Peruvian causa is one of the few Latin American dishes that you could sneak unnoticed into a Southern Baptist potluck. Some might question the potatoes’ subtle, smokey heat; just call it layered potato salad and you’ll be golden.

Those layers are made of smashed potatoes with olive oil and aji amarillo paste and a light tuna salad with mayo, lemon and parsley. The golden aji amarillo is the ingredient that sets this dish apart from standard American fare. Made from yellow Peruvian peppers, you can order it online if you don’t have access to Peruvian goods or make your own if you can grow or find the peppers. Traditional causa garnishes include black olives, tomatoes, boiled eggs, lettuce and lime.

Causa’s comfort factor transcends continents, and it makes a great light meal or sturdy side dish. You eat causa cold, so allot plenty of time for the dish to cool down in the fridge. I made this batch a day in advance.

Peruvian Causa
3 pounds yukon gold poatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
Salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces canned tuna, packed in olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or more to taste)

Garnish:
Sliced or chopped tomato
Sliced hard-boiled egg
Olives
Sliced avocado
Shredded lettuce
Lime wedges

Instructions
In a medium-sized pot, cover unpeeled potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil, salt the water generously, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. (If you prefer potatoes without the skin, allow them to cool for a few minutes, and peel.) Smash the potatoes with olive oil, aji amarillo paste, and salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, drain canned tuna, and mix with parsley, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste.

Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with plastic wrap. Divide potato mixture in half. Spread half of the potato mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top potatoes with tuna salad. Spread remaining potatoes over the tuna. Cover and chill for at least 4 (and up to 24) hours.

Once cool, invert the causa onto a platter, peel off the plastic wrap, and cut into desired portions. Top with garnishes, and serve.

Serves 6

For my birthday on Sunday, William almost made me Mark Bittman’s Pasta with Beans and Mussels. With a little help debearding the mussels and coordinating cooking times, he produced for me a lovely pasta dish that tasted like the sea.

The secret sauce for this recipe: The pasta finishes cooking in the murky, salty liquid left behind by the bivalves. Add in sweet mussels, starchy beans and grassy parsley for a singular, simple meal. And to my surprise, I truly relished the leftovers (always a sketchy proposition with seafood).

We stuck pretty firmly to the recipe—just using a heavy hand with the olive oil and wine. 

Thanks love.

My first taste of risotto was repulsive. My poor mother was trying to introduce her backwater children to a new food, but she failed, over salting the risotto and cooking it into a gummy mess. It was quite possibly the worst meal my Cindy has ever prepared. Thankfully she tried again with a new recipe and a slighter hand with the sodium.

Cindy has since mastered the dish. And it’s become a weeknight staple for William and me. While the constant stirring gives risotto a reputation for being labor intensive, the prep work really is a snap. Chop an onion, garlic and parsley. Throw them in a pot in good order, along with rice and a few more ingredients, and you have a one-pot meal.

I’ve adapted this risotto recipe from epicurious.com, and it takes on extra vegetables, herbs and flavors readily. Enjoy.

Lemon-parsley Risotto
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups carnaroli* or arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated parmesan
4 tablespoons butter 
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Zest and juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions
Bring stock to a near boil, and turn heat to low. Heat olive oil in a wide, 4- to 6-quart pot over medium, add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add rice to the pot and toast for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the rice as it toasts, and don’t stop stirring until the risotto is ready to hit the table. Pour in wine and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Now, add 1/2 cup stock at a time, pouring in the next 1/2 cup only after all of liquid has been absorbed by the rice. (Don’t forget to keep stirring.) Depending on how salty your stock is, I usually add 1 teaspoon kosher salt once 2 cups of stock have been added, so the rice has plenty of time to absorb the flavor. 

Once all of the liquid has been added, the grains should be al dente and the dish creamy (don’t let all of the liquid from you last pour get absorbed). Stir in the parmesan, butter, parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serves 4 main course or 6 side dish servings

*I prefer carnaroli over arborio rice, because it maintains its shape and firm texture.