Tag Archives: food

Pisco Sours & Comfort Food on Peru’s Southern Coast

04 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by in drinks, peru, recipes, travel

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

To the beach!

After leaving Arequipa, we made a brief stop in Nazca to check out the mysterious Nazca lines, ancient geoglyphs depicting more than 70 animals and believed to have been created by the Nazca culture between 400 and 650 AD. My fear of heights and tiny propeller planes prevented us from doing a flyover, but we settled for climbing a lookout tower to scope out some of the sand drawings.

Nazca Lines

Because we’re not going to make it to the Galapagos, we decided instead to tour the Islas Ballestas in Paracas, affectionately referred to as the “poor man’s Galapagos”. In addition to the ginormous candelabro sand drawing, we got to see huge colonies of sea lions, adorable Humboldt penguins, and more birds than should be able to fit on one rock.

Islas Ballestas

Then on to Pisco, the home of the Perú’s world-famous national drink, the pisco sour. Pisco is a grape brandy native to Perú and Chile, best complemented by the tartness of lime juice. To make a Peruvian Pisco Sour, mix 3 ounces of pisco, an ounce of simple syrup or a Tablespoon of sugar, the juice from 2 – 3 limes, a few cubes of ice, and an egg white in a blender. Top the frothy mixture with a few dashes of Angostura bitters and enjoy.

Pisco Sours and Cancha

As we learned when sitting down to drinks or a meal, many Peruvian restaurants serve cancha to nibble on, as bars in the USA may serve peanuts. Cancha is toasted corn kernels, served golden brown and crunchy topped with plenty of salt. I couldn’t stop marveling at the size of corn kernels in Perú, and I have yet to find a satisfactory answer for how they get so huge.

Peruvian Corn and Cancha

When we weren’t at the hostel grilling up fresh-caught bonito, a delicious firm-textured fish in the same family as tuna, we were all about the comfort food. Meal highlights from our stay in surf mecca Punta Hermosa include a delicious chaufa de pollo, one of the many delicious Peruvian takes on Chinese fried rice.

Chaufa de Pollo

One more than one occasion we also devoured bistec a lo pobre, one of our favorite South American dishes consisting of a super flavorful thin-pounded steak and a runny fried egg served over crispy fries. As a bonus, this version included some sizzling salchichas.

Bistec a lo Pobre

I think it’s safe to say my commitment to healthy eating on this trip has gone right out the window. Sorry I’m not sorry.

A Whole New World of Flavor in the Peruvian Andes

01 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in peru, restaurants, travel

≈ Comments Off on A Whole New World of Flavor in the Peruvian Andes

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hola Perú!

Hola Perú! Qué linda que sos!

Holy crap, you guys. It’s a good thing I’m not actually paid to blog on a regular basis, cause I would be fired and/or broker than broke.

More than a month has passed since we crossed into Perú and it’s been sensory overload: so much to see, so much to hear, so much to taste. After a steady diet of un-spiced and under-salted foods in Argentina, it was like an explosion of flavor topped off with lots of pisco sours. In other words: me gustó. MUCHO.

The Peruvian welcoming committee: fields of alpacas.

The Peruvian welcoming committee: fields of alpacas.

After leaving Chile, we drove through the Andes to Puno, a quaint and very traditional town on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. I share this little nugget of information with you not to give you an edge in your next game of Trivial Pursuit (you’re welcome), but so that you can appreciate that going from sea level to 4,000 meters meant a bad case of soroche (altitude sickness). We’re excellent planner-aheaders. It took us a few days to feel human again.

As soon as we could, we visited the famous Uros Islands, floating man-made islands constructed of reeds and inhabited by pre-Incan indigenous groups that maintain a simple, provincial lifestyle. We then began roaming the streets to join in the colorful festivities for the close of the Virgen de la Candeleria festival, watching native dance troupes in traditional garb and spectacular costumes flooding the dusty plazas accompanied by drums and pan pipes, paying homage to Puno’s patron saint.

