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Daf Yomi

This would, no doubt, turn into a massive page during the project going through the entire cycle. What I’m going to do is put the section of whichever tractate I’m currently going through on this page, and as I finish them during the cycle, I’ll move the finished one onto a separate linked sub-page. I’m going to organize it as an outline so it’s reasonably easy to follow. I’m also, while well aware of the deep spiritual stuff that’s going on in each discussion, not going to go down that path – there are a zillion websites and commentaries that already do that. In general, I find the idea of a glimpse of a historical culture from what amounts to transcripts of conversations between spiritual and secular leaders to be fascinating, and not surprisingly, for me, I’m particularly drawn to topics that relate to food and wine, sexuality, and comedy.

  • Seder Zeraim – “Book of Seeds”
    • Berakhot – “Blessings”Blessed things, actions, and events
      • I hit a momentary “WTF?” when Berakhot finished and we didn’t move on to Pe’ah, the next tractate in Zeraim. Apparently the remaining ten tractates in Zeraim do not have Gemara commentary in the Babylonian Talmud, just the Jerusalem Talmud, which the Daf Yomi doesn’t cover. Despite living in a predominately agrarian society, the Babylonian rabbis apparently had nothing to say on agriculture and related subjects like tithing, offerings, and challah bread. Though now I get “Book of Seeds”, I do feel a bit cheated and I want to know if there’s a good challah recipe in there. My plan is to at some point read through the various tractates throughout the Talmud that aren’t included in the Daf Yomi, just out of curiosity. I’ll put those in a different color so that they stand out.
    • Pe’ah – “Corner” – Pay it Forward
    • Demai – “Doubtful” – Provenance and Taxes
    • Kil’ayim – “Mixed Species” – Mixing it up in the Fields
    • Shevi’it – “Seventh” – Taking a Sabbatical from Life
    • Terumot – “Donations” –
    • Ma’aser Rishon – “First Tithes” – 
    • Ma’aser Sheni – “Second Tithes” – 
    • Challah – “Dough” – 
    • Orlah – “First Fruits of Trees” – 
    • Bikkurim – “First Fruits” –
  • Seder Moed – “Book of Festivals”
  • Seder Nashim – “Book of Women”
  • Seder Nezikin – “Book of Damages”
    • Bava Kamma – “The First Gate” – Who’s Responsible?
    • Bava Metzia – “The Middle Gate” – Who Owns the Truth?
    • Bava Batra – “The Last Gate” – You’re Responsible, and Here’s Why
      • With great… property… comes great responsibility. Pre-diving-in that seems to be the message we’re about to delve into. And we’re in for quite a ride. Bava Batra is the longest tractate in the entire Talmud, coming in at 176 pages, so it’s going to occupy us for the next six months. This is also one of the few tractates that is not an exposition on a section of the Torah, and is instead a codification of Jewish oral law around the rights and responsibilities of property owners.
      • 9/6/24, Chapter 5, Page 73 – It’s a pissing contest for which sage can tell the most ridiculously exaggerated story. It’s not clear how it got started, but we have mountain sized antelopes, a tree big enough for a raven who ate a snake who ate a frog as big as a fort, a fish big enough to feed sixty neighborhoods and whose bones are sufficient to rebuild entire towns, an ax falling into a pit so deep that it’s been falling for seven years, and more. Stoned. That’s what they are. Stoned.
      • 9/7/24, Page 74 – A series of tales from Rav Yehuda, of India. He pays particular note to the sea oryx, a massive horned sea creature. In fact, it is so big, that after he created it, God realized that if the one male and one female sea oryx currently in existence were to have a child, it would be so big it would destroy the world. So he castrates the male and kills the female, and salt cures her flesh. And then opines that salt cured fish is delicious, but salt cured meat is not. Let me go make some pasta with guanciale for him.
      • 9/8/24, Page 75 – The tales have turned to the infamous Leviathan, and among the various stories about the huge waves he causes when swimming and his atrociously bad breath, we have a story of Rabbi Yohanan describing a vision of the future. One of his students sneers at him, unbelievingly. Later the student sees the vision coming to pass, returns to Yohanan, apologizes and asks to be reaccepted. Yohanan, instead, turns the evil eye on him and reduces him to a pile of bones. Don’t mock the teacher.
      • 9/9/24, Page 76 – This is the sort of thing that falls into the “why people hate lawyers” category. Someone buys a promissory note, an IOU, from a lender. Now, to any normal person, he bought it for the purposes of collecting the debt. But no, the borrower’s advocate asserts that all the person bought was a piece of paper, not the debt owed, because no contract was written that specified he acquired the lien, and since the original lender doesn’t have proof of the loan anymore….
      • 9/10/24, Page 77 – We’re back to what more or less amounts to “furniture and fixtures”, just for non-land properties. If you buy a boat, do you buy it’s cargo, or its slaves? If you buy an ox, do you buy its yoke, or its plow? As with real-property, only if it’s specified in the written contract are things which are not physically a part of what you’re buying included. I’m sure this page is a setup for all the exceptions to be listed in the coming pages.
      • 9/11/24, Page 78 – Not surprisingly given the last pages, if you sell a donkey, you don’t sell its saddle, harness, and saddlebags unless specified in the contract. If you sell a wagon, it doesn’t come with the mules… unless specified in the contract. If you sell a cow, the sale doesn’t include its calf. But, in a weird twist, and without a coherent explanation, if you sell a donkey, its foal is automatically included. Always.
      • 9/12/24, Page 79 – If you consecrate something like a well, dunghill, dovecote that is filled with, respectively, water, manure, doves, and then use those for your own benefit, you are guilty of both misuse of and deriving benefit from consecrated property. If you consecrate those things when empty, and later fill them and use them, you are only guilty of misuse. Because, you can’t transfer or consecrate ownership of something which doesn’t yet exist.
      • 9/13/24, Page 80 – Although the subjects of the discussion are, on the surface, doves, bees, and olive trees, it quickly becomes clear that the rabbis are using these, to some extent, as a metaphor. The underlying theme is that mothers are attached to their daughters, but the feeling is not necessarily reciprocated, and this looks to open up quite the line of rulings related to obligations to either mother or daughter. We shall see in upcoming pages.
      • 9/14/24, Page 81 – The rabbis argue over whether there are seven or ten varieties of cedar tree. The seven they agree on are: cedar, acacia, myrtle, balsam, cypress, teak, and juniper. The three in contention are: pistachio, oak, and coral. What we learn from this is that the rabbis hadn’t a remote clue about tree taxonomy.
      • 9/15/24, Page 82 – Earlier we saw that if a seller sells some trees to a buyer, the buyer acquires the land immediately around them in order to be able to harvest the fruits. On and off since, there were passages that refined this, and even talked about rights of way to get to the trees. The question arises of whether new shoots that appear near to those trees are a part of them, or new, separate trees – as this could extend the buyer’s property rights. Recommendation to seller, tear out new shoots as soon as you see them.
      • 9/16/24, Page 83 – If a seller sells something to a buyer that is inferior to the quality promised, the buyer can cancel the sale. If the quality is better than promised, the seller can cancel the sale. If it is the quality promised, be it good or bad, neither can cancel the sale.
      • 9/17/24, Page 84 – Are vinegar and wine the same thing or a different thing? The rabbis argue over whether fundamentally, they are the same product, simply in different states. And how does that affect the sale of a barrel of either wine or vinegar, if the other is received? After all, a cook may prefer vinegar, while a businessman may prefer wine. Regardless of its existential state, one might think that the buyer wants the product in the state they contracted for, not the other.
      • 9/18/24, Page 85 – When, in a transaction, does the buyer take possession of an object being sold? The sages debate, and much of the answer is determined by where the sale takes place – buyer’s property, seller’s property, public property, or neutral property; and, much is determined by what the object is placed into – does the container in which it’s placed belong to the buyer or seller? As usual, the debate goes on. And on.
      • 9/19/24, Page 86 – A thief steals a “purse”, a bag or other container of money and valuables… on the Sabbath… and carries it out into the public domain as he escapes. He has violated two laws – theft, and working/carrying on the Sabbath. The question arises if he is liable for both, since it is one act? This is an important question, because the punishment for the first is a fine and/or jail time, while for the second, death. Arguments abound in both directions, as always.
      • 9/20/24, Page 87 – An interesting approach to salaries. The rabbis consider the case of a worker who is hired to perform a job that is not year-round, that is seasonal. Various arguments are argued, but the upshot is, that there is a minimum acceptable wage per day of work, and only two payment schemes are acceptable – either pay them at least that per day during the work season, or, hire them on an annual basis and pay them the equivalent, spread out over the year.
      • 9/21/24, Page 88 – In the ultimate “Do Not Touch the Merchandise” moment, the rabbis rule that if a buyer is in a store and picks something up, and a robber comes in at that moment and robs the store, including whatever is in the buyer’s hands, the buyer is liable for the theft of that item.

