FroYo at Top It

Stocked up on Rocklets

We had yet to try shawarma!

Now we understand why so many of our housemates loved it!

The potential last Coca in a glass bottle

Luchador masks @ La Fábrica de Tacos!

Levels of hot sauce based on where you're from (or how daring you are)

Tori with our GUACAMOLE

Maddy & tacos! That picture guy can't even stand how great they look.

Abi ate her baby taco right up.

Om nom nom veggie tacos

We’re about to leave for the airport – José was nice enough to offer us a ride, so Alexa can go with to say goodbye!

- Alexa, Abi, & Maddy

Cheese and bacon may not be the most adventurous or indeed traditional of fillings but it tastes delicious and who doesn’t love cheese and bacon?

In this particular recipe I am using a really sharp nutty stilton  which works brilliantly but you can just as well use any good hard cheese. I have often made these empanadas with a smoked cheddar and can safely say that they are to die for!

Ingredients:

Shortcrust Pastry – Click here to see how to make your own

75g good quality stilton

75g smoked bacon

1 egg

salt and pepper to season

Method:

Chop the bacon into small pieces and lightly fry, place into a bowl and crumble in the stilton.

Combine together the cheese and bacon and season with a little salt and pepper to taste – be careful with the salt and only add if you feel it is really necessary as the stilton is quite salty to begin with.

Roll out the pastry and cut out circles roughly 3 inches across.

Place your filling into the centre of the pastry circles and join the edges together with a little beaten egg to seal.

Brush the outside of the empanadas with the beaten egg to give a nice glaze and place into an oven preheated to 220 C for about 10/15 minutes or until the pastry is lightly golden and puffy.

The pastel de papa y lomo is essentially a sheperd’s pie, and it is one of my favorite dishes there. Another great entrada is the batata con choclo cremoso y miel, which is a whole sweet potato filled with creamy corn and honey. Make to also try their empanadas (my favorite is the lomo picante, which uses real steak meat, rather than ground beef) as it is distinct from the majority of the empanada shops in Buenos Aires. Empanadas salteñas (meaning from the Province of Salta) are baked and really good.

And the best part of this restaurant? It’s hella cheap. A few empanadas to share, apinguino (a ceramic jar shaped like a penguin common in restaurants throughout BA) of red wine, and two entrees, and the bill came out to be less than AR$40 each. With inflation driving up prices in nearly all restaurants (you’d be hardpressed to find an actual sit-down restaurant for less than AR$60 and that’s cheap!), this is a definite bargain!

Oh, and they have crayons for you to draw on the butcher paper table cloth on the table! Throwback to childhood.

Rodriguez Pena 1149, Recoleta
4813-9207

Pastel de Papa y Lomo

Peach Jell-o shots are my new favorite, awesome contribution Mary!

This amazing spread was there to greet us in Chicago.

Em even made my favorite, pineapple pizza!

She decorated with pictures my friends sent her.  It was such a fun display to look at!

And she made sure everyone had a little gift.  Softlips is the best!

And she ordered empanadas as part of our Argentine feast at Tango Sur.

The food was amazing.  Just as good as the food we always ate in Argentina.  Chicken, ravioli and steak – beyond delicious.

Then we hit the bars.

And danced the night away.

What a great group of girls to say goodbye to singlehood with.

And then this morning…

We brunched.  Another fantastic meal.  Notice the Nutella on my pancake.  Heaven.

Thank you Emily for throwing an amazing bachelorette.  Every single thing was perfect and every detail so well thought out.  It was everything I could have hoped for.  I’m so grateful to my sister and all of my friends who took the time to travel to Chicago and celebrate with me.  I loved every minute.

If this weekend was any indication of how much fun we’re going to have at the wedding, I can hardly wait.  It’s going to be a riot.

What are some of your favorite memories with friends?

]]> http://alexanderlekker.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/gourmet-tourism-at-the-diplomatic-hotel/ Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:28:17 +0000 alexanderlekker http://alexanderlekker.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/gourmet-tourism-at-the-diplomatic-hotel/

Diplomatic Hotel

Mendoza gastronomy is known worldwide for its delicious food and fine wines. This is the reason why many tourists from around the world flock to the region to spend their holidays in Cuyo, Mendoza. There are a number of unique gourmet tours available for those who delight in the high quality cuisine and fine wines accompanying it. In particular, Wine Tours include visits to the most important wineries in the province of Mendoza, where visitors can get a clear picture about the winemaking process. La Bourgogne Restaurant of the Diplomatic Hotel is renowned place to savor amazing Argentine meat and other traditional dishes.

The Wine Route is a must for those who love fine wine. It is an excursion where different wineries can be visited. Generally, the first winery to be visited during these tours is Achaval Ferrer, which is an Italian and Argentine venture, located near the banks of the city. While this is a relatively new winery, it is one of the main producers of Malbec in the country. The next stop is Decero, located in Luján de Cuyo. This winery is a family business, as its name suggests, the owners started with a small plot of land where they planted their first vines.

Ruca Malen is a “boutique winery” right at the foot of the Andes, very close to the city of Mendoza. Its production is oriented mainly Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. There may be food tastings and, of course, tasting wines. Along the Uco Valley at the base of the foothills, you can see the building of the winery O’Fournier. Their typical product is the Tempranillo, a Spanish wine, emblematic of its rustic flavor. In O’Fournier facilities you can enjoy a gourmet lunch, which involves trends of international cuisine and delicious snacks to accompany the local wines.

