Argentine Sweets

[EJLarson]

Since we've added coffee to this thread ...

I'm a coffee fanatic - including buying a Breville home espresso machine and constantly searching for new, interesting varietals. So it was a challenge to find good beans for our french press here in BsAs. My great discovery was Establecimiento General de Cafe on Pueyrredon. First-rate products - locally-roasted Ethiopian, Sumatran, Kenyan, etc., somehow they continue to get imported beans in spite of current import policies. Very, very pricey, though. But so much better than the Brazilian and Colombian leftovers in Bonafide and Martínez. If you can accept the prices you'll get a superior product - and have a doble while you're there - superb.

 

[ElQueso]

I'm not much of an alcohol drinker, but I enjoy a good stout ale from time to time when I can get it, otherwise some of the dark house brews here are tolerable. I'm certainly not a teetotaler, but I found that as I passed 40, my body reacted in more dissatisfying ways to alcohol the following day (or mere hours later), as the effects of the biotic poison began to affect my mind and body with its withdrawal and subsequent consequences

I've tried Fernet, and it reminds me of an alcohol that used to be popular when I was younger: jagermeister. While the two have different tastes, they both seem to me to be over-amped cough syrups that have a horrible taste - even when mercifully diluted with Coke (at least in Fernet's case).

But that's just my opinion - I hope no one wants to come over and burn us out of our apartment for me having expressed my contrary opinion in a public forum!

As far as breads here - I'm not all that fond of cold, usually hard french bread myself. But I've found that medialunas with a thin coating of icing is a great substitute for doughnuts...

 

[Dada]

Jagermeister, absolutely! El Queso, you get it right, it absolutely is a cough sirup. In fact, that's when I'm most into fernet, when suffering from cough The main difference is that fernet is just herb bitter while Jagermeister is stomach-wreckingly sweet.

Bread - well, what they have here in supermarkets is overpriced machine-generated crap, same as in Europe, not worth a penny. When it comes to bread, and nothing else than bread, Germans do the best. Well, we are here. My best bet is a fat fella who sells Home-made bread at Defensa market every Sunday. 10 pesos for a loaf, almost as good as my mom's.

 

[diegoro]

The original topic was Argentine Sweets and then became a little of everything you can drink or eat, so here my contribution as a native:

Fernet: I don't like it very much. It seems to me just a cheap way to get drunk, and I guess that's why it became popular. I can drink a bottle of beer (5% alcohol) without visible side-effects, but I cannot say the same after a few glasses of Fernet (45% alcohol), even with Coke.

Medialunas: I like them, but I'm not a fanatic.
I really find it difficult to find good pastries/bakery in Bs. As.
I think that economic situation over the last ten years, have influence negatively in the quality of food in general. Many places had to resort to make smaller pieces and/or cut the quality of their products to survive.
When I was in San Diego (CA), I didn't miss medialunas at all, I had a delicious breakfast made of a fresh and warm slice of french bread, scrambled eggs, maple syrup and bacon, for about 10 dollars. I don't know where to have a breakfast like that here, but a blue-rate it will cost 150 $ pesos, which is a little too much for a standard local breakfast (Café con Leche y Medialunas).

Coffee: I personally like the one that is served at Café Martinez. For home, I bought ground coffe (no sugar added). Café Cabrales, Los 5 Hispanos, Martinez. etc.
The beverage -they call coffe- that is sold in vendor machines is just plain awful to me. We called that: "Jugo de Paragüas"

Mate: I drink it everyday, but only till afternoon. If I drink it at night I won't be able to sleep for hours.

Alfajores: Don't like them especially, too much sugar to me. I eat 3 or 4 "Havana de Nuez" a year. No more than that.

Pizza: I love Bs. As pizza in general, and perhaps (i'm embarrassed to say) especially the unhealthy kind, like the one at Las Cuartetas.
I would never say our pizza is the best, just that I like it. I eat pizza on fridays night at home. And perhaps two slices (al corte) at lunch every now and them.

