Lo que no se mata, engorda

I watched “Super Size Me” last night for the first time. Watching that poor guy literally eat himself to death was insightful and revealing at times, but also just plain gross. The movie made some seriously reevaluate their eating habits, and many have since sworn off the evil wares of the corporate devil (McDonalds). It just made me hungry.

Lo que no se mata, engorda. (That which does not kill you, makes you fat). I don’t necessarily agree with this statement, but its fun to say. The truth be known, the food here is both disappointing and enlightening. Chile has very fertile ground and every climate zone within its borders, so everything grows here. The fruits are sweet, plentiful, and cheap, (especially tomatoes), and the vegetables grow huge (which could be good or bad depending on how you feel about vegetables). Wild Salmon is plentiful in southern Chile, and all forms of seafood and shellfish abound along the coast.

With as wonderful as the crops are, “Chilean cooking” is a bit of an oxymoron. They cook only the meat and cookbooks could be titled “three ingredients or less”. The culinary masterpiece of Ensalada Chilena, a traditional diet mainstay present at nearly every meal, is just sliced tomatoes on a plate.

I have found comfort (and an excuse) in the simplicity of meal preparation. Serving guests boiled potatoes and a piece of unadorned pollo is perfectly acceptable as long as you include a plate of tomatoes. In Cochomo, they served pureed carrots and tomatoes. Tonight, everyone gets a head of lettuce, pan, and a tomato.

As I look back over previous posts, I realize that food is either a topic or sidenote on most musings. Maybe it’s because I am obsessed with food, always hungry, or just busy slicing tomatoes all day to think of anything else. Any way, I can’t guarantee that I’ll ever stop talking about food. But right now, I gotta go find a “you-know-what” for lunch. And yes, I would definitely like fries with that.

Sisma

Looking for our tomatoes to go with all this cheese.

Patagonia

Patagonia. I love saying that word. I love the overpriced outdoor gear named after Southern Chile and Argentina, and the place itself is absolutely unforgettable. I wish I had something made by Patagonia so I could wear it and be cool. I don’t, but Ciervo does, so I’ll stand close to him. I’m all about coolness by association.

It was wonderfully cool in Patagonia, where we were last week, that is: Patagonia. It rains a lot in Patagonia, hence the presence of the rainforest. Ahhhh, Patagonia…I’ll never forget the fires in the Fogata (outdoor fire/eating area) just enjoying the coolness of the night. In Patagonia, they hike a lot, ride horses, and fancy Once, a traditional Chilean “tea time” consisting of tea, pan amasado (fresh bread) with jam, and postre (pastry). I am so gonna have Once every day now because that’s what they do in Patagonia. It is so cool. I am so cool.

Sing with me:
P is for the Penguinos (penguins) that we saw there…
A is for the 3,000 year old Alerce trees that grow…
T is for the Totally cool person I am for having been there…
A is my horse Aventura that I know…
G is for the Gortex I wished I’d owned because it rained a lot…
O is for volcano Osorno which I’m happy didn’t blow…
N is for the Nothing that I did sitting by the river all day…
I is for my Injured bum from being saddle sore…
A is for the surprising Absence of any bugs as well as any rhyming, melody or organization of this song…

Put them all together and they spell PATAGONIA, la la la.

I am so going to buy an indelible marker and write the word Patagonia on all my outdoor gear, that is, my retired running shoes and $20 rain parka. Yea, I am definitely getting cooler by the minute. Wanna come stand by me?

Sisma

They're Back!

And I’ve missed them so. February is vacation month, and on the morning of March 1, my fellow Santiaguinos returned from the white sand beaches, the obscure corners of Patagonia, and the bottoms of their pisco glasses to resume work, school, and to accompany me on my daily routine.

Yes, it’s great to have them all back. It is so nice to not have to set my alarm and instead be woken up by traffic noise. I appreciated the company of the other 7 swimmers in my swim lane this week at the pool. And it was so great to see every single person living within a 10 block radius of our apartment at the Lider (supermarket) after the gym while buying my lunch of chips, guac and m&m’s (after all, you can’t let a good calorie deficit go to waste).

One person in particular gave me that warm and fuzzy “it’s great to be needed” feeling when, on the Metro, they deviously reached into my purse and helped themselves to my efectivo (cash). I am so honored to have been chosen to help them out in their time of financial crisis.

So, it’s with a heavy heart that we leave overcrowded Santiago once again and head to al sur del mundo (the South of the World) this week. We might have to do Chiloe and Northern Patagonia alone, without our dark-haired, hung-over, financially ill-behaved acquaintances. I’m sure we’ll be missed.

Sisma

Ciervo desperately needs a vacation...