Sandwiches

                                      Sandwiches

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been talking about different types of food. We’ve learned that though every culture has the same plate, they have different tastes, and sometimes different names. So far I have talked about Mexican, Brasilian, Salvadoran, and many other countries foods, but today I will be talking about a dish that is traditional to my culture. This dish is a traditional plate during Christmas time and is called Panes. Many people know this dish as a Mexican Torta, the difference between the two of them is the ingredients used and how they are made, but both are essentially sandwiches.

Panes Salvadorenos

I remember the first time I ever tried panes salvadorenos, I was around the age of 6 or 7 on Christmas Eve. I saw many things inside this type of sandwich but the only thing I recognized was the chicken, cucumber, and tomatoes. As I got older, I started to distinguish all of the many vegetables that were inside this sandwich. Making panes salvadorenos has always been a family Christmas tradition for years. Every year in the morning of each Christmas Eve, I always walk into the kitchen to see my mom already up, cooking and getting everything ready for the night. Panes salvadorenos has always been my favorite Christmas dish on top of anything else. The way the deliciousness and tastefulness of this sandwich brings sensational delight in your mouth and how a certain type of food can bring families together for Christmas is just amazing.

Mexican Tortas

As you can see in the pictures above, you can notice the difference in the look and style of both sandwiches. Though each sandwich has their own unique taste. When I first tried the Mexican tortas it was because of my older brother. He had to cook, prepare, and write about the food for a class in junior high. I’m actually pretty glad that he had an assignment like that because I got a chance to see how a Mexican torta is made. Once it was ready, I noticed it didn’t have as much vegetables in it as the panes salvadorenos. Both sandwiches looked almost the same but when I took my first bite of the torta, that’s when I noticed the very different tastes. I never actually knew that different cultures could have the same food but have very different tastes until that moment.

Teleshko Vareno - Bulgarian Beef Soup

  Teleshko Vareno - Bulgarian Beef Soup

Everyone knows that soup is always the best thing to eat during the winter time but to the Bulgarians, beef soup is the most popular soup during the winter time. Beef soup in Bulgaria is usually called Teleshko Vareno (boiled beef) and is even one of the easiest soups to make but a bit of a while to cook. This soup not only contains beef but also a bunch or large pieces of vegetables. Though there are a variety of soups or stews to choose from, I chose Teleshko Vareno.

Teleshko Varena

                                                                   

Bulgarian beef soup is one of the most popular European foods to eat or make. So if you ever want to make Teleshko Vareno you’ll need: beef shank or any meat on the bone with marrow and vegetables that must stay rather giant and ungainly in size. Once everything is ready to be cooked, you put it all in a pot and let it cook for about 2 hrs 40 mins while adding the vegetables little by little. After it’s cooked, you can serve the soup and eat the savoring beef soup and not only will it taste good but it will also leave an aroma of the soup so you can eat in a warm and cozy environment. All I know is that one day I’m going to cook this Bulgarian Beef Soup and taste this delightfulness. If you ever want to make this soup, the ingredients are down below:

2 pounds beef shank meat, rinse and patted dry

1 pound carrots, in the raw and turn over 3-in items

2 giant onions in the raw and quartered

4 giant potatoes, in the raw and quartered

2 celery ribs, turn over 3-in items

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons salt

6 black peppercorns

2 cloves

Small bunch recent Petroselinum crispum, chopped

Beef base or beef boullion cubes

Estimate Times:

Prep Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - 240 minutes

Total Time - 260 minutes

     Rolek, Barbara. “Bulgarian Beef Soup - Teleshko Vareno.” East Europe Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2016,

Churrasco (Brazilian Barbecue)

                                                             Churrasco

                                 (Brazilian Barbecue)

Churrasco is a Spanish & Portuguese cuisine that generally involves beef or grilled meat that differs across Latin America & Europe but is well known in Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Peru, and in additional Latin American countries. Well I really never tried Churrasco but now it’s on my bucket list. Though there are many different types of Churrasco to choose from, I decided to talk about Brazilian Churrasco.

                                                                     Churrasco

Before Churrasco was ever popular in Rio De Janeiro & São Paulo, it was the cowboys of Southern Brazil traditional staple food for centuries. Ever since then there have been restaurants that specialize in Brazilian barbecue in Brazil and all over the world. Churrasco is originally cooked and made over coals and to cover the meat in coarse salt. As a matter of fact, they’re cooked over built in pits that are in the ground or skewered in metal spits which has led people in Southern Brazil to have build pits in their backyards. You can even make churrasco for birthday parties, christenings, political rallies, and even a family get together during the weekends and serve it with a variety of salads, sauces, and also vegetables. Though who knows when I’ll visit a Brazilian Barbecue restaurant, I suggest you, your family & friends visit one of these Brazilian restaurants one day and get a taste of these very tasteful looking Churrascos.

Maria. "Brazilian Barbecue." Brazilian Barbecue. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2016.

Pupusas

                                                                  Pupusas

Pupusas are a traditional Salvadoran dish made of thick, handmade corn tortilla that usually contains: cheese cooked and seasoned pork meat with refried beans, queso con loroco & just queso. I gotta be honest here, Pupusas are on the top of my food list and is a very mouthwatering dish. When my mom makes them at home, I’m usually to the first to stuff my mouth until I’m full. Pupusas is a national dish that originates from El Salvador and is very simple and inexpensive to make.

