Archive for March, 2006

Zapallitos

Sunday, March 19th, 2006

Buenos Aires - I love the ladies at the various little verdulerías (vegetable stands) in the neighborhood. I know they’re just out to make an extra peso here and there, but they’re constantly pushing things on me that I don’t plan on. I had a vague idea of some sort of zucchini sandwich. I had […]

Some Notes on Wine

Thursday, March 16th, 2006

Buenos Aires - Dereck Foster is the wine and food writer for The Buenos Aires Herald, the major local English language paper. In general, I enjoy reading his columns, especially when he waxes eloquent about meals savored in the past, restaurants of bygone eras, and the glories of food and wine. He’s published a lovely […]

Deli de Segunda Avenida?

Thursday, March 16th, 2006

Buenos Aires - Note the elegant structure. The form of a ring. A small, slightly deformed hole in the center. A hint of a sheen from the crust, just barely visible on the side. Lovely toasty grill marks. To one side, a small cup, brimming with a creamy, paste-like substance. The plate is placed carefully […]

The Red House and Grey Potatoes

Wednesday, March 15th, 2006

Buenos Aires - Barrio Norte already has the reputation of being an in, trendy spot for ex-pats, bordering on the yuppie style at times. In fact, that’s how it ended up with a separate moniker from the rest of Recoleta - in, trendy spots need their own names. It’s the same thing behind parts of […]

Indigenous? Native? To Where?

Tuesday, March 14th, 2006

Buenos Aires - Last night found us headed off to San Telmo to meet up with a friend in visiting from Paris. He gets a three week vacation. Twice a year. If I’d have had that at any job in my work history, I’d have probably stayed wherever that was! We actually met him at […]

Lost in Translation

Monday, March 13th, 2006

Planet Earth - Those of you who’ve read along know I have a pet peeve when it comes to menu translations. If you’re going to go to the effort to translate your menu into another language, have someone who speaks both do the translation. I didn’t personally encounter either of these, though after fits of […]

Fiesta! Feliz Cumpleaño Viviana!

Sunday, March 12th, 2006

La Plata - Last night is a bit muzzy. I always wanted to use that word. After weeks and weeks of planning, Henry’s niece’s 15th cumpleaño finally came off with no more than the usual Latin American hitches. I should be used to the speed at which things get done and the nonchalance about timing, […]

Back on the Empanada Trail

Saturday, March 11th, 2006

Buenos Aires - Not that I’ve ever stopped trying empanadas, since they are fast replacing pizza in my mind as Nature’s Most Perfect Food, but this week has been a whirlwind of empanadas. Mostly we just needed snack food as we prepared for tonight’s fiesta. Two in particular stood out over the various pockets of […]