Argentinian BBQ

Argentinians are famous for their BBQ skills, and Brian's host family has learned the secret ways from living in Argentina. Rafa, the dad, prepares pork with a delicious homemade green sauce concocted by Juan, the elder son. In addition, he grills chicken drumsticks, seasons potatoes, braises a different kind of pork, and produces some foreign green crunchy material sometimes called "vegetables," of which Brian deftly steers clear from. Even though he lives in the USA, Brian has never had a BBQ as good as the one today.

Mercado Central

As the morning rain turns to a light drizzle, Erica and Alana decide to explore downtown Santiago. They take the metro down to Patronato, a popular neighborhood of Santiago known for its diverse restaurants and markets. Among these array of markets is Mercado Central, which hosts several restaurants and a grand fish market that can be smelled from a block away. Once inside, Erica is amazed (and slightly disgusted) by the heaps of sea food that are displayed at each stand. Everything from fish, mussel, and oyster to octopus, sea urchin, and sea snail are sold in big piles as she walks through the market. Erica and Alana decide to spend only a short time in the market as their stomachs can only take so much of the nauseating sights and smells.

Asian Market

Hoping to walk the fish guts and slime off of their boots, Erica and Alana explore the small commune of Recoleta in search of a well-known Asian market. Walking into the market, Erica suddenly feels like she isn’t in Chile anymore. With the exotic packages of food and Kpop music playing on the loud speakers, Erica feels she is able to get a taste of Asia. They pick up some rice, edamame, mae ploy sauce, wonton wrappers, and seaweed. Inspired by the Asian products displayed, they decide to have a sushi night! They grab a random Asian sweet on the way out and head home to plan out their Asian dinner.

Sushi Night

Starting with the white sticky rice (which takes the longest to cook), Erica and Alana get right to preparing the meal. They decide to make wontons to have alongside the homemade sushi. As Erica chops up a crab and cream cheese filling mix, Alana follows her mother’s recipe book and adds a few drops of Sriracha sauce. They set the mixture aside and prepare the filling for the sushi while tending to the rice. Crab, shrimp, avocado, and cream cheese are set out on a dish for us to choose from when customizing our sushi rolls. Lastly, Alana boils a pot of oil and the wontons are wrapped, fried, and set out among the prepared food. This being our first time making sushi, we are given a demo by Alana and then each take turns making our own rolls. They don't completely fall apart, so not bad for a first time!