la otra dimensión - cocina asiática-australiana moderna

Greener Pastures

2007-05-25T16:02:00.000-03:00

I thought long and hard before attempting this post as it is very likely my last for quite some time. There are two reasons for my temporary departure from the blogsphere; firstly, I am going to Sydney to give birth to our first child Luca Alessandro (not surprisingly I rooted for Italian names to match Guillermo's Italian last name) and secondly, my new job which I love is taking all the spare time I used to have. I haven't had the time to read blogs, let alone writing one.

Rather than a sentimental farewell to all the wonderful people I have encountered through this blog, I would like use this post to talk about the serious issue of bullying

As the fabric of society disintegrates, bullying has become a problem common to many societies around the world. In some countries, it has become a social issue that is discussed at government level and visibly tackled at school and workplace where bullying most commonly occur. However, it seems this behaviour which denotes poor mental health and discontentment of the aggressor is spreading in cyberspace too.

It is often difficult to explain to children who are victims of bullying that it is actually the bullies, through their aggressiveness, who are expressing their disillusionment, anguish and bitterness due to their own failures because children do not have the benefit of hindsight and life experience we adults have.

Following this logic, it is therefore also difficult to fathom that adults who should have the maturity and sophistication to conduct themselves appropriately would choose to act as hysterical bullies which effectively render them as mature-aged adolescents.

Personally, I feel there is no need to engage with such people. Some may feel by choosing complete disengagement, I have lost the battle. To them, I say this: what is one battle when I've already won the war? It is a well known fact that overwhelming majority of bullies are underachievers at school, at work and in life.

Anyone who is educated and cultured would see for themselves how these over-aged schoolyard thugs disgrace themselves through their own low-minded words and underhanded actions (I have heard much whispers that there are quite a few Miss Cupcake wannabes trolling the blogsphere these days).

Hence, my parting words are simple..just stay true to yourself and conduct yourself with integrity and those who can see will see; those who can't will never be able to anyway and they are definitely not worth your time - good blogs deserve an audience but the audience has to be a deserving one too.

All the best to everyone!!

Loaded!

2007-05-12T09:25:00.000-03:00

I had spent much time away from my blog in the past week due to employment of a very different nature – it has nothing to do with cooking or food in general. While it is only 4 hours a day, it requires much concentration and intensity so I'm taking baby steps in my adjustment. On the whole, I'm relishing this opportunity in which I use my grey matters a lot more and that I get to work with a bunch of capable, yet very nice people.

Of course, my tiredness is compounded by my growing belly. Almost 6 months into this pregnancy, I'm finally feeling the load I carry everyday. Since I'm determined to stay active, I compensate my deskbound hours with a walk from Alto Palermo, along Santa Fe, to as far as I can walk towards home every afternoon.

I enjoy this time of day very much as I get to explore what are on offer in yet another part of the city. On the other hand, as a mother-to-be, my concern about the outrageous level of pollution in Buenos Aires is escalating every time I set foot outdoors. I have seen other mothers pushing their strollers among the hustle and bustle of the city; but just because others do something does it mean I really want to do the same? And to my baby?

The answer right now is I don't know – it hurts me to think that my fragile baby will have to inhale this smog instead of the fresh scent of pine and eucalyptus in our North shore neighbourhood in Sydney. However, our lives are still tied to this city until we are ready to make a permanent move.

Sometimes, I wonder if all parents-to-be feel torn this way or am I just being over protective? As my mother-in-law admits she doesn't worry about the future of her grandchildren growing up in Buenos Aires at all because she doesn't know how; she said that she has't seen the world and doesn't know better. In her case, ignorance is definitely blissful.

Slave Masters in Buenos Aires

2007-05-01T09:27:00.000-03:00

Most middle class porteños and expats in BA take advantage of the availability of domestic helpers. Our domestic goddess is truly a Godsend; Guillermo and I treat her as our family and she is avuncular towards us.

While our Graciela has passed child-bearing age, we feel we are responsible for her welfare and are ready to step-up. (In fact, we paid her in full during the 10 weeks we were away in Sydney). Hence, I was really disturbed to read the following email circulating among a group of expat women.

The email is written by a U.S. trained lawyer who is married to an Argentine lawyer, in response to a question posted to her about whether maids are entitled to maternity leave.

"...D (the husband) and I (the U.S. trained lawyer) looked over the law. It is true that maids are not entitled to maternity leave. I don't know if you do or don't want to give it to her.

1. If you don't want to, when she asks for one you can say she is not entitled and that she has to quit if she wants to leave. You wouldn't owe her anything in that case. Although our experience is they don't quit and instead start doing things to piss you off so you are forced to fire them and pay them a severance payment.

2. If you want to, you can always pay her for a month or whatever you feel is a reasonable leave and then take her back afterwards. Of course you run the risk of her keeping the money and not coming back..."

I was disturbed by the reference to the law. All employees working en blanco are entitled to maternity leave. Should a person be employed en negro, like many in this city are, the employers have already broken the law so it is ironic that they look to the law to protect themselves from coughing up maternity leave payment for their employee. I have been told that a separate, Dickensian law exists and applies to maids, working en blanco, which still strips them of the benefit of maternity leave.

My personal opinion is that the law should, by all means, be respected. I am also of the humble opinion that, as human beings, we can sometimes do more and above what the law (the lowest common denominator) expects of us; I'd like to call that a moral obligation.

The writer of this email referred to her personal experience of refusing her maid maternity leave, thus resulting in the maid pissing her off to get severance. Well, all I can say is if one cannot treat one's maid with the common decency one should show towards another human being, despite the protection given by a defect in the law, one has got one's just dessert.

Lastly, the writer warned the employer asking this question that if the employer decides to pay the maid, she risks the maid running off with the money and not coming back after giving birth.

I was stunned by the mean-mindedness of this last bit of advice; this woman maybe a damn fine lawyer but what a human being! Most of these domestic helpers are working as such because they desperately need money and they have no other skill; it is not like the maid has plenty of job offers to choose from and the world is her oyster.

When I examine my lifestyle in BA carefully, I am truly thankful to those who have made it comfortable for me. I have also come to appreciate that I am in a fortunate position and should never take it for granted. Today, I feel disgusted as I have witnessed those around me who are choosing to use their relatively advantageous financial position in exploitation of others...and the worst is that they feel no shame or guilt since "the law" is on their side! What has this world come to?

Flower Power

2007-04-25T14:51:00.000-03:00

Since blogging about osmanthus last year, my mother had taken my not so subtle hint and procured a jar of these fragrant flowers (preserved in syrup) for me.

The jar has been sitting in the fridge like a wall flower since we got back from Sydney. While rummaging through my conserves and preserves at lunch, I made a mental note to come back to the gems inside...

It takes a lot of willpower these days for me venture from my tried and tested yogurt cake recipe. It works beautifully every time; it is relatively low in fat and is versatile as I turn out chocolate marble, Matcha marble, citrus and other versions of this fail-safe blueprint.

2 eggs
1 cup of whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tbsp preserved osmanthus

Preheat the oven to 180C, line the bottom of a round ten-inch cake tin/ a large loaf tin with parchment paper and grease the sides.

In a large mixing-bowl, gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil and rum.

In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and blend together -- don't overwork the dough. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand for ten minutes, and transfer onto a rack to cool.

No Barney for Us

2007-04-17T09:39:00.000-03:00

I have often been puzzled by the Argentine schooling system. It doesn't help my confusion by being aware of stories about the lack of consistency in standards among schools; yes, even private ones.

First of all, if you ever express the slightest interest on the subject, most Argentines are eager to assure you that standard of education in this country is "very high", nothing short of "excellent". On what basis do they reach these conclusions, I have no idea because Argentina is nowhere in any kind of international benchmarking of education such as TIMSS or PISA (the USA ranks very poorly so comparsion there is futile).

I have slowly come to the conclusion that many of them are nostalgic about the golden era of Argentine intelligentsia. Argentine standard nowadays is probably still quite high within the Latin American context, quite possibly better than the USA even; however, that is no basis to determine its excellence (superlatives are not relatives). Also, I suspect that many parents judge the quality of education by whether they pay for it – the logic being if it costs money, it must be good and if it costs loads, it must be fantastic.

Of course, the fundamental question which needs to be asked is what constitutes good education. Each parent has different idea and it also depends on the general standard within the society we live in.

Two of our nieces and nephews in BA are both aged 5, neither of them read nor write without assistance. They are happy kids who do not seem to be behind their peers at their private pre-schools (primary schooling starts at 6 in Argentina instead of 5 as in many countries and it lasts for 7 years instead of 6 as in others). On the other hand, our niece in Australia who is barely 4 is reading unassisted story books which average at least 60-70 words per page.

More relevantly, this inconsistency exists within BA; an acquaintance's son sat for an entrance test to St Andrew Scots School in Olivos, just outside of Capital Federal. The boy who was the same age as our porteño niece and nephew at the time he sat for this test, was asked to spell and write down a range of words in English. Among them, "rocket" which spelling may not be all that obvious for a junior with English as his second language; I doubt very much if our niece and nephew could spell that even in Spanish.

Of course, some parents feel that if their children are a little older when they start knowledge-based learning, they will feel more confident as they should be more emotionally and socially mature by then to handle the rigour of focus and concentration. To these parents, teaching their 4/5 year-old "babies" is certain to cause irreversible psychological damage.

Fair enough, if the world functions on the same set of lowest common denominator. Unfortunately, that's not the case; that's not the case even within any individual barrio in our city. A porteño friend's niece is 2 and has just started at the fairly costly Washington School in Belgrano. She is an engaging child who can already count and say a few words in English. It is obvious to the mother that sending her daughter to school everyday is dumbing her down rapidly. In addition, their modern-minded family doctor feels that 2 is probably too early an age to be attending school everyday anyway. However, competition for a place at that school is so stiff that she cannot afford to lose it now.

I really don't know what we would do as parents if we ever need to face schooling choices in this city. I just have a gut instinct (while Guillermo is sure from his work and research) that learning to read or count is not necessarily demanding on young minds, it is only the adults who are constantly underestimating the capacity of their children. As long as the parents make learning fun and enjoyable, well-paced and not based on parental ambitions, there is no reason why children should be steered only towards a silly purple beast or a piece of talking sponge.

Check out Giro Didactico for educational toys; Av. Callao entre Santa Fe y Arenales (for other locations see their website)

Poor Little Thing

2007-04-13T14:37:00.000-03:00

Even after 2 years in BA, there are still cultural expressions I find jarring. In cultures which I am more accustomed to, doting adults call their young bubs by all sorts of endearing names which are actually terms of endearment. In Buenos Aires, however, the most popular is pobrecito (poor little thing); I am still trying to get my head around this one.

A dear friend in London rang to chat and check on my WIP (work in progress/ my bump); we talked about funky kids' clothes, state-of-the-art European strollers, etc. I also vowed to her that I will nurture my child to be environmentally friendly and unspoilt by the materialistic culture we live in...at which point my buddy pointed out, not without a touch of irony and a grain of truth, that putting my newborn into a Bugaboo stroller is not actually an auspicious start to a simple life! OK, I think what I meant was that I shall try to find a balance between the impulse of giving my child the best and being mindful of not spoiling him.

In any case, I suspect Guillermo and I would most probably end up playing the baddies as the current parenting trend seems to be that of yielding to your kids' every wish – saying no to children doesn't seem to be an option for parents anymore. This trend is one we are definitely not going to follow. Anyway, our child will not be short of relatives spoiling him; my mother is already shopped out with baby's clothes for 3 seasons following the birth in August.

Speaking of clothes, there are wonderful choices available these days; unfortunately, the styles Guillermo and I favour are not available in Argentina. For now, I can only drool in front of my computer most days and occasionally make an internet purchase or two.

You see, surprisingly my easy-going husband has turned out to be quite the fussy shopper for baby's clothes. His rules are simple but difficult (at least if to be carried out in BA): no infantile patterns such as little sheep or bear, no ball of any sport or automobiles, no letters, no numbers, no logo/ brandname on prominent display...and preferably not in gender conditioning blue. And, certainly not in traditional tailoring and styles which make kids look like they belong to the Victorian era, with a butler and a governess trailing behind.

Judging by the popularity of Mimo & Co which is almost all pastels and the primness of high-end children's wear such as those offered by Paula Cahen d'Anvers and in shops along Arenales, casual, unisex and unadorned baby clothes will have a long tough road into the Argentine market.

We did a mini-scale market research into this by surveying La Familia. When Guillermo told his grandparents and parents that we bought an onesie (all-in-one) in black and grey stripes, their faces dropped - the unison of that expression was absolutely priceless! Abuela sighed with "pobrecito" and his parents didn't quite comprehend what he meant exactly by "black and grey". Yes, it is a very smart looking black and grey onesie...if only so after the quick surgery I performed on it; it had a logo of a baseball with "minimimo" (Mimo & Co's baby line) on the chest which I carefully unpicked from the inside so it is now unadorned and looks much hipper.

I think I'd better be prepared that my baby would be referred to as a poor little thing maltreated by his weirdo parents who are to put him in strange clothes and deny him of sugar, salt and dulce de leche...to La Familia, Guillermo and I are definitely beyond reproach. Pobrecito indeed!

Cupcake Imposter Caught!

2007-04-12T16:33:00.000-03:00

I have just recieved some bemusing news from a fellow baker, blogger and BA resident. Apparently, someone was posting anonymous comment on his blog and then signing himself/ herself off as Miss Cupcake.

This fellow blogger suspected something was up because we have been communicating privately and he knows my writing style rather well. He simply confirmed with me via email and the imposter was exposed immediately. As of now, we do not know if this imposter is trying this cheap trick on other Argentine blogs.

It amazes me the dizzying new lows some people are prepared to stoop. I cannot pretend to understand their motives and have no wish to do so; it'd just be a waste of my precious time. However, it is unfortunate and inconvenient that readers of various blogs have to endure this sort of immature behaviour.

Who is Gina Ford?

2007-04-12T10:25:00.000-03:00

Like a lot of good things in life, I discovered Gina Ford and her childcare method through a negative write-up on her based on partiality and misunderstanding.

Ms Ford is one of the most prominent childcare experts in the UK; she trained and worked as a maternity nurse for over a decade before turning childcare expert and writer of popular childcare books. While her books have been translated into four languages and she has personally chalked up considerable wealth through book sales, her recommendations to new parents on how to establish a successful sleeping and feeding routine is none short of controversial.

The screening of Gina Ford: Who Are You To Tell Us? on television in the UK has caused the BBC a lot of flack from parents who have used their common sense in following the recommendations outlined in Ms Ford’s books to raise happy, contented babies and toddlers who feed and sleep well routinely.

Having observed closely how various parents raise their children at a range of ages in different cultures and most importantly how these children are developing into pre-schoolers and beyond, I am firmly rooting for a sensible yet loving routine.

The greatest barrier I've come across so far, especially when talking to Argentines, is that whenever the word routine and children are mentioned in the same breath, the quick "shoot-down" response is almost always that children are to be enjoyed; and that's the end of the importance of a healthy routine for growing children.

I wholeheartedly agree that children are indeed enjoyable and I cannot foresee any reason why I wouldn't enjoy my child as I already enjoy others'. However, it is important to remind ourselves as parents that we are guardians of a human being, not an entertainment system. I am also positive that if children have a routine which leads them to sleep and feed well, they are even more enjoyable in their waking hours. That's just good commonsense - we, adults learn, work and play better when we are healthy and have had a good night's sleep why should children be any different?

What is different, however, is that children need more hours of sleep and it takes them longer to wind down enough to fall asleep. Hence, taking children out to dinners and parties until way beyond mid-night may not take a toll on the adults but certainly does more harm than good to the children in the long run.

I'm sure I'll look up Ms. Ford's books when I get back to Sydney for my 3rd trimester but her official website Contented Baby provides a very helpful start on her philosophy and methodology.

Soy Wearable!

2007-04-07T21:39:00.000-03:00

While Guillermo and I were enjoying afternoon tea at a cute but obscure little place along Pasaje del Correo, he asked me if I knew of soya oil. Apparently it is a significant Argentine export to its major buyer - China. I've a vague idea that it is for industrial use and commercial-scale food production; I could be completely off the mark but it prompted me to think more about what this amazing little bean could do...

That was how I stumbled upon soy fibre. According to the website of a clothing line named Baby Soy, Henry Ford of Ford Motor first talked of soy fibre in the 1940s and was photographed wearing the first known soy suit and tie. Technological breakthrough in 1999 made mass production of soy fibre realistic and economically sound. The invention of soy textile was awarded the gold prize by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2003.

Soy fibre is manufactured from extracting the proteins from leftover dregs from soya oil/ tofu/ soy milk production, turning waste into useful products. The resulting textile is sustainable, utilising renewable natural resources.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, soy textile has the same warmth retention as wool and better moisture transmission than cotton, making it very comfortable to wear. Thus, ideal for baby clothing as it keeps babies warm and dry. It is also soft, smooth, and light; with silky lustre and a cashmere feel...at cotton prices!

While Argentina is a major producer and exporter of soya, most are sold in the form of primary products. This soy clothing retailer I have found is a company based in California.

If there is an entrepreneur out there who would import the cutting-edge manufacturing technology to Argentina, who knows, maybe a new page in our economy could be written...

Nature's Multi-vitamins

2007-04-05T17:22:00.000-03:00

As a routine question, my doctor asked me at our monthly check-up yesterday if I was taking multi-vitamins. My answer was a slightly intimidated "no".

It is increasingly becoming common knowledge that if one's diet is balanced and sufficient of micronutrients, excess water soluble vitamins are passed from the body through urination. Excess non water soluble vitamins find it harder to exit which may actually cause the body more harm than good – one such example is vitamin A.

I was probably too self-conscious to go into detail with him just exactly how much thought has gone into my daily meals these days; lest he found me a little too obsessed.

At the moment, besides my daily glass of fortified orange juice (vitamin A, C, E); yoghurt with sesame and linseed (also known as flaxseed); and Vegemite (vitamin B complex) on wholewheat toasts, my meals most often consist of either spinach, acelga (Swiss chard), or fennel. Otherwise, I have a big serve of the fabled grass-fed Argentine beef for a dose of iron from an animal source; sardine or salmon for an omega-3 boost; or ricotta for extra protein and calcium.

The George Mateljan Foundation is a non-profit organization free of commercial influence, which provides a website named World's Healthiest Foods. Their mission is to provide unbiased scientific information on nutrient-rich foods. You can go to the website directly or click on each food item mentioned above to read more on their nutritional values.

My prescription for multi-vitamins is still sitting in my purse; I probably would get round to buying them at some point just so I can utter an appeasing "yes" in 4 weeks' time.

Licensed to Parent?

2007-04-03T14:45:00.000-03:00

When one of my cousins was of age to obtain her driver's licence at 17, she sagely observed that people are required to do much more in preparation for managing an object than parenting a human being. I have been thinking about that lately, especially after witnessing an incident on Sunday evening.

Our family gathering last Sunday took place in yet another restaurant with a pelotero (a large playroom commonly found in family restaurants in Buenos Aires). I have often wondered if these restaurants get away with serving indifferent food because the customers are only too grateful they have a place to dump their kids.

Upon entering this heaving restaurant, bursting at the seams from a busy Sunday trade, our nieces and nephews promptly took off their shoes and socks to run uninhibited among the seated patrons while we were waiting at the entrance to be seated. After a 30 minute wait, we finally settled at our table; the kids went into the pilotero and that was where they stayed most of the evening except when they came out for a bite of food or a sip of water.

Half an hour short of midnight, our nephew who is 5 came out for a sip of water. He passed by a neighbouring table where a notebook computer was switched on but left unattended; the lady owner of the computer had left it, flipped open, temporarily while she checked on her son inside the playroom. Without any hesitation, the child went up to the computer and started mucking around on the type pad. When the owner returned and witnessed what was happening, she told our nephew off and complained to the waiter serving our section.

Let's not go into whether it was smart to leave one's valuable unattended, even if it was only for a second; and let's not even question why these parents and their kids were still out at that hour of the evening. It was the lady's prerogative.

After being told off by a stranger, our nephew came up to our table and sulked while the father put his protective arms around his son's slender shoulders. Our nephew did something he shouldn't have done but all children make mistakes and misbehave at times so that's not the real problem. What was disturbing, however, was that the adults (including his aunt and uncle who are also parents) huddled around the boy blaming the lady for having her computer there in the first place.

Guillermo and I were stunned by the adults' collective reaction to the incident and the way they had chosen to handle the situation. We would have thought that explaining gently the need to ask for permission before touching someone else's property would figure somewhere or are we just another two of those lesser people, deemed by self-righteous parents, whose opinion on child rearing they love to brush-off with their favourite line "you don't understand because you are not a parent"?

Cocoa Nibs Mark II

2007-04-02T15:34:00.000-03:00

Since Guillermo is working throughout Semana Santa (Holy Week), I am staying home to play in my domain – the kitchen.

As the common perception of a pregnant woman is still of that she should be eating day and night to feed the growing critter inside, I have been questioned frequently by family members whether I'm eating enough. Except my mother, nobody in Guillermo's family is interested to know that a woman of normal weight only requires an additional 250-300 calories a day during her pregnancy.

At our family gathering last night, Guillermo finally felt the need to step in. He explained to his puzzled grandparents and parents my pregnancy diet. It really is no mystery; my diet leans towards plenty of plant and animal proteins; and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) through vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains and seaweed. I have cut out almost all "white" or junk carbohydrates except an occasional plate of egg pasta or noodles served with vegetables or meat. My salt and sugar intakes are also very low.

When Guillermo fancies a pizza, I use wholemeal pizza base from HausBrot and pile on top natural tomato sauce, sautéed zucchini and a little mozzarella.

I have three main meals a day plus two small snacks, either mid-morning and late afternoon or bizarrely late at night. If I feel hungry late at night, my snack is usually a serving of natural unsweetened yoghurt with a teaspoon of ground black sesame and linseed stirred in.

I know I'm very lucky with this pregnancy that I'm not craving greasy burgers or some such: I felt sick just watching our nieces and nephews tucked into greasy fries and deep fried and bread-crumbed junk, more commonly known as Milanesa last night.

So to feel like a normal being with vices, I tweaked the oatmeal cookie recipe from a couple of weeks' ago...the result is very much loved by "the pregnant husband".

3/4 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
60ml Wholefood Planet Organic Peanut Butter (chunky)
60ml tahini (runny consistency)
1/2 cup raw sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large eggs
1 cup oats
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa solids at least)

1. Preheat oven to 180C, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sieve flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together peanut butter, tahini, egg and sugars.

4. Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a large spatula. Stir in oats, cocoa nibs, and chocolate chips.

5. Place dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets in generous spoonfuls, leaving at least 3cm in between. Should the dough be a little dry, add more runny tahini.

6. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 20 min. Slide cookies (on parchment) onto cooling rack. When cooled, store in airtight container.

My Heart Breaks a Little...

2007-04-01T14:39:00.001-03:00

...each time I see a loving parent or grandparent add sugar to an older baby's formula milk, give it sweetened fruit juice or Cindor (a chocolate flavoured & sweetened milk drink with no less than 200mg of sodium per portion) marketed by La Serenissima as a good source of nutrients.

I blame this misguided Argentine phenomenon on the professionals who fail to educate themselves and the public at large. Unfortunately for all of us, the country still lives in an era which people believe sugar is good because it gives energy. Glycemic Index and how it affects our health, our moods and learning ability in the young still hold little meaning to the common folks here; and very few of them associate what they put in their children's mouths with the detrimental effects on their children's long term health.

I came across a short but excellent post by Kathryn Elliot of Lime & Lypcopene - Kathryn is a qualified clinical nutritionist and naturopath in Sydney. The post disputes the claim that fruit juice is good for babies. Actually, I would argue that fruit juice is of no particular benefit to anyone; the best way to obtain all the micro-nutrients and fibre in a piece of fruit is to eat it.

We are having a Boy!

2007-03-29T11:13:00.000-03:00

In the past 4 months, I have gathered a collection of old-wives' tales. Here are a few popular ones...

Tale 1:
I must be having a girl because I started showing very early and I looked rather radiant. Really, who wouldn't be glowing after a 10-week vacation in Sydney?!

Tale 2:
I craved spicy food so I must be having a girl because women carrying a boy crave for sourness. Come on! I live in Buenos Aires, the land of Bland; I was craving spicy food even before I fell pregnant.

Tale 3:
There are more boys in Guillermo's clan so I have a higher probability of having a girl. I love it when an old-wives' tale gets a dose of pseudoscience.

Don't get me wrong, I personally would have loved having a girl. I was even day-dreaming about the bright pink and black Bugaboo combo for my would-be fashionable bundle of joy. I gladly accepted the above tales but my intuition, also based on nothing but old-wives' tales, was telling me otherwise.

Of course, Guillermo has been a firm believer of us having a boy since the week 12 NT-Scan because, according to my husband, the profile of our baby looked very boyish. Sadly, that's no more scientific than all the tales out there.

So let's move on to the set of tales I based my intuition on...

Tale 4:
Women having girls crave for sweets; I absolutely couldn't stand sweetness until my 2nd trimester. Even now, I would still prefer a savoury snack to a sweet one. Equally, I've known of friends who craved greasy and meaty "boys' food" while carrying a girl.

Tale 5:
Women carrying boys have a slimmer profile; I have only gained 3 kg and the gestational age of the baby is 19 week (it is at a healthy and average weight). While I started showing very early, my growing bump is centrally located and most people would not be able to tell I'm pregnant from my back. However, Guillermo's cousin who is also carrying a boy would so not agree with this particular tale!

To sum it all up, we are very happy that we are expecting a boy. The scan reports that our boy is healthy with spontaneous and vigorous movements; maybe Guillermo should be brushing up on his sporting skills...

Almost Midway

2007-03-28T08:57:00.004-03:00

As I was watching Sala de Maternidad (Maternity Ward) on the Home & Health Channel last night, I felt our baby's first kick. Much of what I had read described it as a butterfly-in-the-stomach feeling but for me it was more like a "knock, knock, who's there" kind of sensation.

At 18 week, as my bump is more noticeable, the pregnancy has finally sunk in. In addition, I am due to take my mid-term ultrasound this afternoon, and hopefully we would find out whether it is a boy or girl, among other more important things.

While everything is ticking along very nicely, I still don't own any maternity wear; just lots of wrap dresses, black T-shirts and trousers. I was secretly (not so secret now!) hoping that I could live out these 9 months with my existing wardrobe; I'm not sure if this idea originates from my new-found frugality on myself (note: I do not suffer the same when it comes to splashing out on cute but expensive baby items) or the illusion many 1st time mothers have – that my figure and my life would go back to normal once the baby is born.

One often hears that life would never be the same, not necessarily in a negative way, after one has children. Guillermo and I are looking forward to embracing all the challenges and joys that lie ahead of us.

Despite the gloomy weather outside, we have been enjoying the last of summer in a peach and yoghurt cake which is a doodle to make:

2 eggs

1 cup of whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sunflower oil

2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon light rum (I used Marsala)

2 ripe medium size peaches, cubed

Preheat the oven to 180C, line the bottom of a round ten-inch cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.

In a large mixing-bowl, gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, and rum. Fold in fruit cubes.

In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and blend together -- don't overwork the dough.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand for ten minutes, and transfer onto a rack to cool.

Some Like It HOT

2007-03-26T18:38:00.001-03:00

I tried out a slap-dash recipe for spicy stir-fry chicken noodles earlier last week. Guillermo liked the simple combination of oyster mushrooms, chicken fillet (cut into strips), oyster sauce and egg noodles – spiked by the addition of 3 very potent chillies. I got my much needed spice fix; my first since being back in Buenos Aires.

Later on in the week, quick re-org of the fridge yielded half a packet of curry powder so I made beef curry with rice as our Sunday lunch. The spice factor was much higher and Guillermo literally sweated through his meal; he hasty finished the pile on his plate and reached for yoghurt to calm his palate down. Anyhow, he was proud of his "achievement" and claimed that no average Argentine would be able to withstand that level of heat.

When I cooked another spicy lunch today, he felt compelled to ask if my cravings were back. I wasn't aware of it but I must say an article on the medicinal benefits of herbs and spices, archived in the UCLA Louise M. Darling Biochemical Library was probably working my sub-conscience…

Here is the extract on some commonly used spices:

Cinnamon, Cassia: antiseptic, anti-diarrhea
Coriander: anti-spasmodic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory
Cumin: anti-microbial, diuretic
Curry leaves: anti-emetic
Galangal (Thai, similar to ginger): expectorant, anti-bacterial
Ginger: for colds, anti-emetic, anti-rheumatic
Saffron: anti-rheumatic, for neuralgia
Wasabi (a type of Japanese radish): expectorant, for sinusitis

For the full article, please see here.

Poles Apart

2007-03-24T16:27:00.002-03:00

I have come to the resignation that there is probably never going to be "World Peace" when we, human beings, seem to be living on different planets.

Recent search on funny anecdotes on parenthood have yielded two articles published by The Guardian (UK newspaper). One was written a few years back but remains as fresh and relevant today – in the better parts of London, and other capital cities – as when the once new phenomenon was first observed and documented.

