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Saturday, December 24, 2011

An American Pan Dulce

Con este titulo es literalmente un Americano, no solamente un Yanqui...
What I mean is, an American in the literal sense, not just a Yanq...

Que quiero decir con esto? Yo no tengo una larga tradición de consumir pan dulce por ejemplo, ni alfajores, ni de hacer tramites como lo dicen acá. Igual, con el tiempo (ya tengo once años en Argentina) estoy aprovechando de todos los años que no pude hacer eso y con cada año me siento más Argentino.
What do I mean by this? I don´t have a long tradition of consuming Pan Dulce, nor alfajores, nor of standing in long lines doing "tramites" like they call them here. But, with the passing of time, I have eleven years in Argentina now, I am making up for lost time that I did not have being involved in all of these things.

Me agarró el corralito; me he quedado estancado en trafico por piquetes; me he mojado hasta las rodillas por las inundaciones del arroyo Maldonado; y me he quedado sin luz por varias horas en el verano, y puedo seguir dejando más ejemplos pero como ustedes viven acá seguramente ya conocen muy bien estas incomodidades.
I got caught by "the corralito"; I have been stuck in traffic caused by strikes; I have waded through knee deep water in my barrio due to the flooding of the Maldonado (that runs underneath Juan B. Justo); and I have been stuck without electricity during the hottest summer days. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Tanta mala sangre paso por esos eventos que no puede ser justo que no aproveche y aprenda lo bueno también.
I have gotten so pissed off at these incidents that it´s just not fair that I also do not learn from the good that Argentina has to offer as well.

Hace poco, en una reunión de padres de donde van mis hijas a la escuela, estábamos debatiendo quien se ocupaba del asado que estábamos a punto de hacer. Me ofrecí como una opción y de inmediato uno de los padres dijo "un yanqui haciendo asado?".
Recently I was with a group of dads from my kid´s school and we were getting ready to make an asado. I offered to be one of the asadores and one dad stood straight up and said "A Yanqui making an asado?".

Claro, lo dijo con sonrisa y buena onda. Por suerte hubo otros padres que han probado asados de la mano de este yanqui y le dijeron que no solo sabia como hacerlo, lo sabia hacerlo muy bien. Esto también porque tuve mucha practica.
Sure, he said it smiling and jokingly. I mean we are friends. Luckily, I had some others in the group who vouched for my asado skills and assured everyone that not only did I know what I was doing, but that I am actually pretty good.

Si estas leyendo esto y te digo que un Yanqui también hace uno de los mejores pan dulces de la Argentina, seguramente el primer pensamiento seria "un Yanqui haciendo pan dulce?" con una sonrisa y buena onda por supuesto.
Now, if you are reading this and you are Argentine and I tell you that a Yanqui is also responsible for making one of the best pan dulces in Argentina, surely your first thought might be "A Yanqui making a pan dulce?", albeit smiling and jokingly of course. 
 Photo courtesy of Beatrice Murch Photography.

Pero no se asusten. La panadería es más cercana a una ciencia y yo no tengo esa experiencia. Para eso hay una mano profesional y muy Argentina detrás de los pan dulces. Lo que yo traigo a la mesa, como nos gusta decir en el gran norte, es inspiración.
But, don´t fret. Baking is actually much closer to a science and I don´t have that type of background. For the actual baking we have pros running our production. What I bring to the table is inspiration.


Yo miro el mercado y veo negocios y persona con  tradición de pan dulce y los respeto y lo reconozco. Igual, tenia ganas de entrar al juego, pero tampoco quería hacer algo que ya estaba establecido. No quería ser uno más que ofrece algo que ya tiene sus proveedores y sus clientes.
I look at the market and I see bakers with long traditions of making pan dulce. I respect them and I recognize what they do. However, I still wanted to get into the pan dulce game, but I did not want to do what was already out there; I did not want to be just another one of the what was already there.

Me enfoque en que es lo que no me gustaba de los pan dulces en el mercado (fruta abrillantada por ejemplo) y lo que más me gustaba de los mismos (frutas secas) y también escuchando a mi alrededor los comentarios de muchos Argentinos que cada año entran a la experiencia de compartir un pan dulce, que por tradición y costumbre les gusta, pero que a muchos les paró de apasionar. Quizás con los años se van cambiando los gustos como nos pasa a todos y no se dan cuenta que quizás sus gustos están pidiendo un cambio, algo un poco más sofisticado y fino.
I focused on what I did not like about the pan dulces I saw (candied fruit for example) and on what I really liked (dried fruit like nuts, raisins soaked in cognac and candied orange peel for example) and I also listened to what the locals had to say who each year went through the pan dulce motions. Out of tradition and custom they would sit around and share a pan dulce that has longed stopped fascinating there taste buds. Maybe they remembered how much they liked it as kids, but now they have matured. There taste buds were not as excited anymore. They were looking for something a little more grown up and sophisticated.


El pan dulce Inolvidable nació justo en busca de ofrecer algo nuevo, más sofisticado y fino en las góndolas Argentinas. Nosotros no tenemos un gran presupuesto como para gastar en marketing. Pero sí tenemos grandes reservas de paciencia. Desde 2002 estamos horneando lo que hoy se esta reconociendo como uno de los mejores pan dulces de la Argentina. La receta es Argentina, los insumos son Argentinos y con cada año la cantidad de gente que prueba nuestro pan dulce crece y se multiplica.
We came up with our "Unforgetable Pan Dulce" as a response to that yearning. We do not have a marketing budget so we have relied on word of mouth since the very beginning. Since 2002 we have been baking what is now being considered one of the best Argentine pan dulces. The recipe is Argentine, the ingredients are Argentine and with each passing year more and more Argentines are getting to know our pan dulce.