The next winery is Clos de los Siete, a popular cluster of vineyards managed by seven French partners. Their Museum offers premium quality wines for every taste and also it is possible to have lunch in their yards. The three most famous wineries of Maipu are usually included in these visits. The first on the road is CarinaE, a small French winery owner-driven. The next is Tempus Alba, a family company with a high degree of industrialization. Finally, before returning to the hotel in Mendoza, tourists get to Family Zuccardi, where they can choose between different cuts of meat Argentina to enjoy a delicious lunch, like the ones that can be savored at La Bourgogne, in the Diplomatic Hotel.

I’m always in search for a certain type of restaurant that falls into a unique category: Argentine food but not parrilla, milanesa or empanadas. It’s tough to find that restaurant that is still considered Argentine, but served in a non-traditional way, with inventive combinations presented in a thoughtful fashion – and of course, all at a moderate price. El Federal (San Martin 1054) has managed to do just this.  Unlike the San Telmo tourist-haven that shares the same name, this Retiro restaurant specializes in Patagonian cuisine from the south.

Why to like it:

The ambiance is like a modern take on a cheesy parrilla, Siga la Vaca meets Pottery Barn, with sturdy wood tables and rustic chairs adorned with spotted cow fur.  Sounds tacky, but it’s actually very charming, warm, inviting – seems like the perfect spot to cuddle up with an alpaca blanket on a cold Buenos Aires night (although I happen to go on the hottest day of the year).

It’s one of those restaurants where the menu is reduced, but everything sounds so good you won’t know what to order: lamb, ribeye, trout, merluza, pappardelle noodles, tenderloin. Unlike other restaurants in the city that will just toss the main protein on a plate with some sort of side dish, this doesn’t happen at El Federal, with each dish a bit more complex having a sauce and other nicely accompanied components.

*I know this sounds pathetic to marvel over the fact that a restaurant is serving “meat with sauce,” but in a city where asado reigns supreme, and the only sauce for a steak is salt, chimichurri and salsa criolla, it’s not every day you see more creative chefs playing with flavor combinations.

What to order:

I told the sweltering Buenos Aires heat to suck it – it couldn’t stop me from ordering one of the heaviest items on the menu, a huge portion of hearty cordero (lamb).  The meat fell right off the bone with tender, sensual perfection.  The trucha (trout) another good choice, was served with mashed potatoes, green beans in a light gravy.

The disappointment of the meal, the appetizer. Don’t bother ordering the goat cheese “provoletas” served with a “spicy” chutney. Two small slices of cheese served with a sweet jelly does not an appetizer make.

EMPANADAS

Well, well, well… After a good break I came back to the BLOG! I had been trying to get a promotion in my job and I finally got it! I also been trying to publish the Empanadas recipe for long time, and I finally did it!!!!  After the Chimichurri, Empanadas was the most requested recipe, SOOOOO lets back to business and get ready with a Malbec to compliment the beef empanadas!

You need to get the dough in advance. It is called “Tapas para Empanadas” or “pastry dough” you can get it at any “Latin” store and you can choose between different brands, sizes and options like “to bake” or “to fry”  I do recommend “La Salteña” for oven. Because it is the perfect thickness of dough, it is  really easy to separate and flaky after cooked!  It usually comes frozen and you will need to removed from the freezer about 1 hr before to  fill them up.

Let me advise you that for me this is a two days process! Yes… beef empanadas have to be Juice and with intense beef flavor! So after the stuff is cooked it have to rest for at least 4 hours. Or as well as I do, just wait to the next day to fill up the dough.

  Starting with the Stuffing: In a fry pan you will salted small chopped green onions, bunch of them! I mean a lot a lot! it should  to be double of the amount of the ground beef, ah! you see, I told you a lot!  When the onions are ready, add a small chopped red pepper. Then add the ground beef  little by little, in a slow fire! so the beef cook slowly and that give you time to break it in tinny pieces, and mixed very well with the onions and pepper. When the stuff looks homogenous, same color and well granulated texture you can turn off the stove. Then add salt, pepper, a bit of dry crashed red peppers, two or three chopped boiled eggs, 10 or more chopped green olives and 1/2 cup of raisins. Mix it well and let it cold down…. ok! you can taste it if you want! Adjust salt, or other spices if is need it. In the mean time you may dissolve one spoon of regular flour and one spoon of white sugar in ½ cup of warm water. Add  it to the stuff slowly. Now the stuff is done!

How to fill and close the dough? It is fun and is easier of what it will sound! Take the first dough, wet the edge with water, you can use your own finger! The water will help to seal the closing, son the juice stays inside during and after it is  baked… Then place one spoon of stuff in the center of the dough and fold the dough in half like a 1/2 moon! Press the opposite  edges with the finger against a smooth surface and use a fork to the final closing  of the empanada. We called  it “Repulgue”, you can try to do the traditional repulgue folding the edge in small pieces,  little by little one part over the other by hand, without fork!  Take a look of the pictures! After closing the empanada I place one by one in a cookie grease  sheet. They  will look perfect golden color if paint them with yolk and sugar. Bake them for 20 minutes in a 375 oven.  

