CookingDiva

I was lucky enough to have Sonia Belostotzky as my guide in Buenos Aires. She organized a very interesting tour of the most colorful Markets, bakeries, butcher shops and other locations just for foodies. Next time you visit the city of "Good Airs," Buenos Aires, send me a mail and I'll be happy to provide you her contact information.

Although Argentina is mostly known for the great wines and scrumptious meats, I would say their culture in its totality is an ongoing worshipness to all things edible. No doubt is the land of the gourmets, and the perfect place to explore, and learn.

Enjoy the photos!

Aren't these veggies gorgeous? Purple artichokes, asparagus, endives, onions, mushrooms. Ahhh!

The Fish stand.

Simply delicious, what a find! I was greately surprised when I found the little deli during our last day in Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay, just a few hours before we took the ferry back to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Exploring every inch of the cozy place, like a child would do in a candy store, I was in total state of bliss. Then, almost when my basket was close to the top, filled with all kinds of local spices, herbs, locally-made alfajores and marmalades...there I found the shiny, elegant stand that impecably showed off the delicious delicacy. I suddenly was in "smoked ostrich heaven."

So now you know where I've gotten this precious meat.

I have heard there is an ostrich farm here in Panama, somewhere in the countryside. One of these days I'll visit them, BUT, in the meantime...I've plenty. ;D

The basic recipe to prepare Ostrich Carpaccio could be found HERE. To add my personal touch I added some balsamic vinegar and served it with baby greens. If you are a Parmesan cheese lover like me, just add as much as you want.

From the Wine Tour - Discover New Wines:

Etchart Cafayate Cabernet Sauvignon (2004) - Etchart, Argentina

Here the traditional Calchaqui winery re-initiated by Pernod Ricard has reached an elevated mark in high-altitude Cabernet Sauvignon, a worthy legacy from Jose Luis Mounier for the house in which he worked for so long. With its overwhelming price-quality ratio, this great wine will help show the world that Argentina has other wonders besides Malbec and other optimal terroirs besides Cuyo. (Vineyards, Wineries & Wines of South America 2006 - 70 Top Wines)

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's noblest of grapes. You will find this red wine to have an aristochratic character, with such an intense perfume, and an essence with overtones of raspberry and other wild berries. Enjoy with hard cheeses, grilled steaks, and in this opportunity: Smoked Ostrich Carpaccio with baby greens.

Have an extra-tasty week!

Best,

Melissa

Tags: argentina, food blogs, cookingdiva, cooking, panama, recipes, food & drink, food, chef melissa

My dearest friend, Beau, from "BasicJuice" tagged me for a great meme: The Ten Buck Gem, and to tell you the truth I couldn't resist!It was a delicious coincidence that yesterday was the first day of the two day wine event at my favorite wine store in Panama City, Felipe Motta Wine Store. You can take a look at the invitation here. You would be amazed of how many great gems you could get for $10 or less here!

Just to make sure I was going to write about and cook something delicious with a wine that Beau had not reviewed, I went through her list of South American vinos, and was thrilled NOT to find the one I had in mind.

We chefs have the eye to find other chefs, so...the first person I recognized at the event was my friend and colleague Rafael Julio Ciniglio, from the "Vino Club" and Trattoria de America. I didn't purchase the $20 passport that allowed me to taste all the wines, ... because I was driving and had to cook lots once home. So I had to make sure I returned in one piece and with all the wine and specialty meats and dessert ingredients! BUT, we are planning to go back there today, purchase a $20 passport and enjoy!

I talked to many of the vendors from all over the world and specially had a long and educational conversation with Paula Hernandez, the On-trade Manager L.A. for Concha y Toro from beautiful Chile. Did you know they have a new line called TRIO? I tried them sometime ago when I first saw them at the shop, ...I am always after trying a new wine and better if it comes with a beautiful label.

So, yesterday I purchased one of each TRIO variety wines and finally decided to feature the Trio Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Cabernet Franc 15%, and Shiraz 15%. The price for each variety is $6.95 per bottle. Nice.

South America is one place I love, one of the reasons is because we share the same blood. Once we were part of the same -country-: La Gran Colombia (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama y Granada). Now, we are all over the place, but we still share the same blood and the love for food. That is why you sometimes find the same type of dishes with variations from north to south.

Today, the fantastic wine we are featuring is from Chile, a perfect member of the $10 buck gem society. So, in honor to the country of origin, I am preparing "Empanadas Chilenas" with chimichurri sauce from Argentina. Empanadas are perhaps, one of the dishes persistent in the diets of most of the South American countries, including Argentina, Chile, Brasil, Colombia and Panama. In every country you will find variations in the ingredients list of the filling and the method of cooking. Some of them are baked, others are fried. In general, "empanada" is a Spanish term meaning pie or turnover. It is used in referring to the final filled culinary creation. These flaky meat pies are a much loved snack. Although they can be filled with anything from fish to fruit, a meat filling is most common.

Why does this wine go perfectly with my empanadas?  Well, we needed a wine that could stand up to the body of this dish that consists of almost 90% seasoned meat. For this reason I recommend, the one TRIO with a solid structure to the palate, combining Cabernet Sauvignon and the Shiraz that has fruity touches blended magicaly with earthy aromas. Its smooth and ample tannins marry perfectly with the multiple tastes of the queen empanada.

Now, la receta deliciosa!

Empanadas Chilenas con Salsa Chimichurri

Prep. Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8-10 large empanadas
Ingredients for the dough (**See TIP below):

Place in a large bowl or food processor:

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix with a fork or pulse until combined. Then add:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces

  Cut the butter add shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If using the food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Then, drizzle over the top:

• 11-14 tablespoons ice water

  Mix gently with a fork until the flour mixture is dampened enough to gather into a ball. Shape into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 min.

  (**)TIP: To save time you can purchase "frozen pie crusts" and use it to make the empanadas dough. You can also use canned refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, or my favorite PUFF PASTRY dough. In any case follow directions to shape empanadas - below.

Ingredients for the filling: Heat in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

  Add:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

  Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in:

• 1 pound lean ground beef

  Cook until the beef is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in:

• 1 cup diced peeled potatoes
• 1 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins or chopped prunes (optional)
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 

  Cook covered, over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. ncover the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook briefly stirring constantly to evaporate any pan juices. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
  Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.

To Shape Empanadas:
Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly fluored surface. Make sure that is thin, it makes for a better empanadas. Cut 6 inch rounds from the dough (you'll have to re-roll the scraps to get the 10-12 rounds). The plastic top from a #3 coffee can makes a good cutter. Right away spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling onto one side of each round. Moisten the edges of the rounds with water, fold each round in half, and press the edges together to completely enclose the filling. Press the tines of a fork around the perimeter of the empanada to decoratively seal the edges. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Brush the following mixture over the tops of the empanadas:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• pinch of salt

  Bake until nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack and serve warm.
  ***If you're using canned refrigerated buttermilk biscuits: separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press or roll each to form 5" rounds. Spoon 3 slightly rounded tablespoons meat mixture in center of each round. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg. BAKE at 375 F for 11 to 16 minuts or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

  For the Chimichurri Sauce, whisk together throughly in a small bowl:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  Stir in:

• 1 small onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 4 cloves garlic, finelly chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste

  Cover and let stand fro 2-3 hours before serving to allow the flavors to mature.
  This sauce will keep for up to 2 days (covered and refrigerated).

Que lo disfruten!

Chef Melissa

Tags: wine, cookingdiva, empanadas, panama, chef