Los Angeles Hispanic Restaurants

The milanesa is a common meat dish mostly in Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay as well as in other American countries to a lesser extent, such as Mexico, where breaded meat fillet preparations are known as a milanesa (In Portuguese, the beef version is called bife à milanesa and the chicken version is called frango à milanesa). Homemade milanesas.

The milanesa was brought to the Southern Cone of South America from Central European immigrants, its name reflecting the original Milanese preparation cotoletta alla milanese, which is similar to the Austrian wiener schnitzel.

 A milanesa consists of a thin slice of beef, or sometimes chicken or veal. Each slice is dipped into beaten eggs, seasoned with salt, and other condiments according to the cook’s taste (like parsley and garlic). Each slice is then dipped in breadcrumbs (or occasionally flour) and shallow-fried in oil, one at a time. Some people prefer to use very little oil and then cook them in the oven as a healthier alternative.

Argentine cuisine is influenced by waves of European immigration, particularly from Italy. You’ll find many Italian restaurants and pizzerias, plus heladerias, or ice-cream parlors, serving Italian cuisine and gelatos . Argentina is known for its beef, and many meals are based on substantial amounts of carne, but other foods are certainly available. Lingering after an evening meal with a sobremesa  is a customary time for conversation.

Soft drinks and fruit juices are popular. As elsewhere, ask for [b jugo puro, or jugo exprimido, for fresh squeezed. Licuados, milky fruit shakes, are popular. Do try maté tea at least once. Other tea is served black with lemon. Ask for té con leche if you want milk in your tea. Hot chocolate is served at breakfast. Coffee is usually an espresso.
# café chico: small cup of strong, black coffee
# café cortado: small coffee with a little milk, often in a glass
# café con leche: coffee with lots of milk, usually served only at breakfast

Local beers and wine are excellent. Many Argentines mix a bit of mineral water in their wines to make a spritzer. Try these Recipes from Argentina. When you’re in Argentina, be sure to try:
# Asado: various cuts of meat cooked over coals and usually served with chimichurri marinade, french fries and salad; also called a parillada
# Carbonada: beef stew with rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, apples and pears
# Puchero: beef, chicken, bacon, sausage, corn, peppers, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, sweet potatoes, squash casserole; may have beans
# Sopa a la criolla: roasted suckling pig
# Ñoquis: gnocchi or potato dumplings served with marinara or other tomato sauce
# Arroz con pollo: chicken and rice casserole with eggs and vegetables
# Puchero de gallina: chicken, sausage, corn, potato and squash
# Locro: corn, white beans, beef, sausage, squash in a stew
# Empanada de humita: pasty filled with corn, onion, cheese and flour

Moqueca (pronounced mo-ke-ka) is a traditional Brazilian seafood stew. Brazilians have been making Moquecas for 300 years. It basically consists of fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, chili pepper (pimenta malagueta) and additional ingredients. It is cooked slowly, with no water added.

Its two variants are Moqueca Capixaba from Espírito Santo state in the Southeast, and Moqueca Baiana from Bahia state in the Northeast. It is common for people from these states to claim that their moqueca is the “only true” moqueca.

The state dish of Espírito Santo. Influenced by Native Brazilian cuisine. Olive and soy oil are used instead of palm oil; coconut milk is never used, urucum pigment is added, and it is always cooked in a traditional clay pot.

Churrasco is a Portuguese  and Spanish term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a primary dish in the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries though today, a churrascaria (or churrasqueria) is understood, mainly, to be a Brazilian steakhouse.

A Churrascaria is a restaurant serving grilled meat, many offering as much as you can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto the client’s plate. This serving style is called Espeto Corrido or Rodizio.

Colombian food is characterized by its blending of European cuisine with aspects of indigenous cuisine.

Even though there is no consensus as to which one dish can be considered the true “national dish,” the arepa and sancocho can be considered excellent candidates. Other well-known regional dishes include the bandeja paisa, ajiaco, the lechona Tolimense, the mote de queso, and cuchuco.

