From Argentina With Love

Tortas Fritas--Rainy Day Fried Bread

 

This morning as I bustled around getting ready to take Esteban to preschool, the wind was blowing but the sun was shining; an autumn chill was in the air.  On our drive, the weather was a bizarre mix that defines Colorado's typically atypical seasonal weather--bright morning sun in the East, and a wall of black clouds looming on the horizon.  Miraculously, a bright rainbow was seen, too, and it seemed to lead right to our son's preschool--the thought of his teachers 'bringing' the rainbow to school just delighted him.  After drop-off, I lingered to talk to another mom and coo over her new baby, and by the time I left ten minutes later, the weather had completely changed.  It was now a despicable, blustery mess.

We have an expression in Colorado:  "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute!"  It sums up our mercurial climate perfectly, since things here can change in a heartbeat.  I dashed to my car.  The wind was whipping fiercely, gold leaves skittered sideways across the road, and icy rain pelted my windshield.  I only had one thought as I raced home.

 

Torta de Ochenta Golpes--'Eighty Punches' Cake

 

Today I bring you a wonderful guest post from my friend Katie Alley, a  fellow blogger who followed her Argentine sweetheart home to Necochea, Argentina, where she now works as a translator and authors Seashells &  Sunflowers, the fabulous and often hilarious blog about her life as an expat.  Find more of her photos, including her 365 series on flickr, katiealley.

 

Although the impact of Spanish and Italian immigration on Argentina’s customs, language and foods is often cited, German immigrants have also contributed in a significant way to Argentine culture. Armed with a strong baking tradition, new German arrivals introduced a number of cakes and pastries to the Argentine culinary repertoire, one of which is Torta de Ochenta Golpes.

Pionono de Dulce de Leche--Caramel Jelly Roll

You know if you're a parent that moment when your toddler is quiet, and you allow yourself a momentary  mental sigh of relief.  And then, you think, wait--it's too quiet, and discover them in the bathroom, an entire roll of toilet paper unraveled around them, or the in the kitchen with the bubbles from the dish soap overflowing all over the kitchen floor, or all of your makeup taken out and spread all over the place.  (Not that this has happened to me,  ummm, I'm just saying!)

Clafoutis de Ciruela--Plum Clafoutis

My mother-in-law has never made Plum Clafoutis, which is amazing considering that she has spent more than half the year for the past forty years surrounded by plums of some kind.  They are the main crop grown on my in-laws' farm--acre after acre of Italian Plums.  This recipe is for her, since the growing season in Argentina is right around the corner.  (Even though the plums picked right off the tree are so sweet and fresh, they need no recipe to be enjoyed!)

Pionono--Argentinean Cake Roll

 

The first time I had pionono, I had a hard time even pronouncing it, let alone figuring out how to make it.  We were at a typical Argentinean-style gathering; meaning people arrive sometime in the early afternoon (the invite said 12 o'clock) and stay until around 10 or 11pm, with food being served in continuous rolling rotations.  It's an amazing, tiring marathon of talking and eating and kids playing, and more eating and talking.

The piononoserved at the party was filled with salmon, cheese, hard-boiled egg, and sliced green olives, and I kept asking "But what's IN it? " (It seemed every bite was a new taste sensation!)  And then I would ask  "But how do you MAKE it?"  (Curious, curious--I had to know all about it!)

Alas, no one wanted to have an gastro-anthropological discussion with me about pionono.  (Maybe they were thinking "You know, Guillermo's wife may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer...")  It takes patience to introduce all those little cultural details to someone with voracious curiosity, like myself.  Such is the life of a cross-cultural matrimonio.

But (and it's been a few years since that party) I've  finally gotten to the bottom of the mystery of pionono!

It seems that pionono (besides just being really fun to say) has its origins in Spain--their version is a sweet, syrupy column, whereas the South American version is a cakey roll filled with all sorts of things.   An Argentinean pionono starts with a base that is very similar to a jelly roll--sweet and cake-like.  It can then be filled with either sweet or savory things.  Sweet fillings:  a generous layer of dulce de leche (of course) or crema chantilly (whipped cream) and chopped fresh fruit--strawberries, peaches, kiwi, banana... you get the idea.

But with the savory pionono filling, a whole new world of possibilities opens up!  It can be anything you dream of putting on a sandwich.  The roll part is still sweet, so there's a sweet/savory thing going on--in Argentina they call it agri-dulce.  You could fill the pionono with tuna, salmon, (smoked salmon would be good, too) turkey, ham, or cheese (my sister-in-law, Marisol, does a rockin' version with cream cheese and Roquefort). 

For this version, I chose a completely classic Argentinean filling, and layered on ham, cheese, roasted red pepper slices, hard-boiled egg slices, and sliced green olives.  But you could really get creative and fill it with just about anything.  (In fact, do that, and then send me your ideas, so I can try them, too!) 

Pionono is surprisingly easy, once you do it.  It takes 10 minutes of mixing and 6 minutes of baking, then a few minutes to fill, slice, and put on a plate.  Kids will love putting in their own filling (but will need some assistence with the rolling and cutting), and it's perfect as an appetizer a party, a picnic or school lunch, or as a quick mid-week meal.  I can't say enough good things, I'm hooked--and I think you you will be, too!

Step-By-Step Photos (plus a few more) posted on my flickr photostream, From Argentina With Love.

Twitter:  RebeccaCaro, (there's also a Fans of From Argentina With Love page on facebook--join us, please!)

Pionono

Pionono (Jelly Roll)

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 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.  Place in the oven for 6 minutes.

Wet a cotton (not terry-cloth) towel and put it flat 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 wet 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.  Fill as below or as desired.  Roll carefully (too long on the wet towel is not good) and slice.  Arrange on a plate to serve.

Filling:

2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and sliced

1/4 lb sliced ham (whichever kind you like best)

1/4 lb sliced mozzarella cheese

several green olives, sliced

2 roasted red peppers, sliced

Lay slices of ham across pionono.  Layer cheese on the top.  Layer red peppers, hard-boiled egg slices, and green olive slices.  Starting at one end, carefully start rolling the pionono up, until you get a large roll.  Slice cross-wise, and arrange on a plate to serve.