things inexperienced Americans can cook

[angieinba]

awesome!
do you happen to have the address? i am in belgrano so i'm sure it's not too far from me. THANK YOU!

You can order wonderful free range turkey from the Belgrano Market...company is: "La Granja" ...they deliver too! Phone is 4781-1243.
I order their whole chicken, BEST large brown eggs, and their chicken suprema....prices are good for the fantastic quality! I have yet to taste a better chicken than from this place...and I am picky!!!
My husband does do the calling as they don't speak English....if you order a whole chicken be sure to ask for the head and feet cut off...we have gotten that a couple of times...

 

[EvergreenGal]

Well I dug through my receipts and here is the address ....

La Granja
de Ricardo Atapuerca
Juramento 2527 - Local 33
Capital Federal
4781-1243

They are located inside the Belgrano enclosed market....in the back corner next to the rear door that leads to the parking lot....

The last order I got the eggs were 10 pesos a dozen and worth every penny HUGE brown eggs with a yolk so orange! The whole chicken was 12.80 a kilo...and the supremas were 21.80 a kilo....on the supremas they still have the "chicken tenders" attached, so I remove those and do another meal with those..

If I remember right the chicken are from Cordoba...raised on a farm...

***also as you come in the main door off the street there's a fantastic cheese shop to your left...the meats they have are wonderful too!

note that they do close mid day....maybe 2-4 ....just don't remember....

 

[angieinba]

fantastic!!
MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!

Well I dug through my receipts and here is the address ....

La Granja
de Ricardo Atapuerca
Juramento 2527 - Local 33
Capital Federal
4781-1243

They are located inside the Belgrano enclosed market....in the back corner next to the rear door that leads to the parking lot....

The last order I got the eggs were 10 pesos a dozen and worth every penny HUGE brown eggs with a yolk so orange! The whole chicken was 12.80 a kilo...and the supremas were 21.80 a kilo....on the supremas they still have the "chicken tenders" attached, so I remove those and do another meal with those..

If I remember right the chicken are from Cordoba...raised on a farm...

***also as you come in the main door off the street there's a fantastic cheese shop to your left...the meats they have are wonderful too!

note that they do close mid day....maybe 2-4 ....just don't remember....

 

[mini]

That sounds good. I do enjoy cooking. The thing that throws me off is that things come in different kinds of containers and have unfamiliar names, and my kitchen is really small. I like making soup, pasta, chicken or turkey sauteed in something or other as long as I don't burn them. Really easy things.

Ok fun!! Just give me a couple of weeks to get into our apartment. We are still waiting for it to be finished. Then we can cook! Otherwise, we'll have to go to your place. I can help you shop. It'll be fun.

(did I say "fun" too many times??? )

 

[EvergreenGal]

Gals....be careful of the frozen turkeys in the stores..I have heard that they are not the same as what we are used to in the states....cured in salt.

Buy the fresh from the farm that I suggested in the above post ...worth the extra cost, maybe more...maybe not, for the quality you will get!!

 

[jefden]

It occurs to me that perhaps you were looking for a few easier options... every grocery store sells powdered soups and they actually aren't that bad. I particularly like the minestrone. I often add noodles or beans to these soups to make them a bit heartier. Also, most grocery stores have a prepared foods section where you can buy all kinds of food from roast chicken to empanadas to cold dishes and salads (lettuce-free) and on and on.

Finally, with the hot weather here to stay a few months, consider cold vegetable salads, very easy to make: just chop up your favorites (cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, celery, carrots, etc) and dress them with balsamic vinagrette and olive oil, plus spices to your liking (as basic as salt and pepper; any dried green herbs; or even curry or cumin). To make these more like a meal you can add cooked lentils (very easy, just cook and cool first), any kind of bean, or cooked and cooled pasta like tortellini or macaroni. Tastes better after a day or two in the fridge.

Elisa - you seem to be someone with cooking interests - I am a serious cook looking to move to BA at some point. Please tell me I wouldn't be disappointed with the local markets and food fairs.

 

[kappra]

Here is a yummy recipe you can make with cous cous. It's a nice option for those who want something with a little spice.

Sautee chicken parts (legs, thighs are best) in olive oil. I like to fry them until they are nice and brown. Put to the side. Sautee one onion chopped up and a few cloves of garlic in the oil, on low heat, to not burn, until the onions are soft.

Add the chicken again to the onions, garlic and oil, and add paprika, and if you like some aji (chili powder). You can add raisins, apricots or other dried fruits. You might want to add a little liquid if it's getting dry- white wine or water.

Prepare your cous cous. One cup water to one cup cous cous. Boil the water, add the cous cous, turn off heat and let sit for five minutes. Fluff the cous cous with a fork.

Put the cous cous on a plate, pile the chicken on top. It is a feast! Enjoy with a glass of white wine.

(ps - if you want to add veggies, you can sautee carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, whatever, after you cook the onions and before you add the chicken back). You'll just need a good sized frying pan)

 

[kappra]

Ok, here is another quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients:
1 can tuna
1 can tomatoes (with no added spices - plain old tomatoes) or
1 can tomato puree (they sell bottles in the Disco - it is titurado or something like that)
garlic
olive oil
optional: sun dried tomatoes, sliced olives, capers...

penne or some other pasta (I use whole wheat penne to make it healthier)

sautee garlic in olive oil until soft - don't burn or brown
add tomatoes. If you use canned whole tomatoes, crush them
add tuna
add basil

cook and taste to see if you need salt

(you can add sun dried tomatoes (chopped), sliced olives, and capers if you want more complexity)

Boil your pasta.

Pour the sauce on the pasta.

Enjoy!

 

[easyliving]

Some tricks for the new cook to make things taste better:
1. Salt - This is one of the most important things to add to food to make it taste good. Most processed foods contain tons of it so don't be afraid to add it liberally. You still won't be approaching the amount contained in pre-made food. And when you boil your pasta, add a lot to the water. Not like a pinch but a lot (think tablespoons). The water should be salty.

2. Sugar - Adding a pinch of sugar to savoury dishes makes a big difference. Particularly those tomato sauce recipes above will benefit from a bit of sugar. I sometimes keep packets from coffee and use a part of a packet.

3. Acid - Sometimes a bit of acidity really helps to balance your food. Tomatoes are naturally acidic but in other foods, sometimes a squeeze of lemon or a dash of vinegar will brighten the taste

4. Browning - The most important food flavours are produced by browning (Maillard reactions is the technical term). When you are cooking meat for example, use a hot pan to start so the outside of the meat browns. Then you can lower the temp or add liquids to cook it through. While you could throw unbrowned meat into your sauce and let the sauce cook the meat, you will find the result unsatisfying.

Always taste your food and check if it needs any of the first three. After a while it will become obvious and you will be amazed at how much better your food tastes.
Enjoy!

 

[mini]

After almost three months in the hotel we have FINALLY moved in to our apartment. If you are still interested, I can teach you some basic easy things to cook depending on what you like to eat!

Mia