You can find empanadas everywhere in the globe, all of them are different in textures, stuffing, flavors, etc. The Argentinean empanadas can be fried or baked. The most common kind is beef, ham and cheese, chicken and corn. Lately we are eating more “spinach” and “capresse”.  The dough it is really thin, and the stuff is really stuffing! We also prepare them sweet but we use a smaller and square dough, always fried! And they are call Pastelitos!

I hope you like it, let  me know…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 1. Starters

Empanadas are the typical Argentine starter - like cornish pasties filled with mince.  My friend Aileen cooked them for us in Mendoza but for my Brixton version I used this recipe which was delicious – especially with the pimento olives and raisins. I managed to bring back some empanada wraps from Argentina which saved me from making them myself. Turns out you cannot find them in Brixton Tesco, who knew?! She recommends squeezing limes onto them before eating and having them with a shot of tequila. This was recreated in Brixton on Saturday night leading to a number of tequila casualties by the end. Fun though, hic, and I think my neighbours were especially pleased.

I also tried a pianida at the Hyatt in Mendoza – similar pastry style and yummy too.

2. Steaks

You gotta have steak. I was lucky enough to go to three amazing steak places in Argentina – La Cabrera in Buenos Aires, Francis Mallman’s 1884 in Mendoza (where you can buy a signed copy of his book “Grilling the Argentine Way”) and El Boliche De Alberto in Bariloche (who is grinning from ear to ear while holding two giant lumps of beef in his publicity photo in the resto, love it). I’ve assembled some awesome piccies below for you to drool over – these steaks are “Bife de Chorizo” or sirloin and were amaaazing.

I was also lucky enough to go to a proper Argentine asado - a barbecue where the meat is cooked over the glowing embers from a wood fire, and the beef is typically cooked “agridulce” (sweet and sour) so there are often oranges and lemons cooked alongside the beef and you can squeeze it over the meat if you like.

And we managed to have a sort-of Argentine asado in my garden in Brixton  using my rarely-used BBQ. Apart from being muy frio and using charcoal instead of wood, we managed pretty well – see piccies below. We cooked the ribeye steaks with marinated aubergines and red peppers, and served it with a salad of advocado and grapefruit. No need for potatoes or chips – with steaks this huge you don’t need to take away from the meat.

3. Drinks

I loved Quilmes and Andes beer. And especially the lovely ritual of having a cup of coffee (I liked cafe costado with leche) and medialunas (small sweet croissants) or alfajores in the afternoon – everyone seems to be doing the same and watching the world go by. Buenos Aires has some really famous grand old coffee houses like the Richmond and the London City.  Of course, you have to drink a lot of Malbec and Syrah which comes from the bodegas in Mendoza – I loved the bodegas of Carmelo Patti, La Guarde, Tempus Alto and Alto Vista. Argentines don’t eat until 11pm ish so nights go on veeery late. If you’re looking for typical spirits – 80s favourite Campari & orange was popular as is Fernet & coke (a herby spirit, a bit like Czech Becherovka, strangely addictive). On Saturday night I made margaritas, yum. Oh and everyone drinks maté - a herby tea – all day long, carrying flasks of hot water on buses and day trips to make it. I saw quite a lot of beret-wearing Gauchos sipping on their maté pipes in Bariloche, very cute. 

Cafe cortado with a dulce de leche alfajores – deeeelicious

Maté – an acquired taste

4. Sweets – dulche de leche

Dulche de leche is delicious runny caramel and I’m very pleased I came home with a jar of it. You can either serve it in a lump with vanilla ice cream or with flan (creme caramel). You eat it with toast for breakfast and with your coffee after lunch too.

At the front is dulche de leche with flan – amazingly yum  

PS. Special mention also has to go to the Pancho Villa hot dog below, found in any Argentine city, and to The Chef for helping me with the asado…

PPS. Here’s Urbanspoon’s list of steakhouses in London if you’re tempted. Santa Maria Del Sur on Queenstown Road is reeeeally good, has live music and came first in Gordon Ramsay’s F Word search for the best Latin American resto in the UK, and I’ve heard good things about Constancia.

When I was little, I was never allowed to eat crap.  While my friends had pantries and freezers full of fruit by the foot, gushers and bagel bites, I only had matzah, health cereal and a bottle of diluted Mott’s apple juice, because apparently the regular kind has “too much sugar.” Since all food containing food coloring, preservatives, and chemicals were off limits, I had to become resourceful.. pretending to go to the park while really sneaking off to Jewel Supermarket to stuff my face with Hostess Cupcakes and Little Debbie Snack Cakes. This Alfajor Oreo brought me back to those fun days, as a deprived 10 year old longing to stuff my chubby cheeks with glorious crappola-enhanced junk food.

*I should also note that I do not like *real* alfajores. Argies fork me in the forehead if you must, to my processed American palate they taste dry, chalky, with too much mouth-sticky dulce de leche.. even Cachafaz, Havanna and other fancy artesanal types are mehh. If you do like alfajores, check out this blog dedicated to the chalky Argentine sweet treat.

Food here has been surprising though….

Just eat one, then you'll understand

this is South America, so everything here is super spicy right? WRONG. Argentine food is NOT SPICY (in fact we’re all dying to add hot sauce to about everything we get) but it is GREAT.  I’m finding myself craving fruits and veggies since being down here; there is a rather monotonous presence of carne (meat) and papas (potatos) on my plate. But I’m also enjoying some VERY tasty treats and finding fruit at the market that I usually eat for breakfast. Today I got salad an Asian market–that was MUCH NEEDED AND TASTED AMAZZZING after a month sin ensalada.