After Theater Dining

Passport Magazine
Issue 11 – October 2002

After Theater Dining

Want to go to dinner and a show? I find that a difficult proposition. When I’ve worked all day, I want to go home, shower, relax for a little while, put on clean clothes, and then go out. Since I’m fond of having dinner be a leisurely affair, there’s just not enough time for dinner before theater. So, for me, it’s a show and then dinner. A little snack before curtain and then after the standing ovation, a chance to relax and discuss, toast, and nibble.

When considering what to recommend, I set out with some simple criteria. First, the restaurant has to be open late enough that I don’t feel like I have to rush to get there, nor do I feel like the staff are just hovering around waiting for me to leave. Second, the kitchen must be offering a regular dinner menu, not some sort of leftover “late night” dining selection. Third, I didn’t want to review places that are institutions in the late night dining scene.

That left out some old favorites like Raoul’s, the Odeon and Café Luxembourg. It also left out the theater district haunts like Sardi’s and Joe Allen’s. I sat down with a few friends in the business and we came up with our short list of favorites for late-night dining.

THEATER DISTRICT

Cinnabar is the hottest thing to happen this year to the Asian restaurant scene in New York. It has everything you could want in a restaurant of the genre: a gorgeous room with fantastic designer touches; a well-appointed, comfortable bar and lounge area; and an outdoor dining section that is set-up like a small secluded park.

Despite being decked out in sexy black shirts, the staff are knowledgeable and friendly, with no attitude. They know the food, they know the drinks, and they’re happy to offer advice. Consultant Geri Banks has put together a delicious selection of specialty cocktails, any of which provide the perfect way to begin relaxing post-show. She has also done a great job with an eclectic wine list, offering them by flavor categories that zero in on the qualities each brings to the glass.

passporttheatercinnabarThe food is Chinese, but not limited to any particular region. Szechuan and Hunan square off opposite Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. The food is beautifully presented and even better as you dig into it. Prepare to eat too much, it’s just that good. Don’t miss the Roasted Cashew Nut Chicken and the Spicy XO Lobster.

Cinnabar, 235 West 56th Street (8th Avenue), 212-399-1100. Open noon until midnight, Monday through Saturday, noon until 11 p.m. on Sundays.

Seppi’s is the theater district sibling of the classic late night bistro, Raoul’s. Unlike the latter, which serves classic, hearty, French bistro fare, Seppi’s puts a modern twist on a variety of French dishes. Chef Claude Alain Solliard has an affinity for Alsatian cuisine, but is no slouch when covering the rest of the countryside.

passporttheaterseppisThe room is classic old-style pub, and despite having only been open for four years, has the look of a venue that has graced the block for decades. Located in the Parker Meridien Hotel, this may be the neighborhood’s best bistro. The front area is a polished wooden bar with tables and booths, the rear area is a slightly more lavish dining room with an attractive stained glass ceiling.

The winelist is limited, but has some interesting and unusual country wines from lesser known regions of France. The food is simply presented and delightful. You cannot pass up the broiled escargot served on crispy rosemary flat bread. Dump them out of the shell onto the bread and just munch happily away. The Alsatian pizzas on the same flat bread are well worth sampling. Go with the classic dishes and enjoy the updated twists, they are where the chef shines.

Seppi’s, 118 West 56th Street (6th Avenue), 212-708-7444, www.seppis.com. Open 11:30 a.m. until 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, 5:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

As I write this, it is early August and I’ve already decided on my “meal of the year”. Esca is the acclaimed fish restaurant owned by the partnership (bordering on empire) of the Bastianich and Batali families (Felidia, Becco, Babbo, Lupa, Lidia’s, the Italian Wine Merchant, and the Bastianich Winery). This venue is impeccably managed by the Bastianich’s longtime friend and manager, Simon Dean.

The room is simple and homey. Previously home to the family’s never quite successful Frico Bar, they’ve finally hit their stride. Sit yourself down at the classic bar that includes a well-priced, great selection of Italian wines and spirits, and an excellent raw bar. When your table is ready, prepare for the real treat.

Chef David Pasternak puts out simple, clean preparations of some of the freshest fish you will have in Manhattan. Start with a sampling of the “crudo”, the Italian version of sushi. Pristine slices of fish, each paired with a drizzling of selected olive oils, vinaigrettes, and an astonishing collection of sea salts (Red clay salt? Lava salt? Who knew?) grace your plate. Move on to a well-prepared pasta, and finish off with perfectly roasted fish with oil and herbs or a simple tapenade.

Esca, 402 West 43rd Street (9th Avenue), 212-564-7272. Lunch Monday through Friday from noon until 2:30 p.m., Dinner Sundays and Mondays until 10:30 and Tuesday through Saturday until 11:30 p.m.

OFF-BROADWAY

My first experience of Jane was shortly after they opened a year or two ago. It was for lunch, in spring, and we were the only customers there. We had a delicious lunch, and I hoped for their sake that the place would catch on. It has, and now Jane can justify staying open until the wee hours.

The room is done in “oversize”. There are large mirrors and paintings on the walls, the ceilings are high, the banquettes low, the tables high. You have a feeling that you’re sitting somewhere impressive, especially when the room is full and the noise volume high. When it quiets down you can feel a tad small, but the food and drink will take your attention away from any misgivings.

passporttheaterjaneThe food is, for lack of a better term, experimental American. The regular menu items, tried and true, show the mettle of the chef. Start with one of the flatbread selections, move on to the fantastic ahi tuna and pineapple roll, and finish off with any one of the well prepared entrees. The daily specials are hit and miss, but that’s what experimentation is all about, and even the misses are fun to try. A short but really well selected winelist and some quite good specialty cocktails round out the experience.

Jane, 100 West Houston Street (between Thompson Street & LaGuardia Place), 212-254-7000. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

There has been a recent trend in New York to offer “wood-burning oven” food. Several really good restaurants, like Beacon and Five Points have earned excellent reputations for their offerings. Peasant is an unlikely candidate to join their ranks, being located about as out of the way as one can be in Manhattan on the Lower East Side. Nonetheless, don’t let the location scare you away, as this trendy little dive is putting out some of the best food in its class.

The room is definitely not what you’re there for. Sparsely and not particularly comfortably furnished, with a look like a not-quite-finished loft space. As one of my best friends would put it, “I see they’ve spared every expense on the decor”. Still, the room is somehow warm and inviting, and the smattering of well-known chefs having dinner on their nights off is an immediate, positive draw. The waitstaff is as disheveled as the room, but thoroughly charming and completely at ease with the menu.

Chef Frank DeCarlo’s food is simple and amazing. Working from an open kitchen, his team puts out well flavored, hearty fare, that will keep you coming back. Don’t miss faves are the roast sardines, a pizza that will transport you to southern Italy, and the chicken stuffed with sausage. The winelist is appropriately selected and well laid out, you won’t have any trouble picking a winner to pair with your feast.

Peasant, 194 Elizabeth Street (between Spring and Prince Streets), 212-965-9511. Dinner only, Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. until midnight, Sundays until 10 p.m.

I was not prepared to like Industry (food). The name seemed pretentious, the location, in the now trendy East Village seemed selected just for effect, and the look as you step inside is one of a carefully choreographed treehouse for a magazine layout. You’re not sure if you should touch anything. The staff at the entrance have that Sex and the City new restaurant attitude down cold. The place is as slick as their website, and both turn out to be worth the visit.

