to answer my questions and share your recipes. Until we meet on the road… boa viagem.

Related Posts You May Like: Travelvice III Top 10 Signs A Girl Is Open To Having Sex While Abroad Turning Potential Insults Into Game Travelvice I Travelvice II

Game Tips Newsletter: I send out a biweekly email newsletter with subjects such as How To Handle Flakey Girls, 7 Tips For Incredible First Dates, How To Pick Up Girls In Coffee Shops, The Reason Why She Isn't Calling You Back, and much more. Learn how to subscribe.

…i dont know about the cola…what exactly does that do?

Gives it color and adds to the sweetness of the rice (the raisins and cola are required)

craig | travelvice.com’s last blog post: Turkish Government Cancels New Year’s Eve.

holy shit Roosh.
working on a Saturday?
you’ve outdone yourself.

The Coca-cola? Because deep down he’s still a yankee patriot.

I just made two batches of the papas doradas, and have two more frying up now. They are DELICIOUS! Awesome recipe even for a gringo feeding his family and friends on a rainy day. Thanks!!

One of my ideas that will never be realized is a cookbook for gringos traveling through hostels that takes into account local produce (i.e. if in Chile, use avocados… if in Hungary use so and so) and common staples in hostel kitchens (oil, salt, pepper, garlic cloves).

aroze anything is always good.. i’m so glad i’m Mexican..most of our food is acompanied with a aroze and various spices…

Aroze is the french fries to most latin dishes!!!

Jen, you are Mexican and don’t know how to spell “arroz”? That’s also regional, because in many parts of Mexico, they do not eat any rice.