Este año agregamos un pan dulce con chocolate semi-amargo y avellanas; lo llamamos Nocciolato. También agregamos una variedad con solamente chocolate semi-amargo con una cobertura del mismo chocolate y decorado con chocolate blanco. También, porque la gente lo pidió, un pan dulce con fruta abrillantada. A ultimo momento hicimos un pan dulce de dulce de leche.
This year we added a pan dulce with semi-sweet chocolate and hazelnuts; we call it Nocciolato. We have also added one with only semi-sweet chocolate that also has a semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate icing. We have also, because some people have asked us for it, created a more traditional pan dulce with candied fruit. I think it's because they want their traditional pan dulce made by Sugar & Spice. At the last moment we also made one with dulce de leche.
Promoción fue valida hasta 15/12/2011


...y que es lo "Americano" en todo esto? Bueno, yo siendo un yanqui solamente veo lo que hay y pienso en lo que puede haber basado de donde vine y agrego un poco de inspiración a la receta. Mi deseo es de hacer algo nuevo. El equipo de Sugar & Spice son una mezcla de nacionalidades, hermanos y hermanas de las Americas y hace que estos pan dulces literalmente se puedan pensar como pan dulces Americanos.
...and what is the "American" in all of this? Being an outsider and specifically an American I see only what is already there and I think about all the possibilities based on where I came from and I add a little of inspiration. All I want is to make something new. The Sugar & Spice family is a true American melting pot made up from our sister neighboring American countries so these pan dulces can truly be thought of as American pan dulces.

Feliz Navidad, Felices Fiestas, Felices Festivus y que tengan un prospero año nuevo!
May you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, a Facetious Festivus and a prosperous New Year!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

1000!


Today our Facebook Page got over 1,000 fans!

Hoy superamos los 1.000 fans en Facebook!

To celebrate I think we are going to come up with a promotion at our store next week.


Para celebrar creo que les vamos a ofrecer una promoción la semana que viene.

So pay attention to all of our social networks to find out what we will come up with.

Les sugiero que pongan atención a todas nuestras redes sociales para recibir novedades.

Thank You!
Gracias!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! From an Immigrant's Perspective.


Today we celebrate what was originally a successful undocumented immigration story. I myself am writing this 5,587 miles from my original birthplace of Chicago, so I too, am an immigrant.

Hoy celebramos lo que originalmente fue una migración indocumentada. Yo mismo estoy escribiendo esto a 8.992 km de distancia de mi ciudad natal de Chicago.

This gives me a unique perspective that I did not really have before. I mean, sure, within my family my own parents migrated to the USA many years ago, settled down, met and raised a family. So yes, there always was this link to immigration. But it is very different being told about it and actually living it yourself.

Esto me da una perspectiva que no tenia antes. Claro, dentro de mi propia familia, mis propios padres emigraron hacia EEUU hace muchos años, se conocieron, trabajaron, armaron su familia. Pero, es muy distinto que te lo cuenten a vivir-lo personalmente.

I find myself so far away from my original home, with the seasons flipped on their heads, or rather with me flipped on my head about the seasons. The seasons go about their business just like they have for millions of years.

Me encuentro a largas distancias de mi país natal con las temporadas dadas vueltas.

And I just realized that these Thanksgiving parties that we celebrate in a new land should be celebrated with people who already call this place home. Just like the pilgrims, I came to a foreign land, albeit with a little more knowledge of what to expect, and with legal documentation.

Y me doy cuenta que estas fiestas que celebramos en una tierra nueva (nueva para mi), debería ser celebrada con gente a quien ya llaman a la Argentina suya. Igual a los peregrinos, yo llegué a una tierra desconocida, pero con un poco más de información sobre lo que me esperaba (y con los papeles que correspondían).

However, I still needed help figuring out how things are done here; I needed help in getting a grasp of the language, the customs, etc.

Pero igual necesitaba ayuda en aprender como se hacían las cosas acá; necesitaba ayuda en aprender el idioma, las costumbres, etc.

So yes, aside from being grateful to my family and friends; grateful for having my own business; a loving wife; beautiful kids; grandparents to spoil those same kids; I am also grateful to Argentina.

Aparte de estar agradecido a mi familia y amigos; de tener mi propio negocio, una hermosa esposa, lindas nenas, abuelos para malcriar a esas nenas. También estoy agradecido de Argentina.

I have not run into much xenophobia here.

No he tenido mucha experiencia con xenofobia acá.

The country has allowed me to come here and stay (yes, after much bureaucracy, but still finally made it).

El país me ha dejado entrar y quedar. (claro, después de mucha burocracia, pero finalmente todo bien).

I am not treated like a secondhand citizen.

No me tratan como un ciudadano de segunda mano.

I can complain about the government all I want and I don't feel like I would be pepper sprayed for it.

Siento que me puedo quejar del gobierno sin que me rocíen con pepper spray.

And then I see my own country from afar and I can't help but feel a little sad over her. In some ways she could learn a little from Argentina. The world is not black or white, but full of complicated shades. Yes, the USA does need to look a little beyond it's borders and not in a condescending way, but in a curious way. Yes, Argentina can do a better job, but she does some things right already.

Y despues miro mi propio país y me siento un poco triste por ella. En unas cosas puede aprender de Argentina. El mundo no esta divido entre lo que es negro y blanco; esta lleno de todos los colores mezclados.  Mi país debería mirar hacia afuera no en una forma condescendiente pero con curiosidad.

How do other countries deal with immigration, healthcare, civil rights, etc. We clearly are not the leaders in those areas anymore. We should look around and ask questions.

Como los otros países manejan el tema de inmigración, cuidado de salud, derechos civiles, etc. Claramente no somos lideres en esas áreas. Deberíamos mirar y hacer preguntas.



Friday, November 18, 2011

Friday Music Feature: Tycho



Once in a while iTunes gives out a free song that turns me on to some new acts that I have never heard of before and that I absolutely fall head over heals in love with.

De ves en cuando iTunes regala una canción que me da a conocer un artista a quien nunca había escuchado y con quien me enamoro inmediatamente.

Tycho's music is soothing, it's beautiful and hopeful sounding music. The album cover is a perfect symbol for the music that lays behind it.

 La música de Tycho es relajante, bella y llena de esperanza. La foto del disco nuevo es un simbolo perfecto de la música que representa.

You can listen to the whole album here.

Se puede escuchar todo el nuevo álbum acá.

