Buenos Aires Photo of the Day - Tigre and the Delta

It was just three weeks ago that I went to Tigre and the river delta region, about an hour away from Buenos Aires. We went by train (see the tourist tips section below for more detail) along the coast. We could have gotten out and explored some of the stops along the way but chose not to because of timing and needing to be back for dinner at Casa Saltshaker that night. When we got to Tigre there were many commercial options for taking a hour to three hour tour of the region, water taxis to many of the islands and local restaurants and resorts on them, and service to Uruguay river resorts. There are also many pleasant restaurants overlooking the river and we opted to have lunch in one of them and then decide if we would take a boat ride. Right after lunch there was thunder and rain and we said, um, don't think it would be a good day to be on the water. We ended up going to the Puerto de Frutas instead. The old fruit wholesaling facility has been converted into shops, handicraft booths and food vendors. It was full of day tripping locals and was a fun but lightweight diversion. I enjoyed the Museum of Mate much more.

More on the mate museum (and mate) can be found here. Watch for other aspects of our day trip later as well as Casa Saltshaker and our Vietnamese meal in Argentina.


Buenos Aires Tourist Tip: To come (I need to find my notes): step by step how to get to the delta by train. This is easy (and inexpensive) to do yourself, you don't need to pay a tour company for an excursion.

Buenos Aires Photo of the Day - Strawberry Shake

This strawberry shake, or a licuado, is made with the deep red strawberries (smaller than the ones we generally get in California) I saw all throughout Buenos Aires. The Argentinean term for strawberries is fruitillas (pronounced something like frut-shah-as. The Argentineans pronounce ll and y as kind of a cross between jah and shah.) This particular licuado was made with water, but was also available with milk or ice cream. It was very satisfying on a hot muggy day . It was served with a small square of cake topped with quince paste. The whole strawberry is impaled on a clever holder suspended from the rim of the glass.

I had this at the Cafe Alameda along with a mixto -- a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

Update: Here's a recipe for a strawberry shake, from a grower in Ecuador. Recipe courtesy of Accion, a microloan provider my family supports.  And here's how I make them at home -- about 2 cups ripe berries, 1 cup ice and 1 cup water. Whirl in blender until smooth.  Taste. Add sweetener if necessary and additional water if desired.  Slurp.

Buenos Aires Photo of the Day - The Neighborhoods of Palermo

Palermo is the trendy, up and coming neighborhood for many visitors and residents, but Laurie and I found that it is really a series of neighborhoods that can vary from street to street and section to section from fairly industrial to working class to hip to very upscale. Like all the neighborhoods we explored, each section had its own "center" with grocery stores and other markets serving the local community. This photographically appealing store was a gem. Even the watermelons it had on display were carefully arranged and polished to a bright gleam.

One telling scene was a store window in Palermo Hollywood full of merchandise such as T-shirts and mate mugs saying (in Spanish and English) that there is No Hollywood in Palermo or variations of that theme. I took it to mean there is some local resistance to the gentrification that is going on in some of the neighborhoods.

Buenos Aires Tourist Tip: Check out the crafts market (seems to be open daily but probably more vendors on a weekend day) at Plaza Serrano (also called Plaza Cortazar) in an area filled with cafes, restaurants, and inexpensive stores. (I got a beautiful fringed scarf for about $10).

Palermo also features a covered flea market.
The space is undergoing renovation and it is temporarily housed in adjacent buildings in the area bounded by Dorrego, Martinez, Concepion Arenal and Cabrera. It reminded me a very little of the Paris flea market. Most items were too bulky to take back on the plane, but you might find a treasure or two. It was interesting to poke around but I wouldn't call it a must see.

We spent the day walking through the various Palermo neighborhoods (they do cover a lot of area) checking out the stores, cafes and helarerias (Argentinean gelato and ice cream stores). There are also museums and parks to explore. I know many tourists like to stay in this neighborhood. I think the plus would be that you feel part of a neighborhood, the minus could be since the sections of Palermo vary so widely you want to be sure to get a feel for the area you are considering staying in.

Every Day Passover - Zucchini Crust Pizza

As part of Blog Appetit's on-going coverage of Passover,* here's an article first written for the Temple Beth Abraham Omer. I also hope to put together a round up of basic and Seder info as well as some gluten-free links (Let my people not eat wheat?). You might also enjoy this post for custard matzo brei (a sweet egg and matzo dish).
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"What can I eat?”