Another staple that cannot go unmentioned is dulce de leche. Americans like to compare it caramel, but i hate caramel and love dulce de leche..it like sweet sugary viscous candy–but it’s not too sweet. BUY SOME YOU’LL SEE. Argentines put in/on everything. Cookies, croissants, doughnuts, starbucks lattés, yogurt, crackers, or hey just eat it out of the JAR.

meat, eggs, papas=dinner

flan with dulce de leche

CHIMICHURRI

If you never taste Chimichurri before this is the right time to do it! Chimichurri is a cold sauce specially made to match beef flavor, also other items in the argentine barbecue taste amazing with it! As chorizo, kidneys, sweet breads, pork, etc. But Chimichurri is not limited to meats! Some people like it on a piece of bread, crackers or roast potatoes! I do like to marinate cheese cubes with it!  You can buy “ready to eat Chimichurri”  at some supermarkets; some “latino” markets sell it “dried” so you only need to add the liquids (water/vinegar & oil) and voila El Chimichurri!; or you can get it from the scratch. Of course this is the way I like it! This is my Chimichurri: Get a big empty clean jar with lid, make sure that it closes well because you are going to shake it! In this jar you add about 6 (tinny chopped) garlic cloves, about 1/3 cup of oregano, 1/2 tea-spoon of red crushed pepper, 1 tea-spoon of salt, 1/2 tea-spoon of black pepper, 1/3 cup of warm water and 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar. Close the jar and shake it well. Wait about 15 minutes and add 1/3 cup of oil (I usually use light olive oil but you can use the one you prefer). The waiting time is to allow the dry spices to expand. The Chimichurri taste better after a couple of days, so feel free to store it in the refrigerator and take advantage of it! Last night, while I was fixing my Chimichurri I fry some french fries and  I poured some lettuces into a salad bowl. In this opportunity I got both elements from “bags”, it is really helpful to have and use pre-cooked or pre-washed sides! I love modern life! My husband grilled my favorite cut of beef: Skirt Beef, we called “entrania”! And then everybody helped themself by eating the Chimichurri!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I was greeted with many surprises upon my return to my childhood home. The City of Long Beach  had begun to have a renaissance. The LIRR Station had been restored to its original glory. The beach and boardwalk were still main attractions; there was a thriving holistic community and the arts were about to take off in a way previously unparalleled on this barrier island.

But as much as I rejoiced in the return to the home of my birth, I some how knew that return would not be permanent. In fact, a vacation to the mountains of both upstate NY and in NC instilled in me a yearning to migrate in that direction. But that was not yet to manifest.

As life would have it, situations occurred that allowed me to become both the owner and then the seller of my home. My timing in buying and selling worked out well.

I knew I wanted to move on but did not see how I could do so far away so soon. An ad in the local newspaper announced the opening of a new and unprecedented artists’ loft building in Freeport, LI, a town within a half hour’s drive of Long Beach.

On Valentine’s weekend of 2005, we took the fateful step of ‘just going to take a look at it’. By May of that year, we were it first residents, interviewed by both the LI section of the New York Times and the local Cable TV channel. The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by many local dignitaries as well as elected officials.

Our time in Freeport was another cultural eye opener. Living in an artists’ loft afforded us the opportunity to meet other local talent; residing in the predominantly Latino downtown area gave me the opportunity to stretch my culinary palate to include a love of Salvadorian, Dominican, and Argentine food as well as the famous Portuguese BBQ called Churrasqueria.

As fate would have it our artist’s loft became known to us as the faux loft and in spite of the many new friends we made, great cultural organizations I joined and outstanding food I discovered, we had to move on after two years residence there.

We considered returning to Long Beach or staying in Freeport but at the last minute found a Grandma style apartment in an area I dubbed ‘Oceanville Rockside Center Baldwin’. Similar to where we had lived originally, this area is something of a stepchild with some amenities provided by one community and others by another. In addition, depending upon which way the wind blew when I took a walk, I was either in Rockville Centre, Oceanside or even Baldwin. It took some getting used to but I have grown to love my new home again.

Over the last 20 years or so I have focused in on my life long proclivities including community interests, the arts, foods of many countries, and architectural history. Each of the three towns in which I have lived has an abundance of organizations and institutions serving all of them.

I struggled with where to place my allegiances by the time I had lived in three places within a period of five years. But I finally resolved the dilemma in a unique way.

I have three feet, I decided; one is still firmly planted in Long Beach, another in Freeport and the last in my adopted ‘Oceanville, Rockside Centre, Baldwin’. Within each of these communities, organizations and institutions that are near and dear to me all flourish. Instead of splitting or severing my allegiances, I decided my heart lies in all three and have tied the knot of reconnection and recommitment by joining and participating in as much of the culture and class that exists in all three.

At this writing, I belong to a total of at least nine organizations divided between the arts, architectural history, commerce and community. Most importantly, I continue to enjoy the rainbow of foods that entertain my international palette and have reconnected with friends from all three areas whenever I can. I find that I cannot only go home again but that I am at home wherever I reside.

