I have to admit, with not doing themes anymore, I didn’t even think about this last week being Chanukah when I was planning the menu. I could have brought back gefilte fish and latkes, or maybe the roast chicken with lemon sauce. But I didn’t. I did light my candles each night – I wasn’t… Read More Chanukah Pork

No, not cacerolazo, the pot banging method of protest here, but, a “little casserole” – and my favorite dish of this past weekend’s menu. First off, we had a private catering affair for 15 folk in Palermo, where we picked out a menu from past dishes – a ceviche mixto, a gazpacho blanco, eggplant-ricotta filled… Read More Cazuelita!

Now that we’ve got a zillion recipes in the Casa S repertoire, and a good number of them that we’re really proud of, I’m focusing the dinners on just one new dish per week, and maybe a tweak to one or two others, but basically four courses which will be selected from past menus. Doesn’t… Read More The Pickle Sauce

Although technically it didn’t happen until Monday, this past weekend we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the release of Casablanca, a film which, if by some bizarre chance you’ve never seen, it’s really time to. It’s a brilliant classic. And Elsa never said “Play it again, Sam”, it’s one of cinema’s most famous misquoted lines.… Read More Eat it once, Sam, for old times’ sake

Private party over the weekend, seven folk studying down here as part of a global executive MBA program. A chance for them to get to know each other outside of class, have some food and wine, and just relax. They also very kindly invited us to an event this week at the Swiss Ambassador’s residence… Read More A Touch of the Argentine

Some weeks the lists of what people will and won’t eat just get a bit much and I’m ready to tell them all to take a hike. I don’t, of course, except maybe here and there, politely. This last week’s four dinners combined had 27 different dietary requests, and that’s just from the people who… Read More Working Around It All

A quick look back at last week’s dinners – four of them, and with quite a few past guests returning to the table. We also had one night without power (2½ days actually, but only one dinner affected) – candlelit in both dining room and kitchen. Thank goodness for a gas stovetop and a couple… Read More Dinners Galore

First, a note – for those of you who read this in a blog reader or via a feed, you may not have seen that SaltShaker has been nominated for an expat blog award. I hope you’ll support me and leave a little love on the voting site! We both had a couple of other… Read More Last week. Dinner.