In an article titled "J'adore le Baby Dior" (I adore Baby Dior - Dior's junior clothing line), the author and mother of a 2 year-old lamented that "...I don't get to spend nearly enough time playing the glossy, airbrushed parenting role I had in mind for myself...sitting at a pavement cafe while my delightful little one tucks heartily into an organic meal and amuses himself artistically with crayons, with me...maintaining a steady, watchful eye over my progeny and shyly acknowledging the admiring smiles of passers by..."

Organic meal and crayons?? I only recall seeing porteño mother & kid teams tucking into ham and cheese toasties on nutritionally deficient white bread while sipping coca-cola, with Power Ranger or Barbie toys lying close by.

Across the Ocean, the same author and mother went on "...In my local playground on a Saturday morning, around the sandpit, mothers brandish healthy snacks and educational toys like Mulberry handbags. The children are roundly drowned out by their parents. "Come and have one of these nourishing but delicious muesli cookies that mummy made this morning, Lola darling," they shout across the climbing frame, "and then it's time we went to your drama workshop/Sudoku group/thank-you-letter-writing master-class."..."

The author and I agree on one point at least and that is it has always been thus, of course. However, favoured methods of showing off one's brilliant child - and, more importantly, one's A-starred parenting skills – are primarily the reflection of the time we live in.

For instance, when I first recounted with horror to my mother that Argentine children are routinely fed milk with added sugar and all other forms of terrible junk, my mother calmly told me that it too was the custom to "treat" children this sort of food when she was a young girl living in the more austere post-war era; back then common folks were not educated on nutrition. Clearly, A-starred parenting skills in the affluent and more nutrition savvy cultures of today have move on and beyond refined sugar and "white" carbohydrates.

"In these Jamie Oliver obsessed times, it's all about breeding a child who wrinkles their snub nose in the face of chocolate and pines for soya milk and papaya." says the satirical author who has "...a friend who still talks in hushed, shocked tones about the infamous occasion last year when one mother gave the children - wait for it - sandwiches, as if such a wheat-laden, non-gourmet GI snack was akin to offering a tray of stiff gin and tonics."

I chuckled as I imagine how this friend of the author would feel if she ever saw what I see frequently at my local supermarket where parents wait in line with their toddlers to pay for their trolley filled with dulce de leche, crisps and frizzy drinks.

Of course, food is only a little patch within the minefield that's modern parenthood. In a more recent Guardian article, another author talks about the wanton excess that is a child's birthday party fuelled by competitive parents. "...Children have no innate sense of one-up-manship; they invariably want their birthday party to be exactly like the most recent birthday party they attended. Parents, however, do not like slavish imitation; they constantly feel the need to produce something more imaginative, impressive and fashionable than the other parents, to the extent that British families now spend an average of £82 per birthday party, although £500 is more like the norm in certain parts of north London."

At current exchange rate and where we draw the poverty line, £500 is more than a large number of middle class Argentine families earn in a month; and I don't know which one of these societies is screwed up.

The choice of presents may be very different but London or Buenos Aires, the current party scenes are similarly characterised by an orgy of ungrateful excess. One gift after another being ripped open at alarming speed by a child who never even pauses to see who it is from seems the norm.

I am sure when we become parents, Guillermo and I may run the risk of being accused of child abuse just because we do not believe or condone this sort of parenting style which encourages immediate gratification and feeds more materialistic desires and demands. However, I do like the idea of instilling healthy wholesome eating habits in our children even if it means they would only accept Green & Black's organic dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids; as long as I don't flaunt it and that it is how we eat anyway, I reason that it isn't all that pretentious ;-)

Play Time

2007-03-22T08:54:00.002-03:00

More on the subject of expat parents who would like know where their children could participate in activities conducted in English...I am copying a mail forwarded to me by an American expat who is married to an Argentine:

"A local nursery school teacher that I have known for years is helping a friend of hers promote a rotating "jardin" in English. My youngest son participated in a rotating jardin with her from age 1 1/2 to 2 1/2. In his case the classes were in Spanish and they were just three kids in the class... They met twice a week, taking turns having the classes at each child's home. It was a wonderful opportunity for him to play with other children and they did such creative fun projects together.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the "jardin" you can contact Adriana Cuadrado (known as Arri), who was my son´s teacher, at adrianahcuadrado@yahoo.com.ar."

The following is the original email from the nursery teacher:

"Queridas mamás: hoy les escribo, como verán, para recomendarles los grupitos rodantes en inglés que hace una amiga mía, Maru Cosin.

Todas saben de qué se tratan los grupitos pues la mayoría de uds han tenido a alguno (o a todos!!!) sus hijos en grupitos conmigo.

Tal vez algunas recuerden a Maru del jardín Infanzia, hemos trabajado juntas ahí y puedo recomendarla como persona y como maestra con los ojos cerrados.

Este año a Maru también le toca ser mamá (en mayo!) así que está coordinando los grupitos y lo llevan a cabo otras maestras a su cargo.

Y para terminar la "promo", les cuento que mi hija más grande, Casandra, ya tiene 3 años y 4 meses . Les pido por favor que si "algún interesado" en los grupitos de Maru, de aprox esa edad, tiene ganas de avisarme para poder incluirla, bienvenido sea, ya que también como mamá quiero participar en ellos, ahora sí, del otro lado.

Y a las que hace taaaaanto que no veo, como verán que mencioné al pasar, contarles que en junio pasado tuve a mi segunda niñita, Dafne Violeta, otro solcito en este hogar.

Les mando besos grandes a todas

Arri"

I cannot vouch for the quality of the teacher; I am merely providing this information so parents who are interested could find out more.

Forsaking Cleanliness and...Godliness

2007-03-20T09:35:00.001-03:00

Most Argentine households I've come across are spic'n'span for two reasons: firstly, these households all have at least a part-time domestic helper if not a live-in maid; and secondly, people seem to favour using a large amount of cleaning products. In addition, many apartment buildings have a live-in caretaker to maintain the sheen on marble hallways and wood-panelled elevators. Cleanliness seems to be truly next to Godliness in the minds of many here.

I am not sure if the ghastly level of pollution and the dirty streets fuel porteños' desire to keep every surface in their homes flawlessly bleached and polished. However, few are aware that cleaning products are producing a very different kind of pollution to our homes.

When our domestic goddess first came to work in our household, she asked me to stock up on an array of cleaning products; most of them bleaching agents, Blem, and various strong smelling sprays. Every time she left, she was proud of the "clean smelling" apartment she was handing back to us. We didn't have the heart to tell her that we were choking in the "clean" fumes; our eyes were itchy and red, I was sneezing until the "cleanliness" wore off.

It took me months to work up the courage to tell her to tone down on the products. Since she comes twice a week and we have no kids or pets, I have asked her to mop the floor with just hot water and only add a smaller amount of cleaning agent to the water every two weeks.

Now that we are expecting a baby, it is even more crucial that we limit the amount of chemicals in our home. I am glad that I plugged up the courage to talk to her about our concerns. We are fortunate that our goddess is the open-minded kind; after we explained to her our rationale she gladly took to the task... we now live "happily everafter".

The following are some examples of cleaning products commonly found in domestic environments which are damaging to health...

Aerosol Products:
Aerosolized chemicals are absorbed through lungs and quickly pass into bloodstream. Damage brain, lungs, kidneys, heart, nervous system. Put solution in hand sprays.

Air Freshener:
Most contain carcinogenic ingredients, which can be stored in body fat. May cause birth defects, liver, kidney and brain damage. Plants, essential oils and potpourri are effective and less harmful options.

All-Purpose Cleaner/Degreaser:
Damaging to eyes, skin and lungs. Toxic to nervous system. May contain ingredients that are linked to cancer, reproductive disorders.

Antibacterial Cleaner:
Some may be immunotoxicants- associated with liver damage. Low-dose of antibiotics pose long-term danger- weaken immune system and breed "super-germs". Try using essential oils with anti-bacterial properties such as tea tree oil, lavender oil, etc.

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner:
Carcinogenic; causes liver, kidney, and nervous-system damage. Corrosive; extremely irritable to eyes, skin and respiratory passages.

Bleach:
Corrosive; damaging to eyes, skin and lungs. Dioxins do not break down. Contaminate water and devastate ecosystem and wildlife.

May the Lesser God bless our lesser household. Amen.

Restored

2007-03-18T13:57:00.002-03:00

Thank you for all the kind and concerned comments regarding our birth plan. Now that everything is sorted and air-tickets bought, I am feeling very relaxed and enjoying my 2nd Trimester tremendously.

Guillermo and friends who have seen my burgeoning bump have all commented that I am "wearing" my pregnancy very well – weight gain seems to have gone strictly to the appropriate places and have diligently stayed there. 2 kilos after 16 weeks may seem modest but my Argentine doctor is very happy and declared a "perfecto" at my weight-in.

Since I can deal with the smell of baking ingredients again, we have asked our friends over for tea this Sunday. It gives me the opportunity to use those cocoa nibs I ordered online just before Christmas. I am not a big fan of traditional American cookies only because I know what goes into the dough. My version, adpated from an American cookery magazine, is BIG on crunch and chocolate flavour without too much sugar and fat; plus all that oatmeal is bound to us some good.

Oatmeal Choc-chip and Cocoa nibs Cookies

3/4 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
120g butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large eggs
1 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup combination of dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa solids at least) and cocoa nibs

1. Preheat oven to 180C, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, by hand or by mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars and beat the mixture until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

4. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture with a large spatula. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

5. Place dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets in generous spoonfuls, leaving at least 3cm in between.

6. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 20 min. Slide cookies (on parchment) onto cooling rack. When cooled, store in airtight container.

Giving Light

2007-03-16T10:58:00.000-03:00

After my post on the differences in approach to pregnancy, I received a wonderfully encouraging response from the Dar a Luz network. To give birth in Spanish is "dar a luz" which literally means to give light; a beautiful way of describing a new life being born into the world.

I'm very glad to be of help in shedding light on the local approach after having conversations with other women who have gone through their experience in Argentina. I've always tried to keep an open mind in absorbing information from various sources and perspectives in the hope that I am then empowered to make my own choices.

Although I've talked to numerous friends and family who have given birth in Buenos Aires, I still feel I can't get a complete picture of what is considered to be "standard/ best practices" here because there seems to be a lack of consistency among practitioners, and that is not limited solely to obstetrics. It seems to be determined by the rapport one has with one's doctor and whether the doctor has kept his knowledge and practices current.

I am fortunate to have a doctor who is reasonably open-minded and respects the fact that I seek information and knowledge on the subject. When we returned from Sydney after my 1st Trimester, I was facing a very difficult decision – to give birth in Argentina or to return to Sydney?

The advantages of staying at home in Buenos Aires were obvious. All things being equal, the only advantage in returning to Sydney was being able to share this intimate moment with my 86 year-old grandmother who is very, very dear to me.

In the end the decision was made easier for me by my doctor who told me he is overbooked during August. Hence, he cannot assist me in giving birth but would refer me to someone else. As soon as he told me his situation, Guillermo knew immediately that we would be going back to Sydney.

It will be a daunting 20 hour flight home to Sydney but I have been taking very good care of my health and I am confident that I will be fit for the task. On the other hand, it is a pity that I am giving up on the opportunity in knowing the Argentine birthing process first hand. For this reason, I feel ill-qualified to speak for the Dar a Luz network locally. Nonetheless, it is uplifting to know that my intention and effort in sharing information with others are appreciated.

Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

2007-03-14T18:09:00.000-03:00

I've never really understood the mindset of English speaking tourists coming to Buenos Aires who would bother with expats acting as tour guides since the level of English spoken by educated Argentines is extremely high and their knowledge of their own city is unrivalled.

Nonetheless, I caught a glimpse of the latest edition of Time Out Guide to BA brought out by our almost absurdly well travelled friends who have escaped from the still chilly Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in March to our sunnier climes. As with the second edition which I own, I am puzzled by the editor's choices at times. I am surprised that an excellent local tour company which specialises in walking tours with particular focus on history and architecture was completely overlooked in favour of lesser operators.

Eternautas Viajes Historicos boasts a Who's Who client list and their staff are mostly graduates and post graduates of history, architecture or anthropology. Various groups of friends with a wide range of interests, I have received at Chez Moi in the past two years, have nothing but the highest regard for the company's guides, their knowledge and enthusiasm.

I'm not interested in turning this blog into a tourist info blog but like all travellers, I would love to see travel guides lifting their game just a little bit more.

Is Ignorance Truly Blissful?

2007-03-12T14:30:00.000-03:00

Our extended Argentine family is going to have a busy winter this year. Our baby is due in late August and Guillermo's cousin, Maria-Eugenia, is also going to be a first time mother in mid August.

Since our due dates are less than 3 weeks apart, there are bound to be comparisons between Maria-Eugenia and myself. Indeed, they have every reason to do so as the differences in our approach to pregnancy are noticeable. Basically, it all goes back to cultural differences.

This is actually my second pregnancy in Argentina if I count my short-lived one last year. In neither circumstance did my GP at Medicus Centre (Recoleta) or my gynaecologist/obstetrician advice me on which food, herb or medication to avoid/ cut down during pregnancy. Neither did anyone advise me on the appropriate weight gain in the following 8 months. Furthermore, none of these professionals provided information on the labour and delivery or advised us to attend ante-natal classes. I have been relying my GP in Sydney, English language books and websites for information so far.

Abuela was utterly surprised when I first mentioned to her over tea that I am avoiding cold cuts (fiambres) during the pregnancy. She questioned the source of my information and when I told her both my GP and midwife in Sydney had warned me against listeria (not a grave matter for the mother but detrimental to the baby) and which foods may contain them, she responded that no doctor had told her pregnant grand-daughter anything. Well, I could have said the same about my Argentine doctors.

I had mentioned in an earlier post about the widespread usage of oxytocin (pitocin is the commercial name) in Argentina to induce birth, out of convenience rather than necessity. The drug, with potentially dangerous side-effects, is usually injected into a drip without the mother-to-be being notified. If one objects to it, one has to raise the issue with the doctor and the midwife. However, most disturbingly, neither doctors nor midwives mention the usage of this drug as part of normal delivery.

I am only aware of the usage because an expat friend who went through a natural delivery at the Swiss Hospital alerted me to the common practice in this country. Fortunately for her, she stopped the midwife who was already holding the needle just in time. Consequently, however, she did get an earful as the midwife protested that she didn't want to be held up by my friend's natural birth.

The birth itself is also cause of much concern among expats. Friends who delivered at the Swiss Hospital and Otamendi both had their midwives hopping on top of their bumps and then using their entire body weight to push the baby down and out (both friends were delivering from a seated position) were certainly chilling tales of an unconventional delivery method for non-Argentines.

Another common practice of which I have been forewarned is that nurses here may feed a newborn cow's milk if the mother is not expressing enough milk on the first couple of days. An Argentine friend who is also a paediatrician has warned me that some older nurses fail to recognise the watery milk, known as colostrum, is actually nature's way of feeding newborn with a delicate, brand new digestive track. These nurses have a tendency to feed babies cow's milk as "supplement". Cow's milk is full of allergens and actually has disastrous effect on newborns.

You may recall from older posts that Guillermo's niece suffers milk allergy which means she is on an extremely restricted lactose and soya-free diet. Her mother has recently told me that the cause of her allergy is highly likely to be the switch from breast milk straight to cow's milk when her daughter wasn't quite 3 months. She sighed with much regret that no doctor, nurse or nutritionist had provided her with any information at the time.

If I have to choose between blissful ignorance and industrious awareness, I am sure I'm one to sign up for a little reading and research.

Lingo Limbo

2007-03-09T17:17:00.000-03:00

It seems I have lifted the floodgate on the subject of children; it is now mighty difficult to stop.

Comment leaver SFO would like to know if I have closeted a crate of Vegemite here in BA. Unlike Skippy peanut butter, Vegemite (Australian) and Marmite (British) are truly acquired tastes.

Both dark brown spreads are made of yeast extracts and stink of the fifth sense of Umami (a taste most commonly associated with mushrooms). They are an excellent source of Vitamin B complex. Since adequate intake of folate is vital for women, I have brought a small jar to BA which I dip into frequently. However, that was true until yesterday.

In a matter of 24 hours, as our dear Melbournian friends head home after an 18-month sojourn in BA, I have inherited 2 more jars of our national symbol plus all sorts of exotic herbs and spices. This is me set for the next 18 months; I'm also hoping to introduce Vegemite on toast to our child as soon as it is feasible since Vegemite packs a real punch in nutrients.

No slight to the national symbol of Argentina intended but between Dulce de leche and Vegemite, I'd have no choice but to go with the one which delivers much more to my child than empty calories and tooth decay. If our child grows up to be more Australian than Argentine in tastes then so be it.

Speaking of bringing up Austral-Argentine children, the question of language is inevitable. It can be an emotive issue, not limited to the parents, as I found out soon after Guillermo and I got married. Over a family asado almost 2 years ago, Guillermo and I casually brought up our plan to speak in English, at home, to our children in the future.

My father-in-law looked glum and mournful but kept very quiet on the language issue as those were the days when he was still getting over the shock and embarrassment of my deep disapproval of him feeding coca-cola to his youngest grand-daughter of just 1 year. On the other hand, Guillermo's young sister who has two sons was obviously agitated and affronted by our plan and made sure we were aware of her sentiment. (note: none of Guillermo's six nieces and nephews attend bi-lingual schools; instead, they have "lenguas vivas" classes at school)

In those early days, we had not entertained the possibility of returning to Sydney permanently. Therefore, our children's main language would inevitably be Spanish as we would be living in a Spanish speaking country. I was surprised that La Familia had neither that space in their hearts nor minds to recognise our children would be different from their cousins as they are going to be products of a bi-cultural and multi-lingual union between Guillermo and I.

Fast forward 2 years to the present, depending on where we are going to settle permanently, our idea has modified slightly. If we are to continue living in BA, we will create an English speaking environment at home where our children would learn from listening to dialogues between two English speaking adults. Our bi-lingual domestic goddess would speak to them in whichever language she prefers.

We feel an exposure to dialogues aid a child's learning much more than just being exposed to one parent speaking the language especially if the language is the minority's language (in this case, English in a Spanish speaking country).

We anticipate that our children would most probably start to speak in full sentences later than mono-lingual children but we have seen loads of precedence when bi-lingual children (since birth, not schooling at bilingüe kinders) fully grasp both languages at about 3-3.5 years of age, they would have native command of both languages and can switch between them with ease.

Tools that would help parents in similar situation are story books and audio-visual educational toys and entertainment in the minority language. Having friends of the parents' and eventually their own who speak in the minority language would be of great help.

For those living in Capital Federal, I am aware that a couple of ladies from the U.S. run an English playgroup mainly for expat children. Both ladies are qualified teachers from the U.S. and one of them, Beth Dany, taught at the expat dominated Lincoln in La Lucila.

If we decide to move to Sydney before the children enter pre-school (age 5), our plan is then to have Guillermo speak to them in Spanish while I speak in English before the move and we speak in Spanish at home after the move.

However, this plan is subject to how much Spanish I would remember once I'm out of Argentina. In addition, we would probably decide differently once we settle in Sydney as the opportunity to learn Mandarin and Cantonese from qualified teachers (as opposed to someone who is just a native speaker, like myself and many language teachers here) arises.

Well, a little complication to add to the already complicated responsibility of raising children but such is the joy and trepidation of multi-lingual parenthood!

First Set of Wheels

2007-03-08T10:27:00.000-03:00

With my head filled with baby concerns such as ante-natal classes, Pilates for pregnant women, I have found it hard to find a subject matter that doesn't bore others, especially men, to death.

So I'm going to keep this post short and hopefully somewhat amusing. A trend has been growing in many countries which I'm sure will sweep across the metropolis (or at least Recoleta, Buenos Aires) of Argentina at some point...fathers are not only becoming more hands-on with raising children but they are now an equally important targeted consumer group when it comes to baby product advertising.

The two products in which branding and designs have evolved drastically in the past 5 years to fit a more masculine image of fatherhood are the stroller (cochecito) and the diaper bag.

When my nephew who is 9 was a newborn, most strollers and diaper bags on the market had infantile patterns such as teddy bears or balloons all over them. In those less motherly days, I sworn to myself I won't ever be caught dead pushing or carrying one of those. As fate would have it, I don't have to. A decade later, most strollers and their "matchy-matchy" diaper bags sport streamlined designs in black or navy. Some producers are also venturing into smart industrial grey with a tint of crisp lime green or orange.

Except for the premium strollers from Europe such as Bugaboo (Netherlands) and Stokke (Norway), most strollers on the market are manufactured in China and they get slapped on a brand name depending on where they are exported to.

In Argentina, the names still bear connection with the occupier of the set of wheels; hence, names such as Infantil, Kiddy. In most English speaking countries, however, the names are an obvious reflection of changing times and sentiment in our social structure. Strollers are now bigger, darker and meaner looking; bearing names such as Beema (a take on BMW perhaps?), Jeep (and I thought we were now living in more environmentally conscious times than aspiring to owning an oil-guzzling, air-polluting 4WD), or McLaren (a Formula One stroller?). Maybe we would soon see fathers pushing a "Merc" or is that just too cheeky?

Glass Ceiling

2007-03-05T11:27:00.000-03:00

I completely expose my "vintage" by mentioning a movie in the 80s named Trading Places in which a pair of filthy rich siblings in Manhattan made a bet to amuse themselves – have an educated, promising young Caucasian man trade places with a Negro beggar off the street and see if genetics and predisposition to succeed determine one's destiny. The movie starring Eddie Murphy was shallow but the message behind was definitely thought-provoking.

Perhaps I had lived in a meritocratic society too long where I took the plentiful opportunities for hard-workers to make-good for granted; I was in complete shock when I first heard Argentines of European descent talked about people of darker skin as those who have the lazy gene (in fact, an increasingly common occurrence confirmed in a recent post of D for Disorientation). This self-satisfied bunch surmise that "those people" are predisposed to be good-for-nothing thieves because they are genetically lazy or stupid.

It is simply surrealistic that such mentality exists in the 21st C. Little did I know just how entrenched it is and that I have been enveloped in it the whole time without realisation.

We had La Familia came over on Sunday for lunch; four generations which completed the chaotic scene of walking sticks, grandparents clowning, parents shouting and kids screaming. After the parents carried their worn-out children home, the conversation between the remaining adults turned to the little ones.

The conversation first started on this track when Abuela mentioned Abuelo's three nephews are all medical professionals in high places because the father was a medical doctor. Guillermo, a psychologist specialising in the development of intelligence, tried to explain to his family that while inherited talents play some part in one's destiny, intelligence is now known to be a developmental process and early stimulation plays a vital part in one's eventual intelligence.

High achievers run in a family not so much because they have inherited a special strand of DNA but because the parents or perhaps even the extended family provide a nurturing environment which inspires and supports their intellectual pursuits.

I was part amused and part surprised that my husband's learned view, based on endless research within the international academic community, was casually and completely brushed aside by his own family as his parents insisted on the predisposition of kids in following the footsteps of their parents. To follow their logic then perhaps I should seriously wonder if Guillermo was adopted.

Distilled, my parents-in-law are basically of the view that since it has been predetermined by genetics, there is sod-all one can do which then follows that it is alright for the parents or them, the grandparents, to wash their hands in the intellectual development of the kids.

With this conviction, they are satisfied in playing their role as abuelos (grandparents) with slap-stick humour, chocolates, gaseosas (sugary frizzy drinks), and pelota (ball). As we are going to have our first child, I am deeply saddened by their wrong-headed belief. I can only remember too well when my niece and nephew were little (as young as 1), their parents and mine (their grandparents) often sat them on their laps reading story books together or how they all sat on the floor playing chess or Trivial Pursuit (my nephew was no more than 4 then).

Undeniably, glass ceiling still inhibits some of us in certain professions and social environments. However, the most inhibiting type of glass ceiling is one that we or our loved ones put on us; or worse, our future generation.

Is It Worth The Salt?

2007-03-01T16:09:00.000-03:00

One of the first things Guillermo and I noticed when we first settled back into Argentine life was how everything tasted incredibly salty to both of us. I also have to train my eyes again in order to get used to seeing people shower their food with salt.

Even if we do not add much salt to our food, there is no way of escaping it unless we do not eat out. The mineral water most often served at eateries, Villavicencio*, tastes like saline solution to the unacclaimised. Bread is another highly salted staple in most people's diet.

Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH, United Kingdom), said: "Research has shown that a population cut of 1g of salt a day would equate to 7,000 lives saved each year from strokes and heart attacks, due to the drop in blood pressure that would occur."

CASH is urging shoppers in the UK to boycott bread with high salt content as salt in bread makes up 25% of British people’s daily sodium intake.

I doubt if bread alone contributes as much to the Argentine diet since salt added in cooking and at the table is probably where the real problem lies in this country. In any case, the research provides an encouraging benchmark for Argentines addicted to salt, a cut as insignificant as 1g a day would already lead one onto the path of better health.

* Eco de los Adnes is a local mineral water with relatively low sodium content. Glaciar is a low sodium water with added minerals.

Truth or Perception?

2007-02-27T12:06:00.000-03:00

When Guillermo and I were watching La Hora de Maquiavelo (The Machiavelli Hour) last night, it dawned on me that it is not only in politics that often perception triumphs over truth. Just off the top of my head I can already list numerous examples which maybe trivial but affect our personal and daily lives.

Guillermo had the Argentine habit of spreading queso blanco on his toasts instead of butter. For the longest time, he believed he had chosen the healthier option. An option with lower calories it may well be if one spreads butter as liberally as one is likely to do with queso blanco but it is definitely not healthier.

One would only need to read the long list of ingredients on Mendicrim (by Nestle) or Casancrem (by La Serenissima); following milk, cream and yoghurt, there is a list of substances which shouldn't have anything to do real food. Besides, if my husband follows the advice of one famous dieting food critic and uses butter as sparingly as if it were the most expensive and concentrated scent in the world, the difference in calorie count would be negligible.

For those sensitive ones who like to rebuke even the slightest perceived negative remark on Argentine life with other countries are equally bad or worse, I would say the following:

What happens elsewhere is irrelevant and such rebuke is completely missing the point because it is not about relativity. However, to silence their protestations, I would gladly supply a parallel example.

My mother uses a spread, similar in appearance to butter, called Logicol. It has a short product history; the manufacturer claims that it has cholesterol lowering benefits. The product has even obtained the seal of approval from the Australian Heart Foundation.

On the other hand, my brother who is a neurosurgeon urges my mother to stop using it since fats are known to change properties once manipulated and their damaging effects are usually kept in the dark for many years. The perfect example being margarine; once hailed as a health product and we are now told by health experts to avoid it.

A concern of perception over truth that is most relevant to me is the general but misguided perception, still prevalent in many cultures, that pregnancy is the time to indulge because one is eating for two.

I've read in a book on pregnancy that if you put two women together in an obstetrician's waiting room, one of the first things they would discuss is their weight.

I only discuss my pregnancy weight with close friends and family because one can lose perspective on this emotive issue very quickly – if you ever come across the numerous threads on the Baby Center bulletin board (U.S. based), you'd know what I mean.

Many of the ladies posting there have gained way above what is healthy weight but somehow they manage to leave the few who gained less feeling very insecure about their abilities as a mother, etc.

In a New York Times' article published a few years ago, a female journalist painted a rather harsh picture of pregnant women in New York who went to extremes so they would gain only the recommended minimum.

The article went on to quote a medical practitioner by name who described in detail how some of her patients have serious body issues – I did wonder if she skipped her ethics class on confidentiality at medical school.

The tone of the journalist implied selfishness and vanity in these pregnant women – hearing the ways some of them went about achieving their target weight, it may all be true but I have real problems with the underlying message that gaining the recommended weight implies selfishness and irresponsible behaviour in the mother-to-be.

Such propaganda is particularly annoying when most doctors advice their pregnant patients to add no more than an extra 250-300 calories per day to their intake during their pregnancy (assuming the patient begins her pregnancy at a normal weight). Too much weight gain may cause complications during delivery and trigger mild post-partum depression in the mother.

It is not so much how many calories but what is behind the calories that is the crux of the matter; a pregnant woman's diet should be packed with nutrients. A peanut butter and jam sandwich or a slice of pizza would yield the extra 300 calories but that is not as useful to a growing baby as say, a tub of yoghurt or a turkey sandwich for example.

So to fellow preggers out there who are gaining weight steadily but not excessively, as long as you are eating and exercising sensibly just shut out all the bollocks (and perceptions are just that) from the haters.

Salmon and other oily fish are an excellent source of omega-3 which is benficial to the cerebral development of growing foetuses and children.

Japanese-style Salmon

2 salmon fillets (about 200g each)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp Mirin
1/2 tbsp soy sauce

Heat a dry frying pan. When the pan is very hot, first place salmon fillets skin side down for 5 minutes. When you see the flesh has turned opaque half way up, turn the continue frying for 1 minute or longer if you like it well done. Remove the cooked fillets onto plates.

Into the juices left in the frying pan, add the rice vinegar, mirin, and soy sauce. Stir over high heat for about 1 minute.

Spoon this sauce generously over the salmon fillets and serve immediately.

A Retro Sunday Lunch

2007-02-26T11:54:00.000-03:00

It had been a scorcher of a weekend in Buenos Aires; coupled that with a lack of sleep due to jet lag, bloating, and much lower abdominal pressure, the last thing I could face was to cook.

