From Argentina With Love

Homemade Ravioli-Raviolis Caseros

Homemade Ravioli. 

When I hear about Those People (you know the ones...) who have the time and energy to make their own ravioli from scratch, I think (with a twinge of envy, I must admit) they should probably take up a hobby.  Who but who would inflict torture like that on themselves-oh, the difficulty and the time!!

Ok.  I get it now.  And I'm a convert.  It's completely and utterly worth every precious second of time to make your own ravioli.  Frankly, I don't think I'll ever be the same again.  I mean, how can I go back to store bought, machine manufactured ravioli after tasting this homemade food of the gods?!

And just for the record, it's not that hard-actually not too complicated at all, just requires a little planning.  I would rate it somewhere around meatloaf or homemade pizza, difficulty-wise. 

In Argentina, making your own pasta is done pretty regularly in many households.  With so many people of Italian descent, it's not surprising.  The tools necessary are sold at the grocery store, not at a specialty shop.  (Like the wooden ravioli dowel you see pictured below--it came from a Vea supermarket in Mendoza.)  Homemade ravioli and pasta of all types are on every restaurant menu.  And in Bowen, the little hardware store that sells washing machines and new bedroom sets also sells hand-cranking pasta makers. 

I thought to myself "I have to try it, even if I never do it again.  It's Argentinean." I told myself.  "It's for the blog!"  Oh, the motivation--I really had to talk myself into it!  A few hours later, Guillermo and I sat, stuffed.  Not a ravioli remained, no leftovers for the next day's lunch, our plates were wiped clean.  And Guillermo said "That...was probably the best ravioli I have ever tasted." 

There's some truth in that old adage "The way to a man's heart is through his belly".  And really, the way to my heart, too!  Is that enough of an endorsement to get you to try it? 

Below the recipe are step-by-step pictures showing the assembly process after rolling out the ravioli dough.   The sauce I used was this tomato sauce.  Enjoy!

Receta Para Raviolis Caseros

Recipe For Homemade Ravioli

Makes 2 batches of about 2 dozen ravioli each.

Three Cheese Filling:

1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

1 cup good quality ricotta cheese

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt (or more or less to taste)

freshly ground pepper (to taste)

3-4 Tablespoons dried parsley

Add cheeses and egg together in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir together.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Mix until well incorporated. 

The Dough: (From Saveur Magazine)

3 cups flour, plus more as needed

2 eggs

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons water

Mound the flour on a work surface and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.  Make a wide, deep well in the center of the flour, leaving some flour at the well's bottom.  Pour oil into well, and crack the eggs into it.  Use a fork to gently mix the eggs and oil together, then gradually incorporate surrounding flour a little at a time into the well.  As egg mixture absorbs flour, slowly add 10 Tablespoons water until the dough becomes wet and sticky.  Generously sprinkle the dough and work surface with additional flour.  Knead the dough, adding flour as necesasary to prevent sticking, until it's elastic and smooth, about 10 minutes.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside to let rest for one hour.

Divide the dough in half.  Working with 1 dough half at a time (keep the other half on the counter covered with a towel), roll it with a rolling pin, stetching it occasionally with your hands, into an 18-inch wide circle about 1/6 th of an inch thick on a well-floured work surface, rotating it occasionally.

To assemble the ravioli, spread half the filling (not so much that it will squish out, but not too little, either)evenly over one side of the dough, leaving a half an inch border.  Brush the border with water.  (PHOTO 1)

Fold the dough over filling to form a half moon.  Press edges to seal.  Generously dust dough with flour.  (PHOTO 2)

Roll a checkered ravioli pin firmly over dough, imprinting it with a pattern of squares, or use a hand-stamp ravioli cutter.  (PHOTO 3)

Using a fluted ravioli cutter (ok, I used a pastry cutter) cut the ravioli along the indentations. (PHOTO 4)

Separate the ravioli and let them air dry for one hour.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling. (PHOTO 5)

At this point, they can be laid out on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and frozen, or plopped into a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat and cooked 8-10 minutes, until al dente.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl and serve with the sauce of your choice.

