With beach season nearly upon us, Argentine vacationers are gearing up for their annual pilgrimage to the coast for a bit of sun and sand. Argentina's beaches are such a draw that even David Hasselhoff can't resist (either that or he really needed a paycheck). Apparently he filmed this tourism spot just a few weeks ago in Mar del Plata.
Ready to hit the beach?
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With beach season just around the corner for those of us here in the southern hemisphere, I thought I'd remind you all of the behavior expected of respectable ladies and gents while enjoying a little fun in the sun (never mind that the rules date to the 19th century!). The following excerpt was translated from the Spanish-language book El libro de oro de la argentinidad by Federico Scagliotti.
Bathing Regulations — Mar del Plata, Argentina [1888]
Article 1 - Nude bathing is prohibited.
Article 2 – Only bathing costumes that cover the body from the neck to the knee are permitted under these regulations.
Article 3 – At Playa del Puerto, Playa de la Iglesia and Playa de la Gruta, men may not bathe together with women, unless they do so accompanied by their families.
Article 4 - Single men are prohibited from approaching women while they are bathing and must maintain a distance of at least 30 meters.
Article 5 - The use of opera glasses or other binoculars is prohibited during bathing hours, as well as situating oneself at the edge of the water while women are bathing.
Article 6 - The bathing of animals at beaches designated for families is prohibited.
Article 7 - The use of lewd or indecorous language or behavior is also prohibited.
Article 8 - Those persons in violation of the preceding ordinances shall incur a fine of two to five pesos or detention for 24 to 48 hours. A repeat offense shall result in a fine of five to ten pesos or detention for 48 to 96 hours. In the event of a third offense, violators shall be banned from the beach for one month.
Click here or here for vintage photos of folks enjoying the summertime in Mar del Plata.
Read More......All too often, we lose special people before their time. Such is the tragic story of Alfonsina Storni.
Born in Switzerland in 1892, Alfonsina moved with her parents and siblings to Argentina when she was four years old. She endured a difficult childhood, marked by her father's alcoholism and subsequent death as well as her family's precarious financial situation, which forced her to leave school to go to work at the age of ten.
In spite of her troubled upbringing, she later found success as an educator and author. Alfonsina Storni's prose, plays, and poetry—much of which focused on feminist themes—received literary awards and ![Monument to Alfonsina Storni, Mar del Plata, Argentina by Martín Gardeazabal, on Wikipedia [used under Creative Commons license]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monumento_a_Alfonsina_Storni.jpg "Monument to Alfonsina Storni, Mar del Plata, Argentina by Martín Gardeazabal, on Wikipedia [used under Creative Commons license]")
critical acclaim, and she's considered one of Latin America's most respected female poets of the 20th century.
Haunted by demons throughout her life, Alfonsina was frequently wracked by bouts of depression, paranoia and anxiety. After unsuccessfully battling a diagnosis of breast cancer and losing several close friends to suicide, she fell into a deep, intractable depression.
Alfonsina wrote her final poem Voy a dormir ("I'm Going to Sleep") just a few days before her death. In the early hours of October 25, 1938, Alfonsina threw herself from the jetty at the Club Argentino de Mujeres in Mar del Plata, meeting her end in the waters of the Atlantic; however, many prefer to believe that Alfonsina calmly walked out into the embrace of the sea, slowly disappearing into its depths.
In 1969, Ariel Ramírez—one of Argentina's greatest composers of folk music—wrote the song Alfonsina y el mar as an homage to Alfonsina Storni. Inspired by images from her last work, lyricist Félix Luna's words beautifully evoke the ill-fated poet's suicide through touching and evocative metaphors. This moving tribute to Alfonsina never fails to give me goose bumps, especially when sung by the incomparable Mercedes Sosa.
Alfonsina and The Sea
By Ariel Ramírez and Félix Luna [original Spanish lyrics]
English translation by Jean Peccei
From the soft sand lapped by the sea,
Your little footprint will never come back.
A path full of pain and suffering
Reaches the deep water;
A path of silent grief
Leads to the waves.
Only God knows what anguish you had,
What ancient pains silenced your voice.
