May 13, 2006 - 5:22pm
Hello from Argentina!
Hello from Córdoba, Argentina! I am new to this site and already loving it...I have started a blog to keep track of my baking attempts, successes and failures :) I am looking forward to learning from the tips and suggestions of long-time bread bakers!!!
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Bienvenido Che!
"Muchísimas Gracias" and "Thank you" for your welcome...you must have spent some time in Argentina yourself :) I didn't know one word of Spanish 5 years ago when I met my husband, so I have quite a few learning projects on the go right now...baking bread, learning Spanish, and learning statistics for my thesis (in order from highest to lowest priority, of course!). I took a few Spanish courses in Canada during the past two years before we moved here, but nothing can fully prepare you for the accents in Argentina (especially in Córdoba and surrounding villages!).
Another amusing challenge has definitely been buying groceries and ingredients at the neighbourhood grocery stores and health food stores. Health food stores are the only places that seem to carry flour that is not white, as there is a definite preference for white baked goods here, and so far I have been unable to locate molasses anywhere although I am sure it is out there...
If you know Spanish better than I do, I may call on your help for ingredient translations at some point :) This week my mission is to search for rye flour (?harina de centeno?), so wish me luck!
Oh! I see
Well I am Argentinean of Ukie parents I guess you have a lot of Ukies in Canada and few in the Southern Hemisphere as well. Not in Argentina right now but if ou need a hand please let me know.
cheers!
:)
For the proces del pan amargo. That's about as far as I know. I do know that once you get your hands on a jar of it, it seems to last forever. The lid can get real sticky too, I once had a jar ferment on me when summer came, I think some little yeasties got in on a spoon. What a mess! So take care to keep the rim and lid clean and you'll avoid a lot of problems. ( Just a tip.) I might be heading for the big city today. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'll be looking for rye flour myself, Barley is just a bit too bitter for me. I might also get to stop by a French Bakery. The poor shop never knows when we're coming and when we do we buy up all the french sticks. :)
Mini Oven
Thanks for the tip. I really prefer to support smaller neighbourhood stores both for ethical reasons and practical reasons (i.e. we don't own a car)...but if I absolutely can not find molasses anywhere else, I guess I could stomach a taxi trip to Wal-mart :( I'm not sure what or where TodoLider is, but I will ask my husband if he knows tonight. Maybe it will be a better option.
Pan amargo, heh? Literally "bitter bread"...makes sense since most people here seem to like everything sweet! My husband and I also drink "mate amargo", but the rest of his family preferes "mate dulce" (with at least one heaping teaspoonful of white sugar added every time they drink it!)
Thanks again for the info!
If it is any help, Molasses is a by-product in sugar process, when sugar crystals are separated from the "primordial" soup they grow in. The darker the cane sugar, the more Molasses is in it. Try using very dark brown cane sugar (azucar de baston marron oscura) if you can find it in the village. Mini Oven
;)