Ravioli rollers can be bought online at www.bakedeco.com (and probably elsewhere, too) or at finer kitchen/cooking stores.

Alfajores-Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookie

An alfajor is two crisp buttery cookies held in a sandwich with (what else?) dulce de leche smeared in between.  They come in many costumes-dipped in chocolate, dipped in a white sugar coating, dusted in powdered sugar (like a fairy tale dessert, those are called alfajores de nieve-snowy alfajores), rolled in chopped nuts, (almonds or peanuts) or rolled in shredded coconut, so that all along the edges of the cookie, little bits of nuts or coconut cling to the dulce de leche that oozes out from between the two cookies.  Each way they are prepared just adds to how luscious they are-and Argentineans know it!  They eat alfajores like they have to get rid of them-with breakfast, as a snack, in the afternoon with piping hot espresso, or for dessert...no time is a bad time to eat an alfajor.

On my first date with Guillermo, we met at a downtown Denver bar for happy hour.  (Our second date was much more romantic, but that's a story for another day!)  In a little brown paper bag, I brought him the last two of my treasured Havanna alfajores (Havanna is a famous Argentinean cafe and alfajor-maker) that a friend brought me from a recent trip.  I suppose then it was obvious then that I already really liked this guy-otherwise, why would I ever part with such a treasure?

Havanna alfajores come individually wrapped in gold or silver foil (gold foil for chocolate dipped, silver foil for white dipped) which makes the recipient of said alfajores feel like a character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory every time they open one-filled with hope and anticipation of the glories about to be beheld.  Plus, they come in a fancy box-making this dessert what it is-a very special treat.

Guillermo was thrilled when he opened the bag!  It had been a long time since he had seen anything from his home country and like most Argentineans, he loves alfajores.  Well, the hours passed, and we were so absorbed in conversation that he forgot the cookies when we left.  Some waiter at the bar likely tossed them in the trash, but maybe he decided to eat them...I've often wondered about the fate of those poor cookies!  Little did I know then that this type of forgetfulness is an annoying habit of Guillermo's-he is a scientist after-all, I call it the 'absent-minded scientist syndrome'.  Oh, but the things we forgive for love! 

I don't think he's probably had an alfajor in a really long time-maybe even since that first date-so I decided to surprise him with a batch, just to remind him.  (And of course, I had to share them with you!)  They really are as good as they look.  You can serve them any way you like-and, for that matter, any time you like, too!

To see more about the history of the alfajor, see the article I wrote for Argentina's Travel Guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receta para Alfajores

Recipe for Alfajores (Carmel Sandwich Cookies)

This recipe for alfajores is adapted from the book, Argentina Cooks! by Shirley Lomax Brooks

1 3/4 cups flour

1/8 teapoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 pound butter (1 stick) at room temperature

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 recipe for dulce de leche (or one jar of it)

1 cup grated and sweetened coconut (optional)

* Rebecca's note:  I cannot stress enough the importance of quality butter in this recipe-it will make a big differnce in the flavor of the cookie.

Combine flour, salt, sugar and baking soda in a bowl.  Cut the butter in with two knives, then mix by hand until well incorporated.  Work in the lemon zest and then mix in the egg yolks and vanilla.  Shape the dough into 2 balls and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  On a floured work surface, roll out each ball of dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch.  Cut into 2-inch rounds and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until done.  The cookies will be dry but not brown. 

When the cookies are cool, spread a spoonful of dulce de leche in one cookie and top it with another.  Press together gently and roollthe seam of each snadwiched cookie in grated coconut. 

Empanada of the Month Round Up #1!

I am so proud of everyone who participated in From Argentina With Love's very first Empanada of the Month event!!  There are some fearless recipe makers out there in the blogosphere, some who are long time empanada makers, and others who had never made empanadas before and took the challenge.  And the results are simply mouth-watering!  They look delicious. Thank you for joining in and making this blog's first event a success!  So without further ado-here are the entries for Empanadas Mendocinas-Empanada of the Month #1!

Paz from The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz created these beauties:

And although she was very doubtful of her empanada making skills-I think they look fantastic!  (I wanted to eat them right off my computer screen.)