Co-Owner: Carlitos Gardel Restaurant

7963 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, Ca 90046

http://carlitosgardel.com
Yelp: 4.5 stars

Interview Date: Monday, April 26, 2010

Carlitos Gardel Restaurant was founded out of love … and a little bit of homesickness. The Bozoghlian family moved to Los Angeles from Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1991. “We were a little homesick,” says Gerard Bozoghlian. “In Argentina we have a huge family – every weekend there is someone’s birthday, christening, or wedding, and we didn’t have any of that activity here.” So the family set out to create a family business that represented the best of Argentine cuisine and the sense of a large family.

The restaurant was opened in 1996 with the goal of “representing Argentina in the best way possible,” says Gerard. “We wanted to create a place where Americans and Argentineans can come to get authentic Argentine food while still catering to the sophisticated palate of Los Angeles.” The restaurant is owned by the family of five:

1. Father Carlos was a successful businessman in Argentina and now takes care of the books and administration for Carlitos Gardel
2. Mother Azniv is a pastry chef who went to culinary school “for fun” in Argentina and is the cornerstone of the kitchen operations
3. Brother Max is a certified sommelier who manages the restaurant’s extensive wine list
4. Brother Rodrigo was involved in the opening of the restaurant, but he now practices law and lends his legal expertise to the restaurant when needed
5. Gerard’s specialty is front-of-house operations – managing the employees, service and training for the restaurant

Photos in the restaurant showing the extended family the Bozoghlian family has established in Los Angeles

“Nothing is more rewarding than providing people a great value, a great experience,” says Gerard. “We have established a relationship with our guests. Instead of worrying about the quantity of guests we serve, we focus on the quality of our food, wine and relationships.” This approach is reflected in the restaurant’s excellent Yelp rating (4.5 stars). “We want to create a Mom & Pop approach in a refined restaurant, and at the heart of our business is the relationship we have with our guests,” says Gerard.

The family went into the restaurant business with no retail or restaurant experience. Carlos’ business was in licensing, manufacturing and distribution, and although Azniv is an accomplished pastry chef, she had not worked professionally in a kitchen until they opened Carlitos Gardel. The experience they did have, however, was in dining. “The dining room was always a priority in my house,” says Gerard. “We have an instinctual understanding for running a dining room – we had to learn how to run a kitchen and a restaurant business.”

The only significant challenge in opening and building Carlitos Gardel, according to Gerard, has been educating Americans about Argentine food while also meeting Argentinean guests’ expectations of authenticity. “At one point, our challenge was importing a culture that is not predominant in this city,” he says. “Mexican restaurants have an obvious place here, and there are a lot of Brazilians, but there are not many Argentines.” In addition to consistently providing authentic food at the restaurant, Max has become a nationally-recognized expert and leader in the Argentine wine movement, which has been gradually gaining popularity, supporting the restaurant by affiliation. Every year, Max returns to Argentina for the grape harvest, and the restaurant’s wine list offers possibly the most extensive selection of Argentine wines in California.

It seems as if the Bozoghlian family has effectively managed its homesickness – by creating a friendly, quality restaurant, they now have a LA family.  And, of course, they still have their Argentine family as well. “With 23 first cousins, we are constantly between countries,” says Gerard. “Someone is always going back to attend a wedding or baptism.”

Who is Carlitos Gardel? A cultural icon known as the “voice of tango.”

However (of course there’s a however), it’s been six weeks, and since honestly I think about food like 40% of the time, every day, there have been some items I’ve been craving.

AKA the entire “vegetable” and “dairy” food groups.

Clinically proven.

I guess dairy not so much. I mean, I do have access to milk products. Like in my coffee. Or in dulce de leche (the incredible spread they use here basically to replace peanut butter and Nutella and butter on bread). Or in the thousands of cheeses available. But few people drink milk in a glass, and when I brought that up to Olga, she gave me this face to indicate that if I drank milk straight from a glass, she’d look at me as if I were squirting the milk straight from the cow’s udder into my mouth.

That was graphic.

So. I think I’ve come up with the Argentine Food Pyramid. 9 out of 10 medical professionals agree that it’s not really okay for you, and 0 out of 10 people consulted with me before I produced this.

Just some food for thought, Argentines: consider the health benefits of some nice green vegetables. Because when I get home from Argentina and my body starts recognizing lettuce as a foreign, invasive species, I’m blaming the whole country. Or maybe I’ll just do what everyone else does and just blame Christina Kirchner. Yeah, that works. Sounds like a plan.

From flickr user longhorndave under Creative Commons licence

I feel slightly bad posting about these because I’m not sure you can get them in London.  But if you find yourself in Argentina, keep an eye out for Havanna Alfajores – they’re a thick layer of dulce de leche sandwiched between two very fluffy, cake-like cookies, covered in dark chocolate.  Seriously good.  I suspect the rest of the ones I was given are not long for this world.

- Anna

Buenos Aires – What comes into mind when you think of Argentina? Perhaps tango dancing, gauchos, Argentine food, wine, or even Medical Spanish courses in Buenos Aires?  If you’re searching for Medical Spanish courses, and have stumbled on this blog, you might be thinking, ‘I need to get away for a vacation and learn Spanish at the same time. ‘

Study abroad programs are the best way to meet your vacation needs and at the same time learn a language. Spanish for Medical.com offers catalog listing in South America Argentina has plenty of activities and experiences to explore. This is an alternative option to learn and study abroad for Medical Spanish. Argentina has a touch of European lifestyle, but with a flair for their-own style.

