Chilean Cuisine - Cazuela

Cazuela is a Spanish-originated soup. It's a mid-thick rich flavored stock obtained from cooking several kinds of meats and vegetables mixed together. The most common types of Cazuelas in Chile are chicken or beef. It can also be made with Pork or Turkey.

The typical Cazuela in one dish contains:

• a piece of meat (a leg of chicken)
• a potato and a piece of pumpkin
  

Complementary to these components can be:

• cooked rice (in the stock)
• green beans
• sliced carrots
• baby onions
• garlic
• cabbage

In summer the cazuela is accompanied by a big yellow piece of sweetcorn, cooked apart or in the same stock.

The cazuela is typically eaten by consuming the liquid stock first, then eating the meat and larger vegetables (e.g. potatoes, large piece of squash or carrot) last.

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For those who are more curious about Chilean Cuisine, I would recommend "The Chilean Kitchen" by Ruth Van Waerebeek-Gonzales.

Here is the review of the book by Publishers Weekly:

Born in Belgium, Van Waerebeek-Gonzalez may at first seem an unlikely author for a book on Chilean cooking, yet the many asides that accompany her recipes leave no doubt that she fully understands, and enjoys, the country's culinary customs. Though the author and her husband own a restaurant in southern Chile, the dishes in her book focus on the simple foods that Chileans prepare at home....Van Waerebeek-Gonzalez explains each dish's provenance, and in her many sidebars, she introduces readers to typical Chilean customs, such as serving bread with a spread made of mashed avocado seasoned with salt and pepper instead of butter. Though the dishes may seem a bit bland to those used to spicier South American fare, gourmets who appreciate hearty combinations of simple flavors will be well rewarded.

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Ideas for using this book:

1. Make a special meal for your family and read about the customs that go with the meal.
2. Make special dishes for mission banquets or "pot lucks".
3. Flip through the book during family time and show your children the pictures of the food. This will expose them to different foods and tastes.

The sky is the limit...be creative!