In its fourth round of Gastrodiplomacy events, Young Professionals of the Americas (YPA) spent the evening cooking with Argentine chefs Martín Auzmendi and Martín Molteni, who created a traditional meal and spoke about what food means to Argentines. Auzmendi, who is the co-creator of La Fuerza, a vermouth winery sourced at the foot of the Andes, also taught us to make a classic vermouth (75 percent wine, and the other 25 is alcohol and herbs), and soda drink, perfect for pairing with meat at a traditional Argentine asado. "The vermouth has to be an expression of a place," said Auzmendi.

The food and wine experts started off the cooking class by talking about how versatile Argentina is in its territory, which translates into many climates and possibilities for food, but an authentic porteño experience means food, ambience, and hospitality. They started cooking with the minuta meal, meaning made in minutes, which was the scrambled gramajo (a mix of eggs, a potato, peas, and butter). Next, they showed how to make a chimichurri sauce for the steak, and on the side, roasted butternut squash with salted butter. As they cooked, the experts dove into the history of their ingredients, including the vermouth, wine, and steak. After all, hospitality is synonymous to diplomacy, said Molteni.

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