Reminder: Free Immigrant Kitchen Event Thursday, March 5!
Argentinian immigration stories through food and books
There are still a few (free!) tickets left for this Thursday’s Immigrant Kitchen event in conjunction with Saint Paul Public Library’s Read Brave, an annual city-wide book club.
To reserve a seat, register here.
This year’s event explores the young adult novel Lobizona by Argentinian writer Romina Garber.
Immigrant Kitchen presents cooks Paula Guteirriz & Nico Nikolov, who will offer an Argentinian meal reflective of their Buenos Aires backgrounds.
From Paula: “Chocotorta is a traditional, Argentinian sweet cake. It’s made with coffee marinated layers of chocolate cookies, and layered with dulce de leche and cream cheese. This cake is served at most birthday parties, get-togethers, and events, and it is passed down from generation to generation. Grandparents and parents encourage children to learn to bake through this dish, and we cultivate special family time together. I wanted to bring this recipe to you today, as it has been a crucial part of my childhood and journeys as a baker. Although my mom did not know much about baking, growing up, she would still make this cake for me and my sister’s birthdays, teaching us what baking and cooking is really about…love. I am lucky to have been able to pass this recipe down to my daughters who make it for their family and friends now as well.
Alfajor de Maicena are the most traditional sweets in Argentina and deeply connected to my childhood. They are a common presence at family gatherings, birthday parties, and afternoon snacks, moments where sharing food means sharing life. By bringing alfajores de maicena, I am sharing a small but meaningful part of my culture, my memories, and the way food brings people together in Argentina.”
From Nico: “Empanadas are a staple in Argentina. Back home, learning to make the“repulgue” (the traditional Argentine technique of folding, pinching, or braiding the edge of an empanada to create a decorative, secure seal that prevents filling from leaking during cooking) is always a tradition in Argentinian households. I was taught the beef empanada recipe by my mom and we made them together for gatherings. Empanadas are very popular for delivery along with pizza, and these days there are many, many chains and mom & pop shops specializing in them, as well as an appetizer in most restaurants. Most traditionally they are baked, but you can also find them fried. Different regions make different variations of empanadas, and humita is typical in the northern part of Argentina.
Guiso de Lentejas was my Dad’s specialty when I was a kid, and it still is, even though I wasn’t a big fan of it growing up! Now days I love it, and it brings up lots of memories of cold winter nights sitting at the table with my parents and brothers. The recipe I was taught by my Dad has Spanish chorizo and pancetta, but I use steak. This traditional dish from the Cocina Criolla Argentina, a rustic cooking style representing the fusion of Spanish colonial influences with indigenous ingredients and European immigrant techniques.”
We hope to see you there!