Brown Sugar, For Realsies

When groups of expats get together, especially if they don't know each other well, tend to gravitate to the topics related to "Have you noticed that ________ is different than back home?" and "Have you been able to find (product x)?" I'm no different, I discuss these topics all the time.  One of the food items that habitually comes up is brown sugar.  This is an item that I don't use much, but when I want to use it and don't have it, I'm really missing out.  For me, the two most common examples are chocolate chip cookies and additive to my oatmeal.  I have scoured China Town for an imported version of the rare and delicate brown sugar and though I've gotten some close impersonations, I have yet to stumble across the real thing.  The general substitution here is something called Azucar negra, or Azucar de fantasia, as pictured to the right (you can find it in most supermercados).  It sounds exotic, right?  Sugar of my fantasies, or something like that?  I assure you, this is no sugar of your dreams, it's really just kind of weird. 

Azucar de fantasia became a hilarious joke for me and my American friends.  The hilarity is that there are two ingredients: sugar and comun tipo A colorante caramelo.  My hilarious jokes started with the phrase, "I'm not sure who knows what goes in to real brown sugar, but I'm pretty sure it's not this colorante stuff..." and laughter would ensue.  Until one day, when I was telling my funny jokes, and someone interrupted me to say, "You know brown sugar is just sugar and molasses, right?"

Um, no, I did not know that.  And even better, you know who else knows what goes into brown sugar?  The internet.  Why didn't I think of that before?

So, here is it, the easiest recipe you'll never use:

Brown Sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 T Molasses

Mix together with a fork until fully incorporated.


Awesome.  Now to find some molasses.  This is another item that I have never seen in Buenos Aires, but I've been told it exists.  So I learned the word for molasses (melaza) and headed off to our local dieteca (a little shop that sells seeds, dried fruits and baking supplies).  If you are in the area, I went to the New Garden on Rodriguez Peña, but I've seen lots of these shops all over the city.  They knew exactly what I meant, and $18 pesos later, I was the proud owner of:

Melrico.  It's muy rico.

The mixing part took some patience.  Molasses is really a sticky, gooey mess.  I won't name names, but somebody ran out of patience way before I was done mixing.

But before too long I had some good looking brown sugar on my hands.  So easy!  So much better than the sugar of my fantasies!  Chocolate chip cookies, here we come!  If you have been missing out on this little gem, miss out no more - go and get your melaza today!

Astrid & Gaston

Did the loveable yet geeky supporting actress from Fringe and the pompous loverboy from Beauty & the Beast get together and create a Peruvian restaurant?  I wish.  But this combination works out even better, and it makes a much nicer love story.  According to their website, this pair was in school, him to study law and her to study medicine, when their passion for food and Paris took over and they both quit school to become chefs.  Eventually, he convinced her (a blond German) to follow him to Peru where they opened their first restaurant, and the rest is history.  The website leaves out who is Astrid and who is Gaston, but I am still envisioning the girl from Fringe and the cartoon Gaston, so I'll just leave it at that. 

Astrid & Gaston (Lafinur 3222, Palermo: 4802-2991) was a recommendation from one of our friends that has very high standards for restaurants, so when it was where she spent her birthday, we knew we needed to try it.  The setting is beautiful, an old converted mansion that offers intimate rooms complete with only 10-12 tables per room, making you feel that you are in a much smaller place.  As we entered the restaurant we passed by the expo line and were able to see into the kitchen which told me two things; 1) I was going to like almost anything they served, the food all looked amazing, and 2) This was the most organized expo line I had ever seen.  Quiet. Clean. Civil.  Quite different from my restaurant days where this area was a free-for-all of yelling and mildly organized chaos.  So far, this place was batting a thousand. 

We followed the hostess up a very steep and windy set of stairs and were seated in a room with heavy red velvet curtains where there were only a handful of other people seated (this was a Saturday night at 9:30pm).  Our server was pleasant, helpful and patient as we asked him about dishes on the menu and asked that he define Spanish words that we had never encountered.  After all was said and done, we should have closed our menus and let him order for us, we followed (almost) all of his recommendations. 

We started with a ceviche appetizer, actually we got the sampler so it was more like 3 ceviche appetizers.  The flavors were great, crisp, fresh and flavorful - though this was not our favorite course.  There was nothing wrong with the dish, it just so happened to bring out some food weirdnesses in both Jon and I.  The fish was presented in large cubes, which kind of weirds me out, I'm used to a smaller dice (crazy, I know) and Jon has some sort of biological dislike for cilantro, which is obviously in almost every ceviche dish out there. 

