Seashells and Sunflowers | Necochea, Argentina

Showing posts with label superstitions. Show all posts

Toast the New Year with Lemon Champ

With New Year's Eve only a day away, I've been working to finalize our special dinner menu. We typically ring in the holidays here with a glass of sidra (a sweet sparkling alcoholic apple cider) or champagne; however, it's nice to switch things up a bit now and again. So, this New Year's we're going to toast with a delicious and refreshing champagne cocktail known as Lemon Champ.

The first time I ever tried this tasty beverage was at a restaurant here in Necochea called the Taberna Española, where it was listed on the menu as Limonchamp; however, Mr. Google says the more popular spelling is Lemon Champ. Regardless of how you spell it, this drink is a simple, elegant and festive way to ring in the New Year (or any other special occasion).

Along with the typical menu and drinks prepared by Argentines for Christmas and New Year's, a few other traditions are observed as the year draws to an end. In Buenos Aires, some individuals and businesses shred old calendars, magazines and documents from the past year and toss them out the window like confetti. Out with the old and in with the new, I suppose.

Also, many Argentine women uphold the tradition of wearing a brand new pair of pink panties (or red, according to some) on New Year's Eve to bring luck, money, or a boyfriend, in the case of single ladies. These undies must be received as a gift on Christmas, preferably from a female friend or family member, in order to function as a good luck charm.

So, put on your pink knickers, grab a glass of Lemon Champ, and toast to a New Year filled with love, health, happiness and success. ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Lemon Champ | Champagne Cocktail with Lemon Sorbet
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pint lemon sorbet
750 mL bottle brut champagne, chilled
twists of lemon zest or fresh strawberries, for garnish [optional]

Directions

Remove sorbet from freezer and let soften for about 10 minutes. Scoop sorbet into a large pitcher. Pour half the bottle of champagne over the sorbet, and stir briskly to blend. Pour into champagne flutes, filling each glass halfway. Top off each flute with champagne from the bottle. Garnish each glass with a twist of lemon zest or a strawberry, if desired. Serve immediately.

[Image credit: evalottchen]

Red Wine and Watermelon: A Deadly Mix?

Did you know you will die if you drink red wine and eat watermelon together? According to an old wives' tale widely circulated in Argentina, the mix of red wine and watermelon produces a lethal cocktail in your stomach.

I like to live dangerously. Watermelon + Red Wine = Death While most Argentines who subscribe to this myth are firmly convinced that consuming a bottle of red and a slice of watermelon spells certain death, some believe the combination merely leads to digestive upset. Still others would have you abstain from any type of alcohol if you're in the mood for a refreshing piece of watermelon, lest you be found lifeless the following day. How sad to think that few Argentines have sampled the joys of a drunken watermelon (or perhaps they have but didn't live to tell the tale).

Next, I present the following compelling scientific arguments, gleaned from various trustworthy, academic Spanish-language sources such as Yahoo! Answers Argentina, as to how the combination of red wine and watermelon kills you:

» The combination of the two causes intestinal paralysis.
» Wine chemically boosts the level of the naturally-occurring toxin arsenic in watermelon.
» The wine makes the watermelon harden in the gut, creating a "cork" that blocks digestion.
» The mixture of the two produces some sort of fatal metabolic reaction within the body.

Apparently, no one told Martha Stewart or The New York Times about the deadly mix that occurs when these two substances unite. If you like to live on the edge, sample these recipes featuring the killer combo: Sangria Soup and Watermelon and Red Wine Drink.

If I don't post next week, you'll know why.

Argentine Wedding Superstitions about Rain

Want to avoid rain on your wedding day? Here are various Argentine superstitions and customs that supposedly ward off the storm clouds.

1) Stick a knife in the ground.

2) Sprinkle salt in the shape of a cross in the garden or yard.

3) Bury an egg in the ground.

4) Take eggs to the Sisters of St. Clare of Assisi, the patron saint of good weather, and ask that the nuns pray for a rain-free wedding day and a happy marriage. This custom originated in Spain and was later adopted by Argentine brides looking for a way to ensure sunny skies on the day of their nuptials. Argentine brides also deliver eggs by the dozen to the Benedictine Nuns of St. Scholastica (patron saint invoked against rain and storms) and the Discalced (Barefoot) Carmelite Nuns.

Should you require an umbrella on your big day, don't fret. The Argentines believe that rain on your wedding day brings good luck.

Speaking of weddings, if you want to get all the details on a super lux wedding in Buenos Aires taking place this coming weekend, check out the blog of the fabulous Andi Perullo at My Beautiful Adventures. Congratulations to the bride and groom! ¡Felicitaciones a los novios!

[Photo credit: La Nación]