Are you gunna eat that?

MOVIN' ON UP!

2010-05-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Wanna keep in the know of Buenos Aires restaurants, food products and see what I've been cooking? Check out my new and improved food blog: http://pickupthefork.com/

For more whacky Argentina news, I've created an something extra special just for you: http://queseyoargentina.wordpress.com/

Dear Milanesa de Soja,

2010-05-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Milanesa de soja meet vegetarian minded X, your new best friend. If X has been living in Buenos Aires for a while, I am sure you need no introduction. You may already have a love-hate relationship. Oh MdS, you are so quick, easy, and cheap. I can cook you in the microwave, stove top or oven. I can ignore the fact that you almost always are freezer burned because you are reliable... I can find you at the disco, jumbo, chino, and if I'm lucky, maxi kiosco. I eat you for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. On the go, in the home, at work. You have the protein I need without making my chin grow double. But while you come in various flavors like ham & cheese, spinach, onion, original, and (the death of the earth) without salt, you still manage to taste sucky and I have grown to hate your face, even when smothered in cheese and sauce.

But I have a huge announcement to make! Could it be??? How could I just discover this new and reinvented you that comes in a crispy form masking the limp beige textureless oval, appealing to the meatiest of the meat-eaters?

Granja del Sol NUEVA milanesas SOJA Rebozadas tipo Caseras - soft on the inside, crispy on the outside with only 206 calories per serving and AR$6.45 for the box of four? Oh YES!

Bob Cobb's Salad

2010-05-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

How can I talk about a Cobb Salad without showing a clip from one of my favorite Curb Your Enthusiasm Episodes? I was inspired by Larry David to make this delicious Cobb salad, with no substitutions. Then, I watched the episode while eating the cholesterol packed plate.

Ingredients:
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 1 sliced avocado
- 1 head chopped lettuce
- 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
- 250 g crisp bacon (or turkey bacon)
- crumbled blue cheese
- chopped cold grilled chicken
- dress with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper

Another interesting thing to note , Bob Cobb is also the name of Seinfeld's "the Maestro"character.

Feliz Cinco de Ma-show

2010-05-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Mexico's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on the 5th of May in 1862, I stuffed by face with chicken fajitas (AR$69 for two) and guzzled down frozen margaritas (AR$21) at Taco Box (Soler 5581).

Well spiced and marinated chicken, fresh vegetables (a bit too greasy for my taste), and lots of little sides. Feliz Dia! Still doesn't compare to real Mexican, but will fulfill the craving for now.

Slap a steak on the parrilla

2010-05-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

As a former vegetarian once perplexed by this meat obsessed culture, I slowly am beginning to understand the appeal of eating red fleshy carcass. Known as the “land of beef” (self-proclaimed title, you don’t see Japanese people boasting about the “land of sushi”), Argentina has the world’s highest consumption rate of beef, with the average consumer scarfing down a yearly average of more than 140 pounds of cow parts galore.

Chinchulín - Intestine
Riñones - Kidneys
Molleja - Sweet Bread
Morcilla - Blood Sausage... cooked blood? ick, no gracias.
Chorizo – Sausage*
Tira de asado – Short Ribs
Vacio – Flank Steak
Entraña – Skirt steak*
Ojo de bife – Rib Eye
Bife de Chorizo – Sirloin Strip Steak*
Bife de lomo – Filet Mignon*

*My personal favorites, don't forget to order the sides of Chimichurri and Salsa Criolla, and a Morron (roasted red pepper).

The best Parrillas in the city? Tough call. While I manage to eat mostly vegetarian, I do have a few favorites for when I have friends in town... I generally still manage to order some sort of grilled vegetable dish, and almost always get shit for doing it.

- Parrilla Peña (Rodriguez Peña 682, Recoleta/Centro): Far from Palermo's overly trendy restaurants, Parrilla Peña remains one of the last standing authentic bodegónes with no one under 50 years old in the whole restaurant. Why do I love it? The food is sooo delicious. This is my #1 recommendation to anyone visiting Buenos Aires. A welcome meat empanada, bife de lomo, thick steak fries + wine to share runs about AR$70 per person.

Chorizo from Parrilla Peña

- El Trapiche (Paraguay 5099, Palermo Hollywood) Another classic bondegón with a quite extensive menu filled with pastas, seafood, and of course, meat. My favorite is a brochette (skewer) with lomo and vegetables. I know this is a post about meat, but I must note they serve a real good grilled salmon - which is a hard thing to find in this city!
- Touristy but still oh so good: La Cabrera (Cabrera 5099): All about sides! This place is for sharing as each dish comes with about 10 sides dishes. You might as well be in the US because everyone around you will be speaking English.

Bife de lomo + all the glorious sides from La Cabrera

One word of advice, stay away from Puerto Madero tourist traps! Cabaña de las Lilas is the devil. A good slab of meat should never cost more than 70 pesos. Never ever. Unless it comes with a side of something special, like drugs.

Curry in a hurry

2010-05-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

Once I tried to smuggle Indian food into a movie theater. Wasn't the best idea for many reasons: The smell, this one is a given... I reeked of Indian spices, as if I bathed in pungent coriander and tumeric stew, liberally rubbing garam masala as a body scrub. The mess, it didn't occur to me the difficult logistics involved in attempting to eat with curry on my lap, in the dark. The security, imagine being publicly reprimanded by a movie theater manager for hiding Indian food in your backpack while going to see Million Dollar Baby, not a fun situation.

I forgot about this story until while flipping through the channels, Million Dollar Baby appeared on the screen and Clint Eastwood's squinty stare transmitted an intense craving for something spicy. I ventured off to my Buenos Aires culinary Mecca, Barrio Chino, with only 42 pesos in my pocket, to collect the goods.Not enough time, nor experienced, to make my own mix of spices I grabbed a Thai yellow curry paste (AR$16) at the supermercado that is towards the end of the street, Arribeños 2263, not sure the name but it is next to Lotus Neo Thai Restaurant.
I grabbed coconut milk (AR$7.50 each) at Asia Oriental (Mendoza 1650) and picked up some firm tofu (AR$4.50). Only AR$6.50 left for the veggies! I managed to pick up potatoes and zucchini for 5 pesos, and had just enough left for the busride home.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 package Firm Tofu
- 2 cans Coconut Milk
- 3/4 cup vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste (to taste depending on heat)
- 1 teaspoon salt & sugar
- 1 can of peas
- 2 zucchinis
- 3 chopped potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce

Once brown rice is cooked, the rest takes only 15 minutes - heat a sauce pan with oil (I used cooking spray) and stir fry curry paste for about 30 seconds. Add coco milk and bring to boil. Then add stock, potatoes, fish sauce, onion and return to boil. Then, simmer uncovered and add zucchini, peas, salt & sugar for another 15-20 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

Found: Go-To Barrio Favorite

2010-04-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Photos of restaurant found on facebook page