 I ordered Salmón Blanco con Arroz Arvejado (I think, again, I just took the waiter's word for it), pictured below, and it was outstanding.  It was a piece of white salmon served on a bed of risotto-style rice and surrounded by all sorts of goodies; shittake mushrooms, scallions, shrimp, caramelized onions, and delicious sauce. 

 Jon went the meat route, he ordered the lamb served two ways (Cordero Dos Cocciones), each way supplemented with a different style side.  The more tender lomo had a creamy mashed potato-style side and the other cut (piled high in the photo) was served over a potato lasagna.  Both were delicious. 

I should mention that my friend's recommendation came with the advice that we needed to order the cabrito, baby goat.  We couldn't do it.  It's the kind of thing that I want someone else to order and then I take a bite so that I can say I tried it.  Maybe I'll like it, but we only get out every once in a while these days, so I can't risk it. 


I'm conflicted about the dessert.  There were a number of good-looking options, including a sampler, but we decided to go with our gut and order the chocolate option.  It was good, the raspberry compote was really tasty and the chocolate was really good quality, but the heart of the dessert was a chocolate ball filled with "creme brulee foam" which basically disintegrated when the waiter poured the warm chocolate sauce on top.  I think this would have worked better with a high quality vanilla ice cream in the center.  Or gelato.  Or partner with Arkakao and add one of their flavors to the middle. It was good, it just wasn't as impressive as the rest of the meal. 

This was a great date night out.  It is a date night though, the prices at Astrid & Gaston warrant a special occasion meal, and though they are worth it - they're probably not worth it every week. 

Additionally, this was the first time we were able to use Restorando.com to make our reservation and it worked like a charm.  We were able to make the reservation, and immediately after the confirmation stage we received an email AND a text message confirming the reservation.  Perfect.  And perfect for the non-native Spanish speaker that fears the telephone.  Fear no more - Restorando.com is here for you. 

Oreo Cheesecake

This month the temperature is about as cold as it gets here in Buenos Aires so 'tis the season for expats to flee the "cold" and spend a generally long period of time back in the US. Although we are not planning on spending prolonged periods of time in the US, we can certainly relate to the desire for products from home. In the time that we've lived here we've discovered that there are things that we cannot find here and request that people bring us when they visit, but there are other things, specifically, food related items, that we are able to adapt to local ingredients. Here is one of those recipes.

As far as I know, there are no graham crackers in Argentina. There are crackers you can use that are similar, but no actual graham crackers. For me, this means no s'mores and (more importantly) no cheesecake crust. Behold! There is an alternative! Oreo cookies for the crust! And Oreo cookies are an internationally enjoyed dessert. So are two of my mom's recipes mashed into one, Buenos Aires friendly, delicious cheesecake.

Oreo Cookie Cheesecake

1/4 cup (60 g) melted margarine or butter
2, 8 oz (225 g) packages cream cheese softened
14 oz (400 g) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups crushed Oreos (about 18), plus 3-5 more for topping

Preheat oven to 300. Combine crumbs and butter pat firmly on bottom of 9" spring form pan.

In a large mixer beat cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk beat until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining 3-5 crushed Oreos on top. Cool to room temperature. Chill and remove side of spring form pan.

I like to serve this dessert with strawberries and whipped cream. If I were Martha Stewart I would make my own whipped cream, but instead I buy whipped cream from a can (Chantilly brand here) and serve it that way. Also, as with most fruits here, strawberries are only in season when they are actually in season so I substitute blueberries or mangos or peaches for the fruit as well. Disfruten!

Mystery Squash Squares

For my bridal shower my fabulous bridesmaids included blank recipe cards in the invitations to have everyone that attended provide their favorite recipe.  This was a wonderful idea for several reasons, specifically because I had a great start to our newlywed recipe collection, and I can now make these recipes with some of the most important people in my life in mind.  The recipe that my mom provided was actually from one of her closest friends, Barb, a recipe that my mom used to make when I was younger.  In the spirit of Christmas, I thought I would try my hand at Barb's Pumpkin Squares. 

As with most things, this recipe was a little more complicated in Argentina because I have yet to find canned pumpkin (or fresh pumpkin for that matter...), thus, I bring you Mystery Squares.  I have never used fresh pumpkin for baking so I'll start at the beginning, in case there are any of you out there that are starting from square one like me. 

