Argentina's Tasty Tango of Food and Wine




October Springtime in the vineyards of Familia Zuccardi in Mendoza 



Autumn menus in Atlanta might be adding the deep orange colors of butternut squash, earthy brown nuts and other fall foods, but it’s spring time in Argentina.

An October trip to visit my daughter, Katie, who is studying in Buenos Aires for a junior semester abroad, had me struggling with the concept of temperatures warming up while the weather at home was cooling down. I quickly adjusted the first day by walking around bustling Buenos Aires’ wide boulevards lined with purple and pink flowering trees and the promise of springtime fresh fruits and vegetables with delicious cuts of lean beef on restaurant menus. Of course, Argentines don’t need to wait for sunny weather to throw steaks on the grill.

Pork and Malbec in Mendoza

Beef with Bold Sauces

When in Argentina, eat beef. Argentines eat 160 pounds of beef per capita, and their tender, deeply flavored grass-fed beef typically charred on an open fire is considered the best in the world. What I loved most were the condiments that are traditionally served with the grilled meats at steak houses called parrillas.

The expertly seasoned and grilled beef, lamb or pork may be center stage, but interesting salads, such as arugula, hearts of palm with tomato, marinated cauliflower and broccoli, bean salads and roasted beets grace the tables, too. Condiments such as pickled onions, salsas, herb- and garlic-based chimichurri sauces and other savory treats add punch to the parrilla plates, so you don’t have to eat Texas-sized portions.

This is Argentina and the dining style is more European, with smaller portions, and the pace is slow and easy.

Wine and Roses for Madre Day in Argentina

On Sunday of our visit, which was Mother’s Day in Argentina, Katie and I, along with our friend Liz McDermott, enjoyed a typical parrilla lunch on the patio of the Grill Q at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Mendoza, the center of Argentina’s wine country.



Argentine problem: malbec or torrontes?



Bodega means Winery

Argentina’s best-known grape varietal is Malbec, a velvety smooth, red wine with all the aromas of Cabernet Sauvignon, but with the black currant and spices of Merlot. Another red varietal, Bonardo is coming along, too, with more Burgundian style with soft tannins. Argentina is becoming known for its white wines, too, especially Torrontes, which is lighter than Chardonnay.



Jose Albert Zuccardi greets us with his sparkling rose



During a lunch visit to one of Argentina’s top wine producers, Familia Zuccardi, we tasted another delicious product beginning to make its mark as an export -- olive oil.



Miguel Zuccardi proudly pours his golden elixir - Zuccardi Olive Oils 

New Gold in the Vineyards  
While his father Jose Albert and brother Sebastian focus on the family’s wine production, Miguel Zuccardi tends the olive groves and newly constructed olive oil bottling facility.

“Like our wines, we have an advantage that the quality of the olive oil produced in Argentina is very high and the cost is less than oils from other regions,” Zuccardi said.

A Memorable Lunch....of what WE can remember! 

This photo of Liz basking in the glow of empty wine glasses tells the story of our multi-course, multi-wine tasting luncheon enjoyed at the beautiful restaurant of Familia Zuccardi. Spring's poplar trees sprinkled the al fresco table with tiny blossoms making it even more magical.


Do these glasses look good on me?


  



Culinary Surprises at Familia Zuccardi 

To further demonstrate how the culinary offerings of Argentina are world class and go beyond the parrilla, a memorable lunch presented at the Familia Zuccardi restaurant featured courses such as a tiny savory pastry stuffed with road runner and topped with crispy amaranth grains,

Mushroom Ice Cream with Crispy Oat Chip 

a delicious mushroom ice cream, local trout with pistachio and beets, succulent pork on lemon mashed potatoes and chocolate ice cream infused with cayenne pepper and topped with sea salt and a layer of golden olive oil.


Ever Tasted Road Runner? 

 

The afternoon ended with a toast to the beautiful spring day with a sparkling wine from the Zuccardi’s cellars made in the method of Champagne but it all began in the winery with a barrel sample of caramel colored fortified "orange wine" that sipped like cognac as smooth as silk.

