Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Buenos Aires Morning Ritual: Cafe Con Leche y Medialunas

J fixes his cafe con leche at La Biela, a cafe with a fabulous outdoor patio in Recoleta, the chi-chi-la-la neighborhood of Buenos Aires. A great place for porteno (BA resident) watching.

Having returned home to empty cupboards late last night, I rushed into Starbucks this morning so as not to enter the workday a complete zombie. After my first bite of reduced-fat pumpkin loaf and sip of burnt coffee, I knew I was in for a rough day. How could I survive without my Buenos Aires breakfast?

With a cafe around every corner, visitors to Buenos Aires quickly realized that coffee and its rituals are a critical part of your average porteno's (BA resident) day. Mornings begin with cafe con leche, served tableside as two small pitchers, one filled with coffee, the other filled with steamed milk, so you can mix your own. The usual accompaniment is three medialunas--small, sweet, flaky croissants; many cafes list "cafe con leche y 3 medialunas" at the top of the breakfast menu or as a special on the wall.

As the day wears on, cafe con leche is replaced by an espresso, cortado (espresso with a splash of steamed milk), or my favorite, a submarino (steamed milk and/or coffee with a chunk of chocolate "submarined" inside). J and I whiled away many a pleasant mid-morning, late afternoon and post-dinner time with one of the above.

Drinking my biting Starbucks while I waited at the bus stop this morning was a depressing jolt back to the working world. Over the next few days, I will ease the transition by sharing some of my favorite food finds from the trip. Next up: Steak!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i had no idea argentina had its own take on croissants. medialunas are such a cute rendition! i'll have to add buenos aires to the breakfast to-do list.. sigh.

Anonymous said...

Oh, so jealous! My breakfast is going to seem so pathetic tomorrow.

Erin S. said...

tannaz--they were great, not too indulgent, you know?

kt--all my meals seem pathetic this week. the husband and i spent $50 on CRAP in pasadena last night and were fuming about how we could have had a great steak in BA all the way home.

chico--not sure i felt like a champion every morning, but it did taste good :)

Anonymous said...

The history of perfume goes back to Egypt, although it was prevalent in East Asia as well. Early perfumes were based on incense, not chemicals, so aromas were passed around through fumes. The Roman and Islamic cultures further refined the harvesting and manufacturing of perfumery processes to include other aromatic ingredients.

Thus, the ancient Islamic culture marked the history of modern perfumery with the introduction of spices and herbs. Fragrances and other exotic substances, such as Jasmine and Citruses, were adapted to be harvested in climates outside of their indigenous Asia.

Cialis said...

I rather have my cup of coffee with cream than with milk, the cream gives it a touch and certain consistence that milk can't privide.

Helena said...

Previous autumn I enormously required resume writing assistance. With incredibly time-consuming quest I saw pay for dissertation then they do exactly the thing I prefered. also you certainly should check out write my bibliography

elenama said...

Having returned home to empty cupboards late last night, I rushed into Starbucks this morning so as not to enter the workday a complete zombie. After buy cialis my first bite of reduced-fat pumpkin loaf and sip of burnt coffee, I knew I was in for a rough day. How could I survive without my Buenos Aires breakfast?