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~ good eats from a small kitchen

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Tag Archives: Argentina

Campfire Cooking: Hobo Pies

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by Anonymous in argentina, breakfast and brunch, chile, desserts, entrees, recipes, travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Argentina, campfire, Camping, camping food, chile, food, hobo pies, mountain pies, sandwiches, the beach, travel

Why is this road so empty?

The wide open road heading into Paso San Francisco.

We made our way through northern Argentina more quickly than expected. Since we’ve had the opportunity to explore Salta, Tucumán, and Mendoza on previous trips, we basically made a beeline from Brazil to the Chilean coast. We crossed into Chile via the little used Paso de San Francisco, which included more than 100 kilometers of unpaved, extremely bumpy and winding roads through the Andes…an adventure that explains why we had the road virtually to ourselves.

Emerging from Paso San Francisco into the Atacama Desert in Chile

Emerging from Paso San Francisco into the Atacama Desert in Chile

Now we’re slowly working our way up the coast of Chile, where many of the beaches are wide open for public use, fishing, and camping. Having the opportunity to pitch a tent on a peaceful beach with the waves breaking and the sky overflowing with brilliant stars is extra special. And after subsisting on a diet of yogurt, crackers, canned tuna and mouthfuls of desert dust for a few days on the road, we were ready for some tasty camp food.

Playa Cifuncho Camping

I was first introduced to hobo pies by my high school BFF during a camping trip in Assateague Island, Maryland – another spot I highly recommend for some quality beach camping. When she whipped out her hobo pie maker, I admit that I did not believe the hype. It’s basically a square, sandwich-sized pie iron and I prepared myself for the equivalent of grilled cheese. But after devouring deliciously crispy mini pepperoni pizzas pockets and polishing off a S’mores sammie oozing melted chocolate and marshmallows, I was thoroughly convinced that I needed a hobo pie maker, stat. (Thanks Suzie! I should have never doubted you).

Hobo Pies

There’s really no recipe needed for a delicious hobo pie and experimenting is half the fun. The basic requirements are the pie iron (which you can purchase at camping/outdoor stores or online), some non-stick cooking spray, sliced bread, and of course, a campfire. Just grease the pie iron with the cooking spray, make your sandwich with your ingredients of choice, lock it up and stick it in the fire. Cooking time varies depending on the strength of your fire, but I generally check within a minute or so in case I want to adjust the positioning to reduce the potential for burnt toast. Simple, right? And something about cooking on a campfire just makes everything taste better.

With the limited ingredient options that come with traveling through South America, we’ve played it somewhat safe thus far. Toasted ham and cheese with a slice of tomato is a good bet for a quick and easy breakfast or lunch. For dinner, turkey, cheese and tomato sauce with some freshly ground black pepper hits the spot.  But I dream of making delicious Reuben Hobo Pies, or pies stuffed with brie and strawberries, or maybe some peanut butter banana chocolate goodness….but that will have to wait til we’re back in the homeland.

My Favorite Argentine Wine: Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc

14 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by Anonymous in argentina, mendoza, tips & how to's, travel

≈ Comments Off on My Favorite Argentine Wine: Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc

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Argentina, argentine wine, Cabernet Franc, favorites, Mendoza, red wine, tourist attraction, travel, wine, wine tasting

With our precious case of vino at Pulenta Estate winery in Mendoza.

With our precious case of vino at Pulenta Estate winery in Mendoza.

Malbec is typically Argentine wine’s claim to fame. But my favorite is a varietal I’d never even heard of before: Cabernet Franc. Although I’ve “tasted” (drank) a lot of wine over the years, I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a wine connoisseur or snob; I’m way too cheap for that. But I know enough that when I feel the need to remark on the deliciousness of every sip, it’s something special.

We discovered this red gem on a wine tasting tour in Mendoza last year, where one of the stops was Pulenta Estate. From the moment we were introduced to the Gran Cabernet Franc, both Gaspar and I were obsessed. So much so that we stopped by the winery on our way from Buenos Aires to the Chilean coast, just to pick up a case. What strikes you from the start is the fragrance of red pepper, which seems so odd but is actually really subtle and delicious. The taste is smooth, spicy and buttery. It’s a wine that demands to be savored.

Pulenta Estate Collage

According to the tasting notes on Pulenta Estate’s website, “This wine offers a deep red-purple colour, with an intense aroma of red pepper, eucalyptus and spices. Once in the mouth, it is sweet and pleasant due to the presence of round, ripe and soft tannins. Its 12 month aging in new French oak barrels grants it an elegant and long finish.”