Brilynn from Jumbo Empanadas made these lovelies:

With a name like that, how could you go wrong?  Brilynn posts about how her blog got it's name, and she even made the dough from scratch-I'm very impressed!

Sandy from Real Food for Real People made these tasty morsels:

Sandy's father was a chef from Buenos Aires-and she gives a great dough recipe in her post-check it out!

Layla from Laylita's Recipes made these delectable treats:

Originally from Ecuador, Layla has a whole category of her blog dedicated to empanadas!  She is one of those gals who does every recipe astoundingly well, and yet makes it look like it was nothing at all.  I am always amazed when I read her blog!

Nikki from Canary Girl made these mouth-watering bites:

She lives in the Canary Islands, where she has sampled the same type of empanadas at a local Italian restaurant run by Argentineans!  They look WONDERFUL, Nikki-thanks for joining us!!

I hope I didn't leave anybody out!  I know there were a few people who wanted to participate but weren't able to-if I left you out by mistake, please let me know and I'll add you in!!  If you didn't make it this month, I hope you'll participate in next month's Empanada of the Month Round Up-to be announced in the coming week.  Thanks!

Argentinean Deep Dish Pizza

 

 

 

 

 

We went to visit Pancho, a childhood friend of Guillermo's.  Pancho owns a fruit drying company-they dry, package and export dried plums, apricots, and tomatoes (among other things).  The last time Pancho and Guillermo saw each other was our wedding day in September of 2006.  The conversation went like this:

(after some greetings, hugging and back-slapping...)

Pancho: "So, it's great to see you!  But, Guille, I have one thing to ask you, man."

Guillermo:  "What?"

Pancho:  "What's that thing there between your chest and your lap?!" 

Guillermo and I looked, puzzled, at his belly for a split second before bursting into laughter.  It's true-since we got married, he has gotten a little round belly.  We could blame it on the 'sympathy weight' so often gained by husbands when their wives are pregnant, or on the fact that with a toddler we most often collapse, exhausted, into bed at night, and don't have time to go to the gym, but I'd rather blame the appearance of Guillermo's paunch on this pizza.  (Because it's really, really good.)

Pizza is one of the pillars of Argentinean cuisine, found on most every menu in restaurants, and it's made in households across the country.  The crust is thick and doughy, and the toppings are inventive.  I recently got an email from a reader-a native of Argentina.  She said "We are such a potpourri!  Do we really have a cuisine of our own-a true Argentinean cuisine?!" 

And while it's true that Argentina's recipes and culture are very much influenced by the countries (and cultures) they originally came from, Argentinean pizza (like many of their recipes) is a unique experience unto itself.  Because it's topped with things like hard boiled egg, sardines, ham, whole green olives, roasted red peppers, Roquefortcheese, hearts of palm, and fresh tomatoes.  Or a combination of different cheeses, or no sauce but caramelized onions and cheese (called Fugazza-it's simple and sensational).  Completely unique, and completely Argentinean.

Try these combinations for a winning Argentinean-style pizza:

Four cheese:  Mozzarella, Provolone, Swiss, and Jack cheeses

Mozzarella, Ham, Green Olives

Mozzarella, Green Olives, Fresh Tomato Slices

Pesto, Fresh Tomato Slices, Hearts of Palm, Hard Boiled Egg, Provolone

Mozzarella, Ham, Roasted Red Pepper

You get the idea, right?  So without further ado, here's the recipe for the crust, followed by the recipe for the sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receta para Masa Casera para Pizza

Recipe for Homemade Pizza Dough

A note about this dough: it is not like typical dough-it will be more like a batter, and should be poured into the pizza pan.

1 1/3 cup lukewarm water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (or 1 packet)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put the lukewarm water in a bowl with the sugar and the yeast and mix until the yeast is dissolved.  (If you are using a stand mixer with a metal bowl, rinse the bowl with hot water first to warm it up.)  When the yeast begins to form bubbles (about 5-10 minutes) add the oil and the salt.  Mix in the flour gradually (if using a stand mixer, use the paddle blade and mix in the flour while the mixer is running.)  Mix until well incorporated, but it's not necessary to knead this dough.  Cover with a damp towel and put in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Generously oil a round pizza pan.  When the dough is ready, pour it into the pan, and spread the dough evenly around in the pan with a spoon or a spatula.  It will be sticky!  Put the pan in the oven for 8-10 minutes-just long enough to make the dough firm enough to put the toppings on, but not long enough to form a crust. 

