Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Casimiro Bigua


I've been reminiscing about eating in Argentina lately, and wish Casimiro Bigua was not so far away on the southern tip of the Earth in the distant Argentine Patagonia.  This restaurant showcases incredible food with a large selection of equally incredible Argentine wines.  We pigged out on an asado of different cuts of meat.  Each cut had its own distinct beefy flavor, even though all the cuts were grilled in the same argentine-asado manner.  Pat La Frieda would have loved this transcendent experience of subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences in tastes and textures of different cuts of grass-fed beef.  We also had a fantastic fish dish - lightly seared, moist, delicate, which was quickly polished off by me (Andrew was obsessed with the beef).  The waiter recommended a couple of Salta wines for us to try - Salta is the secret gem of Argentine wines.  Because of the high altitude, the grapevines are exposed to a good amount of sunlight and minimal precipitation (the soil is mostly irrigated by water from melted snow from the mountain peaks above).  Summer temperatures reach a 100F in the daytime, while cooling down to 55F in the evening.  Similar to the Californian Paso Robles wines, this climate allows for the Salta grapes to acheive a high sugar content, and hence the wines have a high alcohol volumes of 15% to 16% (but remain incredibly smooth).  MmmmMMMMMM, Salta wines = happy times.  No wonder our waiter waxed poetic about Salta wines.   






  

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Centolla Crab

At the very southern tip of continental Americas lies Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.  Darwin sailed through these waters back in his days (hence the name, Beagle Channel).  It's a place where the mountains meet the seas, and windswept trees pepper the land.  It's also a place where you can try the deliciously sweet Centolla crab, the Southern King Crab.  Sweet and savory, the steamed Centolla crab is best served steamed with just a light touch of melted butter and parsley.



Monday, March 14, 2011

Serenbe

What a fantastic weekend retreat away from urban Atlanta! Serenbe is a model for sustainable living and green construction, just 30 miles south of Atlanta in Palmetto.  There are trails for hiking, horseback riding, biking, and fly fishing. And stargazing at night.

The Farmhouse at Serenbe

Serving farm-to-table wholesome goodness since 2006.  The restaurant, owned by Marie Nygren, is located in a large farmhouse nestled within an idyllic sustainable living community called Serenbe, about 30 miles south of Atlanta. The drinks (I had the blueberry lemonade) were fresh and delicious, and the green onion biscuits were amazingly fluffy, moist, and savory.  The limited weekly menu is based on the available fresh local produce - this week we had an arugula salad with the sweetest tiny tomatoes, and a moist, sweet pork chop with molasses and sauteed cabbage.  The only thing missing from the menu was vegetarian options.  Otherwise, a perfect weekend getaway.




Farmhouse at Serenbe on Urbanspoon

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Cafe Mami, Porter Square Exchange

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  I loved Cafe Mami when I was in college and still love their garlic lemon chicken to this day.

Cafe Mami on Urbanspoon

At home, Atlanta.

Inspired by Pat's awesome vegan black sesame tea cake, I attempted one back in Atlanta.  It's good, but not as good as Pat's.