That’s the little acknowledged but often heard “other” question at Passover, asked by all sons and daughters (and occasionally spouses).

It’s those regular meals and food needs I find so challenging at Passover. The Seders with their gourmet and/or traditional foods I can handle, everyone knows what to expect and no one grumbles about the lack of bread or related products. Everyone, uhm, seems to rise to the occasion.

It’s the everyday meals and snacks that can be so challenging, even in a household like mine with lots of fruits and vegetables on hand. I know there are plenty of kosher-for-Passover versions of everything from cereal to fruit snacks, but they are expensive, sometimes disappointing in taste and nutrition, and hard to find (especially after Passover starts – memo to grocery stores – Passover lasts eight days, stock for it, please) or require a special trip to Jewish-oriented markets.

That’s why certain recipes have become part of my Passover tradition. They are family friendly, lend themselves to leftovers with easy snacking potential and taste good, not just “well-this-is-okay at-Passover-but-I wouldn’t-eat-this-any-other-time-of- the-year” good.

This recipe is adapted from Molly Katzen’s Zucchini-Crusted Pizza in the 1992 revised version of Moosewood Cookbook published by Ten Speed Press.

Passover Zucchini-Matzo Meal Pizza
Serves 4 to 6

The matzo meal gives the crust a nice crunch, but does make for an untraditional pizza.
While they liked it, my sons didn’t think it should really be called a pizza, so change the name if your family has strict definitions of what is or isn’t a pizza. I didn’t fess up to the zucchini being part of the crust until the boys were well into their teens.

We like this crust topped with a little tomato sauce and shredded cheese. I’ve also topped it with sauce, garlic sautéed greens and cheese. It is versatile and can take to almost any topping; however, I’d recommend you use a light hand. This crust can get overwhelmed with too heavy or soggy a topping.

Oil and matzo cake meal for the pans
2 ¼ cups grated zucchini (tightly packed in measuring cup)
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup matzo meal
1 cup grated mild, white cheese (try half mozzarella and parmesan if available for Passover)
2 Tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley or basil
1 clove garlic, very finely minced, optional
2 Tablespoons oil, preferably olive oil if available for Passover

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease two 9-inch pie plates with the oil and dust lightly with matzo cake meal. (The thin, metal pans work best. Disposable foil pans should work, too.)

Put zucchini, eggs, matzo meal, cheese, fresh herbs, minced garlic (if using) and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl. Mix well until combined.

Press mixture evenly into the prepared pie pans. Put in the oven. After about 20 minutes, brush the crusts with the remaining oil. Bake for another 15-20 minutes (for a total of 35 to 40) or until the crusts have turned a golden brown. Take them out of the oven.

Cool for 10 minutes and then slip a spatula beneath the crusts to loosen them from the pan to prevent breakage when serving, but keep the crusts in their pans. (Crusts can be made ahead to this point and kept well wrapped in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before proceeding.)

Have toppings precooked or at room temperature as appropriate. Scatter pizza toppings (see note above) on the crusts and bake at 400 degrees until heated and cheese has melted.

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* I don't know why but that phrase, "continuing coverage of Passover" just cracks me up. I wrote it to be a bit funny, but it made me envision this whole routine about a reporter trying to report on the plagues, trying to get a man on the street interview during the plague of darkness, getting embedded with the Hebrews for 40 years in the desert, etc. I know its not a funny topic, but somehow I could just envision this really funny routine. Well, funny to me anyway.

About the photo: From MorgueFile, a great free photo site. Photo by Rosevita.

Buenos Aires Photo of the Day - Recoleta Cemetery

My friend and I spent our second day walking and wandering through the Microcentro, Retiro, Barrio Norte and Recoleta districts of Buenos Aires. A highlight was the famed Recoleta Cemetery. The day had been somewhat cloudy but by the time we got well into the maze of crypts and feral cats the heavens truly opened up and we got drenched. It didn't matter, we were so entranced that we stayed and continued to explore. The cats were smarter, they knew which crypts they could hide out in. We humans were a little more perverse about ducking into a crumbling mausoleum to get out of the rain.

Of course we tracked down Eva Peron's final resting place in the Duarte family crypt but there is so much more to admire and wonder about in this city of the dead, with its lanes, mini-mansion buildings, scultpures and cats.