The bar is sleek, polished wood, and peopled by a mix of East Village locals and hip, uptown folk “slumming”, but being careful not slum somewhere that is, well, a slum. The hostesses will guide you downstairs to a table, where, miraculously, the whole world changes. The waitstaff, if slightly spacey, is warm and welcoming. They don’t know much about the food, but they know it’s good, and they’re right.

The food is probably best described as eclectic. It’s the kind of food that chefs cook for themselves and friends when they sit down late night after service. They want something simple and clean, but intelligently thought out. Not unexpected when you find out that Chef Alex Freij worked for both Jean-Louis Palladin and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and co-owner Chris Eddy likewise worked for Jean-Georges at Mercer Kitchen.. The lobster bruschetta is a winner, as is the lamb with tomato marmalade.

Industry (food), 509 East 6th Street (between Avenues A and B), 212-777-5920, www.industryfood.com. Open for dinner only, until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. Listed hours on Friday and Saturday are until 3 a.m., but the dining room sort of gets turned into a lounge after midnight.


Passport magazine is a relatively new, ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay travel magazine. My friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who have owned and run QSF magazine for many years, launched this publication recently. It has received industry accolades. They asked me to come along and write the occasional article for this venture as well.

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Wine and dine

Time Out
Buenos Aires for Visitors
Summer/Autumn 2008
Page 68

wining

Wine and dine
Where can apprentice oenologists sample great glasses? Dan Perlman goes in search of great bars.

Although getting a decent glass of wine in a bar or restaurant is far easier here than getting a decent cocktail, but then ‘decent’is a relative term. Most places offer up no more than a couple of regular wines by the glass, and if you’re lucky the bartender may even know the name of what they’re pouring into your glass. So if you’re more into quaffing the grape than you are downing a martini, where should you go for a large selection with knowledgeable and friendly service?

The ‘gran-daddy’of the local wine bar scene is Gran Bar Danzón. Low tables, lots of gleaming chrome, and the constant beat of house music give you a sense of the style of the place. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is some spot for brightly colored cocktails (although they offer a good number of those), they also offer constantly changing wine lists of over 200 selections, many available by the glass. Not surprising given that the owners also stand behind top restaurants Sucre and Bar Uriarte, both known for their wines. Danzón also has a well-staffed kitchen that churns out creative sushi and twists on local fare. Expect to shell out a fair amount for a visit, but the quality makes it all worthwhile.

A true newcomer on the scene, Portezuelo (Vicente López 2160, 4806 9462, www. portezeueloweb.com.ar) is the hotspot for wine in the trendy, if a bit touristy, Village Recoleta. Still, after stopping to lay flowers at Evita’s tomb or wandering the Recoleta artisan fair, you may find yourself in need of refreshment. Here you can pop yourself down in a faux old-time pub, livened by pumping hip hop and electonica. They may be into partying, but they’re also deadly serious about their beverage offerings with a regularly changing list of 15-20 wines by the cuartino (quarter liter carafe). While the wines tend to come from the major players, the variety is good, and it’s a great intro to Argentinian wines. The food is mainly of the steak and chips bent, but a perfectly reasonable proposition.

If you’re into the modern art scene, you’ll no doubt find yourself at some point visiting the MALBA. Or perhaps you’ll find yourself across the street at Renault’s Museum of Art, Science and Technology, catering to your inner nerd. Either way, Club Museo (Avenida Figueroa Alcorta 3399, 4802 9626, www.museorenault.com.ar) is a must. Offering up creative international cuisine and sushi, it is a nice way to attract museum clientele, but the real draw here is the wide ranging wine choice that doesn’t stick to the usual suspects. Top that off with more than two dozen selections by the glass (AR$9-23) from a changing selection from lesser known lines as well as the major producers, and you’ve got a winning combination.

Quite possibly the most serious of wine bars is the nearly hidden Epicureos (Soldado de la Independencia 851, 4772 8108, www.epicureos.com). This casual restaurant – deck furniture and directors’chairs, and a beautiful little garden in the rear – also doubles up as a wine shop. It has two major things going for it: a truly great kitchen turning out creative, interesting and delicious food, and access to a well-stocked and well-thought out winery. [Note: I swear, my original copy said ‘wine cellar’.] A regularly changing roster of more than 20 wines by the glass, truly covering the range of varietals and regions of the country, mostly from real, boutique level producers not the commercial biggies. With prices starting at AR$5, it’s a better bargain than any other wine bar in the city.

And finally, for a touch of true elegance, it would be impossible to pass up the stunning Park Hyatt Hotel. Home of several restaurants and bars, wine aficionados ust hund down the wine and cheese bar. It stocks a major collection of international wines, with a good selection offered by the glass. Thankfully a sommelier is always in attendance to guide your tastes. They also offer regular tastings where you can work your way through a particular winery, or style, with the expert assistance of the hotel’s wine director. The bar also has its own cheese ageing room, and is one of the few spots in town where you can sample the best of Argentina’s and other countries’ cheeses along with a glass of the grape. Can you imagine anything better?


In mid-2006, I started writing for Time Out Buenos Aires. With changes in their way of conducting business, I decided to part company with them after my last article and set of reviews in mid-2009.

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Urondo, Mis Raices, Bonarda

Cuisine & Vins
April 2007, page 62

cuisine insider tips
Argentina for beginners

Palermo – Chico, Hollywood, SoHo, even Las Cañitas – Recoleta, Centro, San Telmo, maybe a side trip into that two block stretch of La Boca. You’ve read your guidebook and that’s the circuit. Museums, cafes, statues, fountains… that’s what you came here to see, right? You tried out the subway once, maybe even a rocket ride on a colectivo just to say you’ve been on the buses.

You walked in a park, clutching your bag and camera close to you, avoiding those desperate thieves that you read about somewhere in parks in South America. You’re ready to try something a little more adventurous. Sure you can take a day trip to an estancia or Colonia, but how about somewhere to eat that doesn’t require an hour or two of travel?


Urondo - copetin
Francisco “Paco” Urondo was a poet, journalist, and militant politician, born in 1930, until his death in 1976 at the hands of the then current Argentine regime. Reading poetry in a new language is possibly the most difficult undertaking of the learning process, though, luckily, it’s not a prerequisite for dining at Urondo, Beauchef 1204 (corner of Estrada), 4922-9671, run by his son and nephew. If you never leave the touristy neighborhoods for anywhere else, you should for this place. Beauchef, is not pronounced in the French fashion, it’s pronounced “beya-oo-chef” – or your cab driver will have no idea where you’re going. The restaurant is a small venue, located in the quiet residential neighborhood of Parque Chacabuco. It’s only open Wednesday through Saturday evenings and I do recommend reservations for dining as it’s a popular spot with food folk in the know and locals. It’s a very comfortable room, with reasonably spacious tables, high ceilings, and while minimalist in decor, somehow just right. The open kitchen is semi-hidden by a high counter separating it from the dining room, which cuts down on the clatter from the cooking, and allows for a feeling of activity and movement from the kitchen, without having to see the nitty-gritty of every move. The menu is short, changes regularly, and is an amazingly multi-ethnic fusion of flavors, taking Argentine classics and giving them the zip of Southeast Asia, India, Africa, Europe… pretty much the rest of the world. In the hands of many chefs, multi-ethnic fusion food is a recipe for disaster. Combining two cuisines can be hard enough as it is, so it’s impressive to find someone who can take the range of flavors offered by the global palate and forge them into something that not only works, but works brilliantly. The wine list is an interesting selection of mostly not so well known labels, clearly selected to work with the food, including some older wines, and occasionally the (“gasp”) inclusion of wines from outside of Argentina.