Fritanga is a set of dishes that can be likened to barbecue. It is enjoyed throughout the entire country. Fritanga usually includes grilled beef and chicken, ribs, and sausage such as morcilla, chorizo, longaniza, and chunchullo (fried cow intestines) accompanied by mini potatoes and arepas made of choclo (sweet corn).

Staples of the Colombian diet include tubers such as potatoes and cassava, along with meat such as beef, chicken, pork, or fish. Grains such as corn and rice are widely consumed. The plantain is an important element of the Colombian diet, as are vegetables such as onion, garlic, pepper, and tomato. Legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils are eaten very frequently.

A myriad of fruit species grow in Colombia, and many fruits considered “exotic” commonly grow in Colombian forests and in the countryside. The climate and geography favor a great variety of crops, as well as a great variety of both freshwater and saltwater fish.

In Mexican cuisine, Pico de gallo (Spanish for “rooster’s beak”) is a fresh condiment made from chopped tomato, onion, and chiles (typically jalapeños or serranos). Other ingredients may also be added, such as lemon or lime juice, fresh cilantro (leaf of coriander), cucumber, or radish.

In some regions of Mexico, a fruit salad tossed in lime juice and sprinkled with a salty Chile powder is also known as pico de gallo, while the tomato-based condiment is better known as salsa picada, which means minced or chopped sauce, or salsa mexicana, because the colors red (tomato), white (onion), and green (chile) are the colors of the Mexican flag.

Pico de gallo can be used in much the same way as Mexican salsas or Indian chutneys, but since it is less liquid, it can also be used as a main ingredient in dishes such as tacos and fajitas.

Horchata or orxata is the name for several kinds of vegetable beverages, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley or tigernuts (chufas).

The name comes from Valencian orxata, probably from ordiata, made from ordi (barley) (Latin *hordeata < hordeum). The French and English ‘orgeat’, the Italian ‘orzata’, and the Surinamese Dutch orgeade have the same origin, though the beverages themselves have diverged, and none of them are typically made from barley any more. One legend links the origins of the name to King Jaume I, who after being given the drink for the first time by a local in Alboraya, was, said to have exclaimed “Això és or, xata!” (“That’s gold, darling!”)

A nacatamal is a Nicaraguan tamal. They are much larger than the tamales typical of Mexico, and are popular in all of Central America. In Honduras, nacatamales are eaten during special occasions like Christmas and weddings. Nicaraguans eat nacatamales typically on Sunday morning with coffee, pinolillo, or cacao. They are also eaten during lunch or dinner any time of the week.

A nacatamal consists of dough (masa) (made from nixtamalized corn flour, milk and lard mixed with ground potatoes, green peppers, onions, garlic, salt and spices) and a filling (relleno) consisting of pork or chicken, tomatoes, rice, garlic, onions, potatoes, and mint leaves. The filling may also include olives, raisins or fresh chile. It is wrapped in plantain leaves to give it a unique flavor, tied, and then steamed or pressure cooked for several hours.

Pisco (from Quechua: pisqu, little bird) is a South American liquor distilled from grapes. Developed by Spanish settlers in the sixteenth century, it takes its name from the conical pottery in which it was originally aged, which was also the name of the city where it was produced: Pisco, in the Viceroyalty of Peru

The first vineyards were planted in the coastal valleys in the Viceroyalty of Peru. Even though Spain imposed many restrictions on wine production and commerce, the wine-making industry developed rapidly, such as in the Corregimiento of Ica and La Serena in the Captaincy General of Chile. Ica and La Serena belongs to Viceroyalty of Peru.

Honduran Cuisine combines the food of the indigenous Maya-Lenca population with Spanish and Mexican food. Its most notable feature is that is uses more coconut than any other Central American cuisine in both sweet and savory dishes. Regional specialties include fried fish, carne asada, and baleadas.

In addition to the baleadas, the following are also popular: The meat roasted with chismol carne asada, chicken with rice and corn, fried fish (Yojoa style) with pickled onions and jalapeños. In the coastal areas and in the Bay Islands, seafood and some meats are prepared in many ways, some of which include coconut milk.