Lying down, lulled by the song
Of the conch shells,
The songs that the conchs sing
In the dark depths of the sea.
Alfonsina, you have left with your loneliness.
What new poems are you seeking?
An ancient voice of the wind and the sea
Breaks off your soul and carries it away.
And you follow, as in your dreams,
Asleep, Alfonsina, clothed with the sea.
Five little mermaids will take you
Along paths of seaweed and coral,
And phosphorescent sea horses
Will swim around you.
And the creatures of the water
Will soon play at your side.
Dim the lamp a little more for me.
Let me sleep in peace.
And if he calls, don't tell him that I'm here.
Tell him that Alfonsina will not return.
And if he calls, don't ever tell him that I'm here—
Say that I have gone.
Alfonsina, you have left with your loneliness.
What new poems are you seeking?
An ancient voice of the wind and the sea
Breaks off your soul and carries it away.
And you follow, as in your dreams,
Asleep, Alfonsina, clothed with the sea.
[Photo credit: Martín Gardeazabal]
Read More......Direct from Mar del Plata, I bring you yet another unfortunate but amusing Argentine brand name (that is, if you happen to speak English). Satisfy your snack food cravings with one of the many products brought to you by…
[A sponsorship banner at an outdoor soccer field in Mar del Plata, Argentina]
Holly Kraps offers a full line of snacks including salted peanuts, potato chips, shoestring potatoes, and crunchy coated peanuts.
Want more funny brand names from Argentina? Take a look at previous posts here, here and here, too!
Read More......![Alfajores Marplatenses [Havanna-style] by katiemetz, on Flickr](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5873118014_9ecdc539c6_m.jpg "Alfajores Marplatenses [Havanna-style] by katiemetz, on Flickr")
We're celebrating Argentina's beloved sandwich cookie, the alfajor! The alfajor takes many forms, with different regions of the country whipping up their own unique versions, from triple-layered affairs oozing with dulce de leche and bathed in chocolate to jam-filled confections glazed with sugar. To spread the love about all things alfajor, my blogging pals and I have joined forces to bake and photograph six different types of these cookies. At the bottom of my post, you'll find links to visit everyone's recipes. Make the rounds on the alfajor tour and decide which one tickles your fancy!
The recipe for the classic alfajor marplatense, two cookies joined with a layer of dulce de leche and coated in semisweet or white chocolate, was created in the 1940s by the owners of a Mar del Plata café known as Havanna. Over the years, as these sweet treats grew in fame, a box of Havanna alfajores turned into an indispensable gift to take home to friends and family following a visit to Mar del Plata, an immensely popular seaside resort in Argentina. Today the company turns out the most well-known – if not necessarily the best-loved – alfajores in all of Argentina.
![Coffee and an Alfajor at Havanna, Mar del Plata, Argentina by FotosEli / Elizabeth Lovelace [used with permission of photographer]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zqnLbc_r1As/TgiISLyw0mI/AAAAAAAAA2s/HY48Si7Bx_c/IMG_37531.jpg?imgmax=800 "Coffee and an Alfajor at Havanna, Mar del Plata, Argentina by FotosEli / Elizabeth Lovelace [used with permission of photographer]") | ![Havanna Alfajor [alfajor marplatense] by FotosEli / Elizabeth Lovelace [used with permission of photographer]](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GkxSMI6B6_c/TgiITaCiLXI/AAAAAAAAA2w/4FJqxsR6egY/IMG_37551.jpg?imgmax=800 "Havanna Alfajor [alfajor marplatense] by FotosEli / Elizabeth Lovelace [used with permission of photographer]") |
These days, scores of brands of alfajores marplatenses exist, both artisanal and mass-produced, and Argentines have very strong feelings on the subject of best alfajor. For example, many people from Necochea swear allegiance to Lagrifa, a brand of alfajor marplatense produced right here in my city. The first time I visited Necochea, Daniel's family gifted me a box of assorted alfajores from Lagrifa with its colorful package displaying a beach scene.
