2012 Cuenca Perspectives Collage

2012 Cuenca Perspectives Collage
VIVA CUENCA

VIVA CUENCA!

My mission in publishing this blog is first to provide a living history of my settlement and life in Cuenca, and to provide myself and the reader with a journal account delineating my reasons for why I have chosen to settle in Cuenca. Second, the posts are my way of staying in contact with family and friends back in the states, and to provide them with an understanding of a country and culture that most North Americans have little knowledge and awareness. Third, the blog is open to one and all who wish to compare and contrast the experiences of expat bloggers living in Cuenca, so that you can determine whether or not from your perspective Cuenca is an appropriate move for you. Fourth, my blog provides another example of how expats view and interpret life in Cuenca. Ecuadorians and Cuencanos who may read this blog are especially invited to post comments that may enhance all expats understanding and appreciation of Cuneca and its people, or to correct any misinterpretations in my assumptions and perceptions of Cuencano culture. Finally, I hope I can convey the feeling of love and appreciation that grows within me each passing day for this heavenly city nestled in the Andes and its very special people.

Sunday, February 21, 2021

MICHAEL WAGNER--MASTER CHEF-- PAELLA DINNER PARTY



 

The ninth of December 2020 was a most enjoyable celebration of Chef Michael Wagner's culinary wizardry, as he and his two  assistants, Mariano and David, prepared tapas and a champagne seafood paella dinner for approximately fifteen guests at my home.

Long before I arose from my night of slumber, Chef Michael arrived early in the morning to deliver all of the food needed for preparation as well as the grill for the cooking of the paella.  Michael, as his two assistants began preparing the creation of the tapas, would return later to explain and demonstrate the step-by-step process of his paella preparation to the guests, after they arrived and feasted on the tapas.


Tapas Preparation








                          David, below, cuts the meat to be used in the tapas.

 

Mariano sautés the garlic.




Below, the tapa begins to take form.






                     


Mathias Rios is one of the two brothers living with me to practice their English and I my Spanish.  Simultaneously, they also use  my Internet for their classes on Zoom, while the schools are closed in Cuenca due to the Covid.  Mathias is smacking his lips; waiting with anticipation to make his way through the tapas, as the finishing touches are added and soon to be served to our guests hot from the oven.



Four tapas were prepared, and beyond a doubt, they were the best tapas I ever enjoyed either in Cuenca, the United States, or in Spain.  Generally, I find tapas to be skimpy on toppings and fillings, and expensive, dry, or offering little in the way of a taste worth savoring.  The one exception was in Barcelona, where one tapas bar served great tapas, and they also cost me a fortune.  Michael's tapas were quite large, and could have been a meal in themselves.  Everybody commented on how superb the tapas were.  Michael made me a believer in how good tapas are when prepared properly and lovingly by chefs who value quality and artistry.





Below is a photo of Sherry Nadeau, Mike Jones, Betty Jones, and Nancy Kuehne as they enjoy conversation while beginning their trek into the world of tapas--Michael Wagner style.




                              


Maria Rosa and her son, Esteban Rios, the younger brother of Mathias Rios, as they both enjoy the tapas.

Below is the youngest Rios brother, Andres, who is enjoying his tapas while watching cartoons.  Rios means rivers in Spanish.  There are four rivers running through Cuenca like the Rio Tomebamba, which is the river only a short block from me.  The brothers claim that the four rivers are their primos or cousins.


Below are good friends Mike and Betty Jones with yours truly.


Friends Loren Kuehne, Jerry Ramos, and Sherri Nadeau


Below eight year old Andres, who is destined to be a favorite with the girls.



Also in attendance were friends Daniela Valez and her son, David.




I could not get the photo below to color properly.  David's hair kept coming out blue.  I was amazed that the best photo composition of Daniela and David came out in black and white--a great photo of a mother and her teen son.






Michael Wagner and the Paella Preparation


After our indulgence in the tapas, time for further conversation, and the arrival of Michael; we were ready for his presentation of how he prepares his Paella step by step.  Michael brought his own grill with him, which can vary in sizes dependent upon the number of people for whom he is cooking.








