From Argentina With Love

Laura Catena's Vino Argentino

In 2009, when I met Peter Perez of Chronicle Books at the IACP conference he told me that Laura Catena was writing a guidebook to Argentinean wines and wine regions, to be published by Chronicle in 2010.  Guidebook is an understatement--Bible of Argentine Wine is a more accurate description--and the wait is finally over!

If you're not familiar with Laura Catena, you'll get a good idea with the video above.  It's a lovely introduction to not just Ms. Catena, but also to her book, Vino Argentino.  Catena herself inspires me and leaves me in awe.  Daughter of Nicolas Catena, owner of the Catena wine empire, Laura herself was educated at Harvard and Stanford and later became an ER doctor in San Francisco.  She's also the mother of three, and when she decided to direct her attentions to wine, she started Luca, her own winery, the fruit of her labor for her life's passion--wine. (A side note--Nicolas Catena is to Argentina what Robert Mondavi is to wine-making in the US--he's credited for pioneering high-quality, exportable, and regulated wines.)

Q & A With Te Extraño Director Fabian Hofman



Last week I had the chance to pose a few questions to Argentinean director Fabián Hofman, who's poignant film, Te Extraño, will screen at the 2010 Starz Denver Film Festival.  The film follows two brothers, adolescent Javier and his older, politically involved brother, Adrian.  Based on Hofman's real life story during Argentina's military dictatorship of the 1970s, the plot takes a turn when Adrian, like 30,000 others during the 'Dirty War', disappears.

A special thanks to Sr. Hofman for agreeing to this interview.  (Follows in Spanish)

 

What to Eat While Watching an Argentinean Film

Perhaps as you read this you may be wondering what the three Argentinean films (plus one American film about soccer) have to do with a blog about Argentinean recipes.

I mentioned in my previous post that I did some work for the Starz Denver Film Festival this year, screening films and writing program notes.  But beyond that, I find that watching films are a wonderful way to learn about culture, language and even the thoughts and mannerisms of a country's people.  I was lucky enough to get to watch a number of wonderful independent films this fall, so I urge you, even if you don't reside in Denver, to check out the lineup on the SDFF's website.  (And that goes for films from any culture--the festival's featured country this year is Iran, which has produced some unforgettable entries that are included in this year's festival!)

Te Extraño (I Miss You) at the 33rd Annual Denver International Film Festival

 

 

This fall I was lucky enough to have the chance to work with the 33rd Annual Starz Denver Film Festival, doing some screening and writing.  Not only did I get to watch some amazing independent and foreign films, and then write about them, but the film festival itself is one big party--full of food, film and fun.

At this year's festival, they combining two of my favorite things--wine and cinema!  Five films have been paired with wines from their respective countries of production; tastings will follow the screenings in the Argonaut Wine & Liquor Filmmaker Lounge. 

 
 
 
On Saturday, November 13 at 2:00pm, there will be a screening of the beautiful, poignant film Te Extraño (I Miss You), based on real-life events in director Fabian Hofman's life during the Dirty War of the 1970s.  Afterwards, enjoy a tasting of Argentinean wines.  For more details, (and to read more about the film) see the Starz Denver Film Festival website. 

(There are two other Argentinean films, Carancho and Puzzle in the festival this year, but more about those in my next post!)

I will be attending the Te Extraño screening and Wine-Tasting Event on Saturday, November 13th at 2:00pm, along with members of the Casa Argentina of Denver.  After the screening, there will be an Argentinean wine tasting, courtesy of Argonaut Wine and Liquor. There are a limited number of tickets for this event, get yours today, they will sell out!

Don't miss it--and I hope to see you there!

Empanadas de Jamon y Queso--Ham & Cheese Empanadas

It's been a long while since I've created any video, and making a quick Ham and Cheese Empanada video seemed like it would be useful.  As always, using the pre-made tapas or discos (available in most Latin stores) for empanadas make these into almost fast food!  The assembly is simple and something kids would enjoy doing.  The empanadas can be sealed using a fork, or the repulgue technique in the video for Empanadas Mendocinas, (link below) or the pinch and twist sealing technique introduced in this video!   May you enjoy the video, perfect the technique, and make lots of delicious empanadas.  Recipe follows.

 

Empanadas de Jamon y Queso

Ham & Cheese Empanadas

1 package pre-made empanada shells or one batch of homemade dough

several slices of ham of your choices, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used proscuitto)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

4oz. fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced into cubes

1 egg, beaten, for painting empanadas

a bit of water, for sealing the edges of the empanada

Lightly floured cookie sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lay the empanada shells out on the counter assembly-line style.  Into the center of each shell, place a bit of the shredded Mozzarella, a few pieces of ham, and a couple of cubes of the fresh Mozzarella.  Wet the edges of the empanada round with water on your finger.  Pick up the edges of the empanada and bring them together, sealing them by pressing together.  Seal using either the repulgue on the counter, a fork, or the pinch-twist repulgue method.

Place sealed empanadas on a floured cookie sheet, brush with beaten egg, and put in the oven, baking for 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden.

Relevant posts: Empanadas Mendocinas (Repulgue technique video) Yerba Mate Video, any of the empanadas in the Empanada category

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