Mis Raices - gefilte fish

This review was cut from the final published version for unknown reasons:

Everyone seems surprised when I mention that there’s a Chinatown, Barrio Chino, in Buenos Aires. What gets more surprised looks is when I mention that my favorite place there isn’t a Chinese restaurant, nor even that of some other Asian cuisine. It’s easy to forget, or simply not to know, when you’re wandering through a neighborhood like Barrio Chino that it hasn’t always been predominately Chinese. Juanita Posternak is definitely not Chinese had a nice little house along Arribeños years before the first Taiwanese market opened in 1985. Before the first store of the soon to emerge Barrio Chino opened its doors, she opened, or closed, the doors – 23 years ago, to Mis Raíces, Arribeños 2148, 4784-5100, www.restaurantmisraices.com.ar, was born. And those “roots” are in the Eastern European Jewish community. Mis Raíces is open, as Ms. Pasternak quips regularly, “from Monday to Monday”. She’ll feed people dinner whenever they want to come, seven days a week – as long as it’s at 9:00 and when she decides to say yes. By reservation only, don’t just go ringing the bell on the front door. But make the call or send the e-mail, and don’t eat anything the rest of the day before going. Climb the wide steps to the main floor and find yourself in an opened up living and dining room that can hold around 35-40 diners. Order some wine, she’s got a selection. Let her peer at you through her oversized, windshield thick, French-designer glasses, size you up a bit you know. You’ll get asked if you’re Jewish, she needs to know her audience, because she has tales to tell, and food to explain. Shortly you’ll find yourself noshing on her homemade chopped liver, delicious pickles, borscht with sweet cream, gefilte fish, kasha, roast chicken… it keeps going – platter after platter until you beg for it to stop – “what, you don’t like my food? Have a little more… you could use some more meat on your bones…”


Sur de los Andes BonardaMalbec gets all the play here. It’s in the press, local and international. Argentina is known for it. Yet, until very recently, the most planted red grape – and still coming in a very close second – was Bonarda. This grape has origins in Piemonte and Lombardia in Italy, with a few different strains being grown, and there’s some debate over which particular variety of the grape has found its way to this land of grazing beef. It also never got famous because until quite recently it was used by most winemakers as a workhorse blending grape – something to add some color or body to other reds, like the lighter Malbecs, or just as part of bulk wines – you know, just plain red. But it’s a successful wine in the north of Italy, so why not here? Trivento reserve bonardaA few bold souls on the domestic wine scene decided to experiment, and discovered that they could make some excellent wines – bold, rich, spicy, and dark in color. Now, there are so many to choose from that it becomes like trying to select a favorite Malbec, but, a couple that stand out are the Sur de Los Andes Bonarda and the Trivento Reserve Bonarda. The former is a somewhat more medium bodied style – delicious, with flavors of red plums, maraschino cherries, white chocolate, and juicy acidity, and a nice long finish, and in a restaurant will probably set you back no more than about 30 pesos. The latter, a bold, jammy style with red plums and wildflowers, very smooth and sensual, that will run you more in the 50 to 60 peso range.


In October 2006, I started writing for this Spanish language magazine, covering their English language section for travellers. I wrote for them for about two years. The copy editor, apparently not fluent in English, used to put each paragraph in its own text box on a two column page, in what often seemed to be random order, making the thread of the column difficult to follow. I’ve restored the paragraphs to their original order.

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Exodus – “Way Out”

The Book of Exodus – while within Judaism we ofttimes refer to the entire five books of the Torah as “the five books of Moses”, in reality, this is THE book of Moses. It’s the story of the Israelite people overcoming slavery in Egypt four hundred years after the story/life of Joseph, when a Pharaoh decides that they represent a threat to his realm. This is followed by the story of the return to the land of Israel, as mandated by God. It’s been argued that “it’s the most important book in the Bible, as it presents the defining features of Israel’s identity – memories of a past marked by hardship and escape, a binding covenant with God, who chooses Israel, and the establishment of the life of the community and the guidelines for sustaining it.”

Again, reposting from my Twitter feed:

