Mendoza

Finally in Mendoza with my host family!! I'm living with a woman named Carmen in a centrally located apartment with a view of the Andes. I felt weird taking a bunch of pictures of food when we were still getting to know each other, but I managed to snag one. I will be taking more pictures of the food I am served soon. Esta muy bien.

Zucchini tart, pizza with whole green olives, empanada with beef and egg. I've been eating more salad and less bread/meat lately because if I don't they will have to roll me out of Argentina. I made this plate for dinner when I was still a noob.

I ran into these medias lunas when I went to the quiosco to buy credit for my new cell phone. Not sure what the flat bread is on the left.

Buenos Aires

Three days in Buenos Aires before arriving in Mendoza...

Ensalada con tomates y parmesana.

Balsamic and oil.

Spanish tart. Egg tart filled with potatoes.

Ravioli with pesto and creme.

Sweet potato blend and sweet cheese. Not really sure what these are called...

I tried to eat the sweet potato and cheese thing with bread, but it's meant to be eaten by itself. Note also, flan (or bread pudding...not sure...) with dulce de leche and sweet cream.

My first Argentinian empanada.

Fried calamari.

Breakfast at the Dazzler Palermo Hotel in the "Hollywood" district of Buenos Aires. I could look across my balcony and see the FOX network working away. Croissants are called medialunas.

Cafe con leche.

We went to a market.

Honey comb.

Ciao a los estados unidos

Nobody in Argentina says "Adios." They say Ciao. There are a lot of Italian roots here, so it makes sense. Here's me saying ciao to all that I know and love in the U.S.

Orange leaf going away party with the baby siblings.

My Orange leaf. Popping boba pops quickly in your mouth unlike the normal chewy boba. Orange leaf made me miss Kiwi, the froyo place I go to when I'm at school. I like Kiwi better because you can scoop your own cookie dough, the cheescake pieces are huge and delicious, and the froyo is soft. Orange leaf's wasn't soft and their cookie dough was nast. But Orange leaf has cool decor. But it's more expensive. Many pros and cons to consider when selecting your froyo joint. Kiwi beats Orange leaf this time.

Mom's froyo. More cherries, more hot fudge. Good choice.

Orange leaf's mural representing Orlando in all its orange-ness.

Part 2 of going away: Chilli's. Crispy chicken tacos with black beans and rice.

Warm chocolate chip cookie in a skillet with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. 5 spoons.

At the airport.

After I went through security, I was glad to have this snack.

Unfortunately, the cookie was really difficult to eat because it was crushed and crumbled, like my heart, as I left my comfortable family and chose to get on a plane to Argentina.

Nutella, biscuits with nuts and fruit, and white cheddar cheese for breakfast on my flight to Buenos Aires.

Grainy pic of a lackluster egg sandwich.

See ya soon Buenos Aires...

Two Breakfasts, One Lunch and a Snack or I'm Behind on Posting

Breakfast at the Courtyard Marriott in Hutchinson Island. Eggs, bacon, diced potatoes and toast. I didn't have my glasses when I went downstairs to order this. Made for some awkward eye contact...or lack thereof....not really sure.

Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis. Four of these little sandwiches with sweet bread and their chicken nuggets. Plus tater tots.

Obsessed with these. I have a low tolerance for spicy food, but these are worth the burn.

Billy Club at Jimmy John's.  Roast beef, ham, provolone, Dijon mustard, mayo, tomato, lettuce.

Tbh I'm sick of Jimmy John's. It was my dinner for three days in a row and now I can't look at it anymore.

Bento and Whole Foods

I recently stopped being a vegetarian after four years of no meat/fish/chicken/etc. Since changing my diet, it has been fun rediscovering the tastes of different meat and fish, finding out what I like and don't like, and, of course, bacon. This is not to say I have forgotten why I became a vegetarian four years ago or that I don't recognize the many benefits from eliminating/limiting meat from your diet. I decided to start eating meat again because I will be studying abroad and living with a host family and, for me, it's easier not to be a picky eater while living abroad. Since returning to meat,  my usual menu favorites are morphing. At Bento in Orlando, FL, I would always order the Veggie Roll, but this time, in addition to the Veggie Roll, I ordered the Special Mexican Roll. It was so good I'm probably never ordering the Veggie Roll again. 

I stopped by Whole Foods later for some fruit samples. 

Special Mexican Roll (front row): shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado, ebi, eel sauce and spicy mayo.
Veggie Roll (back rows): avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, carrots, and scallions.

Yellow Dog Eats

There are so many things I want to try here. One meal at a time. Yellow Dog Eats in Windermere, FL was packed and that's how you know it's good.

"The Rufus." Pulled pork sandwich, a couple slices of Brie, cherry pepper rings , raspberry melba sauce, and Fish's Gold BBQ sauce.

Their coleslaw deserves mention. I'm pretty sure they used the raspberry melba sauce here, too. And raisins.

Outdoor seating area was full of flies. It would be nice to come back when it's cooler and the bugs are dying slow deaths.

This kiosk has misters to cool you off on a hot Florida day.

People write their names on the tables. I will be remembered forever.

Roosters next door??

Summer Picnic

I went on a picnic in the park with pastries from My French Cafe in Windermere, FL. I'm normally a chocolate person, and while the chocolate tart was good, the mango and passion fruit pastry really won me over. The fruit filling tasted like fresh fruit and the coconut shavings were the perfect cherry on top.

Chocolate tart with chocolate mousse, a crumbly crust and crunchy, gold decorative pearls.

Mango and passion fruit pastry with coconut shavings and a sugar glaze.

Unfortunately I couldn't JUST eat sugar on my picnic. I packed some carved ham and swiss, too.