Viva Argentina! Liz, Carolyn and Katie's great day at Zuccardi!

Can't leave without dessert! We had several but this meringue ice cream ice cream is topped with a dried strawberry that the Familia Zuccardi chef says took days to create!

Numb to Nutrition Numbers?

The Lady of the Refrigerator on Good Eats is numb from the cold, not nutrition numbers. 

Have you noticed that most nutrition advice ends up with a number you have to remember? OK, we get the four food groups and three meals a day but when it comes to recounting the number of milligrams of sodium you’re limited to per day (2400 mg) or number of times a week you’re supposed to eat fish (two 3.5 ounce servings) – the memory can be a bit foggy.  That’s why the USDA’s replaced the Food Pyramid with its easier to digest nutrition icon called MyPlate. The image shows a round plate with colored partitions to help consumers better visualize what to put on their plates. Half is filled with fruits and vegetables and the remaining two quarters are for protein and grains respectively. A cup of milk off to the side represents a serving of dairy per meal. Dig deeper and you find that dairy should be fat free or 1% low fat milk, yogurt or cheese. Further direction in grains suggests half be whole grain varieties. In the protein group lean cuts of meat are advised. If you want to substitute nuts remember that 1 tablespoon of peanut butter is the protein equivalent to one ounce of meat, fish or poultry. No wonder consumers complain of nutrition number numbness. “We are in number denial. Too many, too often and too confusing,” agrees dietitian Leslie Bonci who is co-author of “Run Your Butt Off” and Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh, “It has to be relevant, so instead of numbers, I say to my athletes, never eat anything larger than your head. And it is MyPlate, not my trough. People understand that.”

Meals not Milligrams: “I think people should focus on the food, not the nutrients,” says author of “Nutrition Unplugged” dietitian Janet Helm, “The numbers should be all about servings, not grams and milligrams. To me, one of the best numbers is ‘half’. Fill half your plate with fruit and vegetables. If we can get people to do that, it would be a huge improvement.”

Mind Over Math: Nutrition advice today focuses on being more mindful. Are you too full to finish what’s on your plate? “Number madness leads us to what we “should do” instead of what feels right,” says dietitian and weight management expert Marsha Hudnall of Green Mountain at Fox Run, “Instead of eating in a way that feels good, we try to manage our food intake intellectually. Be mindful and tune into hunger cues.”

Grades without Numbers: “Telling a mom that her child should have x number of fruits, veggies, and whole grains per day seems okay, but if the child has not met that goal they may get discouraged, ” notes co-author of “No Whine with Dinner” dietitian Janice Bissex. “As long as they are improving and moving towards the goal of increasing consumption of these healthful foods they can feel good about their progress.”

Meals Together Add Up: “Research shows that teens who eat family meals at least five times a week have better grades, are less likely to engage in risky behaviors and have better overall nutrition,” shares Mary Martin Nordness dietitian with the Southeast United Dairy Association. “Unfortunately, only a third of American families are eating together on a regular basis.”

You’re Number One: Toby Amidor, nutrition expert for FoodNetwork.com says, “The most important thing to remember is that your health and well-being come first. With a little guidance, education, and practice, the numbers turn into routine and don’t get as confusing.”

School Lunch in the Bag Basics

Back to school fashions are strutting their stuff in the cafeteria, too. Brown paper bags are fading away and insulated lunch containers are taking over.

The Little Mermaid for Little Lunchers 

Bento Boxes are great for kids who don't want food "to touch" 

 The simple sandwich is being replaced by a selection of bites presented bento box style, “It’s kind of like making your own “lunch-ables," says Sandy Nissenberg dietitian and author of Brown Bag Success: Making Healthy Lunches Your Kids Won't Trade. “You buy a plastic container and fill the compartments with fun lunch options like cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes on a kabob, turkey tortilla roll-ups, cold chicken pasta salad or mini chicken drumsticks. Add a fruit on the side, get milk at school and you’re good to go.” Nissenberg likes this mix-and-match small bites approach because it appeals to child-sized appetites and lunch periods at most schools are pretty short, “By the time a child finds a seat, talks to his friends, and finally pulls out his lunch, there may be only 15 minutes to eat. Most large lunches will probably get thrown out." Easy to peel Clementines or pre-sliced oranges and apples are more likely to be eaten than whole fruit. That’s especially true for kids with loose teeth or braces.  

