BA Cast w/Dan and Fernando

Argentine Asado: A Newcomer’s Perspective

Posted by dan on Mar 12, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

[Guest post by Nathan Mullin's - recent arrival to Buenos Aires]

I have come to participate in an “asado”, on a few occasions while in Argentina. From what I can tell, the best translation for this word would be “barbecue”. But it’s not a barbecue. Like a barbecue, an asado is much more than just a way to cook meat. It combines delicious, easy to prepare food with the company of friends and family.

Now, that’s what you would likely read on a travel blog about Argentine customs. After living here for a bit, though, I feel as though I have a slightly different perspective. From what I’ve seen, the purpose of an asado ranges, from a way to fill up before going clubbing, to a mid-work meal, there is no wrong way to do an asado. Although I’ve heard that on The Buenos Aires Podcast that there are Laws of Asado…

One of my first experiences with asado occurred just the other night. I was with a group of friends at a local apartment complex. Thirty to forty people joined us as we all drank an assortment of alcohol in preparation to go out clubbing. All the while a few local guys were preparing massive steaks over a charcoal grill. Once the steaks were finished, they were cut into little cubes so everyone could try them. The meat was delicious, but frankly the pounds of salt that was marinated in ruined it. I choked down a few pieces, and chalked it up to experience.

I’ve quickly found that not all asados are created equal. It would be silly to expect the same quality from a guy cooking from his apartment’s shared grill as a chef at a five-star restaurant. Honestly, though, the meat is so tender and delicious here that it is difficult to screw up. In fact, walking into work today I noticed an asado occurring on the street. Some construction guys had thrown charcoal into a dirty wheelbarrow, and added some fencing over it to act as a grill. Even with such a terrible way to cook food, it smelled and looked delicious.

Though the asado may take some time to grow on me, I thoroughly enjoy the company. An asado seems more like an excuse to get together, rather than just a way to feed people when they are together. In time, and with better preparation, the asado may take barbecue’s spot in my heart, or rather, stomach.

Nightlife in Buenos Aires – Kika

Posted by dan on Mar 1, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

[guest post by Nathan Mullins]

Kika: A club for the adventurous

As I stood in the line of club-going Americans and dressed-down locals, I couldn’t help but think I was out of place. Luckily, were “on the list” due to a club promoting friend, and got in without charge. If possible, I highly recommend that you make friends with a club promoter. While in the club, we were overrun with security. We had to walk through a metal detector, as well as submit to a very thorough frisking… nothing like the USA. Once we were determined to not be a threat, we were allowed to pack ourselves in the club with the rest of Buenos Aires.

You see, this was a very special night for Kika. Apparently a very important local DJ, of whom I have never heard, was making a guest appearance. Let me tell you, this isn’t your typical bar or club type of music (at least to my mid-western ears). We were promised to hear the samplings of the local “dubstep” scene, and we heard just that. If you don’t know, dubstep is a very new wave of music, which has made its way through Europe, to the U.S. and now all the way to Buenos Aires. It is characterized by a hard, chest-thumping beat, with a “wobbly” bass. Naturally it is very popular.

So here we are, a group of wide-eyed Americans trying to get a feel for the real Buenos Aires. In hindsight, this was not the best place to be with that goal. Because it is a very special type of music, it attracted a very special type of person. The rebellious teenager with dreadlocks, the techno geek with light up glasses, and the hipsters, some of whom were disgusted to think that Americans were there, showed up in full force. Despite sticking out like a sore thumb, I ended up having a pretty good time. Though I think I left with a misguided theory on what the youth in Buenos Aires is really like, I have expanded my horizons a bit. I may not have had the best time going out, but I learned something new. So, if you’re trying to get a grip on the “real” Buenos Aires, you may find it a more difficult task than expected. I recommend trying out places like this, and with enough luck, you’ll end up with more than you set out for.

It was ten years ago today

Posted by David on Dec 20, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

Exactly ten years ago (about about 7:45 this evening), Fernando de la Rúa surprised even himself when he scurried into a helicopter on the roof of the Casa Rosada, and flew away from the country he ruled that had spun out of control.

The diarios – national and international – are stuffed with memories, analysis, and opinion about what the 10th anniversary of La Crisis means for Argentina, and for the European countries that find themselves in a scarily similar situation today. (This article with a view from inside the Casa Rosada is fascinating

I’ve been almost obsessed with trying to learn what happened then - because I can’t imagine what it was like, because I remember the blow-by-blow coverage from afar even as I was covering the aftermath of my own national disaster (here’s one story I did around that time), and because it’s hard to imagine that *this* Buenos Aires, which has come so far in just ten years, was once *that* Buenos Aires. Scouring through the photos, my wife exclaimed, “hey, that’s Cotto, there was looting in Cotto!”. That Buenos Aires is unrecognizeable to us foreigners today.

I’m especially interested in the individual stories, what this day and the days that followed were really like. That’s why I’d really love to see this movie tonight at CCEBA (HT: Time Out BA).