Puno Collage

When our stomachs had forgiven us for the rapid ascent, we ventured into a small corner restaurant specializing in local delicacies with a menu that was prepared daily (on the rare days they were open) and sold til they ran out. We found that our Spanish skills did nothing for us when it came to deciphering the handful of dishes on the menu, so we asked the waitress for her recommendation and crossed our fingers. We were rewarded handsomely. We waged a silent war over the last bites of the savory adobo arequipeño, a spicy pork stew made with plenty of peppers and chicha de jora, a fermented corn beer. Sadly, the photos I took in the dim restaurant with my sub-par camera make the dish look less than appealing, so stock photo it is until I figure out how to duplicate the recipe on my own.

Photo courtesy of RecetasGratis.net

Photo of Adobo Arequipeño courtesy of RecetasGratis.net

While we’d planned to head to the Sacred Valley, Cusco, and Machu Picchu, a kidnapping warning issued by the U.S. Embassy put a damper on those plans. Driving through remote mountain roads in a foreign car with US plates and a pile of luggage and surfboards on top isn’t exactly helpful if you’d like to keep a low profile. Better safe than…kidnapped? So instead we headed to Arequipa, where we stayed at the delightfully isolated El Lago Estelar hotel and felt sorry for ourselves for a few hours for missing out on one of the wonders of the world. By the time we had dinner, we were over it. The hotel restaurant was stellar. Peruvians love to boast about the breadth of their country’s food “specialties” with good reason. There are so many! Each region has something truly special to offer, and El Lago Estelar did Arequipa proud. To give you an idea of how good, we extended our stay just to keep eating. Not ashamed.

Highlights were the Tacu Tacu, an Afro-Peruvian staple that brings together cooked beans and rice into a soft dough, fried to a crisp and in this case served with a thinly pounded milanesa-style steak, plantains and a fried egg.

Tacu Tacu

And the rocoto relleno, a spicy red rocoto pepper – not to be confused with a bell pepper lest you want to burn your face off – stuffed with savory spiced beef and served with a gratin of thinly sliced potatoes and cheese.

Rocoto Relleno

Again I promise you, with better lighting and a half-decent camera, these would look as mouth-wateringly delicious as they tasted. Trust me?

Because I’m so woefully behind and can appreciate the short attention span of the modern blog reader (with the exception of my die-hard fans, a.k.a. my family – hi y’all, love you!) I’ll be sharing highlights from our leisurely trip up the coast of Peru soon. With much improved photos! I find the strength of that coastal sun is good for more than just wrinkle enhancement.

Eating (and Drinking) Our Way Through Chile

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by in antofagasta, chile, san pedro de atacama, travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

La Portada in Antofagasta, Chile

La Portada in Antofagasta, Chile

After arriving in Chile, we worked our way up the coast from Bahía Inglesa to Arica, on the border of Peru. Because we spent so much of our time here camping on the beach, I haven’t done a great job of chronicling our comidas. I’ve been too busy wondering if I will ever get all of the sand off of my person and possessions. (Answer: no, never).

But there have been good eats. Lots of good eats. These are the highlights.

Fried Reineta with Ensalada Chilena

In Juan Lopez, a small beach town just north of Antofagasta and its iconic Portada, we crowded into a roadside stall to devour delicious fried fish with sides of rice and ensalada chilena, a basic salad of sliced tomatoes, white onions, and chopped parsley. The fish, reineta, was a mild white variety fried in a light cumin seasoning. We thoroughly approved.

Clockwise from top left: Laguna Miscanti with Miñiques Volcano in the background; Gaspar in the crystal clear water at the Puritama Hot Springs; floating in Laguna Cejar, a lake in the Atacama salt flat with a high salt concentration; Las Tres Marias in the Valley of the Moon

Atacama highlights clockwise from top left: Laguna Miscanti with Miñiques Volcano in the background; Gaspar in the crystal clear water at the Puritama Hot Springs; me bobbing around in Laguna Cejar, a lake in the Atacama salt flat with a salt concentration that rivals the Dead Sea; and finally the eerie moonscape surrounding Las Tres Marias in the Valley of the Moon

Then we took an inland detour to hit San Pedro de Atacama, a pueblo in the Atacama desert that is surrounded by natural wonders including fields full of bubbling geysers, enormous salt flats, hot springs, and a better view of the stars than I ever imagined possible. In between bouts of grilling and sandwich-making, we hit the pedestrian street Calle Caracoles for dinner and had an excellent goat cheese and tomato appetizer served simmering in olive oil with garlic, onions and thyme from Casa de Piedra.