Alfajores marplatenses come in several flavor combinations including cookies filled with dulce de membrillo and covered with a light merengue and others stuffed with chocolate cream and bathed in yet more chocolate. And while just two cookies are the norm, some prefer three-layered alfajores known as alfajores triples. However, the classic alfajor marplatense with dulce de leche claims the most faithful followers, and here you have a recipe to recreate these delights in your own kitchen!
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Alfajores Marplatenses | Chocolate-covered Sandwich Cookies with Dulce de Leche
Adapted from a recipe by La Cocina de Ile
Ingredients
12 Tbsp. [1 1/2 sticks] butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp. Nutella [chocolate hazelnut spread]
zest of 1 orange
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
3 c. flour
2/3 c. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. baking powder
approx. 1 1/2 c. dulce de leche repostero [this type is thicker and primarily used as a filling for desserts – substitute regular dulce de leche if unavailable]
16 oz. semisweet chocolate or white chocolate [or substitute baño para repostería if available and omit shortening]
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
Directions
In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, Nutella, orange zest, egg and milk [mixture will look lumpy], and set aside.
In a separate, large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the wet ingredients. Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until they come together to form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and lightly knead the dough, just until smooth and uniform. Form the dough into a ball, and place it in the refrigerator to rest for at least 5 minutes.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 to 3/16 inch [yes, use a ruler]. Keep the dough on the thin side if you want to make triple-decker alfajores. Using a 2 or 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter [or even a drinking glass], cut out circles of dough. Gather and reroll the scraps. Arrange the circles of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone baking mats, and place in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until dough hardens.
Bake in a preheated 375ºF oven for 5 to 7 minutes. The dough will puff slightly. You want the cookies to be just barely cooked through without browning. If you overbake the cookies, they will be dry and crumbly rather than moist. Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to completely cool.
Spread a generous amount of dulce de leche over the flat side of a cookie, and top it with another cookie, flat side down. Add another layer of dulce de leche and one more cookie for triple-decker alfajores.
Melt the chocolate and the shortening together in a stainless steel bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring frequently [tips on melting chocolate]. Keep the chocolate warm as you dip the alfajores.
Dip the alfajores one by one into the chocolate, using a fork to turn them over and then lift them out. Allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl before transferring the alfajor to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.
Store the alfajores in a tightly-sealed container overnight, separating the cookies with parchment. This step improves the texture of the alfajores, especially if they spent a touch too long in the oven.
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Take the Alfajor Tour!
Alfajores salteños from Paula at Buenos Aires Foodies and Bee My Chef
Alfajores de maizena from Ana at Ana Travels
Alfajores cordobeses from Aledys at From Argentina to the Netherlands, For Love!
Alfajores santafesinos from Meag at A Domestic Disturbance
Alfajores mendocinos from Rebecca at From Argentina With Love
The city of Mar del Plata [map], located along the Atlantic coast about 250 miles south of the Argentine capital, was initially conceived of as a summer resort for the Buenos Aires elite. These days, Argentina's rich and famous tend to head to beaches in Uruguay and Brazil; however, Mar del Plata remains a popular summer destination for many Argentines. The city is also home to a thriving port and fishing fleet, which provided jobs for recently-arrived Italian immigrants in the early 1900s.
Let's have a look back at Mar del Plata in its early years.
[Faro Punta Mogotes – here's the lighthouse as it looks now.]
[If you squint hard enough, I'm almost sure you'll find Mary Poppins among this group of well-dressed ladies and gents.]
[Between 1905 and 1920, camel rides on the beach were offered as an exotic activity for tourists.]
[Beachgoers at Playa Bristol – here's what this stretch of beach looks like today. Don't you just love the bathing costumes?]
[Reality check: not everyone in Mar del Plata was there on vacation. These washerwomen worked down along the banks of Arroyo del Barco, by the port.]
[Horses dragged fishing boats out into the sea.]
[Plaza San Martín and Catedral de los Santos Pedro y Cecilia – here's the cathedral today.]
If you're interested in more photos and stories about Mar del Plata's past, take a look at the blog Historia de Mar del Plata [Spanish only], the Wikipedia page on the history of the city [English], or this set of vintage photos on Flickr.
[Photo credits: All photos from the collection of rodrimdq]
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