Comment

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on April 30, 2013 at 12:42pm

BACALAO al Pil Pil    is a traditional dish from the Basque Country (el Pais Vasco); and is well known all over Spain, and popular with Spaniards and tourists alike. It is made with salt cod, garlic and olive oil. It is “sabroso” or tasty and although the pil pil sauce, which is an emulsion sauce can be tricky to thicken, there are some simple tricks at the bottom of this recipe.

Prep Time: 24 hours, 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lb (1 kg) boneless salt cod
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 cup pluc 3 Tbsp Spanish virgin olive oil
• 1 small hot pepper or 1/2 jalapeno pepper

Preparation:

This Cod with Pil Pil Sauce makes 4 servings.

Note: The salted cod fish must be soaked in water for AT LEAST 24 hours, preferably 48 hours before cooking. This is necessary to leach out the salt. Change the water 2-3 times in a 24-hour period. If this is not done, the fish will be so salty that it will not be edible!

Cut the cod into smaller pieces, so it has more area to absorb the water. Rinse the pieces under cold water and rub the outside to remove excess salt.

Place the chunks of fish into a large (13”x9”) glass baking dish in a single layer. Add water to the dish until fish is completely covered by the water. Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Change water 2-3 times over the next 24 hours.

Rinse the cod and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove any bones and cut into large pieces (3”x 3”).

Peel and cut garlic cloves into slices. Cut off tops of peppers and remove seeds. Then cut the peppers into rings and set aside.

In a heavy-bottom casserole dish or large open flame-proof clay dish, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil and heat on low. Sauté the garlic until the slices begin to brown. Remove garlic and set aside.

Allow the oil in pan to cool to lukewarm. When oil is cool, add the cod (skin side up) and begin to stir slowly the oil. Place the pan or casserole back on low heat and continue to stir the oil without stopping. Drizzle in the rest of the olive oil and continue to stir for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to maintain the heat very low. The fish will release juices and those juices will mix with the oil and will form a thick emulsion. Place the garlic and pepper on top of the fish and allow to cool for 5 minutes and the pil pil sauce will thicken.

Note: If the pil pil sauce does not result in a thick emulsion, some Spanish cooks use the following “tricks” to obtain the right consistency:

• Pour the sauce from the pan and use a stick blender to whip the sauce a bit. Be careful not to whip it too long or it will thicken too much.
• Remove half of the sauce from the pan, add a pinch of corn starch to it and use a stick blender to whip. Be careful not to whip it too long or it will thicken too much. Return to pan and stir to mix in.
• While stirring the sauce in the pan, add 1-2 Tbsp whole milk to thicken.

Although purists may cringe at the above methods, they can salvage a meal.

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on April 24, 2013 at 12:41pm

Para todos los fans del salmorejo Cordobés, mañana es su día: VI Ruta del rFor all the followers of the "salmorejo cordobés", tomorrow is your day: VI route of the "Salmorejo Cordobés"

For all fans of salmorejo Cordobes, tomorrow is your day: VI Salmorejo Cordobes's route. Free tasting at more than 57 establishments

http://www.turismodecordoba.org/index2.cfm?codigo=0004&idnotici...

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on April 18, 2013 at 9:23am

Patatas bravas

Patatas bravas also called patatas a la brava or papas bravas, is a dish native to Spain, often served as a tapa in bars. It typically consists of white potatoes that have been cut into about 2 centimeter irregular shapes and then fried in oil and served warm with a sauce such as a spicy tomato sauce or a mayonnaise. This dish is commonly served in restaurants and bars throughout Spain, where it is traditionally accompanied by a glass of beer or wine. It is one of the most spicy dishes served in Spain.

Preparation

The potatoes are boiled in salted water for several minutes to tenderize them. They are then rubbed dry and deep fried.

Preparation of the accompanying sauce varies by city. In Burgos, the sauce is tomato-based, and also includes vinegar, red pepper, and a variety of spices which give it bite. This sauce also accompanies patatas alioli, a form of fried potato prepared with mayonnaise and garlic.

