Scaly, alligatorish skin. Smooth flesh. No, this isn't a Lubriderm commercial. But, it is as sexy.
Stumped?
Ok, here's another clue. It is native to Mexico, Central and South America. It's Aztec name is "ahuacatl"which means "testicle." It was named this by the Aztecs because of its shape (NOT color) and let's just say it was used as a stimulant. Think body chocolate.
One more clue. The Spanish conquistadors who couldn't pronounce the Aztec word, dubbed it "aguacate." It is the main ingredient in guacamole...
If you still haven't guessed:
It's the avocado!
My disclaimer is that I have long loved the avocado way before I ever knew about this whole testicle, stimulant thing. Seriously. But, I do love avocados. I love them so much that I'm a picky avocado consumer. I am sort of partial to Florida avocados, though Hass are great too.
If you're not blessed to have an avocado tree in your backyard and you have to go to the store like me, you know that sometimes it can be a fight to find the best one. Sometimes every last single one are rock hard. Get your mind out of the gutter. Sometimes they give a little, and others are completely mushy. I always go for the Goldilocks philiosophy of avocados. Not too hard, not too soft, just right. If you get the rock solid, put it in a brown paper bag to let it soften for a few days.
While this chilled soup looks like a bowl of Nickelodeon green slime (but on the chunky side- and is more the color of Crayola screamin green and tropical rain forest) - it is a cool and refreshing repreive from a hot summer day -and a tasty alternative to the traditional Spanish, or Andalusian gazpacho.
You may miss it completely if you’re not looking for it -except in the summer because bright yellow umbrellas and café tables line the sidewalk. Café Pamplona, located on Bow Street, just off of Mass. Ave., brings a mini-slice of Spain right to Harvard Square.
Located in the basement level of an old red house, this historic café continues to be a spot for students, professionals and visitors to gather for a leisurely European-style lunch or evening espresso. Café Pamplona has been a meeting place in Harvard Square for about 50 years. Josefina Yanguas, the founder of the café, who passed away in 2007 at 90, would be happy to know that her legacy still continues.
Helzo “Junior” Leite, of Recife, Brazil has been working at the café for two years. He says regular customers fondly remember Yanguas and share stories about her when they come for the café’s signature beverage: café Pamplona –and a bowl of red gazpacho.
“They will tell stories about her sweeping outside in the morning, or setting up the espresso makers,” Leite said. “We have many regulars who have been coming here for decades.”
The café is a cozy and leisurely place to enjoy time reading a book, chatting with friends over coffee, or to satisfy hunger with a media noche sandwich and flan.
But, if you come to do work, make sure your laptop is fully charged. While the café offers free Wi-Fi, there are no power outlets to be found along the creamy yellow walls.
Avier Valensuela, 24, enjoys coming to the café for the black bean soup. Originally from Nicaragua, the Northeastern University student finds comfort in the soup.
“It is made very similarly to what we cook at home so,” he said. “It is best with the sour cream.”
The prices and portions are reasonable. $3.95 will buy a large bowl of gazpacho; $5.75 an toasted guava-cheese sandwich on a large baguette; $6.95 a tortilla española.
If you can’t make it to the Running of Bulls festival in Pamplona next week (July 5-14), you can still stop by this Harvard Sq. spot for some authentic coffee and a bite to eat.
Pamplona is the capital of the Navarra province in the Basque region of northern Spain. You might think you’ve never heard of it, but if you’ve ever heard of the famous “Running of the Bulls” (San Fermín Corrida de Toros) festival or have read Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises – you’ve heard of Pamplona.
Picturesque and historical, Pamplona is a well-preserved area that is known not only for the Running of the Bulls festivities (July 6-14) , but also for its rich architectural and cultural heritage that dates back to the Visigoths and Moors. (Now I’m sounding like a nerd. Did I mention in my first blog that I was a Spanish major? As I am writing this blog, I am imagining myself listening to Dr. Luis Jimenez lecture about Spanish art and architecture in a course I took circa 2002.)
