From Argentina With Love

Pionono de Crema con Palmitos--Hearts of Palm and Crème Fraîche Pionono

Americans are masters of 'small talk'.  The weather, the game, politics...quipped to both strangers and friends alike in grocery store aisles or pre-school pick-up.  This superficial conversation allows us to connect with our fellow man and yet remain uncommitted.  In the U.S., 'What do you do?' is a conversation starter, whereas in Argentina, it is considered rude. What to talk about, then, when such topics as work and politics are verboten?

In Argentina, small talk is all about food.

At a family gathering of a close Argentinean friend, I found myself engaged in a conversation about edibles with another guest.  A wonderful topic of chit-chat if there ever was one--avoiding serious topics of conversation to savor something central to everyday life.  Argentineans could talk for hours on the subject of  their favorite foods. Best to save those heavy topics of conversation for when you know someone better!

I had brought with me a tuna and red pepper filled pionono, and the topic turned to pionono and what could be put inside.  The hostess' mother was especially passionate about hearts of palm.  Her favorite recipe called for mayonnaise and chives to be added into the mix.  I thought that sounded delicious, and soon after, started to experiment.

Straight mayo seemed old-fashioned to me--this filling begged to be modernized a little. Something more flavorful than mayonnaise was needed, but sour cream would have overpowered the delicate flavor of the hearts of palm.  Crème Fraîche was the perfect ingredient to add in--fresh yet tangy, but not too strong, alongside a little mayo to make it spread easier.  Homemade mayo is best used here, the lemon juice in it adds a welcome tang.  If you are using store-bought, simply stir in a little lemon juice. 

The perfected version of this pionono was a hit--a neighbor said it reminded her of her mom's artichoke dip served in a bread bowl (remember those!?) and my mom devoured hers.  Guillermo couldn't say anything--not even chat about the weather--his mouth was too full.

Pionono

Pionono (Jelly Roll)

makes one Pionono, serves 8-10 when sliced

The basic recipe for pionono is a classic--the filling can be altered as desired--savory or sweet.

5 eggs

5 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon honey

5 tablespoons flour

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a stand mixer, put the eggs, sugar, and honey, and beat on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease with butter or spray generously with cooking spray.

After 8 minutes, you should have a fluffy batter. Add the flour in all at once and beat for one minute more, until incorporated. Pour the batter onto the cookie sheet and spread gently with a spatula (you don't want to de-fluff the batter!) Make an even layer covering the cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your filling.

Lay a linen (not terry-cloth) towel on the counter. Sprinkle it lightly with sugar. Lift the parchment paper off of the cookie sheet, and lay the pionono face down on the towel, paper-side up. Carefully peel the corner of the paper off, and continue, careful not to rip the pionono, until the paper has been removed. Carefully spread the filling on the pionono in an even layer covering the entire pionono.  (Fill as below or as desired.)  Roll carefully from right to left (the short side of the rectangle) creating a roulade type roll and slice. Remove the end pieces. Arrange on a plate to serve.

Relleno de Palmitos

Hearts of Palm Filling

one 14 oz. can of hearts of palm (I used Reese brand)

7.5 oz. Crème Fraîche, (about one cup) store-bought or homemade (I used Bellwether Farms brand)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise (homemade or with a squeeze of lemon juice if store-bought)

1/4 cup fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Drain the can of hearts of palm and chop into fine pieces.  Wash the chives and chop them into fine pieces.  In a medium bowl, combine the hearts of palm, mayonnaise, chives, and salt.  Stir well to combine.  If needed, add in a couple tablespoons of milk to thin the mixture to make it more spreadable.  

Spread the mixture across the pionono as directed above, roll, slice and serve.

Tarta de Ricota--Ricotta Tart

  

I first discovered tarta de ricota at Dün Ken, one of our favorite bakeries in Mendoza.  Since then, I've been working on perfecting my own version at home, and I think I've just about got it down.  

Tarta de Ricota is just what it sounds like--a tart made from ricotta cheese.  It's the Italian cousin of our beloved cheesecake, only without the cream cheese tang.  Like so many recipes, the original has morphed into something unique--different but still delicious, developed by homesick Italian women missing the flavors of the old country.  But that old home fell away with the diaspora--a new home was being built in Argentina.

Argentina's version of the ricotta tart is delicately sweet and mild, smooth and creamy with just a hint of lemon.  (See the recipe notes for possible flavor variations.) It can be served any time of year, but is most often seen on the Easter table.  Ricotta, made from they whey used in cheese-making, was traditionally made in the spring, hence the springtime connection. (At least in the northern hemisphere.)

