Here's a tasty little starter from Perú:
Huancaina style potatoes (papas a la Huancaina). It is one of the most popular starters in Peruvian cuisine.
Auspicious, since the new pope is also Peruvian!
The dish gets its name from the city of Huancayo and was probably invented at the end of the 19th century. They were building a railway there (at 2,000 mts above sea level) so probably needed something fairly robust to keep them from fainting...
the word "chile" doesn't exist in South America; hot peppers are called "ají " (pronounced A-Hee). The pepper I used is called ají amarillo (yellow pepper) although it's actually orange and is a member of the
cultivar, first discovered in Perú and not readily available outside S. America. It's medium heat, but that tends to be milder here in Venezuela. Additionally, the veins and seeds are removed before making the sauce.
As per usual, my presentation is dreadful, because that was my lunch and I was hungry. I only had Colombian potatoes as well, so that was that. For a proper presentation, put the potato slices on a plate and cover with the sauce, then garnish!