This Does Not Suck

Yesterday was a great day.  Matt and I had invited some of our new friends over to dinner, and so I spent the afternoon discovering new places to buy all the things we needed to throw a proper house party.  First, we went to the market to buy meat & veggies.  I’m now a familiar face at the market’s vegetable stand, so when they didn’t have fresh oregano or basil (critical ingredients for chimichurri sauce), they offered to special order it and bring it in that afternoon.  Some of the things that at first seem like inconveniences here in Argentina (i.e. stores not having items that you’re looking for) can really turn out to be much more convenient than in the States.  It’s all about who you know.

Our Centerpiece

Our meal was incredible.  Matt started us off with homemade empanadas paired with a new favorite wine, the Catalpa Malbec.  For the main entree, we grilled up some steaks with chimichurri sauce and super-thin fried potatoes.  For side dishes, we had creamed corn (my favorite), and burnt carrots with goat cheese.  To top it all off, we had cake and champagne (Chandon has a winery here in Mendoza).  And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, my new friends surprised me with home-made peanut butter as a birthday present!

I’ve made a lot of expat friends here.  A couple of them are American, but I’ve also met people from the UK, Canada and Australia who, after a few years in the work force, are spending a year or two traveling.  Many times when we’re together, walking around the plaza, on a wine tour, or just hanging out, we’ve said, “Yeah, our lives do not suck.”  It is a funny way to express the feeling, but it’s oddly genuine.  Sometimes things are difficult, sometimes we miss our friends and family, and sometimes we get frustrated with our inability to speak Spanish as well as we’d like.  But at the end of the day, we’re all glad we did it.

RECIPES courtesy of Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallman.