Charquican
By Valentina Saavedra
In honour of my battered yet resilient country of birth and the wonderfully simple yet robust dishes we grew up with I’d like to introduce you to yet another classic dish so let’s keep all things Chilean!
And here is a “poor man’s” dish – as they call them back home.
The idea behind a poor mans dish is that you should be able to grab whatever you have in your pantry/fridge throw it together quickly and cheaply and come out with a wonderfully textured meal. Add a traditional Chilean tomato and onion salad a good glass of wine and you’re good to go!
The thing about Chilean food is that its not meant to be exact- it’s about feeling your way through it, tasting as you go, it’s meant to be an experience… trust your instincts and change it up a little 
only one rule in mami’s house – keep it real
Viva Chile!
Publisher-Creator Mikhail Saavedra began life down by the deepest tip of southern Latin America. He started life with a deep curiosity for all things, with music and books being at the forefront, a curious child by all accounts. As he grew and opened his eyes to the world, he developed a sense of justice and dignity in part as a reaction to growing up in a military dictatorship. Alas, this did not fill him with fear or cynicism but a more rebellious spirit, which led him to being incredibly popular at the principal’s office and the local riot police department….
Then came Canada and it was here that he was able to formulate his deep desire to learn about the world, with Toronto being the kind of multicultural soup that could engage his need to know and embrace. It started with writing, then moved on to what became Toronto’s first Latin Alternative radio show, followed by an all-English show in the same vein. It was this desire to find the true “crossover” among people, which led him to the concept of “Alternavox”
He is a lover of wine, good food, Neruda, Eduardo Galeano, rebel music, revolutionaries, dancing, family and beautiful people. Believes that kindness in this much too cynical world is revolutionary, that you are a better person when able to give a little without asking for the change and that on the same token you should laugh at yourself and the madness surrounding you as often as possible as you set out to change the world bit by bit. 