Category Archives: travel

Hierbabuena en la Primavera

24 Monday Sep 2012

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Bienvenida primavera! I’m so very pleased to see you again. The days of lazy long lunches al fresco have returned.

Freshly squeezed limonadas – photo from Hierbabuena’s Facebook page.

One of my favorite spots to do just that is Hierbabuena. The place is adorable, the food is divine, and the wait staff is friendly. I’m always impressed with the quality of their menu; everything is so natural and fresh, and the flavor combinations are spot-on. I usually fall for the Menú del Día, although my other top favorite is the Brie Salad: warm brie over beet carpaccio with a date and nut vinaigrette. Believe it or not, I’ve yet to try the brunch they’re so well-known for, mostly because I prefer my brunch savory and there are so many other options calling to me. I highly recommend a jug of one of their juices, or a smoothie. You’ll feel energized immediately.

Photo of the charming interior from Hierbabuena’s Facebook page.

This gorgeous day, we considered our lunch options over a chilled bottle of Cafayate Torrontés. I went for the Menú del Día: shrimp kebabs with grilled brie, braised pears and a mandarin reduction.  Gaspar got his favorite, the Avocado Sandwich. A chicken breast smothered in avocado, melted cheese, tomato, egg and mayo.

So consistently excellent. This spot is what spring in the city’s all about.

HIERBABUENA – Av. Caseros 454 in San Telmo

An Underground Market Highlight: Las Cabrillas Queso de Cabra

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

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The second Buenos Aires Underground Market was this past weekend, with an even larger turnout and more vendors of every stripe, from Vietnamese food and pulled pork to bagels and Dutch pancakes. Check out The Argentina Independent’s Facebook album for pictures of all the action.

I definitely enjoy sharing tasty treats with crowds of people, and I also like discovering them for myself. The market can be a bit of a whirlwind for the vendors, so it can be hard to slip away and indulge. But in addition to the obligatory (delicious) spicy Cajun Bloody Mary from NOLA Chef and a beer from Boudicca, we were able to scoop up an assortment of goat cheese from Las Cabrillas to indulge in later.

I LOVE this cheese. From chevrotin to feta to cheddar (yes, it’s the real deal!) the flavors are intense and the texture is excellent. The story behind the company is pretty cool, too. Las Cabrillas is a program managed by FUNDAPAZ, an organization that promotes the development of small rural farmers and indigenous communities in northern Argentina. The program works with more than 100 farmers, providing them funding and technical assistance to produce high-quality goat cheese. So you should feel good after eating a whole block yourself. (Or is that just me?)

For a complete list of where you can find Las Cabrillas cheeses, check out their website.

Buenos Aires Underground Market: Saturday, September 15

10 Monday Sep 2012

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Yay, it’s back!

After the gran éxito in June, the Argentina Independent is bringing back the Buenos Aires Underground Market this weekend and we will be there! I had a hard time deciding what to make this time around, but after some taste-testing two tried and true favorites have made it to the menu. Fruit Pizza will be making its debut, and the Tres Leches shall return.

Photo credit: Lili Kocsis at myamusedbouche.com

Once again, the Underground Market will offer a huge variety of delicious artisanal foods.  There’ll be desserts from Kelly Poindexter, good eats from NOLA Chef, chocolates from Jueves a la Mesa, hot sauce, goat cheese, spring rolls, smoothies, and my personal weakness: hand-crafted beer! We’ll be back at IMPA La Fábrica, an old factory space in Almagro with muy buena onda. The event starts at noon and goes til 5pm, but get there early for the best selection. Good food goes fast, y’know. RSVP on Facebook for more deets.

¡Nos vemos el sábado!

¿Qué es esto? Cherimoya.

07 Friday Sep 2012

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Along with the (sporadically) warmer temperatures comes a new season of fruits and vegetables at the mercado. I’ve already made it clear what my favorite is. Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of fruits I’ve never seen before. Starting with these dragon egg impostors.

The verdulera explained that these cherimoyas are from Chile, and would be very sweet when ripe. You have to wait until the skin starts to turn brown and has a little bit of give, similar to an avocado. I was excited.

Alas, this was no palta-like experience. The flesh of the fruit is white and soft, with large black seeds that are easy to remove. The verdulera recommended chilling it and eating it with a spoon. Apparently, it’s often compared to a sherbet. Wikipedia claims that people characterize the flavor as a mix of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach and strawberry. What type of highly developed palates these people must have to be able to detect such a mix of flavors, I can only guess. Because to me, it tasted straight up like cheap bubblegum. Perhaps it’s the memory of the fake bubblegum-flavored fluoride treatments of my youth; I just couldn’t really stomach it. But they still look pretty damn cool.

