If you were in Buenos Aires last weekend, you were probably outside enjoying the beautiful weather, the warm sun, parks full of happy parents, children and puppies, lovers walking hand in hand – the perfect …

Spring is springing in Buenos Aires!  Love is in the air, people are out on the streets, the air is fresh, my windows are open and my hay fever is in full form!  This past …

I have a lot of people asking me about breads recently – perhaps its because I’ve been doing a lot of baking recently. In May, Violet and Duro, an American couple living here (and dancing tango night and day) in Buenos Aires introduced me to a great No Knead Recipe. They happened to make a great instructional video on easy bake bread (see below) and talk extensively about doughs ….

These weeks have been so busy! The weather is totally erratic – one minute cool, the next rainy, the next sunny and warm.. and then cool again – it’s the perfect weather for catching a cold! That’s exactly what I did and then it’s been like a non-stop marathon trying to fit in my social and blogging life into my tough work schedule! BUT… I did manage to bake a little during the evenings. It’s probably one of those activities that keeps me sane.

I’m really fortunate to have my small group of expat girlfriends. Unfortunately, we don’t get together on a regular enough basis – ususally one of the girls will send out an email letting the others know that it’s time to catch up. She will set the date (usually a weekday so as not to disturb our heavily packed weekend social calendars) and time (since we all work, dinnertime just seems to fit perfectly). This girl then has taken on the mother of all responsibilities -cooking for her friends who show up with bottles of wine or champagne or even sometimes a little dessert for the group.

Last week, I found my way to Standard Restaurant in Palermo Hollywood -a cleverly designed cozy corner restaurant with beautiful lighting that really added to the modern ambiance. The tall walls were covered in wood to their height of approximately four meters high and the warmth radiated with the correct usage of lighting and mirrors that sufficiently opened the space and reflected the tree lined street just outside. Although the female servers’ uniforms were slightly reminiscent of Amish frocks, they seemed to move about the table well – doing their jobs pleasantly and efficiently. So there’s the setting – are you there? Let me tell you a little bit about the food now.

Although Buenos Aires is located quite near the coast, it’s surprisingly difficult to find fresh fish in this city. Argentina is a country known for its meat, so what do you do if you’re in the city and craving your favorite nigiri, sashimi or maki rolls? Fortunately, there are a few places that you can go for Japanese food where the food is fresh, the ambiance is good and you can leave feeling like a sumo wrestler without breaking the bank.

Olsen is the brain child of local German Maritegui – chef and owner of Casa Cruz and Olsen – the Argentine Norwegian restaurant located in Palermo Hollywood. As most restaurants are closed on Sunday afternoons, Olsen has a wonderful set menu (that’s ironically customizable) for Brunch. The international crowd that appears is stylish, however you’ll see that if you arrive late in the afternoon (3-5pm) they may be also be recovering from one of Buenos Aires’ infamous “nights out on the town”.

The other day, I had the great opportunity to meet up with some friends at Sarkis Armenian Restaurant in Villa Crespo for lunch. I had been there before and even ordered take away once or twice in the last few years here. One of my friends asked me to suggest a restaurant for lunch which always seems to pose a great challenge to me and I get stuck. But fortunately, out it came, off of the top of my head – Sarkis.

If you’re an expat living in Buenos Aires, sometimes those funny cravings can creep up on you when you least expect. Maybe it’s grandma’s oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies, some homemade brownies or nonna’s anise biscotti that you just can’t get out of your head.