You know, if that means anything to you. My tasting notes simply read: delicious!

If you’re in Buenos Aires, you can order Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc 2009 from Grand Cru. In other cities/countries, check their website for locations/distributors. I’ve already emailed the USA distributors to determine how I can get my hands on some once we’re back! If you’re lucky enough to be traveling to Mendoza, definitely check it out in person, plunk down the cash for a case…and give it to me.

Photo from Pulenta Estate website.

Photo from Pulenta Estate website.

PULENTA ESTATE WINERY – Ruta Provincial 86. Km 6,5. Alto Agrelo. Luján de Cuyo. Mendoza. Argentina.

Dining Out in Buenos Aires: Useful Words & Phrases

07 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by Anonymous in argentina, buenos aires, etiquette, restaurants, tips & how to's, travel

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires restaurant, castellano, dining out, español, food, how to order at a restaurant, restaurants, Rioplatense Spanish, tourists, translation, travel, useful words and phrases

Menus at Hierbabuena

For longer than I care to admit, I had a debilitating fear of ordering for myself at restaurants in Buenos Aires. My self-consciousness about my Spanish was overwhelming, prompting me to overthink every potential interaction and required response to the point that by the time the server arrived at the table I was completely tongue-tied.

Thankfully, those days are behind me, but the memory of my self-consciousness prompted me to put together this list of helpful words and phrases for beginners, so you can dine out in Buenos Aires with confidence.

First, some background to prepare you for the experience.

  • Many restaurants close down in the late afternoon. They may be open for lunch from noon until 4pm, then re-open at 8pm for dinner. Yes, that’s right my North American friends, be prepared to eat later than you’re used to.
  • Tipping 10% is customary. Many restaurants will charge a “cubierto” service charge – this is not the tip! It’s basically the cost of getting a table at their restaurant, or maybe the basket of bread? I’ve never really been clear on that.
  • Service is generally slow, if not otherwise atrocious. Don’t take it personally, it’s not you. Just sit back, relax, and try to enjoy the wait for your menu, your drinks, your food, and the bill. Make sure you’ve got plenty of time.
  • Many restaurants and cafés do not accept credit cards.

If all you can remember is “Vino, por favor!” you’re good to go. But just in case, here are some other words and phrases that may come in handy. This is by no means exhaustive, but covers the basics to get food in your belly. And keep in mind that some of the terms may be specific to Argentina or Rioplatense Spanish.

USEFUL PHRASES FOR DINING OUT IN BUENOS AIRES

“Excuse me…” = “Perdón…”

“A table for two, please.” = “Una mesa para dos personas, por favor.”

“What do you recommend?” = “Qué aconsejás?”

“I’d like to order ____.” = “Te pido ___ por favor.” Literal translation is “I ask you for ____ please”, which I know sounds super awkward to us Yanks, but it is what it is.

“Can I order food to go?” = “Puedo pedir para llevar?”

“Can I take the leftovers?” = “Puedo llevar las sobras?” But don’t be surprised if they look at you like you’re crazy or don’t have anything to package it in. This is not a common practice.

“The bill, please.” = “La cuenta, por favor.”

“Are credit cards accepted?” = “Se aceptan tarjetas de crédito?”

Have no fear! Order with confidence.

USEFUL VOCABULARY WORDS FOR DINING OUT IN BUENOS AIRES

appetizers: entradas

beer: una cerveza, un chopp (draft beer), un porrón (bottled beer), un litro (large liter bottle of beer to share…or not, no judgement)

the bill: la cuenta

chicken: pollo, suprema (chicken breast)

coffee: café, café con leche (coffee with milk)

dessert: postre

entrée: plato principal

fish: pescado; the most common are merluza (hake), lenguado (sole), and salmón rosado or blanco (pink or white salmon)

fork: tenedor

ham: jamón, jamón cocido (cooked, sliced ham), jamón crudo (dry-cured ham)

ice: hielo

juice: jugo

knife: cuchillo

menu: la carta

ground pepper: pimienta negra molida

napkin: servilleta

pork: cerdo, bondiola (pork shoulder), chorizo (pork sausage)

potatoes: papas, papas fritas (fries) puré de papas (mashed potatoes)

rice: arroz

salad: ensalada

salt: sal

seafood: mariscos

server: mozo/a

silverware/cutlery: cubiertos

soda: gaseosa

soup: sopa

spoon: cuchara

steak / meat: carne (check out this post from Wander Argentina for a list of all the various cuts); to request meat cooked rare: vuelta y vuelta, medium rare: jugoso, medium: al punto, well done: bien cocido. Rest assured, it will arrive at the table more well done than you’d wanted.

