the week that changed it all.

perhaps you may recall that when i shouldered my backpack and dusted off my traveling shoes in january that i had quite an extensive (albeit rather poorly defined) itinerary. and, according to my original plan, I'm supposed to be settled in the brazilian amazon happily munching on jungle fruits at this very moment.

well... things are never as we plan.

i returned to bariloche almost three months ago after my whirlwind hitchhiking adventure that took me to ushuaia and back. my plan was to only stay a few weeks before i took off northward. so, why did i never leave bariloche?

well, i did actually. and it´s my little side trip to lago puelo that ultimately changed everything.

let me explain.

i met carol when she waltzed into the hudson institute last year and delivered a teacher training that completely changed the way i viewed the art of language teaching. i was fastinated not only by her revolutionary teaching methods, but also by her lifestyle. we bonded over common interests: cooking, cultivating, and composting to name a few. and i was thrilled when she invited me to visit her chacra in lago puelo.

more than six months later, i took her up on her offer.

1 pickup, 1 chilean semi truck, and 2 cars took me and my hitchhing thumb to the driveway of her house. i stayed with her and horacio for 6 inspirational days.

i picked blackberries, little yellow plums, apples, tomatoes, and cucumbers. i dug up carrots, potatoes, and beets. i gathered eggs. i shelled beans. we cooked and ate very well. i rode bikes. i went for runs. i walked walked walked. and i was overwhelmed with information about seeds, sprouts, salads and self-sustainability. i received more inspiring input than i could handle and, as i hitchhiked back, i was super anxious to roll up my sleaves, put my hands to the earth, and get started.

back in bariloche i started to put my plan in action. what was my plan exactly? i wanted to learn about and live the food cycle.

1. plant my own food. seeds seeds seeds.

2 harvest my own food. whether from my own garden-in-progress or learn to identify edible plants (or weeds and fungi as they are sometimes called)

3. cook. experiment with new ingredients. make food healthy, fun and yummy. and use as many self-harvested or local ingredients possible.

4. eat.

5. compost. return unused kitchen scraps into soil... so i can plant my own food. seeds seeds seeds.

so many of you are probably asking: why?

answer: because it makes me so inexplicably happy.

as a new yorker, born and raised, i was very out of touch with my food (where it comes from and what goes in its production). as i found out more and more about the local-slow-food movement, the more excited i got. michael pollen's "the omnivore's dilemma" made me aware of food politics. and seattle had great farmers markets. now here in bariloche, i'm closer than i think i've ever been to the origin of my foods. i'm making great contacts in the area, reading fantastic literature ("yo cocino, tú cocinas" by alejandro gonzalez, who also happens to be my neighbor, is by far my favorite), and attending workshops.

every day is another opportunity for culinary experimentation! my meals are so varied and inexpensive that i wish i could spend all day eating and they are so colorful that i may start taking pictures of each and every plate. and the most exciting part is that i'm learning so much.

and sure i make mistakes. i make a whole lot of them. and i don't do everything perfectly the first time. but i don't expect to and, in fact, i don't want to. there's nothing like a good mistake to deflate the ego, remind us that life is a journey, and give us an opportunity to learn and elaborate.

so what's to come in this blog are my discoveries via experimentation and education. you may find recipes. you may find philosophizing. you may find photos. you may find new projects. you may find amusing anecdotes. you may find that i'm too immersed in my projects to update very often. but feel free to post feedback. positive or negative, i ask that all comments be constructive.

coming soon:

-what to do with mosqueta (rose hips) everywhere!

-the joys of soy (and other legumes)

-identifying and conserving mushrooms (pickling and successfully drying them!)

-piñones, a local mapuche all-purpose ingredient

-making jam (in 45min)

-flax seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, amaranth seeds, chia seeds oh my!

-homebrewing

-homemade ice-cream