From Argentina With Love

Ñoquis del 29--Gnocchi for the 29th

 

This is why we pinch pennies all year long, spend our limited vacation time from work to visit family on the other side of the planet instead of go to Disney World, and travel from Denver to Dallas to Santiago to Mendoza and then drive three hours to Bowen; transit time: about 24 hours each way.

It's so Esteban can make gnocchi with his abuela, and it's totally worth every sacrifice we make the other 364 days of the year.  Those moments are priceless to us.

On our last visit, we happened to be at my in-laws' house on the 29th--which Argentinaphiles will recognize as 'Ñoqui Day'--the day each month in Argentina that everyone eats gnocchi. 

Florencia, my mother-in-law, cooks in a humble kitchen--no high-tech gadgets (not even a microwave), the same pots and pans and dishes--featuring a ring of interlocking pink roses around the rim--they've always used.  It's not fancy or glamorous, (in fact, I'm always reminded of how well we can live while 'doing without') but the best tasting food is created in that kitchen.  Is love the secret ingredient? 

Maybe.  And a good measure of simplicity--wholesome ingredients, food mixed and made by hand, the recipes made from memory--from years of cooking every day.  But the essence of what makes the meals we eat at my inlaws' house taste so different--tastier--is conviviality--that spirit of sharing a meal--that we miss when we eat a breakfast burrito behind the wheel of our car.  What makes the meals we eat together so special is the time taken, with hands weathered alongside hands small, to make that meal.

And to sit down around the table--Ñoquis, a carafe of table wine, a siphon of seltzer, and literally break bread. 

There's a proverb in Argentina that goes "Panza llena, corazón contento." Or, 'a full belly makes a happy heart'--which to me encompasses just what it is to see my son rolling out gnocchi dough with his grandma, and then sit down, family style--to enjoy the delicious results.  My heart sings, and my belly is full.

 

Make some gnocchi on Sunday the 29th!  Following is the recipe I posted some time ago (at the link above) and here is a link to a recipe for both tomato and pesto sauce.  This recipe makes a plenty of gnocchi--enough for a group (we served 3 hungry men, plus myself last week and still had leftovers) or to freeze.  The freezing process will change the texture of the gnocchi slightly, it's a bit mushier.  The dough can also be frozen, defrosted and rolled out; if you do this, err on the side of less flour in the dough so you can add some more to firm up the texture when you are rolling it out.

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Ñoquis del 29

Gnocchi for the 29th

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.)

Almacen, Bowen--Bowen Corner Store

On our recent trip to Argentina, we spent several days in Bowen, my husband's tiny hometown in rural Mendoza.  A new corner store opened a couple of weeks ago, offering all kinds of meat for an asado, of course...

 

 ...several types of yerba, pasta, and basics like eggs, flour and boxed wine (for cooking things like pollo con papas)...

 

 ...The store has a really cool 'vintage' refrigerator that's still ticking after all this time.  These 'vintage' things are used out of necessity in Bowen, and not because it's hip.  I love that, because it's a blast into another era; things haven't changed there at all.  There's no need to reclaim these items, because they're still in use....

 

 And here are crates of fruits and vegetables from local producers, packed just as they came off the farms.... 

 
 

This little store has all the essentials--bread and beer.  The other side of the sign was advertising mondongo...Check out the old cars behind the sign!

Hope you've enjoyed your little journey into rural Argentina, and a typical little corner store...

From the Archives: Pastelitos del 25 de Mayo

 

A couple of years back, I wrote about the tradition of serving pastelitos on the 25th of May.  In that post, I wrote about how my husband, Guillermo, went door-to-door in his little town, selling the puffy little pastries in a sort of rural-Argentina version of the Girl Scouts.   He was trying to raise money to go on a class trip.

Today I bring you the recipe (slightly updated) from the archives for pastelitos, along with a photo from the family archives of Guillermo (the blondie on the left) with his brother Marcos in these rockin' matching applique doggie pantsuits.  I estimate Guillermo to be around seven in this picture--would you have said 'no' if this adorable kid came to your door selling pastries? 

I would have bought two dozen--especially if he had been wearing this outfit!

Today, though the pantsuit is long gone, the tradition of eating pastelitos lives on.  They are simple to make, but they won't last long--the proof being that Guillermo stood around while I was making them asking "Which one is ugly?"

These 'ugly' ones being the rejects that would be styled out of the photo.  He knows he has to wait until 'the blog stuff' is done before he digs in.  Ugly or not--quince filled fried pastry?  Yes, please!