If you are from here and/or lived here at the time, what do you remember? If you weren’t, what do you want to know? We’d love to hear your comments….

One thing’s hit me by living here. It was summer, it must have been hot as hell, and a hot city can be explosive all on its own. It reminds me of the ambience in this groundbreaking movie:

Confused about the newsprint war?

Posted by David on Dec 18, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

Update, 12:34pm – Just went to the kiosco to find Clarín dropped this bomb on its Sunday cover.

Yeah, me too. The Kirchner government and its allies want to push through a law to bring newsprint production and sale under government oversight. Kirchner foes Clarín and La Nación have laid out pages of outrage, warning of an ominous power grab against democracy.

Marcelo García at the Buenos Aires Herald has a decent middle-of-the-road explanation:

It makes little sense to analyze the newsprint market news coming from Congress this week without first understanding what sort of State and private sector practices Argentina has built over the years. Abuse has been norm rather than exception and the history of Argentina’s virtual newsprint monopoly Papel Prensa is testimony to that.

Argentina losing its famed grass-fed beef

Posted by David on Dec 10, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

I’ve been seeing various versions of this story since I arrived in Buenos Aires last spring. Farmers are taking advantage of high prices and easier work, and turning their grazing ranches into fields of soy and other grains. So more and more your ojo de bife and mollejas are raised in feedlots, just like in the good ole USofA. According to the Argentine Independent:

A 1993 report by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) could still affirm that cattle in Argentina “are almost exclusively grass fed”, yet the feedlot was already making headway in the nation’s rural areas. Originally, the feedlot model was adopted as a stopgap measure, a way to mitigate loss of capital, as well as a way to feed the cattle in a limited space. Nevertheless due to the limitations of available pastureland, beef production was lowered and domestic prices for beef went up. In an attempt to keep beef prices down, legislation was developed which provided for subsidies for the corn fed to the cattle in the feedlots. These subsidies were understood as ‘compensation’ for the producers, who in turn did not raise beef prices to the consumer.

The result has been less and less grass-fed beef, which is what locals and tourists alike most likely expect from Argentine beef.

A couple questions – do you care where your parrilada comes from? (Personally, I think you should – think E Coli risk, level of healthy omega 3s, etc.)

And does anybody know of a parrilla or chef in Buenos Aires who actively advertises their meat as “organic” and/or “grass fed”?

S2 E16 (Finale): ¿Cena con flores o…paredón?

Posted by fernando on Dec 9, 2011 in episodes | 0 comments

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Final episode of the season!

We are ending our regular season today, but like last season we will have a documentary series called ¨The laws of Tango¨ that will ¨air¨ during the south american summer. Stay tuned! And thank you for listening!!

Closing the topic of the month (binational dating) with a chamuyo fully in Spanish with Catalonian team member Juanma and his porteña girlfriend, Ximena, and porteña Paola, who lives in Barcelona and dates a local there.

And a current affairs topic: Dollars with a Special Report from the Banco Nación and the opinion of a financial expert.

Spanglish Playground: more on porteño Spanish language nicknames.

Expat Chat with Liza Puglia from New Orleans (also known as NOLA chef)

BA Cast at the presentation of a new gastronomic guide by food writer Pietro Sobra (former guest at the show): Immigrant Communities Restaurants of BA.

And BA Cast Songs goes Unplugged, with a genre not yet covered by us.

We hope you liked it, if you have some questions or comments, please use:

Is Buenos Aires a bike-friendly city?

Posted by David on Dec 9, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

Sounds like a joke, right? The insane traffic, the roaring colectivos, the crumbling sidewalks and street shoulders, the dog shit.

But when you compare Buenos Aires to many other cities – and most in Latin America – La Capital is pretty two-wheelin’ friendly.

Please don't steal this cheap-ass bike.

Not many cities anywhere in the world have a free bike rental system (it’s become so popular they’ve reduced the time you can take one out from two to one hour). The network of bicisendas is growing everyday. And consultants are working with the city government to make the city more bike-friendly.

I just bought a used bike, and I’m loving it. I get some exercise, get around faster than even in a car sometimes, and of course, reduce my carbon footprint.

What are your experiences on two wheels in Buenos Aires? What could the city do better to make life easier for bicyclists? What it is doing well? Comment below.

BTW, I was going to title this post “Godoy Cruz’ Got a Brand New Bicisenda” because I was so excited to see a new stretch of bike lane this morning connecting Gorriti with Santa Fe. If you’re missing the musical reference, you could do worse on a feriado than listen to this:

Short 6 Season 2: The U.S.A. Dan’s Bottom 5 and Fer’s Top 5

Posted by fernando on Dec 2, 2011 in episodes | 0 comments

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Continuing with the series on confessions Top 5, we bring you this week a duel…but this time, Buenos Aires is not the main topic.

Foto del Día – 1 diciembre

Posted by David on Dec 1, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

Celebración de fin del ciclo lectivo (casi) en Villa Crespo. Soundtrack = los Wachiturros, claro.

Here’s the deal:

You read the BA Cast blog. You listen to the BA Cast podcast.