Michael is a true showman, who immensely enjoys cooking, and always shares his enthusiasm in his demonstrations.







Michael starts with his base of oils, green and red peppers, onions, and garlic. He explains the various spices and sauces he uses, the addition of champagne, and how they each add a variety of flavors that soon blend into a tantalizing, savoring sauce that permeates the seafood and sears in the taste.


Eventually, the bountiful langostinos (large prawns) are added, along with camarones (shrimp), calamares (squid), and the almejas (clams).





Maria Rosa and Chef Michael


Mike and Jim contributing our two cents worth.



Guests gather around to pickup points on Michael's cooking preparation.






The sight of the prepared skillet below was just mouth-watering, and a work of art to the eye.






Mathias, our food critic gives his seal of approval to Michael and David for an excellent outcome. While Michael can take full pride in a preparation more than well done with a thumbs up.






Truly a meal fit for a king.




Below Mike Jones and Esteban waiting to be served.



Below is David, Daniela, and Jim enjoying the paella.








Esteban and Sherry's Birthday Celebration


Michael also made the cake for our dessert and birthday celebration, although the birthday party was a surprise for Esteban's fourteenth birthday, we made sure that the cake would be made to Esteban's specifications, as Michael can make any cake or torta and postres (pastries) as desired.  The cake required chocolate, strawberries, whipped cream, and Michael's surprise of raspberries.  





                               


In the photo below, Mariano adds the finishing touches. If you are a chocoholic,  this cake is to absolutely die for.  It was chocolate decadency at its zenith. Very rich, fabulously moist, made with four different types of high quality chocolate including chocolate ganache.  The raspberries between the layers were a welcomed surprise, and complemented the moisture of the cake and set its flavor off beautifully.




As I recall, this was a four layer cake.  Luckily, for me I discovered that after everybody left for the evening; in the refrigerator there were two layers left over without the frosting, and only Mathias and Esteban to help me eat it.  The chocolate cake by itself was sooo incredibly good!  Michael was so considerate.


Birthday boy, Esteban, better known as "Joven Chevere" (Mister Cool)


Below is "Joven Chevere" with his very proud mother, Maria Rosa.



I finally remembered to sport my Panama hat.  All of which  have always been designed and created in Ecuador.  Teddy Roosevelt made the hats popular, which at the time were bought in Panama, and the name stuck.  While "chevere" means 'cool' in Ecuatoriano español.  Señor Mola, believe it or not, means Mr. Cool in the Castilian Spanish of Spain.  Thanks to everybody there, it was a cool party.


Sherry, my neighbor, also had her birthday that day.  While Esteban was turning fourteen, Sherry was enjoying her sweet sixteen birthday.


Michael led us in a rousing Happy Birthday chorus for our two stars, and Sherry left it to Esteban to blow out the candles.  Esteban learned quickly that is was no easy task as the candles kept reigniting.





Michael also did the honors of cutting the cake.  As demonstrated by Loren and Nancy, whip cream was a must as well, as if the cake wasn't rich enough.


Below, while enjoying the cake, in the back behind Jerry, one can see Mathias playing the guitar as background music to entertain us.  As long as I live, I will always associate 'Bello Ciao' with the Rios brothers.



Old my goodness!  Whose piece of cake is that, and the whipped cream hasn't been added yet?!?!






All and all, it was a memorable evening with great friends enjoying and indulging in Michael Wagner's extraordinary skills and experience as a master chef, which made for a wonderful time and a extraordinary meal.  Cuenca is so very lucky to be blessed with Michael and his superb talents.

Michael Wagner

Chef Michael also offers cooking classes for up to ten people, either in your home or in his culinary kitchen.
He also offers catering for all kinds of celebrations--large and small.

Michael's Contact:
+(593) 099 946 6241

Michael's Email:
michaelwagner77@hotmail.com

Michael's Restaurant: Restaurante Rancho Alegre
It is of typical Ecuadorian meals and almuerzos.
Address: In middle of Panamericana sur, 15 minutes from the center of the city of Cuenca, Ecuador.