Back to Pamplona. By far one of Pamplona’s greatest attributes –other than Plaza del Castillo – is its gastronomical culture. The entire region of Navarra has an exceptional cuisine which is said to be an intimate blend of Basque, French and Mediterranean cultures. The foods also have influence from the coast as well as the mountain region. Popular dishes include meat dishes like goat and lamb as well as fish and game. The list goes on and on. For more information about the delicious food of Pamplona, click here!
Enjoy a free tequila tasting and salsa dancing at InterContinental's Sushi-Teq, a one-of-a-kind waterfront patio bar. And, it's so hot today you might as well feel like you're in Maimi at this south-Florida style lounge.
Just remember this important toast: ¡Pa'ribba, pa'bajo, p'al centro, pa'dentro!
If it's Sunday it means it's time to "sup like a Spaniard" at Avila. The special is a $28 three-course meal which includes some favorites from Spain - jamon Serrano, Manchego cheese, Valencian paella and crispy churros.
Gooey queso. Crunchy tortillas. Add this, add that. Munch. Yum. Add a mangorita and this culinary phenomenon known as "nachos" is bound to taste even better.
Nachos are more or less classified as Tex-Mex, although it is said that nachos were born as a merienda, or snack in Mexico. Read more about the supposed history of nachos on this blog.
Check outthis Boston Globe article for a list of places around the area where you can find some not-so-typical nachos .
Conga, a relatively new Latin restaurant and bar located at 1 Eliot St. in Harvard Sq. serves a variety of tapas between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Tapas, which are similar to appetizers, are a Spanish tradition. Conga head chef Fernando Grande of El Salvador takes a spin off the traditional "tapa," offering a variety of menu items including Colombian-style empanadas (meat turnovers), fried yuca (also known as cassava, a root vegetable served like Americans serve up potatoes) and butifarras (pork sausage with fig sauce).
Conga's full menu includes a variety of dishes popular throughout many Latin American countries. Peruvian ceviche, Cuban croquetas, Dominican mofongo, Mexican tortas and Spanish paella are just a few of the long list of tasty meals on the menu.
Conga offers a full bar with a good selection of tequila and rum. Beers including Presidente, Dos Equis, Tecate, Negra Modelo and Corona are available, along with blackberry mojitos and other speciality tropical beverages.
I'm what you would call "una gringa con sazón." In other words: not-your-average-American-chic. Let me explain.
I was born in Rhode Island, where my ancestors (on both sides) had settled 14 generations earlier. When I was six, my family moved to southwest Florida where I lived until my early 20s. While in Florida, my dad decided to buy my sister and I some Spanish sing-a-long tapes (yes, tapes!) to help us learn the language because he realized how invaluable knowing Spanish would be. So, we learned some silly songs and eventually enrolled in Spanish classes at school.
Let me also mention that I'm a rather type-A person in many situations, your classic over-achiever. So, of course I wanted to be the best student in Spanish class. Check.
At 14, I started traveling to Latin America. I fell in love with the Spanish language, culture and people. I also became addicted to traveling. Since that time, I have had opportunities to discover Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and several parts of Mexico.
I graduated from Florida Southern College with a B.A. in Spanish and later taught ESL and Spanish. All the meanwhile, I continued developing my lifelong passions for writing, photography and cooking (I come from a food family and have been cooking since I was two). I guess you could say I'm like a good sancocho - like a soup of many flavors, I'm a girl of many interests and passions.
Now I am working on a master’s in journalism in Boston. I recently decided it’s about time to connect all of my interests, so hence this blog.
With this blog my hope is to share the great passion and flavor of the Latin culture through food. Food is a common ground that brings people together. However, there are many misunderstands and misconceptions about food, the Latin culture and language. Mexican food and Spanish food are about as different as night and day. Dominican food and Puerto Rican food are not the same. Not all Latin food is spicy and not all Latinos eat tacos. And no, Tex-Mex is not authentic.
I hope this blog will serve multiple purposes. Initially, I plan to visit Boston-area Latin eateries, eat a lot of yummy food and talk with restaurant owners and chefs. I hope that my blog will become an information hub and tool for people who are interested in discovering Latin food in Boston. I also hope to educate readers about history and family, provide recipes and fun facts about Latin food. Ultimately, I hope this blog will be fun, educational and that readers will be inspired by my passions.
It's the avocado!