There are a variety of pupusas to choose from, like: Pupusa De Queso, Pupusa De Loroco, and the most popular Pupusas De Revuelta. Once pupusas are done, you can grab a plate and get tomato sauce that can either be made at home or store bought & curtido which is typically served along with the pupusas and contains lightly fermented cabbage with red chilies and vinegar. It is said the pupusas were first created centuries ago by the Pipil Tribes in the territory which is now known as the country of El Salvador. Though people say that some Latin American countries like Honduras and Mexico make pupusas, they’re not as popular as they are in El Salvador. If you ever get the chance to try pupusas, I would definitely recommend going to this one Salvadoran restaurant in Los Angeles called El Majahual. They make some of the best pupusas that I know of and also horchata.

Carman, Tim. "Pupusas, Through Thick & Thin." Washington Post. 3 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 May. 2016.

Mole

                                                                       Mole

Mole is simply a sauce that’s originally used on a number of Mexican cuisines. Though when mole is made outside of Mexico it’s known as mole poblano. When I tried mole for the first time, I thought I wouldn’t like it but once I took my first bite, I fell in love. Ever since then, it has become one of my favorite dishes. People say that the best mole in Mexico are made in the states of Puebla & Oaxaca and that the creation of mole took place in the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla in the early colonial period. In addition, there isn’t just one type of mole sauce, there are various types of mole sauces that come in various flavors and ingredients with chili peppers as the common factor.

Mole is typically served on festive occasions such as birthday parties, family events, weddings,  and on Dias De Los Muertos (Day Of The Dead). Especially Cinco De Mayo! Also the mole sauces can be served with poultry, meat, vegetables, seafood, and the list goes on! On top of that, there are many different types of mole such as: mole con almendra, mole coloradito, mole negro, mole rojo, mole verde, mole amarillo, mole chichilo, and mole mancha manteles. These moles are home to the seven moles from Oaxaca, the birthplace from where mole originated. Though one of the best known moles is the mole poblano and is even ranked number one of the typical Mexican dishes. To sum up, I would definitely recommend that everybody try Mole at least once or twice in their life to get the taste of Mexican culture.

"What Is Mexican Mole?" Culinary Lore. 31 Mar. 2012. Web. 6 May. 2016.

Pan Dulce (Sweet Bread)

                                                             Pan Dulce

Now that I’m talking about pan dulce its legit. Pan dulce has been my favorite type of bread ever since I was a little girl. That’s all I would ask for when I’d have breakfast. For me pan dulce was quite addicting. Pan dulce isn’t just breakfast, it’s a poster treat in Mexico & other Latin American countries. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the non-native foods that was introduced to Mexico by Spain was wheat, a necessity in the Spanish religion. Today I’ll be talking about Argentina’s pan dulce called Panettone.

Panettone

                                                                     

Panettone is cylindrical bread that is studded with raisins and also candied fruit. This bread is usually served during Christmas time and is not only eaten in Argentina, Italy, & US but also in Chile, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, & Paraguay. This type of sweet loaf of bread is originally from the city of Milan. On top of that, Panettone can even replace Roscón De Reyes (King Cake). Argentina’s pan dulce is usually 12-15 cm high and weighing about 1kg. In other words Panettone is similar to the classic Christmas fruit cake but has lighter, fluffier characteristics. In addition, a traditional Spanish restaurant in Buenos Aires, Argentina called Plaza Mayor that is known so far for the best pan dulce. As a pan dulce addict, I would recommend that everybody give this type of pan dulce a try.

"Plaza Mayor's Pan Dulce- The Best In Buenos Aires." Dish By Dish. 23 Dec. 2012. Web. 3 May. 2016.

Horchatas

                                      Horchatas

I know horchata isn’t a type of food but it’s known as a cultured drink that has a unique taste. Though there are only 2 types of horchatas that I know of which are El Salvador’s horchata & Mexico’s horchata. I used to think that both horchatas tasted the same because they looked almost exactly alike but when I tried the Mexican horchata for the first time, I noticed a difference in the taste. It was a different taste from the Salvadorian horchata that my mom makes at home and then it hit me, a question popped into my head, “Why do they taste so different?” I went with that question in mind to my mom and asked her and she responded by saying, “Well both countries use different ingredients to make their horchata.” With that I started my search on what ingredients do both El Salvador & Mexico use to make their horchata their own.

Salvadorian Horchata

The horchata found in El Salvador is made primarily from morro seeds (not rice), ground cocoa, cinnamon, and sometimes vanilla. Horchata is mainly a homemade drink but very popular in restaurants like in this one restaurant that is part of my childhood called El Majahual in Los Angeles. Though there are more ingredients that are added to the Salvadorian horchata most people use the ingredients that are listed above.

Mexican Horchata

Well by now you’re probably wondering what’s in the Mexican horchata. In the Mexican horchata, you would wash the rice and then drain it & would then combine it with cinnamon sticks in water. Once combined they will tend to leave it like that overnight to get soaked in the refrigerator. Then the next day, they will get rid of the cinnamon sticks and put the rice and water into a blender. After it’s blended, they would typically tend to serve it with ice.

Akoukou Thompson, Nicole. "Horchata: The History Of The Delicious Beverage & How To Make It At Home." Latin Post. 16 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.