a dancer's asado (buenos aires 2.1)

All the nights of dancing didn't do much for my figure in Buenos Aires... When it came to an asado, I didn't hold back.

This particular night, we enjoyed four different salads, roasted red bell peppers, steak ribs, another cut of meat that I forget the name of, and chicken. (and cheese and eggs and wine.. for everyone else)

salad 1. cherry tomatoes and pesto
salad 2. shredded carrots, hearts of palm, lemon, oil, and salt
salad 3. arugula, oil, and salt
salad 4. lettuce, onions, oil, lemon, and salt

Can't tell you what he did with the meat, but oh my god.. I wish I could.

shoot. it's been a while. my favorite juice.

So the last time I posted something new, I was getting ready to go back to Buenos Aires. Hope you weren't expecting me to keep up the blog while I was enjoying some summer weather in February :)

I've also been cooking a lot of my older recipes, so I don't have as much new material for the blog. But I have a file full of pictures, and I'm going to start chipping away at them... I just hope I can remember the recipes :)

Ready? Here we go.
I got a juicer, as a gift.. thank you (you know who you are).

The juicer is perfect for when I go out of town because I can juice all the produce left in my fridge and not let anything go to waste. I've been going out of town a lot.. so the little juicer has proved it's worth already.
When I'm not making random I'm-leaving-town juices, I like to make a version of Main Squeeze's "ginger tonic."

Celery
Apple
Lemon
Ginger
Carrot

I'm not going to put amounts, because I change it up depending on my mood. Don't be afraid. There's no wrong way. :)

Sometimes I add other things.. like kale, parsley, beets, oranges, or pineapple. Anything goes...

this is what's up

truffles.
equal parts:
-honey (or agave)
-almond/peanut butter
-cocoa powder

ok, a little extra cocoa powder.
put mix in fridge. then, after some time, roll.
in: coconut, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, and cacao nibs

keep in fridge. devour.

restaurant review - urban solace. and my visit to san diego

1. I got the quinoa burger at Urban Solace in San Diego. No bun, cheese, or fries of course.. so I got sautéed mushrooms, half of an avocado, and a side of greens instead. That's how I usually replace everything on the menu. It's getting easier! Anyway, it was delicious, and I'd recommend that beautiful restaurant to anyone :)

2. What was I doing in San Diego? Visiting my cousin! And, I decided.. that I like it there.

3. For dinner later that night, we made:
- Roasted butternut squash: oven! 350. Cut squash into pieces, top generously with cinnamon and honey. 45 mintues.
-Monkfish: oven! 350. cubed. marinated in lemon juice and olive oil. sprinkled with red pepper and other spicy things. 20 minutes.
-Roasted veggies: oven! 350. Brussels sprouts, zucchini, mushrooms, and onion. Tossed in evoo, with salt, pepper, and herbs. 45 minutes.

4. Taking the Pacific Surfliner Amtrak back to LA. A beautiful, beautiful train ride.

hello? am i still there? yep.

Sorry for the lack of posts, so prepare for a little flood here. Lately, I've been traveling, and cooking a lot of dishes that I've already posted. And, I don't feel the same pride after "creating" a "new" dish, that I used to. Now, it's just cooking. It's still fun and delicious, of course, but it's become... normal. Nothing to "blog" about.

So what, I take whatever is fresh and in season, and I use some olive oil or schmaltz, heat it up in my iron skillet, sauté the veggies with a little salt and whichever spices I feel like, and maybe I add a little homemade broth to steam them too. Big deal.

BIG DEAL? It's delicious. And when I look back, not even a whole two years ago, it's such a huge change in my life, that it deserves some recognition. I'm patting myself on the back, publicly. I know :) Thanks for reading my blog. Hope it's been as enjoyable for you to read as it has been for me to create.


Photo: Sautéed maitake mushroom, onion, and spinach.

grilled veggies and swordfish

I've been in St Louis just about every weekend that I'm in Missouri.. for? Tango dancing, of course. But I don't drive 4 hours just to dance.. I also get to make yummy dinners with my friend Kelly :) Here was our meal a couple weeks ago. Marinated and grilled swordfish kabobs, grilled mushroom kabobs, and foil wrapped grilled asparagus.

I know I've posted about grilled swordfish before - but now you don't have to search for the old post.

1 swordfish steak per person, cut into cubes
Marinated in white wine with honey. We didn't measure out the marinade.. but as long as the cuts of fish are covered.. you should be fine. For a sweeter meal, add more honey... for less sweetness.. you know what to do.

Wipe (not wash) with a damp cloth, the mushrooms clean. Then toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and.. that's it. Put on kabobs and grill.

We prepared the asparagus in the same way - evoo, salt, pepper.. and wrapped them in a foil pouch.

The veggies need more time than the fish.. so in the meanwhile, set the table because grilling doesn't take too long!

restaurant review - bleu

I don't really have restaurant reviews for my town in Missouri. Guess I should start! Here are a couple photos from Bleu. I think some of their meat and produce is locally grown.. but the place isn't what I would call an organic-y restaurant. It's just a nice restaurant. There aren't many things I can order there.. but I succeeded with with side of sautéed brussel sprouts (san the bacon) and their signature fish tacos (san the grilled taco and the crème fraiche). Pan-seared cod, spicy Asian slaw, avocado puree, mango relish and honey chili sauce. Yum!!

massive purple cauliflower

Just look at the size of that thing! I ate purple cauliflower for a couple weeks...

Puréed into soup.

Sautéed in soup. (This soup is made of sautéed leeks, carrots, maitake mushrooms, cauliflower, and kale in a mixture of lovingly vegetable broth and chicken broth)

Simply sautéed with fresh maitake mushrooms and leeks, with a drizzle of truffle oil on top.

bs as inspired salad and my aunt's kitchen

Just days after returning from the southern hemisphere.. I was in a nostalgic mood, and concocted this salad with my aunt Allie. One thing I found interesting was, in Argentina, carrots were almost always eaten in the grated form, and usually in a salad. They were always very finely grated there.. and it makes me want to get a special blade for my food processor.

Here's what we threw together:
We had no hearts of palm, but we had artichoke hearts.. and quartered them
Grated carrots
Random salad mix from the fridge, which included celery and little broccoli trees
Sprouts of some kind
And an avocado that was too mushy to cut, so we each got a half to spoon ourselves.
Dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and a pinch of salt

My aunt's kitchen is a fun place.. later that night I got to help as she made some salve for her organic and super healing skin care line, madre tierra. It's still in the works - as far as getting products on shelves in different shops - but if you're interested in ordering things from her, just contact her through the website :)

restaurant review - cru

Back in LA.. I visited Juicy Ladies in Woodland Hills and got a piece of truffle cake that lasted me 4 days. Ok 3 days. Ok.. 2 1/2 days. All girls exaggerate.

This amazing treat made by Cru contains: organic raw cocoa powder, organic raw agave nectar, organic raw coconut butter, organic raw almonds, organic spices, and Celtic sea salt.

Sorry it's not a full restaurant review - I didn't actually get to go to the restaurant. Maybe next time I'm in LA.. I'll try anyway. Not much left to say... Was it as good as it looks? Yup.

still catching up from october.. and baba ganoush

Hey there :) I still have a handful more posts left before I've finished updating you with food and life from my trip to Buenos Aires...
1 - My grandmother's bana ganoush
2 - Artwork on a building, down town Bs As
3 - Sneeky picture of a tango orchestra. (There is a free tango orchestra concert every Thursday at Teatro Presidente Alvear!)

How do you make this delicious dip? It's really easy.
Here's how my grandma taught me: (remember.. October is spring time in Bs As. For all you in the states, I recommend waiting some more months before buying - or growing - or trying to grow eggplants)

Oven! 450. (So hot! I know.. but there's no oil.. so it's ok)

You will need:
2 eggplants
1 lemon
1/2 yellow onion
olive oil
vinegar
salt

Poke the eggplants all over with a fork. Don't forget! Cook on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Flip them, then cook for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool.

Peel eggplants and get all the insides into a bowl, squeeze lemon juice all over. Cover and put in the fridge until you feel like continuing.

Feel like it? Ok. You can do it tomorrow, if you want. Just letting you know.
Dice up however much onion you want (don't you hate recipes like that?! But that's what my grandma said.. so it has to go into the post. If you're an onion person, add more.. if you don't feel like onions today, then add less.) Add the diced onion, along with a splash of olive oil and vinegar (again.. to taste) and a pinch or 2 or 3 of salt.

Serve on crackers and enjoy! (There are fresh chives sprinkled on top in the photo)



btw: Eggplants are on the "avoid" list for the blood type A's... But sometimes, you just have to let loose.. you know?

restaurant review - el mirasol, and some more buenos aires photos

I enjoyed this swanky salad at El Mirasol, a restaurant in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires. I've made it at home a couple times now.. it's somthing special. I recommend making it for someone you like.. (as opposed to someone you don't) because the ingredients are all pretty pricey. Boy, I'm on a roll with the alliterations tonight...

Ingredients:
1. Golden delicious apples.. or a different variety, as long as it is crunchy and not too too sweet. Peel apples and dice into little cubes.
2. Avocadoes - not too ripe! Dice into bigger pieces.
3. Hearts of palm :) mmm... sliced, and broken if they are too big around.
4. Carrots, finely shredded.
6. Walnuts. It isn't necessary to soak and dehydrate them.. but they taste SO much better that way. Up to you.
7. Ideas for additions: spinach (just a little)... I can't think of more now.. I'll come back to this list.

The Dressing:
Olive oil with a squeeze of lemon and a SMALL pinch of salt. There may have been a little vinegar used as well, at the restaurant.. but.. I'm not positive.

See the man in white in the corner of the photo? He's wearing really tall stilts.

Caminito

Yep, there's me, getting my dance on.. pretty much everywhere I could.

steamed artichoke and a dip

I don't know why, but I never made steamed artichoke myself before my trip to Buenos Aires. I don't think it's a staple food there or anything.. but my grandma made it as a snack, and I soaked up as many recipes from her as I could while we lived together. Also.. it was spring there, and artichokes were everywhere. Missouri isn't lucky enough to host artichokes.

Here's how ya do it:

1. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichokes.

2. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.

3. Cut excess stems, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke.

4. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water.

5. Pour a couple inches of water in a pot. Add the artichokes.. (I put mine in so they would stand up.. but I don't think that's necessary)

6. Juice 1/2 a lemon over the tops of the artichokes and add the juiced lemon to the pot. Pour a tbsp or so of olive oil over the tops of the artichokes. Add a 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed. And lastly, add some salt (and any other spices you'd like).

7. Cover. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25-45 minutes.. the time depends on the size of the artichoke. You can test it by tasting the outer leaves.


I made a simple dip out of olive oil, dried herbs, and a little vinegar.

And if you don't know how to eat an artichoke... youtube it.

restaurant review - la posada

So, there is this restaurant, La Posada.. that was 3 blocks from my apartment in Buenos Aires, and I went there a bunch. I think the kitchen was open til around 1am.. so, as long as you got there before midnight, they'd serve you anything on the menu. Quite the shock I had when landing at the St Louis airport at 11pm and only having 1 option for dinner.. on a Friday night! In a city! (besides fast food anyway.. which.. isn't an option.)

Back to the story. They would start by bringing six little ramekins, each with different appetizers. Sometimes liver pâté, or a fruit jam, or a cucumber salad, or steamed carrots with garlic, or potatoes.. and I'd always be able to enjoy at least one of them. Don't you love the wooden plates? I have to say.. I miss them.
The food here was delicious. The salad.. the salmon.. the skirt steak..

After dinner, I'd usually leave my family early, and catch a cab to a milonga for a night full of tango dancing. sigh....
Honestly, it's too late for me to be awake (in the United States, anyway. In Buenos Aires, my night would just be beginning) so I'm going to cut this short, and stop blogging for the night.

Buenas noches.

my family made an asado

An asado is the name of the Argentine barbecue. An asado usually has a typical sequence of meats, served in courses. First are the chorizos, morcillas (black pudding or blood sausage), chinchulines, mollejas (sweetbread), and other organ meats. Then come the costillas or asado de tira (short ribs). And lastly, the vacío (flank steak).

An asado is quite an affair. If you're invited to one, it means you are loved, and should attend. The meat cooks very slowly over coals, for hours and hours before it's served. When going out to restaurants on the trip, I normally ordered fish, as it is easier on my digestive system. But at a family asado, in Buenos Aires, I went to town.

Other food that usually accompanies asados are: different salads (for example: lettuce, onions, and shredded carrots, or just tomatoes and onions with olive oil and lemon juice), bread, roasted and marinated bell peppers, chimichurri, beer, wine, and soda water, and for dessert, a fruit salad... I'll probably think of some more things later - and when I do, I'll update this list.

There was more than one asasdo.. I have a big family :)

I hope I get to go back soon..

restaurant review - pura vida

In the beginning of my 1 month in Argentina, it was a little difficult adjusting to the food situation. Luckily, I stayed in a nice apartment with a usable kitchen. The vegetables all tasted different, of course.. and so did the olive oil, the salt.. and even the different water made me miss the taste of home. I got over it, don't worry :) But when I found this little place downtown during my first week there, I was so excited! I think I missed organic-y people.

PuraVida Juice Bar is on Reconquista, at Tucumán. They serve salads, sandwiches, wraps, muffins, juices, smoothies, and wheatgrass. I enjoyed their Todo Verde Salad: organic mixed greens, avocado, parsley, alfalfa sprouts, green onion, celery, and cucumber, with a tahini based dressing. And, the drink I went back for, a few different times, was the anti-resfrío: made with pineapple, apple, ginger, and wheatgrass.

I'm no scientist - but I'm pretty sure wheatgrass is gluten free. Incase you were wondering.