First up we have a ceviche (or cebiche, like they spell it in Lima.) POACHED SHRIMP CEBICHE will be very straightforward and delicious, because you don't have to do too much to this dish to make it great. Tender poached shrimp with onions, lime juice, and just enough fresh chilis to give it some warmth. We're going to have some tortilla chips with this one, because while it's not strictly Peruvian, ceviche and tortilla chips are a match made in heaven. I'll be packing this with the "sauce" on the side so that you can put it together at home without the worry of it over-marinating.

Wanna know a secret? Vegetables, especially fresh vegetables, aren't much of a thing in Peruvian cooking. They exist for sure, but they're either cooked into a dish with other items or served very simply with some onions on top. We are allowed to gussy up our vegetables to make them more interesting, especially because having a nice, cool vegetable dish to go with the rest of the menu brings in just the right level of contrast for this week's meal. Enter GREEN BEAN & SWEET PEPPER SALAD. Is it technically a Peruvian dish? Maybe? Probably not? But is it something that might be served at a restaurant in Peru? Definitely. I'll be blanching green beans and tossing them with bell peppers, green onions, and a nicely-seasoned dressing. Simple for sure, but much more interesting than tomatoes with onions on top, and really great with the other menu items this week.

PERUVIAN ROASTED CHICKEN is something that you might be familiar with. Well-marinated and seasoned chicken is roasted to juicy perfection, then served with the most important part: the green cilantro sauce. You'll get a half chicken, fully cooked, seasoned, and ready to roast off in your oven. The all-important green sauce can be anywhere from mild to fiery, and I'll be making my version as a highly flavored, mild-medium heat condiment to serve alongside the roasted chicken. This dish sounds simple, but with all the flavors used for the humble chicken, it is beautifully complex yet easy to like, even for picky eaters.

Chicken and rice is an easy pairing, but as people who have been to Peru know... potatoes are the standard side with most (damn near all) meals.  While something along the lines of "just potatoes" or french fries is what you're likely to encounter, we can do much better and still keep things feeling cohesive.  YELLOW "CHICKEN" POTATOES work like this: gold potatoes boiled in a rich turmeric-infused chicken stock so that they soak up all that flavor and color, and then topped with a mix of shallots, garlic, and a splash of that wonderful stock for reheating.  With all the flavors from the chicken stock and aromatic toppings, these are far from "just potatoes."

Our dessert this week isn't exclusively Peruvian as there are versions in plenty of Spanish-speaking countries, and those versions are wildly different depending on what part of the world we're referring to.  This is the PIONONO "JELLY ROLL" CAKE version, and it's a simple dessert that really highlights the one most celebrated dessert ingredient in Peru, manjar blanco (which is basically Peruvian dulce de leche.)  Rich sponge cake rolled up with homemade manjar blanco (or dulce de leche... same thing, remember) and served with a tart raspberry sauce.  This is one of those desserts that is more than the sum of its parts and really highlights a super-Peruvian dessert ingredient... you're going to love it.