Kids don't know the half of it.....half should be fruit/veggies. 

My Lunch MyPlate

Whether the cafeteria bound container is festooned with Hello Kitty, Justin Bieber or the Atlanta Falcons’ logo – what’s inside matters to child nutrition experts. The new USDA My Plate nutrition icon indicates one half of a healthy plate should be filled with fruit and vegetables, with the two other quarters occupied by a lean protein and a whole grain starch. To complete the meal -on the side of MyPlate is a cup of milk. This same food philosophy can be used to fill a lunch box. How do you get beyond the usual carrots and celery sticks solution?  Liz Weiss, dietitian and co-author of No Whine With Dinner suggests mixing in chickpeas and blanched broccoli florets to pasta salads and add variety to veggie snack offerings, “Cucumber wheels, red or orange bell pepper strips, sugar snap peas or snow pea pods. Add some Ranch or other dressing like hummus for dipping because the oil in these dips actually helps kids absorb more nutrients from the veggies.”  

What about the teens and ‘tweens easily distracted by the lunch time social hour? That table of ‘gossip girls’ busy checking out the handsome new boy don’t want to be seen gobbling a big sandwich like a hungry ranch hand. The new breed of whole grain sandwich or bagel ‘thins’ might be a better fit with 100 calories and 5 grams of fiber. For something sweet yet figure-friendly they may prefer to daintily dip grapes, strawberries or pineapple chunks into protein packed Greek yogurt.

Food Safety Patrol

Thrown in a locker, stuffed in a backpack or stashed under a desk for several hours, sandwiches and other lunch foods can linger in the bacteria friendly room temperature “danger zone” between 40 and 140 degrees for too long.  Researchers at the University of Texas in Austin found that 95% of packed lunches in a recent study were at an unsafe temperature. That’s why insulated lunch bags and boxes- many with a space to add an ice pack- get an “A” from food safety experts. Dietitian Jo-Ann Heslin author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books suggests you start thinking ‘cool’ the night before, “If you pack lunch in the morning, chill the lunchbox in the refrigerator overnight. If you pack lunch at night, put the food in the lunchbox and refrigerate both overnight. This helps keep all foods cooler longer.”  A thermos can keep hot soups hot but it can keep salads cool, too so they’re still crisp and cold at lunch time. Note: Perishable foods can sit in the danger zone for up to 2 hours before the lunch becomes risky.

Some lunch bags are built to carry cold packs 

                        

Something Extra.

Since fast food restaurants succeed in attracting attention to their childrens’menus with toys and prizes perhaps two can play at this game. Nissenberg suggests, “Don't forget to add a character napkin for fun or maybe an inspiring note or fun message. It will bring along a smile during lunch.” 

Spa Menu Raises the Bar with Healthy Cocktails

The Old Edwards Inn and Spa, Highlands NC 

Spa treatments are stepping up to the plate.  Chefs and mixologists at the Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, North Carolina are pampering palates with a new menu of light bites and beverages especially created to pair beautifully with rejuvenating spa escapes. Far beyond the usual list of sips and salads offered at many spas today, Executive Chef Johannes Klapdohr literally serves up a garden of creative delights harvested from the inn’s organic vegetable and herb farm.

A sampling of Chef Klapdohr's garden of delights.

