Picada

-
You know when you're slightly hungry but really not sure what you want to eat and would love a little variety plate to nibble on?

Enter La Picada.

I'm relying a lot on Google and Wikipedia to help me explain these new dishes to the masses (by masses I mean my handful of readers.  Thank you, readers), so according to Wikipedia a picada is a Colombian dish with various meats that are usually fried and accompanied by yucca and plantain and maybe potato.

I know a picada to be essentially a meat and cheese platter in Argentina with olives and maybe some other antipasti type accouterments that are not fried.  The name picada comes from the verb picar which means to sting, to bite, to nibble on.

During my week in Buenos Aires, I dined on many picadas and always loved how satisfying it was to have many different options in front of me. My favorite picada was at El Nono Amigo Almacén.  This small neighborhood restaurant has ample outdoor seating (to be enjoyed on a lovely BA summer evening) and a large selection of meats, cheeses, and wines to choose from.  You can actually go inside and grab a bottle of wine off the wall rather than just skimming over a wine menu!  I cannot even tell you what was included in our picada because my brain was was awash in deliciousness.  If you're in BA, check this place out.  They also sell jarred olives and pickes as well as their meats (fiambres) and cheese (queso)!

Wall O' Wine at El Nono Amigo

When in Argentina, Drink Malbec.

 For lunch this weekend, I made own type of picada .  I had a hodgepodge of goodies in my fridge/pantry and since I was not 100% sure what I was in the mood for, a picada would be the perfect way to get lots of flavors!

My picada:

Clockwise from the top:
1. Minneola - A popular form of Tangelo - a Tangerine/Grapefruit hybrid
2. Brazilian style chipá (definitely better on day 2!)
3.  Fresh Mozzarella
4.  Les Pains des Fleurs buckwheat cracker with Black Caraway Sesame Halva spread from Brooklyn Sesame
5. Dry Truffle Sausage from Charlito's Cocina
6. Van's new g-free multi grain crackers 
7. Blueberries
8.  A delicious Gouda cheese from Bedford Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
In the middle, Kale and Roasted Eggplant (seasoned with zaatar!)

One of the best parts of this lunch was taking the time to plan and arrange the platter.  It was an act of mindfulness.  I prepare my breakfasts, workday lunches, weeknight dinners so quickly that I hardly appreciate what I have in front of me.  Assembling this picada was an art -- combining dynamic flavors and developing the food's presentation.  Making this picada was a special experience for me and it reinforced the importance of slowing down and giving thanks to the things we have....especially delicious tasting food!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3. A Taco Tour (in Three Parts)

-
The much anticipated PART THREE. Los Tacos No. 1 The energy at LTNO is great. You order at the cashier and then stand at the counter waiting for them to call your name and having the opportunity to personalize your taco with toppings. The line move relatively quickly and the staff is friendly. We ordered the chicken tacos and tacos al pastor (the al pastor does not appear on the menu but it is available!). Shortly after ordering, our tacos were presented and I bit into the chicken taco. I chewed. I waited. Was I dreaming? Had I actually put food in my mouth? The chicken was flavorless. I could not distinguish between meat and tortilla and toppings. It was empty calories. With very little spice or flavor of any sort, I tried to doctor up my taco with salsa and lime and then I realized I was eating salsa and lime wrapped in a semi-spongy tortilla. I was disappointed. Thinking maybe I ordered incorrectly, I moved on to the Al Pastor taco feeling nervous and exciting for this “off...
Read more

2. A Taco Tour (in Three Parts)

-
Image
Part Two. Otto’s Tacos As we entered Otto’s Tacos, I quickly realized that our extremely scientific taco taste test methodology was flawed. We did not agree on a standardized taco flavor to try at every spot therefore committing to comparing apples to oranges to chorizo to pollo. Also, the type of taco (sit down restaurant vs fast casual) was also mis-matched. However, I bit my tongue and pushed onwards still excited for the plethora of tacos I had in my future. At Otto’s we were greeted by Maggie, the cheerful woman behind the counter, who was busy entering take out and delivery orders, much to her chagrin, and by the time she was ready for our order was flustered but appeasing. We wanted to take advantage of the taco + a beer deal, but rather than order a beer, I wanted a horchata. She said she couldn’t do the official swap, but could throw in the Horchata if we tipped her. So #winning. Maggie! We ordered the special of the day - a crispy short rib taco and th...
Read more

1. A Taco Tour (in Three Parts)

-
Image
Part One. I have recently returned to life in the USA after a two year stint living in London. I loved London. Life felt more manageable there compared to the hectic hubbub of New York City and I had all of  Europe in my backyard. I took advantage of this...and more than just Europe. In two years, I set foot in 23 different countries, many more cities and made sure to eat my way through all these new lands. One thing I missed the most about the States, about NY...and about some of my favorite American cities, LA and Austin and San Francisco, was TACOS. Apparently Mexican cuisine exists in London. I had my fare share of “Mexican style” food, but I missed the true true warm-tortilla-sizzling-meat-oil-and-toppings-dripping-out-the-back-end-of-the tortilla-all-over-my-hands tacos that I have come to adore in my taco eating adventures. So once happily back in the Big Apple, my friend, Harry, suggested that we catch up over tacos and tequila. Music to my ears. Plus, we were b...
Read more