Icecream: I could eat a kilo every day ... but i don't

Cousine:
Somebody said something about Peruviam cousine. I have to say, I do love it. I guest there are going to be better restaurants in Perú than here, but there are quite a few to give it a try (Sipan, Ceviche, La Rosa Nautica). I'm wishing to go to La Mar (from the same cheff that Astrid & Gastón, wonderful restaurant, but closed now.)

Sushi: I love Sushi. Many said that is expensive (I agreed, good quality sushi it is), and many say it is not that good also, well I can't debunk that, but I willing to hear recommendations of good sushi restaurants here or in your homeland.

Milanesas: Only like the ones my mom used to do. I'd never order milanesas at a restaurant.

Empanadas: I love the ones I cook myself, and I'm willing to share the recipe to anyone

Asado: I enjoy very much making an asado, perhaps much more than eating it. I usually spend +three hours in the process, listening music, drinking a good red wine. At the end, the grilling process is just an excuse to enjoy a sunday night (or day) in family. The cuts I like more are: Vacío (Flank Steak), Entraña (Skirt steak), Ojo de Bife (Ribeye), Bife de Chorizo (Sirloin Strip Steak), Tira de Asado (Short ribs), Costillas de Cerdo (Pork ribs), Matambrito de Cerdo (?).
I don'k eat any kind of offals/entrails (achuras), nor blood sausage (Morcilla).

Hope I didn't bore you with all this stuff.

 

[Girino]

Hope I didn't bore you with all this stuff.

Not at all! I am a fan of Las Cuartetas as well! For me, their muzzarela it's the best pizza in Buenos Aires Argie-style!

 

[EJLarson]

Asado: I enjoy very much making an asado, perhaps much more than eating it. I usually spend +three hours in the process, listening music, drinking a good red wine. At the end, the grilling process is just an excuse to enjoy a sunday night (or day) in family. The cuts I like more are: Vacío (Flank Steak), Entraña (Skirt steak), Ojo de Bife (Ribeye), Bife de Chorizo (Sirloin Strip Steak), Tira de Asado (Short ribs), Costillas de Cerdo (Pork ribs), Matambrito de Cerdo (?).
I don'k eat any kind of offals/entrails (achuras), nor blood sausage (Morcilla).

No problem: I'll bring the morcilla and molleja. What time should we arrive, again?

 

[diegoro]

No problem: I'll bring the morcilla and molleja. What time should we arrive, again?

Ja, ja. Nice try Ed.
But how can you expect to have an Asado in my house, bringing in exactly the two items I dislike most
Say you'll bring ingredients for "a picada", a bottle of good malbec, some icecream and then we can talk the details

 

[EJLarson]

Ja, ja. Nice try Ed.
But how can you expect to have an Asado in my house, bringing in exactly the two items I dislike most
Say you'll bring ingredients for "a picada", a bottle of good malbec, some icecream and then we can talk the details

Now we have the basis for negotiations. There's a chino near my place with one of the best wine selections I've seen, and the prices are reasonable. They have some fabulous Rutinis, and all the Catena family are there, too. But if it's helado you want - there's a sucursal of El Podio a half-block away, and it's dos kilos por el precio de uno every Tuesday! Now THAT should make up for the morcilla!

 

[diegoro]

Now we're talking .. but I have to say I can't really stand Morcilla, not even take a look at it.

1) If I forced to grill it -at gunpoint- I'll use a different fork, and different dishes, just to avoid the contamination with the other meat.
(My wife, instead of using a gun, will use another innovative technique to make me grill Morcilla, but i wouldn't recommend it to you

2) If I'm forced to eat it -at gunpoint- I prefer to died, plain and simple.

3) You are not saying anything about "Picada", we cannot resume communications without your word on this issue: Salami, Cheese, Ham, Bread, Olives ... (and please don't resort to the Chino for this

 

[Silvie]

Now we have the basis for negotiations. There's a chino near my place with one of the best wine selections I've seen, and the prices are reasonable. They have some fabulous Rutinis, and all the Catena family are there, too.

Is that chino on Avenida Asamblea?