On the other hand, our friend Miguel's lovely daughter Gabriela was very excited about the baby news so they came over on Sunday for a light lunch. It was hot, I was tired, and Miguel is vegetarian so I cheated and just put together two salads.

In the days before "designer leaves" tossed with aged aceto balsamico di Modena became commonplace, there was iceberg lettuce and sliced tomatoes with that suspiciously salmon pink Thousand Island sauce (similar to salsa Golf); and way before that there were the Russian salad and the Waldorf.

Ensalada Rusa is still available in this land; it is also a favourite of Miguel's so that was a no-brainer. The Waldorf salad makes a good summer's lunch but I wasn't sure if raisin, apple and walnut would go down well with my two junior guests so here is what I did:

I first boiled a small pan of water with celery leaves, peppercorn and star anise. When it came to the boil, I immersed two chicken breasts into the water. I turned off the heat immediately (butterfly the breasts so they cook more easily) and let them sit in the hot water bath until the water cooled. Chicken cooked this way is very tender.

I just chopped the stalks of the celery into tiny pieces. I cubed the chicken breasts into chunky pieces and mixed them with mayonnaise and a light sprinkling of paprika. You can save the broth for cooking.

On the subject of mayonnaise, I promise you that you will never have shop-bought again if you tried home-made – they are completely different and you can guess which one tastes better. It is a simple and beautiful alchemy of oil and eggs; since eggs are back in the good book as far as cholesterol is concerned (it gives you the good cholesterol, HDL), I have no problems with eggs being a main ingredient. However, raw eggs are a little risky for pregnant women so that is the only situation when shop-bought is the preferred option.

For the Russian salad, my twist to the classic was boiling the potatoes and carrots (separately) with a handful of bay leaves. I also had some peas, lightly boiled. When cooled, I cubed and mixed them with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. It brought back memories of my childhood, except it tastes just a little bit better this time.

Pho is a Friend

2007-02-23T11:40:00.000-03:00

I am extremely fortunate that I have been experiencing some rather odd food aversions. At the moment, I cannot stand the taste of chocolate, ice cream and most confections; in fact most things sweet. In addition, I now find food rich in saturated fats very difficult to digest so I have been avoiding them too.

I crave strong but clean flavours so Vietnamese cuisine hits the spot perfectly. Besides, I have chosen to boost my iron intake through food rather than pre-natal vitamins which caused some serious digestive track frustrations (and let's just leave it at that). For these reasons, I turned to Vietnamese beef noodle soup frequently during my stay in Sydney for comfort, iron boost and to curb nausea induced weight loss. Now that I'm back in BA, I'll have to resort to DIY.

Pho or noodle soup is the national dish of Vietnam. The most popular being beef noodles soup – paper-thin slices of raw beef cooked in the residual heat of a bowl of piping hot and fragrant beef consommé with rice noodles.

The beef consommé is spiced with Vietnamese fish sauce (nouc mam), pepper, sugar, ginger, anise, basil, coriander and mint. The noodle soup is served with condiments such as bean sprouts, fresh mint leaves and lime wedges.

Pho is eaten anytime of the day in Vietnam; as breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. It is low in fat and a perfect combination of flavours, protein and carbohydrate.

There are as many Pho recipes as there are bicycles in Ho Chi Minh City so I have provided here a basic blueprint so feel free to adjust to your taste.

250g flat rice noodles (medium width)
7 cups of beef stock
2 tsp fish sauce
a pinch of sugar
a pinch of black pepper
500g tender beef, sliced paper-thin (half-frozen beef is easier to slice)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 small bunch of coriander, chopped
a handful of basil leaves*
a small handful of mint leaves*
1 sprig of spring onion, chopped

Marinate the meat in a combination of fish sauce, black pepper and sugar.

Use fresh rice noodles when possible but if the rice noodles are the dried ones, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes or until softened. Boil water in a large pot and add the rice noodles. Bring to boil again; then drain.

Rinse and separate rice noodles, using cold water. Set aside. Do not overcook the noodles or they will break into pieces.

Divide cooked noodles in a two large soup bowls. Place raw beef slices on the noodles. Add coriander, basil, mint and spring onion.

Bring the beef consommé to a boil then pour the boiling soup on top of the slices of beef. It is now ready to be served. If you prefer your beef well cooked, leave the beef in the hot broth before serving.

Serve noodles with bean sprouts, chilies, basil, mint, coriander, and lime wedges on the side.

* Try to find Vietnamese or Thai basil and mint for this recipe as they are much more intense in taste and not as sweet.

Under The Influence

2007-02-22T12:26:00.000-03:00

Let me start by pledging that this blog will not turn into a pregnancy/ baby blog although I may touch on subjects related to my current condition or frame of mind from time to time.

With my reassurance spelt out, today is such a time for me to share my own experience which hopefully helps to reassure older women who are trying to conceive but have been spooked by the media's concerted effort in telling them that they are already in the midst of reproductive Siberia.

Like so many of the women featured in documentaries made under the banner of investigative journalism such as the most recent I watched by BBC's Kate Silverton - "Right time to have a baby?", I took my own good time in settling down before reaching the conclusion that motherhood is a possibility.

Despite my advancing years, Guillermo and I insisted on waiting at least one full year as a married couple before trying to bring a life-long responsibility into our relationship. By the time we started trying, I read from all sorts of women's magazines and newspapers that conception would equate to winning a lottery. Worse still, these articles predict with such doom and gloom that even if I were successful in conceiving, I ran a very high risk of having a child with Down's syndrome or other birth defects.

Whilst the statistics quoted and anecdotal evidence featured on these television shows are real, the subliminal message seems to be a discouraging one which suggests that if women dare to go against/ delay the traditional role assigned to them as child bearers, they will suffer the consequences.

I felt harassed by this pressure from the media; deep down I suppose I was affected. Although I tried not to show it, I was nervous about the nuchal translucency test at week 12. Combined with a blood test, it gives an 85% statistically accurate estimate of the chances of the child being born with Down's syndrome or spinal bifida.

Before the tests, I was told that a woman my age has a 1:122 probability of carrying a child with these birth defects. The odds were certainly overwhelmingly negative.

Both Guillermo and I took much care in providing the geneticist with the most detailed and accurate data regarding our family history. When the full set of NT-plus test results came out, the geneticist told us that I have a 1:2415 chance in having a child with these particular defects. As far as he was concerned, I scored a gold star in the tests. I wept tears of relief.

Cynics may say I lucked out. Maybe they are right; we are fortunate that both sides of the family have no history of these defects. On the other hand, I also believe in the anti-aging benefits of a healthy lifestyle. In any case, for all the unsuccessful IVFs and other complications you may have watched on television, many women who are deemed to be over the reproductive hill do conceive naturally and become mothers of healthy children. The most important is to keep a positive frame of mind and refuse to be discouraged.

Preggers!!

2007-02-21T12:09:00.000-03:00

As I was sitting drowsily in the transit lounge at Santiago airport, waiting for the last leg of our 20-hour long journey to get home from Sydney, I saw two well-dressed kids chasing each other among the crowd, the luggage. Screaming and laughing, the boy dropped himself onto the grotty carpet. He rolled on the floor while screaming his giggles and then put his hand which had touched the carpet and who-knows-what-else into his mouth. At that moment, I knew I was back in Latin America and very close to home.

It had been a long ten weeks, especially so since I was counting each day. A couple of days before we left for Sydney, I realised I am preggers. Given our earlier experience, Guillermo and I were both excited and a little worried.

Once we got to Sydney, I contacted my GP who put me in touch with the fantastic ante-natal unit at Royal North Shore Hospital. I was told to go in at week 10 for genetic counselling, week 11 to meet the midwife and have the doctor perform a low resolution ultrasound to hear the baby's heartbeat, and again at week 12 for 1st-trimester tests which included a high resolution ultrasound to see the baby. All the ultrasounds were conveniently performed on my belly.

To me, this arrangement was perfectly reassuring, and the wonderfully caring staffs at this public hospital were leagues above those people at the privately operated Medicus I encountered during my short-lived pregnancy in BA last year.

Guillermo's initial reaction to the medical arrangements showed our cultural differences. Before our first appointment at the hospital, he bemoaned "the system" had left me unattended to for 10 full weeks. My mother had to reassure him that if anything happened at that point, we would end up at the hospital anyway.

I was also quick to reassure him that I was much more relaxed in getting on with my pregnancy than having to endue rather unpleasant and intrusive ultrasounds, as I did in BA, from as early as week 5 to satisfy the curiosity of the GP at Medicus in Recoleta, then at my gynaecologist's and then back at Medicus in Belgrano, all within the first 10 weeks. They obviously thought they were doing me a favour in letting me see the blob that had not had the time to develop while I felt stressed that I was railroaded into unnecessary intrusions into the baby's early development.

Fortunately, Guillermo's opinion of "the system" changed completely once he met the faces behind it. He was extremely impressed by everyone he met at Royal North Shore; unlike our private medical cover (Medicus) which we pay good money for, we were never made to wait for our appointments, the doctor even came out to the waiting area to greet us before walking us into his office.

At none of the meetings did we feel we were hurried, we took the opportunity to ask loads of questions and they also showed much interest in understanding what sort of care I would be receiving back in BA from the second trimester onwards.

The midwife was especially serious when she reassured me that no oxytocin is used in Australia except in inducing a baby that is 10 days' late or in rare circumstances – lamentably, liberal use of this drug is a "substance abuse" which seems to take place in even the most prestigious hospitals in BA, unless the mother explicitly object. All for no other reason than the reluctance of midwives and doctors to hang around for nature to take its course.

New Blogger Account equals New Problem!!

2007-02-11T23:20:00.000-03:00

Guillermo and I had been pretty occupied (and at times, preoccupied) with various inminent changes to our lives...and more on those very soon.

This morning, when I tried publishing comments which were long overdued, I was given no choice but to upgrade my blogger account; and to my utter dismay, I have since have problems posting comments. While I try to contact the elusive customer service at Blogger for assistence, I am publishing comments from Yanqui Mike and Bonnie here...

"yanqui mike has left a new comment on your post "A Quick Hola from Sydney":

Dearest Cupcake,

I dearly hope you weren't referring to me. Because you strike me not only as a candidate for the most wonderful wife in the world but your observations are going to become a daily habit for me from now on. What a wonderful blog. Found you thru el rosariano. Come back soon. "

Hi Mike,

Thank you for the most flattering published comment in the short history of this blog. While our long summer break in Sydney has been fantastic, I'm really looking forward to going home to friends in BA.

Please also be assured that the reference was most definitely not directed at you but the ignorant but emotionally charged comment leaver who quoted you "a little too liberally" without much understanding of a true democracy, civil rights or issues concerning deportation. Thank you very much for visiting my blog.

Cupcake.

"Bonnie has left a new comment on your post "What Is In An Education?":

Hi Miss C!

I hope you're really enjoying your time down there.I have a few points to make about the public vs. private debate in Australia.

First of all, I believe that Sydney (and possibly Melbourne and Brisbane as well) are not good examples of the standards of Australian schools, I believe that they are in fact microsystems that do not reflect accurately the state of the education system in Australia. This is because traditionally - as you've eluded - there is a lot more money floating around in these metropolitans.

Secondly, the education systems for primary and secondary education are state run and you will find many different variations from state to state. For example, the final exams for year 12 students in Queensland are (or were when I was there) very very different to those in New South Wales. In QLD, for entry into tertiary education, students are given an OP (overall position) score. The equivalent of this score in NSW is UAI (I believe). To get an OP score, students are graded across year 11 and year 12 and the best 3 scores for the chosen 6 subjects are taken to count towards the final score. Students also sit a QCS (Queensland Core Skills) exam. This 12 hour exam is not based on content from their classes but evaluates the skills that the students have learnt across their schooling lives to help them *work out* the problems. (As a side note - I personally really enjoyed this exam). I think it's definitely far removed from the HSC exams that the students must take in NSW where the exams are based on content from each of their classes. I'm proud to say that the QLD education system is well regarded as being one of the best education systems in the world.

Growing up in the country in Australia, my town was in a situation where the public school far exceded the private school as far as academic and sporting achievements were concerned. I went all the way through the public system and certainly don't regret a single moment of it - in fact I'm proud that my parents didn't spend more than they had to for my education. It's quite a strange phenomena but I can actually tell whether someone has gone through the private system in Australia when I meet them (although I wouldn't make claims that I'm 100% acurate). In fact, I believe these systems are producing 2 types of members of society. In general (and this is purely from my own observations and reflects my own personal opinions and in fact might be completely bollocks) I've found that those educated in the Australian public school system are more open, more tolerant and in some cases more sociable. I've found this especially where the student has been in same-sex education and not co-ed.

If I was living in Australia at the moment - I would not think twice about putting my child into public education, especially if it was in Queensland.But I don't live in QLD, I live in Cambridge - one of the oldest and most prestigious learning centres in the world and I too will face future decisions as to whether I should put my children into public or private education here. Unfortunately, I don't have first hand experience here and so definitely have some research to do when it comes to it.Enough of my waffling! I hope you are taking in plenty of Aussie sunshine and are really enjoying the food!"

Hi Bonnie,

Great to hear from you. Your comment is most timely as the Federal Education Minister, Julie Bishop, is proposing to standardise education across all states which I personally think is no more than a headline grabbing exercise during a election year which is hotting up to be a tough race for John Howard.

Especially under this current government which is best at being divisive and drawing out the worst in people (such as fears based on ignorance, selfishness and bigotry; and overt favouring of industrialist over the average Joe - not unlike what the Bush Administration is doing. All of which are very "un-Australian" principles for a government which frequently equates "Australian" to all the good qualities in a human being), I feel much more inclined towards an egalitarian education provided by our Labour dominated state governments.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Me

2007-02-06T21:26:00.000-03:00

Guillermo had been hogging the computer for weeks in preparation of his presentation to the Psychology Dept. of the University of Sydney. The presentation was yesterday and it was very well received; so finally I’ve regained some access to technology this morning.

Fellow Sydneysider Kathyrn at Lime & Lycopene tagged me for this meme some time ago. I thought long and hard to choose which 5 least mundane details about moi I could share in public…

And here we go:

1. Lesser known interest:
I love to Salsa! Dancing is a great way to relax; it is also one of the greatest forms of physical and coordination exercise - beats sweating it in a gym.

2. Lesser known vice:
I am a reformed clothes-horse, with a particular penchant for well made shoes. This very expensive habit (Manolo and Jimmy were my chief dealers) was only curbed after I met my husband who is more or less my height. On the positive side, my daughter, if I ever have one, would inherit a pretty amazing dress-up trunk, if I may say so myself.

3. Much earlier career aspiration:
I had wanted to be a dietician (a bit old fashion but it was the term used in my days!). My precise interest was the therapeutic value of food. I was probably 15 then, and it was an era when naturopathy was considered as "New Age". Later on, my UAI (stands for University Application Index, I think) and then fate guided (or misguided?) me down the path of investment banking instead.

4. Not so well guarded secret:
Regular reader of this blog might have observed that my inner geek is not so closeted anymore. I think my increasing seriousness about social and environmental issues has a lot to do with age (hopefully, it correlates with maturity) and the time we live in.

5. A well guarded secret:
For an advocate of a well-balanced diet, my great love for breakfast is not so much inspired by Rudyard Kipling but the mind numbing choices available if we broaden our interpretation of "breakfast" beyond cereal or egg and bacon with baked beans. Turkish and Indonesian breakfasts, just to name a couple, are interesting feasts of meat, fish, bread/rice/ noodles. My favourites include the Anglo-Indian Kedgeree (which is difficult to come by these days) and the Indonesian Nasi Goreng; however, the modern Australian offering of grilled Pide (Turkish bread) with tomato and avocado serves me just fine too.

What Is In An Education?

2007-02-01T00:38:00.000-03:00

Recently released figures concerning the "pitiful state" of Australia's government spending on education among the Rich Nations' Club otherwise known as the OECD has added new sparks to the debate of private vs public education (primary & secondary).

Meanwhile, the real problem is in the inadequate public funding for tertiary education by a government completely flooded with cash but more concerned about buying votes through middle-class welfare than ensuring sustainable prosperity of the country beyond its elected term.

However, primary and secondary education remains a much more emotive issue because a larger number of parents/voters feel directly involved. Most of us are too wrapped up in our own lives and needs to sense the danger of collective complacency brought on by a natural resource based boom in our economy; should we neglect long-term investments in a well trained workforce with not just any tertiary education, but a high quality one, we would not be able to maintain a prosperous society when the supply of our natural resources run low. It should be a serious issue regardless of whether we have children.

Going back to the divisive debate of private vs public, we have numerous friends and relatives with children in both education frameworks on either side of the world so while Guillermo and I presently have no personal interest in this debate, we are nonetheless interested in the dynamics involved.

Guillermo and I were both privately educated but we have different ideas when it comes to whether ideologically (let's put financial considerations aside for the time being) we would send our own children to a private school...

His own experience and observations on his relatives who have gone to the two most prestigious (and expensive) schools in Belgrano R tell him that a private education does not necessarily equip a person with better knowledge or abilities to deal with life.

In plainer words, Argentine private schools are not necessarily there to provide a more academically focused learning environment; their focus is often on providing a protected environment where the privileged can mingle.

Given BA is an unapologetically class conscious society, he sees little merit in putting our children further up and deeper into a delusional ivory tower (the so-called Argentine middle class is largely a sand castle in the air where earning little more US$800 establishes one firmly among the top 5% earners).

There are also a large number of less exclusive private schools in BA which charge a much lower fee (below A$500 per month). However, their existence is more a testimony of the appalling public system; facilities in these private schools are often no better, if not worse than those of a good public school in an affluent country.

Since the Argentine public system is not really a viable choice, my husband concedes that he would be open to further investigations into private schools should we still live in BA when the time comes.

While I agree with him that an academic focus is very important, I would also like to put our children in a pleasant (preferably green and spacious) and synergic environment whereby we can feel, as parents, we are supported in guiding them to become worthy human beings with integrity, discipline, fairness, compassion and good manners.

It seems many parents with children at private schools in Sydney were trying to communicate similar sentiment in latest issue of The Sydney Magazine (Jan 25, Sydney Morning Herald). Reportedly, one father often reminds his four kids that they are privileged to be attending their schools (each child would have set him back a cool US$200,000 by the time they finish secondary school) therefore, he expects effort and commitment from them in return.

On the other hand, despite the Howard government, public education is still relatively healthy in Australia. The approach is somewhat flexible and progressive; it makes sure that gifted students are not "buried in the system".

To begin with, should a child be recognised by a qualified psychologist specialising in early intelligence as gifted as well as emotionally mature, the child can start attending primary school earlier than the statutory age of 6.

Within the framework, academically inclined children are grouped to attend class at a more suitable pace. In the last year of primary school, anyone who wishes to sit for a public selection exam may qualify to attend one of the selective public schools which consistently yield the best scores in the country, outperforming even the best equipped and increasingly academic private schools.

Australian public education is not only a viable choice but an appealing alternative if one's child is an early achiever. However, children who require special assistance and attention to blossom may need more than what the public system can provide.

The great divide, it seems, is that private education produces young adults with a rounded experience beyond academic achievements. However, there is no money back guarantee that private schools would provide the "soft skills" which parents feel lacking in the public system.

Throwing money at your children's education (in schools which often provide elocution classes) doesn't necessarily turn them into true gentlemen or refined ladies as hinted in those schools' glossy promotional brochures and DVDs targeting parents with "aspirations".

In that same article, one parent from a prestigious girls' school in leafy Wahroonga, not too far from where we are staying (at my parents'), told the Sydney Magazine reporter "Of course we have nice cars; we're that sort of school". I suppose that's just a plain and simple illustration that one can buy a status symbol of an education but one may still fail to acquire refinement.

A Matter of Degree

2007-01-23T00:00:00.000-03:00

My nephew Liam who has just turned 9 and my niece Madeleine (aged 5) flew up to Sydney last week to visit their indulgent grandparents (my parents) and us. They flew unaccompanied by their Canberra-based parents but Qantas took excellent care of them during the flight.

Guillermo met them briefly two years ago but this time he had the opportunity to get to know them better during their week's stay under the same roof. I would go as far in saying that he got to know the worst of these kids since their whims were met with little or no resistance from their grandpa and grandma, unlike at home.

Treats which are not allowed often by their parents were showered upon them liberally by mine. Most came in form of cute souvenirs from the Sydney Aquarium gift shop, small toys, and permission to use their newly acquired water pistols to "clean" their grandparents' windows. They also wanted, only occasionally, fruit chews or TicTacs; most of the time, they found their sugar hits in sweet juicy mangoes and refreshing slices of watermelon.

Liam and Maddy ate their main meals sitting down and if we were in a restaurant they were allowed a small glass of Sprite, never Coke; they don't even ask because they already know Coke isn't any good for anyone. When they had eaten, they played quietly in their seats until the adults finished. If they were at home, they asked to be excused before leaving the table.

My niece who was more prone to playing up had occasional problems with the unfamiliar home cooked meals prepared by my mother. Just when Guillermo and I were anticipating the de rigueur request for a bundle of nutritionally deficient refined carbohydrate, salt and saturated fat commonly served in the form of fideos con manteca (pasta with butter), she asked for some penne cooked al dente with pesto. I was thoroughly amused and secretly chuffed that we seem to have another foodie in the making. She tucked into the short pasta with my freshly made pesto with mucho gusto indeed!

Bedtime was another area where Guillermo observed much difference from what he has grown used to witnessing with distaste in Buenos Aires. On the first night, each started getting ready for bed by having a shower, unassisted, at around 8:30pm. They then got on with reading their books they had brought with them. Both turned in around 9:30pm with no drama; pretty much the same as their usual routine at home. (When they were younger, bedtime was set at 7:30pm)

The excitement of being away from home or the realisation that their grandparents had little control over them finally dawned by the second night and their routine went out of the window. My nephew still got ready for bed at the same time but dragged his mattress into the living room as he declared he was to sleep there. Of course, his little sister took the lead and cheerfully followed suit.

In the end, my nephew stayed up to watch a documentary on corporations with Guillermo. This 9 year old was engrossed in the programme which was about corruption and fraudulent activities committed by corporations such as Halliburton, Exxon and Monsanto. Meanwhile, his sister kept asking for her mother. Satisfied with breaking their routine both kids turned in before 10:30pm that evening.

With a taste for more mature programmes as well as the usual Japanese animations in the mornings, the following night my nephew watched a programme on Japanese naval operations around Ceylon during WWII and their political impacts and implications, at the time, on India and the British Empire. On the third night, he watched a sub-titled Italian detective drama Don Matteo with Guillermo and me. On all three occasions during the week which he could have behaved much worse, he went to bed no later than 10:30pm on his own accord.

Guillermo who specialises in expertise which has much to do with the study of intelligence, concurs with neuroscientists that intelligence is largely a developmental process. Findings on the subject rebuke the common perception that some are born smarter than others. My husband mused that these two kids offered a glimpse into this nurturing process which begins with something as simple as having a healthy routine.

Liam (turned 9 in December) is starting Year 5 in his Express Music class at school this February. He has been excelling among boys up to 18 months older, ever since he started primary school soon after he turned 5, not only within his academically demanding Express class but in various inter-State competitions representing his school.

Maddy seems less academically inclined but impressed us nonetheless when I asked her to read to us from the book she had been reading at bedtime. At 5, she managed with minimal difficulty a book which averaged over 70 words per page peppered with words such as "wretched" or "struggle", targeting a readership quite a few years her senior.

After a week with them, we conclude that misbehaving is part of growing up as it is about testing and pushing boundaries. However, we now also have first hand knowledge that kids being drugged up with addictive Coke, sugar laden dulce de leche and neuron-murdering flavourings in papas fritas/ palitos (potato crisps/savoury junk food), or being allowed to party past midnight with their parents is thankfully, not the only way to go.

Our Computer is Dead but We're still Alive

2007-01-15T20:52:00.000-03:00

Long time no blog; sorry folks! While I'd try not to blame other causes than my own laziness and preference to spend sunny mornings down at Balmoral beach, our computer has packed up leaving Guillermo and I to alternate between technological wilderness and banks of flatscreen monitors in the middle of a Westfield Shopping Centre such as right this moment.

Life is sweet and slow at the moment and Guillermo is trying very hard not to overeat as the portion size here has taken the lead from the U.S. and grown out of control. For someone who is brought up to finish everything on his plate, my husband struggled to finish a cafe breakfast of raisin toasts; 2 thick slices of raisin toasts (the same quantity as 4 generous slices of bread) with a large mug of caffe latte which is a lot of leche...and that was only breakfast! (Incidentally, my mother who ordered banana bread at the same cafe was served 2 thick and large slabs which would be almost a full loaf of budin (pound cake). She barely finished 1 icing sugar drenched slice, let alone 2.)

With fresh juice bars and food outlets selling more than just food but the idea of a fresh & light lifestyle, one wonders why Australia is fasting becoming a land of the obese - the key is in the portion. While we mind what we eat and we are what we eat, a lot of people seem to have lost sight on We Are How Much We Eat.

The blooming economy may be flushing people's bank accounts but it may also be choking their arteries; such are the contradictions of a good life.

p.s. I've not been able to respond to comment leavers with our ailing computer but I do read and appreciate your comments. Thank you very much.

To Eliza of Food Diary, I obtained the photo from my online chocolate seller, I'll alert them of your concern.

One City, Two Societies

2007-01-08T04:41:00.000-03:00

One of the luxuries of reading the local newspaper (Sydney Morning Herald in this case) in print rather than online (as I did in Buenos Aires) is being able to savour the editorials.

In the few short weeks we have been here, I've observed that most writers for this major publication, from those in the main section to food writers and restaurant reviewers in the supplement section, are an open-minded, often well-travelled lot who appreciate and celebrate the diverse and multicultural spirit that has become an integral part of Australia in the 21stC.

Even the newspapers' weekly television guide prefers excellent and less commercial programmes of our exceptional and publicly funded multicultural channel, SBS (Special Broadcasting Services) to mind-numbing junk such as The OC and Desperate Housewives. Not only are we able to view SBS' own and other foreign programmes, viewers can watch daily local news broadcast from a number of countries including Italy, Chile, Germany, France, Greece, Japna, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong.

Each day we are told by the media of our young high achievers, Australians of various ethnic descents and cultural backgrounds making us proud of our country. Fields Medal winner Terence Tao, an Australian mathematician of Asian descent, has been nominated for Australian of the Year.

On the whole, the collective culture has shifted from Anglo-Celtic to one that is uniquely Sydney. Chai Latte (Indian), Affogato (Italian), Pho (Vietnamese), Tom Ka Gai (Thai) are as commonplace these days as a meat pie.

This is the Sydney I know and love, however, there is a Sydney I've read much about in print and yet to experience in person. That is a land where one Herald contributor, Lisa Pryor, dubbed as populated by "slack-jawed, cordial-drinking, potato-gem (frozen, processed potato bites) eaters...who are less Australian and more part of a band of international rednecks...who are let's face it, losers in life."

Most Australians would agree that bigotry stems from ignorance and insecurity which explains why racism is generally more obvious in the poorer parts of the city and among the less educated sector of society.

However, that is certainly not the rule; rich and popular yet trashy Hollywood entertainer Rosie O'Donnell was certainly not shy in broadcasting her bigot humour. And we need to look no further than the little blogsphere of Buenos Aires to spot her compatriot of the same ilk.

A Quick Hola from Sydney

2007-01-05T23:40:00.000-03:00

Guillermo and I have quickly settled into our daily routine of early breakfast followed by a brisk morning walk around the hilly terrain of our (my parents') genteel neighbourhood. Generally, the rest of the day is devoted to introducing him to the North Shore of Sydney, one suburb at a time. Since we are here until late February I'm sure we'll make it across the Bridge some time very soon. (At the moment he only knows the City, Bondi beach, and the great Sydney Fish Market)

While my husband is blown away by all those magnificent trees characteristic of the Upper North Shore where we are staying, I suspect his porteño spirit is yearning for a local cafe within a few minutes' walk from home where he could read his broadsheet with a good dose of caffeine. If he has already fallen in love with the Australian lifestyle on this shore, he is going to find his spiritual home across the Harbour.

While we are enjoying a tranquil summer across the ocean from Buenos Aires, I am pleasantly surprised by new visitors to this blog who have taken the time to share their own experience and unique view of the Argentine society.

I am most appreciative that these new comment leavers who have led undulated porteño existence (one is a porteña of Japanese descent) have bucked the trend which is being promoted by a handful of expat bloggers with rather un-Democrat and misguided sentiments that observations on the country, unless rose tinted, have no place.

Positivism is great but if left in the wrong hands, it is no more than yardage for Emperor's new clothes; and this particular Emperor already has an extensive wardrobe.

Big Smoke

2006-12-31T21:10:00.000-03:00

Happy 2007!

With all the feasting and fresh air of the past week, I may have overdone the rest and relaxation which has in turn induced a much feared writer's block.

What marks the arrival of a New Year in Sydney, every year, is a spectacular fireworks display at the beautiful harbour on New Year's Eve. Almost a million people went out to the waterfront along the coastline last night to catch a closer glimpse of those iridescent sparkles.