  1. Generations have passed since the story of Joseph at the end of Genesis. A new Pharaoh arises. He decides that there are too many Israelites. Worried that some day they might rise up against him, he has them enslaved. Yet, they remain prolific and their population, as God promised, continues to grow. He orders midwives to kill all Israelite boys at birth. They agree, but don’t actually do it, out of fear of God. Frustrated, he exhorts average Egyptians to seek out Israelite infant boys and throw them into the Nile river.
  2. An unnamed Jewish woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. For no apparent reason, she not only hid the pregnancy, but the baby, from her husband, and then puts the baby in a basket and leaves it on the banks of the Nile river, where the Pharaoh’s daughter finds it. Unknowingly, she hires the baby’s mother to nurse it, and when he’s weaned, adopts him, naming him Moses. He grows up. He kills an Egyptian slave-master and hides the body, but he’s been seen, and Pharaoh’s pissed. He flees to Midian (now Saudi Arabia). The seven daughters of a local priest are being harassed by shepherds. Moses steps in and helps them. They tell their father. He invites Moses over for dinner, and gives him one of the daughters in thanks. They have a kid. Pharaoh dies. God notices that his Jews are slaves.
  3. God’s secretary shows up in front of Moses as a burning bush, and then gets God on the line. I mean, at least John Denver got to talk face to face with George Burns. Just sayin’. First he’s apologetic for taking half a millennium to be in touch with the Jews, let alone letting them get enslaved. He tells Moses to go to the community elders and then with them go to Pharaoh and demand an end to slavery. He says he’ll give an assist with a bunch of godly wonders that will help convince Pharaoh to let them go. Oh, and, btw, as recompense for all the unpaid slave labor, he says they should strip their neighbors’ homes of all their wealth. After all, they were complicit in the slavery.
  4. Moses, not happy with being God’s messenger, protests he’s not good at speaking, he stutters, he makes gaffes… damn, where have I heard that recently? God says, no worries, your brother Aaron is on his way and will speak for you. You just have to do a little magic…like turning your staff into a snake, covering your body with scales, and turning the water of the Nile into blood. Don’t worry about going to Egypt, everyone who wanted to kill you is, umm, dead. Btw, I’m going to have Pharaoh say no, so, umm, threaten his son with death. I don’t want to give any traction to anti-semitic conspiracy theorists, but the bloodthirsty, baby killing, scale-covered lizard illuminati story came from somewhere….
  5. Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and ask him to let the Jews go. He says no and increases the workload of the Jewish slaves. They complain to Moses that he’s making things worse. Moses confronts God, pointing out that he’s making things difficult by manipulating Pharaoh.
  6. Moses tells God, “I told you so.” God says, “Get back in there and try again, Pharaoh (who I manipulated into saying no) has no idea what’s coming.” Moses tells the tribes’ elders, they don’t believe him. Back to God, “If they don’t believe me, why would Pharaoh?”
  7. God tells Moses to go with Aaron to Pharaoh and demand the release of the Jews. When he says no, and he will, throw your staff down and it will turn into a snake. They do so, but Pharaoh’s court magicians do the same, albeit, Moses’ snake swallows theirs. Take two. Take him to the banks of the Nile and wave your staff over it and the river will turn to blood. Why Pharaoh would indulge them and follow Moses and Aaron isn’t explained. They do so, but again, the magicians do the same. Take three… tell him, frogs are coming.
  8. A plague of frogs. A plague of lice. A plague of swarming insects. Each time one is released on Egypt by God through Moses, Pharaoh says, okay, enough, remove the plague and you can go. Each time, when the plague is removed, he changes his mind.
  9. News at eleven! More plagues! Pestilence kills all Egyptian livestock. Dust clouds cause boils on the skin of all Egyptians. Hail flattens all Egyptian crops! Pharaoh says, alright already, go. Moses stops the onslaught. Pharaoh… surprise… changes his mind again.
  10. Moses: Had enough? Pharaoh: Okay, you can go, but who’s going with you? Moses: All the Jews. Pharaoh: Not happening, go away. Courtiers: Dude, you know we’re losing this battle? Pharaoh: Okay, bring him back. Moses: Well? Pharaoh: You can go but not the slaves. Boom! Locusts! Pharaoh: Okay, enough already, you can go and take the slaves. God: Locusts, gone. Pharaoh: But, umm, I’m keeping all your possessions. Moses: Boom! Darkness! (3 days pass) Pharaoh: Alright, alright, you can take it all, but if I see you again, you’re dead.
  11. Just ordered out of Pharaoh’s sight on penalty of death, Moses pulls a Columbo style “oh, just one more thing”. “At midnight tonight, God’s going to come and kill every eldest Egyptian son, and every eldest Egyptian calf. But not our Jewish kids. We tried to warn you.”
  12. Midnight apparently didn’t mean that day. God instructs Moses to instruct the Jews to wait until the 10th of the month and each household procure a lamb. On the 14th, they are to slaughter it, brush its blood on the doorposts of their home with an herb branch, and roast and eat the entire lamb. Any leftovers are to be burned. They are to be dressed, packed, and ready for travel, and have “borrowed” all the gold and silver objects of their non-Jewish neighbors. Then, that midnight, God marches through Egypt and kills all the firstborns. Pharaoh orders Moses and the Jews to leave immediately. The Jews do so, and as God has also mandated, take their unrisen dough (normally left to bake in the morning) and head out, and the rules for Passover, and eating matzah, are announced.
  13. There’s a time cross here, with Moses in the future explaining to the Jewish people the past history of escaping from Egypt and the celebration of Passover, interwoven with the actual escape. Now, the closest place to escape to would have been to Canaan, but the Philistines were at war, and rather than risk that the escaping slaves might take fright and run back to Egypt, God leads them out and around the Reed Sea (not Red). Moses also brings Joseph’s remains with him that had been kept in a coffin in Pharaoh’s palace.
  14. God orders Moses to have the Israelites camp in front of the sea. Then he causes Pharaoh to pursue them with his army. When the Egyptians catch up the Jews are afraid, but God has Moses split the sea and they walk through on dry land. He positions himself between them. The Egyptians try to follow, but God locks up the wheels of their chariots. When the Jews are on the other side, Moses releases the sea, which drowns all the Egyptians. Yay God. I have to admit, I don’t remember being taught as a child how manipulated Pharaoh was in all of this.
  15. The Israelites, in the tradition of, well, people everywhere, sing a bard-worty song about God destroying the Egyptian army and his threat to enemies of the future. The women dance a little dance. Then they all head out again. Three days later, they arrive at Marah. The water at the oasis is too bitter to drink, Moses throws a piece of wood into it and it becomes sweet. God tells them that if they continue to worship him, he’ll keep them safe and healthy for all time. They move on to another oasis with a dozen springs and seventy date palms.
  16. Hungry on their long March, the Israelites begin to grumble. After all, slaves or not, they were fed while in Egypt. God hears, tells Moses he’ll send food. He sends manna, yes, we’ve all heard about that, but he also sends flocks of quail. Did you learn about quail?
  17. Not satisfied with manna and quail (did I mention quail?!), the Israelites complain about not having enough water. God has Moses produce water from a rock. Then he has him send Joshua with troops out to challenge the nation of Amalek. In order to demonstrate his power, God has Moses stand atop a hill, and as long as Moses raises his staff high, Joshua’s troops prevail, but every time he lowers his arm, Amalek’s troops start to. Moses gets tired and needs help holding up the staff. Joshua’s troops win.
  18. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro notes that Moses is doing everything himself (what happened to Aaron?) and tells him he needs to learn to delegate.
  19. Three months out of Egypt, God’s demoed his powers, he tells Moses to tell the folk that they will be a treasured people, a holy nation, IF they follow the rules. He’s going to do a big reveal. Everyone, three days of purity, then gather at the base of Mt. Sinai. No one is to go on the mountain except Moses until given the signal. Moses goes up. God gives the signal; nobody moves because they’re afraid. God says, go back and get Aaron. They go back up together.
  20. Moses returns from talking with God to pass on the rules. No other gods, no idols, keep the sabbath, honor your parents, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t bear false witness, don’t covet others’ property. All oral, no tablets mentioned.
  21. This first listing of the famed ten commandments is immediately followed by more, that outline more rules. We’ve still not seen any tablets at this point. First, the rules for owning and freeing Hebrew slaves, really more indentured servants. Then, we turn to murder. Murder planned, or in anger? Death. By accident? Exile. Striking or dishonoring your parents? Death. Kidnapping? Death. Injure someone in a fight? Pay for their medical care and lost wages. Hurt a pregnant woman with no lasting injuries? Pay what her husband decides. Injure her or her baby? Eye for an eye time visited on you or your family. Your animal injures someone? Pay for medical care. Your animal does it repeatedly? Death for the animal… and you. God really liked the death penalty as a punishment.
  22. The rules continue. If you steal, intentionally or not, you pay restitution. However, a thief caught in the act may be beaten to death. Don’t tolerate sorceresses (sorcerers are not mentioned). Bestiality is punishable by death. Sacrificing to other gods, exile. Oppressing strangers is not allowed. Maltreatment of widows or orphans, death penalty. No interest to be charged on loans to other Jews. First born sons are to be consecrated to God’s service when a week old. Don’t eat roadkill, give it to your dogs.
  23. More rules. Basically, be fair to others, don’t cheat, lie, steal. Help others when you can. Then a whole speech from God on how he’ll help the Jewish people expand into the world as long as they’re truly faithful, destroying enemies in their path. Details provided.
  24. Moses recites the commandments and rules to the people, and they unanimously agree to them. He writes them down, builds an altar, the people bring sacrifices, he throws half the blood on the altar and half on the people. Then he asks all the elders to come with him. They go to the mountain with Moses and see God on a sapphire plateau. God asks them to wait and for Moses to come with him to get all the commandments AND teachings written in stone. Six days later, he appears as fire, Moses goes with him into a cloud for forty days.
  25. God has a gift registry of all the gold, silver, gems, fabrics, and woods that he demands to receive. Followed by what reads like an IKEA instruction manual for putting together the Ark of the Covenant. It’s no wonder no one is really sure what it looks like.
  26. Cloths, curtains, lumber, gold. God’s shopping list for the construction of the Tabernacle to house the Ark of the Covenant. With vague instructions as to how it all goes together. Figure it out yourself and get it right or we’ll have words seems to be the approach.
  27. What appears to be the final instructions related to the Ark and Tabernacle, the construction of the altar, of copper and silver and various linens and yarns. But really, lots of copper. It is, after all, basically a barbecue grill. And copper conducts heat well.
  28. Having dispensed with the whole Tabernacle, God turns to its priests. He dictates the fashions in which to dress Aaron and his sons, who are the first priests, in terms that Versace would only dream of, and Liberace might well wear.
  29. Bulls, rams, and lambs. Now that you’ve got Aaron and sons’ wardrobes sorted, you’ve got to get them all prepped with oils and blood from sacrifices over a week. Then you can let them get dressed. Maybe they should rinse first.
  30. Aaron and sons, now properly annointed and dressed, are to tend to the Altar in the Tabernacle. To do so they must wash their hands and feet before entering, or they’ll be struck dead. They must make a spice oil with which to spritz everything in the Tabernacle. But they shouldn’t touch the oil, as if it contacts their skin, they’ll be struck dead. They must make an herb incense and burn it in the Tabernacle. But they shouldn’t burn any of it for personal use, or they’ll be exiled for life. Being a priest isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
  31. Did you ever learn about Bezalel or Oholiab, the two people that God themself anointed as the master craftsmen for all of the design and creation of all the stuff specified in verses 25-30? I sure didn’t. I mean, kind of important positions, you know? God reminds Moses to remind the people about keeping the Sabbath, as the one key thing to keeping faith with the Divine. Not keeping the Sabbath is a deal-breaker. And then, oh yeah, says, hey, I wrote all that stuff down on two stone tablets for you. Here, take them.
  32. Moses is up on the mountain awhile and the people get restless. They say to Aaron, hey, maybe he’s not coming back, maybe the whole God thing is made up, we need to do something. Aaron asks them for their gold and creates the golden calf for them to worship. God sees, gets pissed, tells Moses he’s going to wipe out the people. Moses points out that the rest of the world would see that as a conspiracy for the escape from Egypt just to kill them. God relents. Moses goes down the mountain, makes a scene, destroys the tablets. He chastises Aaron, then rallies the Levites and has them kill 3000 of the people to set an example, grinds the calf into powder and makes the Israelites drink it. Then asks God to forgive them or kill him. This is not the story I remember learning as a kid….
  33. God tells Moses to lead the people to back to the land of his forefathers, Israel. Moses tells the people to take off their finery and show a little humility. He sets up a tent outside camp where he daily meets with God. He tells God that he can’t do this alone. God agrees to lead the way. Moses asks to see him face to face, rather than as a pillar of smoke. God tells him to go to a spot on the mountain where Moses can see him from the back, but not face to face, which would kill him.
  34. God tells Moses to come back up the mountain, but this time to bring his own tablets. Moses spends 40 days on the mountain, getting them inscribed (both sides, apparently, like the originals that he shattered). God offers to clear the way for the Israelites path home. But it’s conditional; keep the Sabbath, worship him, make sacrifices to him, and don’t make treaties with or take wives from anyone in their path, which might tempt the Israelites to accept other gods. Moses returns to the people, new tablets in hand, and a rosy glow on his face.
  35. God tells Moses, and Moses tells the people, keep the Sabbath, work six days a week, take the seventh off. And everyone who is able, donate their precious metals, woods, and fabrics, and more importantly, time, and get the Tabernacle, Ark, and altar built.
  36. People donate their stuff, Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other craftsmen get to work. I missed it in the earlier litany – part of the Tabernacle cover is made of dolphin skin. That bothers me more than ram skins. And I didn’t know there were dolphins in the Mediterranean.
  37. Bezalel is in charge of the wood and metal work. Lots of detail about what he fashioned, lots of things made of acacia wood and gold. Much attention paid to gold lamps in the anatomically correct form of almond flowers.
  38. I wish there was more to get into today, but basically Bezalel adds in all sorts of copper and silver adornments to the Altar and Ark. Lots of copper and silver. Sockets, poles, rings, and… horns. There are copper horns on the Altar and Ark.
  39. The litany of craftwork continues. Today it’s the priestly breastplate with blue, purple, and crimson yarns; lapis lazuli, jasper, and beryl gemstones representing the 12 tribes. And… suddenly the work is finished – the Altar, the Ark, the Tabernacle. Bezalel and Oholiab and all their workers bring everything to Moses for inspection. He sees that it’s up to snuff and blesses them for their work.
  40. God says, ‘okay, let’s see what you got. Get it all set up for the first of the new year’. Moses sets everything up: the Altar, Ark, Tabernacle, anointed priests, water, wine, bread. God settles in as a cloud. The Israelites wait for God to go so they can move on.

