Bueno

So I found these old photos from a trip I took to Argentina a while back and realized they were too lovely not to share. This actual moment brings back bitter sweet memories of day when joe and I spent 7 hours trying to get out of Buenos Aires and into gaucho land in La Pampas. We were drooling over thoughts of fresh beef over a camp fire. This was along the way.

Cilantro Dumplings

A couple of weeks ago I got sick with a very bad cold. Three weeks worth of bad. During those weeks I nursed myself with chicken soup, which is rumored to be a remedy for my ailment. I added one element those weeks that might have done more good than the chicken soup alone. Cilantro Dumplings!
It's a basic steamed dumpling with cilantro and man it is about the tastiest dumpling one can add to chicken soup.

Hog Heaven

That's right my friends it was a weekend unlike any other. Pigs were being made left and right. Not ribs or roasts. Whole muther f.... pigs. The first was a benefit for Second Harvest, it was a feast to be reckoned with. I've never seen so many people coming together to make a meal happen. There was a group of people that stayed up all night turning the pig every 5 minutes. It reminded me of when I did Ceramics in college and we would have a wood fire. There is an unbelievable amount of dedication that has to occur. But that's what you get when you have a bunch of foodies hungry for some pig.
The second was a smaller more intimate group of friends. This pig I had more hands on experience with. It was a suckling and didn't take nearly as long to cook. Below are some of the ingredients that were used in the marinade. I of course can't disclose the full recipe because then I would be sharing the secret of what made that suckling so divine.

Marinade
A shit load of oranges
Apple Cider vinegar
Beer
Garlic
Spices (this is the secret part)