Top with sauce of your choice (tomato, pesto, olive oil) and toppings of your choice-don't forget to sprinkle the top with oregano!  We did half mozzarella, hearts of palm and Roquefort and half just mozzarella.

Bake until cheese has melted and is brown on top.

Receta para Salsa de Tomates para Pizzas

Recipe for Tomato Sauce for Pizza

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

crushed red pepper flakes,  to taste

oregano, to taste

1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

Put the olive oil in a medium skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute until golden.  Add the tomatoes and stir until incorporated.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Raise heat briefly, bringing the sauce to a simmer, and then lower it and let  simmer, uncovered, for about a half hour or until it has thickened. 

 

 

 

Argentinean Barbecue-Asado Argentino

Argentinean men have two passions in life: (soccer) and asado (barbecue).  Not sodifferent from many American men, right?  There are lots of men out there who like nothing better than to throw some meat on the grill and watch the game on TV.  Guillermo and I mix and match, culturally speaking, as necessary-a little from his, a little from mine-until we get a nice comfortable blend.  But barbecue is where he draws the line.

The first time he wanted to grill together, I thought, 'how different can Argentinean barbecue be?'  I'm here to tell you-it's a whole other ballgame.  For starters, Argentinean barbecue is wood-fired, not charcoal.  Barbecue sauce is a cardinal sin, lighter fluid gets the boot.  And the fare is different.  Eggplant.  Short ribs.  Whole Chicken.  Organ Meats.  Steak that's two inches thick.  Chorizo sausage.  Thick slices of Provolone cheese, grilled until just soft enough to spread across pieces of crusty bread.  And if you're in Argentina and in luck, you'll get the whole animal.  No hot dogs of ambiguous origins, no skewers, and definitely no patties.

There are books about Argentinean barbecue-but they're more like academic tomes-no Bobby Flay, with his 125 ways to grill anything.  Argentineans are traditionalists when it comes to barbecue-they stick with what works.  And frankly, most Argentineans don't need a book-they learn from home-in their own backyard, where almost everyone has a brick oven barbecue built in the yard. 

If you're in the US and reading this, this weekend is Memorial Day-a day that marks the start of summer and of grilling.  If your plans include grilling, I urge you to try just a touch of Argentinean-style barbecue.  I'm sure that this is just the beginning of the posts I'll do over the summer about this, but please write in and tell me if you have ideas about a recipe you'd like to see and I'll try to write accordingly.  Enjoy the long weekend-and if you're grilling, throw an eggplant on the grill!

Receta para Berenjena Asada 

Recipe for Grilled Eggplant

2 eggplants, washed and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds

coarse salt

crushed red pepper

oregano

olive oil

Put the eggplant rounds in a roasting pan and sprinkle abundantly with salt.  Let them 'sweat', and then drain them. Drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with oregano and crushed red pepper.  Place on the grill, over indirect heat, until soft in the center-they will appear juicy and have grill marks.

Argentinean Gnocchi and...a Travel Guide

In February I posted about Argentina's beloved tradition of eating ñoquis (gnocchi) on the 29th of every month in honor of the feast day of San Pantaleon, one of the patron saints of Venice.  Guillermo and I have started hosting 'ñoqui nights' at our house-inviting friends to share a meal with us, and rolling out gnocchi together-a sure recipe for a good time!  We always follow the tradition of placing money under our plates for good fortune in the month to come.

Maybe the saints heard us!  I've had the good fortune of finding and meeting so many other bloggers, writers, and all-around lovers of Argentina since then.  The website Argentina's Travel Guide is one example.  The concept of their site is a guidebook as a website-a very practical idea, since today's travelers tote laptops and i-Phones, rather than bulky guidebooks.