Buenos Aires Tourist Tip: After you explore the ornamentation of the houses of the expired, check out the neighboring Buenos Aires Design Center for how the living are decorating their abodes. Lots of interesting housewares make for different souvenirs. The patio cafe offers a free tango show on Wednesday (which was rained out when we were there so I can't give you any details). You'll also be close to El San Juanino on Posadas Street. It's a regional Argentinean restaurant where we had by far the best empanadas in Buenos Aires (except for maybe the ones we made ourselves.) More on El San Juanino and the cooking class in later posts.

If you have a nice day you could retreat across the street from the cemetery to the historic La Biela cafe under a 200-hundred year old tree, or the less atmospheric and much less expensive Aromas cafe. Both are pleasant spots to sit and reflect (and enjoy the street scene and musicians) in this very upper class neighborhood.

Buenos Aires Photo of the Day - Seltzer Bottles

One of the many, many charms of Buenos Aires is that it is still a seltzer culture.

I grew up with a glass bottled, metal-capped siphon of "Jewish champagne" in my grandparents' fridge. I still seek out "water with a kick," as my nephew used to call it, whenever I can. Most travels abroad I'm just happy I can get my water with bubbles in a regular water bottle, but in Buenos Aires I discovered in many cafeterias (a term they seem to use for cafes that also serve food) one could order "soda" and get a personal-sized plastic siphon of soda water (seltzer) all to one's self! (More on that later)

These classic siphons were for sale at the Sunday fair/flea market at Plaza Durrango in the San Telemo district. Prices were about $30 to $150 each, depending on the rarity and condition of the bottle.

Buenos Aires Tourist Tip: This Sunday market was one of the largest and best street flea markets I've ever been do. Do plan on being in Buenos Aires over a Sunday so you can take it in, bring lots of pesos (although some dealers will take dollars) and leave lots of time. The fair is huge.

Buenos Aires Photo of the Day

As I start to organize the more than 900 pix I took in Buenos Aires, I thought I would post one (or more) a day. They will usually have a little story behind them and usually be about food, but not necessarily always.

Today's photo is of dulce de leche (caramelized milk spread). A small jar (bottom) was on my hotel breakfast table every morning. Also shown (top) is some of the ways Portenos (people of Buenos Aires, only with a tilda over the n) might start their day with the tasty spread. One memorable dessert was a coconut flan. In addition to the caramel pooling from the top of the custard and down the sides of the dessert was a slab of thick dulce de leche alongside it. Just in case there wasn't enough caramel goodness in the flan alone.

(By the way, I brought two big jars of the stuff home and have already located a local source for more.)

Buenos Aires Tourist Tip: Want to bring some of the this sweet stuff back with you? Buy your dulce de leche in groceries or supermarkets. You'll save a lot of money over buying it a more tourist-oriented and gourmet outlets and have more brands and sizes to choose from. I do recommend not buying it in foil topped plastic tubs unless you really want to wash everything in your suitcase when you get home. I wrapped my jars in plastic bags and then in clothes. Worked just fine. Another tip: Declare to U.S. customs you have purchased food. They will x-ray your bag for forbidden fresh produce, etc., but if you don't declare you are bringing in your dulce, you could end up paying a fine. Plus they'll confiscate whatever you do bring in.

Sweet-Sour Onion Soup

Regular readers know I love a good bowl of soup and often make gallons of soup at a time. In fact I make soup much more often than I post about it because 1. I forget to write down what I'm doing and/or 2. I'm doing it on the fly and not paying attention to exactly how much I've thrown into the pot when. I'm kind of a Soup Improviser.

But this latest improvisation in soup was so hauntingly delicious (and simple) I just have to share even if it is more of a technique than a recipe.

The story begins with my husband snagging a well-loved, used five-quart red enameled cast iron Le Creuset French (i.e. Dutch) oven at a local estate sale for just $18.

After I washed it, I had set it on my stove top to dry. I was looking at it and was suddenly overcome with the urge to make soup. Onion soup. One where you sweat the onions and slowly caramelize them into melt in your mouth sweetness, which a pot like this does better than any other. One inspiration led to another until before I knew it is was Sweet-Sour Onion Soup.

