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© 2008 Dan Perlman
Casa SaltShaker
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Chef: Dan Perlman
Host: Henry Tapia
December 28-30, 2007
Seventy years ago this past weekend, Ireland came into being as a republic, by declaration of constitution. Prior to that, for a few years it was the “Irish Free State” and prior to that it was simply a part of the United Kingdom. It’s sometimes surprising to encounter these little tidbits, as some countries seem to have existed throughout recorded history - but, ’tisn’t true. In celebration of this anniversary, we decided to have some fun with both traditional dishes and some modern takes on Irish cuisine - something that to many might seem an oxymoron - but trust me, it’s not all corned beef and cabbage, nor potatoes (though they do figure in heavily at some moments…).
Thoughts from some of our guests:
"We had a great time and really enjoyed the food. As I said on our way out, the seafood chowder-type thing was my favorite. I was surprised by how good the salmon was (I'm from Seattle, so I was expecting to be let down... wasn't at all, though) and I liked the soup, though it wasn't A...'s cup of tea. Our one complaint was that the dishes came pretty quickly, that there wasn't a ton of time spent digesting and talking and sooner than we expected the evening was over. I suppose the pace is hard to set because one group might sit there in awkward silence or forced conversation, so they'd look forward to moving on, but our group got along great and I would have liked to draw that out more. I thought your presence as a host was perfect and Henry's was as well. Thank you for the experience - we'd suggest it to anyone coming through BA!" - M.G.
"We all had a wonderful time at your home. The food and wine were both great. It was probably the most fun evening of my stay in BA. Thanks so much." - P.M.
"Thank you again for a lovely dinner - the food was superb and it was a pleasure mingling with the great group of guests. I'm definitely recommending it to fellow travelers." - C.A.
"We had a fantastic time and the meal was excellent. I was a little unsure when I first read the menu. Irish Food? Your creations were inventive and fun. In the future we'll be sure to refer any friends or family who might be in BA." - M.E.
"Thank you for such a special evening. I have never eaten Irish food in such a quisine type of manner, with fitted wines ... and it worked! Perhaps the red wine was more geared for a big Argentinian grilled steak than for the Irish dish, but the sparlkling, the white and rose wines fitted superbly. The alternative, I guess, would have been Guiness, or Stout, but that would have defeated the point of trying new wines. I loved the way in which people were allowed to introduce themselves first and be seated around the table, which made for new connections, as I had hoped. In fact, afterwards the older Californian couple took me out for drinks in the Milion and Casa Cruz - a safe exotic adventure indeed for a novice to BsAs nightlife. And I got an address for outrageous tango shoes. So, it was great night out!" - H.
"First off, sorry for being late. The food was pretty good, by and large, although I know creating a 4-5 course menu out of purely Irish products is a challenge. The watercress soup (Colcannon) was ok, although not to most of our tastes. The pastel de mariscos was great, enjoyed by all! The salmon marinado was tasty, just the omelette that accompanied it was a little tough/rubbery. But the spices on the salmon covered for it. The wine pairings were very well done, nice work! In general I don't like Rose wines, but my friends commented to me that they enjoyed the wines. And finally, the cheesecake was a big hit! Great concept on these dinners, and I hope you have continued success." - M.I.
"But we want to send a warm THANK YOU/GRACIAS to you both for a lovely evening. The dinner was wonderful, the wines superb, and we loved the warm atmosphere you created. It was conducive to such fun conversation, and the highlight was all the great people that we shared the evening with. We credit you both with creating this kind of environment." - K.D.
"It was a lovely evening. I am so glad I found you and was able to come. It would definitely be one of the top things I would do again if I come to your town! Your a great chef!!!" - E.H.
"Thanks again for the wonderful evening at Casa SaltShaker on Saturday December 29, for welcoming us into your home and preparing a dinner with all the care and effort as if we were longstanding friends who would see each other regularly in the future. It was the culmination of my 3 week trip to Buenos Aires and Antarctica. I enjoyed the easy camaraderie among the guests and the opportunity to share our different experiences and perspectives as visitors to Buenos Aires, The food was interesting and sophisticated as well as a nice break from all the Argentine steaks I ate. The paced five course meal exceeded all the five course dinners I had in the previous two weeks aboard ship and the conversation was as convivial as with my shipboard tablemates who I had two whole weeks to get to know. I really enjoyed the wine pairings; I don't think I've ever had a dinner before with five different wines (just because it's difficult to arrange without a reasonably sized group) but I hope to try the experience again. I would have welcomed the opportunity to learn more about Buenos Aires from you, but since you have to spend your time in the kitchen I can't see how you could do this and also maintain the quality of the meal without extending the evening far later than would be reasonable. I'll just have to return some other time -- an experience I would anticipate with much pleasure." - T.S.
