basura: the ugly bariloche

It is roughly 5km from my house to the downtown area. I almost always walk, there and back. It’s a great time to entertain my inner thoughts, plan, and dream. And the other day I discovered a new route! This route takes me through fields of waist-high bushes of the prickly variety and displays a postcard view of the Andes and the sparkling blue Nahuel Huapi lake. The day was a beautiful partly cloudy and the air had a crisp autumn feeling. I was in a great mood, but there was one problem.

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about... garbage, trash, rubbish, waste.

I think I live in one of the most stunningly beautiful inhabitable places on Earth. We have mountains, forests, and the-bluest-of-blue lakes. We have condors circling overhead, we have edible and non-edible flora, we have picturesque viewpoints. But we also have a garbage problem.

People come to Bariloche for two reasons: 1. to escape civilization and frolic in nature. 2. to make money from people who want to escape civilization and frolic in nature.

What this means is that Bariloche, which was once a quaint small city in the foothills of the gorgeous Andes, has doubled in population in the past 5-10 years. Without official zoning laws, houses-hotels-restaurants-resorts-bars are being constructed daily. And the infrastructure of the city is nowhere near able to deal with the seasonal influx of tourists, retirees, and jobseekers.

With all those people, comes waste. Garbage is everywhere: from the downtown streets, to the lakeshore beaches, to the areas surrounding the city. Plastic supermarket bags, soda bottles, candy wrappers, and construction materials are the most common and the most identifiable. The dump outside the city is visibly overflowing. And the ever-present Patagonian wind picks up what it can and carries it to the low-income neighborhoods and off into the countryside. The very countryside that I walked through yesterday. Garbage. Everywhere. I was appalled.

So I urge, more like plead, those who live in this beautiful environment to re-evaluate certain consumption and garbaging activities. As a first step, I’d like you to look through... your trash.

That’s right. I want you to open up your garbage bag and observe its contents. If you say, eeeew, that’s the first problem. What kind of things are you throwing into the environment? Remember that your waste doesn’t simply disappear when you toss it in the dumpster. It actually goes somewhere.

Once over the initial disgust of opening and looking into your garbage, get down and dirty. What do you find?

Remember organic waste can be composted. Compost is the integration of organic material into soil. Instead of stinking up our dumps with putrid fermentation, veggie scraps and fruit cores can return to the earth without much hassle. Composts can be easily constructed or bought and, once you get into the habit of separating your trash, it can become part of your daily routine. Composts can be any size and can even be an indoor activity. Both my parents now compost in their New York City apartments! I’m so proud! You will not only reducing the amount of waste you create, but you’ll be creating some soil for your garden :-)

What else do you find in your garbage? Bottles? Containers of all kinds? Plastic and glass take a very long time to disintegrate. Ask yourself the following questions:

Can these be recycled? In the US recycling plants exist! Find out what is recycled in your area.

Can I reuse these? Will they serve some other household purpose? Plant pots?! Art projects?!

Can I consume things that don't come in plastic/glass/styrofoam? Can I drink fresh fruit juice instead of sodas? Do I need everything to come in layers and layers of packing material? Are there products with biodegradable packaging? Can I buy locally and reuse containers?

Can I bring my own containers to the store? Egg containers and bulk food stores! Local producers!

Can I buy in larger quantities so I don’t buy too many individual packages? Do I need individually wrapped candies? Do I need single serving packets? Can I buy in bulk and use moderately over time?

Can I make any of this homemade?! Reduce packaging, reduce processing, increase fun and increase tastiness!

When we consciously evaluate our consumption practices we can usually find ways to make a few minor changes that have super productive and positive effects. REDUCE REUSE AND RECYCLE is such an overused phrase that hardly anyone actually stops and thinks that, yea, this could be a good idea. But... think about it... just thinking about how we discard garbage is a step in the right direction. If we can reduce the amount of trash we throw out, that’s another step. We can convince others that perhaps it may be a worthwhile activity to take care of our environment, wow, perhaps we can enjoy our beautiful world a little bit longer.

Legumes, Grains, Veggies. The possibilities are endless.

Even though Argentina is famous world-wide for beef, I don’t eat a lot of meat. Sure, I enjoy an occasional bife de chorizo or 6-hour asado feast loaded with chorizos, morcillas, colita de cuadril, tapa de asado, nalga, vacío... Mmmmm... But the key word is occasional.

Why? Why in the world wouldn’t I take advantage of all this lovely lovely red meat?

Well, for a number of reasons.

1. Financial reasons. Meat is expensive... and the cost is rising.

2. Health reasons. Sure, meat is loaded with proteins, but it’s not necessarily good to be eaten in large quantities or super frequently. As a species, we have evolved to be omnivores (eat a little bit of everything) and back in the past before meat was readily available in carnicerías and supermarkets, early humans had to hunt. Meat was a luxury and often hard to come by. We are not made to eat red meat all the time. Eating meat in excess can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity... and overly aggressive behavior. ESPECIALLY beef raised in the United States. Don’t get me started. It’s absolutely disgusting and void of flavor. If you want a real steak, come to Argentina. I’m just saying.