Previous Book, Genesis

Next Book, Leviticus

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On Fermentation and Carrot Pudding

I’ve gotten away from posting about various food books that I’ve read, and someone asked me this week if there was anything I’d read recently in the genre that I recommended. So, I thought, let me get back to that – I’ve been reviewing what I read over on Goodreads (yet one more social network to belong to, for book lovers) – so some of this will be copied from my thoughts there.

Sandor Ellix Katz - The Art of FermentationThe current darling of the die-hard foodie set is Sandor Ellix Katz and his books on fermentation. This one came to my attention first, if I recall correctly through Aki and Alex over at Ideas in Food as a recommended book, but I could be wrong about that. Here’s what I had to say over on Goodreads: “Easily the most comprehensive introduction to the world of home fermentation (primarily of vegetables and fruits, but not limited to those) that I’ve seen. Well written, interesting, and very smartly lays out the procedures rather than specific recipes (which I believe can be found in his previous book, Wild Fermentation, next on my reading list), so you can adapt the procedures to what you have around or want to work with.”

Brussels Sprout ferment

It led me to play around with a fermented Brussels Sprout idea that resulted in these delicious little things – I posted briefly about it, there was more in the followup comments after someone asked me for the recipe:

The Brussels Sprout ferment was pretty basic, and I plan to play with it a bit, but:

1 kg brussels sprouts, cored and quartered
1 rocoto chili, slivered
1 red onion, sliced thin
1/3 c coarse kosher salt
1 Tb yellow and 1 Tb black mustard seeds
Water to just barely cover

I left it for a week in a warm spot in the kitchen, covered, and just opened it once a day to make sure any buildup of pressure was released – though I don’t think in the end it was likely necessary. Then I put it in the refrigerator for another week before using them – fermentation continues, but slower.

As a first change, I think on the next run through I’m going to separate the sprouts into their leaves (core them and then pull them apart) – I’ve been finding that some of the middle layers of leaves haven’t fermented as thoroughly and are a little bit to crunchy still. I think I’d also toast the mustard seeds on the next go-round to help bring out their essential oils a little more, the mustard was just a bare hint in the background and I was hoping it would be more prominent.

And if you missed it, here’s how I used it in last week’s dinners. More ferments to come….

 

Amelia Simmons - American CookeryI truly don’t remember how this one came to my attention. I’m sure it was in some article I was reading about the history of American cooking that probably mentioned it, and I found this on Gutenberg as a free download in various formats – rather than paying Amazon $5 for the download. I mean, the book was written in 1760, I don’t think the author is going to miss out on residuals. My thoughts on Goodreads: “Just an interesting glimpse into the world of cooking in the U.S. a bit over 200 years ago. Generally acknowledged as America’s first published cookbook, it’s a guide for unmarried women who find themselves needing to take work as domestic help in the homes of the wealthy and covers how to select meats and produce and how to prepare them properly for the tastes of the day.”

I don’t know why, but a recipe for Carrot Pudding caught my eye. It’s a semisweet sort of pudding, and I was thinking it might make an interesting side dish. It’s a little too sweet and pumpkin-pie filling-ish for that, but I’m going to play with the general recipe and see what I can come up with as a savory version. In the meantime, a little step-by-step, because it really was delicious!

Carrot Pudding

Here’s the recipe the way the book gives it: “A coffee cup full of boiled and strained carrots, 5 eggs, 2 ounces sugar and butter each, cinnamon and rose water to your taste, baked in a deep dish without paste.”

Note there’s not a whole lot of info when it comes to how to do it – the assumption in older cookbooks like this, I’ve found, is that you know how to cook, so recipes are often little more than lists of ingredients with a note or two.

Carrot Pudding

Peeled, sliced and boiled the carrots, drained them.

Carrot Pudding

I took “strained” to mean pureed, otherwise it would be a very odd pudding. I basically just threw everything in the food processor together (melting the butter first) – I ended up using a teaspoon each of the cinnamon and rose water.

Carrot Pudding

Although it doesn’t say to, I lightly buttered the baking dish. The “without paste”, just based on reading other recipes in the book, I take to mean, “without a top crust”, since the dough used for topping pies in various parts of the book is referred to as a paste.

Carrot Pudding

No details are given on the baking process, one can assume that there were not digital temperature controlled ovens at the time. I decided to go with the way I’d normally bake a cheesecake – pop it in the oven at 180C/350F for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 140C/285F for roughly 30 minutes more, until the pudding had firmed up and gotten lightly golden on top.

Carrot Pudding

As I said, it comes out in many ways like a pumpkin pie filling, a little less spice, and a little less sweet. The rosewater gives a really light floral note in the background that you probably wouldn’t pick up on what it is, but that adds some interest to the flavor profile.

Next version, making it more savory – probably cut the sugar in half, add a little salt and some other spices, and see how it comes out.

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Melting pots

Time Out
Buenos Aires for Visitors
Summer/Autumn 2008
Page 20

Melting pots
Dan Perlman takes a tour through the gastronomic delights of Argentina’s far flung provinces without leaving city limits.

Argentina is 3,800 km (2,360 miles) north to south and 1,420 km (884 miles) east to west. That’s just less than 30 percent of the size of the United States; the eastern states of Canada and all of the UK would sit quite comfortably inside the province of Buenos Aires alone. In short, Argentina is a very big country indeed.

No surprise then that food culture varies markedly throughout the country. Fortunately, BA is pretty much the focal point of the country, so you don’t need to leave the capital city to get a chance to stab your fork into these tasty regional dishes.

