Barrio Chino in Buenos Aires (Chinatown in Buenos Aires)
Posted on | December 5, 2009 | No Comments
Every time going to the Barrio Chino in Buenos Aires is an adventure. Barrio Chino in Buenos Aires is a few small blocks of stores with fairly inexpensive knick-knacks, Asian restaurants, and markets with food options not generally seen in other markets around Buenos Aires. It is a quite exciting and different place from everything else.
El Barrio Chino is a good place if you are not able to find Asian ingredients, sauces, and snacks. For example, I get these amazing mushrooms (pine mushrooms) that are much more flavorful than Pocini and way less costly. In fact, pine mushrooms (dried) from el Barrio Chino is the main reason I go there.
If you go visit, some interesting observations can be made of places selling your favorite Japanese/Chinesse foods. For example, Casa China sells all sorts of worldly goods, you can pick up a 12 peso (USD 2) sushi roll and dumplings to go.
Salmon and Avocado Rolls from el Barrio Chino
Last time we were there we got salmon and avocado rolls- when I got home and sliced the pink salmon and avocado roll, I was dismayed to find that the fish was not raw but cooked, and overcooked at that! Some of the pieces were a bit too chewy, as if the sushi chef forgot he had something on the stove while downing a few shots of sake =) – But wrapped up with fresh avocado, toasted sesame seeds, sticky rice, and seaweed, the roll did the job (especially with extra soy sauce).
Vegetables Dumplings from el Barrio Chino
We also bought some vegetarian dumplings which the Chinese people kindly relabeled as “empanadas vegetales” sort of to making sure I would understand the concept… I thought it was hilarious. These were bought frozen and can be either steamed or pan fried. I chose to steam them, and was pleasantly surprised when I bit into the doughy dumpling. Inside the fluffy white pillow was tofu, scallions, cabbage, carrots, egg, and sesame seeds slightly seasoned with Asian spices. I dipped these in soy sauce as well, to give them some extra flavor.
How to prepare Ceviche – Ceviche Recipe
Posted on | December 1, 2009 | No Comments
How to prepare Ceviche
Ceviche, a citrus marinated seafood dish that originated in Peru but has become popular in many other Latin American countries.
Ingredients for the Ceviche (Ceviche Recipe)
1 lb fresh fish—any white fish or even salmon
7 lemons
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces
½ mild green chili, chopped into small pieces
1 cup cooked choclo (Peruvian corn, you can use regular corn if you can’t find it)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions for making the Ceviche
Soak onions and cilantro in separate bowls of cold water. Cut the fish into bite size pieces and place into a large bowl. Juice the lemons so that there is enough to cover the fish completely. Drain the onions and add them to the bowl of fish and lemon juice, allowing to sit for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, or when the fish is no longer transparent, pour most of the lemon juice out (but not all). Add the red pepper, green pepper, choclo, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the cilantro last so that it does not wilt. Serve with bread, crackers, or alone for an appetizer or light meal.
How Mate is Served in Argentina
Posted on | December 1, 2009 | No Comments
Mate is served by El Cebador. This person is the one who will be making the mate by putting the Mate herbs inside of a pumpkin like shell (previously cured and dried) and hot water is poured in it. Some people like to have sweet mate so some sugar is added before the water. The shell is passed to the first person who will be drinking it, they suck out of the straw and when done – handed back to the cebador.
Mate can be served in two ways primarily, either in the shell with a straw or as a tea in a cup called Mate Cocido (cooked mate), which was the popular drink for all social classes. The middle class would have breakfast if alone in its tea form with milk or if with company then in its straw like form with crackers or bread. In the higher class, mate would reunite the ladies for the daily gossip in mid-morning and commercial owners with their businesses too. The same would happen in mid-afternoon at 5.
The tacuara straw was later replaced by a metal straw with a replaceable filter that lasts a very long time.
The tradition of the mate is that of sharing a moment, a conversation or an intimate exchange between a group of people.
The history of Mate and how it came to be a National Argentine Drink
Posted on | December 1, 2009 | No Comments
History of Mate
History says that a man named Irala, who was on several expeditions throughout South America at the time, saw this drink that we call Mate in Argentina for the first time in 1537 on the native Indians from the land. It was only really confirmed when in 1544 another man named Hernando Arias de Saavedra wrote on his traveling journals that he saw the natives carrying a leather sack called guayaca, which inside contained crushed herbs called Ka’a and that they would serve this in a dried pumpkin shell called Mati. He wrote that the natives would either chew on these herbs or serve it with water on the Mati and suck the tea out of a straw made out of a cane called Tacuara. Just like Argentines do today.
Mate survived extinction by the Jesuit missions of the 1600′s and their desire to abolish it because it was labeled a drug of sorts and prohibited to the residents – only to later be allowed once again in preference to alcohol consumption. It also went on to be exported to Europe as the “Tea of the Jesuits” with not much repercusion or popularity therefore losing it’s charm to colonizers.
In 1810 the Argentine General Manuel Belgrano in his expedition to Paraguay, again kept the Mate alive by dictating a ban prohibiting the cutting down of Yerba mate trees and fining those who did. This is a point of reference to the importance that this cultural national drink was beginning to have on the early population of Argentina and of course Paraguay and Brazil.
They also say the Argentine Gaucho had a big part in keeping the Mate alive and that this drink was the perfect companion to the lonely pampean Gaucho.
