Tag Archives: argentina

What’s a Fainá??

11 Jul

The other day I posted on Instagram that I was eating a fainá… and many of you liked the picture. But I was wondering if most of you know what a fainá is… I learned about it during my one and only visit to Buenos Aires a couple of years ago.

Faina - Juan Pan PIzza 1

When you look at the picture above, you just say it’s a pizza, right??  But this is no ordinary pizza…  A fainá is a flatbread made with chickpea flour, very typical in Argentina. They usually serve it as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to pizza. But, you can also order a fainá as the CRUST of a pizza, topping it with cheese and any of the traditional pizza toppings, making it a gluten-free alternative.

When we were in Argentina, we went to this little pizzeria in our neighborhood and the owner would make pizza using fainá as the crust. I am not kidding you when I tell you we went almost every day to eat dinner there.

Fainá - Buenos Aires

Faina - Buenos Aires 2

 

Fainá - Buenos Aires 1
In Puerto Rico, we have an Argentinean pizzeria Juan Pan Pizza, which serves us pizza in a fainá crust. If you call ahead, they’ll make you individually-sized pizzas with a very thin and crispy fainá crust. Usually fainá is a tad thick… and in a pinch, they’ll just top the fainá they have on hand and top it with your favorite pizza toppings.
You see? There are gluten-free alternatives wherever you go… Hope you visit Juan Pan Pizza soon if you live in Puerto Rico or now get to order a fainá on your next trip to Buenos Aires.

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How to eat vegetarian at an Argentinean Parrillada

8 Jun

Many people doubted that we would be able to eat delicious food in Buenos Aires being a vegetarian. I couldn’t understand their concern because, yes, I agree that Argentina is known, unfortunately, by their meats. But Argentinean food has a lot of influences from Italian foods so there are many other very typical choices available that are perfectly vegetarian for us to enjoy.

We were super lucky to have found Adriana, our BA Free Tour guide, who’s also a vegetarian of many years and she directed us to many vegetarian restaurant options in the city. I have mentioned you two of them – Naturaleza Sabia and Spring. But I asked Adriana, how did she manage living a social life of eating out with friends who are not vegetarian?? (seems familiar???) What were those typical Argentinean dishes that a vegetarian could also enjoy??

Adriana immediately answered… A PROVOLETA!!! Provoleta is a very typical Argentinean parrillada dish of provolone cheese melted in a cazuela and seasoned with oregano and other spices. It’s usually served as an appetizer but a vegetarian could very well enjoy it alongside a salad and some other side dish as a main meal.

So that’s what we did… when we were hanging around the streets of San Telmo one Sunday morning, we got hungry but were not sure if Naturaleza Sabia was open. We also wanted to get a taste of a typical parrillada restaurant before we left so we went into Nonno Bachicha, a restaurant right in the heart of the San Telmo street fair.

And just as Adriana had suggested us, we ordered a provoleta, with a side of green salad with 4 ingredients and some French fries. It was a very typical Buenos Aires lunch alternative and perfect for our lifestyle.

And to those skeptics who thought we would not find something delicious and vegetarian to eat at a regular restaurant in Buenos Aires I have only one word for you – PROVOLETA!!!!

It’s always nice to get to taste the flavors of a city when you travel, no??

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My crazy vegetarian life…

18 Apr

My apologies for being so quiet lately… but in the last 1o weeks I have been all over.  They say “be careful what you wish for…” and that is most certainly my case here.

In the last 2 months I have been to 7 countries in 2 continents, 2 hemispheres with complete climate differences, been to 2 spiritual retreats and have stamped my passport over 10 times.  Some travel was for leisure, some was for work… but I wanted to be known as a jet-setter and the Universe conspired to make it happen.

I’ve been busy taking pictures, making recipes and thinking of how would you guys also benefit from all these miles traveled.  So bear with me… I thought initially to create posts in chronological order of the places I have visited and what I ate, but I do not know if that will be possible.  But rest assured, I will share all the delicious vegetarian flavors Canada, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and several cities in the United States have to offer.

Let the delicious fun begin!!!!!

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