Of mint, homemade pastries, and the vastest barbecues in the whole world
I was looking at Karen's food porn, when obviously my stomach got going. I fetched myself some simple non-instant "Beijing" noodles (but I swear they look and taste exactly like the other more fancily-packaged version that the company makes) with ground beef and a few pieces of cut lettuce I found in the fridge.
I planted myself in front of the TV, and found out that they were re-running this week's episode of L'Epicerie on RDI. B/c the radio frequently advertises TV shows to come, I knew that this show was going to have some very à propos story on Argentinean barbecues, and mint (full videos at the bottom of the page).
The Argentinean community gathers every summer for "asados". The asado is related to the Brazillian churrasco, without any doubt. The meat must be cooked without any seasoning besides lots of salt, and cooked on charcoal (or directly on wood, in Argentina). The Argentinean chorizo is a pork/beef sausage seasoned with parsley, oregano, garlic, and black pepper. There is also a peculiar cut of rib steak, which they just call "côtes croisées" in the report. You can then prepare a sauce called the chimichurri, made with parsley, oil, vinegar and garlic to accompany the meat. A sort of hot green tea-ish drink called the yerba mate would also be served.
Then, they moved on to a story on the varieties of mint one can find at the market. Orange mint, chocolate mint, grapefruit mint, pineapple mint, peppermint, etc. each different sort of mint is usually named based more on the smell, less on the taste, and are best used in particular situations. Morrocan mint would be preferred for herbal infusions. Lebanese people use freshmint everywhere, from tabouleh (cut leaves) to yogurt (dried/powdered), and to marinate with liver (along with cumin, coriander and olive oil).
(We used to grow mint when I was a kid, and it is indeed extremely invasive... We stopped, not long ago, but started growing some last year. I think my parents took it out from the pot, as only chives could be found in the spring...)
There was then a bit about homemade pastries, which reminded me of my pledge to cook desert before the end of this summer... It's apparently berries season. XD There is a purpose to stop by Jean-Talon market, which is so easy by bus from work - just that it's in the opposite direction from home. >_>
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