Meanwhile I leave you with the song that is playing at Sugar & Spice.

Mientras tanto les dejo para escuchar la canción que tenemos en el local de Sugar & Spice.


ISO50 - Tycho's blog

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Me Has Great News!


Yep, Cookie Monster (The real one) heard about us; he knows about us. Those of you who know me are now within one degree of separation with him!

Sí, el verdadero, autentico Cookie Monster nos conoce!

He being the cookie specialist that he is, even managed to get his blue furry little hands briefly on our cookies, since they were promptly devoured.

Siendo el especialista en Cookies logró conseguir cookies nuestros, hechos en Argentina! Logró conseguirlos en Plaza Sesamo!

In the cookie business I can't think of no honor higher than this.

No puedo concebir de otro honor tan prestigioso como este.

I also can´t believe that he has heard about us in Sesame Street. I grew up watching him and loved him as a child. As a grown up, I realized that I also love his humor; it´s not just directed at little kids. This is one wicked funny monster.

No puedo creer que nos haya encontrado! Como niño lo amaba. Como adulto también lo amo y especialmente me encanta su humor. No es un humor solamente dirigido a chicos. Este es un monstruo genuinamente gracioso.

Just watch these two examples to get an idea as to what I am talking about:
 Miren estos dos ejemplos para ver de que que hablo.

Cookie Monster vs Stephen Colbert where Cookie considers himself the Robert Downey Jr. of Cookies

Here he is interviewed and gives a lesson on how to eat cookies:



And one of my favorite Cookie Monster moments was when he appeared on the Martha Stewart Show. The quality of the video is not great, but trust me, this is hilarious. This one comes in two parts:




Special thanks to Allie from Pick Up the Fork. She is the one who is related to the real Cookie Monster back in our mutual home town of Chicago.

And also to Ronald Pronk of Vamos 360 who sent me the following picture:


Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Simple Bagel and Honey?

"the first printed mention of bagels...is to be found in the Community Regulations of Kracow, Poland, for the year 1610 which stated that bagels would be given as a gift to any woman in childbirth."
'The Joys of Yiddish' by Leo Rosten

I never knew Bagels were given to pregnant women as gifts before, but the very first mention of bagels in print form basically says that is what should be done with bagels.
Nunca supe que los bagels fueron regalados a mujeres embarazadas, pero la primer mención escrita en el mundo dice que eso es exactamente lo que se debe hacer con los bagels (ademas de comerlos).

I will have to keep that in mind for any future pregnant gift baskets from Sugar & Spice!
Voy a tener que tener eso en mente para algún futuro regalo a embarazadas de Sugar & Spice!

This morning though, I wanted to share another bagel inspiration. This one is simple (sort of). I drizzled a little Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey on our toasted cinnamon raisin bagel.
Hoy quise compartir otra inspiración culinaria sobre los bagels. Esta es simple, mas o menos. Le puse un poco de miel de Tasmania sobre un bagel tostado de canela y pasas.

I just love this honey and to be honest I don't even remember where I got it. It is a very unique tasting honey. It is not overly sweet and I can get a vivid picture of what the leatherwood flower might be like from the aroma and taste of this honey.
Esta miel es una de mis favoritas en todo el mundo. Ni me acuerdo donde la compramos. Es muy particular el sabor de esta miel. No es super dulce y cuando la pruebo me puedo imaginar como seria la flor del arbol Leatherwood.

Here is a blog post that waxes poetic on this particular honey and why it is so unique.
Encontré un blog donde escriben específicamente sobre esta miel y describen porque es única.

Finally now I have something noble and worthy to go with one of my favorite honeys in the world. Now I have my own freshly baked bagels.
Finalmente tengo algo noble y digno para acompañar unas de mis mieles favoritas, los bagels de Sugar & Spice.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Elena Roger in a Benefit Concert


Elena Roger will be performing a benefit concert this September 9th at 9pm. The proceeds for this concert go to The British Hospital´s Social Responsibility and Awareness programs.
La cantante y actriz Argentina de gran conocimiento internacional, Elena Roger, brindará un concierto el viernes 9 de septiembre a las 21 horas en el historico Teatro SHA a beneficio del programa de asistencia médica a pueblos originarios que lleva adelante el Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires.
The programs are undertaken by staff physicians and basically they travel several times a year to Salta where they give medical attention to the native aboriginal people (Wichis, Tobas, Chorotes).
Desde hace una década el proyecto de Responsabilidad Social a través del cual un grupo de médicos del Hosptilat Britanico de Buenos Aires, visita varias veces por año a esta comunidad cuyas enfermedades aumentan cada año afectando principalmente a niños.


The poverty that afflicts these people is shocking.

Elena Roger has decided to help and she will be performing some of her most famous interpretations from some of the plays she has worked on that have helped her garner critical appraise and awards like "Piaf", "Mina, Che Cosa Sei", and "Evita". She is doing this right before heading back to the States to perform in the revival of "Evita" with Ricky Martin on Broadway.
En esta oportunidad, Elena Roger decidió colaborar con el proyecto ofreciendo este recital a beneficio, en el cual interpretará piezas musicales de las obras que le valieron los más prestigiosos premios y le otorgaron el unánime reconocimiento del público y la critica nacional y local, tal como "Piaf", "Mina, Che Cosa Sei", y "Evita". Cabe recordar que, en unos meses, Elena partirá hacia Estados Unidos para interpretar en Broadway nuevamente el aclamado éxito de Lloyd Weber "Evita" junto al cantante Ricky Martin.
Facebook page of the event.
Pagina en FB del evento

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday Music Feature: Gangster Nancy Sinatra (Lana del Rey)



There is a lot of on-line buzz regarding Lana del Rey (aka Lizzie Grant). Thanks to Matt Chesterton who posted a video up on G+ I have fallen in love again.
Mucho se habla de Lana del Rey (Lizzie Grant para sus amigos). Gracias a Matt Chesterton, quien publicó un video en G+, me he enamorado otra vez.