By 1881, five German families were formed in San Bernardino, a colony in the Paraguayan border of Argentina. It’s main founder was Bernhard Forster – once a professor at the Univ. of Berlin known for his racist and nationalist/socialist ideology – who moved to Paraguay with his wife Elizabeth Nietzche (sister of the famed philosopher) to start this colony. In 1896, one of the temporary residents of this german colony was a man named Federico Neumann who through trial and error achieved a new method to grow Mate based on the native techniques that had been lost through the colonization of the land.
Mate only grew in hot and humid earth therefore making the southern end of Brazil, Paraguay and the northern part of Argentina the ideal place to grow it. For this and the fact that you need fresh seeds (not dried) to grow it, Mate could not be transported to other zones even to those with similar climate conditions for its harvest.
Only after Neumanns numerous investigations and research Mate begins to be harvested by 1911 and expands through to Uruguay and other parts of South America in 1935.
Helena Restaurant: Small café in Palermo Hollywood, Buenos Aires
Posted on | November 28, 2009 | No Comments
Small café in Palermo Hollywood Called Helena
This small café in Palermo Hollywood in the city of Buenos Aires is one of my new favorite spots for more reasons than one. The adorable French décor is complete with a country patterned sofa, a crystal chandelier, and birdcages hanging in the small garden area to the back of the restaurant.
They seem to specialize in coffees, pastries, and cakes, but I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of their their light, refreshing menu. I had trouble deciding which salad looked the best, with tons of choices including one with smoked salmon, avocado, and brie cheese. I settled on the garden vegetable salad and was delighted upon my first bite! It was fresh and flavorful with mixed greens, grilled eggplant, squash, and mushrooms, large wedges of buffalo mozzarella, caramelized onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a honey balsamic glaze dressing. The grilled veggies were cooked to perfection and the pumpkin seeds were a yummy and creative edition. The dressing was not too sweet and tied everything together really well.
The cozy vibe and friendly service is set to a soundtrack of chill-out music, making Helena a perfect place to meet up with a friend to grab a light lunch or sweet treat.
Helena Restaurant
Nicaragua 4816
Watermelon Season!
Posted on | November 28, 2009 | No Comments
Making Watermelon kabobs
Even on a rainy day in the Argentina you can be reminded that it is almost summer time when you pass by a local fruit stand. October is the beginning of the harvesting months for watermelon in the central zones of Argentina, which means right now is when you can buy the best and cheapest watermelons.
The sweet smell, bright red color, and juicy fruit is sure to put a smile on your face and bring a fun summer memory to your mind. The wedge I bought from my local grocery store was so juicy that it was running down my chin as I took bites out of the wedge, until I finally realized I should probably cut it into cubes to avoid a massive sticky mess!
Enjoy watermelon cut up into wedges, cubes, or balls… or try one of these creative ideas:
Watermelon kabobs. Put cubes of watermelon on skewers, marinate them in any sauce, and grill them. You can even add meat or chicken to the kabobs, but be careful because the fruit grills quickly
Watermelon ice cubes. Remove seeds, blend watermelon in a blender or juicer, and put the juice in ice trays. Add to soda or water (sparkling or still) for a refreshing splash!
Vodka watermelon. Cut a hole into a whole watermelon just large and deep enough to insert a funnel. Insert funnel and pour a vodka in, then let set for a day. Pour more vodka in and let set again (repeat as desired). Note: Adding the vodka a little bit at a time results in a more pleasant flavor than if you pour it all in at once, but that can be done also. Once ready, slice up and serve!
The possibilities are endless, but unfortunately the season is not, so in Argentina right now is time to hurry up and get some scrumptious watermelon before it’s too late!
Kentucky Pizzeria – The Perfect Argentine Local Pizza Joint
Posted on | November 26, 2009 | No Comments
Argentine pizza
You know a restaurant is going to be good when it is so crowded that you are shoved into a little corner that is barely large enough to fit the table, let alone you sitting at it. When this happened at Kentucky Pizzeria, the waiter was very concerned for my comfort, but I convinced him that it was fine, just hungry! This local pizza joint in the heart of Plaza Italia has the perfect combination of a neighborhood feel and delicious pizza. While watching the local futbol game, I scanned the extensive menu but ultimately decided on their specialty- pizza. The choices were pretty standard (mozzarella cheese, ham, peppers, olives, mushrooms, calabresa) but little did I know, the pizza would be incredible! I chose calabresa, a type of smoked Brazilian sausage. I waited (a little too long) but was in for a pleasant surprise when my pizza finally made it to the table.
Kentucky Pizzeria in Buenos Aires
The thick crust was cooked on point—not too crunchy but not too doughy. The stringy, buttery mozzarella cheese was added generously atop the almost-tangy tomato sauce. On top of the cheese were thin slices of calabresa sausage, chewy but rich in smoky flavor. Large slices of fresh tomatoes were next, followed by both green and black olives, and finished with a sprinkling of oregano. It was almost a task to get the perfect bite with the correct ratio of all the ingredients, but once I got the hang of it, I was in heaven!
Pizza is an extremely popular dish in Buenos Aires due to all of the Italian influence, and I have resorted to eating a lot of it when I just can’t handle more meat. However, the thick, flavorful pizza at Kentucky Pizzeria is good enough to want, even crave, and I will be sure to frequent this crowded local spot!