You take pictures. You document your life around you.

Share a bit with BA Cast. Send a pic to BA Cast Foto del Día:

photo@bacast.com

¡Gracias che!

Buenos Aires? No thanks! Mar del Plata for me.

Posted by fernando on Nov 30, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

Dan and I had a great skype chat with listeners Elizabeth and Chris Lovelace, a couple from the US who live in the city of Mar del Plata, 400 kilometers south of BA. Continuing with the topic of discussing expat life in Argentina, but outside Buenos Aires, that we touched with Katie Metz de Martínez on Episode 14, here are some highlights about living in “La Feliz” (nickname for Mar del Plata city, the most traditional vacation spot for Argentines). Pictures are courtesy of Elizabeth, who’s a professional freelance photographer. Chris is a freelance translator.

Elizabeth: First of all, I really don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything by NOT living in BA. MdP has almost every kind of entertainment available, and it’s year round. I think perhaps the rest of the country thinks that after the summer, MdP turns into a ghost town. It doesn’t; it just returns to normal. We have the Culinary Festival in the summer, Jazz Festival in April, the International Film Festival and book fair in November, and the Iberoamerican (if that’s even a word in English) Cultural event in the winter (I forget the month). León Gieco had an outdoor concert for that event; MdP does draw some big names. The municipal theater has events/shows year round at a decent price. (There are probably more fairs/festivals but I can’t think of any more.)

Chris: I always wanted to live in a place that makes a good vacation spot. All of Argentina (and people from several other countries) come here regularly to relax because this is a nice place to do it. Rather than deal with the hassle of having to drive here for a vacation, why not just live here? That way, any time there’s a nice day, I can go to the beach if I feel like it.

Elizabeth: It’s not just music and theater, there are sporting events year round. Since the sports complex was built for the Panamerican Games in 1995, MdP has hosted some major events (there was some major basketball competition going on not too long ago but I’m not sure what it was…preliminaries for the world cup perhaps?) We don’t have any club teams in the A division, but neither is River, so who needs that?

Sure, if you want to see U2 or Aerosmith, you have to to BA/La Plata, but so does the rest of the country. And those groups don’t come to Argentina that often anyway.

Chris: The fact is that there is more than enough to do here every week. No one person could attend every event in MdP, which is pretty impressive considering how small the city is in population and area. Of course, the events that Liz mentions are just some of the big, general events. There are also thriving Pan-Arabic, Russian, Italian, Jewish and other communities here that have events at least once a month (and usually several times a week).

Eli: there might be things I can’t buy here, but we’re more than ok with what we do find. (We are more than happy to NOT have a Starbucks here!) Chris: Why do you need a Starbucks when so many cafes serve Cabrales coffee? If you want “foo-foo coffee drinks” filled with sugar and whipped cream, go to Havana. You have your pick of a Havana cafe overlooking the ocean, or Havana on the Peatonal.

Chris: It’s also generally cheaper to live here, though prices are climbing steadily. The fact is that, if we lived in BA, we probably would not be able to afford to live in Capital; so, we’d have to live in one of the less desirable neighborhoods. Again, why do that when we can live by the ocean instead?

Elizabeth: We have more than just cheap seafood restaurants here. The cuisine might not be as international as in BA, but there are some very fine restaurants in the city and we’re still finding them all.

Chris: Since our plan right now is to be here for the rest of our lives, it’s important to be part of the community – not just the party scene. MdP is big enough to not be out in the “Sticks” (El campo), but it is still small enough that we (or our family) know a lot of people in the community. We get the chance to participate in civic life here (if we want to); that’s doesn’t really seem possible in BA. For example, Liz has had photography gigs at some of the main venues here; why compete in BA when you can be more successful in MdP with less headache?

Elizabeth: What I love about MdP is that it’s big enough to offer a lot but small enough that these places are easy to get to. We live on the northern side of town in a residential neighborhood, but I can get downtown in 15 min. by car (about 30 min. on the bus.) It’s easy to get around. You can’t get lost because there’s always an ocean to navigate the city by, and it’s laid out on a grid. It doesn’t get any easier. Of course, then there’s the ocean view year round. It never gets old. If you’re here in the winter you can watch the sunrise without getting up at 5am. And if you’re looking for some country side weekend, Sierra de los Padres is only 30 min. outside of town.

Chris: MdP also has a decent golf course, as does Sierra de los Padres (from what golfers tell me). I’m sure it’s not St. Andrew’s; but if you’re looking for St. Andrew’s… I suggest going to St. Andrews.

Finally, a lot of musical groups and other performers come to MdP. So, we can still see Les Luthiers or Ricardo Arjona, and we don’t have to go to BA to do it. Of course, if we really want to do something in BA, we can get there and back in a day (even if it IS a long day of driving). So, why live in the pollution, crime, and congestion Buenos Aires when you can live in MdP and drink mate on the beach with friends any time you feel like it?

Furthermore, why endure the sweltering summers in BA, when the summer days in MdP are almost always blessed with an ocean breeze keeping the temperature livable?