"Freedom's Just Another Work For Nothing Left to Lose"

I think it's quite normal to find yourself in a routine, and it's not really a problem until you notice that you are stuck in that routine. Today, I woke up to the realization that I would not be able to eat lunch at one of the usual haunts. I needed to shake things up a bit. Don't get me wrong, I love eating at the lady's house and picking out chicken liver (which I seem to get in greater quantities when I explicitly ask for "no chicken liver, please") or eating across the street where they make a great hot sauce. Furthermore, $2 lunches are easy on the pocketbook when you fit into the $0-0 income bracket. I just felt that today was a good time to branch out and explore the Lima culinary scene. There is a specialty here called "causa," and it is just a base of pureed potatoes with some sort of filling and topping. A typical causa might be mashed yellow potatoes stuffed with a mix of shrimp and avocado and topped with some sort of sauce. Since the guidelines for cause are so loose, the potential combinations are extensive. In that vein, I wanted to try Mi Causa, a restaurant in Miraflores that boasts over 40 different varieties of the dish. I've had causa before at other restaurants, but Tuesday really felt like the day to go to the potato puree master. And I know it doesn't sound that special (I felt the same way), but Peruvian potatoes wield some kind of magic that makes this dish very satisfying.
After a 8 soles cab ride from the GEA office, I arrive at Mi Causa in Miraflores. There are two problems I notice upon stepping out of the cab: Mi Causa is closed for renovations, and that bull mastiff on the corner of the street does not seem to be neutered. My first reaction is pure panic. What the Ulysses am I going to do for lunch? And that virile dog? Fortunately, a solution to one of the problems presents itself to me on the opposite corner of the street. No, it wasn't an animal doctor, it was La Mar. La Mar is the upscale cevicheria that the Buena Voz team visited when Jim (the British donor) came to visit the organization. It has a great, open air atmosphere and top-notch seafood. I was hesitant to eat there at first because it is on the pricier side, but I threw caution to the wind and headed inside for some fish, Gaston Acurio style. I probably should have had someone to share with (I was the only person in the place by myself. This doesn't bother me in terms of challenging social norms. Rather, I prefer eating with someone else so that I can try his/her dish and experience the variety of the restaurant. The only solution I saw was to order for two people and just eat it all. So that's what I did), but I was not going to let my lack of a +1 deter me. I confidently strode inside, flashed the hostess the international "I'm dining alone" sign, and sat down to my table. They started my off with the La Mar version of chips and salsa. Instead of chips and salsa, you receive fried plantain, sweet potato, and potato chips and a trio of three sauces which I am at a total loss to explain. They are tasty and are reddish, beige, and sorta orange. Can't you just taste it? Also, as is protocol at cevicherias, they give you a small basket of dried corn kernels which are then fried. They are an addictive little snack and a great textural contrast when added to ceviche. Here is a diagram to illustrate my starter items:

I ordered the classic ceviche and a causa with olives, octopus, shrimp, and avocado. I like to try the classic ceviche so I have a solid reference point for the seafood restaurants in Lima. This ceviche was easily one of the best. The fish was so fresh that the flesh had a beautiful translucency to it. The balance between the sweetness of the fish and sweet potato, acidity of the lime, and piquancy of the red onions was excellent here:

I know I sound like some pretentious food person, but when eat a dish that is so simple and reliant on just a few quality ingredients, you really appreciate the importance of balancing the different flavors. A little heat from some red pepper perfectly rounded out the dish. The causa came on the form of five spheres of yellow potato puree. Inside each one was a few pieces of avocado, and they were topped of with some diced octopus and shrimp in an olive sauce. On the sides were avocado and something yellow sauces, but I think the picture would probably do a better job conveying it all:

I definitely ordered too much, but the freedom of doing whatever I want in some crazy foreign country felt too good to worry about overeating. I finished all of the ceviche, all but 1/2 of one potato sphere, and most of the chips and corn kernels. I mentioned that this place was pricey. Well, it's relatively pricey. All that food and a bottle of water with gas cost me $28 with tip. For the quality of the seafood, the polished service, and mellow atmosphere it would cost a lot more in the states. I really enjoyed this lunch. At the end I just spread my arms and looked up to the sky and celebrated being alive and free. Wait, did I actually do that or am I remembering Andy escaping in "The Shawshank Redemption."

Yeah, I guess I was just remembering the movie.

Either way, it was real tasty lunch, and it motivated me to write about it the second I got back to the office. I hope everyone had a scrumptious lunch today!