Food from the north-west area of the country is well represented. What might be called Argentina’s rustic simply styled ‘mountain cuisin’, is featured in Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca and Santiago del Estero. Their rich hearty meals for example, locro (corn, potato, squash and meat stew), carbonada (stew of meat, vegetable and occasionally fruit), and mondongo (tripe stew) are often left in a pot simmering over the fire all day, ingredients being added over the course of one or more dinners. Many of these dishes share influences throughout the Altiplano, a region that extends into northern Chile, southern Peru and Bolivia.

Spots to sample this cuisine tend to be casual, almost lunch counter affairs usually starting with empanadas (turnovers), tamales or humitas (stuffed cornmeal dough steamed in corn husks) followed by a stew. The menus often offer little else, maybe a simple house wine and a flan casero (home-made flan) for dessert. Among our favorites are the two branches of La Cocina (Pueyrredón 1508, 4825 3171; Florida 142, 4326 7892). They focus on the reasonably spicy cooking of Catamarca. Their locro is easily one of the best in town, and offered with a choice of chilli sauce with various cheesy add-ons.

The cooking of Tucumán and Salta is probably best represented by the always popular La Querencia (Junin y Juncal, 4821 1888). Here the empanadas arrive with cracker like crusts and are stuffed with a variety of interesting fillings, but spicing tends to be more muted in comparison to other north-western regions. For the somewhat more picante cooking of Santiago del Estero, the empanadas at La Familia (Chile 984) in San Telmo are delicious if you don’t mind takeout only.

The north-east, strangely, is not well represented – the provinces of Formos, Chaco, Missiones, and Corrientes ahve a cuisine that’s heavily influenced by neighboring Paraguay. Often there is a stall at the weekend Mataderos gaucho fair that serves up excellent food from Paraguay and the north-east, well worth the trek if you’re a foodie.

For the specialty fish of the Paraná river that weaves through Santa Fé and Entre Rios, Jangada (Bonpland 1670, 4773 0411) in Palermo serves simple, perfectly grilled fish straight off the parrilla with just a touch of herbs, oil, and lemon.

Off to the west, Mendoza and San Juan are etter showcased. In a spot combining Mendozan art with the cuisine, Pan y Teatro (Las Casas 4095, 4924 6920, www.panyteatro.com.ar) in Boedo has superb pastel mendocino (potatoes flavored with a cinnamon and sugar mixture) and rabbit stewed in white wine. San Juan as the ‘don’t miss’, truly ‘don’t miss’, outposts of El Sanjuanino (Posadas 1515, 4804 2909; Sanchez de Bustamante 1788, 4822 8080; Pedro Goyena 700, 4924 0888, www.elsanjuanino.com) in Palermo, Recoleta and Caballito respectively, serving up divine empanadas and tamales.

Moving on south, the multi-province region – generally known as Patagonia, is easily the best covered part of the country. You could spend weeks just trying out all the little, and not so little, eateries that cover the rich culinary heritage of the forests, mountains, and coastline. Game, fish, and shellfish are strongly represented and interesting fruits, especially berries, figure in much of the cuisine. It’s also, in some ways, a more contemporary culinary experience, with many of the more creative chefs in the city featuring Patagonian ingredients with modern twists on classic cooking. The most famous is probably Patagonia Sur in La Boca, where star chef Francis Mallmann offers up high end dining at a high end price. Easier on the wallet is Aires de Patagonia, in Puerto Madero, which turns out beautifully elegant cuisine. Likewise the San Telmo and Palermo Hollywood locales of Divina Patagonia serve delicious modern versions of dishes such as venison with chocolate sauce, wild boar with raspberries, the famed Patagonian lamb in a variety of ways, and some wonderful seafood dishes that are equally creative.

For a more simple approach, it’s hard to miss San Telmo’s Mitico Sur. You can order from a alarge number of regional wines, paired with a variety of tablas – platters loaded with Patagonian specialities such as locally made cheeses, cured meats, smoked fish, pickled vegetables, and plenty of lamb – and nibble away to your heart’s content.


In mid-2006, I started writing for Time Out Buenos Aires. With changes in their way of conducting business, I decided to part company with them after my last article and set of reviews in mid-2009.

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Lo que pasa en Buenos Aires

Passport Magazine
February 2009
pgs 34-40
Lo que pasa en Buenos Aires
This exciting and inexpensive South American city is well known for its historic landmarks, beautiful parks, and excellent art museums. It is also an easy-going culture, where stopping to chat with friends, lingering over a coffee in a sidewalk café, or enjoying a glass of one of the country’s great wines at a local bar, all take precedence over any business appointment or preplanned event. Despite being located in a very conservative, Catholic with a capital C, country, the city of Buenos Aires itself is a bastion of liberality. Same-sex domestic partnerships have been legal since 2003, with a proposed full marriage ill up for debate. Gay bars abound, and restaurants that cater to our set are scattered throughout the various neighborhoods. Meanwhile, curious travelers will discover a plethora of entertainment, shopping, and nightlife options to rival any of the world’s great cities.

RESTING YOUR HEAD

Among the most popular spots for gay travelers are the gay owned bed and breakfasts. the two principal ones are Lugar Gay in the historic San Telmo neighborhood, and Bayres in Palermo, the former being men-only, the latter mixed gender. Another favorite, Posada de Palermo, in Palermo, has wonderfully comfortable rooms, great prices, and one of the best breakfast spreads in the city. For those on a budget, the End of the World Gay Hostel, on the border of San Telmo and La Boca, is a relatively new option. It’s a somewhat seedy neighborhood, but the place is clean and well kept, and transportation is easily available to other parts of town.

Celebrating its first anniversary this year, the self-proclaimed “five-star” Axel Hotel, located just outside of San Telmo in Monserrat, is becoming the new in-spot for the upscale gay traveler. A gleaming architectural triumph of glass and steel, it houses four dozen rooms, two pools (including a completely glass one located on the roof, hovering over a six story open lobby). The Axel’s one drawback is its location on a deserted (at night) industrial street, but then, anyone staying at the Axel is likely to have no problem springing for a taxi to more interesting zones.

Other gay-friendly options include the Art Hotel in Recoleta, which offers up quite nice, if slightly small, rooms at a very reasonable price, and boasts an excellent multilingual staff. On the fancier side is the Faena + Universe, situated on the far side of the refurbished warehouse and dock area known as Puerto Madero. It’s a fair hike from the rest of town, and sort of like taking a room at the South Street Seaport in New York or Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. It’s one of the finest hotels in the city and it features two excellent restaurants, a couple of delightful bars, and its own art galleries.

Meanwhile, the new Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt is attracting jet setters to its converted mansion packed with amazing artwork, several restaurants, and one of the few true wine bars in the city. Smaller boutique hotels that offer more personalized service are springing around the city as well. The two most well known, and among the best options, are the Home Hotel and the Bobo, both located in the heart of Palermo’s trendy design district.

EAT, DRINK, & BE MERRY

Porteños (port dwellers), as the local citizens call themselves, seem to spend more time in restuarants and cafés than they do at home or work. It does help that the North American/European penchant for “turning tables” is non-existent in Buenos aires; once seated, the table is yours until you care to leave, whether you order anything past your first coffee, cocktail, or appetizer…or not. It would be unthinkable of a restaurant to even suggest that you might order more, or free up the space for a more spendthrift customer – it’s just not done. With free Wi-Fi access in most of the central part of town, whiling away the day at a table is de rigeur.

Among the spots in the city where you can enjoy a quiet dinner, Desde el Alma in Palermo is considered by many to be the most romantic in town. A converted home with small tables and comfortable chairs stuck in various nooks and crannies, this hot spot offers creative takes on Argentine cuisine, and you can count on virtually every customer being paired up for date night.

On the gay front, the petite La Olla de Felix, located in the heart of Recoleta, can’t be beat. Here you will find simple, classic French food at a great price from the former chef of the Ritz-Carlton in Paris. Empire Thai, located in the heart of downtown, is home to some of the better Asian food in the city. Owner Kevin Rodriguez, a former banker, fell in love with this restaurant while visiting Buenos Aires on a business trip. When he heard the owners were selling it, he quit his bank job and bought the place.

