Celebrating Independence Day Abroad Just Got Easier. Atlanta Natives Celebrating American Independence: Argentina Style.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – June 28, 2010 – The Buenos Aires Pubcrawl, a division of 12^th Gate Inc, has made it possible for those traveling abroad during 4^th of July celebrations to feel right at home. For travelers not able to be in the U.S for one of the country’s biggest revelries of the year, there is now a way to party like they’re in their own backyard.

Armed with an extensive knowledge of how to party and a desire to share this knowledge, the Buenos Aires Pubcrawl has set out to make 4^th of July celebrations available globally. Founded three years ago by a few Kappa Sigma frat boys from Atlanta, the Buenos Aires Pubcrawl has made it their business to throw the biggest and most memorable parties and pubcrawls in South America. This 4th of July is no exception.

This Saturday, the 3^rd, marks the second anniversary of the company’s 4^th of July celebrations. Last years inaugural celebration party boasted over three hundred and fifty participants, most of them American expatriats, tourists and a few tourists in the throes of becoming expats. This year’s party can promise to be even larger. “Everyone heard about how massive our party was last year. This year it will only be bigger and better,” said project manager Kyle Phillips Thomas.

This year’s celebration offers traditional American fare: hamburgers, hot dogs, and cold Budweiser; a sharp contrast to the usual Argentine pizza and Quilmes beer. And what is a 4^th of July celebration without fireworks? Sparklers and American flags will be supplied to the attendees. With the combination of good ole’ American food and fireworks, one can’t help but feel right at home.

The Buenos Aires Pubcrawl was founded three years ago by a group of fraternity brothers from Atlanta. They have since diversified into event planning and other tourist related projects, recently opening a pubcrawl in Santiago, Chile. Aside from holiday celebrations, the pubcrawl runs six nights a week in the Buenos Aires area. You can check them out online at pubcrawlba.com or by phone at (15)4120-3382.

Interview Contact: Seth Todd

Telephone: AR (15)3467-8988

Email: seth.todd@pubcrawlba.com

The Buenos Aires Pubcrawl

www.pubcrawlba.com

I started off 2009 in Villa Crespo with our friends.

i started making snazzy cakes.

we went to mendoza and saw some lovely historic incan sites just on our side of chile.

and went to the bodegas and drank some delicious wine. (had to try the grapes first)

made my first chocolate whiskey cake.

and so began the palermo cupcakery.

meanwhile i also went out with friends!

and met new friends! (that’s gidget!)

and while other friends were here, we said goodbye to an ex-president.

and got our hair done.

and made more cupcakes…

and made some deeeelicious chocolate pudding…

and ate quite a few asados with friends.

and taught them how to spell….

then i went shopping..

I got treated to great food on my birthday…

and then my friends came over and we had a quiet little party with champagne… thanks friends.

and i learned to make empanadas…

and had a few romantic dates..

we went to mar del plata and saw “jesus shrugged”…

and ate squid in it’s ink.  yu-u-u-u-u-u–uuuuuummmmmyyyy

and saw touristy stuff…

and posed with jude.

people were coming in for a very special occasion!

i got married!

and went to a cactus festival.

i threw a cupcake party!

and met up with the girls one last time before the holidays…

and happily said goodbye to 2009, and hello to 2010.

I hope your 2009 was wonderful, and hope that your 2010 is even better!!!

I make a pretty decent banana bread and killer banana muffins, so when I saw that this Tuesday’s Dorie was a Banana Bundt cake I was excited to try it.  I was hesitant when I started reading the instructions because it involved a lot more mixing (and with an electric mixer, too!) than I would have instinctively have done.  I popped the bundt in the oven and as time rolled on, the cake started rising over the sides of the pan. So, I probably would have divided up this recipe between two bundt pans.  What surprised me is that it did come out rather lovely and moist!

To me, the final cake looked a little plain and sad, as bundt cakes without icing do.  But I’m watching what I eat, so a little less sugar is just fine by me.

We’ll be stopping by Javi’s grandmother’s house tonight, so I think we’re going to leave several large portions for her, Javier’s mom and brother.

That’s the best thing about doing TWD is sharing everything with all my friends and family that can enjoy my baking afterwards. So when are you coming over for dessert?

