Come with j e t s e t WISDOM .... to Argentina, April 7-17th, 2010 - Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Tango, Malbec


Join me with a small group of like-minded new and old friends.  Arriving Buenos Aires Thursday, April 8 - departing Ezeiza (Buenos Aires) Saturday April 17th, 2010.

 If you've always desired to experience sultryTango (with Alejandro), sip fruity Torrontes and deep dark Malbecs (with Julia), learn a bit of Argentine history at Evita's historical cemetery in Recolleta, discover treasures of San Telmo while practicing a bit of español with Pablo - before dining on mouth-watering LOMO with Chimichurri at world-famous asados and all at incredible value...This is your kind of trip!   And wait, this is only our first stop - before flying off to the ANDEs for a mouth-watering experience in culture and  wine-tasting in the posadas of the Mendoza region for 6 more days - 3 in the middle of the UCO Valley, and 3 more in the Luján de Cuyo in the town of Chacras de Coria.   Oh, and by the way, April is our fall - so the perfect time to discover new leather jackets, vest, boots, and of course bolse (purses) of the region -beautiful quality, outstanding design, and amazing value!
  
SADLY, life has been so busy - I apologize up front for the 'tardiness' of this plan!  I just came back from Mendoza and Buenos Aires late January filled to the top with ideas, new friends and and an for-sure incredible itinerary. 
 Should I wait until next year?  I don't think so!  So please, I ask you to join me this APRIL for 10 days of pure decadence - pure joy - and tastes and smells and beauty that you have never ever experienced.  The peso is at 3.80 per dollar - as opposed to .65 Euro per dollar! How could we wait.  Fortunately, most of you have your own lives and control of stealing away for 10 days - and I count on you to just step up to the plate and savor ARGENTINA!
 This is the launch of my j e t s e t WISDOM travel - and what better place than the frontier of Argentina! Hope you can join me!  





Mendoza is a mere hour and a half from Buenos Aires - and we'll fly into this beautiful little city in time for our first wine tasting at Vines of Mendoza - before being driven down to the Uco Valley, home for the next three days.  Enjoying wine tastings, art galleries and lots of time for painting, yoga, horseback riding in the Andes, and amazing photo ops with the fall colours in full force.  Wine-pairing lunch at O. Fournier, a private tasting dinner at Posada Salentein, all included in your price. Enjoy a bit of relaxing after our four days in Buenos Aires (our first stop - which will be exhilarating and definitely not relaxing - although I have got us booked in for a great afternoon of reflexology and a massage! while in the city)  After winetasting as several of the UCO Vallely wineries - which are deep and sultry compared to Lucán de Cuyo - our next stop!  3 nights in the historical town of Chacras de Coria - a mere 8 miles from Mendoza City -but a world away from the bustle.  We'll enjoy incredible lodging, cooking fresh pasta, drinking special edition wines from the posadas, and have an incredible mix of rural and city for our final 3 nights.  Leaving for Buenos Aires on Saturday afternoon for your evening flight  -or stay with me and fly up to Salta....oh when must this end....I could stay in this country FOREVER!!!!!



The final dessert is this:  Your total cost includes:double occupancy,(single upon request/availability)  10 days, 9 nights including domestic transfers, drivers, tips, 4* accommodations for 9 nights, all tours (city and winetastings), tango, full breakfast every morning, and 7 dinners and 2 lunches (2 full meals per day), leaving you just enough time to enjoy a slice of Italian pizza or an empanada for lunch before or after your lessons (tango, cooking, wine tasting) of your choices.  You will have afternoons free in Buenos Aires, and mornings free in Mendoza - to always let you be you and enjoy the moment -whether it be shopping for those white boots, or napping in a chaise in the library...$2,750 US (not including airfare or transfers to/from Ezeiza)  Email me for a .pdf of a full itinerary and pricing at jetsetwisdom@gmail.com




P. Diddy Performance at Versace Show at OI Fashion Rocks in RIO



This past weekend, all the who's who in FASHION were in Rio for the OI FASHION ROCKS. OI, a leading telecommunication company was the sponsor for the show at The Jockey Club in Rio, (site of Casa Cors this year also).  The following video of P. Diddy (Puff Daddy, Sean Combs) is shared here to show what a performance he can put on. Incredible.  On the way home to New York we caught up for a quick photo with my friend Laura.

