Pass me the Malbec and serve me some steak - Bidmead's back in Buenos Aires!

Sometimes the best things are last minute, like my impromptu and completely spontaneous decision to head back to my beloved Buenos Aires on a stop home from Colombia. I spent a year living in the Argentine capital while studying Spanish at Leeds and since my departure two years ago I have always been keen to come back.

Somewhere in the North of Argentina, two years ago

Despite having always liked food, I have Argentina to thank for really turning a like into a love. While opinions on Argentine food are mixed - "their pizza sucks!", "what the fuck is a milanesa?" and "do they have to put dulce de leche in eveeeerything?!", food in this country plays a big part in its history and culture.

The Argentine asado (barbecue) is much more than just a meal. The slow cooking meat, friends gathered together sipping on red wine and nibbling on chorizo sandwiches, awaiting the various cuts of beef, pork and whatever other goodness they have grilling on the parilla...the whole experience is enough to make a vegetarian eat meat just to be a part of this culturally important (and above all delicious), meaty affair.

BA - it's good to be back!

For my first night back in the city what better dinner option than a whole asado in one plate? We headed to La Hormiga in Palermo, which is part of a group of restaurants in the city that offer great food at great prices - other recommended restaurants in this group are Las Cabras (mainly meat) and Cumana (regional cuisine). This mixed parilla dish from La Hormiga is a great way to get the asado experience while dinging out in a restaurant. Featuring a juicy bife de chorizo, grilled veggies, squash mash and some tasty grilled provoleta (typical Argentine cheese), this is a dish that has it all. One to share, it was the perfect welcome back into Buenos Aires.

Looking to relive all my favorite foodie moments in the city, the next night I returned to El Nono Amigo, a tiny deli on the corner of where I used to live. El Nono serves some seriously good picadas (mixed platters with cured meat and cheese), but this place became a favourite for me due to its empanandas, different from any others I had tried in the city.

If I could marry an empananda...artichoke, it's you and me all the way.

Just check out the selection! Of course the Argentine classics of carne and jamon y queso will inevitably feature, but look to the far more interesting aubergine and artichoke options and you'll see why I am such a fan. Cooked al horno, I prefer these beige bundles of goodness far more than the fried Colombian equivalent. I'm sorry Colombia...I still love you, I promise.

Aubergine, meat and artichoke empanandas. Not a boring old ham and cheese option in sight!

What better way to wash down these tasty empanadas than with a bottle of Malbec? Back at one of my favourite places, with my artichoke empananadas and bottle of red, I felt truly back in the bosom of my old home.

Not the first bottle of my 10 day trip, and ceeeeertainly not the last!

By no means the end of my foodie adventures back in Arg, be prepared for many a steak and new blog post to come! Peruvian lunches with hearty (literally) dishes abound, smoked and fried chicken wings in a meat feast that touch my soul and some exciting new steak house discoveries feature in my food-filled and fun packed ten day trip back to BA. So keep reading and stay tuned, as this is just the beginning!

Penis, balls and a bit of heart for good measure - more culinary exploration in Cali

The last part of my travels sees me return to what could potentially be my favorite place in Colombia...Cali. I first visited with my sister in January, returned for a weekend in May and managed to squeeze in one last visit before I head back to the UK. Why do I love it so much? Well, Cali is the countries (if not worlds) capital of salsa, the weather is hot, the people are friendly and it's just a lot of bloody fun. They also eat a hell of a lot of meat. What more could an offal-loving salsa enthusiast possibly want?

The very impressive, very meaty fritanga caleña

To begin this meat filled post, I present the fritanga caleña. Not a dish for anyone watching their waistlines, this is some seriously heavy stuff. Eaten at the famous J&J in the iconic and picturesque old barrio of San Antonio, a fritanga is a mix of fried meat and fritos (pasty type goodies). J&J know how to do it right, with this epic basket containing fried beef, morcilla (black sausage), pork rind, lung, plantain, new potatoes, empanadas, marranitas (fried plantain balls with pork) and aborrajados (fried plantain balls with cheese). This much-loved local spot features a bar dedicated to condiments and offers guacamole, three different types of tomato salsa, peanut sauce, tartare, sour cream and salsa verde. How will I ever be satisfied with just ketchup again?

