There is a pair of people that set up shop on the corner each week to sell fresh empanadas and torta fritas. What makes this even better is that they are fried to perfection.

We can’t figure out if the empanadas are made by them or picked up at a store prior to their farmer’s market appearance. Regardless, they usually have “carne” (beef with some hard boiled egg – yeah they put hard boiled eggs in a lot of things, especially empanadas) and “jamon y queso” (ham and cheese) empanadas.

Torta fritas are basically discs of fried bread with a hole in the middle. It is a traditional Uruguayan food to eat when the weather is nasty or rainy. If people don’t want to make them at home, there are plenty of these little stands that get set up to sell them. Usually there are at least one at most farmer’s markets.

At our little farmer’s market, this pair does great business. Regardless of the time we arrive to claim our snacks, there is always a line. It’s definitely worth the short wait!

One of the other great things about empanadas and torta fritas: the price. A single torta frita sells for 13 pesos (about 50 cents US) and an empanada costs a mere 23 pesos (about a dollar US). I can easily get a lunch for a buck fifty US!

This week, I’ve had the chance to visit TWO food trucks, and I can honestly say I enjoyed them both!

On Tuesday, I checked out Something Stuffed.

I got the CTM Empanada.  It’s made with local, free-range chicken, flavored with Indian spices and a rich tomato cream sauce.

I gotta say, I was a huge fan of the crust.  Light and flaky, but didn’t feel toooo greasy.  It was delish!

I enjoyed 3 of those! I will def check out Something Stuffed when they come around toe Rosslyn again!

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of visiting with Seoul Food.  My boss had tried it a few weeks ago, and just RAVED about their bibimbap. So naturally, I was itching to try it.

When we got to the truck, there were a number of options I was interested in trying, one of them being the kimchi quesadilla.  However, I decided on the chicken bibimbap with medium sauce.

It was DELICIOUS! As soon as I started eating, I couldn’t stop! Everything just tasted so good! The chicken was amazing, and the sauce was just right.  Not too spicy, but a little bit of a kick.  I will ABSOLUTELY be going back to visit Seoul Food! And what makes it all even better is that it was only $8.00!

I was hoping to check out another food truck today (what 3 in a week is too much?) but there weren’t any here. That’s okay though! Next week, the Po’boy truck will be on my radar!

So far, Rosslyn, you are treating me well…

How do you feel about food trucks? Any favorites?

ANDREWFORD/BAREFOOTFORD Santiago, home of more than five million, is an easy place to get lost, but an even easier place to get lost looking at.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1. Santiago is pretty safe. (But that isn’t a guarantee I’ll be immune to getting robbed at some point…) Luckily, in South America’s safest city, getting robbed isn’t usually a gun pointed to your head, but is some grungy teen stealing your purse (man bag?), pick pocketing you on the Subway or just taking 10 mil from you ~$20 US) and being content with that.

I’ll be upset, but I’d be alive. We’ll see. Missing all these UFC pay-per-views is definitely not going to help with my submission defense.

2. Santiago is bigger than I thought it’d be. To put it in perspective, after visiting New York for a week, I feel like I had visited just about everywhere. Here, after two weeks I feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface.
3. The food here is getting better (or I’m getting better at finding it.) Two nights ago as I walked home from Bella Vista I eyeballed every single vendor frying, cooking and searing away at Chilean late-night cuisine. They likely deserve their own posts, but here’s the most popular and tasty in Santiago:

Sopapia For 100 pesos ( $0.19 US) you get a freshly fried piece of bread a little bigger than the top half of a Whopper, but warm, crispy, doughy and covered in salsa, sweet mustard, sweet and spicy ketchup or mayo.

An empanada, atleast in queso form is the best way to get cheese in Santiago. Cheese is expensive and is difficult to find with much selection in Chile, but in the form of a spring-roll sized 150 peso ($0.28 US) empanada to a 500 peso($0.94 US) Taco Bell Gordita sized empanada, you get something like a hot-pocket and a gordita rolled into one.

Mote con huesillo gives you a meal, in drink form. This might be the weirdest on the list. The drink’s base is about a 1/3 cup of wheat, thats a little bit tougher and thicker then oatmeal, covered in a juice made of peaches and cinnamon, then a slice or two of dried peach is added in. You both drink it off the side of the cup, and eat the wheat and peaches with a spoon. Served ice-cold and delicious.  More here.

4. When you arrive at SCL, be prepared to eliminate S. Unlike Uruguay, Argentina and every other Spanish-speaking country, Chile speaks in a Spanish slang all its own. Spanish is spoken as fast as any latin american country, but additionally the letter s is cut off the end of many words, and taken out of the middle of some.

Basic Spanish 101: Gracias, uno, dos, tres, adios

Basic Chilean Spanish 101: Gracia, uno, do, tre, adio

-af