Here, in the photo below, are all the 'pretty' pastelitos.  The not so pretty (though just as tasty) ones are--like the pantsuits and the days of selling pastelitos--are but  a memory.

Next week, in honor of the Argentineans declaring independence (though it took a number of years to achieve it), why not whip up a dozen pastelitos and take your own trip down memory lane?

 

Pastelitos del 25 de mayo

Pastries For May 25th

These pastries are served on May 25, the Constitution Day in Argentina, though they are a popular treat at other times of the year, as well.  Serve as a snack or dessert, or for breakfast with cafe con leche.

1 package La Salteña tapas for Pastelitos, or 24 small squares of puff pastry (the size of square won-ton wrappers) or 24 won-ton wrappers (which don't have the same yummy puff-pastry effect, but get the job done!)

6 0z. quince paste (available at Whole Foods or at most Latin Markets, also called Dulce de Membrillo)

vegetable oil, for frying

small cup of water, for sealing the edges

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

sprinkles for cake decorating

Lay out several  tapas on the counter.  Cut the quince paste into small cubes, about 1/2 inch dice.  Place a square of quince paste in the center of each tapa.  Moisten the area around  the quince paste and also the edges around the square with water using your fingertip.  Take a second pastry square and place it over the first one, press lightly around the quince to create a seal and then around the edges of the square, sealing again.  Take the two diagonal corners over the index finger of each hand and meet them in the center, making a boat shape.  Repeat with the other two corners.  The result is all four corners neatly meeting in the center, much like a wonton.

Heat 3/4 inch of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Place four of the pastelitos  in, letting the oil bubble, for a couple of minutes each side, until the shell has turned golden brown.  Using tongs, turn the pastries until each side is equally golden.  Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the sugar and the water until the sugar has dissolved.  Raise the heat to high and bring the 'almibar' to a boil.  Let thicken slightly, but not brown.  Remove from heat.  Using a spoon, drizzle the syrup over the top of the pastelitos and then sprinkle with colored sprinkles.

Almacen del Sur

Almacen del Sur is one of Mendoza's hidden gems--where better to spend a sunny fall afternoon in between stops on the wine route?  One can rent a bicycle or go on horseback from winery to winery, making the nearby 'delicatessen' the perfect stop-off for a mid-day meal.

'Almacen' is a word used to describe an old-fashioned general or corner store, though there's nothing resembling your typical convenience store at Almacen del Sur.  Housed on an old estate that was originally built in 1888 (entry gates, above) is a beautifully restored casona (big house), a stunning flower garden, and several acres of organic farmland used to produce the vegetables that become the Almacen's delectable savories, spreads and sweets.

Below, a bushel of organic eggplants harvested from the farm.

The fields and orchards produce eggplant, squash, tomatoes, piquillo peppers (an in-house speciality), figs, olives, and quince, among other things, which are converted into jars of goodies like olive spread, green tomato chutney, or quinces in malbec.  (Full menu available on the Almacen del Sur website)

Below, the fields--(piquillo pepper and zucchini, I think) ready for harvest.

Closer to the casona is a carefully tended flower garden, full of fragrant roses (to make into rose petal jam), lavender and fig trees.  The garden has an English feel to it, and right in the middle of Maipu, one is transported to the regal elegance of a bygone era.

Under a wisteria-blanketed patio, lunch is served--overlooking this little Eden.

The casona itself was restored with every attention to detail, the most perfect historic elements left intact, other elements modernized.  (Below, an entryway. More photos are available on their website--under 'about us/the casona')  The facility is available for private events and parties like weddings--the rambling house and gardens would be the perfect setting for a stylish reception.

The patio, enclosed by the curling iron work so representative of Argentina's golden age offers a gateway between the elegance of the estate and the rustic life outside--and still affords a lovely view of the foothills of the Andes.

One can always retreat into the cool of the dining room to escape the afternoon sun. While there, enjoy a sampling of the Almacen's treats that are made in-house, (the factory where the preserves are handmade is in a small building behind the casona) or an organic wine tour lunch.

 

And to finalize your visit at Almacen del Sur, be sure to take home as many jars of the good stuff as you can fit in your pack.  We brought home some of the piquillo pepper spread, and opened it on a dreary day in March in Colorado, one of those days when the end of winter is just around the corner and yet it seems like the warmth of spring will never materialize.

The sound of the jar's seal cracking open was like a ray of sunshine preserved from that bucolic afternoon so far away in Maipu.  Inside, the tastes of Mendoza's late harvest sun awaited us, bringing back the memories of the charming treasure that is Almacen del Sur.