Guillermo had barely recovered from the competitive yet somewhat wonton consumerism at the Christmas sale and was then shocked by how much the city was blowing up in one Big Smoke - A$4 million (about US$3 million) in less than an hour. It is interesting to see how my Argentine husband reacts to a lifestyle which Sydneysiders take for granted.

I must confess that before my experience in Argentina I also took my comfortable lifestyle for granted; never had I stopped to think that we actually lived in a rich country. Our idea of "wealth" has been so elevated that we know not to appreciate our own riches.

The past 18 months I spent living in Buenos Aires has helped me to appreciate the opportunities and choices available to Guillermo and I. We hope we would be able make available the same, if not more, wonderful opportunites and choices to our children one day.

To us, the picture of our future and the choices we have to make are becoming increasing clear.

Tales from The Other City

2006-12-27T20:43:00.000-03:00

25 hours after leaving Buenos Aires, Guillermo and I finally arrived at Sydney Airport. Everything went well on this long journey except the 4 hour delay in Auckland and that we had to leave behind the jars of dulce de leche we had brought with us at the Australian Customs.

We have since learnt that Argentina is not on the approved list of countries from which dairy products are allowed to be brought into Australia. Guillermo suspects that has to do with an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Argentina some years ago.

This Australian summer has turned out to be fairly mild so far. Our Christmas Day was spent lounging on the open deck of a spectacular waterfront property. Guillermo was stunned by the breathtakingly beautiful harbour so close, it was almost touchable.

Lunch was a casual and multicultural affair in which the guests, including us, grazed on Italian style grilled vegetables, Greek dolmas, Southeast Asian satays and pot stickers while beer and wine were flowing in Aussie style abundance. We then moved indoors to a feast of turkey, ham, roasted vegetables, salads and of course, more wine.

Sweet endings were the national dessert, Pavlova, and Bill Granger's white chocolate mousse with fresh blueberries. We headed home in daylight not realising it was already close to eight in the evening.

Guillermo and I are being spoilt rotten since my parents and extended family have planned a string of diversified culinary treats for us to satisfy our pent-up desires over the past 18 months.

From the addictive aroma of Illy coffee to a proper Yum Cha with prawn dumplings and an unending array of curious delights (to a relative novice like Guillermo) being carted around the cavernous Golden Century restaurant, or the fresh clean air and serenity of suburban North Shore to the rampant consumerism at the Christmas sales, at times we feel like we have just landed on a different planet.

None more so than last night when Guillermo declared he just had the best meal in his life. We went over to my uncle's for dinner. My aunt's parents, both excellent home cooks, were originally from Sichuan which is famed for their fragrantly spicy cuisine.

We had salmon sashimi and freshly shucked oysters followed by steamed whole chicken in soy, steamed grouper fish with shallots and a number of muy picante (very spicy) vegetable dishes expertly done using a vegetable, native to Sichuan, which my aunt grows organically in her backyard in Sydney.

This pale green plant looks deceptively ordinary. The long pointy leaves are usually lightly stir fried and then dressed in sesame oil and chilli oil. The almost tuber like stalk can be eaten raw in a salad; ours last night was one of shredded carrot, shredded stalk of this green vegetable and mung bean vermicelli dressed in soy, sesame oil and chilli flakes. When lightly stir fried, it takes on a texture somewhere between cooked cucumber and Chinese summer melon.

With this much feasting, Guillermo has been true to his words; he has taken up running in our leafy neighbourhood each morning. While I'm sure he enjoys the enveloping greenery very much, I suspect his exercising is to do with making room for the amazing meals to come.

On a High Note

2006-12-21T09:53:00.000-03:00

I am a firm believer of each city revealing herself to each individual in different ways.

There are plenty of people who think of Venice as a tourist trap and that Roman waiters are rude. But Venice murmured only sweet nothing to me and my experience with Roman waiters? Um, let's just say I found them almost too friendly.

Buenos Aires has chosen to reveal to me her multifaceted self. In this chaotically attractive city, I've made firm friends, acquired a family and a beautiful apartment.

On the other hand, I have also experienced the kind of bureaucratic horrors which I can't share in print. If you read this post and imagine something 100 times worse with a large sum of money, in USD, being requested from me which in turn led me to seek Consular assistance...you may just get a glimpse of the tip of one of the many icebergs I encountered in getting acquainted with Buenos Aires.

I am proud that I fought that battle among many other battles when everyone, especially the corrupt parties involved, thought I couldn't. (I once read an interview of some young North Americans who set up a business here; they made an almost too deliberate point in saying there wasn't any funny business under the table, etc. Incidentally why would anyone be foolish enough to admit, in a newspaper interview, to bribing officials when it is officially a criminal offence with a gaol sentence?!)

Anyway, enough time has passed to enable me to look at those incidents as character building experiences. On a good day, I can even see them as blessings in disguise because I will never ever have any naïvely romantic illusion of this city.

I am also glad that I persevered with mending my differences with La Familia. I can look back now and feel a sense of achievement, and look forward to a new chapter in life; be it in Buenos Aires or another city.

December 2006 for Guillermo and me is definitely a better place in time than that of the previous year. Both of us are really excited about what 2007 would bring.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hasta 2007!

My Perfect Day in BA

2006-12-20T09:56:00.000-03:00

From a quick Technorati search before closing la cocina for 2006 I realised I was tagged for a MEME of "My Perfect Day in BA" from a fellow blogger, Alan of Buenos Aires Travel Guide. Despite my aversion to the local expat scene in general, I seriously contemplated what would constitute a perfect day in Buenos Aires for me.

As I said before, I am not particularly interested in "expat life in BA" as a subject. I have lovely friends who happen to be expats but equally I've progressive minded porteño friends. I'm more interested in people's thoughts than where they are from. Of course, I also have an Argentine family.

So naturally, my perfect day would probably be of little interest to expats and tourists. I thought about exploring the flowers market in Chacarita...but when I met my new porteño student yesterday, Mr P, I decided I would mention him instead.

Three hours of cooking and chatting with Mr P, I believe I have had my perfect day in Buenos Aires. Don't be alarmed, let me explain why...

This picture of glowing health and calm came to my cooking course to learn about Asian cuisines because he claims there is no decent or authentic Asian restaurant in this city at all. His daring proclamation would probably upset many proud porteños and cause me to receive another incoherent hate mail.

Mr P works at the high and risky end of global finance; he is extremely well-travelled and has eaten at some of the best tables and street hawkers' worldwide. Of those Asian restaurants in Palermo SoHo/Hollywood/Viejo or whatever fancy name they are calling the same few blocks these days, his only comment was delivered with a smirk that they are trendily decked-out.

We chatted about various Asean cultures and the astounding economic progress China has made in the short time since they opened their market in the 70s. However, we bonded over our food related adventures in New York, Shanghai and other bustling financial centres and capital cities. He was particular curious when I told him I once ate sushi made from horsemeat in Tokyo.

Anyone who is familiar with a proper sushi restaurants in Tokyo (and I don't mean those with a conveyor belt) would tell you the same, there is no menu and the best seats are by the counter. One chats with the sushi master and he would present his edible works of art, plate by plate, until one says stop.

I was taken to such a sushi restaurant frequented by financiers; my host was a regular client there. After some of the freshest maguro (fatty tuna) and uni (sea urchin) I had ever tasted, the sushi master ceremoniously presented a lone piece of sushi in front of me.

It was red and I thought it was another piece of tuna except it looked too lean to be the prized fatty tuna (see photo). My host explained that the sushi master would be honoured if I had what he considered a rare treat which he only bestowed upon his best clients and their guests. It was horse. Honour is most important in a traditional culture like the Japanese; I had no choice but to put it in my mouth.

No, it wasn't bad at all but I don't feel life isn't complete until I taste it again. Besides, my host had to pay for this generosity bestowed upon him, of course.

Going back to Mr P, he tells me he and his wife prefer not to have sweets, not even sugar in their yerba mate. They have three boys and they are bringing them up with healthy eating habits. Since his wife's first pregnancy, they have been cooking with very little salt.

I was really pleasantly surprised by his attitude towards changing for the better. It somehow filled me with positive thoughts and hope. I laughingly told Mr P that I felt much better after hearing his parenting style because I had seriously considered leaving the country, when Guillermo and I have kids, to get away from the kids' culture here. He quipped with a wink that there is no need to be concerned over that, there are already too many other reasons why one should quit this country at once.

I just love meeting worldly porteños who are secured in themselves to carry off a wonderfully mischievous sense of humour.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

2006-12-19T14:36:00.000-03:00

I'm in the midst of packing for our long vacation in the city of beaches, Sydney. Our domestic goddess proactively suggested that she would iron a few outfits for us to pack as we land on Christmas Eve and will probably swing straight into party mode. I don't know about Guillermo, but I sometimes have to pinch myself - we are so lucky to have her!

Guillermo is already vowing to take advantage of our apartment's proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, my head is filled with trips to the Sydney Fish Market which is second only to the Tsuji of Tokyo – tiger prawns, lobsters, top grade maguro (fatty tuna), smoked trout, yum...all my favourites!!

While I am sure I'll bring back a suitcase full of food (my mother has even managed to procure a jar of osmanthus preserved in syrup for me, bless her!), I am actually ferrying no small amount of Argentine delicacies on my way over (the types that would go pass a vigilant Sydney Customs Officer).

My parents fell in love with Yerba Mate when they came here for our wedding in 2005 so I've packed a couple of kilos. We're also bringing a few bottles of Malbec (each person is allowed 2 bottles), boxes of organic mate cocido, jars of La Salamandra's dulce de leche and Cuyen's organic rosehip jam as gifts.

Come to think of it, international trade probably started centuries ago due to human's natural curiosity and desires for what they cannot easily lay their hands on...

An Edible Upgrade

2006-12-18T11:57:00.000-03:00

I have not been subtle about my praises for Chocolate Fenix's grand cru line, named after the family behind the company, Salgado.

While I am not suggesting that the Salgado grand cru bars are comparable to the handsome tavolette (Italian for chocolate bars) of Tuscan Amedei or the most sought after Valrhona, they are a great choice within Argentina; I would rather support an Argentine company which is doing great things for the local chocolate industry and pay A$9 for a 100g of their superlative Carenero Superior or their dark-horse favourite* Esmeralda than fork out an inflated A$14 (or more) for the equal weight in Lindt.

When choices of what should have been classified as vegelates (one of the many offenders is bon-o-bon) are chock-a-block in this town, A$9 for a bar of chocolate is probably pricey for many peso-earners. Of course, this money gets one a taste of real chocolate with 70% cocoa solids rather than an exotic mix of hydrogenated vegetable oils, sugar, milk powder, cocoa powder and flavourings which doesn't even warrant a A$2 peso retail price.

I buy good chocolate judiciously; Guillermo and I occasionally have a dark square each with an after dinner coffee. We would rather eat less chocolate less frequently than sacrifice on taste.

Baking for my cake business, however, is a slightly more delicate matter of margins. If I'm making a chocolate cake, you can bet your life on it that I use chocolate rather than cocoa powder. This is the only trade secret I have: I do not skimp on ingredients. I wouldn't sell a cake which I wouldn't be proud to present to my own family and friends. I can't bring myself to make a dry brown cake, douse it with syrup, and then call it a torta de chocolate.

I had been using chocolate with 60% cocoa solids to keep the retail prices accessible. On the other hand, I kept looking into bulk buying, not to improve margin but to upgrade the quality my products. No, I'm not running a charity; I just believe that top quality products would attract appreciative customers who wouldn't mind paying a justified premium, eventually.

My search effort has not been futile after all. I'm really excited to announce that from 2007, La Otra Dimensión will offer chocolate goodies baked only with Salgado's Esmeralda or Bahia Superior (single origin from Brazil and Ecuador respectively, each with 70% cocoa solids). I'll also be incorporating cocoa nibs in some products. The structure of my cooking course would also change to reflect clients' requests. Watch out for an exciting make-over of the web-site in early 2007!

*After much tasting and testing, a number of chocoholics have agreed that the top 3 Salgado chocolates do not necessarily correspond to their slight variances in price. They are Carenero Superior, Esmeralda and Bahia Superior.

Having a Laugh

2006-12-17T14:04:00.000-03:00

Since Ollie of ArgyBargy alerted me to their web-site's make-over, I have checked-in a number of times for a good dose of professional journalism worthy of The Guardian.

Recently, Ollie loosely translated an editorial of La Nación which apeared on December 14th with a heading that sent the message "Tourists Go Home!" Guillermo and I proceeded to read the original text in Spanish via the link provided.

First of all, La Nación is the right wing conservative newspaper supporting el campo (the countryside) and the landed classes of Argentina.

The newspaper's readers, mainly the wealthy elites of this country, are most likely the ones who bank overseas and therefore tripled their already enormous wealth overnight from the forced and compulsory conversion of all bank deposits in US dollar to peso, in Argentina, during the financial crisis of 2001; and are the ones who continue to benefit from the booming exportation of agricultural products and meat resulted from the new lower peso.

Any objective observer would probably think they are having a very good deal; but no, that's not quite enough for this spoilt bunch. They have raised their hands for more – how dare taxes and poverty of their compatriots stand between them and their complete lording over the country! And the poor? They can't see them from their estancias (ranches) anyway! Can't afford meat? Let them eat cake!

Now that I've filled in the background, let's go back to that editorial. All in all, it may just be the writer's harmless but poor attempt at satire. Guillermo has long had issues with the poor grammar and quality of writing of the newspaper; with all their privileges and private school education, he logically expected better.

The editorial in question certainly got me laughing because I am still enjoying steaks along with all the trimmings at my local greasy spoon for less than A$25. A$4 gets me through my occasional craving for cafe con leche con media lunas (a cup of flat white with 3 brioches). But of course, these landlords who bascially already own this country wouldn't dream of stepping into my centrally located greasy spoon or a drab local cafe in case they have to be in close proximity with the plebeians (oh, sorry; I mean their compatriots!)

This is the irony they face: The wealthy and the landed want to lord over this country by squeezing every last bit out of it at the lowest costs to themselves possible; and the tourists are an inconvenience because these hard-currency carriers are making privileged living cost more than they got used to paying.

For this bunch with their severe one-way tunnel vision who went on strike because they thought it was only fair that they charge fellow Argentines international prices for their produce to actually feel indignant that they have to pay still-less-than international prices for top drawer local goods and services...sorry, I've to stop right here and roll around laughing. It's simply too funny!

Oh, do excuse my poor attempt at satire; I'm just one of those "gringos de todos los colores" that should go home, according to La Nación.

Dark Magic

2006-12-16T12:00:00.000-03:00

Volcán de chocolate (soft-centred chocolate cake) has been done to death by restaurants worldwide and more recently, in Buenos Aires. I predict cocoa nibs, actually a wonderfully versatile ingredient, would be the next target by culinary tourists.

Cocoa nibs (nibs de cacao) are simply roasted cocoa beans separated from their husks and broken into small bits. They are the essence of chocolate. Nibs add crunch and chocolate flavour without the added sweetness from sugar.

I first came across cocoa nibs in early 2003, in Chantal Coady's book Real Chocolate. Ms Coady is one of the founders of The Chocolate Society in London and the owner of Rococo on King's Road, Chelsea. Rococo was the first supplier of cocoa nibs in London.

In her book, Ms Coady uses cocoa nibs in a brioche which makes a perfect partnership with foie gras.

As they say, you are only really famous if you're famous in the U.S.A. Sad but I can see a grain of truth somewhere in there, so naturally cocoa nibs' meteoric rise to fame has to be credited to U.S. food writers. Michael Recchiuti, in his book Chocolate Obsession, caramelises these dark gems and uses them in a cocoa nib ice-cream. Another writer/ baker/ chocolatier, Alice Medrich uses this ingredient liberally in chocolate mousse, cookies and ice cream; all included in her recent book, Bitter Sweet.

In short, one could experiment by adding these nibs in savoury dishes or play safe (but not boring) by replacing nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruits with them in baking and dessert making.

Being a recipe hoarder, I had resisted collecting recipes using cocoa nibs; the simple reason being that of difficulty sourcing it in this city. However, I have no reason to resist anymore!

Buenos Aires based Chocolate Fenix now sells cocoa nibs online, along with their wonderful Salgado line of Grand Cru Chocolates. They are so named because each bar contains single origin, 70% cocoa solids. Like fine wines, each has a distinctive character. My personal favourite is Carenero Superior.

With an increasingly large number of sweet recipes featuring cocoa nibs, I am tempted to explore a little further.

Adding bitter chocolate to caponata, a Sicilian version of the French ratatouille, is nothing new but adding a handful of cocoa nibs? Um, I'll find out...

This recipe is adapted from Zazu in Santa Rosa, a roadhouse restaurant surrounded by 150 of Sonoma County's acclaimed wineries.

1/3 cup Pinot Noir
1/3 cup yellow raisins
1/4 cup olive oil
1 eggplant, diced, salted for 1/2 hour and patted dry
2 garlic cloves, minced
a pinch of chili flakes
2 celery stalks, diced small
1/2 medium red onion, diced small
2/3 cup diced canned tomatoes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
30g dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup caper berries, rinsed
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced
2 tbsp cocoa nibs
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a small sauce pan on high heat, bring the pinot noir to a boil and pour over the raisins to plump. In a large sauté pan on medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and chili flakes, stirring until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the onions and celery, and saute until the onions are transluscent, about 5 more minutes. Add the eggplant and saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, vinegar, and chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely incorporated.

Add the yellow raisins, capers, parsley, and cocoa nibs and stir to combine.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to cool. Serve room temperature with grilled rustic bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Our Daily Servings

2006-12-15T10:16:00.000-03:00

I would never be able to convince the fanatics that this blog is not about trashing a country or a people, just my observations on both the good and the bad I have encountered, so far, in Buenos Aires.

While I do occasionally mention things happening in other cities, no comparisons are intended and least of all any intention to show Argentines up as inadequate.

My feeling is that if one isn't interested in knowing what is going on in other parts of the World, one leads a cloistered life with a narrow mind; and if one cannot put one's defensive reflexes aside, one would never improve oneself and thereby one's society.

Sorry, I have gone off on a tangent here because all I would like to say today is how wonderfully positive that some governments and agencies have woken up to take a serious look at how our modern lifestyle is changing our health.

More "low-fat" and "low-sugar" alternatives are available to our generation but why do we suffer more lifestyle related health problems than our ancestors?

The Buenos Aires based Centro de Estudio sobre Nutricón Infantil (Cesni) reported earlier this year that their specialists had studied children aged 1-4 across social demographics. They lament that Argentine children within this age group, regardless of wealth, consume only 5% of their daily calorie intake in the form of vegetables and fruits of which 70% from potatoes and almost no fruits.

More alarmingly is the fact that of their entire calorie intake which surpasses what is necessary on a daily basis, 30% comes from junk food. Real food powers our body and mind like real fuel for engines. By feeding the body junk food, we are following a simple formula of garbage in, garbage out.

However, Argentina is not alone in fighting this problem; Kathryn, a naturopath and the brilliant blogger behind Lime & Lycopene, is confronting very similar issues in Sydney. She is blogging a mixed bag of encouraging breakthroughs and a set of not completely satisfactory statistics across the State of New South Wales (Sydney is the largest city within that State).

Their State's health department carried out a comprehensive study in which the researchers reported that among children aged 2 -15, 68% eat adequate quantities of fruit and only 20% eat adequate quantities of vegetables. Adequate, in this case, means meeting the Australian dietary guidelines which recommend consuming up to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day, depending on age.

The statistics, in broad brush, shows that Australians prefer their fruits over their vegetables and in general are consuming some of the total 7 recommended servings rather than none but there is still a lot of room for improvement. The government has been pushing a very public "Go 2 & 5" campaign which goes as far as providing tips on how to split the servings throughout the day.

In the resulting report, the Chief Health Officer of NSW wrote: "Good health enhances the quality of human life and benefits the community. The opportunity to participate in and contribute to society is maximised in a healthy population."

Changing habits is hard for everyone but if we could approach change with a positive attitude, we are already on the road to success. I, for one, am extremely grateful that such information are highlighted in the media and blogsphere so as to remind us that we cannot afford to take our health for granted.

"Naughty, nutritious, healthy and delicious". Healthy eating doesn't have to mean chewing on rabbit food or milanesa de soja (milanesa made with a soy patty instead of meat).

I've just come across a really tempting risotto of celeriac, thyme and walnut here. It is more a guideline than a recipe; the ingredients are a clove of garlic, two lengths of spring onion (scallion), a celeriac bulb cut into small cubes, chopped thyme, almost one full cup of shelled walnuts, one heaped cup of risotto rice, and some vegetable stock.

To finish, drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some grated pecorino and a bit more thyme. If you prefer, you can melt some grated pecorino into a crispy wafer as a garnish and to add some crunch.

A Sweet Farewell

2006-12-14T10:21:00.000-03:00

In the 18 months, Guillermo and I have been living in Buenos Aires we keep meeting others who have also just moved to this South American city. Some of them have moved here to stay and others are here for work which means they would eventually leave.

Yesterday, I was sad to say goodbye to a sweet and extremely able couple, Matt and Lorena. I wish them all the best in their exciting new ventures in beautiful Valparaiso, Chile. From the photos they showed me, it is a seaside town with loads of character and Old World charm.

Matt told me that the Chilean government is pouring funds into shaping up the already attractive town; part of the public funds is in the form of subsidy to be paid to residents for beautifying the exterior of their own houses. In reply, I half-jokingly said Chile sounds like an E.U. country misplaced in Latin America!

I have already scored an invitation to stay at their stunning home which they will turn into a charming bed & breakfast with soothing sea view. How did I do it? I credit my Gâteau Bellevue...

This butter-less yet rich chocolate cake is an invention of famed French pâtissier Christophe Felder and the recipe is included in his book, Le Chocolat de Christophe Felder. Without easy access to international online shopping in this city, I found the recipe through a number of French food bloggers.

It seems while foodies blogging in English are all charmed by madeleines or challenged by macarons, the French bloggers are busy perfecting their own version of Gâteau Bellevue.

Although there is no butter in the cake, it is by no means fat-less; the secret ingredient is cream, thankfully not a lot. I made my version with hazelnuts instead of almonds which gave it almost a hint of Ferrero Roche. Since it is for Matt's birthday, I also made a chocolate ganáche to cover the cake.

When I first started cooking with chocolate, I often heard the warning of not letting chocolate touch water or it would "seize up" and become a hard, gritty, unusable mess. It wasn't until I read the book, Real Chocolate, penned by Chantal Coady of Rococo Chocolates in Chelsea, London that I realised water and chocolate can go together, at the right temperature. So instead of a heavy cream or butter ganáche, I made a water one following her advice.

As the cake is meringue based, unless I bake it very thin, it would sink in the middle upon cooling. Being currently a little obsessed with minimalist presentation, I baked mine in a rectangular loaf tin instead.

The loaf still managed to concave a little. To get a flat surface to ice on, I waited until it was cooled and turned it over, bottom facing up. It was left overnight under a loose cover for the cake to develop some moistness and mellowed flavours. The dent, at the bottom after it was turned, had disappeared by the following morning.

I left the icing until last minute. The end result actually resembled an angular bûche de Noël; the cake was both rich in taste and surprisingly light and moist in texture. It would indeed make a great finale to an indulgent Christmas feast.

Gâteau Bellevue

4 eggs
125g dark chocolate, with at least 60% cocoa
100ml pouring cream
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp plain flour
50g finely ground almond (or hazelnut)
8 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Line the bottom of a 24cm cake tin or a large loaf tin.

Separate the eggs. Melt chocolate with cream and milk. Add egg yolks to the chocolate mixture and then add flour, and almond meal.

Separately whisk egg whites with sugar until firm. Lightly cut the chocolate mixture into the egg white mixture.

Bake for 30-35min.

To make water ganáche, simple let 225ml of boiling water melt 225g of chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted, stir well to fully combine.

Sugar is Sweet, Pretenders are Not!

2006-12-12T16:55:00.000-03:00

If I had a "peeves" list, the ludicrous advice I've been hearing from licensed nutritionists in this city comes close to the top.

After one licenciado (licensed practitioner) showed alarming ignorance and arrogance in telling my sister-in-law (who has to learn all about milk allergy to take proper care of her daughter) that milk allergens are found in milk but not cream, another one had told her to add artificial sweeteners to Maria-Paula's formula powder which the little girl consumes regularly. This advice means that her tiny two year-old body is processing no small amount of saccharin daily.

Saccharin, the first widely available chemical sweetener, has been replaced by aspartame in most countries but is still an ingredient in some prepared foods, gum, toothpaste, and over-the-counter medicines. However, it is the main ingredient in the most popular, widely available brand of artificial sweetener in Argentina – Hileret.

Remember those carcinogen warnings on the side of products that contained saccharin? They no longer appear because industry testing showed that saccharin only caused bladder cancer in rats. What these industry experts performing such testing don't like to dwell on is that most researchers agree that in sufficient doses, saccharin is carcinogenic in humans. The question is: how do we know how much artificial sweeteners each individual body can tolerate?

Artificial sweeteners are not food which is why they carry very few calories. Instead, they are body toxins capable of causing possible irreversible cell damage which is why they are never a good idea for pregnant women, children or teenagers despite the reduced sugar content.

If you still decide it's worth all the risks, I can't say more than I urge you to find out as much facts as possible before ingesting these chemicals. Also pay attention to your body, your mood and your cravings. If you track your response to artificial sweeteners, it may surprise, or spook, you.

When I posted the dangers of aspartame previously, I made a brief mention of Splenda which I am sure, given time, would reach our shores.

Splenda is the trade name for sucralose - a synthetic compound stumbled upon in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation.

It is true that the Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar) — except that three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms.

Manufacturers of products using Splenda are touting their products as "natural". Although the FDA has no definition for "natural", it didn't stop their press release on sucralose parroting the claim that "it is made from sugar" — an assertion disputed by the Sugar Association, which is suing Splenda's manufacturer, McNeil Nutritionals.

While some industry experts claim the molecule is similar to table salt or sugar, other independent researchers say it has more in common with pesticides. That's because the bonds holding the carbon and chlorine atoms together have more characteristic of a chlorocarbon than a salt — and most pesticides are chlorocarbons. Well, are you all that surprised when the scientists who discovered Splenda had the intention of making pesticide?!

The inventors of Splenda admit around 15% of sucralose is absorbed by the body, but they cannot guarantee us (out of this 15%) what amount of chlorine stays in the body and what percentage flushes out.

Yes, one may argue just because something contains chlorine doesn't mean it has to be toxic. So, is Splenda safe?

The truth is that we just don't know because there are yet to be long-term studies of the side effects of Splenda in humans. However, observational evidence already shows side effects including skin rashes/flushing, panic-like agitation, dizziness and numbness, diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, and stomach pain in some consumers.

Meanwhile do you and your family really wish to serve as test subjects in the latest artificial sweetener experiment?

If this sounds familiar, it should: we went down the same path with aspartame. Almost all of the independent research into aspartame found dangerous side effects in rodents. However, the FDA chose not to take these findings into account when it approved aspartame for public use.

Over the course of 15 years, those same side effects appeared increasingly in humans. Not in everyone, of course; this reason and other mildly worded research reports are where the industry experts, lobbyists and Donald Rumsfeld (former head of Searle which manufactures aspartame) found their necessary loopholes.

The story of Aspartame has been an illustration of the dark side of Corporate America; how a scientific discovery turned into a commercial jackpot for some and then a legal and political labyrinth which has entangled all the innocent users since.

Meanwhile, if we don't let ourselves or the precious little ones become addicted to the taste of refined sugar, we don't have needs for a substitute; thus, life becomes much simpler and ironically, sweeter.

Urban Myths

2006-12-12T10:57:00.000-03:00

It is not often that I seek reading material in Guillermo's office as most of his books have a neuroscience slant to them. However, he was reading out loud a paragraph from one of his collection and I found myself listening with interest.

The book "Early Intelligence - how the brain and mind develop in the first five years of life" is written by Lisa Eliot, a neuroscientist; a Harvard graduate who received her Ph.D from Colombia University. Dr Eliot is an assistant professor at the Department of Neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School and a lecturer at the Erikson Institute, the graduate school of child development in Chicago.

Her book begins with the question "Nature or Nurture?" and it goes on to explain how children are raised in their early years (counting from pregnancy) has a profound impact on their future lives.

She says that we are the product of a "delicate dance between genes and environment". While genes programme the sequence of neural development, its quality is shaped at every turn by our experience. Thus, dispelling the common perception that it is a matter of heredity when it comes to a child's intelligence; intelligence is largely the result of a developmental process.

I am still going through the first quarter of the book which deals with the pregnancy phase of a child's life. The author gives details and cites scientific research findings when she dissects medical advice given to pregnant women. Since her target audience is not necessarily pregnant women, I have found her writing a lot more objective and interesting than an easy to read book written typically for soon-to-be-mothers.

For example, on the subject of alcohol consumption, she rightly says that heavy drinking can cause fetal alcohol syndrome and it also increases the chances of miscarriage and other birth complications. However, she actually gives hard facts and numbers: it happens to 30%-50% of mothers and babies whereby the mothers consume 6 drinks per day during their entire pregnancy.

