Spanish Valentine's Day Menu

"Langostinos" are a very large shrimp or prawns that are often simply boiled whole and chilled. They are then served by themselves on a plate or with “salsa rosa.” To be as flavorful as possible, they should be cooked with the shell and head on. In Spain, they are sold in grocery stores everywhere with the head on. In the USA, if your local supermarket does not sell them with the head on, ask them to order them for you.

In Spain, a green salad is almost always on the table at mealtime. When dining out at a restaurant or perhaps preparing a special meal at home, an "ensalada mixta" or a colorful, mixed green salad is served on a large platter in the center of the table. This salad usually includes a mix of ingredients that Americans may find surprising, such as olives, tuna and white asparagus, as well as tomatoes and onions. Easy to prepare, this is sure to impress your sweetheart.

"Chuletas de cerdo a la Madrilena," as the name implies is from Madrid, Spain. It is an easy and quick recipe, prepared in about 30 minutes. Paprika, onions and garlic smother pork chops. Served with paprika roast potatoes, it is a delicious Spanish dish. If prepared with boneless pork loin chops, it's a lean and healthy choice.

No cooking on this dessert. Turrón is a very old, traditional sweet of Moorish (Arabic) origin. There are two traditional basic types of turrón. Soft Jijona or "turrón blando," which is so smooth it has the consistency of peanut butter and hard Alicante or "turrón duro," which is like a thick almond nougat candy, similar to peanut brittle. Your local gourmet food store probably stocks turrón at Christmas, but if they don't, visit an internet retailer.

Champagne was the first sparkling wine and it is the most famous. Only wines made in the Champagne region of France may be called Champagne. Spain produces many fine sparkling wines, called cava after the cellars in which the wine is produced. These wines are made in the “méthode champenoise” or “Champagne method,” which is the same method that is used to make Champagne.

There are hundreds of sparkling wine producers in the area south of Barcelona called Penedés. The other sparkling wine producer which comes to mind immediately is Freixenet, pronounced “fresh-eh-net.” Its’ “cordon negro” product, a cava in a matte black bottle with gold writing. Spanish "cava" is widely available in stores around Europe and USA.