Food, glorious food at Don Carlitos

Oh, my. It was a good week in the schools (more on that later) and so we celebrated with a meal. Last night we went out to dinner at Restaurante "Carlitos," otherwise known as Don Carlitos or Don Carlos. This was an experience as much as it was a meal.

It's a very simple restaurant in the neighborhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires, right across from the stadium where the Boca Juniors football (soccer) team plays. It looks like an ordinary diner, nothing at all fancy. As soon as we sat down, the owner came to talk to us. When he heard that I was from the US, he spoke a bit of English with me and pointed at a framed movie poster signed by Sophia Coppola. Apparently, this is one of Francis Ford Coppola's favorite restaurants in BA. 

The fellow in the blue shirt is Juan Carlos Zinola, the owner (photo credit: Iva Grbesic)

Looks are deceiving. This was no ordinary diner. The meal was incredible. We didn't order. The food just arrived with a flourish, plate after plate. We shared from most of the plates, though we each got our own steaks. We had empanadas, and in the vast array of food, I've forgotten what they were stuffed with. Here are a few excellent pictures taken by Iva Grbesic on her blog One Chic Mom--we had these dishes and so much more.

Empanada (photo credit: Iva Grbesic)

Spinach fritters (photo credit: Iva Grbesic)

Smoked sausage (photo credit: Iva Grbesic)

One of two cuts of perfectly-cooked steak (photo credit: Iva Grbesic)

Here's the full list of what we had (though I may well have forgotten one or two dishes):

• Eggplant with white beans, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with herbs
• Fresh mozzarella rolled around arugula, with dried tomatoes
• Tuna salad
• Rolls
• Mashed potato stuffed with cheese and deep fried--they looked like little potatoes
• Spinach crepe
• Spinach fritters
• Spinach or chard ravioli
• Fried cheese (provolone?)
• Smoked sausage
• Steak, two different cuts
• Tiramisu (the best I have ever had)
• Dulce de leche mousse (dulce de leche is an exquisite sort of caramel, though that doesn't do it justice)
• Bread pudding squares
• Passionfruit cheesecake
• Espresso
• Saint Felicien wine
• Sparkling water

It was pricy for Argentina, almost $45 USD each including tip, but well worth every centavo. 

Food pictures from Peru

I've never understood people who don't care about food. I'm not a foodie--I don't have to have the latest fad or the most expensive. I just like food. I like eating it, cooking it, talking about it. It's an added bonus when it's also pretty. Here are a few pictures of the fancier meals I had in Peru, those that were also a feast for the eyes.

I know I already posted this picture of the picante de quinoa I had in Aguas Calientes. That's a tomato in the shape of a rose in the middle.

We went to eat at the Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores, the part of Lima where I lived the evening after the sea lion trip. By the time we went, we'd all had long naps and felt better (if sunburned). These were the appetizers:

Those are giant shrimps, I think. In the background you can see the causas, which in this case are little cups of mashed potato filled with crabmeat. There's a better picture of causas later.

This was my main dish, an Amazonian fish on a bed of potato, topped with fried banana. Very tasty.

It wasn't until the last week, when we were in Trujillo, that I remembered to get a picture of ceviche, raw fish, which gets sort of cooked by lime juice, with red onion, red pepper and cilantro. I'm not sure what else was in this one. It was probably the best ceviche I had on the trip--I must have had it ten times at least. And to think that I didn't think I'd like it. Also in this picture is a different shape of causa, like a giant potato oreo. On the plate next to the ceviche is a sweet potato and giant corn kernels.

Back in Lima, my very last day was also Gustavo's birthday. Time for a celebration! Gustavo, his sweetie, his son and I had a birthday and farewell lunch at his favorite restaurant. We began with causas, which were filled with crabmeat in one, tuna in the next and chicken salad in the third, garnished with hardboiled egg, chive, avocado and tomato. Delicious!

This last picture doesn't look appetizing, I know. It was absolutely wonderful aji de gallina, a creamy chicken dish with just the right amount of spice, sprinkled with cheese, next to a serving of rice. The rice often comes in a kind of cake. Gustavo often brought along olive oil to pour over his rice.

Now that I've written this, I realize I'm hungry!

More Peruvian specialties

I like going to the grocery store (at home, too). Here in Peru, it's an adventure. What will I try this time? Today I ate my first cherimoya, an oddly shaped green fruit native to Peru. I scooped the inside out with a spoon, avoiding the large seeds. It's sweet, with a taste like pineapple and banana. Delicious!

Here are a few other treats I've tasted. The Inka Corn is what we call "corn nuts" in the US. They're giant kernels of corn. These were spicy. Next to the Inka Corn is a bottle of the national soda, Inca Kola. This bright yellow soda tastes to me like bubblegum. I'm not sure I'll need to have more than that one bottle.

Next to the Inca Kola is a bottle of locuma drinking yoghurt. Locuma (stress on the first syllable) is a fruit that tastes a like maple syrup. Mmm.

I'm eating well, in case you wondered. Today I had two turkey sandwiches. The first was at lunch, at a place where Gustavo promised me they had the world's best sandwich. I admit, it was pretty great. Turkey with onion, lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayonaise. He told me that the world's second best sandwich was at Parque Kennedy, a short walk from my apartment. I needed a walk this evening, so first I went in the opposite direction, to Larcomar, the swishy mall that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. I went to the upper deck for a bit of sea breeze, then walked among the tourists in the open-air mall.

From there, I walked to Parque Kennedy. On the way I ran into a couple I'd met at the hostel where I stayed in the first week here in Lima. I'd also run into them on the street in Cusco. Funny to see familiar faces on the street!

In Parque Kennedy, I easily found the stand where they sold the turkey sandwiches. There were a few people in front of me. Gustavo was right, this was an excellent sandwich. It had the welcome addition of a bit of spicy aji sauce. Yum.

Food in Brazil, so far

I can't believe I haven't written about food. I've been eating extremely well, thank you very much. Tonight I decided to try the pizza place I can see from the hotel window.  I've had pizza a couple of times but none like this one. This is the piece I couldn't possibly finish and so brought back to put in my mini-fridge.  

I wish I had a picture of the whole pie, complete with the smell and taste, and maybe the sight of the clay pizza oven. It was delicious--and salty, with anchovies, olives, capers, tomatoes and mozzarella. The waiter served me the first piece, and when I began to serve myself the second, he rushed over and took the utensils from me. First he took the olive pits and a bit of crust I'd left on the plate, then he served my piece. I got the message: that was his job and he was not going to stand back and let me make a hash of it.

What else have I been eating? In the schools there has been a great buffet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Also lots of meat. Always rice and beans. I've eaten at some of the buffet restaurants where you pay by the kilogram. Very nice, very basic, and pretty cheap. I've had temaki a couple of times as well.

Best of all have been the fruits and fruit juices. Bananas taste much better here than at home. Had I ever tasted fresh papaya before this? At breakfast in the hotel there is always a big tray of papaya, pineapple, melon. At the British School last week one day I had a giant portion of mango. I've had acai pulp and acerola juice, as well as fresh lemonade, orange juice, passion fruit juice and a refreshing pineapple juice with mint. I had a few bites of Pati's pineapple mint ice cream last week. Yum. In Rio, we had coconut juice straight from the coconut, then scraped out the inside with a bit of the rind. Refreshing.

I've eaten a couple of unusual (for me) combinations: a banana and cheese toasted sandwich with cinnamon, and a Romeu e Julieta, which is a mango paste with melted cheese on top. Both were tasty.

I've been asking Brazilians who have been abroad how they manage without all the fresh fruits and juices. It must be a real hardship.