The site is a wealth of information about every region in Argentina, with things to do, places to stay, itineraries, and activities.  The webpage reads like a newspaper, and along with all the resources, information, and forums they provide, they also run articles about Argentinean culture-from street slang to recipes.

That's where I come in!  Argentina's Travel Guide has asked me to write a series of articles and recipes for them.  They'll be classic Argentinean recipes that travelers would eat and want to know how to make when they return home. 

My first article for them is all about Ñoquis of the 29th Day of the month-why the tradition got started, and of course, how to make the gnocchi to celebrate it!  The ñoquis I made for this article have half pesto sauce, half tomato sauce, and  shaved Parmesan on top- red, white and green tricolor in honor of the Italian flag.  Since I've already posted about how to make gnocchi, I'll share the sauce recipes with you here.   

The pesto is simple and delicious-a perfect topping for any pasta , spread for bread or as a pizza sauce.  The tomato sauce is the perfect simple sauce-using fresh herbs and whole cloves of garlic-good for just about anything!

Receta para Pesto-Recipe for Pesto Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt-or more to taste

olive oil

shredded Parmesan

1 and 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

Put the minced garlic and the salt in a mortar and pestle, and smash the garlic together with the salt until the flavors are incorporated.  Chop the basil leaves very fine, and put in a bowl.  Add the garlic, olive oil and shredded Parmesan.  Mix well until incorporated.  Serve as suggested above.

Receta para Salsa de Tomates-Tomato Sauce Recipe

6 whole cloves garlic, skins removed

Olive oil (about 5 Tablespoons)

salt (to taste-less than a teaspoon)

1 teaspoon sugar

huge handful of basil

large can crushed tomatoes

juice from 1/2 a lemon

pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic cloves and cook until slightly golden, but not burnt.  The garlic will have infused the oil with its flavor.  Add the tomatoes and mix well.  Add in salt, sugar, basil, lemon juice and red pepper.  Stir until mixed in.  Cover, and raise heat to medium high, bringing the sauce to a simmer.  Let simmer for about 30 minutes.  Serve over pasta or gnocchi with Parmesan on top!

Dulce de Leche Gelato-Helado de Dulce de Leche

(Does gelato like this really even need an introduction?)

Perhaps you've heard that Argentinians speak Spanish with an Italian accent-that's true, and they're also loud and passionate (even when discussing something unimportant), and gesture a lot.  But Argentineans also eat with an Italian accent! 

In Argentina, helado (ice cream) is more like Italy's gelato-softer and creamier than American ice cream, and with typical flavors like chocolate hazelnut, dulce de leche, and sambayon (which is the Spanish spelling of zabaione) custard-flavored gelato typically served with fruit.  Some of the more uncommon flavors include malbec (made from the wine), watermelon, or coconut.  Truly, it's almost divine.

I had the luck of finding what I personally believe might just be the best helado in Argentina on our last trip.  (Of course, I haven't had the chance to do a formal evaluation, touring all the heladerias in Argentina...yet.)

I felt like Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Eat, Pray, Love in which she samples the gelato of one particular shop several times in one day just to make sure it's as good as she thinks it is.  I'm here to say: it is-I know because I did the same thing!

Like the Italians in Gilbert's book, Argentinians are "...masters at the beauty of doing nothing"  (And that's a compliment, by the way.  As she goes on to say, Americans are list-makers, multitaskers, work too hard and burn ourselves out-we have a hard time slowing down, relaxing (and giving ourselves permission to relax!)  In Argentina, relaxing is part of life.  They work hard, but also enjoy taking their kids out for ice cream on a Friday night, sitting there and chatting for a couple of hours with friends and letting the kids entertain themselves.  You know, relaxing.

Oh, and that heladeria...it really is the best-Rafael Rodriguez and his family have been making helado in Argentina for three generations.  I was lucky enough to see how the ice cream is made (in small batches daily) and how they have elevated making helado  to a true art form.

I promise to write all about that on a day very soon, but today, you get this delicious recipe inspired by my visit to his shop-the ideal way to celebrate summer being around the corner.  I promise it won't disappoint-and it's very quick and easy.

