“The people? They are the dust you draw your circles in. THOSE are the people! Sicilians are hopeless. I mean exactly that! Nothing changes here… EVER!” – Abbot Manfredi, in The Sicilian (1987) Buenos Aires – As I mentioned the other day, I found myself walking around Plaza Sicilia, on the chance of sighting a… Read More The Sicilian Connection
“How was my weekend? Meh. The mehness of it is indescribable. Just one big, fat meh. If you are an old-media kind of reader, “meh” won’t mean a whole lot to you. The word has appeared in the national press three times in the past year. If you gain new vocabulary from conversation, it is… Read More Meh
“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” – Thomas Jefferson Buenos Aires – It’s one of those quirky little things that somehow or other doesn’t even register. I’ve wandered through the parque Barrancas del Belgrano (the Belgrano riverbank, which is what the site of this park used… Read More Lady Liberty
“Savoriness or umami is the name for the taste sensation produced by the free glutamates commonly found in fermented and aged foods. The additive monosodium glutamate (MSG), which was developed as a food additive in 1907 by Kikunae Ikeda, produces a strong umami taste. Umami is also provided by the nucleotides that are naturally present… Read More Oh Mami!
“The first time you buy a house you think how pretty it is and sign the check. The second time you look to see if the basement has termites. It’s the same with men.” – Lupe Vélez, actress Buenos Aires – I like celebrating people’s 100th birthdays or similar events for Casa SaltShaker dinners. They… Read More Mexican Spitfire
“Although the Assembly of 1813, as a representative body, did not comply with its fundamental objective of sanctioning a constitution, it developed a vast legislative activity pro individual freedom and constituted the opening into new institutional modes. From the point of view of the political organization, it established a Unipersonal Executive Power, creating the position… Read More The Supremes – Track 1
“It is important to understand the basic differences between the wild yeast of sourdough and the commercial baker’s yeast in most other breads. First sourdough yeast grow best in acidic doughs, while baker’s yeast does better in neutral or slightly alkaline doughs. Baker’s yeast is a single species, with hundreds of strains and varieties, while… Read More Sourdough Dreams
“Se es mas feliz viviendo en una cabana dentro de un parque que en un palacio sin jardin.” [One is happier living in a cabin in a park than in a palace without a garden.] – Carlos Thays, French landscape architect Buenos Aires – Despite having designed some of Buenos Aires’ most important parks –… Read More Park Designer Park