]]> http://buenosairestyle.com/2009/08/banana-bundt-cake/feed/ 1 http://buenosairestyle.com/2009/07/cooking-with-teresita/ http://buenosairestyle.com/2009/07/cooking-with-teresita/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:16:24 +0000 gina http://buenosairestyle.com/?p=758 Nothing brings people together like comfort food.  This fall before I started getting my act together for the wedding, I was able to have a semi-private morning with Teresita – a local woman who teaches traditional Argentine cooking to locals and foreigners in the warm and friendly setting of her kitchen.  One of the specialties of her household is the empanada.  The empanada is like a turnover filled with vegetables or meat wrapped in dough and either fried or baked.  To Argentines, it’s essential food.  A staple in the diet.  Empanadas are present at every party – they’re as common as pizza and sold all over Buenos Aires.

Although the empanada is a regional specialty of Northern Argentina (such as Salta), you can find them sold easily in many forms and varieties in the capital – sometimes even folded in a triangle with lamb or vegetables and middle eastern spices, called the “Empanada Arabe”.  Walk into any pizzeria and you can find a handful of varieties of empanadas, ready to be heated in the giant stone ovens next to the pizzas.  Most Argentines have had the experience of making empanadas at their mother’s side at some point in time – and visiting my friend Florencia’s house the other day, I learned a little bit about filling the little dough pockets with her personal meat mixture.

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of empanadas.  I find that sometimes at the pizzerias, they can be bland and soggy.  I felt like every time I would eat just one, I would feel bloated and heavy.  That was until I went to Salta.  If you have the opportunity to get to the north, the empanadas have a lovely depth of flavor, a little more spicy than from what you would find in the capital, and sometimes even baked in an adobe oven, making the crusts crisp and lovely.  The first night we were there, we ate half a dozen each and could have asked for more.

The morning I went to Teresita’s house, I was skeptical.. it was a gray and cold morning – I thought of how I could have been sitting in my pyjamas writing about any number of things, working on various projects – and instead, I was heading out from the train station in the center of the city – Constitution, on my way to a suburb I had never heard of – Adrogue.  All for a class in making a food that I didn’t even really like outside of Salta.  I arrived a little late, and the other people had already finished chopping the onions… no loss.. so Teresita welcomed me into her kitchen and introduced me to the other members of my class – a Canadian couple, an American couple who also live in Buenos Aires and their house guest.  Teresita put us all to work chopping the ingredients and we all enjoyed the small talk in the lovely, spacious kitchen.  She taught us all about how to prepare the filling as we were to make one batch of beef filled empanadas and one batch of “humita” empanadas, filled with corn.  When that was done, everything went into the refrigerator for a while and she introduced us to some wines that would go well with the dishes we were about to make.

She talked about the different wine regions, and we tasted a few wines of the Torrontes varietal from Cafayate. After we were all well into that first glass of wine we began to measure the flour and other ingredients so that Teresita could teach us how to make the dough. Let me tell you, put a little vino in a couple of Americans and Canadians, and you have dough making machines. We turned them out so fast just so we could enjoy another glass of wine.

So we learned to fill and bake / fry the empanadas and then moved out to Teresita’s courtyard to enjoy the afternoon which had cleared to a slightly crisp and lovely afternoon. We all sat around chatting away, anxiously waiting for the empanadas to get out of the oven. I have to say, when the empanadas came out of the oven and fryer, we started to eat them – and they were probably the best empanadas I had in my whole life. And I’m not just saying that because I made them. They were light – and TASTY!!!! I could have eaten a dozen to myself!

Normally I don’t like going outside of the city – I’m a real city rat. I love my neighborhoods in Buenos Aires – there are people, cars, movement, noise – I love it. Every time I go into the province, I think about how much I miss the cafes, the big city people… but when I went out to Teresita’s house, and got off the train, I felt like I was on vacation. This wasn’t the boring suburbs that I was used to. And at Teresita’s rustic house, she brought together a few people who probably wouldn’t otherwise have crossed paths, we were united with our common interest of learning about Argentine culture through its cuisine with a wonderful teacher who showed us about creole style cooking in her own home.

Honestly, the classes are not expensive for the price – and if you want to know more about her class schedule (she does teach a lot!) feel free to contact her from her website.

There are a lot of places that have closed temporarily for the lack of clients coming into their businesses – cafes, restaurants, nightclubs.. but people are still getting together – just at our homes, and not so much in public places.

Now, you can buy a few bar basics and make your friends really feel like they’re at their favorite posh dive bar or fancy shmancy restaurant that expects us to pay top dollar (sometimes literally) just for the pleasure of gracing the premises.  Here are a few suggestions that make use of some of those basic  recipes from much colder climates that you can use during these three, terribly long months of winter. It gives a classy touch and a refreshing change from beer or the Fernet and Cola, that can sometimes be overdone at parties and get-togethers here.

