The Emoliente Street Vendor

More Characters

The collection of Lima’s traditional characters keeps growing. One brushstroke at a time.

La Tamalera (The Tamale Street Vendor)

La Tamalera (The Tamale Street Vendor)

Oil on canvas 4ft. x 5ft.

It is an October cool sunday morning. The sky is grey as it usually is in Lima this time of the year. And she’s sitting on a little stool. This is how I remember the Tamalera (Tamales street vendor). As I was growing up in Lima, Perú it was very common to see a Tamalera very early in the morning, sitting by the door of a bakery selling her freshly homemade tamales. I remember she had a huge basket filled with tamales. And sitting on the top of the basket she had a piece of wood working like a shelf, where she would place a warm Tamale ready for you to taste and hopefully buy one, or two, or more, to take home and have a delicious breakfast.

In Perú, the “Tamal” is the type of food that fits perfectly in any of the four meals of the day, it is great for breakfast, for lunch, also for “Lonche” (a peruvian “tea time”, and also for the late dinner. (Lonche: http://perufood.blogspot.com/2006/01/lonche-english-tea-time-in-lima.html)

The “Tamal” makes any breakfast a traditional one. A Tamal sandwich on French Bread, accompanied by hot coffee or “Café-con-Leche” (coffee with milk) for breakfast or for Lonche, or a Tamal with “Salsa Criolla” on top , for lunch or dinner are very impossible for me to forget. (Onion Creole Sauce: http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/saladssidedishes/r/salsacriolla.htm)

This painting also depicts how I remember my neighborhood’s bakery, in the district of Jesus María where I grew up. The bakery was at about a block and a half from my house, we had to go and by bread twice a day, first thing in the morning for lunch, and late afternoon for “Lonche”. Where I grew up it was important to have freshly baked bread for every meal. French bread.

I really hope that this painting can tell you a little more about my culture and the customs and characters that were a big part of the Perú I grew up in.

Peruvian Tamal:

http://www.foodandbeverageunderground.com/breakfast-blast-peruvian-style.html

http://goperu.about.com/od/foodanddrink/ss/Savory-Snacks-In-Peru_3.htm

Peruvian Art. El Heladero (The Ice Cream Man)

“El Heladero” is here. Oil on Canvas 4' x 5'. As many of you know, I grew up in Lima, Perú. And I remember very clearly every summer in which the streets would be invaded by the Ice Cream Men. Like warriors, pedaling or pushing this commercial tricycle they would make sure they found their way to you. The tricycle carried this big ice-box painted in a unmistakable yellow color, you could see them coming from far, far away. They also had this little air-horn that made this peculiar sound and they used to announce that they were around, so if you couldn’t see their yellow cart coming, you would definitely hear they were on their way.

The name of the brand of the ice-cream they carried was D’onofrio. The best and the most popular ice-cream brand at the time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'Onofrio). They had a huge selection of different flavors and types of ice-cream, and I have to say, they were all really good. During the summer, you would find an “Heladero” in parks, street corners, beaches, etc. and they were either pedaling heir tricycle, or just waiting for you to come and buy ice-cream. There could never be a summer without it’s inseparable companion: El Heladero”.

With this painting I just Finished, I continue with my homage to the characters that are a very important part of my city’s urban history. In my painting, the color of the tricycle and the uniform of the Heladero, are just the way I remember them. Things have changed over the years, and the color of the cart and the uniform have changed.

Hugo.

Hugo La Torre & Peruvian Traditions.

...from left to right: The Matador en Acho (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_toros_de_Acho), The Anticuchera (Kabobs street vendor), La Picaronera (the Picarones street vendor), The Turronera (The Turron de Doña Pepa street vendor), and the Cajonero (the Cajón Player)... the next one will come soon. Real soon.

Hugo La Torre.

Peruvian Paintings. Peruvian Art.

...I’ve painted five so far. I’m almost ready to get started on the sixth one. So far I only have the Cajón player (El Cajonero), the Kabobs street vendor (La Anticuchera), the Turron de Doña Pepa street vendor (La Turronera - http://www.amigofoods.com/sanjotu500gr.html), the bullfighter (El Torero), and the Picarones street vendor (La Picaronera). I hope that this group of traditional characters of Lima, the city where I grew up, continues to grow more and more. My intention is to dedicate to you a collection of peruvian paintings you could identify with, or allow you to get to know Perú a little better, or simply this would be a collection of paintings that will bring memories to some of you.

Hugo.

La Picaronera (The Picarones Street Vendor)

My 5th painting is ready. “The Picaronera”. Finally. it measures 4 feet wide by 5 feet tall.
Google “Picarones” to find out some information about this famous peruvian dessert. A few postings ago I included a link that can inform you a little about what the Picarones are, but here it is again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picarones

I was very lucky to buy, many times, Picarones from a “Picaronera” as I was growing up in Lima, Perú. It wasn’t just the taste, it was also the experience of watching this lady prepare the dough, shaping them with a hole in the center (doughnut -like), and smoothly throwing them one at a time in burning oil without making a splash, beautifully done! ...and when they were ready, they would be placed in a plate and bathed with “Chancaca” syrup (http://peru-recipes.com/2008/03/picarones). Delicious!

Peruvian cuisine has reached heights many of us peruvians never even imagined. Nowadays, you can pretty much savor a delicious Ceviche or Lomo Saltado anywhere in this planet, as peruvian restaurants continue to open everyday, everywhere. I’m very sure you can have some delicious Picarones anywhere around the world, served in fancy plates, arranged in a elegant way, Gourmet-style, with the syrup zig-zaging in an artistic form, and may be you can even savor delicious Picarones as you contemplate the Eiffel tower ...like I said, Peruvian restaurants are everywhere.

But what’s important to mention, is that most peruvian fine foods are of very humble origins, dating back to even hundreds of years ago. I would recommend that if you have the curiosity or craving for Picarones, the best place to try them would be in their land of origin: Perú.

If you ever go to Perú, I hope you can find someone that knows well the city you’re in. And I would suggest you ask this friend of yours to take you one night to the best “Picaronera” in town. Chances are they’ll take you to a very popular, very humble part of town where you can have your Picarones in the street, where the only light that shines is the one from the burning charcoal where they’d be prapering your Picarones. And I know for a fact that the Picarones won’t be arranged in a fancy way, and I’m sure they won’t be served in famous-brand-type of plate, but I do know that you will never forget how delicious these famous Picarones are.

Enjoy.