Familiar ambiance, adorable decor, interesting menu, attentive service, decent prices, good location, fresh and homemade ingredients, tasty food - in my mental check list, these are essential. Imagine my joy on a perfect autumn Sunday afternoon when I stumbled upon Tartine Crepes & Bakery in Palermo Hollywood (Arévalo 1488). This french inspired café/bistro boasts a large menu of crepes, quiches, sandwiches, salads, fresh baked breads, bagels, pastries, and even offers a Sunday brunch with an "American" style breakfast.
Even before trying the food, I was sold upon entering the bright and sunny room, greeted by the rich smell of recently baked breads and fresh flowers. The crowd is too cool for school Palermonites, but
Oh, how I love red rooms like this with grand chandeliers, obsessed. I wanna put all those chairs together and sleep there.
So, on to food & drink. Brunching with a self-proclaimed coffee expert, it should be noted that the café doble was large, not watery, and fairly priced at AR$9 (apparently this is the important criteria when juding a good coffee). Plus, the cup and saucer is absolutly delightful! Apparently, they just began brewing Juan Valdez café de Colombia, if that is a good thing?
What to order with such a brunchable menu? I chose the Crepe de verduras (AR$26), which was served with mixed greens. The crepe was nice - light, fluffy dough wrapped around fresh grilled vegetables with a creamy sauce. Pictured below is the super-hangover sandwich (AR$35). You could tell the homemade crusty bread was fresh out of the oven. The sandwich contained scrambled egg, cream cheese and smoked salmon served with a side of nothing special roasted potatoes. Growing up this combination was such a cheap staple, it feels morally wrong to spend 35 pesos (almost US$9!!) on a small plate. I must face the facts... salmon/all fish is expensive in BA. I will still definitely be back next weekend to try more.

Artemisia Cocina Natural Casera

2010-04-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Artemisia has been on my list of restaurants to try for a long time. Just recently, the owners opened up a second establishment in Palermo Hollywood (Gorriti 5996), only a few blocks away from my house so I had to try it!

The pics I took don't really give the food justice... the menu is creative with mostly vegetarian options. A bit on the pricey side, but overall quite good and I definitely will go back to try more thingsThis is the menu, while I appreciate the earth-friendliness written on recyclable paper bags, I am not a huge fan with menus that have grease stains from previous diners.For appetizers, the menu lists a number of bruschetas - I picked the "Griega" (AR$26) that had grilled vegetables, goat cheese, dried fruit and basil on a black olive focaccia bread. It came a bit different than expected, with a lot of grilled mushrooms, and a bunch of greens (not basil) on top. The menu also includes a buscheta on focaccia rosemary pear bread served with grilled pear, goat cheese, greens, and a membrillo (which is quince fruit) vinagrette.For entree, I ordered the Pesca Thai (AR$47) which was kind of like a fish curry (made with cod) that had ginger, lemon grass, coconut milk, yamani rice, raisins, cashews and coliflower. It was just OK, the fish portion was a bit one-note and the rice bland. The green garnish on top was unnecesarry, and seemed like it was just plopped on the plate (same greens appeared on each dish). I would probably like it more if it was 15 pesos cheaper, basically too expensive for what it was.Above is a pic of the Polenta Lasagna filled with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms covered in a vegetable soy sauce with cream and brown sugar. While I didn't think the soy-cream sauce quite worked, my dinner companion licked the plate to slurp up every drop of sauce.Artemisia has two locations in Palermo - one on Cabrera 3877 the other Gorriti 5996.

Fat Pasta, Skinny Pasta

2010-04-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

For those who are not regulars in the kitchen, and you want to impress someone for the first time with your cooking, there is one secret ingredient that will never disappoint - BUTTER. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way and when I first began cooking up a storm, I also ate my way through endless sticks of creamy, salty, butta.. literally, biting off big chunks like it was a candy bar.

Luckily, after many pounds gained I came up with a new plan cooking both fat meals and skinny meals. Basically, I started making the same meal two ways, with minimal extra cost, clean up, and time spent slaving over a hot stove. This is my version of a Roasted Tomato Cream Pasta / Roasted Tomato & Zucchini Pasta. I first got the idea from Ree Drummond on her blog The Pioneer Woman (her blog is supposedly turning into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon) when she posted a recipe for the ridiculously delicious farfalle with zucchini pasta.After chopping up onions and garlic, divide in two piles sautéing half in butter, the other half in olive oil (or cooking spray to be extra skinny). Add chopped up zucchini to the light version. Pour some white wine and simmer.Mix whole cherry/grade tomatoes with round tomatoes (in 1/4s) in a bowl with salt and olive oil (again, no oil is necesarry). Throw on to a roasted pan with some garlic cloves and cook for about 20 minutes until soft.Here comes the divergence. Fatty version gets a can of crushed tomatoes, few roasted tomatoes, chopped roasted garlic and cream.. a lot of cream. For the skinny version, toss in roasted tomatoes and garlic. OK, almost finished. Boil pasta water (saving about 1/2 cup water for the sauce). Mix all together. Serve with basil, parsley and parm cheese. Next, mix the fatty tomato cream with the pasta, serve with basil and liberal amounts of shredded and shaved parm cheese.

Ingredients
Fatty Pasta:
- Bow Tie pasta
- 2 Cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- Cream
- Parm cheese
- Butter
- 1/3 cup white wine

Skinny Pasta:
- Bow Tie Pasta
- 1/4 kilo cherry tomatoes, 1/2 kilo round tomatoes (roasted)
- 2 zapallitos (or zucchini)
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- Chopped parsley
- Chopped Basil
- Sprinkle of parm
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil / or cooking spray

Quimbombó boombadeedopdop

2010-04-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Walk up the first flight of stairs to Quimbombó (Costa Rica 4562) in Palermo Soho and immediately fall in love with the beige, taupe, and off-white earthy decor. Then, walk up the second flight of stairs to an airy room with a comfortable and inviting set up, terrace over looking Plaza Armenia, and intimate tables in a second, more exclusive terrace.The menu is Indian influenced, but I woulnd't say it has Indian food. Instead, it promotes more health/natural food that has been popping up in BA restaurants in the past few years - fresh vegetables, whole grains, and soy products. This is a mostly vegetarian place, but they do serve some fish and chicken in some dishes.
I opted for the Tunecina Salad (about AR$30) - tomato, fresh mozarella, grilled eggplant and zucchini, sweet corn, lemon zest, basil and mint. The salad was large (enough for 2 to share) with really fresh ingredients (besides the canned corn). It came with whole grain bread and a sweet potato like puré. The drink menu is also extensive with a wide variety of licuados (AR$13) - I ordered one recommended by the server, it had passion fruit.

Photo from the Quimbombo website.

This is a place to definitely try again, sitting outside on the terrace with a few cocktails before the weather gets cold!

Veggie Burger and Bulgur

2010-04-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

New food processor in hand, I thought the first thing to make should be a homemade veggie burger with a side of a taboule-like salad. I couldn't find a recipe that I liked, so I just made one up using grilled vegetables, beans, and spices.First, I grilled red peppers, zucchinis, onions, carrots - pretty much any vegetable that I like. Then food process, add beans (white beans and garbonzos), tofu, 1 egg, panko bread crumbs, spices done. Don't food process too much or else it will turn to goop. Chill, make patties, chill again, grill in olive oil, then bank until crispy on the outside. Done. Serve with an extra piece of roasted red pepper and slices of avocado.The salad is so easy to make, just takes time to chop. I bought thick bulgur wheat, poured of boiling water (just enough to cover the grain) and then let sit for like 30 minutes. While I'm chopping and cooking I keep the burgol in the fridge so it starts to get cold. Warm bulgur = nasty. Chop up tomatoes, onions (really small), parsley, and roasted red pepper (I stole one from the burger). Mix all together, add salt, pepper, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil. Then CHILL IT (the food).Serve with warm pita and some greek yogurt, fresh healthy and good.