English:

Spanish:






Friday, August 21, 2020

Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: CUENCA ECUADOR -- MICHAEL WAGNER -- MASTER CHEF

Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: CUENCA ECUADOR -- MICHAEL WAGNER -- MASTER CHEF: This is a video of Master Chef, Michael Wagner,  a graduate of Cordon Blue Academy in his hometown of Lima, Peru.  Michael lives with his wi...

CUENCA ECUADOR -- MICHAEL WAGNER -- MASTER CHEF



This is a video of Master Chef, Michael Wagner, a graduate of Cordon Bleu Academy in his hometown of Lima, Peru.  Michael lives with his wife and three children in Cuenca, Ecuador.  He is the top caterer chef in the city.  The video shares Michael's background, his lessons in cooking classes available to the public and tourists.  His culinary genius, and his depth and spread of dining and food selections which are available for all occasions, and breath-takingly presented in this video.  Enjoy, a feast for the eyes!

Click on the video link below in English:


Click en el link para visualizarlo en Español:






 

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: THE PHENOMENAL IGUAZU FALLS OF BRAZIL - ARGENTINA

Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: THE PHENOMENAL IGUAZU FALLS OF BRAZIL - ARGENTINA: After Paul and Juana returned from the glaciers of Calafante, we spent a couple of days in Buenos Aries. We then flew to Iguazu Falls on the...

THE PHENOMENAL IGUAZU FALLS OF BRAZIL - ARGENTINA


After Paul and Juana returned from the glaciers of Calafante, we spent a couple of days in Buenos Aires. We then flew to Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian/Argentinian border, which was almost a two hour flight.  I guess I didn't do my due diligence, because I was unaware that their were two international airports by Iquazu Falls.  One airport on the Brazilian side is Foz de Iguacu/Cataratas International Airport, and is about five miles from the waterfalls.  The Argentinian airport is called Cataratas del Iguazu International Airport, which is about the same distance as the Brazilian airport to the Iguazu Falls National Park. 

We landed on the Argentinian side.  Our Airbnb hostess who was going to pick us up at the airport; informed us when she learned our flight tickets were for the wrong airport, that we would have to rent a taxi and drive to the border, pass through customs with our passports, and then she would pick us up on the Brazilian side of customs. It turns out that the town on the Argentinian side is called Puerto Iguazu.  While the town on the Brazilian side is Foz do Igacu, (Portuguese) and our Airbnb was in Foz do Igacu. It took almost an hour of riding with no more than ten minutes in customs, possibly because of wherever the customs office was located on the border, it may have taken us further away from the Falls.  

Foz do Igacu is spread out like a typical suburb in the U.S.  A car is needed to go practically everywhere.  We were fortunate in that our hostess or her son, often took us to destinations.  Otherwise we used taxis, since there is no Uber service in the town.

We did some grocery shopping, got settled in to our Airbnb, and rested for the next day's adventure.


Hotel Das Cataratas


The hotel above is one of the first things one sees when entering the National Park.

Paul went on a separate tour from Juana and myself.  He took the full day tour,  which included a boat ride on the river near one of the falls.  Juana and I took the half day tour.  All of us were on the Brazilian side, which provides spectacular panoramic views of the falls on the Argentinian side.




The Falls are impossible to capture in one panoramic view.  They extend quite a distance. 



Below is the Iguazu River.





Wherever you find a you-tube link under a photo, click on it.  You can experience the rushing sounds and sites of the moving falls.


Click on my Iguazu Falls 1 video here:



Click on my Iguazu Falls 2 video here:

Click on my Iguazu Falls 3 video here:


Click on my Iguazu Falls 4 video here:


Click on my Iguazu Falls 5 video here:




Juana and Jim


Click on my Iguazu Falls 6 video here:




Click on my Iguazu Falls 7 video here:



Below is an elevator that takes people down to the parking lot level.


