Celebrating Latin Heritage: Amalia’s Kitchen

Latin Heritage

Sept. 15 marked the beginning of a month-long celebration of Latin culture in the United States – and what a great way to commemorate it with healthy, delicious cuisine. In this article we are celebrating Latin heritage with a recipe for Spicy Seafood Pasta. The weeklong observation began in 1968 by mandate of President Lyndon Johnson, and President Ronald Reagan […]

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Amalia’s Kitchen – Boosting Flavor while cutting Calories

Amalia's Kitchen

The healthier eating trend is stronger than ever in the United States. Native and African Americans and Hispanics are at the top of the risk group for Type 2 diabetes in America, according to the American Diabetes Association. This trend will have a ripple effect on neighboring countries in the coming years, as chronic diseases related to poor eating habits […]

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Amalia’s Kitchen Delicious Moments in Nicaragua

amalia's kitchen

While my heart and soul and culinary core are deeply Guatemalan, my desire and curiosity to learn about the synergies of all Latin cultures is only natural — after all, we share so many traits. From north to south and east to west, Latin America is rich not only in culture, but in unique cuisines. Recently, I traveled to a […]

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AMALIA’S KITCHEN: Squash It!

Guatemala food

Though they contain seeds, squash is a vegetable belonging to the cucurbitaceae family native to the North American and Mesoamerican regions. Within the five domesticated species there are many varieties from the United States to Central America. In Guatemala, there are diversities that are still not known elsewhere. Pear-shaped, dark-green-skinned güisquil and its albino cousin, perulero, are some of the […]

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AMALIA’S KITCHEN: Family, Love and Guatemalan Chocolate

Guatemalan chocolate

I surely had a blast this past holiday season with family and friends visiting me for two weeks from Guatemala and Denmark. As we move into the New Year, and Valentine’s Day (día del Cariño) on the 14th, I want to share a dessert recipe that I made for them during their visit. I created classic chocolate-covered strawberries as an […]

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AMALIA’S KITCHEN – Guatemalan Cuisine

A TRIBUTE TO CALDO DE RES text & photos by chef and author Amalia Moreno-Damgaard. (AmaliaLLC.com) Caldo de res (beef and vegetable soup) is possibly the most popular soup in the region surrounding Guatemala City. While delicious and nutritious, this soup has some history behind it and a lot in common with the soups of other countries. Soup in Guatemala is sopa […]

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Churrasco! A Guatemalan Barbecue Experience

text, recipes & photos by chef and author Amalia Moreno-Damgaard. (AmaliaLLC.com) Churrasco is a special Guatemalan experience that refers to cooking meats and other foods outdoors on a parrilla (grill) during gatherings where friends and family get together to celebrate special events or simply share good times. My dad’s very large family (12 brothers and sisters) had many such churrasco celebrations, and […]

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Savoring Cuaresma

(Recipe for Pescado en Escabeche) by Chef Amalia Moreno-Damgaard  AmaliaLLC.com Lent (Cuaresma), the time leading up to Holy Week and Easter, is celebrated by about 1.2 billion Christians worldwide. In Guatemala around 60 percent of the population, or 8.2 million Roman Catholics, observe it in a very solemn manner. This is especially so in La Antigua Guatemala, where you’ll find […]

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