Ingredients for Burger:
3 Roasted red peppers (save one for salad)
1 Sliced & roasted zucchini
1 Roasted onion
1 Roasted Carrot
1 Can of garbonzos
1 Can of white beans
1/4 package of firm tofu
Salt, Pepper, pinch of spices like cumin, paprika, red pep flakes, ummm really anything else, but careful not to add to much or else it will taste like B.O.
1 Egg
1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs (or regular bread crumbs)
Sliced avocado & yogurt to dollop

Ingredients for Bulgur Salad:
1/2 cup thick bulgur
Big chunk of chopped parsley
2 Large diced tomatoes
1/8 cup Chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 Thinly sliced then diced onion (tiny pieces)
1 Roasted red pepper diced
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
Bunch of lemon juice
Salt, pepper

Soup-a-loop

2010-03-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

The end of summer has come and the beginning of a nasty cold has taken over my body. The normal cure would be matzo ball soup from Once Upon A Bagel in Highland Park, but that type of cold-busting homemade chicken soup is hard to come by in Buenos Aires. In no state to commit to making the real medicine, I cheated and opted for a quick version..
Very easy. Oil pot, add chopped vegetables, sautee until soft/transluent, add chicken (or vegetable) stock, throw in parsley, simmer, salt, pepper, cover, slurp.

Ingredients (all chopped):
-Little bit olive oil
-1/4 onion
-2 cloves garlic
-2 leeks
-1 carrot
-2 celery stalks
-1 potato
-1 ear of corn
-bunch of parsley
-6 cups broth (more, or less...depending how much you want)

Bereber Moroccan Restaurant

2010-03-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

When I first arrived to Argentina, I used to regular Bereber (Armenia 1880) in Palermo as I was a big fan of the lunch menu - interesting sandwiches, appetizers, salad-like side dishes, inventive drinks, and really inviting northern African ambiance. In the past few years, I have attempted to return for lunch but have found that they no longer serve lunch. Luckily, I was in the neighborhood one night..Started with an order of Briouats - philo dough triangles stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts served with a tomato sauce(AR$27). Pretty good, but a little pricey for the size. Sdar shawar - sauteed chicken with an assortment of Bereber salads - basically just cilantro flavored red peppers, cabbage, sesame/tahini flavored yogurt sauce, the tomato sauce from the other appetizer, and then something sweet. The chicken had an overpowering cumin/nutmeggy flavor...I wasn't a huge fan (about AR$50).Mechoui - braised lamb with cumin, paprika, and onion with fried sweet potatoes and labne, orange and date dressing. The lamb was really good - tender, perfectly cooked (about AR$60).
I ordered the Cous Cous Rey, lamb from Patagonia served with honey, raisins, and chick peas. The lamb was well seasoned and marinated - a bit too sweet for my taste, but still delicious (about AR$55),
Overall I love the decoration and the space - the food is a bit pricey and not as good as I remember... I would still go back for maybe some drinks (AR$17-AR$25) and to share an appetizer and entree.

Florencio Bistró & Patisserie

2010-03-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

On a small cobblestone street behind the British Embassy in Recoleta you can find the cutest little café / bistro ever. I have wanted to try this place for a few years, but every time I attempted to, it was either closed, or there weren't any seats available. Open for lunch and dinner on Wednesdays and Fridays (8am - 1am) and all day Mondays - Saturdays (9am - 8pm), Florencio (Francisco de Vittoria 2363) fits only about 10-15 people with 5 small tables inside and one small table outside on the sidewalk. The menu includes items like sandwiches, tartas, baked goods, pastries - conveniently displayed on a big chalk board, plus specials that change daily.
I was in the mood for something sweet, I wish I was hungrier to order more. I went with a Cheesecake con frutas rojas (Cheesecake with berries) that was really good, and not overly sweet, it was inhaled in less than 2 minutes.Florencio is plant-friendly as well.

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

2010-03-09T16:05:00.001-08:00

For a long time I stuck by the same ole choco chip cookie recipe. The last few times I've made them, I wasn't happy with the results. The cookies failed me! How hard is it to make cookies not taste good? Actually almost impossible. So I changed the bitch up. This time I was going for a chewy, soft consistency. Success!No need for any fancy equipment here - get one bowl for all the wetish ingredients (melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla) and mix up real good. mmm butter and sugar, best thing eva. Next, in a separate bowl add together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda & salt). About 1/2 cup at a time, pour the floury dry ingredients into the butter sugar goodness - mixing really well. Once its all combined then add choco - I chopped up a semi sweet choco bar, but any good tasting choco will do.Now make small balls (hehe) good enough spaced apart so they don't overlap. Or, if you like touchin cookies, go ahead and touch away.12-15 minutes later, they are done! I burnt the bottom of the first batch, so for the next I took them out even though they were a bit raw in the center. Salmonella poisening really isn't that bad.
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from AllRecipes.com adapted from yo mama

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, none of that artificial shiat
1 egg
1 egg yolk
100 g chopped up chocolate bar

Hot, Humid Summer's Day Hearty Chicken Pot Pie

2010-03-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

What's better on a damp, humid hot day? Chicken pot pie! Due to the lack of reasonable priced veggies, I tried to not be wasteful and use everything in my refrigerator to make something tasty. I had a pre-made pie crust in the package that was already expired (this must have been really old, usually they have like a 5 month shelf life. I stupidly didn't read the date when I bought it) so I had to use that.

I made a chicken pot pie last winter that was fantastic - probably because I used about a stick of butter and heavy cream. This time I wanted to make a "light" version, as it is summer n all.Use a cooking spray, saute vegetables starting with chopped onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Once onions are translucent and veggies are softish, add frozen veggies like peas, corn and green beans. Stir for a few minutes, then add flour and mix around to coat everything Next, add the chicken stock and milk letting it simmer for about 10 minutes, keep stirring otherwise it might start sticking to the bottom. Next add chopped chicken and spices - thyme, parsley, salt and pepper
Line the pie dish with the dough, pour in the good stuff, and add the second piece of dough to the top pinching it to make something crust-like.

Last step, stick in the oven until golden brown (about 25 minutes).

Ingredients (adapted from the Marshall Field's Walnut room recipe):
Cooking spray (substitute instead of buttrer/oil)
1 package of dough (2 round rolled out pieces)
1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 package frozen veggies mix: peas, corn, green beans, carrots
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup dry sherry *I didn't have any so I used white wine
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
2 tablespoons minced parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Green Map Buenos Aires

2010-03-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

Not sure where to find natural and organic food in Buenos Aires? Well, just look around because they are everywhere. For a complete guide, check out the Natural Urban and Organic Guide's "Mapa Verde" or Green Map which lists all of the Diéteticas (health food store), restaurants, cooking classes, deliveries, etc. in the capital and outside areas.

To pick up a free guide in Capital, head out to Restaurante Buenos Aires Verde (Gorriti 5657, Palermo), Natural Deli (Gorostiaga 1776, Las Cañitas), or Pura Vida (Reconquista 516, Microcentro). You can also access the guide online here.