This neuroscientist says the effects of modest alcohol consumption are more controversial; there is a conspicuous divergence between studies conducted in the United States which tend to find significant effects of modest consumption and those conducted in Europe and Australia which tend to find no effects at all.

I'm definitely not encouraging pregnancy women to consume alcohol. On the other hand, I don't know about you but after knowing how the FDA approved all those dubious artificial sweeteners or how part of the U.S. media is helping the U.S. government in creating doubts about global warming, I am sceptical of research findings coming from a country where much research is done but very often with a commercial or political agenda obtaining results which eerily favour the interest groups providing the funds

Dr. Eliot, in unsubtle words, confirms my scepticism by saying "It is from a public health standpoint, rather than from knowledge of individual risk, that abstinence is now advised during pregnancy."

And it is also from this unlikely source that I've learnt more about monosodium glutamate (MSG) which most people associate with Asian food and restaurants.

MSG is composed of a common amino acid, glutamate, together with one molecule of sodium. Glutamate is a potent favour enhancer not only found in some Asian restaurants (these days, usually in the low-quality and cheap ones) but it is also present in many prepared convenience foods, especially soups, salad dressings, sauces, marinades, luncheon meats, frozen meals, flavoured chips (papas fritas) and crackers (galletitas saladas), and flavoured mixes for rice and pasta.

The author goes as far to say that in fact, the average American (in the US) probably consumes much more glutamate from eating at home than from the occasional Chinese dinner out.

In addition to MSG, glutamate is often added to food in form of "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" which contains from 10-30% glutamate and can be referred to on food labels, confusingly, as "natural" flavouring.

It is unlikely that MSG consumption during pregnancy would damage the foetus's brain as glutamate does not cross the placenta very well. However, the effect of MSG is very different on young children.

Concern about glutamate arises from the fact that high doses are known to kill brain cells, and younger children are especially susceptible to its toxic effects. Glutamate is the most prevalent excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain; when neurons are overexcited by glutamate, in some cases, they can be damaged or even killed - much as an electrical appliance can be damaged if too much current passes through.

I hope this starts people thinking about the deceivingly innocent but toxic cocktail of papas fritas (potato crisps) and diet coke they consume or worse, they feed their toddlers.

Taking Stock

2006-12-11T10:53:00.000-03:00

It has been one full year since the renovation of our apartment. Our lunch on Sunday was like an anniversary celebration. With my bones still arching from exhaustion, I reflect on how things have changed in the past 12 months...

All three abuelos (grandparents) have become significantly more health conscious since Abuela (Guillermo's maternal grandmother) had a series of strokes. Further, my mother-in-law who never exercised voluntarily has started weekly Pilates, acupuncture and is following a balanced diet without any artificial-tasting Ser products (Ser means "to be"; it is the low-calorie range from La Serenissima). These days, she is always smiling and looks radiant; it seems she has kissed that siempre enojada look (or more accurately described as the "fruit stuck permanently up her bottom" look) she used to wear a permanent goodbye. My father-in-law is also eating much less salt, drinking much less coffee, coke and wine; I have finally seen him drinking water!

I am really happy; not so much because I feel vindicated about my early ranting on the gross unhealthiness and gluttony they, like so many porteños, allowed themselves but that some of my newly acquired family members have finally learnt to treasure their constitutions.

One wouldn't dream of putting diesel in a Ferrari or let it look shabby and grotty, why would we put junk into our system and sacrifice our health? Surely one's health is much more valuable than a piece of machinery, however well designed it maybe.

I am also beginning to understand the reasons for those extreme and, at times, aggressive reactions I receive for saying coke and diet coke are not suitable soft drinks for children; pastel-coloured yoghurt and galletitas (biscuits, usually sweet and mostly made with trans-fats) do not count as a healthy meal for the young ones; and that green vegetable and fruits should be an important part of our daily consumption, not an afterthought...

I have realised, sadly, it is not about whether it makes sense to live better but that it entails radical changes in entrenched behaviour and the admission that they have been mistaken. The anger is to do with their desire to defend status quo and their comparing themselves with "even worse" diets and people elsewhere, a denial of their erred judgment. Of course, there are also a few die-hards who still believe thinness is the testament of health, and it doesn't matter if their svelte bodies never come into contact with whole foods and drinking water.

So going back to our feast yesterday, I started my guests on some "deconstructed" crostini as antipasti: "muddled" avocado with spring onion, seasoned with a squeeze of lemon and a light sprinkle of sea salt; and my take on the French tapanade, my version was made of green olives, pistachios and queso blanco (cream cheese; I would have used goat's curd if it were available in Buenos Aires) in separate bowls accompanied by small rounds of toasts (from a ficelle).

The Morrocan-ish roast chicken followed; I decided after all to stick to the couscous stuffing with almonds and dates. The mixture of cumin, cinnamon, cardamom (my last minute inspiration) and honey went down a treat with everyone; the whole bird was devoured within minutes.

I had prepared more food per person because they used to be much bigger eaters, so a slow-baked beef shanks in soy, vinegar and rice wine, sautéed broccoli, and glutinous rice followed.

These last dishes didn't go down as well, firstly because most of the guests were already half full from the crostini they continued munching while waiting for my eldest brother-in-law and his family which eventually turned up 40 minutes late without any explanation, let alone a simple "sorry" to indicate there was a shred of manners in them. Secondly, this rather annoying delay meant that the beautiful melting texture resulted from slow baking meat was beginning to turn into chewy jerky.

No matter, the last course was another stunner. I had long wanted to introduce the undiluted taste of gianduia (pairing chocolate with hazelnut, originated from Torino) to La Familia. For pudding, I baked a flourless hazelnut cake, and paired it with the velvety chocolate gelato I made from my precious tin of Cacao di Pernigotti and Salgado's Carenero Superior. For my mother-in-law and Abuela, I made a blueberry yoghurt panna cotta. Both fell in love with the slight tartness of arandanos frescos (fresh blueberries).

The preparation, cooking and cleaning up afterwards is more tiring than I remembered. Although I'm sure I'd forget about that aspect soon enough and send out our next round of invitations to those in La Familia who have a modicum of respect for time-keeping.

Flourless Hazelnut Cake

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
6 tbsp sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups whole hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed
pinch of fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 180C. Butter and lightly flour a 22-23 cm springform cake tin.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons of the sugar until thick and pale yellow.

Process the hazelnuts in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of sugar until they are finely ground.

Whisk the egg whites and salt in a large bowl or the work bowl of an electric mixer until foamy. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and whisk until they form soft peaks.

Mix the ground nuts into the egg yolk mixture, mix one-quarter of the egg whites into the nut mixture and then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites and turn the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake the cake in the center of the oven until it is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove the side of the pan and let the cake cook completely before removing it from the bottom of the pan.

Just before serving, sift icing sugar over the cake if desired.

A Matter of Timing

2006-12-10T17:34:00.000-03:00

Piled up among my stack of Italian cookbooks, I noticed an artfully bound journal covered in an old fashioned, multi-colour Venetian print-pattern. I opened it and saw half familiar scrawls; written in a different time, at a different place and by an almost different person...

Somewhere in the journal it says "I wake up to the sound of birds chirping. When I push the library-green shutters and open the window, I hear the city, at its most serene, being woken up by a symphony of campanili (bells). When I look out onto the garden through my window, I feel I have been in Venice forever..."

On another page, "...The San Giuseppi sisters remind me of Sr. Carla at the Italian convent where I attended primary school, delightful yet strict. They look like merli (Italian for black birds; the sisters wear their habit in black) busying themselves in their daily chores with feet shuffling very close to the cool terrazzo floor...”

"Mother Superior has the eyes of an indulgent grandmother; she always wants to feed me more and asks me each morning how I had slept. She loves to hear every detail of my adventures outside their convent, Casa Carbulotto..."

"...Sister Olympia's tiny frame is overwhelmed by her severe habit. If Mother Superior is the grandmother, she is the loving grand-aunt who greets me with ciao bella when she pours me caffè latte each morning... "

"...Although I get told off by the sisters when I dash pass the closing door at this convent every night, dangerously close to the curfew, I am safe in the knowledge that they each have a heart of gold..."

Pity, all that happened just before "blog" became a word.

Kindness & Bounty

2006-12-09T13:29:00.000-03:00

The public holiday yesterday turned out to be rewarding in more ways than one. Our esoterically tuned masseuse Diana paid me an afternoon visit. I often joke that I turn into the worst hostess with her because she routinely declines my offer of food and drink, not even a drop of mineral water would go pass her lips when she visits our home.

On the other hand, she is always bearing me gifts – trays of organic eggs (once there were so many that I had to give some away), medicinal herbs and ointments; even homemade sweetened red bean paste (red bean is commonly known as aduki) from her family's well-guarded recipe. This time she brought me a bag of glutinous rice (糯米).

This short-grained Asian rice turns very sticky when cooked. Almost every Asian culture has its unique way of transforming the humble grains into culinary delights. Glutinous rice is typically used in the Chinese culture for a leave-wrapped parcel of rice and meat called 糭子 (pronounced zòngzi) eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival 端午節 in May and during autumn and winter for it is believed that, in addition to the rustic yumminess, glutinous rice nourishes our Chi.

One way the Chinese cook glutinous rice is in a sweet 八寶飯 which means "eight treasures rice". This pudding, most often eaten with the floral syrup of Osmanthus, is popular in the Jiansu province (where Shanghai is located). It is made from sticky rice steamed with sugar, red bean paste and eight kinds of fruits or nuts. This elaborate dish is often the last course of important festive meals when the whole family celebrate together.

On the other hand, it is the Thai cuisine that should be credited for propelling glutinuous rice to international recognition through their national pudding, sticky rice with mango and coconut cream.

Glutinous rice should not be confused with the also short-grained rice which is used to make gohan (cooked rice) in Japan. Our glutinous rice is referred to in Japanese as mochi rice.

Cooked mochi rice is stickier than conventional Japanese rice which is already quite sticky compared to the long-grained Jasmine rice favoured by most other south-east Asian countries. Mochi rice is commonly used for daifukumochi 大福餅 (rice dumplings filled with sweetened adzuki paste), other sweet pastries or pounded into rice cakes which are usually grilled and then served in a savoury soup or wrapped in nori seaweed.

This bagful is a timely gift for La Familia tomorrow. I am going to make a savoury dish simply referred to as 糯米飯 or glutinuous rice. I have been soaking 3 cups of the rice with water. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to steam the rice until 80% cooked (equivalent to par-boiling, just without actually touching water).

When the rice is steamed it would turn sticky. If sourcing ingredients weren't such an issue, I would then fry the rice with some dried Shitake mushrooms 冬菇 (soaked and softened) with diced up chinese duck liver sausages 臘腸, dried shrimps 蝦米 or the pricier conpoy 瑤柱. Some cooks even add a bunch of roasted peanuts for texture.

Since, I don't have all the ingredients to make the trad version, I am going to just fry the rice with some soaked Shitake mushrooms and diced up spicy salami.

I am still tossing between sticking with couscous stuffing intended for the roast chicken I have been planning to make and serve the rice as another side dish or throw all the rules out and stuff the bird with some of the sticky scrumptious mess and in doing so turning it into a Chinese dish inspired by a Cantonese delicacy 糯米釀雞翼 - stuffed chicken wings with glutinous rice. In this labour intensive dish, each chicken wing is skilfully de-boned, stuffed with gultinuous rice and then fried. The resulting wings hold their shape beautifully.

A Bonus Harvest

2006-12-08T11:29:00.000-03:00

I have lost count of the number of public holidays in Buenos Aires province or in this country – the two are not always the same. However, today is a national public holiday celebrating Ascension de La Virgen (Ascension of Virgin Mary).

Despite being baptised as Roman Catholic at 3 months and a convent educated girl since kindergarten, I had only a vague idea of this day and it was only yesterday I realised it is a public holiday in Argentina.

I breathed a sigh of relief because this feriado (public holiday) leaves me "bonus" time to organise our upcoming trip home to Sydney, the Sunday lunch we are hosting for La Familia with all their different dietary needs and desires and the cooking classes I am teaching next week.

In my attempt to organise and deplete stock in my pantry and freezer, I have left myself a little short on nibbles for morning coffee and afternoon tea. One cake fest after another in the past weeks with knowledge that only more such occasions are coming before the month is out...I had been exercising some restraint.

That was until I remember my still "virgin" purchase from Doña Clara – some old fashioned individual madeleine moulds. I bought them instead of the much-easier-on-life silicon tray because the shape of the resulting baby cakes is different from the common, run of the mill, ones we see everywhere. These simple and cheap moulds flare out at the end, like stems of wheat being gathered at the waist. The idea alone hooked and wheeled me in.

There are a large number of yummy recipes and gorgeous photos on the subject of Proust's favourite accompaniment to tea*. Some use ground almond to add crumbly moistness, others stick to the convenience of butter and flour. I've laid out some butter and eggs so they reach room temperature by the time I finish this post; and the recipe? I think I would have to turn to a talented French blogger who not only weaves magic in the kitchen but behind the lens.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Bea's matcha madeleines.

*The quote, in very fine print, below the cartoon reads "Ah, Monsieur Proust we would like to discuss product placement for one of our cakes." ;-)

Post mortem: I baked my first batch according to the temperature stated with passable results. I then turned the oven up to an intuitive 180C which yielded better looking and tasting madeleines. Alternatively, try suggestion in Bea's comment section - 230C for 5-8 min. then 180C for 5.

Another Inconvenient Truth

2006-12-07T09:31:00.000-03:00

Since much of my recent thoughts have revolved around two growing porteñas whom I adore very much, Gabriela and Maria-Paula, I have taken a fresh and more serious look at how advertisements affect our decisions as consumers.

For quite some time now, I have been feeling particularly uncomfortable about two television advertisements aired on various local channels during the "family hours". Each advertisement targets the mother, the individual with decision making power as to what food is purchased and consumed by her family, especially her children.

The first is a dairy product by La Serenissima named Cremix. It is an overly sweetened yoghurt artificially flavoured with vanillin and made with an extra dose or two of emulsifier to make it thick and creamy; hence the name which conjures up idea of lush creaminess.

The prime time advertisement shows an actor being portrayed as a "yoghurt expert" asking volunteers to taste-test Cremix, the yoghurt in question. An actress playing a mother, with her DNI number showing on screen, testifies that Cremix is indeed extremely creamy, tasty, blah, blah, blah... Then the camera zooms in on her children, played by a very cute bunch of child actors, who also tasted the yoghurt and proceeded to sing its praises too.

This is what is termed, within the advertising industry, as "testimonial selling" which is based on the dubious but effective belief that when someone, anyone, seemingly objective and unrelated to the producer of the product, tells you the product is good, it's got to be good because that's the "truth".

This Cremix advertisement has been denounced by an advertising professional in his article Esto es verdad, written for Clarín (a major local newspaper), as lacking in creativity and credibility. However, Cremix remains one of the best selling yoghurts.

The second advertisement is a lot more creepy in the sense that it tries to send a subliminal and "aspirational" message to consumers by portraying a happy, healthy, good looking family at dinner time but something seemed lacking until Patyviena hotdog sausages were served. Coincidentally, hotdog sausages contain no small amount of additives, colouring and non-meat substances including milk allergens. Well, reconstituted mystery meat for dinner anyone?

Consumers seldom think too deeply about advertisements, especially in the evenings, after a long day's work. It is precisely this lack of awareness in self-defense the advertisers are exploiting with great success.

Across the ocean, a journalist at Sydney Morning Herald has similar issues with Cottees, a cordial manufacturer over there. Their devious advertisement campaign runs with the tag line: "Kids need water. Cottee's makes it fun."

No claims have actually been made that their sugary cordial is healthy, while implying it all the same because drinking water is considered a healthy practice. By any standard, sugar and colouring laden cordial is junk food. This offending cordial which appears in the ad, contains only 1 per cent concentrated apple juice. Other ingredients include sugar, citric acid, sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulphite and tartrazine.

When made up according to the instructions, a metric cup of Cottee's "fun water" would contain 19.8 grams of sugar, not that much less than Coke, which has 26.5 grams of sugar in a metric cup. If a child had got half his/her daily recommended water intake from cordial, he/she would have consumed nearly 2½ kilograms of sugar in a month.

This completely warped logic, shamelessly sold to us by advertisers, reminds me of a huge billboard ad I saw once, on the way into Buenos Aires city from the airport, which said "We need energy. Have sugar".

During my 18 months in Buenos Aires, I have met more skeptics of sound dietary choices than I had in my entire life up till my arrival in this city. The usual line of dismissal was that in order to enjoy life disfrutar la vida, one must eat fat laden milanesas (also see photo) often and feel free to consume out of gluttony; this rationale employs the same logic as "you only live once".

These people would never fathom that I enjoy life very much - I only live once so it makes perfect sense to live it smarter.

While we are on the subject of what to feed children, I have stumbled upon a fantastic website and blog aptly named www.wholesomebabyfood.com. One of their brilliant posts on introducing solid food to babies means I'd never have to buy into those dubious licensed nutritionists' advice on food allergies or feeding babies sugar, butter, etc.

License to...Confuse

2006-12-06T11:51:00.000-03:00

Having lived and worked in a number of countries on various continents, I appreciate and accept differences in education systems, qualification procedures, even methodologies. However, there is an issue which I've encountered in Buenos Aires that would probably sit in my "to be reconciled" tray for a while.

It had been explained to me by Guillermo and a number of Argentine friends that the local university education of certain subjects takes much longer to complete than it would in other countries because a graduate under the Argentine system is also a licenciado (licensed practitioner) whilst in many other countries graduates who studied a vocational subject would have to work in the related field for a number of years after their graduation and then sit for professional exams in order to qualify with a practitioner's licence.

While my personal experience with licensed professionals here, especially medical doctors, has been a very good one, I have observed the following:

Firstly, the proverbial GP (General Practitioner) almost doesn't exist. Through our Medicus health insurance scheme, we can see a GP whose function is largely ferrying us to an appropriate specialist. How much these GPs keep up to date with latest medical research findings or professional development is anybody's guess.

Secondly, probably as an indirect result of the first - most Argentines I've come across including my own husband feel their medical condition, be it a common cold or an itchy eye, has to be looked at by a specialist.

Further, many of the patients, especially the older generation, feel the age of their doctor is one of his/her credentials. Again, how much a specialist keeps his/her knowledge fresh and updated is down to the individual. For this reason, my personal feeling is that the age of a doctor could actually be a handicap in some unfortunate cases.

Once I look beyond my personal experience, the bigger picture turns a lot grimmer. I've heard of medical doctors who recommend a spoonful of sugar a day for babies when they reach the solid-food stage at 6-months; or a friend who had gone through emotional turmoil and a few licensed fertility specialists to realise an elementary set of blood tests at the very beginning would have identified her condition and saved her much time, discomfort and disappointment.

If I look further than medical doctors to nutritionists, my horror more than doubles. While most healthy adults would seek advice from this group of professionals to improve their well-being, the more important job of nutritionists is in treating patients with real and serious conditions such as food allergies or guiding young first time mothers in nursing their babies.

I have witnessed a licensed nutritionist feeding butter, fatty cheese (queso cremoso) and yoghurt with more sugar and food colouring than nutrients (those tubs or bags of vanilla flavoured yoghurt on sale here are as artificially coloured and flavoured as the pink and orange ones) to her own 8-month old baby while her older son had already moved on to include chocolate and dulce de leche in the above list of dietary staples.

I can make myself reconcile with her introducing junk to children if only because, as unbelievable as it may sound, the society around us positively embraces such conduct. In addition to breakfast of alfajores (dulce de leche filled biscuit sandwich), I have read a popular local publication for mothers and their babies, Nacer y Crecer, in which another licensed nutritionist gave a pumpkin soufflé recipe intended for teething babies which included a heaped tablespoonful of sugar.

However, my shock and despair could not be contained any longer when the mother of our two year-old niece who has milk allergy recounted to me a licensed nutritionist had advised her that milk allergens exist only in milk but not cream!!?? Thank goodness this mother felt she'd better be extra cautious.

Since doll-like Maria-Paula's allergy has been confirmed, her family has to make radical changes to their meals. Her tired and stressed father conceded that it may be a blessing in disguise to force them rethink and adopt a much healthier lifestyle. At the moment, however, changes are agonising for the little one as she had been fed a typical diet of an Argentine child – very limited variety of food; mostly milk, sweetened and flavoured yoghurt, sweet biscuits, chocolates...and some meat and potato if her appetite had not been completely destroyed by then. The only fruits she had been exposed to, occasionally, were apples and bananas.

In many cultures, milk doesn't feature once babies could chew so it follows that there is no such strong feeling of doom and gloom if milk isn't a significant part of their diet. Naturally, I looked East while digging around for a dulce de leche alternative just in case Maria-Paula suffers withdrawal symptoms in her transition to an improved diet.

Kaya is a culinary symbol of a number of South-east Asian countries, equivalent to that of dulce de leche in South America. In place of cow's milk, its main component is coconut. Strictly speaking, Kaya is coconut curd.

Kaya, adapted from the worldly gourmand, Chubby Hubby

250ml coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
275g caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 fresh eggs

Combine the eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir (do not beat) with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

Put the coconut milk and vanilla extract into a saucepan. Slowly heat it up until it begins to boil. As soon as it reaches the boil, pour it over the egg mixture, stirring it in carefully. When blended, strain the mixture through a sieve into the top part of a double boiler. Gently heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until it just begins to thicken.

Sieve the mix into a heat-proof container. If you use jars, use wider, shorter jars. Cover tightly with foil. Make a few small incisions in the foil so steam can escape.

Place the container (or jars) into a steamer and steam for 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until firmly set. Cool and then keep covered in your fridge. It will keep for a week.

Gelatissimo!

2006-12-05T10:51:00.000-03:00

When I started this blog, never did I imagine it would lead me to some truly exceptional people with whom Guillermo and I have become firm friends. The feeling of meeting my readers is akin to finding warmth and comfort among kindred spirits in a world that can often be unnecessarily mean and chillingly cruel.

I had one such beautiful encounter yesterday with a wonderful couple. To my utter surprise and delight, they brought me a treasure which brings back many fond memories from a land which seems so far away now...

Pernigotti, the famed Italian chocolate maker based in Torino, is best known for their Gianduiotto. The sweet nuttiness of their cioccolatini is one of many reasons why mortals find Italy so easy to love. Another reason would be Italian gelato which is in a class unto itself even when compared to the best ice creams or helados.

Firstly, gelato is served slightly warmer than the other two varietals, which allows it to keep its smooth and supple texture while the higher temperature means it takes less time to melt and release its aroma on the palate and nose.

Then, gelato flavours are often wonderfully intense thanks two factors. First of all, gelato has a lower fat content than ice cream; and fat, by nature, coats our tastebuds and dulls our perception of flavour. More importantly, gelato is made with a much higher proportion of fresh and natural flavouring agents such as ripe fruits or nuts.

When I laid eyes on the treasure, generously given to me as a token of appreciation for my random scribbles, I intuitively knew I would combine the top two of an endless list of things I love about Italy...I am going to make chocolate gelato!

This most appreciated gift is a large tin of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder, Cacao di Pernigotti. This Piedmontese chocolate maker removes less fat from its cocoa giving the powder an extra boost of mellow smoothness. This wonderful cocoa is lightly Dutch processed and has a touch of real vanilla. Dutch processed (invented by Dutch chocolate maker, Van Houten) refers to a treatment of adding alkali to neutralise the natural acidity in cocoa. This process results in a cocoa which has an especially rich and dark colour.

For aspiring ice cream and gelato makers at home, there are a few ways to get around the lack of equipment. The biggest concern is the resulting texture. Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Cake Bible, The Pie & Pastry Bible and The Bread Bible, suggests 1 1/2 tsp of 80% proof liquor per cup of liquid to lower the freezing point so ice cream won't freeze rock hard.

Or like me, you can find a gelato recipe which doesn't require churning anyway and top it up with a splash of booze.

60g fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
4 large egg yolks
pinch salt
splash of vodka (for its neutral flavour)

Coarsely chop chocolate. In a heavy saucepan bring milk, evaporated milk, and about half of sugar just to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Remove pan from heat and add cocoa powder and chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Have ready, on the side, a large bowl of ice and cold water.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat yolks, remaining sugar and salt until thick and pale. Add hot chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into saucepan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 80C.

Pour custard through a sieve into a metal bowl set in ice and cold water and cool. Add booze and mix well.

Chill custard, covered, until cold. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden for several hours.

Costs of Free Education

2006-12-04T09:46:00.000-03:00

Guillermo and I were treated to a delightful Sunday lunch single-handedly managed by our friend Miguel. Together with Paula and their girls, we tucked into some delicious butternut squash gratin followed by the retro yumminess of a broccoli soufflé. We then had some of the apricot bavarois I brought over as pudding.

After the girls were sent off to their routine afternoon nap, the four adults enjoyed discussing (in the English sense of the word; there wasn't any argument) a range of topics from nationalism to the girls' education.

Paula is a progressive-minded paediatrician and Miguel is in the field of IT. Unlike most professional parents in Buenos Aires, they made a conscientious decision in sending their girls to a State-run kindergarten. The girls, Gabriela and Carolina, are now 4 and 2.

As I mentioned before, Miguel and Paula have put a lot of thought into their roles as parents and their parenting style is quite different from most other porteños of their generation. They do not engage in "baby talk", instead the girls are treated with respect as persons capable of understanding reasons. The youngsters have a healthy routine of napping in the afternoon and turning in at 7:30 in the evening so they are never cranky with tiredness. Further, they are exposed to a wide variety of nutritious foods and as a consequence the girls enjoy a healthy and balanced diet packed with fruits, vegetables and nuts (the unsalted kind).

Most importantly, Gabriela and Carolina do not watch television at home. In fact, the parents have given away their television so the kids will not grow up in front of mind-numbing and dumbing shows. Instead, both Miguel and Paola spend a lot of time talking and playing with their children; reading is already a big part of their leisure activities so is enjoying music. Gabriela loves Vivaldi which was introduced to her the natural way and not through any Baby Einstein product.

However, our friends are running into increasing frustration with the girls' kindergarten. The State-run institution has limited resources so the kids end up watching television in their classroom a lot of times, especially when it is raining. None of us can imagine what happens during the rainy season, would the kids watch television the entire week?

Some parents request not only lunch but breakfast being given to their children at the kindergarten. To these parents and educators, breakfast means a sugar laden alfajor; once other kids have spotted their friends getting a sugar-high, they scream for a shot too so very often the teachers hand out alfajores to everyone. Then there are the birthday parties, some of which are held at MacDonald's, and other random sugar fests which are all part of a normal day at kinder.

Lunch is also potentially problematic; after a not so nutritious meal, kids are allowed unlimited serves of dessert. In fact, they can skip the main meal altogether and go for a few serves of flan instead; nobody is going to refuse them.

Anyway, these hitches over television and diet pale into insignificance when compared to what the teachers feel are part of the girls' education.

Unlike most Argentine parents, our friends did not have their new-born girls suffer the purely cosmetic procedure of ear-piercing. Gabriela is now old enough to realise this physical difference; in addition, she has also begun to notice, unlike mummy, her teachers and some of her 4 yr-old friends are wearing make-up to school. She is beginning to feel she is missing out...

To add fuel to the fire, knowing full well the parents' disapproval, the teachers are more determined to make a Barbie doll out of Gabriela. They have even said so to the parents directly. Together with other parents who have heard about their "unique" parenting style, they are branding Miguel and Paula "strange".

As frustrating as Galileo must have felt when explaining why earth is a globe, bringing up children within this culture presents a set of unique challenges. It is one thing when children are allowed sweets and gender-conditioning toys occasionally but something entirely misguided when those are treated as essential parts of a child's diet and education. What is even more sinister is when some enlightened parents speak up they are labelled "strange" and somewhat ostracised.

The most frustrating, however, is probably the lack of alternatives. As Miguel pointed out, going to a private school would not necessarily provide solution to this particular set of problems. We only have to wander through Recoleta, the affluent barrio of many cameltoed Stepford wives, to sense that private schools are probably just churning out a different set of cosmetically enhanced Barbie dolls.

Until Sunday, I had almost forgotten how wonderful a perfectly risen soufflé could be. It is time to revive this classic recipe.

1 cup milk
1 thick onion slice
a couple of bay leaves
6 whole black peppercorns
5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
salt, pepper, grated nutmeg
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup grated Gruyère
500g broccoli florets, cooked in boiling water until tender, and puréed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 egg whites
butter and 1 Tablespoon of Parmesan cheese for the soufflé dish

Preheat oven to 200C. Butter a 1-1/2 quart soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and sprinkle with Parmesan. Turn to coat the dish.

Make the white sauce: In a saucepan, add the milk, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns and bring it almost to the boiling point. Remove from heat and allow to stand 10 minutes to infuse the flavors.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan and with a flat whisk, stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Remove from heat.

Strain the milk into the butter/flour mixture, beating constantly. Return to heat. Continue beating until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.

Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and cook the broccoli purée until it is dry.

Place the white sauce over low heat and beat in the egg yolks, one by one. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens slightly and remove from heat. Stir in the broccoli purée and the mustard.

Stiffly whip the egg whites. Add about 1/4 of the egg whites to the warm broccoli mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.

