frolicking between frosty snow flakes contemplating culinary creations

winter has come to bariloche. snow flakes dance outside my window, hesitating before accumulating on the dirt road. it surprises and silently delights me that not a single paved road exists in my neighborhood. my jogging sneakers rhythmically descend on the earth, skirting pot holes and particularly large rocks. jogging in the snow is a fantastic feeling.

may is a traditionally cold and miserably rainy month. this year we lucked out. true it’s been quite chilly, but only a few days of rain. that has meant apple-picking opportunities abound! randy and i took the galaxy out to trebol and loaded what had to be at least ten kilos of apples into bags. what followed was cinnamon apple sauce making, apple crumble baking, and apple jam jarring.

apple jam

i find apple pealing super relaxing and meditative. cutting out and composting the bruised and eaten bits, i slice the apple into slices and chunks, removing the core. some people weigh the cut apples to determine the amount of sugar to use. i just eyeball it. but hold off on the sugar just now, bring the apples (and a little bit of water to prevent sticking) to a boil for 30 minutes. these 30 minutes are crucial to bring out the natural pectin in the apple. adding sugar prematurely will bring the boiling water’s temperature from 100 degrees C to 110 or 115 degrees, rendering pectin’s gelatinous property nonfunctional. using a potato masher or similar device, mush the apple removing the big chunks (although i find that a few apple chunks add that homemade feel and taste). without taking it off the burner, stir in sugar. they say for every kilo of apples, use 800 grams of sugar. this is a minimum. others say a 1:1 ratio is ok too. i like to taste the apples’ tartness, so i use the 1:.8 rule, but there’re so many right ways to do jam. boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. you can use this time to boil your jars and lids in water to sterilize them. 10 minutes should be enough. ladle the hot jam into the jar and close the lid firmly. turn the jar upside down for 10 minutes. enjoy on fresh homemade bread, bagels, pancakes...

i never knew jam could be so easy. cooking time is only 45 minutes! i may start preparing more jam... especially because winter is here and soon fresh fruits will be hard to find. hmmm...

this past weekend was a holiday in argentina. the 25 of may was the country’s 200th birthday. so that meant... 4 day weekend! and what better to do, but cook!

things we cooked this past weekend:

• the best bagels ever. homemade. super easy and super delicious. recipe to come.
• burritos on homemade flour tortillas. again, super easy and inexpensive!
• asado! this was my premier as the official asadora! i had my super cool gaucho facón to help me out. and my asado assistant, of course.
• empanadas. with homemade tapas. they were... interesting. the filling options were stellar though.

besides food preparation and consumption, i’ve been keeping busy by singing in the local chorus, playing the deliriously fun argentine card game: truco, and starting to develop a yoga habit. oh, and working a little :-)

live with purpose and intention. perform every activity with your whole body, heart, and spirit. live to love. and love to live!

coming soon:

-sweet tooth: homemade flan and ice cream.

-meat is a sometimes food... but what do you eat the rest of the time?!