Eating My Way Through South America

I am back from my summer vacation to Brazil and Argentina! I apologize to any of my readers who felt abandoned, but it was nice to take a break from the dishes for a couple of weeks :-). I try and resist the temptation to turn this into some kind of personal blog, so rather than bore you with all the details of my recent trip, I'll stick to what this blog is really about--FOOD! And we ate plenty of it. I am highlighting some of my favorite restaurants from our trip, and if you plan on travelling to that part of the world any time soon, please feel free to email capitalchef@gmail.com with any questions.

 Rio de Janeiro

Favorite fruit smoothie--Acai Berry from Polis Sucos (Rua Maria Quitéria 70, Ipanema). We went here for a late night snack after a rumba show, and we went back the next day for lunch. We had a smoothie with a ham and cheese sandwich---cheap, easy, and really good!

Coconut Water- I loved sitting on the beach sipping water directly out of coconuts--so delicious and fresh and apparently a huge trend in the celebrity world these days http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b172937_why_every_celebrity_drinking_coconut.html


Man preparing coconut:


Me enjoying coconut:

Porcao Churrascaria- Vegetarians, be warned, this place is probably not for you. We celebrated my birthday at this restaurant, and it was AMAZING! The servers walk around the restaurant holding up different cuts of meat. We really have no idea what we ate that night (I think at one point I thought I was eating beef but it was ostrich?), but we just tried not to think about it for too long. ***My advice--don't overload on the buffet because there will be A LOT of meat coming your way. Also, there are two locations, but the one in Flamengo is right on the water and worth the short cab ride.

You hold this up when you want the meat they are offering:

And hold this up when you can't take anymore...

Caiprinha- Brazil's national cocktail. It is made with made with cachaça, sugar, and lime. I enjoyed one at the famous bar Garota de Ipanema, the bar where the famous bossa nova song Girl From Ipanema was written.

Favorite Street Food- Churros filled with Dulce de Leche--A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

One more restaurant worth mentioning because we went back twice (but unfortunately without a camera both times)--Doce Delicia (http://www.docedelicia.com.br/ Rua Dias Ferreira 48, Rio de Janeiro) After over-indulging in way too much meat the night before, this was the perfect place to enjoy a fresh salad. Ask for a seat near the kitchen where you can watch them prepare the most intricate pizzas I've ever seen---it was seriously a work of art.

Buenos Aires

Un' Altra Volta- Ice Cream/Chocolate store.  A few people recommended Freddo, which we also tired, but I liked this one better. The Dulce de Leche flavor was by far our favorite.

La Cabrera in Palermo-- I really will never be able to say enough about this restaurant. If you go to Buenos Aires, YOU MUST GO HERE! It was unreal. First of all, I should probably remind you if you didn't already know, don't even think about trying to eat in Argentina before 9 pm. We got there around 9:30 and had a little bit of a wait, so as we waited outside, they brought us a glass of champagne. Right there, they had my heart.

For an appetizer (Lord knows we did NOT need to order this), we ordered Provoletta (grilled cheese). I highly recommend.


We ordered steak and chicken wrapped in bacon...we tried to order a third because the prices were so cheap, but our waiter kindly warned us against ordering any more food. I'm sure he was thinking "typical overeating Americans!"


Then, they brought out all of these complimentary sides. I can't remember all of them except for the pureed pumpkin, pearl onions in wine sauce, roasted garlic, olive tapenade, creamed spinach, and the list goes on...

At the end, they brought us complimentary limoncello shots and lollipops. We definitely did not need to order dessert! (also, if someone could teach me how to rotate photos in blogger, I would greatly appreciate it.)

Cafe Tortoni-- We had a 10-minute wait to get in, but despite the fact that it is a huge tourist destination, it somehow maintains its old world charm. We could have sat there for hours.



La Brigada--Another really great restaurant. What impressed me most was that they cut the steak with a spoon here! We were a little tired ot taking pictures that night after a full day of sightseeing, so here is the only photo I took--me hungry/excited for another night of steak!