Add this mixture back to the remaining egg whites and fold together as lightly as possible. Pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish. Run your thumb around the edge of the mixture, making a groove in it, this will allow the center to rise in a high cap. Bake about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Road to Regression?

2006-12-02T13:39:00.000-03:00

Education is on the agenda of politicians all over the world because it is an emotive issue. It is certainly one of John Howard's favourite topics. We are easy targets to be stirred because all of us have our own view on whether education should be free and accessible; should it be compulsory up to a certain age; and is the standard of education slipping. And all these questions are just the tip of an iceberg.

In recent years, many governments deplore the current state of education and some have become concerned how their country's education stack up against others in international assessments. It seems the question on many politicians' lips, across nations, is that why are we churning out more university graduates than ever but people in general, seem to be less and less "educated"?

I am in no position to even attempt this question. However, I have received a photo taken at a recent exhibition in Hong Kong. It is a photo of an exhibit – an exam paper of the compulsory primary school completion exam sat by all year 6 students (final year of primary school) in Hong Kong in 1953.

This yearly and compulsory exam was divided into 4 parts – English, Chinese, Mathematics and General Knowledge. Up to around 1980, all primary school students had to pass the exam to graduate from primary school, be it a private, fee paying school or a free public one. Since then, this compulsory exam has become multiple-choice. I sat for the multiple-choice papers in the second year of their existence and I am thankful, especially now that I have read the following exam questions.

So let's see if the standard of education has slipped, ever so slightly since the 1950s (do bear in mind that these questions are meant for an 11 year-old)...

General Knowledge Paper, 1953 (Public Exam for Primary School Completion)

1. Describe differences between Sparta and Athens and their governments.

2. List the causes of the French Revolution.

3. Answer part (A) and (B):
(A) List all monsoon regions, their climate and quantity of rain fall.
(B) Explain how deserts are formed.

4. Describe and compare the methods of agriculture in China and U.S.A

(In the section above, choose 3 out of 4 questions)

5. Describe the structure of the Legislative, Administrative and Executive bodies of the British Hong Kong Government and their authorities.

6. Explain the reasons for the British Hong Kong Government in setting up a Chinese Home Affairs department. What purpose does this department serve?

7. Why does government tax people? Is our tax rate arbitrary? Which governmental body approves tax legislations and tax rates? How are disputes in tax assessments resolved?

8. When was United Nations founded? Where is the headquarters? What is the mandate of the United Nations?

(In the section above, choose 3 out of 4 questions)

9. Use diagrams and text to explain high tide and low tide.

10. List all the vitamins and their functions. Describe the food groups in which they are found and the quantity found.

11. Explain the differences between a common mosquito and a Malaria-carrying mosquito. Explain how a Malaria-carrying mosquito spreads Malaria.

(In the section above, choose 2 out of 3 questions)

Makes a great quiz at dinner parties, does it not?

No Milk?

2006-12-01T11:32:00.000-03:00

Guillermo and I have just heard that our adorable 2-yr old niece is suspected to have milk allergy, not to be confused with lactose intolerance. The former is a reaction by the body's immune system while lactose intolerance is caused by inadequate amount of lactase enzyme to break down lactose. Allergy to milk is often difficult to detect and many doctors and health specialists recommend going dairy free as an initial test when a food allergy is suspected. Her parents are understandably distressed because she loves her milk and unsurprisingly obtained most of her required nourishments from it.

We were surprised by the prognosis because she is a healthy and active child. While cow's milk does contain over 25 different molecules which have the potential to elicit an allergic reaction, I have urged the parents to seek a second opinion just in case they had run into one of those misguided doctors who among other things, also believe in feeding a spoonful of sugar a day to babies six-month onwards. Meanwhile, we are trying to learn as much as possible about what this allergy entails.

Nowadays few would dispute the benefits of breast feeding; however, it is still contentious among mothers as to when the appropriate time is in weaning their children off their breasts. Surprisingly, many mothers feel it is unseemly to continue breast feeding older babies, especially boys. Just how removed from nature have we, human beings, become?

The World Health Organization recommends that babies are breastfed for the first two years of their lives if possible. Doctors are also recommending babies weaning from breast milk to go onto formula first. Both are helpful measures as up to 85-90% of infants allergic to cow's milk will outgrow the allergy by the age of 3.

Another important issue is added E-Numbers (E-colours) in food. It is well known that many of them act as allergens and such additives are often present in dairy products targeting pre-teen consumers. Most yoghurt and dairy based dessert products currently on sale in Argentina contain additives and preservatives. I was shocked by and had subsequently spoken out about the artificial pastel hues of pouring yoghurt which, unfortunately, is a popular choice among Argentine mothers.

As in all cases of allergies, the most effective treatment is avoidance of the allergen. While it is possible to avoid artificial colouring and preservatives, one still has to beware of "non-dairy" products which may not only contain additives and preservatives but casein, a milk allergen which may be hidden in many processed meats including pepperoni, salami, and hot dog sausages which are popular among children.

Without milk in the diet, the nutritional needs of the body have to be met through other sources. The milk myth has always intrigued and amused me but indoctrinated minds take time to understand little known facts. The recommended daily allowance of calcium depends on the age of the individual; excellent sources of calcium include sesame (as little as 30g contains about 300mg, the equivalent of a full glass of milk), dark green vegetables such as broccoli and kale, fish such as salmon and sardines, and seafood such as oysters and shrimps.

Calcium-rich Salmon and Spinach Baby Pasta

2 tbsp salt
1 tsp white peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4 x 200g salmon fillets, skin off
400g risoni, ( or small pasta shapes)
1 cup peas (can use frozen)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
100g baby spinach leaves
¼ cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp freshly chopped dill
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp caster sugar

Place the salt, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large, deep frying pan with 1.25l (5 cups) water and bring to the boil.

Cook for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Add the salmon, cover and leave for 15 minutes. Remove the fish from the stock and flake into pieces.

Cook the risoni in a large saucepan of lightly salted water according to packet instructions or until al dente, adding the peas and lemon zest for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time. Rinse under cold running water and drain well.

Place the risoni and peas, salmon, baby spinach, parsley and dill in a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and sugar. Add the dressing to the salad and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Plan B

2006-11-30T11:13:00.000-03:00

After my proposal of Panna Cotta di Mate Cocido yesterday, I had every intention in making the pudding later the same day.

This is what tends to happen to me...I go into the kitchen with one plan and then somehow start working on another because something else has caught my fancy.

I thought about introducing another dimension to round out the tannin in Mate thus making it an "easier-sell" to the uninitiated. What could be sweet and smooth in addition to the milk and cream already on the ingredients list? Umm, I spotted bars of white chocolate...

Since I am to try out a new taste, I thought I'd at least use part of an existing recipe as a guide so I have based my Panna Cotta di Mate Cocido on Jamie Oliver's Green Tea Panna Cotta recipe. In his recipe, Oliver uses tea bags of "green tea" in the pudding and pairs the tea panna cotta with a dark chocolate sauce.

I was not entirely convinced that tea bags would yield a taste that can stand up to the dominant nature of dark chocolate so I stuck to my guns with my "softly-softly" approach of white chocolate. Instead of making a chocolate sauce, I also thought of adding the chocolate in the pudding itself so I could cut down on sugar. Since the addition of white chocolate would throw Jamie's liquid to gelatine ratio off-balance, I found other references and worked out my own recipe in the end. I then decided last minute to use Matcha in my first experiment.

Although my White Chocolate Matcha Panna Cotta bears very little resemblance, if any, to the celebrity chef's creation, Guillermo has taste-tested the result and declared it excellent so I'm game to share it here:

(our domestic goddess, Graciela, has just sampled it too - she bursted out with "Eso es exquisito! I love it even more than chocolate!" and is now urging me to sell them on the streets, "just don't tell people it is tea" she winked.)

The white chocolate is sweet enough so there is no additional sugar in my recipe. Also, the pudding is rich in taste and texture so I would recommend keeping the serving small, say 1/2 cup measure per person. Lastly, I didn't use a lot of gelatine leaves because I like my pudding in a quivering, inviting state and not some green rubber that could bounce off my lips.

200ml milk
100g white chocolate, chopped
2 heaped tps Matcha
300ml double cream
1 1/2 leaves* of gelatine, soaked in water

Dissolve matcha powder in some warm milk to form a smooth thin paste. Set aside.

Put the rest of the milk, white chocolate and half the cream in a small pan and slowly simmer for about 10 minutes until chocolate is completely melted and the mixtured thickened a little.

Remove from the heat. Squeeze out the gelatine leaves, discarding the soaking water, stir them into the mixture and leave to dissolve.

Allow to cool a little, place in the fridge, stirring occasionally until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it set.

Whip the remaining cream until soft peaks are formed. Fold the cream into the mixture.

Divide into four small glasses or ramekins. Cover and chill for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. I served it plain but I think some lightly crushed raspberries would be a great addition.

*Leave gelatin vary in size and strength, please use package instruction as a guide.

Travel to Learn

2006-11-29T10:57:00.000-03:00

Friends who have been living in Buenos Aires for over 2 years recently returned from a long road trip to Chile via the southern provinces of Argentina. As we had predicted, they found the country outside Capital Federal breathtakingly beautiful.

On their southbound journey, not only did they admire stunning landscapes and nature, they stayed at grandiose estancias (ranches) which are private properties of landowners who hold, literally, significant parts of this country. Without going into the bloody and brutal history of native Argentines and land-grabbing European settlers, we moved swiftly onto their journey over the border to Chile where they found the Singapore of Latin America.

As tourists hankering for a "Latin Experience", they found Chile a little too squeaky clean and modern to their tastes but they did remark the neighbouring capital city is noticeably cleaner and much more orderly than Buenos Aires.

The comparison of Chile to the garden city of Singapore doesn't end at cleanliness of the streets but the conduct of government, their police and business efficacy.

According to the Berlin-based organisation Transparency International and their latest 2006 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index which ranks countries the least corrupt down, Chile ranks 20th and equal with Belgium among First World nations, far above any fellow Latin American government. On the other hand, Argentina ranks 93rd, equal with Syria.

This finding fills me with urge to quote the teachings of a philosopher who made his mark in history half a millennium before baby Jesus was reportedly born in a manger, Confucius or 孔子 (September 28, 551 to 479 BC).

The famous thinker's philosophy, known primarily through a compilation named Analects of Confucius, emphasises personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. One of his most famous teachings is as follows:

'If the personal conduct of people is correct, their government will be upright. If the personal conduct of people is incorrect, orders maybe issued but they will not be followed.' or "其身正，不令而行；其身不正，雖令不行。"

The message behind that succinct phrase of his and brilliantly captured by Cha Xiu Bao in English is "what government, what people" Interestingly, this bedrock of Confucianism coincides rather neatly with Guillermo's own theory of intelligent collaboration with society.

Speaking of learning through travel, it has taken me more than twelve months to like the taste of Mate Cocido. Neither Guillermo nor any of his family drink Mate Yerba and they rarely have Mate Cocido so I first bought a box of those tea bags out of curiosity. I drank it as recommended, with milk and sugar, but didn't like it very much as a beverage but then, I do not normally take sweet beverages.

I now drink it plain everyday, like a green tea. However, I have not forgotten the traditional version – with milk and sugar; the slightly tannic but herbaceous taste, not dissimilar to that of Matcha, has inspired me to make Panna Cotta di Mate Cocido.

2 tbsp cold water
1 3/4 tsp gelatin powder
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup full-fat milk
4 tbsp sugar
2 Mate Cocido tea bags

Pour 2 tablespoons of water into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water to let it sponge until softened, about 5 minutes.

Combine heavy cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan, and place over medium heat. Add the tea bags as well. Bring the mixture to a boil and then take it off the heat. Let the tea infuse in the cream for at least 15 minutes.

Add the softened gelatin to the warm liquid and mix until the gelatin has dissolved. Strain through a fine strainer into a clean bowl and discard the tea bags. Chill over an ice bath just until cool.

Pour into 8 small moulds, glasses or ramekins and chill for at least 3 hours. It is probably a good idea to make this a day ahead as gelatin may take time to set.

Baking Blues

2006-11-28T10:45:00.000-03:00

An Oxford graduate, the multi-talented Nigella Lawson once said "baking demands mathematical respect".

When I was much younger, I used to diligently follow recipes to a T; on the other hand, recipes back then weren't so liberal with the quantity of sugar, butter or cream. Maybe it's part of aging or just too much healthy living but these days, I dislike the heavy feeling butter leaves on my palate. Further, fats such as butter, cream and cocoa butter trigger a mild skin irritation in Guillermo.

With reading and practise, I have gone beyond following sets of mathematical formulae in baking to actually understanding the function of each component and therefore, able to swap them around to address our dietary sensitivities.

Guillermo and I both prefer my yoghurt cake for it is light and moist in texture and not too sweet in taste. Firstly, the cake has much less fats than a butter-based one. Secondly, I have replaced whatever amount of butter still needed with sunflower oil and reduced the sugar by half. This recipe has become a blue print to which I add flavourings such as lavender or pistachio and lime.

I have also transformed with much success Bill Granger's chocolate chip banana bread using sunflower oil, wholemeal flour and much less sugar. When I have walnuts around, I replace sunflower oil with walnut oil and chocolate with a handful of walnut halves – health food shouldn't be allowed to taste this good.

Then one day, I realised I not only know a Génoise sponge from a Joconde but feel quite at ease in making them. Génoise is a classic European sponge without the use of leavener and Joconde is an almond sponge cake, named after the Mona Lisa, which is known as La Joconde in French. That is where baking ends and patisserie begins...

Unwittingly I began swimming in uncharted waters when I started to feel I can also manage preparing a dacquoise (nut meringue), pâte à bombe (custard based on egg yolks, sugar and cream) and praline.

Inspired by the exceptional Keiko of Nordljus and her version of the French classic Miroir Cassis, I attempted a blueberry bavarois with a sponge cake base.

Bavarois is a cream-based mousse set with gelatin; the most common being a fruit mousse. Since I still have a supply of gelatin leaves brought over by friends from London and punnets of blueberries, I was itching to play in the kitchen.

Post experiment, I have more than doubled my already enormous respect for pâtissiers. Their art is a combination of not only culinary skills, patience, and mathematical prowess but handicraft.

It will be a while before I make another attempt but I've accidentally discovered the surprisingly pleasing combination of blueberry and rosewater. I added a few splashes of the scented water to my fruit purée and magically the taste of blueberry intensified multi-folds. For the sceptics, we couldn't taste the actual rosewater in the bavarois. I suppose this is a classic case of 1+1= so much more than 2 ;-)

Another surprisingly pleasurable pairing is that of lime and pistachio. We discovered this after tasting my lime and pistachio yoghurt cake.

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup ground almond
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup of whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt
Grated zest and juice of 1 large lime
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts

For topping (optional and replaceable with a lime drizzle icing):
2 tbsp icing sugar
Juice of 1 lime
60g toasted chopped pistachio nuts

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 7" round cake tin/ medium loaf tin and dust lightly with flour.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar till fluffy and pale. Add the grated zest, lime juice and nuts and stir in.

Sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda and stir till incorporated. Last of all add the oil and yoghurt and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45min or till the cake tests done. Remove from the pan after 10 minutes and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the topping, stir the lime juice into the powdered sugar till smooth and then add nuts. Cover the top of the cake with the topping and let it dribble down the sides at random.

Between Fear and Despair lies Action

2006-11-27T11:58:00.000-03:00

Over our short break, Guillermo and I went to see a film which everyone should see. In fact, it is crucial that everyone sees it and considers its content; and I do seriously mean everyone.

The film in question wasn't made to "entertain" but that was never its intention; it was made because a message of utmost importance that is affecting all of us and our future generations has too often been deliberately swept under the carpet by interest groups which do not necessarily have our best interests at heart – politicians and the corporations which back them.

I am talking about Al Gore's documentary on climate changes - An Inconvenient Truth (La Verdad Incómoda). Confronted by hard scientific facts and empirical data, and most worryingly how such facts and data have been manipulated to confuse us and thereby diluting the issue's importance, the duration of this film was an illuminating, intellectually exhilarating yet distressing 100 minutes.

I am not American and I do not feel adequately informed to opine on Gore's politics but watching this documentary in which he built a clear and compelling case for the terrifying consequences we are letting ourselves into by our own actions and inaction, I couldn't help but wonder how could more than half of America's electorates get it so wrong!

Of course, USA is not the only country with a president rejecting the Kyoto Convention. The increasingly pro-US Australian Prime Minister is the lone and blinded supporter of the simplistic Texan, both God-fearing men are hell-bent on spinning a myth of global warming being a myth.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon not understanding it" – Upton Sinclair. I would add to that funding for presidential election campaigns and in Australia's case – one insecure man's desire to bury his nose deeply in the rear of the biggest bully on the playground which is the World.

Consider this: not one single "peer-reviewed" report (such reports are reviewed by people trained in the specific field of knowledge) on global warming has disputed the existence of the phenomena and its on-going destructive impacts on earth but over 50% mainstream media reports, majority of which originated in the U.S., presently cast doubts on the "potential" harm such phenomena would do to our planet, if it exists at all in the first place.

What lie between are numerous lobbyists, public relation professionals, otherwise known as spin doctors, all paid handsomely to "doctor" difficult to digest facts, figures and academic jargons for us, the people, who generally are too preoccupied to think deeply about any issue other than our own. And here lies the irony because global warming is our issue, it affects us everyday in its subtle ways.

My O-level history teacher at boarding school, Dr.Tosoni, once said "the first lesson in history you should learn is that humans do not learn from history".

Now consider this: In the time when the Church and simple folks believed the earth was flat, the ones who believed otherwise were vilified, ostracised or burnt to death. I'm afraid we do not have the same luxury of time our ancestors did in waiting for the majority's view to change on the shape of earth because both Artic and Antarctic glaciers are melting while we sit in inactive stupor.

A Short Break

2006-11-24T10:30:00.000-03:00

...this Thanksgiving weekend...

Spice Up Your Life

2006-11-23T11:19:00.000-03:00

Yesterday, while I was grinding up a stash of Chai spice for some chocolate fondant cakes, the thought of Chai Tea came to mind. The drink originated in the Indian sub-continent. There is no fixed recipe for the spice mix or the way such tea is made. It is like an Italian torta della nonna (grandmother's pie); it could be anything depending entirely on grandma.

The traditional Chai tea is a lot more tea-like than the Chai Latte one can get in fashionable coffee stores these days. It is based on brewed black tea such as Darjeeling or Assam. Some prefer to give it a modern twist by using Earl Grey for the fragrance of bergamot goes in perfect harmony with cardamom which is an essential component in the Chai spice mix.

Making your own Chai tea is incredibly simple. Boil a cup of milk with a mixture of cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon quill, ginger and fennel seeds. Some add peppercorns and star anise; it is up to individual's taste. Let the boiled milk sit for about 10-15min to allow infusion of the spices. Strain any milk solids and the spices. Make tea as normal and add the scented milk, then sugar or honey to taste.

Besides making Chai tea, the same method translates well in making ice cream, panna cotta, pastry cream, etc. The spice mix is versatile; there are a number of published chai cake recipes, one of the best is from Better Baking.

I had little time yesterday since I wanted to catch the 5:00pm showing of a funny little gem of an Australian movie called The Dish at the British Arts Centre (the movie is also on at the same time today and entrance is free) so the chocolate fondant cakes spiced up by my own Chai mix were all I could manage. When I get a chance, I am definitely making some Chai Chocodoodle...

Snickerdoodle is an American cookie. Although they look relatively nondescript, once you get past their plain appearance you'll discover that the chewy cookie with the crunchy spiced sugar coating is indeed one of the cookie greats. Since Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles is a mouthful, I've dubbed it Chai Chocodoodle. They are also a doodle to make.

2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat over to 180C.

In large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and spices and set 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture aside. Add butter to mixing bowl and cream with half the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cocoa powder, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder by hand or at low speed. Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in reserved sugar mixture.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies. You can freezer the dough.

Slap down, Slip up

2006-11-22T09:28:00.000-03:00

When Dubya was still serving his first term as President of the Land of the, er, Free & Fair(?), my American friends were already saying if he was the CEO of any company, he'd had been fired by the board a long time ago.

While we should let time and history be the judge if his is indeed the most shameful U.S. presidency of all times, it seems incompetence of his government is not limited to the top level...

One of US President George W Bush's twin daughters has had her purse and mobile phone stolen in a restaurant in San Telmo, right under the noses of Secret Service agents guarding the 24-year-olds on her first night in Buenos Aires...(read more)

Going to any public place in any country, especially as a visitor, one would think some caution would be appropriate. I was the only person guarding my own purse in many cities more dangerous than Buenos Aires and I'm proud to report a stellar record of still holding onto my belongings after all those fun nights out.

On the other hand, The First Daughter is no ordinary person; she had extra bodies and minds to guard her personal belongings with her and most unfortunately it seems only the ones doing her donkey work are copping the blame now. That job must suck big time!

An Antipodean Interpretation

2006-11-21T10:50:00.000-03:00

While browsing through the fantastic Argentine food blog, El Cuerpo de Cristo (Body of Christ), I found Martin's post on Tomate del Arbol (tree tomato). These egg-shaped exotic beauties can now be found in Abasto where there is a Peruvian community.

Tree Tomato is native to Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. In Argentina where it is cultivated, the fruit is largely seen as an ethnic ingredient. It has yet to gain the mainstream popularity it deserves.

This same fruit which the antipodeans called Tamarillo is grown as a commercial crop for international export in New Zealand and to a lesser extent in Australia.

The raw tamarillo has a pleasingly sweet exotic scent but is bitter and sour to taste. Like quince (membrillo), sugar and heat would magically release its inner beauty.

Poached tamarillo is an ideal companion to a quivering panna cotta or an indulgent bowl of vanilla ice cream. It provides a modern twist to a French clafoutis or an English crumble. Should you prefer something savoury as pudding, you could serve tamarillo chutney with a selection of cheeses.

The fruit is also a perfect match to white meat such as turkey and pork. A port wine and tamarillo reduction would add finesse to an otherwise bland dish. Some Italians prefer to roast them with a little brown sugar with potatoes and chicken. The French add them to their ratatouille.

The possibilities with this fruit is endless; at A$2 for 6 we have no excuse not to experiment to find our favourite recipe using these tomatoes grown on trees.

I would turn to no other but the most famous antipodean culinary export, Peter Gordon of the Sugar Club and the Providores fame, for instructions on tamarillos...

To poach tamarillos in red wine and chilli syrup, lightly score a cross through the skin at the pointed end of 6 fruits.

In a smallish pan, just large enough to hold the fruit in one layer; bring 1 bottle of a light spicy red wine (a shiraz/syrah or pinot noir would be good) and 2 cups of water to the boil. Add 3 cups of sugar or two cups of manuka honey or any dark honey, half a red chilli, chopped, 1 cinnamon quill and a tablespoon of sliced ginger and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the tamarillos and bring to the boil, put a lid on and simmer for 2 minutes only, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Store, covered, in the fridge for at least 24 hours. The poached fruits and syrup go fantastically with panna cotta, ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

For a savoury dish, split the fruit in half lengthways, lay cut side facing up on non-stick baking parchment, sprinkle generously with brown sugar or honey and bake them at 160 degrees for 40-50 minutes. They will dry a little and are lovely served with cheese or New Zealand venison, so says the maestro .

Deconstructing Monologues

2006-11-20T12:07:00.000-03:00

Fuelled by my scrumptious apricot tart, Sunday tea this past weekend was a particularly lively reunion.

We weren't talking about the non-existent energy crisis because nobody in an accountable position in the country has admitted to one yet.

However, existing public infrastructures have been stretched to the seams by the property development boom in Buenos Aires, especially in areas such as Palermo, Nuñez, Caballito, etc. Last week, the Buenos Aires government announced a 90-day suspension in both commencement of construction and processing of applications for new builds over a certain height in these areas so as to buy time to think about the next steps.

I, the newbie to this chaotic form of governing, was shocked on two accounts; firstly, that there was no trace of any forward-thinking plan regarding developmental growth in relation to infrastructural needs and secondly, the authority obviously had not given any due consideration to this inevitable problem as they granted permits for new developments and presently, they still haven't got a clue what to do.

My concern is that whatever they can think of doing in the next 90 days, if they can think, would not solve the problem of this city in the immediate term. It is transparent that these areas where infrastructures were built to support low-density housing are not equipped to handle the sudden multi-fold increase in population that high-rise developments would bring.

Not even divine intervention can give the city additional infrastructure for electricity, gas, water and sewage in 90 days, especially when Buenos Aires has just rejected an expansionist budget, partly aimed at addressing these problems, based on the somewhat simplistic reasoning that nobody wants a deficit budget.

This recent announcement of a 90-day suspension was the preface to a three way monologue I witnessed yesterday...

It all started with my father-in-law who, until the announcement last week, was developing a plot of land in Palermo Hollywood asking our tio, a lawyer, whether he should sue the government for financial damages caused by the suspension and any potentially harmful decision they make against new developments.

The conversation soon turned into two monologues whereby our tio voiced his disenchantment about the lack of preservation of historical architecture in residential areas such as Belgrano R where he lives; beautiful old houses are being torn down to make way for characterless modern apartments, etc.

Meanwhile, my father-in-law was preoccupied with the building code and how the code had allowed development of these areas which are now affected by the suspension. When he opined that Argentina simply cannot afford to let preservation get in the way of economic progress through construction, Guillermo and I started paying a lot more attention to what he was saying.

Both of us are of the mindset that we all, as in the human race, have responsibilities in preserving historical architecture, not limiting to Argentina. So Guillermo fought for air time thereby making it a three-way monologue because his father was still going on about the code while his tio was complaining about owners of old houses selling out to make a quick buck and my husband started talking about setting up a regulatory body like the National Trust in the UK and other countries to evaluate and preserve matters of historical value while accomodating modern needs.

We'd probably revisit this topic in 90 days. Meanwhile, I am baking a pistachio and lemon cake. I have liberally made changes to the butter-based blueprint in the River Cafe Easy cookbook. Lemon and pistachio pair well and orange also works beautifully but I would then reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup ground almond
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup of whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon or orange

1/3 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line a medium loaf tin.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar till fluffy and pale. Add the grated zest, lime juice and nuts and stir in.

Sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda and stir till incorporated. Last of all add the oil and yoghurt and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bakefor 45min or till the cake tests done. Remove from the pan after 10 minutes and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Keeping It in the Family

2006-11-19T09:21:00.000-03:00

A snippet of our recent dinner conversation at home...

"Cristina may run for President."

"Why? I thought Kirchner could run for another term?"

"Yes, But he may let his wife run."

"Is he doing this because he might be able to fix something for her while he still has some popularity?"

"Maybe he just has had enough of her nagging him for it."

While political fractions are setting up new offices, most of them supporting the Kirchner brand, at the back of the Congress, Reuters ran a piece on a First Lady of another ex-Spanish colony – the famous and infamous Imelda Marcos.

The former First Lady of the Philippines and self-styled icon of beauty, famous for amassing shoes by the hundreds and gems the size of grapes, has launched a line of costume jewellery recycled from the less expensive bits of her own collection.

During the height of the Marcos regime, Filipinos coined the word "Imeldifico" to describe acts of excess. Mrs Marcos was accused of looting up to US$10 billion from her impoverished country together with her late husband, President Ferdinand Marcos.

Ousted as president by a popular revolt in 1986, Ferdinand died in exile in Hawaii in 1989. Imelda returned to the Philippines two years later, running unsuccessfully for president but winning a term in Congress.

Today, the 77-year-old iconic figure is often seen at high-society events in Manila. She currently faces dozens of criminal and civil cases but denies the charges and accuses successive Philippine governments of persecuting her into near-poverty.

The "Imelda Collection" is being produced by Imelda's daughter Imee Marcos, a congresswoman, with youthful input from her grandson Martin "Borgy" Manotoc, an underwear model and possible candidate for mayor of Manila in elections next May.

Who says politics can't be entertaining.

Sign of the Times

2006-11-18T10:58:00.000-03:00

If you talk to porteños in their 80s, they might still recall saying the following rhyme at school each morning with their hands on their chest...

En el cielo la estrellas
En el campo las espinas
En el medio de me pecho la Republica Argentina

In the sky, stars
In the field, thorns
In the midst of my breast, the Republic of Argentina

However, my husband, a porteño in his 30s like many his age, was saying for fun the following when they attended school...

En el cielo la estrellas
En el campo las espinas
En el medio de me pecho una lata de sardinas

In the sky, stars
In the field, thorns
In the midst of my breast, a tin of sardines

Between the two editions lies the modern history of a nation.

An Urban Safari

2006-11-17T13:33:00.000-03:00

Finally the results of my photo shoot and interview with Club del Vino* has appeared in the November issue of their club magazine. I have received five copies of this "South African" issue which I've endearingly dubbed the Jungle Book for all that leopard prints and blonde mane on the cover.

After reading the article on my venture, La Otra Dimensión, I must confess a tinge of ambivalence. I recall when I was still an impressionable fresher in the finance industry I was surprised that a friend who was a prominent figure in his particular field turned down an interview opportunity with CNBC. He told me he did not grant interviews, as a rule. Many years and a few of mishaps of my own later, I now understand his reasons.

