Thursday July 9, 2009
Since the summers in Spain can really heat up, Spaniards found ways to deal with it - siestas during the hottest part of the day, chilly beverages and refreshing cold soups and salads. Spanish Cucumber Salad is an example of a cool summer dish that is just perfect for a hot afternoon or evening. It's simple and easy to prepare with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and onions dressed with olive oil and vinegar.
Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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Tuesday July 7, 2009
Spaniards like fruit as much as they do sweets. After la comida, the large afternoon meal, fresh seasonal fruit is generally set out on the family table. When summer begins to heat up, the Spaniards look for cool refreshment for dessert. There are ice cream stands on every corner and cafes hang their ice cream menus. One of the most refreshing frozen desserts is sorbet, or in Spanish sorbete. This recipe for Spanish lemon sorbet is quick and easy to make ahead. Freeze for 2-3 hours and serve in frozen lemon skin halves. If you prefer, prepare with oranges instead. It's guaranteed to become a summertime favorite at your house!
Do you prefer a dessert with a "kick"? Try the Spanish wine sorbet...
Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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July 4th Leftovers? Jazz up BBQ Leftovers with Spanish Romesco Sauce
Sunday July 5, 2009
A BBQ Leftover Story with a Happy Ending
Our story... A month ago, we hosted a despedida (going-away party) for some friends. The guests were from all over Spain and Latin America, but the majority were from Argentina. As you can imagine, with so many Argentines in attendance, there was an abundance of grilled beef. After the singing and guitar-playing around the fire, everyone said their good-byes and we were left with plates of grilled beef and pork ribs. They make great leftovers, but grilled meat can be a bit dry. "No hay problema!" I declared to Tony, "I'll make some Romesco sauce and it'll freshen things up."
In less than 30 minutes, the Romesco sauce was prepared from bottled roasted red peppers, garlic, almonds, tomatoes, oil and vinegar. A tossed green salad and fresh rustic bread finished off the meal, and neither of us felt like we were eating left-overs.
Served with any kind of meat, poultry or vegetable, Spanish sauces can liven up leftovers, including alioli, mojo picon and mojo verde, among others. None of the sauces are difficult to make and all of them will add flavor to those July 4th leftovers.
Photo © Lisa Sierra, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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Celebrating San Pedro in Burgos, De Tapas por Burgos
Friday July 3, 2009
After a flight delay and luggage that did not arrive when we did, our vacaciones started off a bit rocky. Now that we’ve recovered from jet lag and our luggage found us, things have improved considerably!
We are writing this post from Burgos, Spain where the city is in the midst of a 10-day celebration of the Fiestas de San Pedro, the annual festival of Saint Peter, the city’s patron saint. The usual festivities include afternoon bull fights, daily parades, dances, concerts, theater, street performances and midnight fireworks. About four years ago, the city government and the regional association of hotels and restaurants joined together to add a new component to the celebration, called De Tapas por Burgos, where wooden casetas or “little houses“ were set up in plazas around the city. Restaurants and taverns in Burgos use them to serve beer and wine, as well as tapas, giving residents places to meet and eat around the city, not just downtown. It relieves congestion and gets people moving around the city to enjoy different entertainment venues. These casetas turned out to be so popular that each year more are added. The prices for tapas are set at 1.50 euros, and 2.20 euros for a tapa and a glass of beer or wine.
Each caseta sells one hot and one cold tapa that are entered into a competition. The public then votes for their favorites. In addition to giving party-goers more options for meeting around the city, it has also given them reasonably-priced snacks and a chance to try creative dishes from restaurants outside their neighborhood.
This year a tapa that’s very popular called the San Pedro, which is a small slice of pork loin, a piece of pancetta or bacon and a mushroom on a skewer. It is grilled on the barbecue, then served on a slice of baguette. Prepare yours at home - It's quick and easy!
Our favorite tapa from Burgos in 2007:
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