Mas comida...

We've been enjoying some more food down here lately. Dinner a couple nights ago was just Scott and I. Sonia had just returned from a weekend in town with her mother-in-law, and it was very casual around here. I think because she was just serving the two of us, she remained in her tank top and had her hair down, which we actually hadn't seen before. I really like that we're getting more comfortable with her. Her daughter, also, has started hanging around and showing interest in who we are and what we've been doing. It's nice to not feel like just the typical guests who come and go quickly.

Sonia made the two of us an entire platter of chicken and vegetables. It was perfect. The chicken had simmered quite awhile with typical chicken herbs and spices (that actually came out of a "spices for chicken" packet, we were to find out later). With the chicken was red bell pepper, zucchini, onion, and carrot.


Apparently the best way to top of an easy, light dinner, is with a freakin rich dessert. Sonia made us a dulce de leche mousse, complete with a layer of dulce de leche sauce at the bottom of the dish, and topped with more dulce de leche sauce and a chocolate garnish. It was delicious, but I'm glad they come in small bowls. I'd hate to see the sugar crash after much more than this.




For last night's dinner, we had company again. Sonia was dressed again very formal, with a white chef's coat and her hair pulled under a scarf, which just seems funny to us because we've gotten very comfortable here.

She brought out an appetizer plate, and the guests opened a couple bottles of wine. Sonia served, chips, nuts, olives, cheese, and salami as a starting course. I didn't try anything but the cheese, which was really mild, like mozzarella or fontina, but with more flavor.




By the time she and Quique (who we figured out is in fact Sonia's husband and we are now sure of his name, although we're still a little clueless on how to spell it) had set the table, it was full of platters of various food. We had our meat entree, two vegetable sides, a platter of salad (complete with a bowl of hearts of palm), and the usual bread basket.



For this dinner, we had our first seafood dish. Salmon nacional is a local fish that came up from Montevideo. Apparently it's not a true salmon, but the texture is similar and flavor is slightly more mild. I think Sonia just simply pan-fried it and served it with chopped chives. It was delicious and flaky.


The vegetable dishes, unless served with the meat, are typically cooked and then served cold or at room temperature. I expected the cauliflower and brussels sprouts dishes to be warm, but when we ate them they were cold. They were still good - both were steamed, I think, until soft, and then tossed with a bunch of herbs. I don't know if it's the climate, or if my taste buds are messed up, but the herbs seem to be much milder here. Considering the amount of greenery Sonia covers the food in, the flavor is never overpowering, and most the time if you didn't see it, you wouldn't even know they were there.


Dessert (never a meal without one) was one of my favorites - lemon mousse with strawberries. It seems like whenever Sonia makes a mousse, it's always in three layers - a bottom layer of sauce or something sweet, a bunch of mousse, then a top decoration. Yum.