Buenos Aires food prices soar with no food to buy

2010-03-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

Reports have shown that food and drink prices have risen an average of 3.5% in the last 15 days in February. Most notably, meat has risen 18% and fruit and vegetables 10%. This didn't really make a difference because there was no food to buy anyway.
No more meat.
No more veggies.

No more fruit.

Pics taken at LeaderPrice in Palermo - I know, who buys meat and veggies at leaderprice? It's despicable and that's why I'm writing it in tiny font.

Brownies, two ways

2010-02-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

What kind of brownies should I make? Dulce de leche to porteño-ize, or cheesecake to yanki-nate? Both? Done. You would think that taking on these tasks would be moderately time consuming, indulgent, and messy. Maybe. But the hardest part was finding the main ingredients... cocoa powder and high quality semi sweet baking chocolate. Luckily some well informed expats suggested I visit Casa Polti in Belgrano, a wonderful shop with spices and other dried goods that has been around since 1929. Success! Cacao en polvo, y barras de chocolate semi amargo.

I tried the two recipes from David Leibovitz and I picked a hot, humid muggy day to make them.Brownie batter with globs of dulce de leche marbled with a spatula
I think I overcooked it... looks very cake-like.
Still tasty. And calorie free. No butter used at all.. On to the next without any hesitation. I splurged and went all out, I bought Philadelphia cream cheese (AR$13.95) instead of the local queso crema, I said I was gunna yanki-nate it!Same deal, except there is more like a layer of the cream cheese topping, and then use the spatula for marblezation. It is really hard for brownies not to be good. Although my eaters gave them rave reviews, the consistency made me mad. Too cakey, a little dry... I'm more for a gooey, moist brownie with a crispy top. I think my pan was too shallow, or I overcooked it. Damn. I'll probably still eat em' all anyway.
Recipes:
- Dulce de leche Brownies
- Cheesecake Brownies

Big MAMMA

2010-02-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I crave a corned beef sandwich from a real, authentic deli... I would do anything for a mile high stacked Reuben, all seasoned bagels with cream cheese, a complete lox plate, big kosher dill crunchy pickles, smiley face or black and white cookie yummm. My jew gene has definitely been in full force, and although BA does have a lot of Jews, they are lacking on the deli scene.
I went to Big Mamma in Belgrano with low expectations. Good thing. I ordered a "reuben" which had more of a pastrami/roast beef type meat, no sauce, some carrots, a little cheese, and a limpy pickle (AR$26 pesos). I probably wouldn't order it again, but I will give MAMMA another chance and try the bagel and lox with the understanding that I will probably be underwhelmed. If I have low expectations then it can only get better, right?

Happy Valentine's Day, here's a miniature burger

2010-02-14T07:18:00.001-08:00

The mini food trend has hit BA and I hope it doesn't stick. BeFrika, on the corner of Junin and French in Recoleta, is the first restaurant to serve higher class gourmet hamburgers, and they are tiny as hell. I guess the concept is trendy, gourmet, fast food, miniture sizes? The menu does include some things that aren't easy to find, a wide selection of licuados (smoothies), milkshakes, iced tea, lemonade, brownies, cookies, and I guess some good mixed drinks too that some "famous" bartender at Green Bamboo created who is kinda a big deal. As for food, there are a number of inventive hamburgers, chicken burgers and vegetarian options called tini-minis. This type of "fast food" comes in a little box..kind of silly to serve each one this way (and somewhat wasteful in this eco-friendly green world we live in) as the food is not fast, it took about 25 minutes for 2 mini burgers. Each order (2 tini minis) runs about AR$20-24 pesos, but there is also a special promo for AR$35 that includes 2 teeny weenies, fries and gaseosa or cerveza.
This is a happy meal containing a Frankie and Johnny burger (cheddar, pancheta and bbq sauce) and Green Cooper (panceta, provolone, roasted red pepper, and pesto), fries and a quilmes beer. I also ordered a peach iced tea that was really good, made with real peaches and not a cavity-amount of sugar. The Frankie & Johnny was probably the better choice of the two and the fries were awesome, thick crispy starchy steak fries. For the price, I was expecting some fancy aioli or seasoned mayo - just regular ass packets of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
Two seconds later everything gone. Not the right place to go while hungry. Overall, it was good - but the portions were too small for what it costs.

The Best Salad Ever: Chopped Vegetable Salad

2010-02-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

This is honestly the best salad ever. Ask anyone. It's fresh, crisp, nutritious, delicious, colorful my all time favorite! The inspiration for this recipe came to me when I was high school and working at Rosebud Restaurant. Their most popular salad, and one of the best ever, is called the Rosebud Chopped Salad and consisted of about 9 different vegetables in the house Italian herb vinaigrette. Ever since, I've created many variations of this salad and it has never failed me.

*Disclaimer:This salad is not for picky eaters, since the key is chopping up the veggies really small, it is almost impossible to pick certain ingredients out. This isn't something that is quick to whip up, unless you have access to a salad bar with cut up vegetables. I like to make a big batch of this, and have left overs for a few days.
The vegetables I used today are in season, on sale, or just make the salad taste really good: fresh sweet corn, beets, cherry tomatoes, green & red peppers, celery, garbonzo beans, carrot, cucumber, basil, lettuce, avocado, and roasted red pepper
The red peppers, beets, and corn all have some heating involved so I like to start with that. Stick the pepper in the oven..not sure how to roast one? Check out detailed directions here!
Usually I buy canned beets or beets from a salad bar because cooking them involved lots of deep red beet juice dye, but the local verdulería had some on sale... cooking these are easy but a bit messy. Next, the corn. I know it's annoying to send so many how-to links, but these are things that everyone should know how to cook! For corn directions, this website is really fun http://www.howtocookcornonthecob.com/.
Multitasking is key - while all this other stuff is going on here comes time for chopping! Small pieces is key. The cherry tomatoes I chop into quarters, peppers, celery, and carrots cut in thin vertical strips then horizontally cut.
Next add the leaves - wash and cut up the basil and lettuce... usually I don't use lettuce for this salad, especially the zero nutritious iceberg, but I had some in my fridge. Make sure to chop it extra small. If you use lettuce, I would recommend spinach.

Time to start putting this together! Start with lettuce, then add the chopped veggie bowl, garbonzos, and mix up really so you see lots of pretty colors. What else am I missing? Throw in the corn kernels, beets, slice roasted red peppers, and avocado. Sometimes I will add some mozzarella (low fat string cheese cut up is really good), I had some blue cheese so I added that.
Dressing is optional. I like to squeeze some lime juice and add salt and pepper. I think a light vinaigrette would also work.

