Anyone who has spent considerable time in Argentina, preparing their own meals or dining at modern restaurants, has probably come across queso blanco (white cheese) or, as some may refer to it, queso crema (cream cheese) during their stay. Before I go further with this, hold on second. I may be repeating myself here, but I really wish that food scholars, historians, and top chefs would get together to form some sort of Argentinean authoritative collection similar to Larousse Gastronomique. Maybe there is one, …

Often when we judge the traditional authenticity of a cuisine or recipe, we look at what ingredients are used and generally, how the dishes are prepared. What many of us may tend to ignore, or perhaps fail to seek out, are the personal touches or traditions that give an additional boost of authenticity to certain special recipes. Tips and tricks passed down through generations or swapped among friends at a Sunday get together. Techniques that, while usually simple to carry out, add more depth …

Continued from Food And Cooking In Argentina: Setting A Few Things Straight

Quick Summary: Chimichurri does not have to be a bright green fresh sauce. The whole population does not enjoy drowning their meats and marinating everything with the tangy mixture.

While I could probably write a book pointing out how many times chimichurri is misrepresented in the media, here are a few points that are increasingly on the rise:

Serve immediately or use within a few days

A vibrant, bright green sauce

Argentineans love to use chimichurri on everything

Although there is nothing inherently wrong with the first two points, chimichurri can be a …

Continued from Food And Cooking In Argentina: Setting A Few Things Straight

Quick Summary: Grilled steak with chimichurri is not called a gaucho steak in Argentina.

Often refers to grilled steak that is marinated, basted, or served with chimichurri. Restaurants that either offer a mix of various Latin American cuisines or those that want to take advantage of chimichurri’s popularity might have this item on the menu. Celebrity chefs and cookbook authors also enjoy offering a recipe to the population when they cover Latin America or Argentina or, as with restaurants, to take advantage of chimichurri’s popularity. This then trickles down …

One of my main objectives with this site is to explain to those who are interested, Argentinean cuisine at the household level. The recipes or methods of cooking one might not experience or view on their visit to Argentina or in some form of media. Sure I tend to stray at times or come off as a hypocritical ass, but I try to stick to that objective as much as possible. The cuisine, ingredients, and cooking styles may vary from region to region or from town to city but I try to find the common similarities and present a general …

Katie Alley, of the wonderfully written blog Seashells & Sunflowers, is sharing with the readers of Asadoargentina.com her delicious recipe for niños envueltos. Katie, who moved from Philadelphia to the seaside city of Necochea, Argentina, has a passion for sharing recipes passed through the generations of her Argentinean boyfriend’s family. In addition to the beautifully photographed presentations of her recipes, you can discover the joys and difficulties one faces on such a large move to a different country and culture. She also posts resourceful information on Argentinean food & travel as …

My wife brought me a sampler box of three beers–pilsen, pale ale, and porter–from the Cerveceria Cape Horn when she was in Ushuaia this week. I should have picked up a few bottles on previous trips but I kept failing to remind myself before heading back home each time. I’m not sure how long they have been around since I only noticed their bottles in stores on a trip last year. The label has an email account from a national ISP so no help from a web site giving out that …

Ok, not really. Spanish Manchego is protected under the Designation of Origin (DO) classification system and in order for a cheese to win that precious title, it has to follow all sorts of rules. One of which requires the cheese to originate from the region of La Mancha, Spain. Nor do the producers of this cheese I’m writing about try to market their product as such. Say, by labeling it …

Food trucks offering various cuisines from around the world appear to be popping up all over the place in the U.S. these days–some even fusing together the flavors of different cultures. If you live or work in or around Emeryville, California, there is now an asado argentino truck in your neck of the woods. After winning praise from friends for his backyard asado parties, Javier Sandes, originally from Argentina, decided to take his show on the road. Javier’s main specialties include slow-roasted free range chicken and grass-fed tri-tip (colita de cuadril) served up with some tangy chimichurri. You can …