The origins of this simple pie are ancient--it's been made since pre-Christian times in Italy, during the reign of Constantine the Great. It's rumored that priestesses of Roman goddess Ceres, goddess of fertility and motherhood, mixed ricotta with eggs to celebrate Spring. Swedes enjoy a treat called Ostkaka, an almond-y egg and cheese cake--perhaps a recipe exchange during the time of the Visgoth invasion?  Nuns in a convent in Naples infused their springtime version of ricotta pie with orange blossoms from their garden, and the recipe was later adapted by local bakeries.

From pagan offering to a convent confection symbolizing the Resurrection, from the Easter tables of Naples' rich and famous to modern-day bakeries on the other side of the planet, Tarta de Ricota has had quite a journey, wouldn't you say? Take a bite of history when you make this pie, which is sure to become a tradition of your own!

You may also enjoy Ricotta Pie recipes from Cooking Lessons (a wonderful step-by-step tutorial), Serious Eats, and Foodblogga

 

Tarta de Ricota

 Ricotta Tart 

This is a basic recipe for ricotta tart that can easily be adapted.  It can be flavored with rum or another liqueur, like Grand Marnier, or you can stir in 1/2 cup of golden raisins or golden raisins soaked in liqueur--especially delicious during the holiday season. There are also versions that include finely chopped preserved peaches in syrup, and it would be simple to swap out the lemon zest and juice for orange, or the vanilla for almond extract.  That version would be delicious covered in confectioner's sugar and sliced almonds for a fancy afternoon tea. I've chosen a traditional short-pastry type crust here, the shortbread-style crunch adds a nice texture to the pie.

For the tart shell:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 stick unsalted butter

1 egg, separated

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Generously butter and flour a tart pan with a removeable bottom.  

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and butter and process until well combined and the mix resembles a coarse sand.  Add in the egg yolk, reserving the white.  Add in the vanilla and the milk, and process until combined and there is a coarse dough.  To make the dough by hand, combine the ingredients as described below using a hand-held pastry blender.

Dump the dough into the prepared pan, and using your fingers, press around the edges and bottom of the pan.  Then using the bottom of a cup, press the bottom into an even layer.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove, and then brush with the reserved egg white.  Return to the oven for another 15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups fresh whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon rum

1/2 teaspooon vanilla

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

zest from 1 lemon

confectioner's sugar, as needed, to decorate the top

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and using a hand-held mixer, blend at medium speed until smooth.

Remove the crust from the oven.  Pour the ricotta mixture into the tart pan until 2/3 of the way full, and then carefully place in the oven.  Bake for  45-60 minutes, or until the center is set and the filling is light golden, but not brown.

Let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold. Sift confectioner's sugar over the top, using a stencil design if desired.

Transfer to a cake plate and serve, cut in wedges.

 

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5 Make-Ahead (and Freeze) Argentinean Favorites

So many of my favorite Argentinean recipes, however delicious, can be rather...time and labor intensive.  Meaning, there is no way they are making it to the dinner table on a weeknight if I'm making it that same day from scratch.  However, making a double batch of something on a weekend and freezing half makes eating our favorites possible, anytime. A little planning makes pulling something from the freezer a great way to eat something delicious and homemade, even on the nights when you can't cook. Below, some of our favorite dishes that are freeze-friendly (any how to freeze them).

Ñoquis del 29; A Family Tradition--Una Tradicion Familiar

Recently, I read an article entitled 'Helpful Hints for Successful Parenting'. Among the suggestions: "Share the things you love with your children...Teach him that his environment is filled with things that have meaning to you.  As he grows, give him a part in family traditions."

I think this happens naturally, in some ways, as we go about our daily routine. But sometimes, it takes a little effort.  Guillermo and I try to give importance to honoring both our cultures, and especially remembering Argentina's special traditions.  We want our kids to be proud of both sides of their heritage.  But honestly, sometimes it feels like a huge effort even to get dinner on the table. With a new little one in the mix, we are busier than ever.  There's always someplace to be and an excuse to skip the special stuff.

This post was supposed to be part of a group post on the wonderful tradition of eating gnocchi in Argentina on the 29th of every month.  To be posted yesterday.  Alas, spread thin as I am, I was ready to pitch the whole thing and order a pizza.  But I also felt obligated to participate, so I started making the gnocchi.  

The group that made regional alfajores was about to tackle another ubiquitous Argentinean dish.  And post all the lucious photos to Flickr.  Alas, again.  Five pm, lousy kitchen lighting and 70s goldenrod countertop--with one adorable kid rolling out gnocchi.  It may not be food-photography worthy, but it's my life right now.

Right away I had my 'sous chef' jump in, insisting, this time, in his ever-growing desire for independence, that he cut the gnocchi and also be allowed to drop them into the boiling water. Carefully supervised, he got to do both.  But as I felt the deadline of this group blog event looming, I tried to shoo him to the table to eat.  Newly five, he is small but mighty and he refused.  

I mean, he REALLY wanted to make the gnocchi, and took great pleasure in rolling them out.  So I gave up.  I knew this was a battle I could stand to lose, so I let go of my stress, my need to control the situation and 'get it done'--and enjoyed the moment so much more.  I let myself have fun--something I've been a little short on lately. It was a great lesson in being present, in going with the flow, and also in realizing that we have done something to carry on traditions that are important to us.  Maybe he doesn't quite understand the meaning behind 'gnocchi day' yet, but he will, in time.

Finally, as the gnocchi were on plates, I found myself upstairs at the changing table instead of the dinner table.  I overheard something that made my heart melt. Esteban, said, "Aren't these gnocchi the best things in the WORLD?"   And to him, with his ownership of making dinner, they absolutely were.  And they really were!

Photos: Top--Esteban rolling the gnocchi at age five.  Center--In Argentina with 'Bula' making gnocchi at age four.  Bottom two--first gnocchi, at around fifteen months, and rolling them out, in 2008.

 

 

The other ladies that joined this group blog post made some sumptuous gnocchi indeed.  Many talked about the reason behind the tradition of serving gnocchi on this day. And so around the world, the gnocchi day tradition is being carried on, in all its delectable forms:

Aledys of From Argentina to the Netherlands for Love posted Gnocchi a la Romana

Katie of Seashells and Sunflowers posted Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Walnut Cream Sauce

Ana of Ana Travels posted Arugula Gnocchi with Tomato and Tarragon Vinagrette

Paula of Bee My Chef posted Spinach Gnocchi

Meag of A Domestic Disturbance posted Roasted Beet Malfatti with Creamy Roquefort Sauce

and Mine, which of course is Plain Old Potato Gnocchi, Prepared by a Five Year Old

But seriously,wouldn't you love to sit down to dinner at their tables?  

Without further ado, though, here is a tried and true recipe for a simple, traditional potato gnocchi. Even the kids like it.

Receta de Ñoquis del 29

Recipe for 29th-of-the-month Gnocchi

2 lbs. baking potatoes (about 6)

salt

2 eggs

1 cup fresh, good quality ricotta cheese

2-3 cups flour, plus more for dusting

Peel and quarter the potatoes, putting them in a medium stock pot with enough water to cover the potatoes with one inch of water. Add a scant handful of salt. Put the potatoes to boil until they are tender when pierced with a fork , but not mushy. Drain the potatoes.

Put the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, and ricotta, and mix well using your hands or a fork until a consistent dough is formed. Be careful not to overmix.

Add the flour a half cup at a time, mixing each time by hand until there is a soft, pliable dough. The dough should not be sticky, and it should not be hard. If it's too sticky or soft, the gnocchi will be mushy, but if there's too much flour, the gnocchi will be chewy and tough. (This is the challenging part!)

Knead the dough a few times until uniform, and divide the dough in half . Flour a work area, and roll the dough out into a long thin roll about 3/4 inch thick. Cut these tubes of dough into sections about 1 inch long. Meanwhile, bring a stock pot of water to a boil.

There are a variety of ways to 'mark' the gnocchi-all just a style choice, since at this point, they are more or less done. Here are some suggestions: Mark an indentation in the center of each gnocchi with your index finger; or roll over the side of a cheese grater to make patterned indentations; or roll over the backside of a fork, or roll over the center of a wooden gnocchi tool.

At this point, the gnocchi can be frozen laid out on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. After they are frozen, they can be stored in a freezer bag. Frozen gnocchi are just put into the boiling water like the unfrozen ones.

Drop the gnocchi one at a time into the boiling water. They are cooked when they rise to the top. Collect with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Serve with the sauce of your choice. (Some nice choices are walnut Gorgonzola, tomato or white sauce.)