Ingredients:
- 2 red peppers (1 for roasting)
- green pepper
- carrot
- beet
- corn on the cob
- cherry tomatoes
- celery
- cucumber
- garbanzo beans
- basil
- lettuce
- avocado
- blue cheese
- lime
- salt
- pepper

Sesame-Garlic Stir Fried Brown Rice with a Fried Egg

2010-02-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

This recipe was so easy, almost too easy that I felt like I had to make it more complicated. I adapted this from a Sesame-Garlic Soba Noodles with Fried Egg recipe on thekitchn.com. I had some left over brown rice in the fridge, and then other veggies that I could tell were almost past their prime - so, I decided to combine everything.
I baked some firm tofu to add some extra protein to the dish. Cooking tofu (as long as it is on the firm side) is almost impossible to mess up. I just threw the pieces onto a baking sheet (note the small bite I took out of the upper left hand one, I couldn't resist!) and cooked (about 350 degrees) for about 5-10 minutes on both sides or until the edges started to brown.While the tofu was baking, I started on the sauce by heating sesame oil and once sizzling hot, added garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger and mixed for about 30 seconds until fragrant - carefully because the garlic can burn really quickly. I turned off the flame, and added soy sauce then set aside.
While the tofu was still baking, I began to cut up some veggies - I looked to see what was in the fridge, and began chopping and peeling away - red pepper, green pepper, zucchini, carrot, Chinese (snow) cabbage. I quickly stir fried this - first adding the peppers, onions and zucchini and then about 2 minutes later the cabbage and carrot. Then I added the brown rice and cooked for a few minutes on low because I wanted the vegetables to be crisp. Chopping up the tofu, I added it to the pot and set it all aside and poured the sauce over everything, stirring really well. Last step is the key: fried egg. Over low-middle heat, I cracked the egg in a pan - once the white set I flipped the egg super carefully with a spatula and removed from the flame. Plopped it on top of the rice, veggie, sauce combo.
Don't even think about eliminating the fried egg, it is the highlight of the dish. I think next time I will leave out some of the vegetables, so the dish focuses on the runny delicious yellow yolk.

Ingredients
-Left over brown rice (about 1/3 cup)
-2 pieces of firm tofu
-Vegetables: 1/4 red pepper, 1/4 green peppers, 1/2 shredded carrot, 1/4 zucchini, 2 leaves(?) Chinese cabbage, 1 stalk green onion
-1 egg
Sauce:
-2 teaspoons sesame oil
-2 gloves minced garlic
-1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
-red pepper flakes (thekitchn says 1/4 teaspoon, I added much more - about 1 teaspoon)
-2 tablespoons soy sauce

Russian Pelmeni Dumplings

2010-02-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

I was first introduced to dumplings at Pel'meni in Madison, Wisconsin. For US$5, you could get a styrofoam container filled with the delicious pillows of meat or potato dumplings, with spice or no spice, sour cream, and a piece of rye bread. Oh, how I craved these dumplings... when the glorious day arrived when I was back in Madison, I hit State Street to stuff my face. I walked up the 7 block street about 3 times, from the Capital to Library Mall, where could it be? I hadn't been away THAT long... finally, after my 4th pace, I gave up, went home, googled Pel'meni, and it was true. It was closed. Sad, sad, sad day.

Photo found on a random Flickr page

The Onion and an order of dumplings at Pel'Meni, doesn't get much better.

I had an intense craving that I needed to satisfy, and after making dumplings a few months back with a skilled partner, I thought I would embark on my own and give it a try with my own spin. First, I cheated. I bought the wrappers. Second, it was cheap - AR$10 (US$2.50) for about 50 dumplings. Third, it was damn good. Fourth, it was sooo easy, here's how I did it:
First, I plopped 4 large peeled potatoes (quartered) in a big pot of salted water and brought it to a boil and cooked until they were soft. This took about 20 minutes, so while I was waiting, I melted 2 teaspoons of butter to a pan and sauteed chopped garlic and onionDrain and put the potatoes in a bowl, MASH EM! If I was Paula Deen, I would have added lots of butta.. but last night I showed some restraint and instead just added the garlic onion mix, and happened to have a left over ear of sweet corn so I just added some kernels. If I had access to a wide selection of cheese, I would probably add some sharp cheddar - but the best I could do was a few ounces of port salut (or something like that) soft cheese. Salt, pepper, and voila, almost done!
The dough is simple, water, flour, egg, that's it. I'm still really lazy and didn't feel like getting my hands dirty so I bought the dough pre-made in Barrio Chino, 50 for AR$4. I guess they are technically won-ton wrappers, but I wonder if empanada dough would work too...
I took each one, stretched it out a little, and added a spoonful of fillingConstructing things and making them look pretty was never my thing, I'm too sloppy. I started to fold each one and make crescents, half circles, demented pockets etc.
Aren't they cute?
Then I tossed them into a pot of boiling water and once they floated to the top, I waited for 2 more minutes and transfered to a greased dish to prevent sticking -I used cooking spray, but if I were a real cook I'd use butter.Almost ready to eat... Last step is in the spice and is what really gives it a kick... sprinkled a little bit of curry powder, white vinegar, sriracha spicy sauce and a massive dollop of non-fat queso crema (like sour cream). If I close my eyes, I can picture myself sitting in Pel'Meni shoveling dumplings into my mouth.

Ingredients
4 large potatoes
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 ear of corn
3 tablespoons of cheese
salt
black pepper
dough (Check out Martha's recipe if you are feeling crafty)
Spices: Curry powder, sriracha, vinegar, sour cream

Banana Bread

2010-02-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

After inheriting a lovely loaf pan from a dear friend, I have wanted to bake some sort of loafy sweet bread. This simple recipe was easy to make, ingredients cheap, and was mmmm mmmm good. I adapted this recipe from the great Smitten Kitchen food blog
First, I smashed 4 ripe bananas - not too ripe with fruit flies hanging around, but not bright yellow either.. somewhere in the middle with a few black specks. If brown mushy spots gross you out, just don't look... mash the bananas with a masher if you are fancy, or if you are ghetto like me, a fork will do.
Add the melted butter and then stir in yogurt, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, salt. Not the most appetizing picture...
Then, slowly stir in the flour. Again, not appetizing.. this is the type of batter that you won't want to lick the spoon.
Pour into a greased pan and put in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees, then do the knife trick once time is up to make sure it is done
I didn't add enough sugar, so to make it a little sweeter I sprinkled some on top
You can't really tell from the picture, but you can see little strawberries from the yogurt I used... I added this to make it more moist, but I think I would take it out next time, maybe add oat bran for some extra fiber and chocolate chips for sweetness.

Banana Bread Recipe
4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4 light brown sugar
1/3 cup strawberry yogurt
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup of flour

As for my next loaf... I think it will be this Lemon Poppy Seed recipe..

Fresh Feesh

2010-02-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Mikado Sushi in Las Cañitas (Arévalo 2870) is pretty good and not ridiculously expensive. The Combinado Sapporo (AR$85) comes with 30 pieces and despite the unfortunate rolls with cream cheese and that gloop of guacamole, the salmon was fresh, and the rolls were tasty. Plus, the meal came with complimentary glasses of champagne.. not too bad.

Who doesn't love a cupcake?

2010-01-31T08:05:00.001-08:00

Photo from Muma's cupcakes facebook page

Sitting in Muma's, a tiny cupcake (and muffin) bakery in the overly trendy Palermo Soho area, is one of the most pleasant experiences I've had in a while (What a fat girl thing to say...) But in all seriousness, it is purely enjoyable to sit facing the window and watch people's faces light up when they walk by. Both the cupcakes and interior decoration are so visually stimulating, it is like an eye-catching anti-depressant...

