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Travelogue: the food
Dec. 19th, 2011 08:33 amMy mother is always frustrated that when I'm in Italy I eat mainly out of grocery stores. A daily loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese, a bunch of fruit, and a weekly bottle of wine has hardly made me the gastronomic expert she would have become by now (though it has given me some serious exposure to Italian wines, building on the education that is living with Jamie Haeuser).
This trip, however, is of a different sort. Breakfast, as in Italy, consists of croissants (the local style, medialunas, are about a third the size of their european brethren). Dinner is a bit of fruit bought at market, sometimes augmented by street food. Lunch, eaten between one and two, is my main meal, and where I go whole hog.
I've had three steaks so far, two al chorizo (grilled) and one al criollo (served with peppers and onions). The default is "a punto", medium rare, and absolutely delicious. Flavorful and tender, and I'm thinking I should have written this before lunch instead of hours afterward. I might have to grab an empanada to get me through the night.
Because there are empanadas! Perfect street food, fillings (usually beef or chicken) baked into a pie. And cheap. Along with choripan, sausage sandwiches that are a local staple.
I had a calzone the other day, mainly because the restaurant (recommended both by my guidebook and the guy at the hotel) had a huge wood-fired oven. I didn't realize the calzone would be almost as big as I am, and while I'd planned to bring home leftovers it was too delicious to stop eating. The next night I went back for more typically argentine fare, a cazuela stew, which was fantastic (especially with bread).
And on the topic, oh my god the bread. I'm definitely in an Old World european culture because I haven't had anything that wasn't mind-blowing. Differing crusts, doughisness, density, etc haven't mattered. It's all wonderful.
And on to dessert! Argentine ice cream has a reputation for being the best outside of Italy, and I'd support that description. But the absolute best treat I've had here has been the fresh-squeezed orange juice. There are frequent street venders with a box of oranges and a press, and they turn 4-5 oranges into a brimming glass of happiness. Wow.
See mom, I do know how to live!
This trip, however, is of a different sort. Breakfast, as in Italy, consists of croissants (the local style, medialunas, are about a third the size of their european brethren). Dinner is a bit of fruit bought at market, sometimes augmented by street food. Lunch, eaten between one and two, is my main meal, and where I go whole hog.
I've had three steaks so far, two al chorizo (grilled) and one al criollo (served with peppers and onions). The default is "a punto", medium rare, and absolutely delicious. Flavorful and tender, and I'm thinking I should have written this before lunch instead of hours afterward. I might have to grab an empanada to get me through the night.
Because there are empanadas! Perfect street food, fillings (usually beef or chicken) baked into a pie. And cheap. Along with choripan, sausage sandwiches that are a local staple.
I had a calzone the other day, mainly because the restaurant (recommended both by my guidebook and the guy at the hotel) had a huge wood-fired oven. I didn't realize the calzone would be almost as big as I am, and while I'd planned to bring home leftovers it was too delicious to stop eating. The next night I went back for more typically argentine fare, a cazuela stew, which was fantastic (especially with bread).
And on the topic, oh my god the bread. I'm definitely in an Old World european culture because I haven't had anything that wasn't mind-blowing. Differing crusts, doughisness, density, etc haven't mattered. It's all wonderful.
And on to dessert! Argentine ice cream has a reputation for being the best outside of Italy, and I'd support that description. But the absolute best treat I've had here has been the fresh-squeezed orange juice. There are frequent street venders with a box of oranges and a press, and they turn 4-5 oranges into a brimming glass of happiness. Wow.
See mom, I do know how to live!