When I say fallen in love I mean the way I did when I first heard Nirvana playing in a CD store (remember those?). Way back when, I stopped halfway to the CD racks; I made a detour and asked the guy at the counter, "who the fuck is that?"
Cuando digo enamorado estoy hablando de amor como cuando me enamore al escuchar a Nirvana por primera vez. Entré a una tienda de CD's y pare y le pregunte al chabon detrás de la caja; "Quienes carajos son ellos"?

Yes, the explicative was called for.

I also remember falling in love with Primal Scream and their Screamadelica album (remastered collector's edition).
También me acuerdo de la primer vez que escuché el CD de Primal Scream "Screamadelica".

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. And while I would not go ahead and rush and put her quite in that category, as those two albums (clearly those two are classics in there genre), she is clearly creating an image that has the potential to go big.
Puedo seguir, pero creo que entienden a lo que voy. Y quizás ella no esta a la altura de esos dos ejemplos (esos dos son clásicos de sus géneros), pero sí esta creando una imagen con una potencial muy grande.

Lana is currently working on her first new single release. The video she had for "Video Games" was beautiful. I say was because all you see now is a message saying that it's no longer available due to a copyright claim by Ryland Bouchard.
Lana esta trabajando sobre su primer disco. El video que tenia para la canción "Video Games" era bellisimo. Digo que era porque ahora no se puede ver. Se ve un mensaje diciendo que hay un reclamo por derecho de autor por Ryland Bouchard.

In any case, you can see this other video of hers that I also love.



You can also read more about here at the following links:
También pueden leer un poco más sobre Lana:

Facebook page
YouTube Channel
Music Ninja Blog Post
Oh So Fresh Music Blog Post


And yes, I currently have some of her music currently playing at our Sugar & Spice store in Palermo Hollywood.
Y sí, algunas de sus canciones las tenemos tocando en nuestro local de Sugar & Spice en Palermo Hollywood.



Monday, August 8, 2011

Peanut Butter Brownies at Sugar & Spice!


"What has two thumbs and likes brownies?"
Points to himself and says: "This guy!"
Kelso to Hyde (Garage Sale episode of That 70's Show)

Hyde's brownies had a special ingredient. Our special ingredient happens to be Peanut Butter!
Los Brownies de Hyde tenian un ingrediente especial. Nuestro ingrediente especial es manteca de mani!

Now we are making Peanut Butter Brownies in small batches exclusively at our Sugar & Spice store in Palermo Hollywood.
Ahora estamos horneando brownies con manteca de mani in tandas chicas exclusivamente en nuestro local de Sugar & Spice en Palermo Hollywood.

So now you have specialty cookies, bagels and peanut butter brownies to tempt you into visiting our store.
Ahora tienen cookies especiales, bagels y brownies con manteca de mani para tentarlos a visitarnos.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Friday Music Feature: Jim Tomlinson and Stacey Kent


I have to admit that I don't know much about Jazz or even Bossa Nova. I do know that I love the sound of some of this music though.
Tengo que admitir que no se mucho de Jazz ni de Bossa Nova. Lo que sí reconozco es que me encanta el sonido de esta música.

This is a husband and wife team that put together a fantastic album. I can't help but be amazed at the sound of this album. It sounds like it should be a classic, yet it was made in 2003.
Esta pareja (esposo y mujer) creo una álbum fantástico. Me asombra el sonido de esta música. Suena como si fuese un clásico y lo hicieron en el 2003.

This is one of those albums in which every single song is fantastic. That is usually a rare find.
Cada canción es fantástica. Eso en si es un poco raro de encontrar.

And now we have it playing at our Sugar & Spice store in Palermo Hollywood!
Y ahora tenemos esta música tocando de fondo en nuestro local de Sugar & Spice en Palermo Hollywood!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Sugar and Spice Bagel Promotion!


Yep, Sugar & Spice is running a special bagel promotion. The price just doesn't get much better than this.


Sí, Sugar & Spice tienen una promoción con los nuevos bagels!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Sugar & Spice Bagels and Specialty Cookies!


Yep, you are seeing this right. We decided to go more bakery on you!

Every Tuesday we will be baking small batches of bagels. We will have sesame seed bagels (dark and white sesame's and sometimes both seeds together), plain and cinnamon raisin.
Todos los martes vamos a hornear bagels. Vamos a tener bagels con semillas de sesamo (blancas y negras), con pasas y canela y también simples.
Truth be told, we have been working on these for a while. We even have some feedback from some local food bloggers.
Hemos estado trabajando sobre los bagels ya hace un tiempo. Es más, tenemos unos comentarios de un par de bloggers como...

Allie from Pick Up The Fork said of our bagel trials: "Once toasted with queso crema, I fell in love with the bagel and wanted more."

Dan from Saltshaker wrote of our bagel trials: "Nice aroma, smell of freshly baked bread, a touch of malt, very appealing...Color, beautifully browned on top and sides...with Amarantha gone, they're certainly the best I've tried in BA"


Now, more than ever, check out our tweeter feed @SugarandSpiceAr (it's side linked here on this blog as well for your convenience) and I will let everyone know when the bagels come out of the oven.
Ahora, más que nunca, visita nuestro Twitter @SugarandSpiceAr para saber cuando salen del horno nuestras nuevas delicias!

We will also have specialty cookies available that you can buy individually. These are not wrapped, they are baked in small batches and taken downstairs to our store.
También vamos a tener cookies especiales que se pueden comprar individualmente. Las horneamos en lotes pequeños y van directamente a nuestro local.
Pictured are orange biscotti and chocolate chip walnut biscotti for example. We also currently have some dark chocolate beauties like the ones pictured below:
Las que figuran en la foto son unas biscotti con trozos de naranja y unos biscotti con trozos de chocolate con nueces. También tenemos unas cookies de chocolate negro con avellanas como figuran en la foto abajo.
Those are hazelnuts poking out of a dark chocolate dough. We also couldn't help ourselves and made some dark chocolate cookies with large orange chunks!
Sí, esas son avellanas las que salen de la masa de chocolate negro! También horneamos unas cookies de chocolate negro con trozos de naranja!
So, if you are in the neighborhood now you have a really good reason to stop by our store. I won't take it personally if you come for the cookies instead of to see me. I think I can live with that ;-)
Por lo tanto, si están por el barrio ya tienen una excelente razón para pasar por nuestro local. No lo tomare en forma personal si a lo que vienen es por las cookies y no para verme a mi.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Friday Music Feature: Federico Aubele


I ran across this one from reading an article. I lost track of that article, but after reading it, I looked up the album the article was about.