                                   Receta para Helado de Dulce de Leche

                                       Recipe for Dulce de Leche Gelato

For this recipe, there's the gelato base, and then there's dulce de leche, which is just folded into the finished gelato or drizzled over the top (like in the picture).

Gelato base:

3 cups milk

1 and 1/2 cup heavy cream

4 eggs,  yolks only

1/2 cup vanilla sugar* if available

1/2 cup sugar

In a saucepan, mix the milk and cream and heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges.  Remove from heat.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugars together until the sugars are incorporated and the mixture is frothy.  Slowly add the warm milk to the sugar mixture, whisking continuously.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium heat and stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon.  If the egg starts to get lumpy-the heat is too hot!  Remove from heat immediately.

Strain the mixture through a fine strainer or sieve into a bowl.  Cover and put in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Transfer to a sealed container and freeze until firm-if it gets too hard, bring it down to the fridge to soften.

To add the dulce de leche, put one layer (several scoops) of the gelato base and a layer of dulce de leche on top.  Put another layer of of the gelato base and mix together by making a figure 8 pattern with a spatula.  Alternatively, drizzle the dulce de leche over the top.  For my previous post on dulce de leche, click here.

*Vanilla sugar is sugar (about 4 cups) that has had a whole vanilla bean immersed in it for two to three weeks.  (in a sealed container) The sugar then takes on a vanilla flavor, and can be used for many desserts.

Swiss Chard Tart-Tarta de Acelga

Chard is one of those vegetables.  You know the ones-if they were people, they'd be the teenagers off in a corner of the school yard by themselves, smoking cigarettes with a glare and acting like they don't care.  In the vegetable world, they're one of those things that you look at, knowing that it's probably really good, but you just don't know what to do with it.

Tarta, on the other hand, is president of the glee club-valedictorian, maybe even prom queen, never wears the same thing twice, and the type of person you'd really love to hate-if she weren't so gosh-darn nice!  No, tarta is easy to make, fast, and can be filled with just about any filling you care to use-basically your all-around goody two shoes.

I've posted about tarta before, it is a simple, quick meal that's high on flavor and low on effort.  Tarta describes a savory pie: some kind of filling between two pie-crust-type shells, and sealed using the twisted pattern called repulgue in Argentina.  (The video on my empanada post teaches you how to do it.)

Unless you grew up eating chard, or make an effort to find a recipe that uses it, you may forever be wondering what to do with the big dark leaves that find their way to markets in mid-summer and early fall.  (Chard grows easily and abundantly-it may grow out of control if allowed.  But see how tame it looks all wrapped up in a flaky crust?)

                                   Receta para Tarta de Acelga

                                  Recipe for Swiss Chard Tart

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 eggs, hardboiled then peeled and sliced

2 large bunches of Swiss chard (white stems preferred if available)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or queso cremoso

2 pie crust rounds-either your recipe for pie crust OR Pillsbury (or similar) pre-made Pie Crusts (or tapa para tarta)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute the onions until translucent.  Wash the chard very well (grit is common!) Remove the hard stems of the chard, and chop coarsely.  Add the chard to the onions with a couple tablespoons of water and a little salt, and cover, steaming until wilted.  Add the pepper and cheese and mix well.  Heat through until the cheese is melted.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Drain off any liquid.

Put 1 pie crust onto a round (pizza) pan.  Put chard mixture onto the center of the pie crust.  Arrange  slices of  egg on top of chard mixture.  Cover with second pie crust round and seal the edge all the way around by twisting the dough, so that none of the filling seeps out during baking.

Bake until crust is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.  Cut into wedges.  It can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Coffee Argentina Style

Coffee in Argentina isn't flavorless grit out of a can, nor frouffy caramel-drenched stuff that costs more than a gallon of gasoline per 20 oz cup.  It's simple, straightforward, European-style coffee that's dark and smooth and flavorful.

At a hotel, the breakfast lounge will have two large carafes-one full of very strong black coffee, and one of hot milk.  Thus, cafe con leche, half strong coffee, half hot milk...the perfect accompaniment to the sweet Argentinean croissant, the medialuna.

