Estancia Living, Giving Thanks

A few pictures from the past week.

I spent the weekend at a beautiful estancia (ranch) 4 hours outside of Buenos Aires called La Oriental. Reading, lounging by the pool, horseback riding, eating thoughtfully prepared, delicious meals, speaking with the lady of the house about the history of the region and the estancia. Lovely and highly recommended.



















































I returned from the estancia on Tuesday and it was time to get right to work. I'd promised a proper Thanksgiving to all of my expat and Argentine friends. Was a bit of a challenge finding all of the ingredients here, many that are basic and easily accessible back home were nowhere to be found. But it turned into an adventure. I met a lot of quirky shopkeepers in the neighborhood who helped me improvise. The turkey was frozen and from Brasil, so I opted for a large chicken. Macaroni & cheese with cheeses from the region (a different take for sure, but savory), sauteed collard greens (or something that looked like them), stuffing with chorizo, porcini mushrooms and leeks, fennel and parmesan bake, a pumpkin and onion tart. A feast of fiambre (local cured meats, cheeses, pickles, olives) to start, helado with dulce de leche and fresh strawberries for dessert, red wine all around. Here are some pics from the day. Not too many, hard to cook and click!