This is his third album, and it's also the only one I have heard. So I have read that his music changed a little with this one.

Back in 2001 he left Buenos Aires and moved to Berlin. 2001 was when Argentina suffered a financial meltdown, which is something the USA is willingly flirting with doing these days.

He signed with ESL Music and put out two albums: Gran Hotel Buenos Aires and Panamericana wich could be described as downbeat/downtempo/lounge/dub music.

The labels aren't really important. What is important is that this is a great musician with a lot of talent. He may even be more popular outside of Argentina since I haven't met anyone here who happens to know of him yet.

Of course, I may just be asking the wrong crowd. Maybe it's not music to be changing diapers or carpooling grammar school kids to.

All I know is that I love it and it's playing at our Sugar & Spice store.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

You Are What You Tweet




If you would like to Twitterize yourself click here.

Hey, at least I am more interesting and more social!

And I have to stop tweeting about Matt Chesterton so much.

If you would like to follow me on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, or FoodSpotting just click away.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Paper, Plastic and Metal

The mountains of things we throw away are much greater than the things we use. In this, if in no other way, we can see the wild and reckless exuberance of our production, and waste seems to be the index.
-John Steinbeck (1902–1968),
Travels With Charley: In Search of America, 1962


We through our garbage cans away!

We replaced them with these cardboard boxes used to recycle paper.


La Fundacion Garrahan ha reciclado 54.039 toneladas de papel!
The Garrahan Foundation has recycled 54,039 tons of paper!


Nosotros queremos hacer nuestra parte.
We just want to do our part.

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También se pueden recicilar:




"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Dr. Seuss, from The Lorax

Friday, July 8, 2011

Friday Music Feature: Eastern Sun & John Kelley - Rapture at Sea


I have been showcasing mostly music that friends have shared with me. Once in a while though, I bump into things all by myself.
He estado presentando, en su mayoría, música que amigos han compartido conmigo. De vez en cuando, sin embargo, me encuentro con novedades por mí mismo.
Well, sort of anyway, I get a little help from iTunes and specifically the Genius feature.
Bueno casi solo, recibo un poco de ayuda de iTunes y, específicamente, la función Genius.
Through Genius I get to explore using my current music as a springboard for finding music that I might like based on what I already have.
A través de Genius llego a explorar, usando mi música actual como punto de partida para encontrar música nueva basada en la música que ya tengo.
I know nothing of this band, musician, DJ, etc.  I have no idea who it is.
No sé nada de esta banda, músico, DJ, etc. no tengo idea de quién es.
What I do know is that I love this and I want to share this with everyone so it's playing at our Sugar & Spice store.
Lo que sí sé es que me encanta y lo quiero compartir con todo el mundo y ahora se puede escuchar en nuestro local de Sugar & Spice.
I did manage to find the following on LastFM:
Pude encontrar lo siguiente en LastFM:

"Eastern Sun’s CD “In Emptiness” is a partnership between Eastern Sun’s Brian Saitzyk and DJ John Kelley. (Kelley co-produced three tracks) The CD is creatively unique and spiritual (Brian was brought up in a Buddhist household). He combines his electronic experimentation with his inner spirit and has produced an enormous variety spanning many genres.

Eastern Sun presents a deep, soulful chord in the world of electronic music and has been compared to works by “Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, and Future Sound of London.” Rising higher by the hour, Eastern Sun brings light and warmth out of the darkness with innovative style and sonic beauty."



My Space

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Cookie Quiz! Win free Cookies!

The first one to answer gets a pack of Passion for Chocolate Cookies!
El que contesta primero recibe un paquete de Cookies Pasión por Chocolate!

Do you think you can tell from what show the following dialogue is from?
Saben de que show de televisión viene esto?

Her: Ummm, I love the smell of bakeries.

Him: Oh look (her), the black and white cookie. I love the black and white. Two races of flavor living side by side [mumble?] It's a wonderful thing isn't it?

Her: You know I often wonder what you'll be like when you're senile.

Him: I'm looking forward to it.

Her: Yeah. I think it will be a very smooth transition for you.

The first ones that answer through this blog, Facebook, and Twitter win! (that's right three different ways to win).

Only one win per person (the same person can't go to all the other sites to win again but you can try all three).
La primer persona que responde por este blog, Facebook y Twitter gana! (Asi es, tres formas de ganar).


Solamente un premio por persona (la misma persona no puede ir a los otros sitios para ganar, pero puede probar en los tres para tratar de ganar).


The prize must be picked up at the store in Palermo Hollywood.
El premio se tiene que buscar en el local de Palermo Hollywood.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Soup of the Devil


"Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili."
- Alleged dying words of Kit Carson (1809-1868) Frontiersman and Mountain Man.

"Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better."
- Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States

Much has changed since LBJ's time. Now, instead of a war on poverty, we have a war on terror for example. Also, many of the things he fought for are currently being targeted and need to be fought for again like Public Broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental protection, etc.

However, some things are similar; the country is embroiled in very unpopular wars and chili con carne is still being made pretty much the same way it was when he was President.

And now, there is a group of expats who are going to do their damnedest to prove his words wrong and bring a little bit of Texas down to Argentina.

This fourth of July weekend, the 3rd of July to be exact, there will be a first ever, in the history of Argentina, chili cook-off!

So why has it been kind of a secret? Well, it's probably best to start from the very beginning. As far as I can tell, this has just been a grassroots idea that took off on it's own within Facebook.

Maria Carra of Buenos Aires Foodies had set up a Foodie group in Facebook. There were only very few of us within this group, but it was never really used for anything.

Back on the 30th of May I posted a question to the group:


Not 24 hours pass and Yanqui Mike throws in a suggestion about having a Chili Cookoff.