Caldo de pajarilla - Spleen soup

It's highly likely I am so drawn to Cali due to it's affinity for offal, a sentiment I very much share. On a friends recommendation, I headed to the Galeria de Alameda, the place to go for a delicious lunch at an incredible price. I had been told I couldn't leave Cali without trying the typical (and extremely potent) caldo de pajarilla. This essentially translates as 'offal soup' and is a stew featuring kidney, heart, liver and...spleen. This soup is pretty robust and makes for a hearty and heavy midday meal. Whether I actually liked it is perhaps up for debate. Even for a gut-lover such as myself, I felt the mix of quite so much offal in one dish created 'a too many organs spoil the broth' situation. Oh, that old chestnut!

Bollocks, willy, heart and feet. That'll put hairs on your chest!

But if you thought spleen soup sounded a bit much, perhaps you'd be interested to know about the 'caldo peligroso' as advertised in the sign above. This translates as 'dangerous broth', but for a keen traveler and adventurous foodie such as myself, I couldn't fathom what the danger might be. Chatting to the chef, turns out that this 'dangerous soup' contains bull penis, testicles, heart and feet. She also alluded to it being some sort of aphrodisiac. While I tried to imagine  how eating genitals might get your own private bits somewhat excited, I personally failed to make the link.

The very delicious dish lechona, whole pig stuffed with rice and vegetables

This rather impressive looking stuffed pigs head is known as lechona, a whole pig stuffed with rice, vegetables and spices, slow cooked in a brick oven. This is a dish I've wanted to try for a while and in all places I found it while passing through a shopping centre! Just another reason to love Cali - pop into a shopping centre in search of a loo and find a whole stuffed pig instead. This dish was a perfect combination of textures and flavors, as you get crispy pork skin along with the soft, richly flavored rice dotted with shreds of slow cooked pork. My lechona lunch certainly beat  any other shopping centre food court meal I'd eaten before!

The typical caleño cholao

But what's this? Something that isn't meat? Sometimes Cali's hot, sticky summer days call for something this isn't a fried dead animal, and that is when the very famous cholao fits the bill perfectly. There are various versions and recipes for this typical caleño sweet treat, but, in essence, it features shaved ice, fruit syrup, fresh fruit and a wafer. From there, the sky (or plastic cup's capacity) is the limit. Popular additions include ice cream, chocolate shavings, sweets, dried coconut - your options are endless. 

Leaving Cali for the third time, I was more enamored with the city than ever before (although perhaps feeling ready to eat some vegetables). However, this is something that can wait until my return to the UK, as in a last minute decision I booked myself a flight to my old home of Buenos Aires! Bring on plenty of steak and red wine, along with all the other cuisines Argentina's capital has to offer. 

Note to self - do not eat endangered animals

Despite travelling extensively throughout Colombia, there are a few spots that always pull me back. Cartagena, just an hour and a half away from Barranquilla, is certainly one of the places. A top tourist destination, its old city is a UNESCO world heritage site and its nearby islands are home to some of the countries most pristine beaches. A friend recently visited from Buenos Aires and when I asked what he wanted to do, the response was clear. "Beach, beach and lots of sun". Coming to visit me on the Caribbean coast, he was in luck! We headed to Cartagena for a few days to soak up some rays and naturally, food held an important part in the holiday. 

Isla Grande, one of the Rosario islands off the coast of Cartagena

We began our trip by setting off for a nights stay on a group of islands known as the Islas del Rosario, about 45 minutes away from Cartagena by boat. Made up of various small islands, we stayed on Isla Grande and were treated to two days of gorgeous sun and completely unspoiled beaches.

Lobster lunching on Isla Grande

The hotel we were staying at had delicious food, however it was rather on the fancy side. We decided to venture away from the hotel and explore the island, home to around 800 permanent residents. We got chatting to a local fisherman who showed us some very impressive freshly caught lobsters, which soon became our lunch! They came cooked al ajillo, in a garlic marinade and grilled, served with patacones (fried plantain slices). The lobster was flavorsome beyond belief - completely fresh and cooked to perfection. 

(Property of the Travel Chanel)

Like many other food-lovers, I hold the chef Anthony Bourdain is extremely high esteem. The author of the Kitchen Confidential, a fascinating insight into the world of restaurants and well worth a read for any foodies, he is also the star of his own show No Reservations, where he travels the world trying typical (and sometimes not so typical) foods in many different countries. The clip above is a section from the No Reservations Colombia episode and if you skip to 4 minutes in you can see Bourdain at Cartagena's very own Bazurto Market. 

