An oil on canvas painted by Carlos Soson, an artist who is handicapped and paints by holding the brush in his mouth. Purchased at the La Boca street market in Buenos Aires.
It was a dark, cold and windy night. The clock read 12:00 AM. Earlier in the day, or, maybe the day before, I had boarded airplanes that headed south. Two planes and 17 hours later, I disembarqued and found myself, alone, in Santiago, the capital and largest city in Chile.
My only question to myself? “Why?”
The last three weeks, as Lights went dark on this blog, they were shining brightly in South America where I had gone to meet three countries: Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Foreign travel is not for sissies, as I reminded myself every day. Flying solo, as I did, adds yet another layer to an international adventure, and, to my mind, a worthwhile one. Whether this was a vacation, educational experience, trip-of-a-lifetime or challenging slog– take your pick – it was not a week on the Jersey shore.
Iguazu Falls, bordering the three corners of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, is comprised of 275 cascades. The Iguazu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This photo is from the Brazilian side. From Argentina, you can hike into the Falls, which I did. It’s a badge of honor to get soaked. Spectacular.
Which brings me to Hummus, this week’s French Friday with Dorie recipe choice for our cooking group. Hmmm, isn’t Hummus Middle Eastern? Ms. Greenspan suggests that Hummus, has “captured the imagination of the French and wiggled its way into the Gallic repertoire” along with imports like Tzatziki (Greek) and Guacamole (Mexican).
That’s why I decided this week to introduce the Frenchies to Puré de Pallares, the South American wonderfully flavorful version of hummus. Made with creamy and tasty lima beans mixed with aderezo (seasoning), the dip is simple to make and also works as sandwich spread, pizza topping or a vegetable side with chicken, fish or meat.
I served this the night of the Presidential Debate with both veggies and homemade tortilla chips. It’s delicious as well as a lovely presentation, don’t you think? I also suggested that an Argentinian Malbec wine, celebrated for its deep color and intense fruity flavors, might be the perfect compliment to the evening.
Note that I added sun-dried tomatoes to the Puré de Pallares.
This is why my South American travelogue journal turned from “Why” to “Why Not”? Following a good night’s sleep, I woke up in Santiago that next morning to remember I’d just arrived in Malbec Country. Although Argentinian Malbecs garner the praise and applause, don’t discount their Chilean counterparts. Both are delicious. After six months of sobriety, my palate totally cleansed, I asked myself, “If not now, when?” My South American journey just got a whole lot better.
The bronze statue of Evita Peron unveiled in 1999 on a hillside below the National Library which sits at the site of the former presidential residence where she died. This year, July 26, commemorates the 60th anniversary of her death.
The only regret of my South America journey is that because of an Argentinian holiday and itinerary change, Paula Montenegro, a Dorista living in Buenos Aires, and I could not meet for lunch. However, Paula may be in the States late this Fall and will visit me in Aspen.
Puré de Pallares
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 16-ounce bag of frozen lima beans or 2 cups of shelled fresh beans
1 packet Sazon Goya Seasoning with saffron (speciality stores or on-line)
1-2 cups cilantro leaves, according to your taste
2-3 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Red pepper flakes to taste
Black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Boil the lima beans and Sazon Goya Seasoning pack in a pot of salted water for 8-10 minutes.
- Drain beans. Cool 5 minutes. Add beans to a food processor with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the cilantro.
- Process beans and cilantro for 30 seconds. Add lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin and process until smooth adding more olive oil if mixture seems too dry. Taste and add additional seasoning, if necessary.
- Store dip in the refrigerator, in a lidded container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. It will keep for 3-4 days.
Adapted from About.com, South American Food
(For those of you who don’t know, French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group. We are cooking our way through Dorie Greenspan’s latest cookbook, Around My French Table, and each Friday we post our results on our own foodie site. (All 50 or so members cook the same recipe each week.) It is a Greenspan love fest, both serious and silly, and we sometimes call ourselves “Doristas.”)
Wow, Mary – what a wonderful journey! Nice to see you back! I traveled alone to Paris and Rome. It was really fun and I met some great people, but at times, I was intensely lonely. You look beautiful & I hope you had a great time!
Oh Mary, how fun! I love travel and new destinations can still get my adrenaline going like nothing else can. And yet I still have not made it to South America. One day. In the meantime, thanks for sharing this very tasty looking dip with us.
I’ll definitely have to try your version – looks so good! Love reading about your trip – can’t wait to read more!
I like this rendition of today´s recipe. Your trip sounds like a great experience. It is a deal to travel alone, especially to parts of the world that are unknown to us.
I´ll try to visit you before the year is over! Have a great day!
WELCOME HOME!!! Wow, what an experience…love the photo of you by Iguazu Falls! And your South American twist on hummus looks amazing!
Welcome back, Mary! Thanks for introducing the South American cousin of hummus. I love bean dips of any kind, so will add this to my list of ones to try. It sounds delicious. I hope that you are going to share more about your trip. It sounds like you had some fantastic experiences. I love the happy photos you included here.
Your trip sounds amazing! And your dip looks fantastic!
I love your photos.
Love your hummus and love your trip… good for you. I once hiked Peru in 7 weeks… a very long time ago. I think I’d take tour now.
Mary, so nice to read that you are back safe and sound and had a wonderful time! Missed your blog posts! Your dip recipe sounds and looks so tasty and colorful, I would probably prefer this to the regular hummus recipe.
So nice to see you back Mary!! Looks like you had a marvelous trip…love the picture of you standing in front of the Eva Peron statue. Your choice of dip is very apropos. Definitely want to give it a try!
Hope you’re body has adjusted to being back home!
You look great Mary!!! What an amazing trip you had! I would really love to visit Argentina and Chile. Your Pure de Palleres looks wonderful. I am pinning it to make it sometime soon!!!!
ahh so kind of you to post that recipe! I was hoping you would – and it looks so darn delicious!! great job! it looks like you are really enjoying your vacation!
Oh my, what a wonderful trip! And I love that you gave your recipe! I can’t wait to try it!!!
Getting past the “Why?” and making it to “Why not?” in independent travelling is exhilarating, isn’t it? Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us – it looks like a lovely alternative to hummus (or perhaps alongside on a buffet table) and this post is a great way to celebrate your trip.
sounds and looks very good. glad you are back…so are we.
Welcome home Mary! Looks like a wonderful time and what a brave soul you are! I used to travel alone quite a bit and thought nothing of it, had a ball and loved every minute. I think I’ve become a bit of a chicken but you are a great inspiration! Love all your photos and this hummus sounds amazing – with all that cilantro it has to be good! I’m going to try it soon!
I like your version! Looks way tastier than Dorie’s.
The picture of Iguazú is stunning! We considered going there while in Argentina for our honeymoon but decided to head to Mendoza instead. Silly foodie couple…
Your puré looks fantastic! I would have never thought of making a spread with lima beans.