Right away, it got a great response from the few in this select little group and we decided that this idea should happen and that it should have a page of it's own and the 1st Annual Buenos Aires Chili Cookoff is born.

From that point on, the idea motivated several of us to take up the challenge of volunteering around it. We set goals, divided work, brainstormed, some of us met for the very first time and some of us have known each other for years and through teamwork are putting this thing together all in a very last minute hectic way.

I mean, this was thought up on the 31st of May for an event that has to take place on the 3rd of July!

The Venue: Genó Bar in Palermo Hollywood / Guatemala 5499 / 1pm to 5pm (or sooner depending on when we run out of Chili).



Yep, you read that right. I predict that we will be running out of chili so keep that in mind and come by early. (we are even organizing back up, non competing chili just in case we run out).

As of this lazy cool Sunday afternoon we have 183 people who have declared their desire to come so far.

There are also comments from people who can not make it, but would have loved to have been here to compete because they proclaim to have the very best chili and they would have wiped the floor with those of you who have entered this year's competition.

So, those of you who have entered, keep in mind that for next year, there are already people gunning for you.

It's a good thing that there will be a next year for this!

So, given all the many unknowns of this very first annual chili cookoff, we settled on a somewhat smallish place that was willing to open on a Sunday afternoon (when they are not normally open) and would be willing to host this event and have a kitchen that they would not mind sharing with us.

Genó Beer Bar, you are angels and I can't thank you enough!

By the way, Genó Beer Bar is a new bar that specializes in having imported and some artisan beers!

So come by early, bring the whole family and share a bit of Americana on the 4th of July weekend with fellow expats and curious Argentines.

Here are the details:

Tickets will be sold for $5 pesos each. Each ticket gets you either a taster of chili, cornbread, cookies, beer, etc.

The weather is supposed to be just like today!

No rain.
No clouds.
8° C or 46° F


The proceeds go to the Buenos Aires Shankees baseball team. Yep, we have a baseball team in a baseball league that competes with teams from Cuba, Japan, etc.

Here are some more links written about the event:
Maria Carra of Buenos Aires Foodies
Travel Guy
Yanqui Mike
BA Cast
Pick up The Fork

And, we may even have a couple of mascots as well (Lisa and Allie)...
If you are on Facebook head on over to the event link for details.

Oh, and by the way, what does 1st prize win?


And, we will have buttons!


So for those that have signed up for the competition and answered Yanqui Mike's call to "Make chili, make history!" I wish you lots of luck and fun!

For my fellow judges, I leave you with a choice quote on what chili is:
"It can only truly be Texas red if it walks the thin line just this side of indigestibility: Damning the mouth that eats it and defying the stomach to digest it, the ingredients are hardly willing to lie in the same pot together." - John Thorne, Simple Cooking
On a positive note, LBJ did manage to succeed in pushing through much of his Great Society legislation. Even though he pushed for US involvement in Vietnam, we did finally leave. Maybe, we can start to see our own current war efforts shrink. Maybe we can also see many of the great social programs survive and we can still keep enjoying some authentic Texas red just like LBJ would have liked.

I have faith in us. I know we can pull this off together!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Friday Music Feature: Rodrigo & Gabriela

"There's only so many times you can sing it and mean it ... It just became sanctimonious"

"I'd break out in hives if I had to sing ("Stairway to Heaven") in every show. I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don't know. It's just not for me. I sang it at the Atlantic Records show because I'm an old softie and it was my way of saying thank you to Atlantic because I've been with them for 20 years. But no more of "Stairway to Heaven" for me."
---Robert Plant

I can't blame Robert Plant to get sick of playing this song. I love it! But, I also don't play it every single day or with any regularity. But it is so nice to slip it on every once in a while and let it take me back through the years like a time machine...
No puedo culpar a Robert Plant de enfermarse de tocar esta canción. ¡A mi me encanta! Pero, también no la toco todos los días o con cierta regularidad. Pero es tan agradable poder escuchar de vez en cuando y dejaré que me lleve de vuelta a través de los años como una máquina del tiempo ...

This time it has taken me back to high school in many more ways than expected. Through the magic of Facebook I have virtually reunited with a bunch of high school friends.
Esta vez me ha llevado de vuelta a la secundaria de muchas maneras más de lo esperado. A través de la magia de Facebook me reuní con un grupo de amigos de la secundaria.

In this particular case I hooked up with an old friend who also happened to be our soccer team captain. And, it looks like he hasn't stopped leading either.
En este caso particular, me conectó con un viejo amigo que también pasó a ser el capitán del equipo de fútbol. Y, parece que no ha dejado de liderar.

He started posting music that he likes and when he posted this band I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This is some fantastic guitar work here by a husband and wife team, who happen to be from Mexico.
Él comenzó a publicar la música que le gusta y cuando publicó esta banda no podía creer lo que estaba escuchando. Esto es un trabajo de guitarra fantástica por un duo de marido y mujer, que resultan ser de México.

I know this may sound strange reading this, but they are an acoustic guitar duo who love metal music and can also play jazz and make it all sound fantastic, like it was meant to be played together.
Sé que esto puede sonar extraño, pero son un dúo de guitarra acústica que aman la música metal y también pueden tocar jazz y hacer que todo suene fantástico, como si hubiera sido pensado para ser tocado juntos.

They are also known as "El Rodri y La Gabi".
También son conocidos como "El Rodri y La Gabi".

In this video they play "Stairway to Heaven" and I would have a hard time thinking that even Robert Plant would find this "sanctimonious".
En este video tocan "Stairway to Heaven" y pienso que hasta Robert Plant lo encontraría difícil pensar en esta versión como "santurrona".



They also do a wicked version of Metallica's Orion...
También hacen una versión buenísima de "Orion" de Metallica ...



And here they are playing Metallica's "One" followed by "Take 5", and they make it work!
Y aquí están tocando "One" de Metallica, seguido de "Take 5"!



And obviously, now I have their music playing at Sugar & Spice.
Gracias Rube!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Garbage Day!