THE HUNTER

Although we’re not near the campo, you can still make this for your “casador” friends. With chillier weather you are going to want a great drink to warm you up from the inside out – especially if you’ve spent any amount of time outside lately. This lowball cocktail has the outdoorsman in mind, what with whiskey, brandy and a hint of cherry, it is a perfect way to relax after walking up and down the streets of Palermo Soho or the Recoleta, helping your “Huntress” shop for clothes. For the ladies there is also a slightly more delicate version, the Huntress Cocktail. Good luck!
Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 oz whiskey
* 1/2 oz cherry brandy
* maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the whiskey and cherry brandy into an old-fashioned glass with ice.
2. Stir well.
3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

THE HUNTRESS

This lowball cocktail is perfect for the hunting woman. Imagine, after a day of shopping on a chilly autumn day and returning home to a Huntress Cocktail waiting for you. What a lovely thought. You might also want to try the Hunter’s Cocktail.
Ingredients:

* 1 oz bourbon
* 1 oz cherry liqueur
* 1 oz cream or milk
* dash of Triple Sec

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass.

MANHATTAN

Rumor has it that the Manhattan was the first cocktail made using Vermouth as a modifier. As with a Martini, there are variations of the drink that are a matter of taste and preference (see the list below).

Although some insist that a Manhattan should be made using only rye whiskey, use what you have.  I personally always keep some Johnny Walker Red Label in my cabinet.  (Although, that technically makes my Manhattan drink a “Rob Roy”), don’t let the lack of a specific ingredient deter you from experimenting. And check the Cocktail Times to see what you can use as a substitute for anything you might not have.

View Video: Manhattan Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients:

* 2 oz rye whiskey
* 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
* 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
* maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingedients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
2. Stir well.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with the cherry.

Variations on the Manhattan:

* Dry Manhattan- Use a dash of dry vermouth and garnish with a lemon twist.
* Perfect Manhattan- Equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth. Garnish with a lemon twist.
* Brandy Manhattan- Replace whiskey with brandy.
* Scotch Manhattan- Replace whiskey with Scotch.
* Southern Comfort Manhattan- Replace whiskey with Southern Comfort.

HOT PEPPERMINT PATTY

You have got to love spiked hot chocolate and this is one of the best recipes out there for it. Both peppermint schnapps and crème de menthe add that minty snap to this intensely chocolate warm drink. There’s also a Peppermint Patty on the rocks that you might also enjoy, it has all the same wonderful flavors without the warmth.
Ingredients:

* 1 oz peppermint schnapps
* 1/2 oz dark crème de cacao
* 1 tsp crème de menthe
* hot chocolate
* whipped cream
* shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the liqueurs into an Irish coffee glass.
2. Fill with hot chocolate.
3. Top with whipped cream.
4. Garnish with shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles.

GODFATHER

You could probably easily make the connection between The Godfather movies and this drink which uses the sweet Italian liqueur, amaretto, and the robust, hard flavors of a smooth Scotch. Appropriately, the Godmother is a little softer with vodka. I like this one because it is a slightly more complex Scotch on the rocks but it doesn’t ruin or overpower the whiskey.
Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 oz Scotch
* 1/2 oz Amaretto

Preparation:

1. Build the ingredients in an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes.
2. Stir well.

HONEY DOVE

Servings
One Drink

Ingredients
3 ounces of cognac
2 spoonfulls of honey
2 splashes of Vanilla Soy Milk or Vanilla Skim Milk (use a splash of milk and a drop of vanilla extract)

Instructions
Pour the ingredients over ice into a shaker cup.
Shake until frothy. Strain into a martini glass.

CHERRY SMASH

Servings
One Drink

Ingredients
brandied cherries
1.5 oz. cognac
1 oz. orange curacao
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cherry liqueur

Instructions
Muddle brandy-soaked cherries in bottom of a glass. In a shaker glass, add other ingredients and shake, then stir. Pour into glass and garnish with the brandied cherries.

BLOOD MARTINI

Servings
One Drink

Ingredients
Fresh limes
2 ounces fresh squeezed beet juice
2 ounces of orange juice
1 ounce of vodka
Triple Sec to taste

Instructions
Cut a lime open and run it around the rim of a martini glass.  Squeeze the excess juice into a shaker.  Add vodka, orange juice, and beet juice. Depending on the sweetness of the beet juice, add Triple Sec (if the juice is very sweet, omit Triple Sec). Shake with ice and strain into glass.  Garnish with fresh lime.