Goat Cheese & Tomato

Because I’m a big fat fan of big fat sandwiches, I had to try one of the most common sammies being hawked by the corner shops and street vendors: the churrasco completo, loaded with thinly sliced beef, cheese, tomato, mayo, avocado, and chucrut (basically sauerkraut). It’s greasy, it’s messy, it’s everything I demand from a big fat sandwich. Well done, Chilenos!

Chilean Churrasco Sandwich

I definitely embrace the Chilean love of avocado. In addition to being eaten by the slice, puré de palta (pureed avocado) is a go-to condiment that lines the sandwich counters in pump canisters alongside ketchup and mayo, gracing hot dogs, hamburgers and fries alike. I’m pretty sure that when I reflect on Chilean cuisine in the future, the two foodstuffs that will forever come to mind are avocado and mayonnaise. On everything.

And of course, no meal would be complete without trying some new vinos. We discovered carménère, a member of the cabernet family that used to be produced exclusively in Bordeaux, France but now Chile boasts the world’s largest area planted with the variety. It’s a medium-bodied, deep crimson wine often used for blending, but in its pure form has a cherry-like, fruity flavor with spicy undertones that we found really appealing. Salud!

Image from Ciudad Restaurant

Casillero del Diablo carménere image from Ciudad Restaurant

Today we’re heading into Peru, where I’m looking forward to drowning in pisco and ceviche and hopefully avoiding any more bouts of altitude sickness. As I learned in San Pedro de Atacama, 4,500 meters above sea level can make a tummy feel no bueno. Wish me luck!

Campfire Cooking: Hobo Pies

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Recipe: Polenta & Spinach Soup

11 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in appetizers and sides, entrees, recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Spinach & Polenta Soup

I admit, it may be a bit odd to make thick, hot soup when it’s pushing 90 degrees outside. But I’m on a mission to use up all of our food stuffs in the next week, including a half kilo of polenta. So, sorry husband! Sit in front of the fan and eat it.

Polenta is a ground cornmeal that has a smooth, creamy texture when cooked. It originated in Italy, so I suppose it’s no surprise that it’s so popular in Buenos Aires. According to Wikipedia it’s known as a “peasant food”, which seems kind of rude, right? But considering I’ve made at least five meals out of this one-kilo bag with no end in sight, I suppose I can see the correlation.

I actually purchased the polenta just to try this recipe out in the first place. It was so good that rather than expanding my polenta-cooking repertoire I just made it again…and again, and again. It’s cheap, super flavorful, and takes about 30 minutes to whip together. Well, 45 if you have to carefully clean each leaf of spinach, like I do.

The original recipe was from Bon Appétit. I’ve altered it to suit my preferences.

POLENTA & SPINACH SOUP

  • 6 cups (or more) of chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup polenta
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 8 ounces baby spinach leaves
  • Fresh shredded parmesan or sharp cheddar cheese

Bring 6 cups of broth to a simmer in a sauce pan; cover to keep warm. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 1 cup hot broth; whisk over medium-high heat until smooth. Stir in butter and garlic; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Gradually add 5 cups hot broth by cupfuls. Boil gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened, whisking frequently and adding more broth to thin, if desired, about 15 to 25 minutes depending on the strength of your stovetop. Stir in spinach by handfuls; simmer until wilted, stirring often, 5 minutes longer. Season with more coarse salt and black pepper. Spoon into bowls and top with shredded cheese.