Have you ever tried cherimoya, and if so, are you a fan?

They’re baaaaack!

31 Friday Aug 2012

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Spring is slowly creeping back to Buenos Aires. The warm and sunny days are starting to return, and with them, one of my very favorite food items: avocados as big as your face.

I first encountered these giants shortly after our arrival in Buenos Aires a year ago, when my Spanish didn’t extend very far beyond gracias and por favor. “Qué es esto?” I asked the verdulera. “Palta.” Hmmmm. This meant nothing to me. So I bought one and examined it. It somewhat resembled a Hass avocado, but was at least three times the size and with a thinner skin. Could it be…? Oh, yes. Yes, it was.

Just for some perspective….

As a lover of the buttery green fruit, after cutting into one of these bad boys it was really hard to accept that they’re only available during their temporada, and when they began to slowly disappear from the mercado my horror was obvious. So last week, the verdulera was grinning ear to ear as soon as she saw me. “Paltas gigantes!” I will be eating them with a spoon for the next few months.

Really, this doesn’t even do them justice.

El Sótano de los Quesos: The Cheese Cellar

23 Thursday Aug 2012

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After a failed attempt to reach Uruguay this past weekend, we unexpectedly spent a few days in Colón, Argentina. (Long story, don’t ask). While the weekend overall didn’t exactly go as planned, we definitely lucked out as far as the location in which we were briefly stranded. Colón is a charming historic town on the western shore of the Río Uruguay, with a mix of quaint shops, riverside restaurants and thriving nightlife.

On our search for the bright side, we stumbled across El Sótano de los Quesos (The Cheese Cellar) with its sunny patio overlooking the river. After ordering up a lunch of delicious picadas, fresh bread and a refreshing fruity licuado, I scoped out el sótano. 

As soon as you duck into the stone cellar, you’re met with piles of fresh cheeses, salame, bondiola and bread. Shelves are lined with homemade flavored oils and marmalade, jars of preserved meats, fresh honey, and pickled veggies. One corner is dedicated to fresh milks, yogurt and ricotta. A small alcove in the back is stocked with homemade wines, craft brews and artisanal liqueurs.

Pategras and provolone are available in abundance, with some mounds of provolone already seasoned with oregano and ready for the parilla, provoleta-style.  I was also delighted to find non-standard fare like mermelada de tomate (tomato jam) and pickled venison.

If you’re ever in Colón (hopefully by your own free will) it’s definitely worth spending a lazy afternoon by the river, and picking up some artisanal treats to take home.

EL SÓTANO DE LOS QUESOS – En el Puerto de Colón Entre Rios

Chivito: Another Reason to Love Uruguay

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Chivito para dos in Colón, Argentina

Steak is often the centerpiece of meals in Argentina and Uruguay, and it’s delicious without much dressing up. So whoever thought to top it with a fried egg, mozzarella, and ham? Pure genius.

While I’ve heard claims that the story behind the chivito‘s origins is urban legend, I tend to buy it because…well, it’s just not that remarkable. As it goes, back in the 60’s an Argentine woman vacationing in Punta del Este went to a restaurant and asked for chivito (little goat) like they had back home in Córdoba. Basically, she was craving a baby goat sandwich. Since the chef didn’t have any goat meat, he created this sandwich instead and dubbed it chivito. It’s now recognized as a national dish in Uruguay, and is also popular in parts of Argentina where it’s sometimes called lomito. It’s usually served on a crusty roll with a thin slice of churrasco, fried or hard-boiled egg, ham, mayo, cheese, and tomato.

Chivito al plato is basically just served without the bread, usually over papas fritas. Sometimes it’s served with a side of Russian salad (as in the photo above), which I’d never heard of before but is a little heavy on the mayonnaise for my taste.

Chivito al plato in Colonia, Uruguay

While I love the sandwich version, particularly of the street vendor variety, I find them really messy to eat so I prefer to go al plato and dig in with a fork and knife. Not that eating one of these is possible without making a mess. They tend to be on the gargantuan side.

If you’re not in the neighborhood, try making one at home. A recent article in the New York Times puts chivito on par with iconic sandwiches like the Reuben and Philly cheesesteak, and offers a breakdown of recommendations for preparing them.