And well, this isn’t the only way to keep warm on these cold winter nights… just ask Frankie…
I\'ve got my love to keep me warm

I found some at our local grocery store that was freshly baked.
Anyway, I served it to a 100% Argentine crowd. Everyone ate it right up, but what’s to be expected with all that chocolaty sweet creamy goodness that I made! And on top of everything the chocolate sauce was DEVINE!
I had never made nor eaten bread pudding before in my life, but now that I have, I’ll do this recipe again.

But on Sunday, I got up bright and early, thinking of all the cool things that I could do decorate cupcakes.  I had a creative rush – and I knew that I needed to decorate as soon as I woke up from my sleep.

I made some organic brasilian coffee and got to work first on the frosting.  As soon as that was done and in the refrigerator to cool for a while, I started on the cupcakes.  I made chocolate.  I love chocolate.

I let them cool while I had some pasta with pesto for lunch.  (mmmm) Once the cupcakes had cooled, I began to frost away!  I had so much fun doing these, and I think I’m going to put next week’s adventures on auction on my facebook page.  I’m really enjoying doing these auctions by the way – it pays for the materials for the baked goods and I can cook away to my heart’s content but not have to worry about having too many desserts around my house during the week!

So here were my mini creations! This is a flickr slideshow. If you want to see them a bit larger, go to my flickr page: click-click!

I love the moisture that the ground almonds gave to the loaf – it was perfect to eat on a cool Sunday morning while reading the newspaper and drinking some piping hot Brazilian coffee. Instead of making lemon marmalade, I ended up using some plum marmalade that I had sitting in my refrigerator. To be honest, it was the perfect combo since I think that using a lemon marmalade would have been just too lemony for me since there was already a tart flavor with fresh lemon rind in the recipe.

Ohhh look at that texture! Divine!

Since this year, February 14th falls on a Saturday, you can make this special day last all day and all night long with your special sweetheart.  It could be super romantic to wake your lovie up with breakfast in bed, but if you’re not-so-great about preparing something yourself, you still have options.  Take them out to Cafe Le Ble (corner of Alvarez Thomas and Cespedes) for some of the most delectable sweet and savory breakfast dishes in town.  With their generous cup proportions of cafe con leche – this rustic yet Seattle-inspired coffee house serves up French pastries that are mouth watering – day or night.

Just a few blocks away is Buenos Aires famous flea market – a great detour for anyone – seriously, ANYONE.   Take your window shopping to a new level – completely.  If your public displays of affection warrant someone screaming out, “Get a room!” instead, perhaps you should do just that.  Buenos Aires is known for their Love Hotels (better known as “Telos” – and although some are kitch and creative places to take a “2 hour nap”, others are outright lavish. Try “Dallas” in Almagro (Ecuador 224) – and ask about their “Symbol-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-Room”.  For a more kitch approach, “Tu Y Yo” love hotel (Yerbal 4154) offers a more retro design to your short stay.  They also have a private garage to park your car.

Now that you’re fired up, several places around the city will keep that red glow glowing.  A myriad of aphrodisiac delights await you at Te Matare Ramirez. This Valentine’s Day, they’re in two locations – on Gorritti street in Palermo and there will be a special cruise starting from the port at Olivos and sailing down the river for great views of Buenos Aires, romantic music and of course, champagne, oysters and a three course menu. (Maybe you should check back into that Love Hotel afterwards..).

If that’s not your style, check into the Palacio Duhau for the night – the private Duhau family mansion turned into a mini paradise in the heart of the Recoleta and run by the Park Hyatt is a special treat for that special person.  Make reservations at the Duhau Vinoteca (wine cellar) to taste some wines before a romantic dinner in their restaurant.  Check out their underground spa the next day with a facial or massages for two.

Looking for a new spin on old-time romance? Don’t waste your money on a dozen roses – consider those dead by February 15th. Pick up your sweetie a creative and exotic bouquet at Clavel (Uriarte 1422).  And trade in traditional chocolates for a sweet and non-traditional sensation from Compañia de Chocolates, Buenos Aires’ most innovative chocolatier.

And although it may be impossible to find Chocolate Kisses and Conversation Hearts here in Buenos Aires (that’s a totally North American reference, by the way) – count on one thing, if I make you my special recipe, “Love Potion No. 9″, you’ll Be Mine.

It’s the perfect treat to make even if you’re hanging out solo or staying in with friends that night!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz. campari
• 2 oz. orange juice
• 1 1/2 oz. vodka

Mixing instructions:

Mix all ingredients with ice in a blender or a shaker. Pour into a chilled old fashioned glass. (Remember that one ounce is equal to approximately one shot).

Now these may just be the smooches you need!