I started with a full butternut squash (I would have used pumpkin, but this worked too):

Cleaned it, cut it, and scooped out all of the seeds and stringy parts

Steamed it for 30 minutes or so

Then food processed it until smooth

That was easy.  Now proceed with the recipe as written:

Barb's Pumpkin Squares
Combine the following 4 ingredients:
1 16 oz. can pumpkin or 2 cups fresh pumpkin
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil

In a separate bowl, combine the following 5 ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Add dry mixture to wet mixture and pour into a jelly roll pan (aka - cookie sheet, I also didn't know what this was).  Bake at 350F (175C) for 25 - 30 minutes. 

After the cake has cooled - add delicious frosting:
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
(optional) sprinkle with crushed nuts of choice, I used pecans. 

These were a huge hit at Christmas, super moist and just as good with the butternut squash. 

Chocolate Cakies

Since Buenos Aires is such a remarkable city to eat in, we love taking our guests to our favorite spots during their visits.  I love it at the time, but I find that it negates my last few months of work at the gym and almost always ends in a vow to eat healthy after everyone has left.  Nothing takes the edge off of eating healthy more than a dessert that you can enjoy sans guilt, and since we have a 3-day weekend vacation coming up in one of the most gastronomically intense areas of Argentina, this is a great time for a low-fat dessert recipe post.  I got this recipe from my favorite cookbook, The Low-Fat Way to Cook, the recipe claims that the final product will be brownies, but I would argue that the brownies are a closer resemblance to chocolate cake.  Thus, I give you Chocolate Cakies:

Medicrim, our sour cream alternative

Frosted Chocolate Brownies
vegetable cooking spray
1/2 c plus 3 tablespoons of reduced-calorie margarine, softened
1 1/3 c sugar
8 egg whites
1/2 c nonfat sour cream
1/3 c evaporated skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2/3 c unsweetened cocoa

Delicious cakie batter

Directions:

1. Beat margarine until fluffy, gradually add sugar and beat well.
2.  Add egg whites, sour cream, milk and vanilla, beat well.  Note:  I cannot find evaporated skim milk in the grocery stores here, so I use the following substitution - heat double the amount of milk you need (in this case 1 cup) in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.  Steam milk until it has reduced by half (takes up to an hour).  It works perfectly for this recipe. 
3. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, stir well. 
4. Slowly add dry mixture to creamed mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Pour batter into a 13 x 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray.  
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, cool on a wire cooling rack.
7. Once cooled, top with Creamy Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)

You're not quite done yet...

Creamy Chocolate Frosting 
3 c sifted powdered sugar
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1/4 t salt
1/4 c skim milk
1 1/2 t vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients until mix is of spreading consistency.  If the frosting is too thick, add more milk one drop at a time.  Be careful, it doesn't take much to over-thin the mix.   

This recipe yields 24 servings and each serving contains approx 180 calories and 3.9 grams of fat.  A perfect way to end your healthy-eating day.  

Enchilada Sauce - We're Not In Mexico Anymore

When Jon came home and told me that we were moving to Buenos Aires, my first question showcased my complete ignorance in the geography of South America when I asked, "Is it sort of near Mexico?". The answer, of course, is no, it's not. Argentina is actually extremely not close to Mexico - in more than just location. I'm pleased to report that I'm not the only person fuzzy on their south-of-the-border geography. (No one really learns about South America in school, right? I know I didn't.) Many times we're asked how the food in Argentina is, and generally people then expect to hear all about the wonderful Mexican fare. Nope. It's virtually impossible to find anything spicy, and an even greater feat to find good Mexican food. So, I had to expand my culinary comfort zone to encompass making my own enchilada sauce. This recipe come from my new favorite cookbook, The Low Fat Way to Cook, (and it's available from Amazon for under $2.00, total bargain of the year) and definitely beats the last recipe I used from Emeril Lagassi which cause both Jon and I to profusely sweat during the meal (insert Along Came Polly quote). I love to cook ahead and freeze extras, so I made a double batch of sauce, mas facil para mas tarde. Note: I cannot find chili powder at the stores in Argentina, this is one of my smuggle efforts from the US. If anyone knows where to find chili powder in Capital Federal, I'm all ears.

Enchilada Sauce
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 T. light margarine
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 c. water
1/2 tomato sauce or puree
1 T. chili powder
1 T. hot chili powder (I used "Hot Mexican Style" chili powder by McCormicks)
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. ground cumin

Directions:

Vampires beware

1. Coat a medium saucepan with cooking spray, then melt margarine over medium heat. Once melted, add minced garlic (the finer mince, the better) and sauté until tender.
   
2. Add flour, stirring until smooth, cook 1 minute. Note: I can never seem to get my flour to go smooth. I remedy this by using a whisk to stir the mixture later on, helping break up the inevitable lumps.
   