Garbage Post_1 by Frank Almeida

Garbage Post_1, a photo by Frank Almeida on Flickr.

"I've been married to one Marxist and one Fascist, and neither one would take the garbage out."
"He estado casada con un marxista y fascista, y ninguno de ellos sacaba la basura."
Lee Grant

Sometimes I show up to work and I am struck by the ugly garbage scene strewn all about our sidewalk and street.
A veces llego al trabajo y me llama la atención la escena fea de basura esparcida por toda nuestra vereda y calle.
Truth be told, I know that this is not an isolated occurrence that just happens to strike us. I have seen scenes like this throughout the city.
En realidad, esto no es una ocurrencia aislada. Nos ha pasado varias veces y lo he visto en la ciudad en varios lugares.
In some neighborhoods the city has switched to leaving containers on the street that people are supposed to take their garbage to and the trucks, instead of going door to door, they go corner to corner picking up the garbage.
En algunos barrios de la ciudad, han cambiado a dejar contenedores de basura en la calle que la gente se supone que tienen que ir a dejar la basura en los mismos. En lugar de que los recolectores vallan de puerta a puerta, ahora van de esquina a esquina.
I can see why a city would like to switch to something like this. In fact, I wish our particular neighborhood would have that as well.
Puedo ver porque una ciudad cambiaría a un sistema como este. De hecho, me gustaría que mi barrio cambiase a este sistema también.
Anyway, in addition to seeing this garbage left strewn about today we also get an angry citizen thinking that we just threw our garbage out this way.
De todos modos, además de ver la basura hoy por la mañana también pasó por nuestras puertas un vecino enojado, pensando que nosotros tiramos la basura de esa manera.
He was so angry that he said he would take a picture and turn us into the man.
Estaba tan enojado que prometio tomar fotos y hacer una denuncia.
If I may, I would like to address this citizen through this blog since he didn´t even wait for me to come out to talk to him.
Si me permiten, me gustaría aprovechar y referirme a este ciudadano a través de este blog ya que no esperó a que salga a hablar con el.
Estimado Vecino,

Comparto su frustración, después de todo, es mi basura que no se recogió y se dejó tirada frente a nuestro lugar de trabajo y almacén. No está en frente de su casa, si no que queda enfrente de la mía.

Lo siento si no la recogimos tan pronto como le hubiera gustado. Puedo garantizar que normalmente lo hacemos ya que es algo que suele suceder con algún tipo de frecuencia.

Su ira expresada hacia mis empleados finalmente me dio un incentivo para obtener información sobre cómo presentar una queja oficial. Por lo tanto, en cierto modo, yo le debo las gracias. Sin embargo, a pesar de que hay muchos ciudadanos locales que tratan a la ciudad como un basurero grande, no todos lo hacen y sería mejor no hacer ese tipo de supuestos.

La siguiente imagen es mi queja oficial a la ciudad. Este tipo de cosas funcionan mejor cuando nos unimos para luchar en lugar de luchar entre sí. Lo invito a que se suma y haga la misma cosa.

Atentamente,
Francisco E. Almeida

*********** Ingles / English **********

Dear Angry Neighbor,

I share your frustration, after all, it´s my garbage that does not get picked up and is left strewn in front of our place of work and store. It is not in front of your home, it´s left in front of mine.

I am sorry if we did not pick it up as quickly as you would have liked. I can guarantee that we do pick this sort of thing up since it is something that tends to happen with some sort of frequency.

Your angry outburst at my employees did finally give me an incentive to find out how to make an official complaint. So, in a way, I do owe you some thanks. However, I would suggest that, even though there are many local citizens that do treat the city as one big trash can, not all of us do and it would be best not to make those sorts of assumptions.

The following image is my official complaint to the city. These sorts of things work best when we join together to fight instead of fighting each other. I welcome you to please do the same thing.

Sincerely yours,
Francisco E. Almeida


Para ingresar reclamos:
http://suaci.buenosaires.gob.ar/suaci/contacto

Monday, June 20, 2011

The Mule Pool



"My favorite animal is the mule. He has more horse sense than a horse. He knows when to stop eating -- and he knows when to stop working."
"Mi animal favorito es la mula. El tiene más sentido común que un caballo. Sabe cuándo dejar de comer -.. Y él sabe cuándo dejar de trabajar." 
--Harry S. Truman

"Your mule for that burro? Well, if that gentleman traded you even, you won´t be meetin´ up with him in heaven."
--Clint Eastwood as Hogan in Two Mules for Sister Sara


Fortunately for all of us here, no one is cheating anyone out of any money in these trades; so for those of you who are expecting heaven to be your ultimate destination, this will not derail your journey.
Afortunadamente para todos nosotros aquí, nadie está engañando a nadie de nada de dinero en, así que para aquellos de ustedes que están esperando que el cielo sea su destino final, esto no descarrilará su viaje.
What this will do is allow you to either make a little money or get access to things that are currently not  available in your country (right now Argentina mostly).
Lo que esto va a hacer es permitir que usted haga sea un poco de dinero o tener acceso a cosas que no están actualmente disponibles en su país (Argentina en este momento en su mayoría).
So what in the world am I talking about?
De que estoy hablando?


It´s very simple really. Let´s say I want a new unlocked Apple iPhone from the States. I can now go to the Mule Pool and post that I would like that product.
Es muy simple en realidad. Digamos que quiero un nuevo iPhone de Apple desbloqueado de los Estados. Ahora puedo ir a The Mule Pool y anotar mi deseo.
The phone costs us$649
El iPhone cuesta us$649
If someone Stateside sees this post and decides that they wouldn´t mind making around $150 (commission that the poster would be willing to pay) on their trip to Buenos Aires, then they would accept to bring it, double check that the post is still valid, purchase the phone, bring it to Baires, exchange the product and get paid.
Si alguien en EEUU ve este mensaje y decide que ganar unos us$ 150 (la comisión) en su viaje a Buenos Aires, entonces aceptaría llevarlo, comprobar que el mensaje sigue siendo válido, comprar el teléfono, llevar a Baires, entregar el producto y recibir la gita.
$150 dollars would buy you a lot of empanadas!
us$150 compraría un montón de empanadas!
You can click here to get a full detail as to how it´s done, but that is the basic idea.
Puede hacer clic aquí para obtener un detalle completo de cómo se hace, pero esa es la básica idea.
See, no one has to be a Sister Sara in this scenario and you would know exactly when to stop working and start enjoying all those empanadas.
Ven, nadie tiene que ser una hermana Sara en este escenario y pueden saber exactamente cuándo dejar de trabajar y disfrutar sus empanadas.

