About Arthur: The New York Times Magazine called Arthur Schwartz “a walking Google of food and restaurant knowledge.” As the restaurant critic and executive food editor of the New York Daily News, which he was for 18 years, he was called The Schwartz Who Ate New York. Nowadays, he is best known as The Food Maven, the name of his website. Whatever the sobriquet, he is acknowledged as one of the country’s foremost experts on food, cooking, culinary history, restaurants, and restaurant history.
The NYC Insiders Guide
for women who aren't kids
The Food Maven Archives
Arthur Schwartz
The Food Maven
15% off Extra virgin olive oil handcrafted from Villa Cappelli in Puglia, Italy. Experts say that the olive oil from Puglia is some of the most palatable in the world, characterized by its digestibility and high vitamin content.
1/2 Liter~16.9 ounces, regularly
$20.00, now $17 for tomatoes. Buy now.
Home / Archives / Experts / NYC Nightlife / NYC Shopping / NYC Restaurants/ Food&Recipes / Reviews / Events / Books&Movies / About Us
 | ||||
Just released. Arthur Schwartz's Newest Cookbook. Available at Amazon and major booksellers everywhere.
Chimichurri from Argentina
There are many, perhaps even an infinite number of versions of chimichurri, the sauce condiment that Argentineans serve with grilled meats and poultry.
In a book I bought in Buenos Aires a couple of years ago, "How Argentina Cooks" ("Asi Cocinan Los Argentinos"), there are five recipes:
Chimichurri, which is a blend of parsley, garlic, cumin, oregano, hot paprika or ground chili, plus diced tomato, scallion, and sweet red pepper; Garlic Chimichurri, a heavier hit of garlic and a few supporting spices, but no tomato or sweet pepper; Hot Chimichurri, a bigger hit of chili, no parsley, plus sugar; Tomato Chimichurri (like a Mexican pico di gallo salsa), and Parsley Chimichurri ... you get the picture. "Vinaigrette" in Argentinean cookery refers to an oil-and-acid marinade for meat, fish and poultry, not a dressing or sauce, but all chimichurri recipes are also based on "salad" oil, plus an acid, which can be red or white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice. Those two ingredients are their only commonality.
Chimichurri
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
These are my own proportions, devised from reading dozens of recipes and eating chimichurri many times. To it, you might add a small plum tomato, diced, or about 3 tablespoons finely minced sweet red pepper. I made it with white wine vinegar and used it on a thick piece of sea trout that I cooked in small amount of olive oil in a skillet on top of the stove.
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground hot pepper, or more to taste (can be hot paprika, Turkish pepper,
or any American chili, but not commercial chili powder, or use hot red pepper
flakes)
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 large cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife, then finely minced (about 4
teaspoons)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 scallions, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
You can serve the chimichurri immediately, or let it sit at room temperature for up to 12 hours. It should be consumed the same day it is made.