Learning to Cook Seafood in Chile (aka, A Cry for Help)

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in algarrobo, chile, tips & how to's, travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pulpo a la Plancha

Pulpo a la Plancha from Sur Patagónico in Santiago, Chile

I’ve often lamented the lack of delicious, fresh seafood in Buenos Aires. Despite the city’s location on the Atlantic coast, seafood’s not always a common sight on restaurant menus. Sure, there are some gems like Crizia where you can find oysters and fish beyond merluza, but they’re not the norm…and certainly not always budget-friendly. And buying seafood to make at home can also be a challenge. The fish markets in Barrio Chino are affordable, but quite the hike from San Telmo. El Delfín is a great pescadería within walking distance, but paying $100 pesos for two servings of salmon is a tad too rich for my blood.

That is why we were freaking out over all the frutas del mar during our recent roadtrip to the coast of Chile. We spent some time in the beach town Algarrobo, overdosing on seafood. I’m happy to report that every single restaurant we entered had a robust selection, and the pescaderías were plentiful and affordable.

Pelicans outside the pescadería in Algarrobo

Pelicans outside the pescadería in Algarrobo

When we’re on the road, we try to cook for ourselves as much as possible to keep things healthier and cost-effective. The thing is, cooking seafood is not my specialty. So these were experiments, which I’m happy to report turned out quite well.

We cooked our fish fillets on the grill, wrapped in foil with butter and plenty of lemon slices. They were super quick and easy, and crazy flavorful. Win!

Fish Fillets on the Grill

And then we got ambitious. We picked up some machas (razor clams), which we’d been spying everywhere and which made our little cabaña smell absolutely heinous for the rest of our stay. And of course, once we had them in our possession, we realized we had zero clue what to do with them. After searching the internet using the painfully slow and completely unreliable WiFi connection, there were conflicting reports. Some sites advised hours worth of scrubbing, rinsing, soaking and repeating. Some advised soaking in salted water, or water with cornmeal to draw out the sand. Still others advised that if shells were open, we should knock on them and if they don’t close, they’re bad. This was all way more labor and stress than I’d had planned for my vacation, thank you very much.

Machas - Razor Clams

I ended up scrubbing them and soaking them for an hour or so in salt water before deciding to just crack them open and rinse them out by hand, dammit. I’m sure this is some sort of seafood cooking no-no, but I’m really glad I did it. The sand was completely embedded throughout those bad boys, and we would have been crunching our way through dinner. After a good rinse, I put the clams on their half shells in foil, with crushed garlic, chopped onion, some butter, and beer. We wrapped them up so there was space for steam, but made sure they were shut tight, and cooked them over the grill for about 5 – 10 minutes. The one thing I was sure of was that overcooking these suckers would have resulted in a rubbery chewy mess that would make me regret the hours spent on preparation. Luckily, the timing was perfect, and the machas were a success.

Razor Clams on the Halfshell

My ultimate takeaway is, razor clams are a bit more labor intensive than they may be worth. They were good, but the sauce really made the difference. The clams themselves, for all their stinking when raw, didn’t have a very powerful flavor. And all that preparation works up an appetite that won’t be satiated by those tiny pieces of clam-flesh. Still, it was worth the effort for the experience. The moral of the story is this: I need your tips, suggestions and recipes for cooking seafood on the grill or open flames if we’re going to survive three months on the road.

Dining Out in Buenos Aires: Useful Words & Phrases

07 Monday Jan 2013

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

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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)

 

Call it a “Going out of Buenos Aires” sale…

12 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in buenos aires

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Desserts for Sale

Well folks, cue the dramatic music…

I’ve been putting off this post because I’ve been in denial. But it’s time to confess. Our time here in Buenos Aires is coming to a close. Without delving into the details, suffice it to say I’ve got incredibly mixed feelings. I’m going to miss it here on a level that is difficult to describe, but I’m also excited for whatever’s next…which is (gulp) actually still TBD. Yes, my inner “Katie Plan Ahead” is having panic attacks.

What I do know is in January, nos vamos, and we’ll be driving around the continent for a few months and figuring out what’s next. I’ll continue to document our food adventures, whether we’re eating guinea pig in Peru, grilling shark steaks in Uruguay, or piling up an asado over the campfire in Chile. In the meantime, I intend to soak in Buenos Aires to the very last drop.