The following, thanks to Fashion Windows Network:
Diddy Performance at Versace Show

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Baked Eggs with Spinach and Pancetta, Onion, Garlic


Truly, one of my favorite lunches was on Crete; in a breathtaking little Grecian village:  we wandered down from the (flower-power hippie/nude) beaches and caves of Matala  and ordered this egg and spinach plate- sat under an umbrella and enjoyed  - I don't remember what we called it, or what those handsome Greek gods called it, all I know is that it's the bomb, and we probably ate  for lunch - 2 weeks straight!  A brief sidenote on Matala, Crete: Matala was chosen in late sixties by the "flowers' children" to become their "paradise on earth". Although is not likely to meet hippies any more, Matala still carries an aura of libery and "flower flavor".  The most beautiful beach in the world - still to this day, for me.  I was there in 1975! Let's go back and each spinach pie!



Allora, the recipe (as of) today:
I decided to wilt the fresh (2cups) of spinach with freshly sautéed (in olive oil/balsamic) ,chopped  mayan (sweet) onion and some garlic, first.
While the spinach is wilting, brown up some beautiful Pancetta and drain.
Preheat oven to 350, and spray a small cast iron pan with PAM.  
Place one piece of very thin swiss cheese in bottom, layer on the mixture of spinach, sprinkle on that perfectly-browned Pancetta, then break 2 eggs into the 'nest' of spinach .
I ground some fresh pepper/good french salt on top, then added one more  thin slice of Swiss, topped with a bit of Tarragon.  Bake for 20 minutes - check after 18 minutes - eggs should be firm, not hard! 


Ingredients:
2 organic fresh eggs
2 cups of fresh spinach (from the Farmer's Market if possible: Local FOOD!)
2 T of Tarragon
2 T of EVOO
1 T of Modena Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. Pancetta (optional)
1 large sweet Mayan onion sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, pressed, into the carmelizing  Mayan onion
Freshly ground pepper and good french salt




Do enjoy - it is incredible!! For vegetarians, you certainly may leave out the Pancetta...still delicious!







Escarole and Cannellini Soup

Craving it. Just do it.  On the weekend, I bought same very, very fresh Escarole, and had about 1/2 lb of cannellini from Milan.  Dying for that Tuscan Soup, starting to feel the Virginia fall here at the farm, although the afternoon sun is still hot on the skin, it definitely cools in the evening.  The  first time I tasted Escarole and Cannellini Sopa was at Macaluso's in South Beach on Alton Road - about 8 years ago. It was incredible: garlic, beans, escarole, broth, parmigiano reggiano.


Here are the ingredients:


  • 3 tablespoons very good olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 large carrot, cut into small dice
  • 5 large garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
  • 3 cups (packed) 1-inch pieces escarole (about 1/2 large head)
  • 4 cups of homemade chicken broth - (NOTE: you could use canned...but why...just plan ahead, and bake a chicken the night before..)
  • 2 1/4 cups cooked Cannellini beans 
  • 5 long thin beautiful slices of the best-you-can-afford ParmIgiano -Reggiano formaggio



Saute up the onion, carrot and garlic in the olive oil: 4 min. on med-low
Add in the Escarole (that you have already wilted in a bit of simmered hot water for 5 min)
Remove the garlic.
Add in the 4 cups of broth, and the beans.
Simmer for 20 mins.
Put those gorgeous slices of formaggio in the bottom of the soup bowl, and divvy up:
Top with another slice of the P.R. if desired: Serve!!!

For leftovers: perfect:  REFRIGERATED, AND BROUGHT TO A SIMMER A DOMANI!


If you'll notice, the wine of the night was a deep, velvety Malbec, ESTIBA-I from Argentina...I'll be sourcing this to see if we can buy it here in the states...yes it was that good!   Meanwhile, enjoy the moment and look at this hearty, yet not too heavy, soup for the beginning of fall!