Those who know me, know that I LOVE to cook and eat! However, I have been having some withdrawals from not eating typical Mexican dishes such as tacos, pollo ala crema, carne asada, pollo con arroz, huevos rancheros, or SPICY FOOD in general!!! So far, I have been eating lots of pasta dishes, pizza, burgers/fries, sandwiches, milanesa (breaded thin slices of chicken or beef), bread, empanadas (meat kinds, not the desert kinds I’m use too), veggie pies, and more red meats though I still have yet to eat some Asado. Some of the meats/veggies I’ve most noticed most are olives, eggs, lots of tomatoes/onions, various cheeses, ham, beef, salami, and even eggplant and spinach. Though I have yet to eat something with a lil spicy kick, I have enjoyed trying new foods. I like to remind myself to be open and try everything at least once before making a conclusion. Overall, I do miss jalapeños, salsa roja, and even guacamole, but the food thus far has been delicious and hasn’t gotten me sick, ha! Below are some pictures of dishes I have encounter/prepared:
Another thing I have been having to adjust are when folks eat. Breakfast is much smaller than I am use too. Lunch is around 1-2pm. Around 5-6pm, you eat a some snack with maté. Dinner is not until around 10-12pm. I have been taking advantage of lunch and eat as much as possible because I get hungry every 3 hours and dinner is way too late for me. Also, the cost of food is much more expensive than I am use too. I typically spend around 15-20 dollars (60-100 pesos) if I go out to a restaurant. One thing I love about lunch and dinner is that everyone eats together. Back home, my family and I rarely eat together or even with my roommates. I love that we can have conversations about each others day, highs/lows, any new adventures, etc. In terms of drinking, I have been drinking a lot more soda than usual. We have had bottles of wine, but it has been mostly when we have larger team dinners. We haven’t had beer at the site as a drink, but it is very common to buy several bottles of beer and share during dinner at restaurants.
So, if anyone wants to send me some spice, hollllllaaaa!
Yes, the food in Argentina is different from what one expects. The Italian influence is obvious and the cuisine is much different from one Latin American country to the next. Eating together is a wonderful habit that many U.S. Americans have lost, and it is a really special time to find out what’s going on with those you care about. Michele
Totally loving all of the food pictures. I’m in Mexico, so there are a lot of similar dishes, but lots of really different ones! I understand what you’re going through with the meal times thing. It’s been really hard for me to get used to too. I just have basically given up on eating dinner because they eat at about 10 every night. =p
Rebekah Smith