In Valencia and Catalonia, the potatoes are covered in a sauce made of olive oil, red pepper, paprika, chili, and vinegar. In these areas, the dish is traditionally served alongside alioli.

Comment by Stella Lee on April 16, 2013 at 8:57pm

well ,look very delicious .i like spanish .

Comment by ellike on April 10, 2013 at 7:19pm

i love paella :)

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on April 8, 2013 at 9:58am

Salmorejo is a soup consisting of tomato and bread, originating from Cordoba in Andalusia, southSpain. It is made from tomatoes, bread, oil, garlic and vinegar. Normally, the tomatoes are skinned and then puréed with the other ingredients. The soup is served cold and garnished with diced SpanishSerrano ham and diced hard-boiled eggs. It has a pink-orange appearance like gazpacho, but salmorejo is much thicker, because it includes more bread

Ms. Villegas Becerril's book, "El Libro del Salmorejo: Historia de un viaje milenario" traces the soup's heritage and its incarnations on the way to Andalusia from the Middle East, before the tomato arrived from the New World sometime around 1500.

Part of the pride surrounding salmorejo is associated with the ingredients and the fact that Andalusia produces some of the best of each individual ingredient, such as Baena extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar from  Montilla-Moriles wine and jamón serrano, which is used as a garnish and made from white pigs farmed in Andalusia.

And there is something about its ice-cold temperature that just makes salmorejo a good fit with the sun-scorched region.

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on April 3, 2013 at 8:08am

Like the rest of Spain, Valencia was an important zone for entry of many peoples- Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, Jewish and Visigoths. The capital city is also called Valencia, founded by Romans in 138 B.C. as Valentia, meaning “strong” or “powerful.” In the early part of the 8th century, the Moors arrived in Valencia and governed the region for 500 years. Their influence is evident in the area’s culture and cuisine. The Moors introduced rice, sugarcane, oranges, and almonds and advanced irrigation systems. Valencia was re-conquered by Christians in the 15th century.

Gastronomic Overview

Although there is an incredibly diverse cuisine in Valencia, rice dominates the region’s menus. Rice dishes can be broken down into “dry” rice dishes, like paella, and rice stews called arroz caldoso in Spanish, which are cooked in traditional ceramic or metal dishes. Then, there are oven-baked rice dishes like arroz al horno(arros al forn) and soft rice dishes made in earthenware casseroles like arros amb costra with an egg crust.

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on April 3, 2013 at 8:00am

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on March 22, 2013 at 12:23am

Comment by SABOR DE AZAHAR on March 22, 2013 at 12:22am

The Easter cake known “Mona de Pascua” contains hard-boiled eggs in the center. The sweet pastry is representative of Catalonia and the Valencia areas, and derives from the Arabic word munna, meaning gift.

This has been a tradition in which godparents gifted their godchildren with one. Today, grandparents jumped to the offering to their grandchildren and uncles and aunts present the cake onto their nieces and nephews every year up until they have reached their first holy communion. Some families have placed one egg for each age of the child.

The purpose of having an egg embedded in the cake is that it symbolizes the resurrection of Christ. The Mona de Pascua is given out on Easter Sunday but not usually eaten until Easter Monday. Many people on the coastal Mediterranean towns pack up a feast, including the Mona de Pascua, and eat al fresco at family picnics.

Today the custom of this cake still is gifted during Semana Santa (Holy Week) but instead has gotten very elaborate and is sometimes topped with melted chocolate or assorted frostings.

The plain version is slowly disappearing in Barcelona and Valencia cake and has become extremely elaborated and can compete as the Easter baskets found in the states. The traditional colored egg is still placed in its center. However, many bakeries sell the cake adorned in jellied candies or chocolate bunnies, while others decorate them with non-edible trimmings, such as ornate feathers and ribbons.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page