The famous Cecilia's, with a glimpse of the woman herself

Be warned - Bazurto is no trendy pop-up style food market. It's a chaotic, dirty, loud and rather smelly place, but if you want to see the real Cartagena, this is where to come. I previously visited with my sister and enjoyed it so much I decided to head back with my friend. While he seemed slightly overwhelmed by it all (seeing a chicken being boiled while a van full of soldiers with machine guns rocked up was perhaps slightly unsettling), we headed off in search of the famous Cecilia's, as featured in Bourdain's No Reservations episode. 

Stewed turtle, served with coconut rice, yucca, sweet plantains and salad

When I had visited previously, Cecilia's famous turtle wasn't an option, but returning I was spoiled for choice - fried, stewed or grilled, turtle seemed to be the top meal of the day. In his No Reservations episode, Bourdain himself states that turtle is endangered, but that its consumption has been part of the indigenous culture for hundreds of years. Upon reflection, although this was completely delicious, with a dark, rich flesh and a perfectly seasoned coconut vegetable sauce, eating an endangered species should never be condoned. Even if locals around me were choosing it, as a foreigner I shouldn't be encouraging this practice. As a unique experience, it was definitely interesting to try this local dish, even if I will not be doing so again (I promise!).

Relaxing on Playa Blanca, Baru island

After the sights and smells of Bazurto market, it was back to the beach for another day of relaxation before we headed across the coast to Santa Marta, another one of my regular haunts. It's a tough job all this travelling and gastronomical exploration, but I guess someone has to do it. Stay tuned for another travel post which sees me return to perhaps my favorite spot in all of Colombia, its salsa capital Cali.

Tri-border tripping in Leticia

Unbelievably, nearly a year has gone by since I arrived in Colombia to work as an English Language assistant. In a bid to see as much of this wonderful country as I can before I head back to blighty, I headed off traveling again, starting in the capital of Colombia's Amazon, Leticia. An impressive 800km away from the nearest highway, Leticia is unlike any other part of the country I have visited so far and its borders with both Peru and Brasil make a real melting pot of culture. Coming in on the plane from Bogota, all that can be seen for hundreds of miles is thick, dense jungle forest.

Jungle for as far as the eye can see!

Traveling alone, I reached the hostel I had reserved and got chatting with two girls in my dorm, both from the UK. It was around lunchtime and our tummies were rumbling, so we headed off in search of some grub. Leticia holds many exciting culinary options, but perhaps the most exciting option is the fact you can nip into Peru for some fresh ceviche or head on over to Brasil for their typical Brasileiro barbecue. Feeling like something fresh, we jumped in a boat for headed for what is known to be the best ceviche in town.

Why not arrive for all your lunches via boat?

Pulling up to Brisas del Amazonas, the Peruvian music, signs welcoming us to Peru, and piles of fresh ceviche made it clear we had reached the right place. 

We ordered the mixed ceviche to share, and it was a beauty. 

A lunch fit for kings

It came with mussels, prawns, langoustines, fresh crab, white fish (which I must confess I do not know the name of), yucca, sweet potato and delicious salty toasted corn. This between three was perfect, and cost a grand total of eight pounds. Luxury meal, budget price = happy lunch out in Peru.

Always one to try a local delicacy no matter how weird it may be, Leticia presented me with a first - crunchy, salty, insects. Known as mojojoy, these little bugs were actually pretty tasty. Filled with cheese and served alongside farinha (tasty ground up dried yucca with a nutty flavor), these went down a treat.

Fried, buggy cheese-filled goodness

During my stay in the Amazons, I opted for a two-day jungle tour which saw me trekking into the jungle with 9 other travelers, staying a night in a maloca (the home of an indigenous tribe) and one night under a cambuche (a makeshift shelter) in the middle of the jungle. A physically demanding couple of days, it was well worth the torrential rain, tropical heat and hours of walking - if not just for the food alone! This was no mediocre campsite comida - we had some fine meals, featuring whole roasted chickens and enormous fish dinners. 

One of our slap-up jungle meals

I did not imagine the food to be nearly as good as it was and we were all delighted! The meal above features two typical fishes found in the Amazon - the larger two are gamitana, which had a meatier flesh akin to tuna, while the slimmer fish is tucanaré, which was more similar to cod. This all came served with boiled potatoes, rice, salad and a typical cassava pancake with an almost rubber-like texture. While the pancake itself was quite bland, eaten with the fish and salad it was a perfect accompaniment.