I am a foodie and that was the only reason I agreed to be interviewed – to talk about my favourite subject. The photographer spent hours taking photos of the food I cooked but only one shot of the appetiser has been included in the final cut; the rest are close up shots of moi! I'm so sorry to disappoint all you fellow foodies out there.

The writing itself is interesting, mostly about how the legacy of migrants from different cultures are working into the local cuisine of Sydney, Melbourne and London. A lot of the facts have been mixed up, some even invented. For instance, my dear friend Claudia in Molazzana has acquired a not quite French sounding name Caterine and another old friend Umberto Bombana would be shocked to hear that he was born in Hong Kong.

On the other hand, I am grateful for the coverage. The phone has been ringing for my muy exclusivo classes (the reporter's words not mine). Senior members of La Familia would be charmed and impressed; the abuelas would have something to show off in front of their girlfriends. All ends well in the end.

*Club del Vino magazine can be purchased at their office at Cerrito 1130 7A (y Santa Fe)

The Not So Wild Side

2006-11-16T11:32:00.000-03:00

Since putting our apartment on the market, I've been able to confirm a couple of those stereotypical observations I've heard about upper middle class porteñas...

Despite speaking in what Guillermo considers a dialect, we have appointed the company run by a bunch of um, these well-groomed ladies. It is not our concern how they speak their Castellano (Spanish) but that they all speak reasonably good English to potential buyers.

After initial troubles with photographs of the apartment because none of them knew how to resize photos using their own in-house software, we have had some interests from foreign buyers. Typically they come for a few weeks to look for a vacation home or are planning to move to this city.

We had been told by the sales manager, in advance, to let her agents speak about our property so we tried not to take part in the viewing process unless approached by a buyer directly.

It is interesting that each of these stylishly dressed agents would wax lyrics about the apartment, the high quality fixtures, the architectural features, etc. but they cannot answer a single question about the area or the general safety of this city intelligently.

I've since discovered the reasons. Firstly, most of these ladies live in Belgrano or Barrio Norte/ Recoleta – the areas viewed by porteños as where one should live if one chooses to live in the city. We have encountered the same narrow-mindedness in our own family which all live in Belgrano and Nuñez; in some cases even if it meant living in a characterless shoebox. They actually do not know much about the rest of the city except by hearsays and prejudices.

For instance, the agent yesterday was completely stumped when the subject turned away from our abode to the neighbourhood. She said to her clients, a family looking for a summer pad, our apartment is very convenient as it is close to the High Court?!

I was standing close by and had to cut in to say we can walk to Recoleta very easily, San Telmo and Puerto Madero are both a 5-10 minute cab ride away. The area has many family-run shops which have been here for decades and have not been tainted by the dollar-grabbing mood in barrios favoured by expats (more on that another time). I hope the agent was taking mental note for future viewings.

Then the subject turned to safety in this city. Again, the agent was hasty to emphasise that she lives in Belgrano and she is very scared to walk to the shops on her own. Sometimes, I feel both amused and frustrated by precious porteñas who are so damn definite with their statements when they are so damn wrong.

Remember news programmes are there to report news; most of them are bound to be bad news. However, there is no crimeless city in the world and one cannot live in constant paranoia.

We have been living in Capital Federal for almost 18 months and have not felt any looming danger at all. I felt much more vulnerable in some parts of London and New York. On the other hand, Guillermo's family in Belgrano and well-heeled porteño friends of ours are always cautioning us never ever to hop into a taxi on the streets; I have been doing so frequently. Except for being asked on a date a few times, I have never had any trouble. Many taxi drivers even round down the fare.

If living by local news programmes is your thing then you really should not be dining in Palermo Viejo at all because there were a number of incidents whereby robbers went into their target restaurant, locked the front door and proceeded to rob the patrons, one by one. I'm only ever deterred by trendy but underwhelming food in that area. I'm not afraid if only because I don't think that's the way to live life but that's just me.

Anyway, should you decide to play safe, you can still sample good Japanese food at home. Gyudon (牛丼) or beef on rice is the Japanese equivalent of Big Mac and Yoshinoya (吉野家) is the MacDonald's of Tokyo; however, the similarities stop right there. Gyudon is much healthier and tastes very good.

150ml dry white wine/ rice wine
100ml Japanese soy
100ml mirin
small thumb of ginger, peeled, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup caster sugar
150ml water
2 white onions, thinly sliced
500g fillet steak, very thinly sliced

To serve:

Steamed Japanese rice
Pickled ginger

Place the wine, soy, mirin, ginger, sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring, to dissolve the sugar, then bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add the onions, simmer for a further 10 minutes or until onions are translucent and soft. Add the beef and simmer for a further 1-2 minutes or until beef is just cooked through.

To serve, place rice into 4 serving bowls. Top with some of the beef and onions and ladle over some of the hot broth. Garnish with pickled ginger.

A Cute Reunion Story

2006-11-15T10:12:00.000-03:00

I started this blog to keep in touch with my family and friends scattered across continents, living high octane lives in Skype-challenging time zones. So instead of writing about yet another shop or restaurant that has opened or shut in the now touristy Palermo, I endeavour to paint a realistic picture of the city I am living in and the kind of society I have encountered so far. For this reason, I'm still surprised that my public readership is growing daily.

A few weeks ago, I received this comment from a lady named Veronika who read my archive.

I had mentioned in that post how our friends Alejandro and Guillermo recommended to us a fun little restaurant with a crazy name Enfunda la Mandolina. I must have also let on very early in my blog life that Señora Libutti is our domestic goddess' real name. Veronika, reading my blog at home in Texas, thought there was a chance she had found her long lost friends.

Instead of responding in the comment section, I wrote to her, in private, explaining sweet Ale and dear Guillermo are partners in life, not brothers. Alejandro is a talented architect specialising in restoration of commercial scale historic buildings by day and a budding thespian and stage designer by night. Ale went to primary and secondary school with my husband, also Guillermo. Theirs was another serendipitous reunion story which took place last year, some fifteen years after they left school; Ale spotted Guillermo and me in one of the oldest bookstores in Buenos Aires.

When Veronika wrote back to say her friends would be in their fifties by now, I held little hope for her. Anyway, one day while Guillermo and I were having a coffee and some chitchat with our goddess, I thought I would ask her if she had brothers. When I uttered the two names, she jaws dropped. For a brief moment, she thought I had psychic abilities.

I explained and she was elated. It turned out one of her brothers, another Guillermo, who lives in L.A. has his birthday coming up soon. I passed on Veronika's contact details – it would make a wonderful birthday surprise!

I am really thrilled that my inconsequential musings have led to a reunion of friends after almost thirty years! Once again, we have an elegant proof of the theory of six degrees of separation.

Speaking of cuteness, I was inspired by these Amai tea cookies. There is no Dean & Deluca around so I hope the cool folks at Lovescool, the maker of Amai, don't mind me whipping up a batch of Matcha cookies in my kitchen.

These cookies are all buttery-crumbly, perfect with a cup of good tea. I used a pretty but rather intricate leave cutter which was hard work with the soft dough so I would recommend you stick to simpler shapes. The quantity makes 28 cookies but you can use half of the dough and freeze half.

Matcha Shortbread Cookies:

120g unsalted butter, softened at room temp.

1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

2 tsp Matcha powder

1 1/4 cups plain flour

pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar until well blended. Mix in the Matcha powder. Add flour and salt and mix until dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic to help form the dough into a log about 7-inches long. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 180C. Cut the chilled dough into 1/4-inch slices and arrange on parchment lined sheet pans. Bake until the tops look dry and edges just start to brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Scent of Heaven

2006-11-14T09:30:00.000-03:00

Since laying my hands on a stash of lavender, I have not only made gâteau au yaourt scented with lavender sugar but dug out my reserve of rosemary sugar from last summer and used it in a white chocolate cake over the weekend. Flushed with success, I am now hooked on baking with flowers, herbs or sugar scented with their perfumed natural oils.

Thanks to the resurgence in tea culture, usage of Earl Grey, Jasmine and Matcha in baking is suddenly de moda (I can never bring myself to say muy fashion for not only I but Guillermo would cringe). Lavender which has always featured in Provençal cuisine is now part of any chef's repertoire. The quintessentially English elderflower is also enjoying a revival. So while the foodie world is all excited following this undeniable trend, it has prompted me to speak up for a "little guy", Osmanthus (桂花)

These fragrant flowers are a close relation to the jasmine family. They are grown in China for culinary purposes as much as for its thick, sweet scent. Tea is probably how most people would get to meet this flower outside of Asia. The Chinese city of Nanjing is known for its osmanthus scented roast duck. However, it is the scented sugar that is getting my attention.

Osmanthus preserved in sugar, like lavender in Provence, is heavily featured in the sophisticated but generally sweeter Shanghaiese cuisine. A small amount of flowers with its scented sugar is often used to fill glutinous dumplings so when one bites into a hot gooey dumpling, a burst of delicate floral molten sweetness coats one's palate. My favourite is a signature Shanghaiese dish – lotus root slices stuffed with osmanthus flowers and glutinous rice steamed in osmanthus syrup. Heaven should smell like this.

These flowers are grown in a warm temperate climate so it should be able to find a home in Buenos Aires. A friend has an osmanthus tree in her house but it has not yielded one bloom in the three years since she planted it. Well, we shall live in hope...

It turns out I am not the only one missing the fragrance of osmanthus, I have recently stumbled across a French food blog by a Chinese girl living in Paris – Lorraine Délices. She has chosen to capture the distinctive scent in some biscuits and gorgeous photos.

(Note: Lorraine has been having a lot of problems with those bad apples in the blogging world who, shall we say, "liberate" her creations and claim as their own. For this reason, I won't be translating her recipe; I feel it's best that I provide you with the link to her post.)

Family Tie or Family Leash?

2006-11-13T09:39:00.000-03:00

I have often teased Guillermo about his "odd-ball" ways. By that I only mean his thinking and behaviour are so often the opposite of a typical porteño's. My mother-in-law agrees that he was the most "difficult" of her four children and she tells me there were times they didn't quite know what to do with him. By difficult, his mother didn't mean Guillermo was a misbehaving child or low-scoring student but he was different from his siblings and other kids.

When my husband was three, he had wanted his parents to teach him how to read. They refused him; my mother-in-law explains in those days it wasn't good to be seen as "too intelligent" and they didn't want him to be different from other kids his age.

Unlike most Argentine young adults, Guillermo moved out of home in his early twenties. Meanwhile none of his siblings left home until they got married. He moved quite a distance, at least in his parents' eyes, to Abasto (Abasto is 30 min's drive from Belgrano where his parents have been living most of their lives). It wasn't a comfortable living environment but he felt he needed to have independence. His parents felt hurt and rejected; his mother called him everyday.

When he decided to leave for England to pursue his PhD, his entire family cried a river; they didn't want him to leave them. A PhD scholarship was not enough to convince them that temporary separation from their flesh and blood was a worthy sacrifice. It took me quite some time to understand ours is not some bizarre Addam's Family but pretty close to the norm in 21stC.

Guillermo and I met a lovely retired couple at dinner some weeks ago. The gentleman is Argentine while his partner is a Chinese lady who followed her Pakistani diplomat first husband all over the world and then settled in California with her second husband, an American. She was part of the first set of modern international nomads. This pair met in Buenos Aires, years after she was widowed.

Each of them has children in their thirties. Hers are scattered in England and California, leading independent and rewarding lives. Her children take care of their mother's routine obligations to her house in California whenever she is spending time here in Buenos Aires. His are in their mid-thirties living with their father who is still taking care of household chores single-handedly because his kids wouldn't know how to help.

The two of them make a very sweet couple except when they talk about child-rearing methods. He accuses her of being cruel to her children by letting them leave home when they were young (at university age, late teens to early twenties). She retorts with not wanting them to be reliant, taking a comfortable life for granted. On the other hand, she cannot understand what good it does to children by spoiling them. To this, he retorts that it is not called spoiling but love; he is very proud of his thirty-something stay-at-home children who cannot iron their own clothes or put a nail into a wall.

All I can say is that we wouldn't be having this particular disagreement at home.

After sorting out the last course for our festive lunch with La Familia, I have tentatively decided on the main. Not too fancy (in term of food group) and not too dull – a couscous stuffed roast chicken.

For the Chicken:

1 large chicken

1 litre buttermilk (I used half unsweetened yoghurt, half milk)

1/3 cup honey

2 pieces lemon rind

For the stuffing:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup whole almonds

6 dates, pitted and chopped

1 cup couscous

1 - 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon zested lemon peel

1 large egg

For glaze:

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For sauce:

2.5 cups stock

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

juice of half a lemon

To prepare chicken: Marinate clean, rinsed chicken at least 24 hours in buttermilk, honey and lemon peel. Drain chicken and discard marinade. Place chicken in roasting pan ready for stuffing. Pre-heat oven to 200C.

To prepare stuffing: Melt butter in large stir-fry pan. Add sliced onions, garlic, almonds and dried spices. Cook and stir over medium heat until onions are translucent and almonds have begun to toast, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the couscous and stir for 2 minutes more. Add all the remaining stuffing ingredients except the egg, stir until bubbly, cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove cover and allow to cool slightly, for 10 minutes. Prepare the glaze while the stuffing is cooling.

To prepare glaze:Place all glaze ingredients in a small pan over low heat. Stir together to combine, set aside until required.

Stir the egg through the cooled stuffing. Spoon the stuffing mixture loosely into the chicken's cavity. Skewer cavity closed. Heap remaining stuffing (if any) into a small glass or metal loaf tin. Mix all the sauce ingredients except the lemon, and pour them in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Brush chicken with glaze mixture and pop chicken and extra stuffing into oven. Use the glaze mixture to baste the chicken once every 20 minutes until the glaze is used up.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes plus 20 minutes for each 500 grams. This should include the weight of the stuffing. This stuffing is relatively light so I cook a 1.5 kilogram chicken for 100 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest under foil. Use a fork to squash garlic cloves into sauce in bottom of the roasting pan. Scrape pan and pour juice through a sieve into a medium saucepan. Heat the juice until it is reduced in volume to about 1/2. Add the lemon juice and stir. Alter the seasoning for your own taste

Scoop out stuffing on to the centre of a platter. Slice chicken and place slices around the stuffing. Drizzle a bit of the sauce over both chicken and stuffing and serve the rest of the sauce on the side.

A Noble Bloom

2006-11-12T11:25:00.000-03:00

Peony (牡丹) has been hailed as the symbol of riches and nobility in Chinese literature for centuries. They are often the subject or a source of inspiration for poets, painters, even playwrights.

In the Asiatic climate, peonies bloom around the same time as Lunar New Year, hence their popular use as festive ornaments in Chinese households to signify hopes of riches for the coming year. These flowers hold equal status as peach blossoms which usage is not unlike having a cut pine tree for Christmas in Occidental cultures.

I do not recall being fond of peonies until I lived on the ancestral plot of my Italian friend, Claudia, in Molazzana. Instead of being cultivated in pots for ornamental purposes, the translucent pink buds were at one with nature.

It was a particularly cold May up on those Tuscan hills and I visited the peonies each day to witness their struggle to bloom. I was there to cheer them on. Eventually a few of them made it to give us delicate and barely pink petals. I have been in love with peonies since those moments.

Recently, I was charmed by pictures and the lovely water-colours of peonies at Paris Breakfasts. Then, I discovered flower stalls in some barrios are selling them right now. I spied pink and white blossoms tucked discreetly in a corner at a couple of stalls on Santa Fe (close to Callao). I've also seen them in Belgrano and Recoleta. They don't seem to be as popular as jasmine which is abundant at this time of the year. However, if someone would just take them home and release them from their cellophane wrapping, these babies would definitely stun you with their beauty.

Buenos Aires 101

2006-11-11T09:53:00.000-03:00

As they say "Different strokes for different folks". We are fortunate to be living in a free society where people are entitled to voice their opinions and nowadays many blog theirs as well. We should be grateful for this diversity.

From the fast expanding list of Bloggers in Argentina, I conclude that a growing number of residents in Argentine like their opinions to be heard. My personal favourite is clearly D for Disorientation for its impartial and informed look at the country. I also follow a couple of expat blogs with keen interest such as Dan's and greekinargentina's. Then, there are a few which I glance through every few months or so.

I did just that yesterday and found this rather disturbing post. It described a dialogue broadcasted in a local television programme which offered a glimpse of the negatives of this country I have voiced before – low-brow fun at the expense of ethnic groups condoned by the majority. No, that wasn't the disturbing part...

Maybe I am too naïve in thinking that most sensible, educated people would ignore such rubbish, move on instead of endorsing it. Maybe my fault is in assuming people are sensible and educated in the first place. Anyway, the blogger in question, Robert originally from the U.S., found it so humorous that he had to share it in his blog. From the comments he received, one also gets the sense that his readers, bar one who was ambiguous, found it all kosher too. What can I say; I guess we don't actually need his walking tour to witness a hint of the true colours of Buenos Aires.

I am not known for political correctness at all but there are just certain things even I, an unexceptional adult, would think twice before putting out for public consumption because it is in poor taste to do so. For instance, if someone comes along and tells me "U.S. Americans have pea-sized brains". I just might laugh, especially after reading the above-mentioned blogger's post. However, I would know I am wrong - not all U.S. Americans have pea-sized brains. (If you are an U.S. American reading this and feeling offended, you ought to understand the point I am making.)

It is the obliviousness of wrong doing in the mainstream culture here that baffles me. That post has been an unintentional but poignant illustration of just that. It has definitely helped me to understand the unrepentant majority and their insistence that calling someone "moreno" (brown) is considered absolutely fine...fine by the just a tinge fairer-skinned porteños.

Thank you, one big lesson learnt!

My 'hood

2006-11-10T12:10:00.000-03:00

We ate at our local greasy spoon last night. It is well-known among the locals to be a good neighbourhood joint with very reasonable prices. We go, on average, once every couple of weeks for their set menu.

It is no ordinary set menu; there are 4 or 5 sets starting from just under A$10 to over A$30. These set menus are offered at lunch every weekday as well as dinner (Monday to Thursday). Nothing fancy, just honest grub.

The most basic set gives you a very generous main course which you choose from a large selection like roast chicken, merluza/hake (two sizeable fillets in one portion), a chunky meat stew, squid braised in red wine, pork chops (two thick chops in one portion), etc. Each dish comes with a side dish of vegetables, potato/pumpkin puree, fries, or salad of your choice – these portions are also very generous (ample for two persons). It also comes with drinks and bread; you can choose any soft drink, mineral water or a carafe of house wine which then comes with a sifon of water. Last but not least, you can choose between pudding from a good selection or coffee. All that for A$10! This makes getting a Big Mac an even bigger joke than just how bad it is.

The more expensive menus give customers choices of bife de chorizo (sirloin) or other parilla items (grilled meats), a selection of branded wines, coffee as well as pudding.

Their set up is clean and bright, definitely not the type of place which attracts tourists. For a long time, I was the only foreigner among the regulars. You can imagine it is the kind of place full of regular folks from our aging neighbourhood. There are more than a few senior customers who are on first name basis with not only the waiters but the other senior customers.

However, things are changing. No, not the offers; the clientele. While Guillermo and I were talking about the lunch we are hosting for La Familia, I noticed a neighbouring table of four, all from the U.S. They may be travellers who live here, tourists who come for tango (our neighbourhood offers a number of milonga halls); it doesn't matter. The point is our very local greasy spoon is getting noticed! Our favourite waiter, Carlos, was a little shy serving his new clients but he did a great job.

I appreciate my neighbourhood more each day. Most importantly, it is not touristy; well, it has the potential but not just yet – a sleepy neighbourhood oblivious to the tourist boom. It is close to Recoleta, Barrio Norte (we always walk it) and not far from San Telmo. A walk in a different direction takes me to shops which offer wholesale prices.

I came back yesterday with 3 small loaf tins and 2 large oblong tart tins with removable bottoms (the type favoured by food stylists, especially Donna Hay); the loaf tins were a steal at A$4.50 each; exactly the same ones at Geo would set you back more than double.

To "inaugurate" my trendy tart tins, I'm going to use apricots which are in season now to make a frangipane based tart. The original Donna Hay recipe was for a nectarine tart; I have adapted it by cutting down significantly on the quantity of sugar, triming down on the required butter and swapping lemon zest for orange. The end result is a fantastically moist and not overly sweet tart in which the stone fruits and orange work their alchemy.

Apricot Tart with Orange Syrup

tart:
6 fresh apricot halves (depending on size)

1/4 cup caster sugar

70g butter, softened

1/3 cup caster sugar, extra

2 eggs

1 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup plain flour

zest from 1 orange

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

orange syrup:

1 cup orange juice

¼ cup Cointreau, optional

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the nectarine halves with the 1/4 cup of sugar and cook cut-side down for 2–3 minutes or until the sugar is melted and golden. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).

Place the butter and extra sugar in a food processor and process until just combined. Add the eggs, ground almonds, flour, lemon rind and baking powder and process until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 12 x 35cm rectangular loose bottom tart tin. Press the nectarines into the mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

To make the orange syrup, place the orange juice and Cointreau in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10–12 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Set aside and allow to cool and serve it with the tart. Alternatively, just squeeze orange juice over the tart as soon as it comes out of the oven.

An Early Berry Christmas

2006-11-09T09:24:00.000-03:00

In little over a month's time, we would be leaving for Sydney. We are to stay in that seaside city for over two months. Guillermo is already speaking enthusiastically of jogging along the beach every morning - the reason for his exercise plan is his anticipation of all the great culinary indulgences that await him there.

Senior members of La Familia have come to terms with our absence during the upcoming festive season. Over the past year, they have finally woken up to the fact that our marriage is a merger, not an acquisition; therefore, they now understand they have to accept that Guillermo and I might like to spend time with my side of the family once in a while.

Having said that, I only wish my parents-in-law wouldn't look as if they had just been to a funeral each time the subject of our Christmas plans is raised. I would have been peeved if not for the mounting evidence of their separation anxiety, bless them.

Sensing my in-laws displeasure (Can you believe it? That's why I have given up on guilt), I suggested to Guillermo that we shall host a festive lunch for the immediate family, all 15 of them, before we leave.

When it comes to entertaining La Familia, my otherwise closeted Type-A personality comes out in its full glory. It is never too early to plan; cutlery, china, glasses, linens, then the perplexing question of "what to feed them?"

Last time we hosted lunch, a lovely three-course Mediterranean affair which took me days to plan, shop and prepare, both sisters-in-law rang the night before to make sure I cook some boiled plain pasta with butter for their kids.

Guillermo and I really don't want to judge them as parents; if they are not interested in introducing a variety of foods to their children, that's not our concern. On the other hand, we are only talking about normal and nutritious food such as mushrooms, roasted pumpkin, fennel, sweet potato and beetroot, baked fish, and chicken.

Besides, is it really socially acceptable these days to specify to your host what food to provide without even knowing what is on offer first? (Dietary needs and allergies are understandable exceptions but not applicable in our case.) It was a private affair, I wasn't running a restaurant.

Before an indignant parent tells me I wouldn't know until I have kids, a few years ago I helped taking care of my then young nephew and niece who tried everything offered to them; at 5 and 8 now, they are great fans of sushi, toro-tuna sashimi, smoked trout and red capsicum (morrón). I've a three year-old cousin who is allowed all types of junk food but his favourite food is carrot, followed closely by green seedless grapes and strawberries.

Our dear friends Miguel and Paula have an agreement with their young daughters – to try every food offered to them at least once; these kids (aged 2 and 4 now) enjoy a wide variety of foods, some of which are "grown-up" in taste such as olives, basil, rosemary, and bitter chocolate. We never had any problem with them whenever they had come for lunch. Kids don't start off rejecting food; bad eating habits are fostered by the parents.

While I have to appease the philistines, I would really like to pull all bells and whistles for our abuelos. Abuelo is a worldly gentleman who truly understands and appreciates good food and wine. The abuelas (Abuela and Abuelita) may not be able to eat much but they love to be fussed over. It is a real pleasure to cook for them.

Deep down I know I don't want to acclimatise to La Familia's practise in entertaining which means serving ham and cheese followed by shop-bought empanadas or media lunas stuffed with chicken. My reasoning? Very simple, if I have to sit around the dining table for over 4 hours, I'd like a hot meal so when playing hostess, I simply cannot bear treating my guests any worse than I'd treat myself.

Life is short; I always plan what I eat backwards by first looking at what is the pudding course. Since finding a new source of fresh berries, I plan on making a refreshing champagne and berries terrine. It is one of the easiest yet stunning last course – baubles of jewel-coloured fruits suspended in a block of festive champagne!

Champagne Terrine of Summer Fruits

425 ml champagne
50 g caster sugar
11 g gelatine leaves, soaked & softened
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
350 g small strawberries
225 g raspberries
350 g combination of blackcurrants, redcurrants, blueberries (any other combination you like)

You will also need 2 x 900 g loaf tins, each 19 x 12 cm x 9 cm deep, preferably non-stick but anyway with a good surface.

First prepare the fruit: remove the stalks and halve the strawberries if they are any larger than a quail's egg. Then mix the fruits together in a large bowl, being very gentle so as to avoid bruising them.

In a small saucepan heat half the champagne till it begins to simmer, then whisk the sugar and gelatine into it. Make sure that everything has dissolved completely before adding the remaining wine and the lime juice. Then pour the liquid, through a fine sieve, into a jug and allow it to cool.

While that's happening, lay the mixed fruit in one of the loaf tins – and it's worth arranging the bottom layer with the smallest, prettiest-shaped fruit as this will be on top when the terrine is turned out.

Next, pour all but 150 ml of the liquid over the fruit. Now lay a sheet of clingfilm over the tin, place the other tin directly on top, then put two unopened tins of tomatoes or something similar to act as weights into the top tin and put the whole lot into the fridge for about 1 hour, or until it has set.

Then warm up the remaining 150 ml wine mixture and pour it over the surface of the terrine. Re-cover with clingfilm and return to the fridge overnight to set firm.

When you are ready to serve, turn out the terrine by dipping the tin very briefly in hot water and inverting it on to a plate. Use a very sharp knife (also dipped first into hot water) to cut it into slices. Serve with chilled pouring cream or crème fraîche.

The Blame Game

2006-11-08T13:56:00.000-03:00

The media in Buenos Aires has been noticing a sharp increase in the number of expats living in this city. Just the other day, a radio programme interviewed an Icelander who lives in Capital Federal.

This transplanted resident said that tourists inevitably fall in love with BA because they are impressed by what they see but that would just be a very small and now touristy part of the sprawling city. According to him, expats may not have chosen to live here for the same reasons as a tourist. For instance, he was robbed during his first week in this city but he decided to stay nonetheless.

Some other expats have also been dispelling the myth that all of them are rolling in greenbacks and taking advantage of the devalued peso – a stereotypical view of many embittered porteños.

I have found this whole debate/envy or whatever one would prefer to call it rather interesting for the following reasons:

Firstly, there are just as many rich Argentines living in and out of the country, taking advantage of the devalued peso. Many of them are building palatial houses up the Delta or investing in apartments in the smart barrios within the city; these Argentines have benefited from the devaluation one way or another. Whether their earnings are in dollar, euro or peso is absolutely irrelevant; the point is they are earning a vast amount of money which has translated into formidable purchasing power.

The interesting part is that anyone should be envious or bitter over others' earning abilities. As long as their conduct is completely honourable and legal, why should people not be rewarded for their hard work or innovations?

Secondly, the strong Argentine culture which places utmost importance on the concept of "La Familia" discourages, to some extent, their own to explore the unknown, to travel the world, to broaden their horizon through living in other countries and cultures regardless of financial rewards. This is the opposite of many modern cultures; a vast number of traveller-residents here have this progressive mind-set and are earning a basic living in pesos. They are certainly not the ones buying up Alan Faena's luxurious loft developments in Puerto Madero.

Yes, and then there are those who are doing just that. They may have come from the U.S., Europe but among them are definitely rich Argentines. In every society are the rich and the poor. It is not necessarily a zero-sum game; the fact that someone can afford fine things in life doesn't equate to them robbing others the same opportunities – it is up to the individuals.

I am afraid if I continue I would be opening a Pandora's box of the "blame" mentality prevalent among people of this country – blame the society, blame the government, blame the politicians, blame the neighbours, blame the newbie expats...they believe they have absolutely nothing to do with anything that has gone wrong so far.

No, I won't go into all that but I'll leave you to ponder over this quote:

"...las sociedades no son entes abstractos sino la suma de las personas que la conforman, con sus mecanismos psicológicos, sus comportamientos y sus producciones." - Pensamiento Origanizado by Dr. Guillermo Campitelli

"Societies are not abstract entities but are formed by the sum of persons, with their psychological mechanisms, their behaviours and their productions." – Organised Thinking by Dr. Guillermo Campitelli

That means you, me and everyone else – no more shirking, no more blaming others.

A Little Bit of Heart

2006-11-07T14:29:00.000-03:00

Expats from cosmopolitan cities lament the lack of good dim sum in Argentina. I have surmised the most likely reason being the absence of a sizeable and affluent client base with sophisticated palates which have progressed past the decade of chop suey (strictly speaking a commercial invention to fool those who don't know better) to support qualified dim sum chefs.