People debate which side is it better to view the falls--the Ar gentian side or the Brazilian side?  Although we only visited the Brazilian side, it is the best for panoramic views of the falls.  On the Argentinian side it is best for getting up close and personal to the falls.  There are four walking or hiking paths on the Argentinian side.  The lowest brings you to below the falls, and you get very wet.  The second path takes you above the falls, as if you are looking down immediately above them.  The other paths offer different proximity to the falls as well.  It will take at least one full day to visit the Argentinian side, and two days if you choose to explore and walk all four paths.



The afternoon  tour in February (I try not to do morning anything, if I can avoid it on any day) was warm in the mid-80's, some humidity, and the forest around us was temperate.  In this part of Brazil, we were not in a rain forest.  Juana and I had great walking paths, and plenty of shade from the trees.  Our guide would appear at different locations along the way to be sure we were all right, and she provided a very good background of what to expect before the hike began, as she drove us to the entrance for the water falls in the national park.

Paul returned to the Airbnb later.  He was disappointed in the boat ride.  He didn't get close enough under the falls to make it exciting.  The ride was too long, and those who were on the tour with him and chose not to do the boat ride, basically walked on their own or stayed on the dock waiting for the boat to return. Paul also said their hiking paths offered little shade, so the sun made it very hot.  I would recommend the half day tour on the Brazilian side that Juana and I took.  The Iguazu Falls are spectacular, and a must see on any visit to Argentina/Brazil.

The following link will take you to the folder where all seven videos of the Iguazu Falls appear together in You Tube:

Friday, July 24, 2020

Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: CALAFANTE, ARGENTINA: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: CALAFANTE, ARGENTINA: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK: Well, I need to progress toward completion of my trip to Argentina, even if no one is traveling at this time.  There is always hope for ...

CALAFANTE, ARGENTINA: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK


Well, I need to progress toward completion of my trip to Argentina, even if no one is traveling at this time.  There is always hope for another time in the future for those who enjoy traveling.

When Paul, Juana, and I arrived in Buenos Aires, they spent a couple of days with me.  Paul and Juana, being from Ecuador, had only seen snow once before in their lives in the high altitude area of the Andes in Ecuador.  They were excited to go to Calafante, Argentina to the National Glacier Park. The National Park is located southwest of Buenos Aries almost to the tip of Argentina and close to the Chilean border.  In air miles, Calafante is approximately 1,266 miles from Buenos Aires and takes about 3 and 1/4th hours to fly.  

I have seen all the ice and snow and cold I ever want to experience in my life being from the Midwestern U.S.A.  I chose to remain in Buenos Aries, and complete our plans for the last part of our trip in Argentina.  Paul and Juana were off, stayed the first night upon their arrival, explored the National Park the next day, slept in Calafante that night, and by the following afternoon, they returned to Buenos Aires. 

Juana, being older, took a different trip from Paul.  Paul went with a group who were allowed on the glacier itself.







The silence was something to behold, and the quiet and stillness was greatly enjoyed by both Paul and Juana, especially after their time in the large noisy cities of Lima and Buenos Aries and being around such large crowds of people. Often the sounds to be heard were from voices in the group, or the crunching of snow as they walked.





















The tranquility and beauty of the ice and snow made Paul and Juana's visit to the glaciers the highlight of their trip to Peru and to Argentina.  Both very much enjoyed the town of Calafante, and wished they could live there as well.





In the photo below, you can see the group as they trek through the glacier surrounded by its open isolation.



People often think that South America is hot the year round, which is generally not the case.  The Equator, located in northern South America and running through Ecuador,  and the attitude of the Andes,  as well as ocean currents all play a role in the heat index in South America.  The further one moves south of the Equator the more likely, like in Argentina, one will experience the four changes of the seasons.  Buenos Aires, for example, can get snow and get cold in their winter months, which would be the North American summer months; but even then it will not be as cold and snowy as the North American Midwest or Northeast in the United States.  As one continues south toward the tip of Argentina, which is also the tip of South America, one is getting closed to Antarctica; and therefore, glaciers like in Calafante become a reality.






Naw, there were no penguins in sight.  I just threw this photo in to amuse you or to amuse me.

*Photos taken and provided by Paul Tacuri.