Back from the jungle it was nearly time to leave lovely Leticia, but not before I hopped on over to Brasil. Leticia borders Tabatinga, which is part of Brasil. As a town itself Tabitinga hasn't got very much to offer, other than very cheap cachaça and the well-known restaurant Tres Fronteras, which as the name suggests, offers food from each bordering country.

Certainly not the veggie option!

I was fortunately in the company of some very like minded carnivores and we went for the mixed parillada (meat grill). Supposedly feeding two people, this came with chorizo, tripe, chicken breast and thigh, flank steak, tongue and probably about a million other meats I've forgotten to mention. As a side, you get a whole plate of arroz chaufa (Chinese style rice) and boiled potatoes. I sincerely want to meet the couple that defeats this alone...between three we still couldn't finish it!

As the meat coma wore off it was time to head out of the jungle and back into civilization, but not quite back to Barranquilla yet. So stay tuned for some more travel Bidmead Bites, involving some crab in Cartagena and some 'dangerous stew' in Cali...

Goodbye, Leticia - it was a pleasure!

Desert dining

Time flies when you're having fun.

Heard that one before? Personally, I couldn't agree more. It's hard to believe that nearly a year has gone by since I arrived in Colombia. Now down to my last two months in this incredible country, I've finished with work and am off on my travels. And what better way to begin than heading into the desert?

Cabo de la vela

Part of the Caribbean region of Colombia, La Guajira makes up one of the countries 32 departments and is home to the Wayuu, the indigenous group who survived the conquest by the Spanish. My friend Ari and I made a trip all the way to the tip of the region in order to reach Punta Gallinas, South America's most northern point. Along the way, we stopped over in Cabo de la Vela, a small town now popular for it's great kitesurfing conditions.

London town, it is not...

Cabo de la Vela is hardly Colombia's most buzzing touristic spot. Made up of a few guest houses, some local joints to eat and now a kite surfing school, this tiny town is a beautiful, tranquil spot unlike anywhere else I have ever visited. We stayed two nights here and enjoyed it's unspoiled beaches and beautiful viewpoints. The local food was very similar to the regular Colombian fare, except that around La Guajira you're more likely to be offered chivo (goat) than your usual chicken or beef.

Friche, without the guts, served with patacones, rice and salad

Goat here is most typically served in the dish friche. Having done my culinary homework beforehand, I had read that friche was goat stewed in its own guts and blood - something right up this offal-lovers street. However, after sampling the dish and chatting with locals about its preparation, it turns out that more often than not the blood and organs are left out, leaving this as just goat meat fried in oil and salt. I am a big fan of goat meat, as it has a lovely rich flavor, but served just like this I felt that perhaps it needed a touch of something else. Maybe I was just gutted about the lack of guts?

After two nights in Cabo de la Vela, we headed onwards to reach Punta Gallinas. Not a smooth journey, we shoved ourselves into the back of a Jeep and clung on for dear life as we shot across the desert to reach our final destination. We gained some souvenirs from the journey in the form of bruised bottoms and bumped heads, but it was all worth it in the end, as Colombia's most northern point awaited us...and us alone! 

Punta Gallinas beach

This beach above stretched as far as the eye could see, and unbelievably, we were the only people on it! I've seen many a beautiful beach in the past year, but more often than not I'm sharing it with a fair few other foreigners, and if not, some keen Colombian holiday-makers. This perfectly unspoiled landscape was truly breathtaking and the peace and quite around it just incredible. 

Apologies for the awful photo, but here is dinner - lobster in a garlic sauce

After a day spent bathing in the beauty of Punta Gallinas, we indulged ourselves for dinner, dining on some freshly caught lobster, served again with rice, patacones and salad. Lobster in La Guajira is sold at market price, meaning it is actually an affordable indulgence. Great news for seafood loving travelers like myself.

Chilling in my chinchorro

Waking up after a blissful nights sleep in one of these amazing chinchorros (traditional wayuu hammocks, with sown on blankets), it was time to hit the very, very long road back to civilization. We would be returning through Uribia, the indigenous capital of Colombia, just in time for the festival of indigenous culture. And what better way to get stuck into a different culture than through a plate of food? 

Top plate is chivo guisado, with friche below, both with goat soup. A whole lot of goat!

Queue more friche, this time served with arepas, and another goat dish - chivo guisado (stewed goat), served with rice, costeño cheese and a sweet plantain slice. I much preferred the chivo guisado, as I think adding in more flavors brings out the taste of the meat far better. Both these dishes came accompanied by a tasty soup, made from the neck and spine of goat. I did mention they eat a lot of goat here right? 

My trip to La Guajira was different to any other journey I have done in Latin America so far. The preserved indigenous culture of the Wayuu and vast, stretching desert make this a must see to anyone travelling around Colombia. My future travel plans include sampling the countries best coffee in the eje cafetero, eating some exotic jungle fruits and fish in Leticia, as well as visiting the UNESCO recognized gastronomical heritage city of Popayan. I'll stay peckish and keep posting my culinary conquests through Colombia, so stay tuned!

A ménage à trois you won't want to miss - Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies

Sad, sad news people. The absolutely incredible 3 nuts Cookie Dough Peanut Butter I bought in New York at Smorgasberg market ran out last week. I was enjoying it in so many ways : spread on toast, mixed into my porridge, as a key feature in some very delicious chia seed puddings, and in all honesty, more often than not just straight from the jar and into my mouth.

RIP - gone, but not forgotten.

But every cloud has a silver lining, and I managed to pull myself out of my nut butter mourning and launch into recipe creation mode. Looking to recreate the brilliant combination of cookie dough, chocolate chips and peanut butter, this recipe is a combination of all things good and yum - say hello to Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes with Cream cheese Cookie Dough icing.

The touch of cream cheese with the cookie dough makes for a very smooth, spreadable icing. And it couldn't be simpler to make! To make the icing I literally whacked everything in my blender and mixed in the chocolate chips at the end. The icing is sweet (of course), but ended up as the perfect for the rich chocolate brownie recipe I chose to follow. Taken from the incredible food blog smitten kitchen, this brownie mix which uses just cocoa powder rather than melted chocolate.

Sweet cream cheese cookie dough icing meets rich cocoa brownies. The rest is history.

I tweaked smitten kitchen's recipe slightly, through the addition of swirls of peanut butter (chunky, please) and I opted for a mix of white and brown sugar, as I felt this would provide a good sweet balance against the rich cocoa flavor. I choose to make my brownies in cupcake molds, because...why on earth not?

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes with a Cream cheese Cookie Dough topping

(This recipe is adapted to make 6 cupcake sized brownies, so if using 8×8-inch square baking pan, you'll need to double it)

For the Brownies
- 70 grams unsalted butter
- 60 grams of white caster sugar mixed with 60 grams brown sugar (1 cup)
- 30 grams cocoa power (this is a little less than 1/2 cup)
- 6 tea spoons of chunky peanut butter (a spoonful for each cake)
- A wee pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 30 grams self-raising flour (again, a little less than 1/2 cup)

For the Cream cheese Cookie Dough icing
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 40 grams brown sugar (1/3 cup)

- Drizzle of milk (if needed. Play this by eye, only adding if it seems too thick).
- 35 grams flour (1/4 cup)
- 70 grams mini chocolate chips (2/3 cup)

Baking the Brownies
1) Get the oven on, and set it to 190 degrees. Grease chosen mold for brownies.
2) Now we want to melt our butter into our cocoa - traditionally done in a heat proof bowl over a pot of bowling water, I actually managed this just fine in a microwave. Blasts of 20 seconds are recommended, just to check you aren't burning anything. Once combined, add your pinch of salt to the chocolate butter combo.
3) Now we want to add the egg. Use a wooden spoon, and stir in gently.
4) Once the egg is mixed in, it's time to add in the flour. Fold in until it can no longer be seen, and then your brownie mix is ready! Pour into baking tray/cupcake mold, and on top on each cake nestle in a teaspoon of peanut butter, so that the surface is flat.

Making the icing

1) Place cream cheese, butter, sugar and flour in blender. Whizz on high speed for about 10-20 seconds until you reach an even consistency. If it's looking a little lumpy, here's the time to add in that drizzle of milk.
2) By now you should be seeing a clear dough-like texture. Remove from blender and stir in chocolate chips (and plenty of them).
3) Once your brownies have cooled completely, bang your icing on top.

Now these look good. 

But I couldn't help add in just a little bit more chocolate for good measure. I melted some chocolate in the microwave, and swirled it into the icing...