So! For those of you in Capital Federal, one month left to order homemade Tres Leches, Fruit Pizza, Pumpkin Rolls, Chocolate Cakes….and the list goes on. I’m currently taking orders for the holidays, so let a girl know! Check out the Orders/Pedidos page for all the details on products and prices in English and español.

*sigh*

Tell it, Carlos.

An Ode to the Mercado de San Telmo

05 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Hunting down groceries in Buenos Aires seemed a little complicated and intimidating at first. While there are large chain supermarkets, they’re not always easily accessible and the freshness/quality levels of certain products can be suspect. But you get used to making several stops on a regular basis. Verdulerías for veggies & fruits, carnicerías for meat, granjerías for poultry, eggs and such, and pescaderías for fish and seafood. Then there are dietéticas for healthy/natural food options like gluten-free products, quinoa, nuts and grains, real vanilla, azucar rubia, etc. And of course the supermercados chinos – locally referred to simply as chinos because (facepalm) they’re usually owned by Asians –  for your basic everyday needs like milk, bread and wine. Yes, basic everyday needs are subjective.

So I’m incredibly grateful for the fact that we live a few blocks from the glorious Mercado de San Telmo, which combines almost all of these options in a raucous space that spans a square block. I don’t think it’s possible for me to overstate my adoration of this place. Most people think of the Mercado as an antiques flea market. Which it is. But it’s so much more.

The selection and quality of the fruits and vegetables here is the absolute best and most reliable I’ve found in the city. Yes, the prices are a bit higher as a result. But you get what you pay for, and if you’re a regular customer you tend to get better deals. Plus, the vendors are super helpful and have infinite patience. My favorite puesto is the one right next to the butcher, because they always give me candy with my change. Yes, I’m easily won over, but they also have fair prices and give receipts so you can keep track of inflation for yourself. If someone doesn’t have an item you’re looking for, chances are you can find it at a nearby stall, so don’t hesitate to shop around. Check out my list of fruits and vegetables in castellano Rioplatense if you find yourself at a loss for words.

The Mercado’s also the best spot I’ve found in San Telmo for chicken, meats and eggs. There are two granjerías that sell a variety of eggs along with whole chickens and your standard breasts, wings, thighs and legs. They also have trocitos de pollo, which I find are excellent for dishes like paella that require small flavorful pieces of dark meat and save you all the bone-removing awkwardness. Plus, these puestos can fill orders for rabbit, duck and turkey.

The main butcher stalls are a sight to behold. On any given day there will be whole pigs hanging out (literally), alongside various hooves, tongues, piles of intestines, and yes, even brains. I gape, briefly consider how I would prepare such a thing, and end up ordering pork chops. But truly, any meat product you can imagine, they’ve got it. From bacon and sausages to filet mignon to liver and innards, just ask and ye shall receive. The carniceros are well-versed in their trade, a blessing for someone who both sucks at math and can’t always articulate exactly what she’s looking for. “Cómo vas a prepararlo? Para cuántas personas? Bueno, sugiero un medio kilo de entraña.” I may not be sure if I’m getting skirt steak or entrails, but it’s part of the adventure.

For those of us who fancy a huge selection of cheeses, cured meats and other picada-type foods, there’s a puesto for that. Again, knowing your measurements is key. But I couldn’t complain about finding myself with a half-kilo of manchego to polish off.

And for a wide variety of spices and grains, there’s a puesto tucked next to one of the entrances on Humberto Primo with stacks of jars full of….everything. Dried herbs and spices, varieties of sugars, flours, nuts, grains, vanilla beans, etc.

If you live in San Telmo and are doing your shopping at Carrefour or Disco, get thee to the Mercado. Even if you’re not from the neighborhood, it’s worth the trip. Avoid Sundays for the best prices and wait times.

MERCADO DE SAN TELMO – between Defensa & Bolivar, and Carlos Calvo & Humberto Primo