The Vegetable Carpaccio with House-Cured Trout and Micro Herbs tossed in a Light Apple Cider Vinaigrette is made with  beets and greens fresh from the farm. Already in bathrobes and slippers, guests can relax further knowing the menu is designed to be low in calories and high in taste appeal. Klapdohr, who is committed to featuring sustainable and healthy cuisine says, “We want the foods to allow you to enjoy the whole spa experience and leave you feeling happy and good.”   

Drink Your Vegetables

The Hummingbird Cocktail (broccolicious)

A new collection of culinary cocktails adds to the happiness quotient, too. Herbal teas and lemon infused spring water may be the beverage basics for spa goers; but mixologist Thomas Keenan created five wellness inspired cocktails for the Old Edwards Inn and Spa. Refreshing blends of beet juice, broccoli, cucumber, herbs and edible flowers get a kick from vodka, tequila, rum, brandy or moonshine. The garden green colored Hummingbird cocktail starts with vodka muddled with fresh pea shoots, sweetens the broccoli base with a splash of local honey and is garnished with flowering pea tendrils. The bright purple Beetiful cocktail named for its main ingredient is sweetened with pomegranate and blueberry juices and topped with beet foam. Because the drinks are made with vitamin and antioxidant rich fresh fruit and vegetables they’re a health and beauty treatment too. What you won’t find in these potent potables is a lot of alcohol; each drink calls for only an ounce or ounce and a half of spirits. “We are trying to focus on flavor and nutrition with less alcohol,” says Klapdohr, “That way you can enjoy the beverage without hitting the wall.”  So while massages, facials, saunas and steam baths may still be the main focus for enjoying time away at a spa; but resorts are raising the bar with food and beverage menus designed to complement the experience.

The Farm at Old Edwards Inn, Chef Johannes Klapdohr, Farmer Dave Taylor and Chef Chris Huerta

Viva Argentina! Viva Summer Steaks!

Wine selection is excellente at Buenos Aires  Airport! 

I’ve got Argentina on the mind this week. My daughter Katie just began a four month stay in Buenos Aires for a university program focused on Spanish and international business. Hopefully she’ll return fluent in the language and learn lots about a culture famous for tango and fabulous steaks. At 20 she’s old enough to legally enjoy Argentina’s signature red wine, Malbec, too. (At least while she’s living there!)

Another reminder of Argentine cuisine arrived in a newsletter from dietitian colleagues who are members of the Food and Culinary Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. Paula Tsufis wrote about the groups’ trip to sample South American food customs such as ‘asado’, Argentina’s traditional barbecue of meats and empanadas as she described, “Turnovers filled with a mixture of ground meat cooked with onions, olives and raisins.”

Typical Steak and Condiments at La Cabrera parilla in BA 

Argentines eat 160 pounds of beef per capita, and their tender, deeply flavored grass-fed beef (typically charred on an open fire called a parilla) is considered among the best in the world. During a visit to Buenos Aires a couple of years ago, I really liked that steaks were sliced to share and served with lots of different savory condiments such as pickled onions and chimichurri sauces made with olive oil, vinegar, finely chopped parsley, onion, garlic and herbs. When you add that kind of punch to the parilla plate you don’t need a Texas-sized steak hanging off the plate, as you see in a lot of U.S. steak houses.  In Argentina the expertly seasoned and grilled cuts of beef, lamb or pork may be center stage, but interesting salads, such as hearts of palm with tomato, onion and green olives  grace the tables, too. In Argentina the dining style is more European, with smaller portions, and the pace is slow and easy.   The feel and flavors of Argentina, as well as other Latin cuisines, are a specialty at Pura Vida Tapas & Bar in the Poncey-Highlands neighborhood. Puerto Rican born chef Hector Santiago’s menu celebrates the cuisines of South and Central America. 

Chef Hector Santiago's South American Themed Cooking Class

He grills hangar steak “parilla” style on a charcoal grill and serves with an Argentine inspired house made chimichurri sauce. 

Steak Places Can Be Healthy

Believe it or not, steak restaurants in the U.S. can be among the easiest places to find a healthy meal. You get to pick the size of your steak so portion control is built into the menu options. There are usually delicious salads to choose from and most side dishes are served a la carte so you can order steamed broccoli without the cheese sauce. Just don’t count that huge stack of onion rings as a vegetable serving.