3. Environmental reasons. Beef, pork, and poultry industries are a responsible for overwhelming amounts of carbon dioxide and methane released into the atmosphere. Feed production and harvest, transportation of said feed, raising of animals, butchering of animals, transportation of meat, refrigeration of meat, and processing of meat (when applicable) takes an astonishing quantity of fossil fuel and creates an even more astonishing quantity of waste.

4. Culinary reasons. Since I have discovered the joy of legumes, I have more creative freedom and experimenting options in the kitchen. Just thinking about it makes me giddy! Let’s get started!

Now, some hardcore carnivores will argue that beans and grains will not supply us with the sufficient amount and appropriate types of proteins. I counter argue that, when used correctly, we can do just fine eating a plant-based diet. I will also mention the importance of listening to your body. If you crave meat, eat it. If you crave fresh veggies, eat them. If you crave a cone piled high with eight flavors of ice cream, go for it. Your body does a great job of asking for food it’s lacking.

In general, legumes combined with a grain will provide us with what is called a complete protein. So I follow that guideline when I prepare my meals. Chose one legume. Chose one grain. Chose super colorful veggies to complement.

Legumes: Lentils, garbanzos, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, broad beans, regina beans, black eyed peas... etc. Check your local health food bulk store. I usually buy a kilo at a time and that lasts me quite a while. Take your reusable shopping bag or backpack.

Grains: Rice (I always buy brown rice... it’s more filling and more nutritious, and less processed than white rice), wheat, barley, oats, corn, quinoa, millet... etc. Wheat comes in many forms, but more about that later.

Veggies: The more colorful, the better. I have been using a lot of red cabbage, spinach, beet (and beet greens), broccoli, tomatoes (but only when they are in season), kale, arugula, squashes (steamed... ooOOooo I love my steamer! but more about that later), or whatever is fresh and catches my eye in the veggie shop.

Legumes usually need to be washed. If you rinse them once, twice, perhaps three times that should do the trick. I always soak them to reduce cooking time. I like this step because it requires me to think ahead about my meals. I usually have two or three kinds of beans soaking at any time. Make sure you change the water twice a day to prevent fermentation. Discard water... preferably into your compost.

Legumes are then boiled. I was told to discard the water that you boil them in because the consumption of that water is what produces gas and gives beans the fame of fart production (Beans bean, the magical fruit...). Cooking time depends on the kind of legume and how long it was allowed to soak. Don’t be timid, take a taste as it cooks!

Grains, also, should be rinsed off. In fact as a rule, anything you buy in bulk, should be rinsed off.

A quick aside about wheat. Always buy whole wheat flour. I know it’s a little bit more expensive, but honestly it’s worth it. White flour is almost void of nutritious value. All the good stuff is stripped off in the processing. Even if you add wheat bran (salvado de trigo), it won’t compensate. I very rarely use white flour.

I also discovered cracked wheat the other week. Thinly ground cracked wheat doesn’t need to be cooked! Just leave it in hot water until it becomes soft and... it’s ready! Thickly ground cracked wheat can be boiled until soft.

Here are two great ways to combine legumes and grains: patties and hearty salads.

Patties:

Chose one legume and one grain. I once did this with millet and regina beans. Another time with polenta (corn flour) and lentils. Tonight I think I’ll do garbanzos and rice... Mmmm... Once cooked, mash the ingredients together into a paste. I add some sauteed onions, garlic, and spices (curry is super yummy). Once I added steamed squash. Another time I added spinach or chard. Or all of the above! Then I added some whole wheat flour. I found that if you stick it in the fridge, it’s easier to handle (less sticky). You can also add egg and bread crumbs to help with the cohesion. Then you form the paste into little patties and brown them on a frying pan or in the oven. I sprinkle sesame seeds on them... just because I can. Then eat with a salad, in a sandwich, or with oven roasted veggies with rosemary.

Salad:

Chose one legume and one grain. Cook until ready to eat. Discard water. Let cool. Chop some veggies. Cabbage, beets (raw, finely chopped or grated), carrots, spinach, fresh garlic (spicy, delicious, but stinky!), cucumber... really ANYTHING! A sprinkle of salt, freshly ground black pepper, basil flakes (or fresh basil... if available), oil, lemon...etc. Some people like mayonnaise. Mix everything together. Enjoy! I’ve done this a lot with rice and lentils. But it works with any combination!

I am a strong advocate of steaming veggies. Steaming is great. It takes about the same time as boiling and retains much more flavor and nutrients. Veggies I’ve steamed in the past month since splurging on a new steamer: potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, squashes of all shapes sizes and colors, broccoli, spinach, corn...

And then there are soy beans. I personally love soy beans. They are super super super inexpensive and more than double in size when you soak them. They contain a complete protein and do not need to be combined with a grain. But it’s ok if you do.

Soy beans, once cooked, are super versatile. I love eating them plain as a snack food or popping them on top of salads. They are great in stir fry and soups. You can also make soy milk and tofu. I haven’t yet attempted those, but I will report back once I do. Feel free to write in with success stories and suggestions!

En fin, legumes are fun and delicious. And super inexpensive compared to meat(financially and environmentally). Experiment experiment experiment! Take out, dust off, and exercise your creativity. And always remember... everything in moderation. It’s all about variety!

Coming up...

Successes and... ahem... mistakes are all part of culinary exploration and innovation.