I only have this recipe that you might also find tasty. On Tuesdays we usually go to the Turkish market down by the canal. They sell fresh vegetables, fish, cheese, Turkish bread with a variety of organic farmer stands as well. It takes us about an hour to go through the whole thing. There's Turkish people yelling random things to get your attention and ladies with strollers- strolling.

Anyways, by Saturday we usually end up with the scrapings of whatever we've bought earlier in the week. Two potatoes, half an onion, a opened yogurt (you get the idea). These are my favorite times to cook.

In our kitchen we happened to have a third of a bag of gluten free bread mix, eggplant, two strands of scallions, dill, radishes (that are on the verge of going bad) and some leftover creme fresh. Here is a recipe a made with some of those ingredients.

Gluten free Eggplant and Scallion Ravioli, with roasted garlic, radish and dill cream sauce.

Ingredients:

Schär Bread Mix
Half of a large eggplant
1/2 cup of scallions
1/3 cup parsley
1/3 cup dill 8-10 Radishes
1/2 cup Crème fraîche
1 tlbs butter
Olive oil
1 lemon
1 egg

The dough:

I've used Dr. Schär bread mix for bread, and now ravioli and it works amazingly well. It is so convincing that I really can't tell that it's a gluten free product. Obviously, this will also work with regular flour.

In a medium sized bowl, pour about 2 cups of the Schär bread mix with 1 egg. Knead the dough until it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Section out the dough so that it's easier to roll and with a rolling pin evenly distribute your weight, working the dough until it is thin and even. Cut out your ravioli pieces (I used a cup with a diameter of about 3 inches). Set these on a plate to rest while you work on the stuffing.

The sauce:

Chop your radishes in half, as well as the garlic clove (we're going to roast with the shell on). Break the clove in half so that it roasts easier. Dash with a bit of olive oil, and a pat of butter. Salt and pepper. Lastly add about 1/3 cup of chopped dill. I've made a sort of bowl with aluminum foil so that the oil stays put. Let this sit for 30 minutes in the oven at about 350 F.

The stuffing:

Slice up your eggplant ( don't worry about making it thin, as we'll be processing this). Salt and let it sweat for 5 minutes before you start working with them. In a medium sized sauce pan, heat up some olive oil and add 1/2 cup of chopped scallions and 1/3 cup of parsley. Add your eggplant and cook them until they are semi-transparent. Transfer this to a food processor or blender and add 1/2 cup of crème frâiche, and the zest of half a lemon. Rough blend and salt to taste.

Now you're ready to stuff your ravioli's. I've made 24 pieces, which will turn into 12 ravioli's. This portion is for 2 people. Do this delicately so you that don't tear the dough. *Leave about a tablespoon of the eggplant stuffing so that we can use it in our sauce. Now you're ready to boil them. Once they rise to the top you know that they are done.

At this point your garlic and radishes should be nicely roasted. In a medium sauce pan pour in half of the garlic/radish roast (remove the garlic shells). Add 1/2 cup of Crème fraîche, the leftover tablespoon of stuffing and heat this until everything looks cohesive (1-2 minutes). Lastly, add a tablespoon of lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste.

The eggplant and scallions are subtle and delicate, the scallions give this just a bit of bite. The sauce is rich and full of roasted garlic flavor. The radishes are tender when you roast them, leaving their trademark spiciness behind. And the tartness of the lemon which transformed this dish into something light and summery.

All in all, a pretty tasty dish for a Saturday when we thought we had no food.

Posted by terrywho at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4674)

Where was I? Am I years behind, was I still in Buenos Aires, am I currently up to date? I guess it's my mission now to be able to put a steady pulse into this blog. Isn't this the challenge with blogs? I suppose a bit of catching up is due.

***********

My battery charger died sometime while we were in Buenos Aires. This had to have happened you see for my boyfriend and I were sharing one single apple charger. Let's rewind to January, when we were still in the states and he suggested buying another one (rather in the middle of buying it) and me in a spontaneous moment of girlishness said (in obnoxious girly voice) "I want to shaaaree!"

So you see. It had to have happened. It was a particularly cold morning and I had decided to blow dry my hair. The head of the plug was just small enough to fit into the socket ( which was shared with battery charger) and being the lazy person that I am, I used my feet to artfully hold it in place. Not so smart of an idea, as this requires some finesse. The hairdryer turned on and off several times, and our poor apple charger couldn't take the heat.