Argentina is a culture of sidewalk cafes, and every one of them serves up cortitos, or cortitos con leche-espresso shots or espresso shots with hot milk. They are served with a little pat of brown sugar, and the smoky flavor of the coffee is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of pastries topped with bits of candied fruit that look like little jewels arranged on top.  Argentineans use this as their afternoon pick-me-up.

At home, coffee is made in a metal coffee pot (called a cafetera) by pouring water at its boiling point over the coffee grounds. The grounds are in a cloth filter that's perched on the rim of the coffee pot.  The filter has a wire handle, and the fabric part hangs down into the pot like a little sock.   The brewed coffee is added to the hot milk in your cup. 

As simple as it may seem to make coffee, the flavor of Argentinean coffee really is unique, and tastes totally different from the coffee made from either a drip-style coffee maker or an espresso machine.  Part of it is the coffee used-the coffee in Argentina is very finely ground but very lightly roasted (unlike it's finely ground but darkly roasted smoky counterpart, espresso.) Also, sugar is already added to the coffee grounds in some brands (like my favorite, La Virginia).  When the hot water hits the coffee, the sugar dissolves instantly, and the result is smooth and sweet.  The method has to be considered,too-the vacuum method is it's similar to the drip, though it is not forced like espresso, nor percolated.

Once I had tasted Argentinean-style coffee, there was no going back for me.  Here in Denver, I haven't yet found a store that sells La Virginia.  You can probably find the items you'll need where you live, likely in a Latin or ethnic market.  Better still, if you're headed to Argentina, get yourself a filter and a pot and some coffee.  (These items are available in any grocery-Vea, Atomo or Carrefour) And then try this recipe:

                                                          Cafe con Leche

                                                          Coffee With Milk

4 tablespoons coffee

1 qt. water just at boiling point

hot milk (optional)

sugar to taste (optional)

Pour hot water over coffee grounds.  Repeat until coffee pot is full.  Pour coffee into a cup that's half full of hot milk.  Add sugar to taste, and enjoy with a pastry. 

Beet and Apple Salad

As a wedding gift, we got a new but retro-looking pressure cooker from my in-laws.  I think my mother-in-law worries that I spend too much time in the kitchen-and wanted me to know the glories of time0-saving when using this device.  Never having used a pressure cooker, I had to learn how to even put the lid on!

The first page of the brochure that came with the pressure cooker says:

                                                       Señora, no se preocupe!

(Madam, don't you worry!)  For me, the image of  an apron-clad 1950s Argentinean housewife pops into my head-she's rushing around, trying to get dinner on the table, frazzled to bits.  She's a woman with family responsibilities, who could always use an extra hour and an extra hand (oh, wait-I'm not supposed to be describing myself here-oops!)  and then the Amazing Pressure Cooker whisks in to save the day, restoring calm, tranquility, and a beaming smile to the housewife. Ahhhhhh. 

The pressure cooker really can save time, especially when cooking things that otherwise take too long to make-like beets, for example.  Rather than boil beets for an hour, put them in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes.  See?  No worrie, madam!   I'm still working on mastering the greatness of the pressure cooker, though-it's a process.

My mother-in-law serves this very simple and very delicious salad at lunch or dinner.  It combines beets and green apples, and  it couldn't be easier or quicker to prepare.  The combination of the earthy taste of the beets and the tangy flavor of the apple is a tasty combination, and visually, it's beautiful, too-the jewel-color of the beets bleed onto the white of the apple. It makes a welcome change from the typical green salad, and is the perfect dish to take along to a pot-luck.

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                                       Receta por Ensalada de Remolacha con Manzana Verde

                                                Recipe for Beet and Green Apple Salad

3 or 4 beets (or 2 cans beets)

1 Granny Smith apple

Olive Oil

lemon

salt

Peel and boil the beets until soft when pierced with a fork.  Cut the beets into bite-sized pieces.  Core the apple and cut into bite sized pieces.  Stir the beets and apples together in a medium sized bowl.  Drizzle with oil, just enough to coat the salad.  Squeeze the lemon over all, and add salt to taste.  Stir to combine.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Can be served cold or at room temperature.