3. Combine water and remaining ingredients, then add to flour mixture, stirring constantly. Bring pan to a boil, then reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep that weird film from forming over the liquid. We are thick-sauce kind of people so I left the sauce to simmer a bit longer than 15 minutes - longer the simmer=thicker the sauce.
   
4. Here is where you would normally go on to make enchiladas. I wasn't in an enchilada mood, so I portioned the sauce into 3 containers to freeze for later use. Eazy peazy.

Jalapeño Poppers - Update!

My trip to Hoboken was an enormous success - a great weekend spent with some great friends. To update the Jalapeño Poppers post, they were a huge hit and were gone in minutes. We cooked them for about 20 minutes and there was a nice crispy "char" on the outside of most of the peppers by the time we pulled them off the grill. They were the perfect amount of spice, a good kick, but I could eat them comfortably without a jug of water.

My favorite part of the weekend was when Kristen, Jon and I successfully pulled off the surprise of the year; Jon coming up for the weekend and surprising Chip! We were super co-conspirators and managed to keep the visit a secret and get Jon into the apartment for the highest shock value possible. Since we were so sneaky, I didn't have my camera for the real surprise face that Chip had - which was priceless - but I was able to stage this dramatic reenactment so you can catch the general idea.

Jon vigorously waving from the elevator

Chip - in shock

Co-Conspirator High Five

No doubt, a good time was had by all. Jon and I now part ways until we both are back in Buenos Aires, where we will finally see a little of the cooler temperatures and winter months. Considering that we have been avoiding winter for the last year (inadvertently, we moved in the fall which is the beginning of spring in the southern hemisphere) it shouldn't be too bad. It was a great weekend though, we are so lucky that we were able to attend. Thank you Humkeys for an amazing weekend!!!

Jalapeño Poppers

This weekend I'm headed up to Hoboken, New Jersey to stay with some of our closest friends, Chip and Kristen for the weekend. They moved to Hoboken a few years ago, which allowed Jon and I to visit them for such events as Fake St. Patrick's Day 2007, Blue Jays vs. Yankees in the old stadium and Labor Day 2008. Basically, we don't need any real occasion to visit the Humkeys, we tend to create reasons since we have so much fun together. For this weekend, the big event is that they have recently become homeowners and are having a housewarming party - and I am lucky enough to be in the US during the party weekend (though this may not have been a complete coincidence…). I cannot wait to see their new place in person, although I've already seen some pictures and the place is beautiful. I am taking my favorite form of transportation, the Amtrak train, from Washington, DC to Newark and will be there in no time. For the occasion, I'm trying my hand at a new recipe that my mom swears by. Although I try to stick to the healthier menu items, this delicious dish is not on the calorie-counting list - but I promise that this is not my norm. So, introducing my first (the plan is that it's the first of many) recipe post!

Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients:
20 - 25 whole jalapeño peppers
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb. bacon
toothpicks (for securing the bacon around the peppers)

Directions:

1. Wash the jalapeño peppers, cut off stem end and remove seeds and ribs.

   

   Washed peppers

   Note: My mom has an amazing tool called a jalapeño corer. This is ideal, but any paring knife will do the trick. The seeds and ribs contain a lot of the pepper's heat, so the more thorough, the less spicy they will be. You also can slit the peppers down the long end to make this easier, but we decided to leave them whole this time around.
   
2. Mix cream cheese and spices, adjust spice level to taste.
3. Stuff peppers with cream cheese mixture. Note: We filled them by hand, which can be quite messy. Next time we will use a pastry piping bag which will certainly make this process much easier.
   
   

   

   Me filling peppers the hard way
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

4. Cook bacon for 2-3 minutes.

   

   Waiting for bacon

   Ideally the bacon will be slightly cooked, but still soft enough to wrap around the stuffed peppers. Note: If making ahead of time, you can skip this step, it just increases the cook time on the final product.
   

   
   

   
   

5. Wrap peppers with bacon. The bacon adds flavor and helps keep the cream cheese filling inside the pepper while they cook. Wrap the bacon most securely around any openings in the pepper and then secure with toothpick(s).
6. Cook stuffed peppers on the grill until the bacon is cooked throughout and the pepper is slightly soft.

Finished product, ready to grill!

The longer the peppers cook, the less spicy they will be. The peppers are good for up to 3 days after stuffing, but they must be kept refrigerated constantly. They are a great dish for tailgates, summer and winter grilling. The last time I had them was when my mom brought them down to Jon's parent's house for Christmas dinner. They were gone in minutes. We'll see how they fare at the housewarming party.