While heavily marbled steaks have been prized in the past, there’s a move at modern steak houses to serve leaner cuts of beef such as tenderloin and sirloin and to prepare them with health conscious steak lovers in mind. Executive chef Ian Winslade of Murphy’s Restaurant has added a grilled strip steak to the menu served with a tangy sesame mustard sauce and sliced Portobello mushrooms. Owner Tom Murphy notes that since many customers eat at the Virginia Highlands restaurant multiple times a week - for lunch and dinner - there’s an emphasis on taste and health. Strip steaks are among the 29 cuts of beef considered “lean” which by the official USDA definition which is: less than 10g total fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving. Another nutrition note: lean beef provides needed nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B-12, vitamin B-6, riboflavin and of course protein.  Even The Capital Grille in Buckhead, known for big steaks, big martinis and big red wines is lightening up for summer.  Lunch guests can mix-and-match three choices from nine small plate offerings including mini-beef tenderloin sandwiches.

Another meat-centric meal in Argentina with Malbec of course! 

Choose Steak Accessories Wisely

Saddle Up:

Sliced tomatoes-add a sprinkle of salt and grind or two from the pepper mill

Coleslaw- ask for your cabbage lightly tossed with the slaw dressing.

Baked potato-whether white or sweet, a half is usually the right size portion since steak places buy huge spuds.

Steamed Vegetables- a squeeze of fresh lemon is all you need.

Sautéed Spinach and mushrooms – ask the kitchen to go light on the butter or oil

Steak sauce- no fat, 15 calories per tablespoon.

Chimichurri sauce- olive oil based, 50 calories per tablespoon.

Steer Clear:

Mashed potatoes- some recipes are so high in fat they’re more like potato ice cream!

Potato au gratin – any food followed by “au gratin” means it’s loaded with cheese.

Creamed Spinach- rich tasting for a reason; heavy cream and butter often involved.

Onion rings-deep fat fried and the size of CD case. Share an order per table.

Béarnaise / Hollandaise- cream and butter based, 70 calories per tablespoon.   

Motivation to stay slim and trim: Argentine Polo Players in Mendoza

ONeil On Eating

Let's eat. This beautiful breakfast began my day at Rancho La Puerta. You need energy to bounce through hikes, core workouts and pilates moves. Let the new blog begin.

Forget about dieting. Didn't work too well for anyone did it?

I think that's because Americans never really learned how to eat. Sure, we can grab snacks with great skill and forgo the bread because it's "fattening" and slurp down diet soft drinks to "be good" but that's not eating. That's not living. And guess what? That's not healthy for our bodies or our minds. Let's revisit some lovely lessons on eating from "Eat PrayLove."

It was the fresh buffalo mozzarella pizza with sweet tomato sauce and one sprig of basil that got me thinking of lessons learned about digging into delicious foods and letting go of weighty worries and calories consumed. In the first section of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love she travels to Italy as part of what the subtitle describes as “one woman’s search for everything.” Her journey of self discovery, now depicted by actress Julia Roberts in a movie of the same name, includes a serious confrontation with American women’s attitudes about eating, dieting and the guilt often associated with enjoying indulgent foods. At a pizzeria in Naples, Gilbert describes a “Thin, doughy, strong, gummy, yummy, chewy, salty pizza paradise” and orders two whole pizzas for herself because “the pizza is so good we can barely cope.” She goes on to admit she’s gaining weight every day in Italy and says friends back home refer to her trip as the “No Carb Left Behind Tour.” But Gilbert’s new found joyful abandon with pleasures of the palate isn’t a runaway train headed for dietary doom. It’s an exhilarating side trip of gelato, pastries, pasta, wine and chocolate with a plan to get back on track later as she imagines her body is telling her, “OK, kid, live it up. I recognize that this is just temporary.”