There are about 20 different kinds of cupcakes and every day the selection changes. Above is the Café Ole (Tiramisu) and a Pasión de Frutilla y Crema (strawberries and cream). There are so many good flavors I want to try them all! In addition to cupcakes, they also sell muffins and then "healthy," celiac, and diabetic cupcakes.
Ate this one too quick, I forgot to get a picture... half of a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, café con leche.
The cupcakes range from AR$8-AR$9 pesos, and the mini cupcakes (bite size) are AR$4. Muma's Cupcakes is located at 1680 Malabia in Palermo Soho

Shells with Meat Sauce

2010-01-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

Rarely do I cook with meat, but I had a craving for something hearty - despite the 95 degree weather. I should probably be cooking light summer foods - spinach salad, pasta salads, fish, fruit, etc. but I wasn't in the mood.... this is a really easy, and really tasty dish!
First, I heated some olive oil and threw in chopped onion, garlic, and grated carrot and mixed around until they were sweating
After a few minutes, threw in some lean ground beef and mixed around until the pinkish red rawness of the beef disappeared, about 6 minutes - salt, pepper, and red pepper flake itNext, some cheap wine - I chose Colon Malbec... cook until 1/2 of the liquid evaporates
I forgot to take a picture of the next part... actually, it was my first step but oh well. I decided it would be most authentic if I made my own tomato sauce. So, I bought a bunch of tomatoes (round and plum/roma not quite sure the difference), added a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven for about 25 minutes on high heat (my oven doesn't have temperatures) until they got all soft, juicy and browning on the skim. I was too lazy and impatient to wait for the tomatoes to cool so I could peel them, so I just threw them directly into the beef wine mixture, along with some tomato pasted, and mixed it all together... I think the skin of the tomato is packed with lycopene, a great antioxidant (I could have just made that up)

Then, it simmered for a while, the longer the simmer, the better it tastes.... I had it on for about 45 minutes, added some more salt, pepper, pinch of sugar. 11 minutes after boiling the pasta shells, I rinsed, put it back in the pot and mixed with a little bit of butter, some mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Then, placed pasta on plate, topped with the meat sauce, fresh basil, and grated Parmesan I had tons of leftovers so the next day, and the sauce tasted better than the day before, I plopped some sauce at the bottom, mixed up the rest of the pasta with the sauce, topped wth cheese, and baked it for about 20 minutes and low/medium heat - really good and didn't taste like leftovers at all!

Meat Sauce with Shells Recipe
Sauce:
EV olive oil (1 tablespoon for tomatoes, 1 tblspoon heated in the pan)
8 tomatoes - roma, plum or red round ones - doesnt really matter what kind, but I think this has the best flavor
1 can tomato paste
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 chopped onion
1/4 grated carrot
1/2 kilo lean ground beef
salt
pepper
sugar
red pepper flakes

Pasta:
1/2 Package of Shells (any pasta is ok, to me, shells are fun - yes I realize that sounds pathetic..)
Teaspoon of butter
Spoonfuls of low fat ricotta, 1 handful of shredded low fat mozzarella (again, this is the cheese I had so I think any kind would be ok)
Fresh basil *for garnish
Grated parm

Baked pasta left overs:
More cheese to put ontop before baking

Cocina Confidential: Bodegones

2010-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

A few months ago the New York Times featured an article about a true Argentine institution, el bogedón. Unlike the trendy restaurants you read about in the guidebooks, these historic barrio joints do not serve intricate, elaborate creations. Instead, bodegones keep it simple with staples that keep the masses coming back for more: meat and malbec - bife de lomo, chorizos, asado, vacío, bondiola, morcilla, just to name a few... One of the only types of places where you will still find waiters decked out in the traditional bowtie uniform, an older generation of Argentine diners flock in appreciation of the good service, delicious food, reasonable prices and homey neighborhood feel.

Photo from Planetajoy.com

The foodie website, Planeta Joy, listed the top Bodegones to eat like a true porteño:

1. El Preferido de Palermo
Borges 2108, Palermo / T. 4774-6585
2. La Gran Taberna
Combate de los Pozos 95, Congreso / T. 4951-7586
3. Lo de Mary
Humahuaca esq. Acuña de Figueroa, Almagro / T. 4864-8033
**4. El Obrero - This restaurant is featured in the NY Times article
Agustín Caffarena 64, Barracas / T. 4362-9912
5. Café Margot
Boedo 584, Boedo / T. 4957-0001
6. El Puentecito
Luján 2101 esq. Vieytes, Barracas / T. 4301-1794
7. Albamonte
Avenida Corrientes 6735, Chacarita / T. 4553-2400
8. Miramar
Av. San Juan 1999, San Cristóbal / T. 4304-4261
9. Bellagamba
Avenida Rivadavia 2183, Congreso / 4951-5833
10. Café de García
Sanabria 3302, Villa Devoto / T. 4501-5912

Kimchee at Bi Won

2010-01-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

Korean food in Buenos Aires is just as common as walking down the street and NOT finding a huge pile of dog shit... Maybe not the best analogy, and I probably shouldn't talk about dog shit in my Korean restaurant introduction, especially since it was really good food...

Walk down a deserted street in Congreso, and you will find a small wooden sign written in Korean. This was my second trip to BiWon (Junin 548) and much tastier than I remembered. Greeted with complimentary pickled goodness kimchee and about 9 other small bowls like sugary tiny fishies, and other dishes with tofu, eggplant, spice, sweet, sour, mmmmm.
The place isn't cheap. And although it comes with all the small plates, the menu does stipulate that there will be a 15 peso charge (not sure if this is per person or per table) if the number of dishes do not match the number of eaters. We decided to not follow this rule, wing it, see what happens - luckily I found a MATCH (yes, a matchstick, and of course I kept on eating - that's not gunna stop me!) in one of the small dishes so that could be the reason the waiter waived the fee.
We ordered bulgogi, marinated bbq beef, and another type of marinated pork. The server brought it out, very quickly, and began cooking it tableside on a griddle.
Next, bi bim bop - rice, vegetable, and egg cooked on a sizzling hot stone bowl
Nice spread.

I love the taste of picada in the morning...

2010-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

Not really, but I can't deny that this is a fantastic looking plate of meats and cheeses.

Picada Special at Barbaro Bar, 415 Tres Sargentos (y Reconquista)

