Beef empanadas

I believe I mentioned that I was taking a trip to Argentina. The trip was awesome—Buenos Aires was intense and magical, Iguaçu Falls was marvelous, and the beef was good enough to coax me from part-time to full-time carnivore (more on that later).

Whenever I travel I always marvel at how, across cultures, humanity has found culinary common ground in the form of the dumpling–be it pierogis in Eastern Europe, potstickers in China, Hot Pockets in America, and, as I discovered, the empanada in Argentina.

Far be it from me to deny the pleasures of any fried dough, but the empanadas I had there were like scrumptious little hamburgers. My friend and I especially like how easy they were to order to those who speak  minimal Spanish (“Uno, con carne por favor!”).

So last night I attempted to whip up some empanadas of my own.

Green Bean & Blood Orange Salad

My family came for the holidays this year, which meant I got to scuttle about and try to find new and exciting side dishes that do not take away from the staples (“You have to have mashed potatoes!” says my little brother, in quite real horror).

I sent my mom with the grocery list to our local produce behemoth, Berkeley Bowl. She came back frazzled and more than a little suspicious about her daughter’s tendencies towards gourmet “foodie-ism.”

“Three blood oranges? What on earth do you need blood oranges for?”

When I told her they were for the green bean dish, she rolled her eyes.

And yet! Come Christmas Day, when the food was all on the table, the green beans were the biggest hit. And I had my mom, the traditional cook admit, yes, in this case, zest was a good idea.

Green Bean & Blood Orange Salad