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© 2007 Dan Perlman
Casa SaltShaker
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Chef: Dan Perlman
Host: Henry Tapia
November 23-25, 2007
We got to the world of Turkish cuisine this past weekend via a norteamericano tradition - Thanksgiving, or as it tends to be known colloquially, “turkey day”. Numerous requests for a repeat of last year’s t-day gathering came in, but I wanted to do something different, and when I saw that this weekend was the celebration of Teachers’ Day in Turkey… well, the wheels started to spin, etc., and though no bird of the gobble-gobble sort was in evidence, we had fun exploring some of the flavor combinations that come to us from Turkish cuisine.
Thoughts from some of our guests:
"We had an "A" number 1, first class good time. You and Henry are marvelous hosts and your culinary art is "bang on" as the Brits say. We'd come again in a heartbeat, and we know K... and R... had a good time as well. What to do better? Hmmm ... well, the apartment was suffused with marvelous aroma that somehow didn't quite make it into the chicken ... but you seemed to know that. I personally wouldn't fret over it; but I'm sure you'll modify something. Beyond that, the food was stellar. We had a creative, unusual experience with people we would never have met otherwise ... and, on balance, we had a great dinner." - J.S."We loved the experience of dinner at your home and meeting some interesting people. It is a great way to meet people down here and you do serve beautifully." - L.A.
"As always it was good.. i recommended it to another local friend of mine." - J.A.
"Just wanted to say thanks for a great dinner and fun evening - I don't really have any major feedback.. thought it was delish.. the wines too. Since cooked vegetables seem to be a rarity in Argentina, I at least would always welcome finding them!" - G.S.
"M... and I both feel that honest constructive criticism is always best, having said that we cannot find any to give you. We had a great time, loved the menu, the company and both you and Henry were so friendly and attentive. Thanks for helping make our night a special one." - V.B.
"The food was fabulous and the company fun. It was a great experience." - A.A.
"We enjoyed our dinner with you - though the undercooked chicken was a disappointment. It would have been nice to visit with you a little more. I guess I was envisioning a dinner a little more like I have experienced in B&B's in France, in a couple of instances I have made friends with the owners - and keep in touch from time to time. Though I understand that it's hard to spend a lot of time visiting when you're busy preparing the meal. Your choices for wine were great - we enjoyed them all. We would definitely return in the future." - P.S.
