Saturday
Saturday was the last day of the flamenco festival and the last day of my flamenco class. It was sad, but a relief as I was still getting over my cold. I didn’t do as well as I might have had I been well: the week before I had the energy to practice the choreo outside of class, and therefore danced it better in class. Three days of this week were just about resting up for class, then surviving class, then resting some more. On Saturday I was feeling a lot better, so while I didn’t necessarily remember what I was supposed to be doing, I was enjoying running through choreo for the last times.

Food
I’ve been enjoying a lot of good food on this trip. Note that it has all been completely dairy-free thanks to Christina, who helps me read labels in grocery stores, and asks servers in restaurants if things are dairy free. I have learned many words myself, however, and through context, recognize “may contain” and “produced in a facility” warnings.

Between having a kitchen in the apartment, and eating out, food has been easy. My favorite restaurant in the Plaza de Plateros has a menu with a little allergens legend, so that was handy. There are a few things from that menu I’d like to have again before leaving:

1) Meat Pockets (or Empanadillas, as they’re called on the menu, “Argentine Pie” in their English translation) – pastry filled with ground pork and flecks of pepper, or other veggies maybe (I can’t tell because they’re flecks) and herbs. The tapa portion gives you two pockets on a plate. Good size, not too big and they aren’t messy to eat.

meat pockets

2) Meat on a stick (or Brochettas on the menu) are bite-sized squares of salmon, bacon and a date, baked on a stick. SO good. You get two little sticks to a portion, with a little puddle of mayo on the side. I don’t eat the mayo. (There is another meat on a stick option on the menu that has other meat along with a chunk of baked cheese. Those who have tried it say it’s delicious. I prefer the non-cheese date option- OMG when Rachel ordered it she didn’t like the dates and let me have them. I like dates.)

meat on a stick

3) I’ve also tried the Pisto a couple of times, which is described in the English translation on the menu as “ratatouille with quail’s egg.” It’s teeny chopped up veggies and bits of ham baked in a tomato/olive oil sauce, with a teeny quail’s egg on top. I dip bread in the sauce. I like dipping bread in things.

Note that all these things have longer, more descriptive titles on the menu, but I don’t remember them. When they are brought to the table, the server announces them as “empanadillas,” brochetta,” and “pisto” so that’s how I remember the names.

Food, Part 2
On Saturday, in the late afternoon, I made “whatever veggies are left pasta”. You might guess what at this is. It wasn’t bad. Christina and I finished it up; we were hungry after our last class.

Our apartment kitchen was mostly full of veggies and fruit throughout our stay. Eggs, pasta. Easy to make and eat. Oranges are a favorite, as they are amazing and sweet here, and of course, delicious after class.