Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week I have too many jars of dulce de leche and I donāt know what to do with them. Check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.Ā
Chimbote Dulce de Leche
In a spontaneous act of jetlag, I accidentally ordered not one, not two, but seven jars of dulce de leche to my apartment, a tiny studio that my friends were shocked can even fit one jar of dulce de leche. I did wonder why my cart cost about $70 for something that should not be that expensive, but I chalked it up to import fees, or something. To begin with, I cracked open a jar of Chimbote dulce de leche ā a popular brand I saw at most of the stores in Buenos Aires. However, just between you and me, I chose this brand mostly for the font on the label, and the fact that it comes in a more giftable glass jar. So, if you, too, run out of pesos at the duty-free in Buenos Aires you can just order some on Amazon and pretend you brought it all the way home in your carry-on to gift to your friend. In terms of taste, Chimbote is a very light and creamy dulce ā still thick enough to spread on toast, but slightly thinner in texture overall, compared to the super-caramelly versions. Itās the color of coffee with a lot of cream in it, and has a similar flavor palette ā comforting and sweet.
La SerenĆsima "Dulce De Lecheā Estilo Colonial
Our host in Buenos Aires claimed that this popular grocery store brand of dulce de leche was the best, and sheās right. Itās affordable and plentiful in most stores, and comes in a humble plastic container (that also tends to crack easily when transported, so be wary when you order it online). I do wish it wasnāt so blatantly into colonialism but thatās a whole ānother topic about Argentina that you will not find on this newsletter because I donāt have the time or space for it. This dulce de leche is thicc. If you donāt understand the hype around dulce de leche, this will make you understand. A clearly darker, thick brown color when compared to the Chimbote, it has a deep, dark caramel taste to match. Pairs perfectly with crisp apple slices for a snack (or breakfast)! Sprinkle with flaky sea salt for the ultimate trifecta of salty, sour, and sweet.
Mugwort Tiramisu at Na Num
Roseti 177, C1427 CABA, Argentina
Na Num is a Korean fusion restaurant in Buenos Aires that could just as easily take place in Williamsburg, or an episode of Chefās Table. The only thing that makes me remember that Iām not in fact off the L train on a Saturday night is the fact that everyone around me is Argentinian and speaking Spanish. That, and the fact that dinner costs significantly less than it does in Brooklyn, thanks to the crazy inflation. I lasted about 48 hours in South America before seeking out Asian food ā and Iām very glad I did. The food at Na Num is fun, and delicious. No, itās no Palisades Park, but itās a pretty damn good Williamsburg-chic version of Korean food. One thing I really appreciated about eating out in Buenos Aires is that the portion sizes are very generous, even at trendy places. By the time we got to dessert I was stuffed to the brim, but I still made space for a generous slice of mugwort tiramisu. The tiramisu was a pretty, earthy pale green color, fluffy to the fork, and had the herbal tinge of mugwort without being overpowering. It was slightly frozen on the inside (which Iām not sure was on purpose or not ā tiramisu is in fact a great freezer make-ahead treat), which made it even more refreshing at the end of a long meal.
Perfect flat white at Sastre Cafe
Av. DĆaz VĆ©lez 4674, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Before (and during) my vacation to Buenos Aires I made sure to ask for plenty of coffee recommendations, as exploring local coffee shops and cafes is one of my favorite things to do when I travel. Sastre Cafe wasnāt on the list I got from my friends and internet acquaintances. I found it the old fashioned way: By doing a double take when I walked past it on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Customers poured out of the little coffee shop and into the street, perched on wooden barstools, with their perfectly-microfoamed lattes and delectable-looking treats. I was immediately smitten. I waited until we walked a few blocks away before mentioning to my friend that I wanted to go back. It turned out, she was thinking the exact same thing! The flat white (a drink that I rarely get in the US) was possibly the single most delicious milk drink Iāve ever had. Sipping it between bites of a delicious crunchy peanut brittle and chocolate chip cookie my friend got, sitting on a stool outside in the warm February summer air at 7pm in the evening, I experienced a kind of coffee joy that Iāve never quite experienced before.
Dulce de leche iced latte at home
I have a Nespresso machine but itās even better if you have a real espresso one!
You didnāt think I was going to leave you here with the threat of seven jars of dulce de leche without a single recipe using it, did you? So far, Iāve been keeping it simple with the anything-but-basic-bitch dulce de leche iced latte. I know that St*rbucks has kinda hammered the nail in the coffin of caramel latte anything, but it remains a primo combination, especially when you have a real, quality dulce de leche instead of caramel coffee syrup. To make it, add a tablespoon of dulce de leche (preferably one of the two brands above) in a 8oz small glass. Now, fill that glass with ice. Pull 2 shots of Nespresso (aka put the damn capsule in the thing and press the button and call it āpulling espressoā) directly over ice. This chills it immediately and makes it taste very pure and sweet. You want to press the little cup button, not the big cup button, and you need to use 2 capsules in a row. Stir. Then add ā cup whole milk. Enjoy the sugar high :)
Have a good weekend,
Soph
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P.P.S. What should I do with my remaining 6 jars of dulce de leche? Pls send recipes and ideas!