Surprisingly, my first feeling was relief. At that point I had really begun to feel like a brain with no body and just fingers that type, type, typed. It was really the perfect time for it to have happened and so, it happened. There we were stranded on our own deserted island without computers and without internet. (Dum, dum, dum)

What happened in the next 4 weeks I can't really remember. Time slowed down but the hours were full. We had long breakfasts where we played Uno. I took up reading cheesy Sci-Fi books and started to go to sleep early enough to wake up and have a proper morning. Our last month was spent in this quasy "natural" state and it was refreshing. With our departure from Buenos Aires, we then also said our goodbyes to a lifestyle we had 'almost' grown accustomed to. After an hour trip in the taxi and a 12 hour layover in Madrid, we finally arrived at our final destination: Berlin.

What are we doing here? I'm not quite sure. I never planned on being here. After a year of traveling and staying only a few months in places, I think it's time to lay my wings down for rest.

And with resting, comes eating. So, here is my first review (after a very long time), of 'Chan Trey' in Berlin.

Chan Trey

When I think of Chinese food, I can't help but think of sticky plastic covered chairs and tables with round turny things. It's atypical that a Chinese restaurant is ever chic. So imagine finding a Chinese restaurant with a contemporary/ minimalist theme. I'm even (almost) willing to ignore the bad vector art.

Chan Trey, describes themselves as "Asian Market Food," I'm not quite sure what that means, but can guess they are trying to say they make "Asian" food. Broad, sweeping gestures aside- Chan Trey for the most part can categorize themselves as Chinese.

Their fish of the day (Catfish) served with sweet and sour sauce.

I have to say, that this was done really well. The fish flaked perfectly with a fork and the amount of breading made this dish so delightful. The sweet and sour sauce was also good and not bogged down by a ton of starch. This is a pretty common dish, but hardly done well. I usually won't go for anything with sweet and sour sauce.

Black Bean Tofu.

Also very tasty. Great flavors and with a nice saltiness. They could have added more tofu (there were only 6 smallish pieces).

Located by the canal on Paul Linckle Ufer, Chan Trey has moderate prices. Bigger dishes range from 7-9 Euros. Overall, I was impressed by the quality of food and for the most part found it to be very authentic. The portions in the Tofu dish could have been more for the price (9 euros). But as far the flavors and taste goes, "schmeckt sehr gut!"

Chan Trey
Paul Lincke Ufer 43 10999 Berlin
Mo-So 11-0 Uhr
Chantre.eu

Posted by terrywho at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3192)

There was this random book I bought a few years ago called "Man or Mango." It was this story of a neurotic woman who made lists. So it would go something like "mailmen, mailboxes, cello, pumpkin, rag-dolls." And these would be things she was afraid of.

These lists would be then elaborated upon. With, if and when she would have to converse with a mailman or, have to go to the mailbox how many seconds of discomfort she would have to endure.

My list of slightly less neurotic things:

Little kids sitting at the table, eating at 12:30 like adults.
Open flames and cooks wearing whatever they want.
The smell of fresh expresso being served in clear shot glasses.
Rain falling while sitting inside a corner restaurant.
When restaurants with food you like, play music you like.

This I think paints a good picture of Masa Madre.

Pescadito del dia

My fish of the day. For once not salmon. I think it was sesame crusted cod. This dish was solid, but I wish that it was spicier. Not hot, but that they would have pushed the flavors with making the onions tangy, peppering the fish and sprinkling the entire dish with paprika (not just decorating the sides with it).

Pasta cortada a cuchillo

(Rachel's dish)
The pasta was soft and fresh. It had a smokiness, a thick taste which contrasted nicely with sauce, which was more of a broth that I am guessing was made from seafood. I'm still trying to figure out where the smokiness came from.

Hindu Siempre

(Mariel's dish)
The doughy shell is delicious, stuffed with soft tomatoes and sprinkled with sesame. Paired with cold chutney, lentils, rice and vegetables. Some parts were served cold, which is something I'm starting to really like. In contrast to the fish, this dish is where the flavor levels should be for the rest of the dishes.

They sold us with dessert when we realized they had tiramisu, chocolate mousse and flan...

Tiramisu

Are words necessary for this one? Do you see how the honey is dripping from the mint?

De manzanas con helado de miel

The crunchy bready bits were a good texture saver, or else this would have been a smooshy mess. The flavors were nice (vanilla, honey cinnamon), but the apples could have been firmer.

Flan de naranja y genjibre con coulis de menta

Can I say that Argentines are using ginger in such a great way? From ginger lemonade to putting ginger in flan. I'm dreaming about this flan. The naranja is tart, the sauce is rich and the mint is fresh.

Good home made food, expresso, nicely made desserts. A word to describe Casa Madre is genuine.

And, this is Mariel after drinking an entire bottle of Sidre by himself.
(After the huge dinner)

Posted by terrywho at 04:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (3913)

This was my first try at raw food. This, is also perhaps one genre of food that I am not familiar with. On one had, I see the dishes as glorified salads. But, at the same time there is something that impresses me. There are certain techniques that I think are worth trying (for example sprouting lentils.) I'm not sure that I could devote my lifestyle to a strict raw foods diet, but indeed for a night.

We started with the cheese plate and (I forget the name) homemade gaucamole, hummus and brocolli puree dip. These came with sprouted lentil chips and the combination of the cheese, dip and the chips was amazing. Everything was so flavorful.

The main dishes.

I ordered the mulit-layered "pizza". Advocado, tomatoes, olives, basil sit ontop of a large lentil chip. This to me is an example of "glorified salad". However, the combinations are simple in this pizza, and it was tasty.

Lasagna made of eggplant. The combination of eggplant with red cabbage, advocado and their red sauce was delicious. One of my favorite dishes of the night. Raw eggplant can be too fleshy to eat, so if I remember correctly they baked this for a short time with low heat (no more than 38 degrees C).

The sushi with shitaki mushrooms.

Mushroom serviche.

I had a bite and wow. The mushrooms were so nicely marinated with lemon. My friend, after finishing said she was full. (!)

I'm not quite sure how Verde Llama managed to do it, because the dishes are smaller. But we left with full tummies and a feeling of contentment without urges to snack on french fries a few hours later. Even after a night out I managed to still not be hungry at 5 in the morning. With most restaurants, I'm able to be critical in that I know exactly how make whatever dish I've ordered. With raw food, I'm a bit impressed with their methods. Perhaps there's something to be learned with the way that they "cook," especially if it is more nutritious and tastes so good too.

Verde Llama
Jorge Newbery 3623

Posted by terrywho at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (6407)

A short list of fun places to go in Buenos Aires.

Salon Pueyrredon- Good music, cute people (who are a bit on the younger side) but whose counting. Go late for people watching. So far my best pick. Entrance fee 10 pesos.

Niceto Club-The hipster haven of Buenos Aires (Cobrasnaked). Music is a bit cutesy, and sometimes just way behind (too much Helenski, Of Montreal etc.) Super packed and smokey. No need to go before 2am. Entrance fee 30 pesos.

Avantt Club- If the group that went to Niceto were 5 years older, they would be going to Avantt club. A more eclectic group of people. Entrance 15 pesos.

Post Bar- A good place to go before going out. Tasty popcorn (which seems to be a staple of BA?). If very drunk, good times could be had staring at the walls, which are covered with bizarre stencils.

Acabar- Our default bar/restaurant when all else fails. Go for the Uno games, french fries and cookey mixed drinks. Service is excellent here.

Salon Pueyrredon: Santa Fe 4560

Niceto Club: Niceto Vega 5510

Post Bar: Thames 1885

Acabar: Honduras 5733

Posted by terrywho at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5139)

(photo credit mlohninger)

We set off on foot towards the Plaza Serrano area to look for a company that rents lighting equipment. Mariel is making a photo project of sorts for his portfolio and we've been looking with little luck for a spot light. We arrive at our destination, an ominous black door with white numbers staring vaguely at us. Before we get a chance to ring the bell, someone is asking us questions through the speaker-box outside.

(Crazy door man inside speaking in Spanish): "What do you want".

"Luces? Aquí?"

"Si."

"Uh, Photography Luces?"

(Enter here like 5 minutes worth of explanations of why he won't let us in, in Spanish)

(Followed by uncomfortable silence.)