Good food needs an appreciative audience. For instance, the secret behind superlative Chinese food in Sydney can be easily explained - Australians of any ethnicity ordering steamed fish, done just about pink in bone, to go with a bottle of crisp white is common sight in Chinese restaurants across the city. Lesser skills and quality simply cannot survive in that competitive culinary landscape.

Don't get me wrong, I'm most appreciative that Chinese restaurants here such as Nueva Chinatown trying their very best but quality dim sum are made by specially trained professionals – it is like asking a chef to moonlight as a haut pâtissier, the result is going to be passable at best. Anyway, I would go back to Nueva Chinatown, in a heartbeat, for their roast duck and pescado entero.

Since dim sum literally means a little bit of heart, I look for the essence of it elsewhere. Yesterday, our domestic goddess came to work bearing a box of alfajores from Havana for Guillermo and me! We were really touched by her thoughtful gesture – that was the best dim sum I have ever had in this town.

I also discovered a rather elegant looking sweet dim sum at Asia Oriental last Friday; a Matcha flaky pastry filled with aduki paste wrapping a walnut in the centre. Guillermo showed his approval by wolfing down two of these dainty wagashi (和菓子/ Japanese sweetmeat) in one brief sitting.

I have only recently spotted Matcha from Taiwan (ex-colony of Japan) at the supermarkets in Barrio Chino and last Friday was the first time I saw this green tea powder being used in commercial baked goods in Buenos Aires. I am excited that Matcha Love has finally reached these shores.

The producer of this flaky pastry is very smart in keeping the flavour of Matcha subtle; hopefully this would attract the more adventurous porteños to sample and grow to like this delicately green bocadito (a little mouthful) and then venture out to seek other exotic flavours.

I am still filled with sweet dim sum love from the wagashi and alfajores so I'll share with you a wonderful fusion chocolate sandwich cake recipe inspired by a chocolatier, Katrina Markoff, CEO of Vosges Haut-Chocolat in Chicago.

Ms Karkoff was one of the first to infuse chocolate with unexpected ingredients such as ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds – she named this Asian-inspired creation of hers the Black Pearl truffles. The ingredients are the building blocks of this recipe I have adapted by slashing the quantity of sugar and eliminating the corn syrup; I present to you, the Black Pearl Cake.

Part 1: Black Pearl chocolate ganáche
150g dark chocolate (at least 85% cocoa solids), finely chopped

1 cup double cream

1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated

3 tsp wasabi powder

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

1 tbsp ginger syrup (see Part 2)

Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream, ginger, and wasabi to boil in small pot. Pour hot cream over chocolate; cover and let stand 15 min. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth. Mix sesame seeds and syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture. Let cool to lukewarm. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight to set.

Part 2: Ginger syrup
1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

5 tbsp juliennes of peeled fresh ginger

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend. Strain syrup into small bowl. Chop ginger. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead) Cover and refrigerate ginger and syrup separately.

Part 3: Cake

2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 3/4 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

240g unsalted butter, room temperature

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and flour three 20cm sandwich cake tins; and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk 2 cups boiling water, cocoa powder, and the reserved ginger juliennes in medium heatproof bowl. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 1 min. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter among prepared cake pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 min. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. (Cakes can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)

Part 4: Cream frosting

2 cups chilled double cream

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon ground ginger
Black sesame seeds, for decoration*

Beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, vanilla, and ground ginger. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Trim doomed tops off cakes to create flat surface. Place a cake layer, cut side up, on a plate. Brush top with 1/3 cup ginger syrup. Spread half of ganáche over top of cake. Place second layer, cut side up, atop first layer. Brush with 1/3 cup syrup; spread with remaining ganáche. Top with third cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup. Spread sides and top with cream frosting.

Sprinkle top with black sesame seeds. Refrigerate until cream and ganáche are set, about 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. (The whole cake can be assembled 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

*If you can get hold of edible gold leaves, this is an opportunity to put it to elegant use. Gold, the edible kind, is frequently a part of food presentation in Japan.

Silence is Golden

2006-11-06T10:55:00.000-03:00

It is interesting how reality can be very far from hasty perceptions especially formed by those who are too ready to accuse. Like many fellow expat bloggers, my blog is my space to rant and vent so I could, in real life, remain a positive and calm person.

My observations on the practises of members of La Familia may not have sat well with some Argentine readers; maybe I've pointed out something too close to home for comfort? However, contrary to casual assumptions, Guillermo and I had differences with his parents but no argument.

Differences can be discussed calmly and then resolved in civilised manners while arguments put people in an offence-defence situation which, regardless of outcome, is destructive. Interestingly, the word discusión in Spanish can mean argument (pelea/ fight) in English so no wonder I've found that most people here have to have the last word; they will probably never understand the true meaning behind the phrase "silence is golden".

This past Sunday, we visited the abuelos. It was a small gathering of Guillermo's parents, tio and his wife, and us. I brought a Gâteau au Yaourt (yoghurt cake) made with lavender scented sugar which Abuelo and my father-in-law each had more than a couple of slices. It was shaping up to be a really nice afternoon.

After our tio and tia departed, Abuela who had two strokes (infartos) this year led the conversation to her sufferings again. Her main gripe is that she is simply too far from her youngest daughter (aged 39) and her two grandsons (aged 4 and 8) who live outside of Capital Federal. The daughter and her children come to visit her parents in Buenos Aires every month and if it is during school holidays, they stay for weeks; nonetheless, she burst into tears with more than a few "poor me".

Her eldest daughter (Guillermo's mother), my father in-law and Guillermo all tried to encourage her to look at the positives which are many: she has a large family all of whom she sees regularly, she lives in a very comfortable apartment in Belgrano and doesn't have any financial worry, her husband is still alive and keeping her company...Nothing could persuade her to stop this tirade of self-pity.

My own maternal grandmother (PoPo/婆婆) who lives in Sydney is exactly Abuela's age; upon her own insistence, PoPo lives alone. At 86, she still leads a busy social life, tends to the garden as her exercise and is very appreciative to be alive. All of this, I kept to myself at this gathering lest I risk taken as gloating. I kept my mouth firmly shut while the self-indulgent whining continued.

Finally Abuelo spoke; he turned to his wife like a parent to his obstinate child and asked her "Have you ever thought of other people less fortunate than you? How about this granddaughter here who hasn't seen her abuela for almost two years?"

Even with that cue, I didn't take the opportunity to impress on all of them my own circumstance; I just smiled and remained silent. I was grateful that the point was made for me by a true gentleman and that was enough. Abuela was put in her place instantly yet she was thankful that I didn't rub it in further. Abuelo and my in-laws were impressed by this display of maturity and consideration. My husband was proud. No words could have ever won me as much. Enough said.

Lavender Scented Yoghurt Cake

2 eggs

1 cup of whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt*

1 cup scented sugar ( I used lavender)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon lavender, optional

Preheat the oven to 190C, line a loaf tin with parchment paper

In a large mixing-bowl, gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, and oil.

In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and blend together -- don't overwork the dough.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin, and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand for ten minutes, and transfer onto a rack to cool.

* I make my own unsweetened yoghurt, so I infused the hot milk with 1 tbsp of lavender flowers this time.

The Princess of Fruits

2006-11-05T12:54:00.000-03:00

Sometimes I find myself hesitating whether to blog about my triumphant returns with mise en place from Barrio Chino (China town) because my readers may go there on my recommendation and come back empty handed.

It seems shopping there requires vulture-like focus and determination, not to mention swift decision making abilities. Procrastination often means the product is gone and no one knows when it would be in stock again, if ever.

Since winter 2005, I have returned to Casa China many times to enquire about their dried rose buds, only to be directed to rosa mosqueta (rosehip) - apples and oranges clearly. I recently bought lavanda (lavender flowers) from them and guess what? The entire stock has been purchased when I popped in a week later.

It is a mixed blessing that the better supermarkets in Barrio Chino serve as wholesalers to a new breed of fashionable restaurants and some truly creative culinary professionals. As a result, we, the retail customers, benefit from a wide range of products from all over the world at competitive prices; however, it also means that the entire stock of something could be wiped off the shelf by one single chef doing his/her shopping. It is a dog eat dog world out on the aisles.

Over all, I have no complaints. I popped into Asia Oriental just the other evening, before Diana treated us to a wonderful dinner at Nueva Chinatown, to find a selection of purée de fruits from Les Vergers Boiron – a French fruit specialist. This was a new find! In stock were puree of cassis (blackcurrant/ sauco), lychee and coconut; prices ranged from A$56 to A$73 per kilo. I assume they would be snapped up by trade customers.

It is said that the pungent durian is the king of fruits and the almost impossible to transport mangosteen is the queen, then lychee has got to be the princess for its fragile prettiness alone. I don't think we can get fresh lychees in Argentina although the northern climate may be suitable for cultivation (some parts of Australia has been successfully producing lychees for domestic consumption as well as export for a decade now), so meanwhile we can either cough up A$73 for a kilo of puree from France or we can get tinned whole lychees from China, actually where this fruit is grown, for a fraction of the former.

I love fresh lychees and I wouldn't do anything to them except popping the transulent and fragrant globes in my mouth. On the other hand, if I have to work with a frozen puree or tinned fruits, I think the best medium to showcase its unique scent is a sorbet or an ice cream.

Lychee Ice Cream:
1½ cups canned seedless lychee, drained & pureed
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
¾ cup sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup fresh lemon juice/ juice from the tinned fruits

Combine the cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan or double boiler; heat until warm and the sugar is completely dissolved. Add 1 cup of the cream mixture to the yolks while whisking lightly. Gradually pour the egg mixture back into the cream mixture while continuing to whisk lightly.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the back of your spoon is thinly coated, about 8 minutes. Do not allow it to boil or the ice cream custard mixture will curdle.

Add the lychee puree and lemon juice and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.

Freeze in an electric ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can put the ice cream custard in a bowl and put it in your freezer for a couple of hours, take it out and whisk until ice particles are broken down. Repeat the process a few times.

One Fine Meal

2006-11-04T11:50:00.000-03:00

I am becoming very confused; our mighty masseuse Diana treated us and her other clients, two couples, to a scrumptious Chinese meal which cost her absolutely way too much. At the end of an almost endless procession of great food and flowing good wine, she refused to let us contribute to the bill.

We met up with the others at a restaurant in Barrio Chino which none of us had been to before. Zoe and Mr.T, one of the other two couples, know more than a few good restaurants in town yet this one was also new to them. As far as Chinese restaurants go, Guillermo and I had shared meals with them at The Garden on Riobamba (between Santa Fe and Arenales) and Cinco Cordero on Las Heras; up until last night, we all thought the gong for best Chinese belonged to The Garden. However, what a difference an evening makes!

Diana suggested this place because they are known for their roast duck and char siu (roast pork) - Hong Kong style. Zoe, Mr. T, Guillermo and I all agreed that the duck was actually very impressive. In addition to various appetisers and the big bird, our more than generous hostess ordered prawns and scallops with cashews, pork short ribs, beef, spicy tofu, and the pièce de resistence was pescado entero con salsa dulce (originally a Northern Chinese dish called 松鼠魚). A sizeable fresh mero (Argentine seabass/ Grouper fish) with meaty white flesh was lightly fried and served whole on a platter. The fish was very fresh and the chunks of flesh were juicy, simple yet impressive.

Unlike the other Chinese restaurants where Zoe had to ring a day ahead to order the more elaborate or authentic off menu dishes, all of the dishes last night were actually listed on the menu. Mr.T was particularly impressed and declared this the new best Chinese in town.

The restaurant is conveniently located close to the railway, on Juramento 1656 (y Arribeños). The name is Nueva ChinaTown. The owner told us they are moving to new premises around the corner early 2007; the address will then be Montañeses 2149.

Melting Moments

2006-11-03T10:46:00.000-03:00

I walked pass a leafy stretch of Belgrano yesterday just to realise all the shops and cafes on that particular block were having a black-out. Nobody is suggesting that we are having an energy crisis but two shops had their own generators cranking noisily; one of them was a Munchi's ice cream parlour. Judging from the darkness in spite of their equipment, I think they just had enough to keep the ice creams from going off.

Since I was recovering from a blitz spell of food poisoning from my merluza (hake/鱈魚) at lunch earlier, I defensively thought about not having any more ice cream between now and December when Guillermo and I can once again indulge in concoctions as close to gelati as one could get outside of il Bel Paese. Second thought, I think I am going to ease off fish until then as well.

However, since yesterday my twisted mind has not been able to stop churning over all ice cream related matters. I recently read about Saltshaker's sampling of some disappointing coconut ice cream at a puerta cerrada (literally closed door but means a private dining club or 私房菜). Arrgh! Coconut ice cream has been a secret back burner project of mine for as long as I've given up on them in this town - they tend to be very coarsely textured with dried up and flavourless desiccated coconut.

With a bottle of coconut milk in my pantry originally intended for a curry dinner and the thought of dodgy ice cream due to our non-existent energy crisis, I may just have to attempt some homemade coconut ice cream...

370ml coconut milk

3 egg yolks

90g caster sugar

2/3 tbsp cornflour

120ml double cream

Place coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for about half an hour.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and cornflour until pale. Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking constantly.

Return to the saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the custard thickens. Remove from the heat, strain into a clean bowl and leave to cool. Chill. Churn in a machine until thick. Freeze.

Hello Sunshine!

2006-11-02T11:07:00.000-03:00

The sun is out, the city is much greener and the jacarandas are in full bloom...Buenos Aires is at its most beautiful right now.

I am a lot busier with work which takes me out and about discovering an increasing variety of produce on offer. Each time I discover something which couldn't be found this time last year, the same thoughts spring to mind – the economy must be benefiting some sectors here, what is driving it? Would this new flush of wealth take roots? Are we in for a better long haul this time?

Wealth, more precisely perceived relative wealth, can trigger different reactions in different people. A lot of times such reaction says more about the person reacting than the innocent one triggering it...

If I have to rank them, the most valuable advice my learned husband has given me since starting this blog would be that I should believe in myself, my integrity and not sweat the rest. He has always said that it is evitable that someone would disagree with me, even aggressively or irrationally at times; I should just let them be.

I am posting a photo of jacaranda trees (these are located in Sydney though) as a gesture of support to this fellow blogger in Buenos Aires.

Enough musing. Today, I want to get back to the basics, and nothing is more so than a good old fashion pound cake (budin). As in all things simple, the quality of ingredients becomes paramount – like integrity of a person.

This Rosemary White Chocolate Pound Cake is my own invention (I have never come across it anywhere yet). It is the product of a half empty pantry and my opportunism – I had intended to make a dark chocolate & cardamom cake (I think a Peter Gordon recipe from his Sugar Club days), I had no cardamom but some very fresh rosemary and a slab of white chocolate. The end result is one of the best "plain" cakes I have ever tasted; the fragrant herbal note is rounded by the smooth vanilla sweetness of the white chocolate.

150g soft butter
100g caster sugar (you may want to cut sugar to 75g if your white chocolate is very sweet)
needles from 2 stalks of fresh rosemary, chopped
300g SR flour
3 eggs
3 tbsp milk
100g white chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the chopped rosemary. Add eggs one at a time with a tbsp of flour for each. Then gently mix in the rest of the flour. Thin the batter with milk until it reaches a soft, dropping consistence. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Bake in a lined loaf tin for 50min.

Let Them Eat Cake

2006-11-01T11:34:00.000-03:00

Inspired by the almost good enough to eat pictures of Sophia Coppola's indulgent take on Marie Antoinette's life which looks like a box of jewel coloured Parisienne macarons on film – I am going to blog about cakes...

Thanks to his books on pastry and chocolate, Pierre Hermé is no longer a hidden secret among the privileged or the well-travelled. I have made his Suzy's Cake many times to the swoons of friends and family. Those who are not keen to go into the kitchen can sample his macarons and now world-famous Isaphan in Paris and Tokyo. The master credits his affinity to the subtle tastes and delicate textures of the Orient. It is therefore not surprising that there is a growing number of Japanese pâtissiers bursting onto the international scene.

Why are most Oriental pastry chefs Japanese? It may have something to do with their tea culture. Not only is tea drinking an important part of one's daily life there, chadō (茶道) or the tea ritual is an art the Japanese treat with deep respect.

The sansei (teacher) and her students are all dressed in formal kimonos (each gown costs upward of US$2,000) while they sit in meditative silence to make and then drink tea. Each movement is measured and practised. The tea made with Matcha during a tea ceremony is usually extremely concentrated. Sweets or pastries are an essential part of this experience. Traditional sweets are called 和菓子/ wa-gashi (Japanese sweetmeats), they are the ones used on these occasions and their intense sweetness is a deliberation to balance the pronounced tannin in the tea.

Since tea culture is so entrenched, the modern concept of a leisurely afternoon tea has taken roots among the Japanese ladies. In these cases, lighter 洋菓子/ yo-gashi (Western sweetmeats) are more appropriate. When there is a market, there is a training ground for young talents.

The most famous among them is the Paris-based Sadaharu Aoki. Indeed, the Kumquat and Earl Grey Tea Mousse cake which I posted earlier was inspired by this master's creation named Valencia. Keiko of Nordljus who is an artisan in a domestic kitchen features his creations regularly.

Another master is the Tokyo-based Hidemi Sugino. His shop, Idemi, in Kyobashi routinely has a long queue outside. Production is limited due to the master's insistence that although he couldn't make every cake from start to finish, he wants to make sure each one is touched by him personally. Hence, they are sold out around noon everyday. His book, Le Goût Authentique Retrouvé, in Japanese has yet to be translated into English. Meanwhile, we can turn to Keiko's photos to catch a glimpse of this pâtissier's imagination.

Another country which has wowed the culinary world in recent years, Spain, is also producing a number of master pastry chefs. Francisco Torreblanca and Oriol Balaguer are the equivalents of superstar Ferran Adrià in sweet arts. Their creations also lean towards the lighter, subtler tastes with zen-like, oriental inspired presentations which seems to be very much in vogue these days. Their considerable tombs in English are available at Amazon.com for an equally considerable sum.

Would this trend eventually land on these shores and transform the look of our frumpy Pasta Frola and more? I am putting my bets on those on-the-pulse young pastry chefs at Filosofía de Sabor but while we hope and wait, we can try to make a proper Linzer Torte which is what the heavy sickly sweet slab is purportedly trying to imitate.

Linzer Torte:

280g unsalted butter

125g caster sugar

juice and rind of 1/4 orange

280g plain flour

1 egg

95g ground hazelnut (or almond meal)

pinch of bi-carb soda

1g clove

1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

good quality raspberry jam

Mix butter and 1/2 of dry ingredients in a mixer. Then allow the butter to be "beaten" to pieces, then add in the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add zest, orange juice and 1 egg.

If the mixture looks like it doesn't need much liquid, then don't add so much orange juice. Mix till ingredients are well incorporated. Then rest in the fridge. But if it's not too soft and can be rolled out, go ahead and roll till 12mm.

Line the pastry on a greased tart tin. Spread jam, but not too much. Just a thin layer. Then with the remaining dough, roll out till about 5mm thick then cut strips and arrange it in lattice pattern. Egg wash before baking for shine.

Bake at 190 C for about 35-40 minutes or till golden. If jam bubbles, it's overbaked so watch the last 5 minutes.

A Hairy Situation

2006-10-31T11:55:00.000-03:00

Although we have been told repeatedly that there isn't going to be an energy crisis, reality seems not to be cooperating with government propaganda or intervention.

Friends over in Belgrano Bajo had their wattage cut on the hottest night into the season. We had a little power scare on Sunday ourselves when everything switched off all at once and no sooner we heard screaming through the lift shaft – someone was trapped in the elevator. Guillermo rushed to help – he is always the first to act in these situations.

I considered using the stairs from now until we leave for Sydney, coincidentally that was exactly what my friend who endured a night of melting heat did for a week – she has since given up. However, what do they say about Murphy's Law...

My buttercup blonde domestic goddess came to clean our apartment last night; besides feeding her my chocolate & pistachio cake covered with dark chocolate ganáche and later some zucchini & ricotta fritters, we chitchatted about the crisis. Her reaction provided a glimpse into a probable explanation as to why most Argentines are better equipped at handling incompetence.

Her view is that the lack of energy pales into absolute insignificance when someone in Lavallol was capable of raping and murdering an 8 year-old and then burying her. If we follow that same line of logic, we shouldn't sweat anything because poverty or violence is a daily experience of many Argentines. We are so fortunate that we are not eating each other alive for survival, what else could we possibly complain about?

No wonder, in countries such as Argentina, it is in the politicians' best interests to keep a large part of the population poor, uneducated and most importantly, patriotic. The similarities with another ex-Spanish colony spring to mind immediately – the Philippines. Most Philippinos still love and worship their corrupt "shoe queen" Imelda Marcos!

While taking a walk around the Congress one night, Guillermo asked me about hair extensions. Now, my husband wouldn't even recognise a mascara wand if it hit him in the face so I listened attentively. He heard this term, all the rage in Hollywood and other capital cities populated with philistines, on a radio programme which talked about women in Santiago del Estero selling their hair for food.

I was just explaining to him how fashion conscious people prefer to have fake real hair these days when we saw a sign at the door of a hairdresser's on Junin "Compro pelo" (I buy hair). The problem is so close to home, the Congress I mean.

Poverty is real, sometimes so real that people have become a little numbed by it. My then pregnant Spanish teacher once said to me, without a hint of compassion, that street kids were a menace. She was held at knife point by a 5 year-old for a couple of pesos. Indeed, some of them are as young as 4 or 5; however, it cannot be their fault that they are poor or starving and therefore controlled by their thuggish ringleader. There is a much bigger problem caused by anyone with voting rights in this country, the rest are just manifestations of how wrong many have been.

Anyway, I've digressed and risk excusing all forms of incompetence which I've encountered many here in one short year.

Our pumpkin recipe on this day of Halloween is not the Trad pumpkin pie but a roasted Japanese pumpkin salad.

1 kg Japanese pumpkin*, trimmed (but not peeled), seeded, and cut into 3-5 mm slices

1/2 onion, preferably sweet onion, very thinly sliced

A fistful of walnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped

2 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano, plus extra for garnish

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for finishing

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Your choice of salad greens (I prefer to include arugula), rinsed and dried

Preheat oven to 180C.

Spread slices of pumkin in a single layer on a large plate. Steam it for about 15min, flip them over for amother 10min, if necessary (this is to reduce the oven-baking time, as pumkin takes long to cook). Transfer the pumpkin to a non-stick cookie sheet (I use non-stick aluminum foil) and bake in the preheated oven until tender and crisp, about 20min. Remove from the oven and let them cool.

To roast the walnuts, spread them on a half of a piece of aluminum foil, and fold the foil into half so that walnuts were covered. Toast the covered nuts for 5-10 minutes. Chop and let cool.In a bowl combine the onion, lemon juice, oil, walnuts, and cheese. Grind the pepper generously, and salt to taste (do not put too much salt, as the cheese is quite salty).

Mix in the pumpkin.Spread the greens on a large plate and place the rest of the ingredients on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with more grated cheese (optional). Grind the pepper. Serves 2.

*Japanese pumpkin has dark green skin and bright orangy yellow flesh.

Cha Cha Cha

2006-10-30T10:43:00.000-03:00

Tea (茶 or Cha) is an important part of some Asian cultures. To drink a cup of tea is not just to quench one's thirst but it could be a gesture of respect, gratitude or dare I say, love from one person to another. In these cultures, to know how to drink tea is considered a sign of good breeding and education.

The leaves used to make tea are therefore of utmost importance; a significant body of knowledge on the subject exists beyond our generic té comun or green tea.

My parents' everyday drink is a white tea made with Shou Mei (壽眉) leaves while my grandmother prefers the perfumy daffodil (水仙) which also means "Water Fairy". My favourite is rose (yes, dried rose buds) or a lychee tea and my cousins love a pot chrysanthemum infusion any day.

The Japanese Matcha (抹茶) is now commonly used in cooking and baking beyond Japan while the use of Chinese teas in cooking, as demonstrated most elegantly by J at Kuidaore here, is still very much a hidden secret among the connoisseurs of Chinese cuisines (the 18 provinces have their own distinctive cooking style). Among them, the most well known is a fragrant tea smoked duck from the mountainous province of Hunan.

Since I received my stash of Matcha from Bonnie who used hers in some very cute cupcakes, I have been checking out what others are doing with this versatile ingredient...

Let's set the mood with Paris Breakfasts' collection of beautiful tea related objects...then we go to Cote d' Azur for some Green & Black Tiramisu or we could travel across to Italia for some Matcha sphaghetti, followed by a scoop of Green Tea gelato and a fine alternative to the classic Italian tiramisu - courtesy of Carol, Fanny and fiordizucca (pumpkin flower) who reminds me of another pumpkin recipe by il cavoletto di bruxelles.

Pumpkin and Pine Nut Terrine:

purea di zucca 400g (pumpkin puree)

latte 10cl (100ml milk)

uova 3 (eggs)

farina 50g (plain flour)

olio d'oliva 2 cucchiai (2 tbsp olive oil)

groviera 50g (Gruyère cheese)

panna da cucina 2 cucchiai (2 tbsp single cream)

pinoli 30g (pine nuts)

Steam 600-700g of pumpkin until soft to get 400g of puree. Mix puree with milk. In another bowl, beat togeter eggs, flour, grated cheese and cream.

Add the puree mixture to the flour mixture. In a loaf tin, sprinkle some pine nuts and then pour in the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts on top. Bake in a 200C oven for 45 min. and leave to cool completely.

Cuocere 6-7 etti di zucca al vapore (lasciarla fino a quando sarà molto morbida), togliere la buccia e frullarla, pesare poi 400g della purea così ricavata. Mescolare la purea col latte. In un altro recipiente, sbattere le uova, la farina, il groviera grattugiato e la panna. Aggiungere la purea di zucca.Rivestire uno stampo di carta da forno, versare metà dei pinoli sul fondo, versare l'impasto e finire con l'altra metà dei pinoli. Infornare a 200°per 45 minuti e lasciar raffreddare completamente dopo cottura.

Loosely translated but still an accurate and workable recipe ;-)

Fried Up

2006-10-29T12:01:00.000-03:00

We have had a taste of the scorching summer that is to come already. Friends and family are making plans for their annual exodus from Buenos Aires.

For a lot of porteños, Punta del Este is the default answer – they prepare themselves for six months of the year to be in shape and the right shade of brown before launching themselves onto a crowd of identical looking seasonal migrants, also from Buenos Aires.

It seems the idea of summer, or all year round if one could afford it, is to get a tan worthy of much envy. Guillermo used to share a remise (rental car, similar to a pre-ordered taxi) every week to go out to Ituzango, for work, with two female university professors in their 50s. Their skin was already completely destroyed by years of over exposure to the sun and solarium rays, they faces were more wrinkled than that of my 86 year-old grandmother; yet they still wanted to be more tanned.

My eldest sister-in-law's father had skin-cancer last year. He went through more than a few operations and at one point the prognosis was very grim indeed. However, during that same summer, his daughter was sending her young kids out running around swimming pools, obviously with little clothes on, under the fierce midday sun.

To tan or not to tan; it is not a question of vanity but of long term health. It seems most people, even those staring at the serious consequences at close range, simply cannot make the connection that skin cancer doesn't happen overnight and it certainly doesn't only affect the senior population.

Guillermo's eldest brother, husband of this fearless sister-in-law commented on the sad, pale colour of my husband. Guillermo just shrugged; he was told by the same brother he was sad and lacking in passion just because he didn't like to be part of a typical Argentine football match and all that it entails. Well, not everybody has the same desire to look like George Hamilton or swear like a gutter mouth.

If my husband had wanted to be as brown and wrinkled as a nut, I would have tried to provide him with information why tanning is bad for him and his long term health. However, if he had insisted I would have let him – at least it would have been his educated choice. The most pathetic is yielding to social pressure for no reason other than damaging oneself for some misguided sense of vanity.

On the other hand, some forms of social pressure may be quite desirable, such as people coming together to test out best pumpkin recipes...

This is a recipe from Tish Boyle's "The Cake Book". The crust is made from pastry dough as opposed to the typical biscuit crumbs. With its combination of pecans and crystallized ginger, the crust pairs exceptionally well with the slightly spicy pumpkin custard filling.

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crust

Crust:
1 cup plain flour

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup (40g) chopped crystallized ginger

1/3 cup (54g) pecans

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold & cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tbsp cold water

Filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

570g cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

4 large eggs, at room temp.

To make the crust:

Position oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 180C. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x3 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with 2-3 layers of aluminum foil.Place the flour, sugar, salt, ginger, and pecans in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the pecans are finely ground. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the cold water slowly until the dough just comes together.

Press the dough into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust just starts to brown. Cool crust completely on a wire rack.

To make the filling:

Reduce oven temperature to 170C. In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and beat on low speed until smooth. Mix in the pumpkin mixture, then add the cornstarch and mix until just blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and do a final mix by hand to make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour the filling in the cooled crust. Set the still wrapped springform pan in a large roasting pan. Carefully pour enough hot water into the large pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes until the center is set but still a bit wobbly.

Remove cheesecake from water bath to a cooling rack. Carefully remove the foil and run a thin knife tip around the edge of the cake. This will loosen the cake and help prevent the top from cracking. Cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate the cooled cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving.