Mexico in Buenos Aires...tsk tsk.

When I think of American food I think of, well, Mexican.  Burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, anything smothered in sour cream, cheese, and salsa.  Between the endless chains and small "authentic" Mexican restaurants (I am not including Taco Bell in this category), I think American's could teach Mexican's a thing or two about their own cuisine.  Ok, not really, but we could definitely teach those in Argentina what (our) Mexican food is all about.  

(guiaoleo.com.ar)

I went to El Salto de las Ranas (The Frogs' Leap) here in Buenos Aires last night and I was completely underwhelmed.  There was a 5 peso silverware fee on top of the ridiculous prices.  I ordered the quesadilla con hongos (mixed mushroom quesadilla) and it came out as two little soft taco type things the size of my palm.  With no sour cream, no salsa, nada.  They tasted well enough, but cost 10 pesos and were gone in 10 seconds.  I also got a cazuela de guacamole (guacamole in a terra cotta pot).  The guacamole was average, leaning on the side of pretty decent.  But it came with a spoon.  I have always thought of guacamole as a dip instead of a soup.  Guacamole soup (?) 12 pesos.  

Now, I may sound cheap when I say that this was expensive but to be fair the portions were just too small and strange.  And the service was slow and unfriendly.  To be fair, the place itself was dramatic and colorful and had a chandelier made of corn stalks.  Perhaps I ordered incorrectly, but most other items on the menu were in the 50 peso price range.  If you would like to find out for yourself and (hopefully) prove me wrong: Rodriguez Peña 1164 - Ciudad de Buenos Aires Tel: 4811-2635

Cold Sooooup

Is it me or does cold soup get a bad rap?  Yes, I know, it is not the season to be defending anything cold, but I am a loyal lover of cold soup year round.  Many times the ingredients are raw and therefore quite healthy, and a lot of times the soups tend to not be as heavy as those cream based chowders.  After all, as the winter months linger, we all tend to put on a few pounds.  This way, you can eat soup and have a taste of summer, too. . . 

(image from the perfectpantry.com)

GAZPACHO (yes, it deserves to be in all caps) is typically a tomato based summer soup as it is served cold and requires fresh and ripe ingredients.  There are, however, other kinds of gazpacho, depending on the country.  For instance, Spain has a white gazpacho which is cucumber based, and much creamier. Here is my take on the traditional recipe:

Ingredients:

8 ripe tomatoes, chopped


1/2 purple onion, finely chopped


1 cucumber, peeled, chopped


1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped



2 tablespoons olive oil


1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice


2 teaspoons sugar


Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste


6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste


1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

4 cups tomato juice, V8, or even Clamato if you're into that sort of thing..

Optional garnishes: dollop of sour cream, avocado cubes, croutons, cut up fresh mozzarella.

Method:

Combine all ingredients and blend slightly (I prefer a blender to a food processor, personally).  Place in a non-reactive storage container, cover, and refrigerate for several hours so the flavors blend.  You will probably find that the longer you wait to eat it, the stronger the flavors will become.  When you are ready to eat, add garnishes.  

As a side note, I recommend cutting everything pretty coursely, and not being too careful about peeling and taking out the seeds.  I prefer gazpacho to be a little bit chunky, rustic if you will, while others prefer a smoother consistency.  But no matter how you cut your veggies or how long you blend, make sure your gazpacho is never thin.  The worst thing that could happen is for it to come out watery.  Trust me. 

Cold Curried Yogurt Soup 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup fat free half and half

3 cups plain nonfat yogurt

1 cucumber, chopped and seeded

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

salt to taste

 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Garnishes:

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 

1 tablespoon dill, chopped 

Method:

Dissolve the curry in water. In a large bowl mix the curry water, the yogurt, half and half, and all ingredients except for the garnishes. Stir well until combined.  Chill for a few hours.  Add garnishes. 

Cantaloupe Soup (I know, I know, just listen..)

Ingredients:

2 large cantaloupes, seeded and chopped

5 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups sour cream

4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 

1/3 cup whatever white wine you have sitting around

1/2 teaspoon orange peel, grated

1/2 teaspoon lemon peel, grated

Garnish:

mint leaves

Method:

Blend the cantaloupe, sugar, and mint until even.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and chill for a few hours.  Add garnish.   For a cute touch, you can serve the soup in a seeded cantaloupe.  

Something a little different

I know I usually write about food, as that is what this is all about, but I thought I would share a different experience with you:

Nare Café- (602 Seneca Ave.- 347-294-4739)$, Great for Groups, BYO Wine:

For months I had been wondering when or if there would be nightlife in my neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens.  Happily, I report that slowly but surely one is emerging.  I went to the tiny but cozy Nare Café, a dark and heady hookah and tea bar that was previously in Manhattan but shut down due to underage drinking.  What I found was mood lighting, loud music, and fantastic service. I went with friends and we asked for two hookahs - one mango and one cantaloupe, out of the 20 flavors to choose from.   The hookahs, which seemed never-ending and are the unbeatable price of $7, appeared with a teacup filled with soapy water and a bubble wand.  Sam, our server, showed us how to create gigantic smoke-filled bubbles.  They were the nights greatest hit.   Our server constantly came and replaced our coals while making small talk about the area and their new location.  We had brought our own wine and he opened it for us for free, though said that after the first time there is a $10 corking fee.   As the night and the smoke seemed to be ending, Sam reached our table with one more hookah, on the house.  We chose coconut, my favorite of the evening, and settled back into our carved wooden benches for more conversation, exhalation, and bubbles.   M-R 4 pm to 2 am.  F-Sun 4 pm to 4 am.

Olea Mediterranean Tavern

(image from flikr.com)

First, let me start out by saying that I love tapas.  I am one of those people that usually ends up with food envy.  I look at the menu and there are (usually) three things that I can't choose between.  I used to ask the server to just pick between those three and surprise me, but the (not so surprising) result was always the most expensive dish.  Enter: tapas.  A little bit of everything that I want to try, without the depressing emptying of my wallet or my rolling on home.  A few tapas, a little wine, and I couldn't be happier.  So without further ado, I introduce to you Olea.  

Olea Mediterranean Tavern (171 Lafayette Ave in Fort Green, 718-643-7003, oleabrooklyn.com) $$- I went the first time with a few friends that had recently fallen in love with the place.  I, the converted, loved it so much I took my boyfriend there for his birthday.  It is warm, romantic, and small enough to feel personal without being cramped.  In other words, we could hear each other speaking.  The service was very much above average the first time, and average leaning towards good the second.  

I (in between both visits and sharing) tried the oysters (East and West coast), falafel-crusted artichoke hearts with eggplant, grilled baby octopus, lamb meatballs with feta and tomato sauce, asparagus, sirloin steak, crusted salted cod, swiss chard, and orange creme brulee for dessert.  The artichoke hearts, lamb meatballs, and the swiss chard were my favorites, though I recommend everything I tried.  The baby octopus was a bit bland but fine, and the salted cod needed to be kept in better company than olives which made it just too salty, but overall everything was sauced well, flavorful, and perfectly portioned.  The wine list is not particularly inspired, and they did not have the wine I ordered either time, but the beer list had my boyfriend downing one so he could try another.

The atmosphere itself is reason enough to go.  Try and go either for an early or late dinner, because there are no reservations for parties of less than five, and as the place is small it tends to fill up quickly.  Or go for brunch.  I think the best way to go is checking it out during "Happy Happy Happy Hour" where mostly everything is about half off (tapas are $3-$7 otherwise).  Look on their website for more details about special and regular events, like Spanish Fridays.