sugar: azúcar

tea: té

vegetarian: vegetariano

water: agua con gas (sparkling water), agua sin gas (still bottled water)

wine: vino, vino tinto (red wine), vino blanco (white wine), una copa de vino (a glass of wine), una botella de vino (a bottle of wine)

 

Parillada Para Dos, Por Favor

28 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by Anonymous in argentina, buenos aires, restaurants, travel

≈ Comments Off on Parillada Para Dos, Por Favor

Tags

Argentina, blood sausage, Buenos Aires, Chapadmalal, chorizo, cold beers, dining al fresco, Mar del Plata, meat, morcilla, parrilla, Parrillada, Recoleta, restaurants, sweetbreads

Buenos Aires would be a tough town for a vegetarian.

I’ve encountered meat treats that I never knew existed, and many that I try not to think about too hard as I’m savoring (hello, morcilla). There’s no shortage of protein options, and for better or worse no…part, shall we say?…goes to waste.

One of my favorite meals, and a must for anyone traveling here, is ordering some version of parillada para dos: literally, grill for two (or four, or six, etc). A small charcoal grill is brought to your table sizzling with mouth-watering smells and piled with succulent cuts of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), riñon (kidneys) and sweetbreads.

My favorite spot in the Capital to spend an afternoon digging into a mountain of carne is in Recoleta, at any of the parrillas on Junín along the walls of El Cementerio de la Recoleta. An odd preference, perhaps, but I had my first parrillada experience at Clark’s so I’ve got a soft spot for it. I also always look forward to hitting Tata Juancho along Ruta 11 between Mar del Plata and Chapadmalal. During weekend trips to the beach we religiously stop here to enjoy some cold beers, sizzling grilled meat, and perfectly crisped fries outside at one of their picnic tables, with Judah successfully scouring the premises for discarded scraps and being treated to her own chunks of meat fresh off the grill from the dog-loving grillmasters.

While the cuts of meat can vary in quality and appeal, for me, the beauty of the parrillada is the experience. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

TATA JUANCHO – Ruta 11 km 7,5 south of Mar del Plata

CLARK’S – Junín 1777 in Recoleta

Anuva: Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Anonymous in buenos aires, tips & how to's, travel

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Anuva Wines, Argentina, Bonardo, Buenos Aires, champagne, Malbec, Mendoza, quality wines, things to do in Buenos Aires, Torrontés, tourist attraction, wine pairing, wine tasting, wine tastings

Vino

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. When moving to Argentina, I anticipated a bounty of two of my favorite things: steak and wine. I haven’t been disappointed. While the wine in Buenos Aires is plentiful and affordable, the area with the most well-known reputation for serious wine-lovers is Mendoza. Naturally, we went there as soon as possible, and loved it. The scenery is breathtaking, and the wine tours are (literally) intoxicating. I do recommend it.

But Mendoza is far. Getting there can be time-consuming and pricey. And while touring the vineyards and bodegas was fascinating, the process of actually tasting and appreciating the wine didn’t seem to be a big focus on our tour. I’m not sure we did much more than swirl and ingest. And much more of the latter than the former.

Enter, Buenos Aires’s own Anuva Wines. Anuva is essentially a wine club, dedicated to hand sourcing limited production wines from South America. They host intimate wine tasting events in Palermo, introducing visitors to high-quality wines from small wineries, many of which barely export and are extremely limited in production.

Their wine tastings are offered at a variety of days and times, and we opted for a 2pm Saturday tasting because we day-drink like that. We were lucky enough to book a time with Cara as our host, who we’d first met over a delightful dinner at NOLA Buenos Aires. She knows her stuff. And she provides detailed background on wine regions, characteristics, and processes in a simple and approachable way, without making you feel at all ashamed for previously viewing Two Buck Chuck as a special occasion wine.

Each wine was truly unique, and came with a food pairing to complement and enhance the flavors.

Champagne and a toast point with blue cheese, sour cream, arugula and walnut

Hom Espumante, an extra brut sparkling wine, was accompanied by a toast point with blue cheese, sour cream, arugula and walnut.

Torrontés and strawberry and peach sorbet from Persicco

Carinae Torrontés paired with strawberry and peach sorbet from Persicco

Salame & Cheeses

Mairena Bonarda served with spicy salame and cheese picadas

Malbec and an empanada

San Gimignano Malbec paired with a Salteña-style empanada

Blend and chocolate amargo from Fénix

Caluna Blend (malbec, cabernet sauvignon and merlot) served with chocolate amargo from Fénix

As you can see, while the emphasis isn’t necessarily getting bien pedo, there is plenty of vino to be had and you’ll not be left wanting for heavier pours. By the end of the afternoon we were feeling pleasantly chatty, yet 100% functional without the threat of a hangover by late evening. The perfect balance. And I learned a LOT. The highlight for me was getting more background on Torrontés and Bonarda, two wines I’d been completely unfamiliar with before arriving in Argentina and which I now plug shamelessly to whomever will listen.

Overall, a great experience, and one I’d highly recommend for residents and tourists alike.

ANUVA WINES – visit their website for the details on the wine store, wine club and booking wine tastings.

Brown Sugar in Argentina

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Anonymous in buenos aires

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Argentina, azúcar negra, azúcar rubia, brown sugar, Buenos Aires, expat life

Before moving, both Gaspar and I spent a lot of time on sites and forums like BAExpats.org trying to get a feel for what we were getting ourselves into. Sifting through the always cheery tales of inflation or crime, I came across a claim I found hard to accept. There’s no brown sugar. The horror!

But scratch that. I think what forum complainer #598 meant was that there’s no brown sugar like what we’re used to in the USA. Light brown sugar that’s moist (sorry, I hate using that word) with a fine grain is indeed elusive. Instead, your options are azúcar negra (black sugar) or azúcar rubia (blond sugar). Negra seems to be the most commonly available, carried in most of the neighborhood chinos, and rubia is available at most dietéticas. I’ve alternated using each when recipes call for brown sugar, and while neither is an exact replacement, after my various experiments I fully endorse the black stuff.

Azúcar negra has a larger grain than brown sugar estadounidense, and while it’s moist enough to hold together it does tend to be a bit more crumbly. It doesn’t bring about the exact same results, but in most cases I’ve actually found the finished product is improved with a more noticeable molasses flavor and chewier texture. Excellent news for my chocolate chip cookies!

As for the rubia…meh. It seems almost interchangeable with typical white processed sugar to me, just with the brown color of a natural cane sugar. The grains are larger, and there is no moisture whatsoever. Not really impressed.

In any case, I’m happy to report that this particular dark and gloomy warning about life in Buenos Aires has not come to pass. The rest, well….yeah, that stuff’s true. But one can still make chocolate chip cookies, pecan pies and cinnamon streusel toppings. Shwoo! Priorities, people.

Chau, Estados Unidos

07 Monday May 2012

Posted by Anonymous in buenos aires

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Argentina, Buenos Aires, expat life, Mercado San Telmo

Mercado San Telmo, my new go-to for fresh meats, fruits and veggies

Time to dust off the blog and get back in the kitchen. As one would imagine, in the span of two years quite a bit can happen. For example, one may find oneself uprooted from the glistening aisles of organic decadence in a vast Whole Foods in Chicago and dropped into a noisy mercado, staring at a gutted pig carcass and trying to wrangle ribs from a butcher in Spanish. (I swear to God it’s costillas de cerdo, yet somehow I always end up with pork chops).

Puesto 54 offers the best meats at Mercado San Telmo

No matter. After nine months of living in Buenos Aires I’ve learned to be flexible and creative when it comes to cooking, I’ve gotten used to shopping in five different places to track down the ingredients for one meal, and I’ve adjusted to the short storage life of foods that aren’t pumped full of preservatives. Chicken breasts really shouldn’t survive in a fridge for days, anyhow.

The ever-rotating selection of fresh fruits and veggies at the Mercado

When moving to Buenos Aires, I didn’t have a lot of pre-conceived notions about what it would be like. I’d never even been here before, and if I believed everything I read on the internet I’d have expected to be robbed and/or assaulted within the first few days. (If you ever want to scare the shit out of yourself before a trip, seek out the ex-pat forums for your destination. It’s cynicism on a whole new level, friends.)

Happily, nine months in I’ve yet to be robbed or attacked, unless you count getting fake money out of an ATM as robbery or dirty piropos as verbal assault, and I’ve really started to settle in and focus on enjoying the changes and opportunities our new life in Argentina presents. Bringing this blog to life is one of them.

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