CookingDiva

I know, I know, I have been bad. I went on vacation and I didn't even mention where was I going, right?  The good part is that although you didn't know about this trip, the Wine Tour to Argentina and Uruguay, I have been gathering great information, photography and videos that you will just love. I'll keep you posted.

During my stay in Buenos Aires, I had the fantastic opportunity to meet SaltShaker, the only food and wine blogger in Buenos Aires I know. I have been following his blog since the beginning of the year, so it was a surprise when he talked about his travels to Uruguay and the reviews he made on the top wineries. Coincidentally I will be visiting most of them during this trip too. How exiting!

I will write more later about my meeting with Dan Perlman, the talented writer and chef behind SaltShaker. For now, I invite you to visit his blog and Casa SaltShaker's website (his restaurant) for great info, menus and fotos. If you are in the area, give him a call to schedule a visit...you won't regret it.

Have a delicious day!

Melissa

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

The confession: The popping noise gives me goose bumps. I have always loved wine, but now The Enthusiast woke up and life would never be the same. Being passionate about the world of wine makes my mission in life to search and purchase wine to enjoy with family and friends. If this requires traveling the world, then so be it.

Nothing gets my juices going like a wine tour in the most exotic of places, wearing, of course a t-shirt that proclaims me as the "Wine Diva." Nevertheless I am not afraid any more to spit and criticize or swirl and admire as a wine demands.

Now, I am finally back home from the Wine Tour.

I missed you very much, but have to admit the Wine Tour was an unique and espectacular opportunity to explore my beloved Argentina and Uruguay in a new way. Loved to argue over a chardonnay and found the romance of corks irresistible.

Andres Rosberg, a fine gentleman that happens to be the President of the Argentinian Association of Sommeliers, traveled with our small group trough the top vineyards of his country and Uruguay. Winery after winery, I lost track of how many wines we tasted, but I sure remember the places we visited:

First, Cafayate in the Salta province. There we stayed at the Cafayate Wine Resort.  We visited Bodega El Esteco, and later we went to Bodega Laborum and vineyard. We had lunch at the home of the Laborum owner, Marcelo Romero, who is the brother of the governor of the province.

October 8 was the perfect day to visit the Domingo Hermanos Winery. It was sunny with a refreshing breeze that accompany us through our journey. Thirty minutes away was the San Pedro de Yacochuya winery waiting for us. The delicious lunch was as good as their wine.

Then, Mendoza. What an unique place. We stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel, and to tell you the truth I could NOT resist the temptation to nurture my wine-loving body with one of their beauty treatments with wine. Oh my! It was quite sticky, but I loved every second of it. Ahhh...

Tomorrow I will write about the places we visited in Mendoza, including a great video featuring "the making of empanadas in a rustic oven made of mud." Stay Tuned!

Now, I leave you with a link to Asado Argentina, a very nice blog on Argentinian Asado. They have an array of recipes and tips to cook the perfect asado and side dishes to accompany such a delicacy.

AND, if you are in the mood for some Argentinian Empanadas and Chimichurri Sauce, check out this scrumptious recipe. You WON'T regret it.

Have a tasty afternoon!

Melissa

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

We've got a treat for you today! The first video was taken at the San Pedro de Yacochuya Winery in Cafayate, Salta, Argentina. I have written a little about this fantastic winery and you are invited to learn about it HERE. Our hostess, Ma. Cecilia de Etchart, is an extra charming wonder woman. Not only does she takes care of the PR of this winery, traditionally known for the excellence of its wines. She also is the mother of two beautiful babies.

The empanadas prepared in this mud oven were part of the delicious lunch we enjoyed at the Etchart family house. They were not only yummy, but beautiful and so fragrant.  I Do not even recall how many I had! LOL!

The second bonus video was taken when we were in our way to visit the Iguazu Falls (Cataratas del Iguazu), in Argentina. The video is an aerial view from our plane. If this doesn't seduce you to go to this beautiful country, I do not know what would do it. Well, anyhow...I'll keep trying.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chef M

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

I lived some of the best days of my tasty life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. That is what keeps me going back there year after year to explore the culture and the magical wine country.

For reference, please visit:

• Places to Visit in Buenos Aires: The Butcher Shop
• A Tasty Video From Argentina: Making Empanadas 
• Places to Visit in Buenos Aires: Belgrano Market
• Still Kickin´- Divine Wine From South America

Sometime ago I discovered Cooking (Latin American Cuisine in Buenos Aires) with Teresita, a top class cooking tours service in Buenos Aires. For me, there is nothing more inspiring than a person that is willing to share the knowledge and experience treasured all of her life.

This is the reason why today we are featuring Teresita and what she has to offer in Buenos Aires. We invite you to put Argentina high on your "places to visit" list and enjoy the wonders of this beautiful South American Country.

Welcome to the two different worlds of cuisine in Argentina. On one hand, there is the urban cuisine, highly influenced by international recipes and cooking trends, reflecting Argentina's importance in global society. Second, there is the rural cuisine that draws inspiration from the indigenous cultures in the north of Argentina. In the last case, an interesting social phenomena is happening as we speak.

Porteños, people from the city of Buenos Aires, have adopted only in recent years some indigenous techniques into the new world of Argentine cuisine. Today, we can observe the typical Argentinian empanadas being sprinkle with sugar which is a special costume used in Tucuman, a province in the north of Argentina. Frying empanadas with lard has also been adopted by some of the well-known chefs in Buenos Aires. Lard has been a tradition in empanadas making techniques in Misiones, another province in the north bordering with Paraguay and Brazil. While there are many other indigenous food preparation of Argentine traditional foods, it seems that young Argentineans chefs are adopting them slowly making sure that is a reflection of recycling innovation and not lack of contemporary cuisine knowledge.

Recipe covered at one of Teresita's classes:

Crust for baked Empanadas Argentinas
Ingredients
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup of Salmuera (brine). Prepare a concoction with dissolved salt in hot water and left aside until cold.
4 ounces of butter or margarine

Crust for fried Empanadas Argentinas

Ingredients
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 teaspoon of corn oil
1 egg
1 cup of boiling water

Preparation
To make the crust, place the flour into a bowl and mix the butter into the flour using your fingers. Pour the Salmuera slowly into the mix and mix it with your fingers just until the dough comes together and can be formed easily into a ball. Let the dough rest (outside the fridge) for about half an hour. Divide the dough in small balls the size of half an egg. Then roll with a roller pin out to a thickness of 1/8-inch making a rounded shape.