Culinary Tour of Brazil

2010-01-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

I met this Argentine in my hostel in Rio de Janeiro. He was a 30 something guy who always looked like he was about to go for a run decked out in black nike shorts and an adidas light weight white sleaveless shirt. Trying to engage in casual conversation, I asked him if he had any good restaurant recommendations as he had been in Rio for a few weeks... Hoping to get a name of a great spot, instead he revealed that he thought the food was disgusting, and he eats at McDonalds and Bob's (Rio's version of McDonalds) almost every day. Appalled by this statement, I was determined to prove this Bob's-lover wrong... First night meal - each plate (chicken and steak) came with lots of rice, beans, fries and spice, mmmmm mmmmm
Couveflor, a great restaurant buffet right next to the Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens) had lots of fresh veggies, meats and more. Guess which one is my plate? Gotta know the light weight items!Pratos Express (Plates Express)! This is Brazils version of fast food - I'm learning that sides like rice, beans, and fries is a pretty common thing...Cachaça is the alcohol used to make the infamous Brazilian caipirinha and at the Academia de Cachaça (Cachaça academy) in Leblon/Ipanema you can try lots of the sweet strong alcoholic nector.
After this trio of cherry, passion fruit, and original lime caipirinhas, I stumbled out to dinner at Casa do Feijoada in Copacabana.
Not really sure what this was - a shit load of beans, collard greens, sauage, rice and mystery meat topped off with a fried egg. delish. That was just one dish.... then I ordered the jerk chicken with a side of sweet potatoes..too much food.Quick stop to a sushi restaurant for a tuna handroll - the seawood tasted disgusting, so I disassembled it and asked for a portion of white rice in order to salvage the meal..doused in sweet teriyaki sauce and toasted sesame seeds, it was pretty good!
Walk down a long fruity passageway and you will find this great brunch spot with a full menu of eggs, waffles, fruit and sandwiches. I can't remember the name or address, but it was near my hostel in Ipanema (Che Lagarto Hostel).
Eggs benedict, fruit plate, smoothie with pineapple strawberry and ginger, and a café mocha - great way to start the day in a bright shiny happy restaurant.
Next stop.. KFC. This was my first trip ever to Kentucky Fried Chicken (yes, yes. I know...) but because you can't find it in Argentina, I thought someone I knew would really enjoy it - Fried things + Chicken + Huge sides like creamy coleslaw = chickeny bliss
Whenever I've heard KFC references, this big bucket of chicken is always mentioned. So, I thought it was only fit to order the buck-o-chicken while embarking on a crispy and original recipe journey. Unbeknown to me, these portions are huge - enough for a family of 5... looking around everyone had a full plate of heaping of food, 1/8 the size of the chicken, coleslaw, beans, and mashed potatoes staring me in the eye.
A quiet Monday night and couldn't find anything dinner worthy... after blocks and blocks wandering around the neighborhood, I came across a really cute spot with warm lighting and outdoor seeting on a terrace so it looked like a good choice. By the time it was too late, I realized the place was filled with neauseating label whored out couples - looked like Louis Vuitton and Fendi signature logos threw up all over. After looking at the prices on the menus, it made sense - US$40 for a plate of pasta? Insanity. Shifted gears and chose an appetizer, which the server was not happy about... Ceviche, some wrap thing, crab wontons, and tuna tataki - all with accompanied sauces. Good, not great.. quickly after this was scarfed down it was directly to the grocery store for some chips.
First night in the south of Brazil, Armaçao beach in Florianopolis - still didn't learn about the massive portion sizes... there was one place open in this small, deserted beach town - the menu had 3 sizes - full portions, 1/2 and 1/4 portions. Just wanted a little snack so the 1/4 portion size seemed to be the best option - again, a ridiculous amount of fresh from the ocean shrimp (fried), salad with lettuce, carrots, beats, and cukes, 2 types of rice, potato salad and french fries....
Really wasn't a wide selection of restaurants, so I ended up here the next day as well - same thing as the night before, just substituted the shrimp for fish. Soo good, fresh, right out of the ocean.

Salgadinhos no Brasil

2010-01-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

Salgadinhos consist of a delicious cheesy, vegetable or meat stuffing, wrapped in a baked or fried dough. In the empanada family, you can find a variety of these perfectly sized snacks at just about any corner in Rio de Janeiro. Despite the variety of sizes, all cost exactly the same, and pretty much all are quite delicious. I went on the hunt for the best one...
Calabresa - thick layer of toasty cheese and a slice of salty meat. On the side you will see a tasty sauce, Molho de alho, or garlic sauce that they will bring you upon request.
Pao de quejo (cheese bread) and salgado de frango (chicken) accompanied with both molho de alho and molho de pimenta (hot sauce).
Pao de queijo and another salgado surprise...
Umm, not really sure what this one was, but I'm sure it was good. The purple stuff, Acai - this berry, branded as the new miracle fruit, started a huge trend a few years ago for its' cancer fighting, anti-aging, and wish granting magical powers. Although acai may not cure cancer, it still is very nutritious and widely available at any suco (juice) kiosk in Rio where it is blended with ice, made into an almost frozen yogurt like consistency.. perfect for breakfast right before a long day bathing in the sun.
Fried balls of cod, cheese, shrimp, meat... yum? Didn't try it..looked like a stomach ache waiting to happen

San Telmo Market

2010-01-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Barrio Chino Food Crawl

2010-01-03T04:48:00.000-08:00

First stop on the Barrio Chino food crawl was Hong Kong Style (Montañeses 2149) for Dim Sum, otherwise known as Tim Sum in Argentina. It is difficult to find dim sum in Buenos Aires, and although a very limited selection, this is about the only place to find it. I went with my favorite dim sum expert and we ordered a few classics - pork shumai (bamboo bowl), tofu skin wrapped around pork and vegetables (left), pork spare ribs (back), and Jasmin tea.
Next we decided to continue on to Arribeños and check out Lai Lai (Arribeños 2168). One problem with this place is they have a minimum price per person which ruined our game plan as we were trying to hit as many restaurants as possible and share 1 or 2 dishes at each place...

So, we ended up ordering an appetizer of meat spring rolls (pretty standard ground beef inside a wonton wrapper) that came with a side of bright red cough syrup sweet and sour sauce. For our main dishes, we picked a wide rice noodle with vegetables and sweet and sour pork. Immediately after receiving the cough syrup sauce for the spring rolls, we regretted our sweet and sour pork choice, worried that it would arrive drenched in the sickly sweet concoction - but luckily it turned out to taste more like the American version, packed with MSG I'm sure...
Too stuffed to keep going with the crawl, I miserably failed the mission and only knocked off two restaurants - I'm going to have to continue this crawl another time with better planning. Even though I wasn't able to eat my way down Arribeños, I did buy some great produce and sauces at my favorite supermarkets.

Thai Red Curry

2009-12-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

All of this talk about Thai food gave me quite a craving for some curry. I went to my favorite place in the world, Barrio Chino, to pick up ingredients for a shrimp and veggie red curry:
-Vegetables: eggplant, rounds of zucchini, strips of red pepper, frozen peas, bamboo shoots
-Shrimp
-Coconut Milk & Red curry paste
-Hot pepper
-Fish sauce
-Fresh basil & limeI softly used this recipe on Mediterrasian, but combined it with a few other recipes I read about and experimented a bit - substituting a couple of ingredients and adding less fish sauce. I was a somewhat worried because I'm cheap, and picked the cheapest items - but it didn't lack in quality. I think if I made it again I would either add one more bottle of coconut milk, or eliminate the hot diced peppers as I did use the whole can of red curry paste.