The Mule Pool - Facebook
The Mule Pool - La Nacion
The Mule Pool - Twitter
The Mule Pool - Blog

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day!

IMG_2263 copy by Frank Almeida
IMG_2263 copy, a photo by Frank Almeida on Flickr.
I wish that your day is as sweet as mine has started out to be.

It's not every morning I get to breakfast on cake with a nutella and banana filling and buttercream frosting.

Les deseo que su día sea tan dulce como el mio ha empezado a ser esta mañana.

No todas las mañanas llego a desayunar con una torta con un corazon de nutella y plátano y butter cream frosting.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Friday Music Feature: My Morning Jacket

Once upon a time a little apple once posted a music video that she liked on Facebook and I loved it the moment I saw it. Here is the video on Youtube.
Había una vez una pequeña manzanita, que publicó un vídeo de una música que le gustaba en Facebook y me encantó. Aquí está el vídeo en Youtube.



I went and listened to more of this band and I have to say that I have not yet thanked the little golden apple for turning me on to this band. And now, it's playing at our Sugar & Spice store.

The reason this golden apple knows so much about music is that she works for MTV, or maybe, she works at MTV because she knows so much about music...


Escuché un poco más de esta banda y tengo que decir que todavía no he agradecidó a la manzanita de oro. Gracias a ella, tenemos esta canción tocando en nuestra tienda de Sugar & Spice.

Thank you little golden apple!



The golden apple has a blog.

The golden apple is on twitter.

The golden apple writes!

The golden apple is a hotty!






My Morning Jacket web site
My Morning Jacket Facebook

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Biscotti Alle Mandorle with Vin Santo


There are many classic food combinations or pairings like BLT; bangers and mash; PB&J; hazelnut and chocolate; milk and cookies; chips and salsa; tomatoes and basil; and well, you can go on and on.

One of those combinations is one that I had not known could be gotten here in Buenos Aires. I take responsibility for bringing one half of this combo and now, at our store, you can get the other half as well.

Hay muchas combinaciones de alimentos clásicos o maridajes como churros con chocolate; avellanas y chocolate; tomate y albahaca; jamon y queso; dulce de leche con... todo, y bueno, uno puede seguir y seguir.

Una de esas combinaciones es la que yo no sabía que se podía obtener aquí en Buenos Aires. Asumo la responsabilidad de traer la mitad de este combo y ahora, en nuestro local, se puede obtener la otra mitad también.

I am talking about the classic Italian after dinner aperitif of Biscotti with Vin Santo.

Estoy hablando del clásico aperitivo italiano de un Biscotti con Vin Santo.

The biscotti should be dipped into the wine glass; permeated by the wine it should give your mouth the sensation of almonds floating on a soft bed while enjoying bacchanalian daydreams.

El biscotti se sumerge en la copa de vino; permeada por el vino debe dar a la boca la sensación de almendras flotando en una cama blanda mientras que goza de sueños bacanales.

If you don't believe me then you can always come by and the girls at our store will gladly offer you a tasting of this wonderful combination starting tomorrow Wednesday the 15th of June.

Si no me creen, entonces vengan por nuestro local. Con mucho gusto le ofreceremos una degustación de esta maravillosa combinación a partir de mañana miércoles 15 de junio.

Yes, I dare you to prove me wrong.

Sí, los desafio a que compreben lo que acabo de expresar.

This combination is priced at $75 pesos and it would be a perfect gift to take to a dinner party. So far, this is only available at our store.

Esta combinación tiene un precio de $ 75 pesos y sería un regalo perfecto para llevar a una cena. Hasta ahora, esto sólo está disponible en nuestra tienda.

If you would like to expand your horizons a bit past the biscotti, here is a post on some unconventional pairings for Vin Santo. The Vin Santo poached pears actually sound pretty good!


Si desea ampliar sus horizontes un poco más allá del biscotti, aquí hay un articulo sobre algunas combinaciones o maridajes no convencionales para Vin Santo. Las peras poché al Vin Santo suenan muy ricas!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Friday Music Feature! Danniel Radall


I was screening my Facebook wall when I came across an article by Gozamos. Part of the title mentioned "Guadalajara Chill Wave" and well that caught my attention.

Also, Gozamos is an online magazine directed at young Latinos in Chicago. I am no longer young, but I am from Chicago!

Estaba mirando mis noticias de Facebook cuando me encontré con un artículo de Gozamos. Parte del título menionaba "Guadalajara Chill Wave" y me llamó la atención.

Gozamos es una revista en línea dirigida a los jóvenes latinos en Chicago. Yo ya no soy tan joven, pero sigo siendo de Chicago!

I have family in Guadalajara; I spent part of my childhood there as well.

The article states that "his life in Guadalajara, México has inspired a unique and subtle fusion of cultures and sounds". Well, I just had to run over and start listening to see what that meant, and I am so glad that I did.
 
Tengo familia en Guadalajara, pasé parte de mi infancia allí

El artículo afirma que "su vida en GDL, ha inspirado una fusión única y sutil de las culturas y sonidos".

Tuve que correr a escuchar para ver lo que eso significaba y me siento muy contento de haberlo hecho.

GDL Chillwave is a perfect way to describe this and it is now playing at our Sugar & Spice store. Seriously, go and listen to this!
GDL Chill Wave es una descripción perfecta de esta música y ahora la incluimos en la música de Sugar & Spice. En serio, escuchen esto!
My favorites are Fleeting Romance and El Aislamiento.

Pardo [EP] by DannielRadall

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Review of Fleeting Romance
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