"I think he says that we have to call them...", I say, unsure.

(More talking..."Telephono"....)

We are discouraged and begin to walk away when a man walks in front of us, and pushes the door open. In which, I stick my head in and continue speaking to the man sitting behind a big high counter: "Hola Senor, necesito luces de photography?"

Yes, in Spanish everything I say is a question.

He hands us a slip of paper with a number and shoos us back onto the street.

Basically, this was our adventure for the day. And, it totally exhausted us. We tread the 10 or so blocks back to our apartment. Tired, confused, walking carefully to avoid dog shit. I'm already visualizing what I'm going to make to eat when I get back home, maybe some potatoes and eggs... when suddenly, there it was.

Prana. And also the words "Vegetariano". We stand in front of the restaurant (which has big windows) with our mouths open. There's a couple inside, who stop have stopped eating to look at us, starring at them and their food.

With out further hesitation, we walk in.

It was a really warm day, so we started with some house made "Ginger Lemonade". So refreshing, you can't imagine. We were gulping this down.

The atmosphere is very simple and clean. There's lots of light coming in and they've got Matisyahu playing on loop (like every other store/cafe/restaurant that is young in Buenos Aires). The kitchen is the best part, sitting in the back completely open, it looks like anyones kitchen at home.

Stir fry vegetables with quinoa

I really enjoy when food is served in big plates and bowls. The Stir fry, simple as it is, was actually very complex. The veggies were fresh and I could hear the chef chopping them up. The quinoa is so beautiful and cooked perfectly. On top they've added sunflower and poppy seeds. This combination of intricate textures was such a fresh idea. From the quinoa to the small poppy seeds, this dish is a great example of how you can turn an ordinary dish into something interesting. By layering different textures of varying sizes.

Indian Curry Plate

The waitress warned us that this would be very spicy. But, like a lot of food in Buenos Aires, it wasn't. However, this was still a strong dish. It could be bettered labeled, as "Thai Curry," as it's closer to it, than it would be to Indian. Again, the ingredients are very fresh, the sauce is light and 'coconutty'. It is one of their gluten free options on their menu, of which we were very grateful for.

Prana is a great place to go for lunch. With generous portions, attention to detail and this "inventiveness", that so many restaurants lack. Cooking is like anything else creative. Invention should not be in excess, invention is not really invention at all. It's taking what has been, using your own unique logic and bringing it down to it's lowest denominator. If you can do that, then there's got to be some amount of love involved, and the result of that is what people describe as "great."

I.e. "Prana was great."

Prana
El Salvador 5101 (1427) (at Palermo Soho)
Mon-Fri 9.30-19.30, Sat 9.30-17

Posted by terrywho at 02:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (5201)

It's been a few weeks since we had last gone out to eat. It being a bit hard to find places when one person is vegetarian and the other with a gluten allergy. We looked up a bunch of places and settled on Cluny after reading about it in "SaltShaker".

A 10 block or so walk from our place, around Plaza Serrano. Cluny is swank, with a purposeful doorman standing guard in front.

It's chic with minimalist furniture. We notice that most of the people are us are speaking English and this makes us cringe a little. Our waiter comes by and says he only speaks a 'little English', as he goes on to describe the wine in incredible detail. We are shamed.

The Salmon with greens and potatoes.
Risotto with mixed vegetables and mushrooms.

The food was good, the salmon prepared well. The risotto thick and creamy. But for the price, the ambiance, and the over all impression that Cluny is trying to make: "Upscale, fine dining". The food just doesn't stack up. Total bill was about 170 pesos. This was with wine, and expresso. Yes, I am spoiled with the pesos here, but I'm thinking relative.

Cluny just comes off as pretentious. The clientele are business men who have wandered not far from their expensive hotels. They are what you call, "one time hitters", restaurants without a local and returning client base.

I'm left to wonder about the reality of Buenos Aires and to day dream about meat. As, for sure the better restaurants are the mom and pop's we passed by; with checkered table cloths, the smell of wood and something grilling in their small kitchen; the owners sitting and eating food with family. If I were a native would I be happy with my meal if I had to pay this much? Or, could I make this at home?

Cluny
El Salvador 4618
Mon-Sat 12:30-3:30pm and 8:30pm-2am

Posted by terrywho at 04:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (4457)