Here's how to do what I did:

Melt a knob of butter with a glug of olive oil
Slowly sweat/caramelize very thinly sliced yellow onions (I used 2 gigantic and 1 regular size onions) (use a low heat and a heavy pan)
Add dribbles of oil if onions seem dry as they slowly turn brown and soften. Continue to cook (uncovered), stirring occasionally until the onion's cell structure totally changes and the slices now are quite sweet and and the onions are falling apart soft and virtually melt in your mouth.
Add 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, a bay leaf and about a half teaspoon of ground French Provencal seasoning and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Mix well and continue to cook for a few minutes.
Add 1 quart of good quality beef stock and 1/4 cup of dry sherry. Mix well, raise heat to medium, bring to a simmer and cover. Adjust heat and allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes until soup is heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more vinegar if the taste isn't sour enough. Add more butter to tame a too tart taste. Simmer until the additions, if used, are absorbed. Remove bay leaf.

Serve hot with cheese-topped croutons. Try with bits of shaved cheddar or other cheese mixed into the hot soup in the bowl.

FYI -- This is my second Le Creuset. I gave myself a gift of a 7 1/2 quart oval French oven (in blue) a year or so ago. I go mine as a factory second at about half retail price at discount retailer that does not offer the same merchandise on line. I've been so enamored of its enameled goodness that I wanted a second, round one, but at even a better discount. Thanks to Mr. Blog Appetit who spotted the estate sale during his morning power walk.
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Photo credit: Le Creuset website

Bread Time Story -- History of Bread Repeats Itself

This Sunday, March 29, at 2 p.m., I'm giving my "History of Bread in Jewish Life - Meaning and Sustenance, Challah and Beyond" again. The talk is open to the public, so if you'd like to come you are very welcome. The location is at Temple Beth Abraham, 327 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA.

Want more info or would like this to schedule me for a presentation at your meeting or event? You can email me at fjkblog1(AT)sbcglobal(DOT)net.

Below is information and resources from the last time I gave the presentation. I've updated the links and include some new information, too.
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Tonight I am giving a talk (complete with 30 slides) on the history, meaning, rituals and traditions of bread in Jewish life.

I may decide to recap some that material here, but I thought I wouldn't wait to post my recipe "handouts" here on Blog Appetit. This way I save some trees by not copying the recipes and other info on all that paper for those who attend the presentation and I can share these wonderful web resources with a wider audience.

The first link is to an article by cookbook author Gil Marks. He explores the role of baking in ancient Egypt within the context of Joseph's dream. He then gives some wonderful recipes for Sephardic, Near Eastern and East European breads. For his recipes and explanations, please click here.

The second link is to an article about bread baking maven Margaret Glezer. Glezer wrote A Blessing of Bread, a remarkable cookbook surveying the meaning and history of Jewish bread making. This article includes an interview with Glezer and three challah (or hallah as it is sometimes written) recipes. I'd also encourage you to check out the blog Kyle's Kitchen. Kyle is a superb bread baker and has baked many of the breads in the Glezer book and posted great photos of the results. The site also has a number of links to additional baking info.

Tips for challah braiding, including a Star of David-shaped loaf, can be found here.

Much ado about bagels here. Plus I recommend Maria Balinska's book: The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread.

I didn't cover bialies in my presentation, but I would also recommend Mimi Sheraton's book on the topic.

One other resource for you -- the Israel Museum site which has an informative summary of its exhibit about the role bread plays in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim lifecycle events. You can learn more in either Hebrew or English here. (update -- while you can find the on-line exhibit, the links to view are broken. I have notified the museum and will update again if they fix them.)

Reviewing My Trip to Buenos Aires

Forgive the lack of photo, I have not yet had time to download my approx 700 pix (not bad, really, I had 1,500 when I came back from China). (update, I just downloaded the pix and it was more than 900)

I've started posting some reviews of my trip on Trip Advisor, a service I really depend on for clarifying my hotel choices. I do take all such user-generated reviews with a grain of salt since a bee in someone else's bonnet might not even be a buzz to me. (Wow, double cliche sentence!) I say that, because my biases may not be yours, but I tried to be objectively opinionated in my reviews.

I loved the hotel we stayed in, Melia Buenos Aires, Reconquista 945. You can see my review of that property as well as the famous cemetery in Recoleta (with appropriate dining recommendations, of course) here, through my Trip Advisor profile. I hope to add to that and will let you know when I update it.