Argentina has been a growing interest to learn Spanish abroad, especially, because of the cost. With the exception of flights to the country, once you get there, the prices as relatively affordable from food, transportation, night life, tours, and even the Medical Spanish programs.

Students that participate in the program partake on the Spanish structure from general Spanish to the core technical Medical Spanish course. Depending on the location, there are even Medical shadow opportunities.  This is a great way to get total immersion for the medical professional or students in the medical field.

Learning Medical Spanish is crucial for medical professionals, as more and more Spanish speaking patients come in contact with them. Students that participate in the abroad programs will have more of an accelerated program, compared to traditional US/Canadian classrooms, which many have semester types.

The course offered is all year round, with the exception of holiday closure, students can come anytime of the year. Many of the students in the medical field have even chosen the program as an elective for a requirement from their home university.  Some simply would like to brush up on Medical Spanish terminologies for their work.

Check out some images from the Buenos Aires Medical Spanish location:

http://www.spanishformedical.com/locations/medical_spanish_argentina/buenos_aires/

Cumaná – Northern Argentine Cuisine (Rodriguez Peña 1149, Recoleta)

There is always a long wait, the tables are ridiculously close together, and you can barely read the menu the place is so dark, but it is consistently good and the prices have gone up only a few pesos in the past couple of years while many other restaurants have increased prices by 50%.
What to order? Cumaná has pretty standard Argentine food like pizza and empanadas, but they also have northern Argentine cuisine like locro (beafy goodness stew), lentejas (lentils) and cazuelas (umm don’t know translation, google it). Personally, I can never go wrong with a couple of empanadas and the cazuela vegetales rusticos.

Sarkis – Armenian Food / Middle Eastern Food (Thames 1101, Villa Crespo)

This Middle Eastern/Armenian restaurant has the best ranking on Guiaoleo.com, an online guide to Buenos Aires restaurants, because it is damn tasty. The idea is to order a lot of little tapas style plates (full or half orders), and go with a big group of people to try an assortment of goodness. Or, as I tend to do, go with a small group and order a varied spread.
What to order? I always have to order hojas de parras rellenas (stuffed grape leaves), ensalada belén (roasted eggplant, red peppers, white grapes, and almonds or cashews yum), morrones asados (roasted red peppers), puré de berenjena (eggplant puré). Most of these plates cost around AR$12-18 pesos. If you want something meaty, the beefy shlong with yogurt sauce served over a crisp greasy piece of pita is always a table favorite. I think I want to go tonight.

Chan Chan – Peruvian Food (Hipolito Yrigoyen 1390, Congreso)

Chan Chan brings Peruvian flavors to BA with excellent meals that are quite affordable. The restaurant’s decorations are random – murals of meadows and fields with rabbits hopping around (funny enough, conejo, rabbit, is on the menu), and of course it wouldn’t be complete without a Virgin Mary statue.
What to order? Every table gets a basket of bread and canchita (Peruvian corn snack) with two sauces – one with a spicy kick. Ceviche is always extremely fresh – no fishy taste here, and huge portions are enough for two people to share. My favorite is the grilled fish, it comes with white rice and a boiled potato – simple and delicious.

Oui Oui – French Inspired Café / Brunch (Nicaragua 6068, Palermo Hollywood)

 This small café has become quite trendy which is a turn off, but they do offer delicious brunch options, reasonable prices, and it’s a great ambiance.
What to order? Something off the daily special menu! Order a special breakfast combo like the Tony (eggs Benedict) or the Gallo (yogurt, fruit, granola).  
 

Los Sabios - Vegetarian All-You-Can-Eat Buffet / Tenedor Libre (Corrientes 3733, Almagro)

Anyone who studied abroad with me can attest to Los Sabios being my obsession during the 9 months I lasted as a vegetarian in BA. In this tenedor libre (all you can eat buffet), owned by a Taiwanese family, I would pile my plate with vegetarian macrobiatic food, with the occasional asian dishes fried rice/noodles/egg rolls and the healthy Argie staples empanada/french fries/pizza thrown in the mix. Right next to my first apartment, I would fill a to-go container for 7 pesos or dine in for the AYCE (yes, I just made an acronym for all you can eat) for 13 pesos. The prices have gone up about 50%, but still a good deal at about AR$35 pesos.
What to order? Usually they have around 30 or more options plus desserts but this changes daily – don’t go to late or a lot of good things will be gone – and if you are a serious eater and want to try new things, get a seat facing the kitchen so you can see when they come out with trays of new food. My favorites dishes are the seitan, garbonzo and pepper salad, potato croquettes, and this tofu bean sprout thing. I also make sure to take full advantage of the salad bar with bean salads, broccoli, beets and other green goodnesses.

 **NOTE: This was written in 2009 and updated again in 2011, but I’m sure when you are reading this, the prices will have increased again in this ever inflating economy we live in.

