Argentina is located in the continent of South America. It has Bolivia to the north, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil to the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and part of the south, and the Pacific Ocean and Chile to the west.
The capital is Buenos Aires.
The official language is Spanish.
The climate is temperate throughout but has semiarid to arid conditions as well as tundra and polar conditions. The staples are meat (barbecued and grilled), steaks, ribs, chorizo, blood sausage, corn, vegetables, tuna, cheese, ham, tomatoes, pastas, dulce de leche, churros, eggs, and onions (https://www.food24.com/typical-food-of-argentina/).
https://www.britannica.com/place/Argentina
ARGENTINEAN CORN EMPANADAS (https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/argentinean-corn-empanadas-recipe-1956178):
- 1 TBSP corn oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 C frozen corn
- ¼ C roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
- Pinch sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ C shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ C heavy whipping cream
- 1 package 5-inch frozen empanada shells
- Cooking spray
- 1 egg
- 1 TBSP water
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Heat 1 TBSP corn oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add corn and roasted red peppers: saute for 5 minutes or until the corn is fully cooked. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, stir in cheese and heavy whipping cream. Let cool.
- On a cutting board, place 6 empanada shells side by side. Place a spoonful of the corn-cheese filling on 1 side of the circle. Moisten the tip of your finger with a small amount of water and moisten the edges of the circle with your finger. Fold the dough over the filling to make a half-circle. Press the edges with a fork to seal.
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the empanadas on prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make egg wash. Brush the top of the empanadas with the egg wash and bake for 20 minutes or until top is browned.
- Let cool and serve.
CLASSIC CHIMICHURRI RICE (https://carolinarice.com/recipes/classic-chimichurri-rice/):
- 2 C Carolina Basmati Rice
- 1 shallot, coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- ¾ C packed fresh parsley leaves
- ½ C packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/3 C olive oil
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in food processor, pulse shallot and garlic until minced. Add parsley, cilantro, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes: mix until smooth.
- Toss with rice until well coated.
ALFAJORES WITH DULCE DE LECHE (https://www.carolinescooking.com/alfajores-dulce-de-leche-sandwich-cookies/):
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ¼ C sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ C + 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
- ½ C + 2 TBSP cornstarch (corn flour)
- 5 TBSP dulce de leche (approx.)
- Cream together the sugar and butter in a food processor/stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and blend in. Add the flour and cornstarch, mix and bring together into a ball. Wrap in cling wrap/film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Part way through cooling, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Once the dough is cooled, roll out the dough relatively thin (approx. ¼”) and cut small circles and place on a lined cookie sheet/baking sheet/tray. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Bake the cookies for approx. 1-12 minutes until they are just starting to brown very slightly. They should still be very pale. Leave to cool a minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- When the cookies are cool, put a small spoonful of dulce de leche on one cookie and press another on top. Make sure to press them together holding the middle of the cookie so the cookies don’t break. If needed, twist them slightly to spread out the dulce de leche. You can roll the outside in coconut if you like, or lightly dust with confectioner’s/icing sugar.
Travel Global Food 