Because chocolate, on top of chocolate brownies and chocolate chips is never a bad idea. Make these cakes and make some special people very happy. Or...

Just be one very happy baker and munch them all on your own!

Peanut butter, cookie dough, and brownie. The sexiest ménage à trois I can think of!

A huge thanks to my lovely roommate and the all-round likable human Juan Kattan for some of these lovely snaps. You can check out some more of his photos on his Tumblr blog.

Museli and milk for breakfast? Give me fried pork rind instead!

"Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper".

We've all heard the phrase before and are frequently told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But why is that true?

Looking at its name, it should all become a little obvious - you are quite literally breaking the fast you undertake during your nights sleep. I don't know about you, but I rarely go for more than 6 hours without eating. So when I wake up, I'm always pretty hungry! And to all you non-breakfast eaters out there, did you know it's you lot who are more likely to be reaching for the high sugar and fatty snacks mid-morning? So...wake up well, and get your breakfast on!

BidmeadBites strikes lucky - one free breakfast coming my way

I was lucky enough to win myself a free breakfast at La Tiendacita, a well-loved local joint here in Barranquilla which serves only the most typical costeño food. I won through a competition on Instagram, in which I had to name three of my favorite things about my beloved Barranquilla. What did I pick? The people, La Troja (the epitome of the city and my favorite salsa club - check out my post on it here) and of course, the food!

A typical morning meal here in Colombia is not to be taken lightly - and I mean that very literally. That is to say, granola and yogurt it is not. Think meaty, cheesy things, fried pastries and what for us might seem more like lunch or dinner options: rice, meat, even stews are all fair cop for this Colombian morning munch.

La Tiendacita itself is a really cool place, with two different branches within the city. The walls are adorned with local phrases, some of which I shall share with you here,

Tronco de pajarilla - a load of bullshit

Cogela suave - take it easy (the phrase of Barranquilla)

Mi llave - my best friend
Fria - a beer

Your typical Barranquillero slang. Don't go shouting these at your granny though, as a lot of vulgarity is involved!

Ever find yourself on the coast of Colombia, be sure to try some of these out - your cara de gringo will certainly be reassessed! For breakfast, an array of typical bites were on offer. Fritos (think tasty fried pasty-style things) are particularly popular, as arepas, empanadas and the delicious cheesy fingers deditos all feature as part of a Colombian breakfast. 

Finger-licking fritos, next to a huge pot of chicharrón

My complimentary breakfast consisted of an enormous portion chicharrón (fried pork rind cooked in its own fat), boiled yucca (a root vegetable), both served with some of the typical costeño condiment suero, which is a bit like sour cream. Served with some corozo juice (a small dark berry, somewhat like a cranberry), I opted for an extra cheesy dedito on the side - as if there wasn't enough food to begin with!

Behold the Barranquilla Breakfast - not for the faint hearted!

This was a breakfast fit for a king. As I stared down at my plate, over-flowing with meat, carb, and its creamy dipping sauce, I started to wonder if the extra dedito hadn't been just a bit ambitious. However, with pork as good as this, with its perfect contrast of the crispy, salty skin against the melt in your mouth soft, flavorsome meat, it was no hard feat to finish it all. I love yucca served like this, with its slightly sweet taste somewhat similar to sweet potato. Dipped into the creamy suero, it was the perfect carby accompaniment. Even the unnecessary dedito was a treat - tangy costeño cheese wrapped in a rich, buttery pastry case.

I enjoyed the wonderful company of the waiters as I plowed through my breakfast, and was entertained with tales of the city while learning more costeño slang. About 45 minutes later, to the sheer disbelief of the waiters, I had consumed every morsel on my plate. Yes, I was full, but actually pleasantly so. However...without over sharing, I'd say fried pork for breakfast isn't the kindest thing on the old digestive track. But it's sure to say I was fueled for the day ahead, and definitely didn't need any form of elevenses.

My 'before' breakfast picture. But believe I ate it all!

Eating at La Tiendacita is more than just the food - it really is a cultural experience. People come here when they want their own taste of home, just like their mum and grandma used to make. However for this inglesa, whose mother and gran cooked more of your typically British roast chicken than Colombian champús (the not so tasty thick drink made from corn, pineapple, and other ingredients, tried on my trip to Cali), it is a chance to further learn about some real Barranquilla's traditions. And if their typical breakfast means it's okay to consume crispy fried pork before 1 pm, I am all game.