1810

Mendoza 2312
Buenos Aires

Juramento

4784 0025

Open every day / Abierto todos los días

Once updated on the barbecue front we faced the “empanadas” subject. It is a difficult one in our family. Everybody has his favourite place. And, of course, they should be made of beef, or spicy beef, or knife-cutted beef, Tucuman style, Salta style, corn filled…. First we decided to stay in the neighbourghood (Belgrano) and trust our previous experiences. And we were rewarded by this  restaurant specialized in traditional argentinean food, in particular Tucuman style empanadas. So happy we were with them that we must have consumed around 500 of them during our two weeks in Buenos Aires!!! (this is including the 18 dozens for Pablo’s party). Basically we tried all the variants, and we weren’t disappointed by any of them. It would be hard to decide on which was the best. The most popular among our family and friends seemed to be those filled with spicy beef. We were told that the other dishes offered, in particular two traditional recipes from the North of Argentina, carbonada and locro, are very good. We didn’t get to taste them. We did try though a couple of desserts and… the next time after the empanadas we went to the Freddo ice cream parlour a few blocks away. We recommend visiting the 1810 web site where you will also find the addresses of their restaurants in Palermo and the city (microcentro) and the description of the dishes from their menu. An important point: each each empanada costs 3 pesos (0.55 €)!

María and Pablo

Una vez puestos al día con el asado pudimos encarar el tema empanadas. Tema nada fácil en la familia. Que si las de carne suave, carne picante, cortada a cuchillo, tucumanas, salteñas, …  Decidimos seguir en el barrio y confiar en nuestra experiencia. Y acertamos con esta casa empanadas tucumanas: en nuestros quince días en Buenos Aires debemos haber consumido más de ¡¡¡500!!! (incluyendo las 18 docenas de la fiesta de Pablo).  Obviamente estaban muy buenas. Probamos casi todas las variantes, y no sabríamos decir cuáles eran mejores. En todo caso las más consumidas fueron las de carne picante. Según dicen tanto el locro como la carbonada, son también muy buenos. Nosotros no los probamos. Si probamos alguno que otro postre típico y … a la vez siguiente fuimos a Freddo a comer helados. Les recomendamos visitar el sitio donde están las direcciones de los locales de Palermo y del Microcentro y donde está la descripción de cada uno de los platos del menú. Hacen entrega a domicilio. ¡Ah, cada empanada está a 0,55€ !

María y Pablo

He was very nice about my little blog post and was very informative about his menu. Paul wrote:

“By the way the olive oil dip is traditional Argentine or Argentinean sauce called Chimimchurri. It is a mix of finely chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil and white wine vinegar”

Paul also suggested that if you want an authentic Argentine experience then you should try the Entrana (outside skirt steak) or Entrana Gaucha (outside skirt steak skin on). As Paul put it; “You can’t get more authentic than that.”

So a big thank you to Paul Rodriguez and I hope you all give Buenos Aires Grill a try soon.

P.S. Yes, Paul’s email also had another alternate spelling of ‘Argentinean’, just to add to the confusion.

To jump off the point for a moment, I have to figure out something. When I was growing up in New Zealand we would call things from Argentina; Argentinian. I remember watching the ‘Argentinian’ rugby team, Los Pumas, play some of the most aggressive and amazing rugby I have ever seen and to this day many New Zealand sports commentators still refer to them as Argentinian, not Argentine. Perhaps Argentine is an American usage as I don’t hear Argentinian used much at all in the US. Website dictionary.com doesn’t help much as they list both Argentine and Argentinian with almost identical meanings. Does anyone have a good explanation of the correct usage of these words? Comment at the end of this post if you do.

Anyway, back to Argentine food. The closest thing I have tried is those Brazilian steak houses where they come around with meat on a huge skewers. Well, recently I was looking through some junk mail and saw an advertisement and coupon for the Buenos Aires Grill in Northridge. I kept the ad and filed it away until the next time my wife asked me where we should go for dinner. Luckily a few days later we were both off work and decided to treat ourselves to lunch. I told my wife about the Buenos Aires Grill advertisement and she was keen to try it.

The restaurant is on Corbin close to Nordoff, in an unassuming strip mall but once we walked inside the place felt much bigger than it appeared at first. The modern decor reminded me or more upscale restaurants with out feeling snobby or overpriced. We were seated immediately in a booth as there were only 3 or 4 other tables occupied. I wondered if this was a sign that this place was not that popular. However by the time we finished our meal that place had all but filled up with a hungry and friendly lunch time crowd.

Our waitress took our drink order and they came quickly along with a bread basket and an olive oil and herb mix for dipping. I soon found myself spooning the wonderful mixture onto my bread and wondering why I had wasted my life using butter before. I never did remember to ask what was in the olive oil as I got sidetracked ordering an appetizer. I wanted to get something that my wife and I could share (my daughter is only six months old so she was happy with her bottle of formula). We decided on the Prosciutto Caprese, as caprese is always a favorite of mine when we go to Italian restaurants and I wanted to see how they interpreted it here.

We took a moment longer to have a look at the menu for our main dish and we both decided to get one of the sandwiches. My wife chose the Buenos Aires sandwich, which consisted of sirloin strips, cheese and fried onions and peppers. I immediately locked on the Lomito sandwich, partially because it was basic and wasn’t padded out with a heap of unnecessary lettuce, tomato or other things best left on a salad (my mother must be so proud of the healthy food choices I make!). The Lomito was simply Filet Mignon, Provolone cheese and mayonnaise.