In both the book and movie, the message throughout seemed to be about finding balance in life, love, work, thoughts and deeds. Balance is certainly something dietitians talk about all of the time in terms of a healthy balanced diet to support well being of body and mind. So, here’s a sampling of thoughts about the eating in Eat, Pray, Love from nutrition experts who offer guidance to clients on their personal health journeys of self discovery.
Yes, her name is Love.
Page Love, Registered dietitian, Nutrifit Sport Therapy of Atlanta, “I think it is wonderful how the main character reminds women how to really enjoy food and be OK with letting her waistband expand. She also reminds us how to tune into cravings and mindfulness -listening to body signals and responding to what your body is telling you it wants -sometimes more, sometimes less. Sometimes more because it just looks so good and tastes so good, but then there are other times when our body tells us that we have had enough. She reminds us of the sheer enjoyment of eating without worry of what others are thinking or what may happen to our body!”
Love took her own solo mid-life trip to Rome and says she didn’t gain weight because she was so active touring around and walking everywhere as tourists often do. http://www.nutrifitga.com/
When in Rome

Bonnie Taub-Dix, registered dietitian, National Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, “I was smitten after reading the first part on Italy and wanted to pack mybags immediately and go directly to that pizza shop! Traveling, for me, is so much about food. That’s the message I try to convey to patients: Savor the moment, make itworth it, make it special, make it count. Don’t eat bread in Italy just because you’re in Italy. Eat bread in Italy when an amazing piece of bread is served to you while you’re there and hopefully it’s coupled with an amazing Barolo!” Taub-Dix is the author of a new book on better understanding food labels, Read It Before You Eat It (Plume 2010)
Give up the Guilt
Ann Dunaway Teh, registered dietitian, Dunaway Dietetics, Atlanta,
“Unfortunately I still think there is a lot of competition almost among women when eating, such as always noticing what the other person is eating or choosing, making qualifying statements or disclaimers about why they made this choice or that choice.
I counsel on moderation and not restricting certain foods because this can set up a person for “binging” on that particular item later and feelings of guilt. I also temper my advice with physical activity and teach people how to enjoy all foods in moderation and have their eating reflect physical activity and vice versa.” Dunaway Teh specializes in nutrition counseling for athletes and families.
Enjoy! It’s Healthy
Marsha Hudnall, registered dietitian, Green Mountain at Fox Run, Vermont.
“Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life, and the current attitudes about eating in this country seriously interfere with that enjoyment. We can dig into our food, enjoy it thoroughly, and still walk away healthy. In fact, enjoyment and happiness even promote good digestion and utilization of the nutrients in food. I believe that one of the positive life messages in Eat, Pray, Love is to realize that food is a wonderful part of life and to enjoy it as part of a full life that includes other things” Hudnall is program director at Green Mountain at Fox Run in Ludlow Vermont, a women's healthy weight loss retreat and pioneer in the non-diet, mindful eating approach to health and healthy weights. She leads Adventures in Mindful Eating Tours of Italy!
http://www.fitwoman.com/

Mealtime Mindfulness
Each one of the nutrition experts mentioned the importance of mindfulness in eating. Page Love said it well, “When we tune in by eating slowly, pausing during meals, you will get appropriate and accurate measures of when to stop. Set up a “healthy meal environment” sitting in an aesthetically pleasing environment. Maximize your enjoyment mindfully which will in the end help you decide how much you need of yummy food without overdoing it!”
Elizabeth Gilbert, author Eat, Pray, Love communicates mindfulness too writing about her lunch of eggs, asparagus, olives, goat cheese, salmon and a peach, “Finally when I had fully absorbed the prettiness of my meal, I went and sat in a patch of sunbeam on my clean wooden floor and ate every bit of it with my fingers.”

Carolyn O’Neil, MS RD is a registered dietitian and co-author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous! http://www.carolynoneil.com/ She can be seen on the Food Network’s Good Eats with Alton Brown, as recurring nutrition expert, The Lady of the Refrigerator.