Cocina Sudeste asiático

2009-11-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

Thai food is difficult to come by in BA. Most places you will find a random combination (not fusion) of Thai/Vietnamese/Sushi/Chinese/Argentina all rolled up in one - and is labeled Comida asiatica, or Asian food. There have been some standouts in the city, and some not so good (none of which are cheap, quick, casual place where you can enjoy a great bowl of tom yom soup and a heaping plate of pad thai noodles):
1. Lotus Neo Thai - Barrio Chino. The hardest part of going to Lotus is getting a reservation. This intimate restaurant lit by candlelight probably has the most enjoyable ambiance of all Barrio Chino joints *I know, that doesn't say much... The appetizers are good, but quite small, like the keio grob - chicken, pork, and shrimp shumai served with a delicious sweet and sour tamarind sauce that I wanted to eat up with a spoon. Pho pia tod puu - crab spring rolls with a spicy sweet and sour sauce, also good but tiny. Out of nostalgia, I had to pick Pad Thai for my main dish, doesn't compare to my favorite Chicago PT, but fulfilled my craving. Then we went with the red seafood curry, which was actually spicy! The best part of the whole meal by far was this drink - I don't remember what it was called, maybe something with Lotus in the name. But it was sweet, refreshing, orangey goodness.
2. Sudestada - Palermo Hollywood. It has been a while since I made it to Sudestada, but it always has been consistently good - fresh, high quality products. I am not quite sure what is on the menu this season, but the appetizer with the meat and vegetable roll wrapped in lettuce wraps with fresh basil and cilantro were crisp and fresh accompanied by a light, sweet dipping sauce. As for a main course, I never tried anything that I didn't like. There are indicators on the menu for spice, but I had to make certain to ask them to make it muy picante (very spicy). I would recommend going mediodia as they have great fixed priced menus that include appetzier, entree, and drink.
3. Cilantro - Barrio Norte. Not a fan of this place at all. I tried to like it, really really wanted to - but all around not successfull. Sitting alongside other couples enjoying a romantic Valentine's Day dinner, a saw a common trend of couples sending food back / leaving with a full plate of food. I don't remember exactly what I ordered, I just remember the vegetables and protein drenched in oil. Service wasn't great either -waited about 45 minutes in between courses and didn't get the order right 3 times. I've read good things about this place, so they could have had a bad night - I would give it a second chance.
4. Green Bamboo - Palermo Hollywood. Pricey but Yum. GB is a bit more pricier than the rest, but the Vietnamese influenced dishes are inventive.. I like going here to drink creative tragos (mixed drinks) and ordering the nem song - fresh shrimp and beef spring rolls as an entrada (appetizer).
Other Southeast Asian Restaurants to try: Cocina Sunae, Empire Thai, Lulu's Bar (complete list here at Guiaoleo.com)

Burger for you, burger for me

2009-11-14T22:59:00.001-08:00

Grilled onion and green pepper bacon cheeseburger on a freshly baked sesame bun...pretty good for my first time makin' hamburguesas.

Brunch, Yes Yes

2009-11-14T22:45:00.001-08:00

Brunch in Buenos Aires doesn't really exist. The places that do offer it are mostly trendy Palermo/Recoleta overpriced spots with a 30 minute wait for ehhhhh food. The majority of the time I end up spending 40 pesos for something that I could make much better.
Oui Oui is a cosy french inspired café on a quiet street in Palermo Hollywood with good brunch options, for BA standards that is. I ordered a very satisfying poached eggs on top of greens with sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and fresh country bread. Even though it was quite tasty, I would have made a few alterations... too many greens, not enough substance. Does anyone else have a problem with ordering a salad that misrepresents itself? I think there should be a rule where there must be a minimum of the amount of an ingredient to list it in the description. One chunk of goat cheese and it's considered a goat cheese salad? Here is my version that totaled under 12 pesos (1 egg over medium = AR$.50 centavos, rucula = AR$2.75, sun dried tomatoes = AR$1.50, Asparagus = AR$4)

Meat on a stick

2009-11-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a kebab? I had some chicken, peppers and onions laying around, so I wanted to switch things up a little bit and experiment. It's surprising how easy it was..
Ingredients:
-Cubed chicken breast
-Cut up peppers and onions - make sure good size to skewer
-Chicken marinade: greek yogurt or queso crema, apple cider vinegar, chopped garlic or garlic powder, squeezed lemon wedge, honey, oregano, salt, pepper - mix all well together.. I didn't write down any measurements, but it's hard to mess up the proportions.
-Pita and/or flavored white rice - I like to cook the rice in chicken or veggie stock, and then add some spices like cumin or curry powder

Yogurt Sauce: Greek Yogurt or Low Fat queso crema, 2 wedges of lemon juice, 1 tbl spoon olive oil, fresh chopped dill, 1 cucumber (keep using a peeler to make thin slices, stop when it gets to the seeds), honey, garlic, salt, pepper.
Directions:
1. Whisk all the ingredients in the marinade together and pour it over the chopped chicken, cover it.
2. Soak the skewers water, maybe for 1-2 hours (or less if you don't have time).
3. This is a good time to make the yogurt sauce - it's actually a pretty similar version of the marinade.. this is really good cold, so cover and refrigerate
4. Pre-heat the oven and put some tin foil on a baking sheet, use cooking spray for greesing
5. Go watch some TV and come back and start skewering, this process can get a bit messy - you can skewer any order you like, I think it's pretty when there are even amounts of the colors of peppers, onions, and chicken
6. Place on the baking sheet - if there are any extra vegetables throw it on there too
7. Wait about 15 minutes and then turn it over, then put it for another 10 (might need to drizzle some olive oil if they are burning). I like mine very well done so I wait until they are almost burnt on the edges.

Best Buenos Aires Restaurants Under 30 Pesos

2009-11-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick list of some of my favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires for less than 30 pesos per person (a little less than US$8):

Cumaná (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 (AR$2.75 each) and the cazuela vegetales rusticos (AR$14).Sarkis (Thames 1101, Palermo/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 parras rellenas (stuffed grape leaves), ensalada belén (roasted eggplant, red peppers, white grapes, and almonds or cashews yum), hummus and morrones asados (roasted red peppers). Most of these plates cost around AR$6-14 pesos. If you want something meaty, the beef 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 (Hipólito Yrigoyen 1390, Congreso) When I was in Peru, I was in food heaven - 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 2 sauces - one with a spicy kick. Ceviche's citricness is awfully good with no fishy taste, which is surprising as it is only AR$24. My favorite is the grilled fish, it comes with white rice and a boiled potato (AR$17) - simple and delicious.
Oui Oui (Nicaragua 6068, Palermo) - This small café has become quite trendy which is a turn off, but they do offer delicious brunch options, reasonable prices, and it is only 4 blocks away from my apartment. Done.
What to order? Something off the daily special menu! You can choose from over 10 dishes like salads, sandwiches or eggs. Huge portions and it comes with unlimited coffee or a big jug of refreshing lemonade with mint (AR$25).Turkey on homemade baguette with cherry tomatoes and greens. Poached egg on top of greens with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Buttery fresh croissant.
Los Sabios (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 AR$22 pesos that includes water, gaseosa, or non alcoholic liberty beer.
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.

Put down the fork

2009-11-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Impossible. 3 years and 20 pounds heavier, the mixture of beef, wine, gelato, dulce de leche, empanadas and milanesas got the best of me. How is it that many foreigners who come to Buenos Aires pack on the pounds while many adult locals have the body of pre-pubescent females? Does my nationality predispose me to become morbidly obese, eat super sized portions, and stuff my face with salty, sugary, fatty snacks? Even though Argentina has more citizens with eating disorders than any other country (after Japan), and one in thirty are reported to have undergone plastic surgery, my love of food and cooking overpowers any will to give in to the cultural pressure of thinness and beauty.

Here are two articles with a little more depth:
Starving For Perfection
In Search of Beauty in Buenos Aires