Viva las Empanadas!

These are empanadas. They're a great treat in Chile. My niece makes a great cheese empanada here in Glasgow. On our first visit to family in Chile, a friend pointed out: the further away you get from Santiago, the bigger the empanadas are. By the time you reach the countryside, you're going to be tucking into a huge empanada containing some olives, a boiled egg and a chicken drumstick. That's fine, but if you make the mistake of thinking this is lunch and have two, you're in for a shock: these are the hors d'oeuvres. The meal is still to come.

I went to Sainsbury's last week and, feeling a bit peckish, decided to have some lunch. I have to say the choice was not exciting but I saw this toastie called 'Pigs Under Blankets' and decided to give it a whirl. It looked something like an empanada when it arrived but it didn't take me long to work out it was a very poor copy: bread with cranberry sauce slathered on it, and with slices of links, bits of chicken and stuffing - and all covered in melted cheese.

It only took about 30 seconds for this concoction to fall out all over the table.

In future, I'll stick to my niece's empanadas - or, at a push, M&S's miniature versions. I'm sure there are empanadas available in other supermarkets - at a price...