Indulgence Francés at Brasserie Petanque

06 Monday Aug 2012

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There’s something I love about nestling into this delightful French restaurant in the midst of San Telmo’s cobblestone-paved antiquity. It just feels…special.

Probably due at least in part to the complimentary Kir Royale whisked over upon arrival.

It’s always hard to decide what to order. There are so many delicious options! To start, agonize over choices like oysters, tuna carpaccio with pistachios and mango, or buttery garlicky escargots. Then move on to agonizing over cassoulet, beef burgundy, or duck breast in orange sauce.

On this sunny afternoon, Gaspar went for the groan-inducing deliciousness of the rabbit with dijon sauce. It’s pretty much a given: one of us has to order it.

Conejo a la mostaza de Dijon at Brasserie Petanque

And I can never say no to raw meat. The steak tartare was calling me. Topped with Dijon mustard and an egg yolk, it was majestic.

Steak Tartare at Brasserie Petanque

Raw is the name of the game.

Going during the mediodía will save you a decent chunk of change in comparison to the steeper dinner prices. So go on a sunny day, sit by the windows and enjoy a bit of decadence.

BRASSERIE PETANQUE – Defensa 596 (esquina México)

Read reviews on Guía Oleo and Trip Advisor.

Desayuno Dulce

02 Thursday Aug 2012

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Despite the abundance of decidedly indulgent food featured on the blog, believe it or not, we generally eat pretty healthy (healthily? healthfully? I need a copy editor). Whatever. My point is, every once in a while you just have to treat yourself. As I’ve mentioned before, breakfast and brunch are not a huge deal in Buenos Aires. The standard at the local cafés is usually along the lines of some tostadas with queso crema and mermelada, or a pile of medialunas. Cue sad trombone. I say, if you’re going to carb load why not just fully commit? Bring on the pastries.

After sampling pastries from a variety of panaderías and confiterías in San Telmo, I’ve finally found my favorite in the barrio. All you people who swear by Del Amanacer…well, you’re just wrong.

Panadería y Confitería Santa María is an unassuming shop on Defensa with an ever-present display of delicate alfajores in the window…and not a whole lot else. Unless you count the decorations for Christmas, New Year’s and Easter that stay in the window year-round. But hey, no judgement. You’ll be willing to overlook that when you step inside on a weekend morning, look to the left, and find a wall full of pastries of every shape, color and size. There’s a wide variety of medialunas, a selection of churros, and other breakfast delights stuffed with membrillo, some sort of cheesecake-like topping that I have yet to identify, and of course, dulce de leche. You can select your own mix of a dozen sweet treats for $24 pesos.

PANADERÍA Y CONFITERÍA SANTA MARÍA DE AGUILERA

Defensa 670 en San Telmo, Capital Federal

Recipe: Cilantro Chimichurri

30 Monday Jul 2012

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Asado is a staple of Argentine culture and cooking. The word loosely translates to the English word barbecue; it can be an actual event or it can refer to the food. There’s no limit to the types and cuts of meat that can be piled on the parrilla for an asado.

Just like its North American brethren, no asado would be complete without condiments. The most common in Argentina would have to be chimichurri, a sauce typically made of chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil and vinegar. I’d had chimichurri before at Argentinian steakhouses in the USA and was never really bowled over. But then I tried the chimichurri at a hole-in-the-wall parrilla serving choripan in San Telmo. The greasy, murky jar with the little plastic spoon may not have been so visually appealing, but that ish was delish. I had to make some at home.

Because I love cilantro, this version includes it, and is also heavy on the garlic. It’s amazing how such simple ingredients can come together so deliciously.

Chimichurri can also be used as a marinade before grilling, and I’ve found this recipe complements steak, pork and chicken. It’s definitely best with grilled meats, but I’ve used it with braised meat as well and have even mixed it with cooked quinoa for a tasty side dish.

This recipe is adapted from one in Bon Appétit.

CILANTRO CHIMICHURRI

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp. sea salt

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 red jalapeño, finely chopped

2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chopped parsley

2 T. dried oregano (or 1/3 fresh, chopped)

1/2 cup olive oil

Combine vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, garlic, shallot and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil. If using as a marinade, reserve at least a 1/2 cup of the chimichurri, sprinkle with salt to taste, and use later as a sauce. For the marinade, put meat in a glass, stainless steel or ceramic dish and toss with remaining chimichurri. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight before grilling.