From Argentina With Love

Tour of an Argentinean Grocery Store

A lot can be gleaned from a visit to the local grocer when traveling.  I think it's one of the most fascinating looks at a different culture--a peek into the pantries of the people.  Food is a great connector--sharing something across the table creating bonds, sustaining people, perpetuating culture.

So what are the people of Argentina eating?

Fernet--along with other favorite mixers, like old-fashioned classics, Hesperidina and Legui...

Lots of red wine, naturally, sometimes cut with seltzer or soda water from a siphon bottle--collectors like the old-fashioned version, while the updated version is below...

Yerba Mate is the 'national drink' in Argentina, and also popular in neighboring Uruguay.  While Yerba refers to the leaf of this grassy, strong tea, Mate refers to the gourd it is prepared in and drunk from.  The tradition of drinking mate with a group of friends is still going strong in non-urban areas--sharing the gourd by passing it from friend to friend is a way to share friendship and time together.  Alone, drinking mate is a quiet time of reflection.

Plenty of choices for every preference--con palo or sin palo, (with or without stems) infused with orange, lemon or mint...an entire aisle of yerba!

 Pre-packaged pastries for every gusto-- from palmeritas to alfajores to coconut macaroons...

...even pre-made pionono cake rolls, ready to be filled with fillings both savory and sweet, a quick version of the homemade favorite.  Several of them can be layered like a layer cake, with fillings like crema chantilly and cut strawberries, or dulce de leche...it's called bizcochuelo.

And speaking of dulce de leche--if you're not inclined to make your own at home, and want to skip the laborious and time consuming task of doing so, there's a rather large display and selection of pre-made dulce de leche at your disposal...made to be eaten in pastries, on toast, with sliced bananas, in cakes, in alfajores, over sliced peaches, or, if you're four years old, off of the finger you stuck right into the container...

Conclusion?  A peep in at the shopping habits of Argentineans, from Fernet to Dulce de Leche--hope you've enjoyed a look at some of the classics!

Cervezeria Jerome--Jerome Brewery

 

On our recent trip to Argentina, we took a day trip to the Andes with friends--headed to Potrerillos, a little town in the foothills of the Andes populated mostly by the weekend and summer homes of Mendocinos, businesses who attract tourists (horseback riding and rafting) and home to one stellar family-owned brewery called Jerome. (Above, the road to Potrerillos and the Andes mountain range.)

Cervezeria Jerome has a wonderful story, which I wrote about for DRAFT magazine in 2009. The brewery was started by Eduardo Maccari Sr. (read the whole history in the link), who learned to brew Belgian-style beer while abroad in Europe, and returned to Argentina to begin brewing his own beer. He was the leader of the Mendoza Slow Food movement, and he stayed true to his belief in quality food and drink, made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients in both the brewery and its companion brew pub. Everything is made from scratch on the premises, according to the season, and is meant to pair with one of their five beers. (Below, the specials from the menu on the perfect crisp yet sunny fall day we visited Jerome.)

Eduardo Sr.died in February, but not before passing the reins to his son, Eduardo Jr., who, as a master craft brewer, carries on in his footsteps. The whole family takes part in running the restaurant part of the business, which has about five or six tables, all packed on the day we visited. They also have a couple of rustic guest houses (which as Eduardo jokes, are for guests who sample a few too many of Jerome's award-winning beers), and they've recently expanded the patio as a beer garden overlooking an Andean canyon.

As your reward for making the drive from Mendoza, you'll be welcomed with a cold, sudsy glass of Jerome's beer...which also happened to take the top honor in the Special Beers category in May at the South Beer Cup in Buenos Aires.

You can also enjoy a filling and hearty plate of homemade sausage and sauerkraut (accompanied by the best homemade mustard I've ever tasted--made with Jerome's Rubio beer, it nails the sweet/spicy/beery blend of great mustard perfectly. Where to find it? Eduardo's mamá makes it in house. I've asked for the recipe, but I think it's top-secret.) There are lots of other delicious homemade meals to choose from, including an incredible 7-layer german chocolate cake made with dulce de leche. (I had that, too, but I shared!)

The Maccaris have become friends, and I was so glad to make the trip back to Jerome this year to visit Eduardo Jr. and see the changes at the brewery. (Below, left to right, Eduardo, Bruce and Linda Warner, my husband Guillermo, and our son Esteban) They plan on expanding--opening a bistro pub in Mendoza later this year! But a visit to the brewery itself is also well worth the drive. It makes a nice break from the wine circuit, and a respite to breathe some fresh mountain air. Hours and contact info are available on their website, www.cervezajerome.com, and they also have a facebook page: Cerveza Jerome. The beer is available in some locations outside of Argentina, email them for those locations!

I hope you pay them a visit on your next trip to Mendoza--between the beer, the food, the place and the company, it adds up to just about the perfect day.

Cerveza Jerome:

Altos Manantiales, El Salto, Petrerillos, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina (mailing address)

Phone: 0054-2624-483039

Email: info@cervezajerome.com

Brewpub and brewery open everyday.

Cafe Las Violetas, Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is gritty, loud, busy--everything a big city should be. But it's overwhelming for the newcomer, and while its world-class offerings parallel a city like New York, Buenos Aires goes on and on--unlike the Big Apple, which can be taken in bite-sized chunks because it's contained on an island.

Buenos Aires sprawls on forever. The quickest way to cross town is using the subte a.k.a. the subway. With the traffic, the crowds, the speed of the city, and by the time you arrive at your destination, a person is liable to feel depleted, dirty, and cranky. Which is pretty much how I felt when we trekked across town, on foot and by subte, to Las Violetas.

Enter the oasis of this refined and elegant--if a little faded--cafe. At 125 years old, it's a relic of Argentina's golden age--a Belle Epoque that rivaled that of Paris (the city it is so often compared to), a time when the nation of Argentina was new, powerful, and full of hope.

The story goes that then president Carlos Pelligrini, dressed in a top hat, attended the inauguration of the magnificent space--a place where ladies and gentleman could take tea, or coffee, along with sandwiches and a fancy cake, in peace from the hustle of the outside world.

Today, what's left of that elegance is seen in the waiters in their white jackets, silently whisking from table to table with curt, if resigned, efficiency. The glorious stained glass windows, of curling flowers and women in gardens that transport a visitor to another era (the Las Violetas website has a very nice gallery of the restored restaurant's finer points). And the pastries. Oh, the pastries...

Palmiers, some made into a type of alfajor with dulce de leche sandwiched in between. Little apple galettes covered in apricot glaze. Alfajores stuffed to bursting with dulce de leche, edges rolled in delicate flakes of coconut. Palm-sized Pasta Frolas, Bizcochuelo cakes dripping in chocolate ganache, Napoleons...enough to make even the most prudent among us crave a decadent treat.

And then there are the chocolates, a selection of truffles like a cache of jewels, packaged with a neatly tied ribbon or a special 'Las Violetas' souvenir tin, waiting to arrive in the hands of a sweetheart.

We sat alongside gentlemen on their lunches and elderly ladies taking tea, neatly dressed in cashmere sweaters and pearls, a group of women celebrating a birthday. And all of us, enclosed in a stained-glass globe of chocolate and pastry cream--taking a respite from the harried frenzy on the other side of the glass.

An hour or so later, after tea, pastries, and some tiny chocolate heart-shaped cookies we emerged, feeling human again--refreshed enough to face the big bad city--and its subte--all over again.

Cafe Las Violetas

www.lasvioletas.com

Avenida Rivadavia 3899
Buenos Aires, Argentina
(0)11 4958 7387

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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...

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.