For those who want truly exquisite culinary experiences, the modern Argentine stylings of various chefs await your discovery. These include: Germán Martitegui’s trendy and expensive Casa Cruz in Palermo where an ever present bevy of cute youngsters brings some of the best food in town to your table; Martin Molteni’s amazing cuisine at Pura Tierra is served up in a beautiful old home in Belgrano; Rodrigo Ginzuk’s stunning French-Argentine fusion cuisine at Maat, a gorgeously restored palacio in Belgrano – officially a private club, but open to the public when not filled with members; and Fernando Mayoral’s borderline “molecular gastronomy”style served up at Thymus, in Palermo. All are don’t miss spots.

If you find yourself in need of English-speaking company, Amaranta Bistro in Recoleta prepares an odd mix of US, Mexican, and Italian cooking in a café environment with virtually all customers speaking English in one form or another. They also offer one of the better brunches in town.

THE NIGHT IS YOUNG

There’s no one district in the city that is particularly gay, though there’s been a push to declare historic San Telmo as the heart of the gay community. This is an odd choice, given that outside of one B&B (and the nearby new hostel and hotel, both mentioned above) and the odd business here and there, there’s no gay nightlife to speak of here.

Most nightlife, gay or straight, begins late in Buenos Aires. It’s not unusual for a club to open around midnight, with bars opening not much earlier. Drag and stripper shows are popular in many venues. One of the few places open for an earlier drink is Flux Bar, located in Retiro near to downtown, where an after-work crowd gathers in an underground space hosted by owners Jamie Taylor and Ilia Konon.

A hotspot for gathering (locally called a punta de encuentro) is the area in Recoleta near to the intersection of avenues Pueyrredón and Santa Fé. Here you’ll find the casual café El Olmo, a spot to meet with friends before heading out for a night of drinking and dancing, as well as a place to pickup local taxi-boys, or hustlers. Within a few block radius are several gay bars, including the ever popular Search for its late night shows, Km Zero for its dancers, and Angel’s Disco for its transvestite and rough-trade crowd. On the far side of Recoleta, bordering on Palermo, the city’s largest barrio, are the large clubs Amerika and Glam. These places are generally packed with boys who want to dance the night away, and/or disappear into the “dark rooms.” Just a few blocks away is the new kid in town called Sitges, with a mix of young gay, lesbian, and straight folk in a large lounge-style space that rivals Amerika in size, though with a focus on drag shows and lots of drinking.

FIRMING AND TONING

After a few late nights of drinking, dining, and dancing (not to mention sightseeing packed days) you’ll probably need to relax and rejuvenate a bit. Full spa treatments are available at almost all the luxury hotels, regardless of whether you’re a guest of the hotel or not. A few hours spent at the popular Markus Day Spa in Recoleta will set you feeling right as well. Inexpensive massages are available throughout the city: most hotels have someone on call or at least someone to recommend. If you’re in or near Recoleta, the Centro Cultural Chino along Santa Fé doles out deep-tissue acupressure-style massages. The same is available at any of several locations in Belgrano’s small Chinatown neighborhood.

When it comes to working out, porteños, for the most part, aren’t into the whole muscle building world. Gyms are social spots, and working out is more for simply keeping healthy and looking good rather than developing large biceps. Most gyms, and they’re all over the city, offer up daily or weekly rates that are quite inexpensive. Amongst the gay set, the friendly and fairly “hot” gym is the American Hot Gym in Recoleta. The one real “chain” gym in the city is called Megatlon, a very sleek, modern group with spaces in multiple locations. They cater to the expat and wealthy crowd, with a large number of gay men in attendance, and their prices are pretty much the same as you’d pay in the States.

SHOP TILL YOU DROP

While most travel guides will send you off to the famed pedestrian mall that is Calle Florida, the truth is, you won’t find anything there that you can’t find back home, including the same brands, and probably at the same price. Where Buenos Aires stands out is with its legion of young, hip designers.

For the designer set, head off into the aptly named Palermo SoHo. Here, you’ll find the streets lined with one shop after another, interspersed with enough restaurants and cafes to give you a spot to rest while you shop. For the guys, start off along Gurruchaga, in the 1700 block (near Costa Rica Street) at the well known El Cid, the best spot for anyone into the preppy look. Some of the hottest sweater designs, sport jackets, and classic style shirts line the racks here. For the gals, the neighboring Vietnam: Moda offers up some trendy local takes on Asian design.

If you’re a bit more informal than the preppy type, visit the completely hip and casual Antique Denim shop just a block away, where new takes on old jeans and vintage clothing makeovers are the order of the day. A mere block further on you’ll find yourself at Bolivia, which somehow manages to combine gay style and equally intriguing designs for women as well.

Moving over to the parallel Armenia Street, women discover trendy suburban and country style looks at Awada, or edgy, urban designs at Janet Wise . For those missing out on their high end skin care products, Kiehl’s of New York has just opened up a Buenos Aires branch on the same block, bringing in their whole range of products direct from the Big Apple.

There are plenty of other shops to poke your head into along the way, but there are two musts to end your neighborhood stroll. For the obys, there’s simply no gayer design shop than Garçon García. Here the clothes are beyond trendy and you may need to use a fire extinguisher on the staff just to cut back on their flaming.

Meanwhile, the lesbian set, especially those with a true shoe fetish, have to end their walk at Lucila Iotti where some of the hottest designs in multi-textural footwear are on display in the teensiest of shops.

Outside of designer clothes, Buenos Aires is, of course, famous for its leather. The heart of the leather world, offering everything from clutch purses to full length dusters, is the three block wholesale leather district along Murillo Street. This is where you’ll find not only the best designs, but the best prices. Probably the best known shop for visitors is 666, conveniently located along the street at that same address.

If you’re looking for home furnishings and décor, by far the best spot to head is the Buenos Aires Design Center, located in the heart of old Recoleta. The design center is a two story complex containing a couple dozen shops, each specializing in one form or another of objets d’art for the home. If you reach the end of the shop till you drop day here, the upper level has a selection of restaurants, from the very casual Hard Rock Café to Primafila, one of the better Italian spots in the city and a renowned spot for celebrity watching.

ART = LIFE

Buenos Aires is known for its art and architecture, and there are wonderful museums and galleries throughout the city to explore. For those who simply want a taste of what the city has to offer, there’s a convenient strip of museums, sort our own Museum Mile, that begins at the Palais de Glace with its photo and plastic arts exhibits, generally with a historical and political bent; the Recoleta Cultural Center, a free multi-space museum cum gallery that hosts a regularly changing array of works by contemporary and classic Argentine artists; the Bellas Artes, or fine arts museum, with its stunning collection of 17th- to 19th-century European art; the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, a beautifully restored palace with each room decked out from a different colonial period, showing off the changing fashions of home design over the last two centuries; and MALBA, one of the finest private collections of modern and contemporary Latin American art. If you only have time to visit one museum, I highly recommend the Xul Solar museum – they say there’s a fine line between genius and madness, and this artist’s work may be one of the most amazing demonstrations of that truism.

Of course, you may prefer art that will end up on your walls at home. While there are galleries throughout the city, there is also one spot where some of the best are concentrated, the short, two-block Arroyo street on the edge of hte downtown area. Centered around the Sofitel hotel, this duo of blocks hosts galleries that contain everything from centuries’ old classic European art at places like Santo Stefano and Renoir, to contemporary galleries such as Palatina, Aldo de Souza, and the Holz that showcase local artists.

If antiquing and flea market wandering is more your style, you can’t miss the weekly Sunday afternoon outdoor market in San Telmo, centered around the Plaza Dorrego and stretching out along the main street of Defensa. During the week, the same Defensa street is home to some of the finest antique shops in the city, and an afternoon of browsing will likely net you something for your collection.


Passport magazine is a relatively new, ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay travel magazine. My friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who have owned and run QSF magazine for many years, launched this publication recently. It has received industry accolades. They asked me to come along and write the occasional article for this venture as well.

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