Aramburu (Salta 1050 http://www.arambururesto.com/)-My final restaurant recommendation is completely off the beaten path and brand new. After attempting to eat at another restaurant that was completely full, the hostess of that restaurant took pity on us and wrote down an address of another restaurant she said would definitely take us. She told us just to hand the address to a cab driver and she would call ahead for us. Let's just say, this restaurant doesn't seem to be in the 'best' neighborhood, and we had to knock on the door to be let in. For a brief moment, I thought this might have been some huge set-up, but the meal we were served that night was unlike anything I had ever eaten before. The chef, Gonzalo Aramburu, apparently just moved back to Buenos Aires after studying with a famous Spanish chef as well as working in restaurants in both Chicago and New York.  We were served an 8-course tasting menu, and unfortunately, since the waitress didn't speak ANY English and we were being served foods with Spanish names completely unfamiliar to me, we just had to trust her. Here are a few photos of the dishes we were served. I HIGHLY highly recommend.  This was 5 star food at 2 star prices.









If you will excuse me, I need to head to the gym now!

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

In keeping with my theme of easy summer salads and sandwiches, this is my favorite tuna salad. Unlike the typical mayonnaise/egg version, this is a healthy version packed with flavor using green onions, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and red bell peppers and then seasoned with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning. This sandwich works really well with a side of gazpacho (another recipe for another day...).

This would be the perfect sandwich to enjoy at my favorite DC tradition Jazz in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. The concert series starts back up again next Friday, May 28!


Here is what you will need:



Step 1: Chop the red bell pepper.



Step 2: Chop the green onions.



Step 3: Chop the sun dried tomatoes (or buy the pre-sliced tomatoes)



Step 4: Drain the olives.



Step 5. Mix together in a bowl.




Step 6: Add 2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning.



Step 7: Add 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (sometimes I add more if it seems too dry)



Step 8: Add several dashes of red wine vinegar.



Step 9: Stir until well-combined. I tested it and decided to add a little more olive oil and sun dried tomatoes.




Full list of ingredients:
2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
12 oz. tuna
1/2 bell pepper chopped
4 green onions chopped
1 small can of diced black olives
several chopped red wine vinegar
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
several dashes of red wine vinegar

Crunchy Curry Chicken Salad

Despite the fact that I wore a coat to work yesterday, it is May, and summer is almost here--even if mother nature seems to be slightly indecisive about it. Warm weather means picnic season is upon us, so I am going to start sharing some of my favorite summer salad recipes (pasta, tuna, potato, etc.).

I am starting off with my favorite chicken salad recipe. I love the combination of curry and mango chutney, and the celery and sliced almonds give it a delightfully crunchy texture. I have seen similar recipes that call for apples and/or raisins in place of grapes, so you can play around with this a bit. Also, the measurements for the celery and grapes don't have to be exact. It is all a matter of preference.

Enjoy! I hear *knock on wood* the weather in DC is supposed to be beautiful this weekend!




Here is what you will need:



Step 1: Cook the chicken. Place the chicken in a pot and cover with water.



Bring the water to a full boil. It usually takes the chicken at least 20-25 minutes to cook.



Step 2: While the chicken is cooking, go ahead and make the curry dressing. Start with 1 cup of mayonnaise (I use fat-free). Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.



Then 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.



Then 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder.



And 1 tablespoon of mango chutney.



Stir together!



Step 3: Slice 1 and 1/2 cups of grapes.



Step 4: Chop 1 cup of celery.



Step 5: When the chicken has cooled, chop the chicken into bite-size pieces.



Step 6: Mix the grapes, celery, and chicken together.



Stir well.



Step 7: Add 1 package of sliced almonds.






Step 8: Add the dressing.



Enjoy!!



Full List of Ingredients:

1 package of chicken (3-4 chicken breasts)
1 cup of chopped celery
1 1/2 cup of seedless red grapes
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1 cup of fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 tablespoon of mango chutney

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

Dear Loyal Blog Readers, I apologize for getting a little behind on posting, but between last weekend's 5k race (we raised $32,000!) and my parent's visit to the District, the blog had to take a back seat. Have no fear, I am back, and I have lots of yummy recipes to share.

I decided to post a breakfast recipe, since a lot of people may be in the midst of trying to plan their mother's day brunch. This is the first recipe I have ever tried from the Barefoot Contessa, and I really liked it. These Blueberry Muffins are really moist and not overly sweet---nothing too complicated or fancy about them. I had never made blueberry muffins before, so I thought this was a good place to start. I currently, have a lot of extra blueberries from Costco sitting in my refrigerator, so I may use that as an excuse to kick things up a notch this weekend and try making these with a streusel topping. Be on the lookout for that.

Here is what you will need:



Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans. Sort through the blueberries and pick out any stems or spoiled berries.



Step 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.



Step 3: With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk.



Step 4: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.



Step 5: With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed.



Step 6: Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.



Step 7: Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.





Enjoy!!


Full List of Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries