If you want to enjoy the real harmony between humans and nature, discover the interior Atlantic rainforest in the heart of the Misiones Jungle.
Flora and Fauna compete the history of this place. Iguazú Falls is definitely one of the best destinations to visit in Argentina and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The vegetation and the butterflies display the greatest variety of colors you will ever see.
Options to explore Iguazú Falls are infinite: romantic experiences under the moonlight on a walk towards the famous “Garganta del Diablo”; adrenaline from rafting; ecological train rides; Hummingbird gardens with 15 different species; gemstone mines, and much more.
Only 2 hours from Iguazú, we can live an unforgettable experience in a hidden haven for nature lovers. Yacutinga and it’s wildlife Reserve, is a sustainable lodge located deep in the pristine part of the Misiones Jungle. The immeasurable force of nature touches the tourists that come together from around the world with the expectation of seeing miracles of biodiversity. Amongst the greenery, the lodge is a comfortable shelter in complete harmony with the environment.
Activities guided by ecologists and Yoga classes are only some of the interactions you’ll have with the surrounding jungle atmosphere. This place will deeply expand your senses to nature.
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We had so much fun making this video class for Yelp's Saturdays with Small Businesses. The original recipe is here. As you can see, sipping mate is a vital part of the process. Let us know how it goes. We want to see!
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If you want to see the penguins, seals, and orcas (who doesn't?), you can take the End of the World Train to Tierra del Fuego National Park, which features some of the most dramatic scenery nature can offer. Or visit the End of the World Museum where Ushuaia's history as a Yámana, English, and Argentine settlement, including its years as a prison colony, are on display. Choo choo!
]]>We all need a little sweetness during these tough times. And because Wooden Table Baking believes we are truly sweeter together, we decided to give away 3 Chocolate Gift Baskets to folks who truly earned a chocolate boost. The winners are Shaylyn Gulickson, Xander Nalley, and Winifred Nandawula. Congratulations! All nominees will receive a little something from us, because we can't help but share the love.
Thank you for all of the many amazing nominations. We were blown away not only by the nominees' generosity and kindness, but also by the nominators' loving tributes, so we decided to share them below. Besos!
Chocolate Hoard Winner Xander Nalley nominated by Fern: "I am homeless, and during the quarantine period they built me a tiny home I could stay in and did so much incredible work for me. Because of the effort they put in, I feel safe during this time. It was incredibly selfless."
Chocolate Hoard Winner Winifred Nandawula nominated by Paul: My mother, Winifred Nandawula has more than earned her chocolate. She works as a caretaker at a mental disabilities facility during the week, and a rehabilitation clinic during the weekend --all while taking classes for nursing school. Not to mention, she's been there for me and my siblings, especially after my father was forced to leave the country for immigration reasons. This year, my youngest sibling will graduate high school. While we celebrate her, we'd also love to celebrate our mom for not only carrying us all this far, but also being oh so sweet while doing it.
Chocolate Hoard Winner Shaylyn Gulickson nominated by Marcos: I would like to nominate my lovely wife, Shaylyn Gulickson! I introduced her to alfajores (I'm Argentinian, born in Rosario, came to the US when I was only 2) when we first started dating. Every time we go to my parents house my mom sends her home with some alfajores, either home made or store bought, and she LOVES them. My wife was a Disney princess in DIsneyland Anaheim when I first met her, and she truly embodies that still to this day. She is so caring and kind and nice towards everyone she meets.
She now teaches local kids ballet to toddlers and kids (ages 1.5-6) at Tutu School in Alameda, Montclair and Walnut Creek, although now it's all virtual from our 1 bedroom apartment in Oakland, as you can see below. She is also a Behavioral Health Educator for Kaiser Permanente teaching mental classes to the community (she was previously an associate MFT) and also trains professionals in several mental health awareness classes, as well as being certified to teach community Positive Discipline parenting classes. She has a heart of gold!
She's also 10 weeks pregnant! We're extremely excited to have our first child, but she's been having a TERRIBLE pregnancy. She throws up a lot all throughout the day and is constantly dizzy, nauseous and tired. I have had to cook very plainly for her as she has a lot of food aversions, it's been tough. She's limited to very plain food, but her sweet tooth still persists! Lately she's been picking up empanadas and alfajores from you guys about twice a week! She can still eat alfajores, although not much else, and that's why I think she deserves a hoard of chocolate! You'll help brighten up her day as she navigates through being a sick, now-vulnerable (pregnant) population during these trying times. And you'd be helping me keep her happy! It's been tough.
Juaga is a yellowy-orange tropical fruit with a thick rind that ranges in size from orange to melon. Prevalent in the Amazon, it is native to South America, the Caribbean and Central America. Juaga tastes a bit like dried apple or quince when ripe. Used in sweets, syrups, and liquor, it is perhaps best known for its vibrant natural dye ranging from light brown to jet black. The oxidized pigment can last for up to 20 days - making it a great temporary tattoo ink. Juaga has been cultivated for 100's of years and is also used for medicinal purposes, combatting everything from colds to parasites. You can get your very own non-juaga-dyed black Wooden Table T-shirt on our website. It will probably last for more than 20 days - depending on what you do in it. Photo courtesy of Brian Gratwicke.