We ordered the sandwiches and the Prosciutto Caprese arrived shortly afterwards. It was a admirable and delicious take on the classic dish but I think next time I wouldn’t get it because to me it didn’t fit in with the Argentine (I am sticking with Argentine because that it the word they use on the Buenos Aires Grill website) theme. As far as I know the Prosciutto and the Buffalo Mozzarella, nor the tomato or basil for that matter, are from Argentina or are widely eaten in Argentina. It was like ordering a cheeseburger at an Italian restaurant. It might be very tasty but it just doesn’t fit in.

While we waited for the sandwiches to arrive we surveyed the restaurant, now half full. There were a couple of TV’s playing a soccer game and well stocked bar area. There were many booths, like the one we sat at, and also more traditional tables. The website says they have heated outside patio seating but I can’t say I remember seeing that. Perhaps it is a dinner only feature.

The sandwiches soon arrived, accompanied by french fries, and the table descended in to silence as we ate. My wife liked her sandwich but did hit a piece of gristle which may have soured her overall satisfaction. I tried a bite and savored the meat but I could have done without the onions and peppers. I can eat red and green peppers raw but I have never been a person who like warmed or grilled peppers or onions. Since I know this I usually avoided such sandwiches, along with other roasted or grill pepper and onion dishes such as fajitas.

My Lomito sandwich beckoned me. The smell alone was enough for me to realize that this sandwich would be something special. I took my first bite and feel in love with the Lomito sandwich. As I understand it Lomito is Spanish for ‘steak’. If anyone wants to correct me on that please do as my research didn’t turn up a lot of information on the definition of Lomito and whether it is a word just used in Argentina or other Spanish speaking countries as well. The medium-rare Filet Mignon was perfectly cooked (you can order it cooked any way you like it). The Provolone cheese and hint of mayonnaise complemented the Filet Mignon perfectly and the bread was fresh and warm and didn’t overpower the other flavors.

The sandwiches were big and thick and, along with the french fries and the previously eaten appetizer, filled us up quickly. Both my wife and I only managed to finish half our sandwiches and we were given to-go boxes to bring the rest home. We sat and talked for a while and never felt rushed, in fact we had to flag the waitress from across the room, when we finally decided that we were able to get up an walk without waddling.

I was very impressed how a strip mall restaurant managed to make you forget you were in a strip mall as soon as you walked in the door. The Argentine atmosphere was definitely there but not in an over the top, cheesy way like Outback Steakhouse does with the Australian culture. And the amazing Lomito sandwich has made me a convert to this Argentine restaurant for life. The only problem I can see is that when I go back to the Buenos Aires Grill I may not be able to try any of their other amazing sounding dishes as I will be so enamored by the Lomito sandwich again.

One last note. I had the remaining half of the Lomito sandwich for dinner that same night. I popped it in the microwave for a minute or so and it tasted just as amazing as when it was freshly made. The french fries didn’t hold up so well but I didn’t care as I was once again in the embrace of my new love, Lomito!

© Buenos Aires Grill, Northridge

Buenos Aires Grill
8856 Corbin Ave
Northridge, CA 91324
Ph. 818-772-5552 & 818-772-5553
Fax. 818-772-5554

Email. bsasgrill@sbcglobal.net

http://www.bsasgrill.com

AdWords911.com

]]> http://suitcaseliving.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/reasons-why-i-love-bsas/ Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:57:55 +0000 jencsmith http://suitcaseliving.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/reasons-why-i-love-bsas/ I’ve already confessed my adoration forAlfajores, but I cannot go without mentioning the other things that intrigue my food pallete. Before coming down here I favored white, but now I’m a red girl. I don’t want to pride myself on being a connoisseur because I am far from it, BUT I can say this country produces some fantastic wine. Fantastic flavor and fantastically cheap.  I have chosen a favorite- Santa Ana. Of course, it’s not the best out there but for 3 pesos, I don’t think you can top that. Please, let me know if you can!

Now I need something to accompany the wine otherwise I may be a little tipsy. Of course, anything with wine is fine with me but again, I cannot go without mentioning this regional food that I consume quite frequently. Empanadas. Imagine a pocket of dough with filled with ham & cheese or meat & spices – Americans can think of Hot-pockets (but emapanadas are actually worth eating).  My friends and I are always in search of the best empanada place. It is a disappointment though when I take my first bite of an empanada and there isn’t much flavor or excitement. Guess that goes with any food?? Well, my quest still continues to try as many places until I can call one my favorite! Thank you SaltShaker for guiding me.

My dinner the other night. Yes, I made the empanadas myself, and oops not a Santa Ana bottle – I splurged a little for a 4 peso bottle!

After we unpacked and rested a bit, they took us to eat at one of our favorite restaurants here: La Bistecca. Yes, it serves steak, but it also serves the best Italian food I have ever put in my mouth. Wayne and I have eaten in Italy, and we think this is even better than Italy! The reason: There are so many Italians who immigrated here after World War II.

Here is my mouth-watering, homemade pasta dish. The sauce was made with fresh tomatoes, basil, green onion, and hot peppers, so it had a bite! To the right, Wayne had a spinach pasta with the same sauce and on the left a ravioli made with spinach and cheese.  Tomorrow will be a work day, but we must eat later.

Then the day after tomorrow we will take a boat ride down the Platte River to an ancient city, Colonia in Uruguay! More pictures, more food, little commentary, stayed tuned.