Some much needed R&R: Cooking and spicy apple butter

Abrazos a todos,

This past week I had been feeling a bit melancholy. I've been in the delicate process of recovery from a seeming barrage of winter maladies. In general these would seem relatively insignificant, but I've observed that when living alone little things tend to get exaggerated, and I've been working on training myself to maintain a balanced perspective. This perspective is surprisingly difficult when you have no one to bounce ideas off of or tell you to suck it up. I'm learning though, and I think overall battling these ups and downs has been a positive experience. One way I've learned to overcome the more somber periods is by doing something I enjoy, such as reading, cooking, or writing.

The other day was unusual because I had no classes. I had the entire day open to me, which can be a good or a bad thing. If I can't find a way to occupy my time in a positive and productive manner then I find I sometimes allow the negative ideas to creep in. After a slow morning and a couple episodes of Friends I headed to Starbucks, ordered a Cappuchino, and set to work.

In the afternoon, as I was cleaning the apartment, I hit on the idea of making apple butter, which is usually a day long process. My rationale is that while I usually spend about $15 pesos on a jar of jam, which is mostly just sugar with a little fruit flavor; why not buy a kilo of apples for $12 pesos, boil them down to make apple butter, and add no sugar? I immediately dropped the vacuum and headed for the local verduleria, purchased my apples, and rushed back to begin the boiling process.

Below is the step-by-step guide I created for my process of cooking the apple butter.

First bring about a cup and a half of water to a boil.

Take 1 kilo (about 5 large apples) and slice into wedges, placing the wedges in the water as each apple is sliced.

Cut the apple and add slices one by one over low heat.

Here's where the spice comes in! I added three chilis, with the seeds. You can add spice if you wish or leave it out entirely, it depends on your preferences.

Mince the chilis and add to the apple mixture.

A little butter or lard (In this case I used about a tablespoon of lard) helps with the caramelization process although it is not necessary.

All the apple has been added and is beginning to look like apple sauce. I forgot to mention that the skin of the apple  may be left or taken out, depending on personal preferences.

Now it's necessary to sterilize the jars. I used two leftover marmalade jars.

Rinse the jars with soap and water and then add boiling water and some vinegar, filling them to the top, to remove any unwanted critters : ) Let sit for at least 5 minutes. Use a cloth when holding the jars to avoid getting burned.

This is what it should look like after about an hour and a half. The apple sauce begins to boil down.

I left the apple mixture on low, went to the gym, returned 2 hours later, and found it was almost finished! I also prepared flatbreads and baba ghanoush that evening as well.

When the mixture turns dark brown, and has a thick, almost syrupy texture, it is ready to be transferred to the jars. Let the butter cool and carefully transfer to the jars. It should fill a little over 1 jar of butter - que rico!!!

Apple butter can be enjoyed on toast, flatbreads, in sandwiches, pancakes, or a host of other dishes. Be creative! I like mine spicy but if you want a sweeter version add some vanilla extract or a little cinnamon. The possibilities for spicing this dish up are, if not endless, at least extensive. While apple butter is time consuming, it is not labor intensive and can largely be left to cook on it's own, an occasional stir every 45 minutes should suffice to keep it from burning.

I've found cooking can be a wonderful and fun way to be productive. It's an outlet for stress, which seems to disappear almost instantly when I set myself to the task of preparing something. For me, cooking is also highly meditative and conducive to thinking, and is a way to balance my day and accomplish something that I can subsequently enjoy. 

Good luck with the cooking and buen provecho!!!

A Dinner with Friends

Hey folks,

I am always surprised, when I have a moment to reflect, at how quickly the time passes here. I think all the activities I'm doing, including the Tango lessons, teaching, Spanish lessons, and daily exercise, give me little time to pause and write. when I do have free time I often prefer to relax and read or watch a little TV, or cook a nice meal. However I do have a little more free time this week, as tomorrow is Argentina's independence day and I don't have classes, so I'll take this opportunity to write a little update to my life in Buenos Aires.

As the title of this post suggests, I recently had a dinner party with some friends of mine. One of them, Kristina, was a fellow TEFL graduate, and she arrived for the dinner with a friend of hers from Colombia. One of my ex-students, Hernan, also came. We held the dinner at my place and we all prepared a different dish. I prepared la entrada, or appetizer, and I decided on flat breads, hummus, and guacamole. Hernan cooked lemon marinated chicken and oven fried potatoes, and Kristina brought the postre, brownies and fruit.

It was a typical Argentine dinner, as we didn't begin eating until after 10pm. We conversed in mostly Spanish, with a little Spanglish thrown in, usually when Kristina or I had trouble with vocabulary. Here are some photos from the dinner.

Preparing the flatbreads, guac, and hummus!

Flatbreads almost ready!

Cheers to good food

Profes de Ingles y el estudiante

 
In other news: I'll be traveling to Uruguay tomorrow to relax in Colonia and get that Visa renewed. I also finally got the gas heater back from the repairman so my apartment won't be quite so cold anymore. I've also started contemplating what I wish to do come November.

I had my mind made up about returning to the states but now I'm reconsidering my possibilities. I would like to return to the states in late November to visit the family and celebrate the holidays. The question I'm now considering is whether I want to return and teach another year after the holidays. I think in the end the deciding factor will be whether I can afford a flight home and back, and be able to pay a month's rent on the apartment while I'm away. I don't want to leave, come back, and have to find a completely new place to live. This is just one possibility and I'm keeping an open mind.

I'll start considering my options more in earnest in a few months. Until then it's just business as usual.

Cheers from BA!