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Inside Northern Argentina's Ischigualasto National Park lies the Valley of the Moon, named after the rugged, otherworldly geological structures that dot its lunar-like landscape. About 230 million years ago (Late Triassic), the area was a lush floodplain dominated by rivers, rainfall and dinosaurs. Rock deposits that formed slowly over time still stand tall and now sit alongside some of the oldest known dinosaur remains, which are the world's foremost in regards to quality, number and importance. The carnivorous archosaur Herrerasaurus is the most numerous of these dinosaur fossils.
Some of the rocks have been rounded smooth as marbles by the park’s near constant winds. These are referred to as "Cancha de Bochas" or the Bowling Field. For some reason, these remind me of bonbons. Perhaps because I'm as hungry as a dinosaur right now.
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Andres has concocted a special St. Patrick's Day treat for us all: Whiskey and Cold Brew Alfajores - like a Latin American Irish coffee in heavenly garb. For the unaficionado, here's some background on whiskey. Distilling techniques were brought to Ireland and Scotland sometime between 1100 and 1300 by monks, and were limited to apothecaries and monasteries until the late 15th century. Wine was already being distilled around the world, but it was not easily obtained on the cold isles, so physicians tried distilling beer instead - thus was born whiskey. Both Ireland and Scotland claim to have given birth to whiskey, and historians suggest avoiding this conflict at all costs.
What is the difference between whiskey, scotch and bourbon? None! Whiskey is the overarching category of spirits under which scotch and bourbon fall. Both scotch and bourbon get their names from places – scotch from Scotland and bourbon from Bourbon County, Kentucky. Whiskey can refer to any kind of whiskey – Irish, Japanese, Canadian, American, scotch, bourbon and more, but remember whiskey is the Irish spelling, and whisky is the Scottish one. Just to keep you on your toes. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all - undeniably Irish in origin.
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In the southern Andes along the border between Argentina and Chile lies Thunder Mountain - so named for the sounds of its eight cracking glaciers and seracs. Our Tronador Truffles crackle with mint chocolate baked right into the cookie base. This dulce de leche-filled chocolate mountain has more mint in store once you reach the top, which makes for a refreshingly decadent ascent.
Topping out at 11,660 feet, Mount Tronador towers above the popular Argentine resort town of San Carlos de Bariloche as well as Lake Nahuel Huapi. In the 1950s, the lake's small island of Huemul was home to a secret Argentine effort to develop the world's first fusion reactor, the Thermotron. The concept was led by Austrian scientist Ronald Richter, who convinced then president Juan Domingo Perón that he could provide Argentina with unlimited power. The project received over $300 million modern US dollars from 1948 to 1952, and unfortunately didn't work. Perón was overthrown in 1955, and Richter was arrested for fraud, but the facilities can still be visited. I'm in!
Don't worry our Tronador Truffles are technically not radioactive.
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On the border between Argentina and Chile in Patagonia, freshwater mermaids frolic in an astoundingly colorful Marble Cave Cathedral. These intricate marble caverns were hewn by the waves of the glacial-fed Lake General Carrera over thousands of years. Glacial silt helps make the water shine with an insane vibrant blue.
The different colors bouncing off the walls and water depend on the lake’s seasonal water levels; shallow waters create a lighter blue, while deeper waters will result in a darker blue.The caves accessible by boat only are best seen at sunrise or sunset. Check out a video tour.
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Halva is a particularly international dish popular in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Central Asia and the Americas. In each locale, its name and ingredients slightly differ. Egyptians called it halawa and mixed in pistachios, almonds or pine nuts, while Indians shortened the name to halva and flavored it with regional products such as ghee, coconuts and dates. In Iran, it is one of the dishes with which to break the Ramadan fast. In the US, the candy’s biggest promoter was Nathan Radutzky, a young Jew from Kiev who produced his first batch of halvah in his garage on the Lower East Side in 1907. Happy Halva!
Día del Amigo is this Saturday - time to celebrate our friends and friend families. What's International Friends Day? A day when we gather with friends, exchange gifts, and share a meal and some toasts to celebrate our friendship. Sure, it is celebrated in other countries (usually on a different day), but it's a real big deal in Argentina where bars and restaurants are filled to the rafters with friend parties. According to urban legend, one year the amount of well-wishing friends broke the mobile phone network in Buenos Aires.
Friends Day founder and friend advocate, Dr. Enrique Ernesto Febbraro, chose July 20th because it is the day Neil Armstrong landed on the moon - and made a grand gesture of friendship between humanity and the universe. And it's the 50th anniversary of that there landing - one more reason to celebrate with moon-shaped alfajores!
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For the love of Christ, I curse every day I spent without knowing Wooden Table's nibbles.
Moved by the ecstasy stirred by its presence, I compose these words; blinded by its stony chocolate, I write down its hieroglyphics; moved by its purple dulce de leche, hearing everything I want to hear from it, which it never quite finishes saying – rumor of incandescent magma, deep whisper – I endeavor to transcribe its untranslatable speech.
“Wooden Table,” small name for such magnitude. But with what kind of luck could the symbols of our poor alphabet reflect the entire potency of its muscular chocolate, muscular and angelic, angelic and robust? How - the greatness of its dulce de leche?, that enigmatic body, portal to the don't know where, blackest knot of obscurity and source of never-ending pleasure; heavy, too heavy, not moral, made of matter that is not of this world, eternal.
Even though their wrapping so informs us, these cones couldn't possibly be born in California, United States. (They will sooner be the idols of a foreign cult in Tlön.) But, in any case, it's in Oakland that God serves. One night in La Falda, at the end of the second day of the National Festival of the Alfajor, someone by the name of Andreas – winged messenger or chosen prophet – appeared to me, gave me a box, and returned North.
Better than Havanna, better than Cachafaz? No: because it's a sin to equate the secular with the divine. It stings to see them between air and everyday things; like bombs of emptiness, they disturb reality, they undo it. What are they? Small primitive mountains, pertaining to a golden era where everything was purity, where everything was essence: the essential chocolate, the essential dulce de leche, the essential biscuit. Perhaps that.
Its image burns, but it is in vain: these blurry words aren't adequate to capture its essence, which is ineffable. That's why I choose those of others, those of a poet that sang to a cone that escaped the earth: “Give me your immutable stupor and the peace of your geological sphinx stillness.”
I shall silence my stammer, then; let the ancestral voice of these fucking phenomenal cones reverberate.
Throughout Argentina, friends and family sit down for a yerba mate sharing circle - often at least once a day. It is a time to relax and enjoy each other’s company and toast to friendship. Here's how:
First off, what is yerba mate? Funny you should ask. Yerba mate tea leaves hail from a species of holly tree (Ilex paraguariensis) - native to a region of northern Argentina, southern Brazil, and eastern Paraguay called the Matto Grosso or Interior Atlantic Forest. The Guarani Indians of South America first discovered the rejuvenating qualities and health benefits of yerba mate and gave the drink its name. Mate means “gourd” (the traditional drinking vessel) and yerba means “tea.” It tastes somewhat like green tea, with hints of tobacco and oak.
Yerba mate is popular throughout South America, and each country prepares and shares it in its won unique way. Argentinians are the biggest consumers of mate, slurping up 260,000 tons a year; that’s about 11 pounds per person. Here are some tips for preparing and drinking mate the Argentine way:
Preparation
You can follow our adventures on Facebook and Instagram. Our itineraries include Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Salta, Cafayette and Patagonia. We'll bring back as much food wisdom and inspiration as possible to share with you all.
]]>Located in northern Argentina, Cerro Blanco is a caldera volcano whose past activity formed one of the most extreme megaripple fields on earth. Really, I just wanted a chance to say 'megaripple field.' The ripples were formed by wind whipping gravel, lava and salt into solid waves that go on for miles. Just thinking of crossing these makes me hungry. We of course paired this mountain with our white chocolate truffle (aka conito). I know what you're thinking when I say white chocolate. I've been a nonfan of the stuff for ages, but I decided to educate myself about this chocolate imposter. My love of conitos is just that strong.
Ok, so it turns out, white chocolate really is chocolate - cocoa making up to 45% of its mass. Dark chocolate is a mix of cocoa nibs, sugar, emulsifiers, and flavorings suspended in cocoa butter. White chocolate switches out the cocoa nibs for milk solids, but it's still floating in cocoa butter. Cocoa being the operative word here. The result is smooth and satiny.
And apparently I’ve been eating the bad kind (thanks America). Pure white chocolate should only contain sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids and, possibly, lecithin and vanilla. It should be slightly yellow or ivory, not bright white (which means it's been bleached and probably deodorized). And it should have a chocolate-y smell and taste. It goes without saying that we here at Wooden Table Baking Co. only use the good kind of white chocolate for our truffles. Andreas is after all on a mission to make the yummiest treats possible, and these white chocolate mountains filled with dulce de leche are honestly delectable!
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One of my Mafalda favorite quotes: "Ya que amarnos los unos a los otros no resulta, ¿Por qué no probamos amarnos los otros a los unos?"
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If you've ever wondered why Andres refuses to carry soy drinks at the cafe, here's a glimpse - Rio Nuevo. Argentina is contending with the sudden appearance of new rivers carving their way across the landscape and creating havoc along the way. One of the reasons for these rivers: Argentina's largest export, soya beans, which have led to widespread deforestation. Soya beans have consumed some 25.9 million acres of native forest in the last 10 years. So we at Wooden Table have committed to consuming less soy. More info
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