A lifetime of encounters with Spain.
Posted in Fairs, Feasts and Fiestas, Reflections on Spain, Tesoros on Dec 22nd, 2009
This Christmas I am going to try to recreate Nochebuena Roast Pork a la Valdespino in Williamsburg! (Perhaps it is a fool’s errand, but why not?) To begin with we have encountered two realities. First, unlike Miguel, we do not have his unique marinade, which he nurses over the years in a small oak cask.
Posted in Reflections on Spain on Dec 21st, 2009
We can all recall a time when we have looked in awe at a precious, fragile newborn child – perhaps our own, or a cherished grandchild. No matter what our background, the tender image of a mother cradling the newborn infant reflects hope and life, and recalls the joy of loving families. It is a [...]
Posted in Reflexiones en Español on Dec 21st, 2009
En alguna ocasión, todos nos hemos quedado prendados mirando a un frágil y precioso recién nacido, quizás nuestro propio hijo o nuestro amado nieto. Independientemente de nuestros orígenes, la tierna imagen de una madre abrazando a su bebé recién nacido nos inspira esperanza y vida y renueva en nosotros la satisfacción del amor familiar. Es [...]
Posted in Migas on Dec 20th, 2009
Spain’s first state lottery was created by King Charles III in 1763. The singing kids, known as the “niños de San Ildefonso,” have been drawing and intoning the winning numbers since 1771. They are students of San Ildefonso, an orphans’ school founded in Madrid in 1543.
Primetime news on Dec. 22 will dedicate a good part of their airtime to show images of winners jumping and crying in happiness, showering themselves with cava, Spanish sparkling wine. Next morning, the El Gordo number and the photo of the pair of San Ildefonso kids who sang it will be the headlines in the media. For most Spaniards at home, in cafeterias and the office, it will be “health day” — “We didn’t win the lottery, but good health is what matters.”
Posted in Migas, Reflections on Spain on Dec 18th, 2009
‘Spaniard’ comes for the French Espanyard when referring to a person from Spain, which is fine. The term was bastardized by the British, in particular the navy, when referring to their Spanish galleon combatants, in particular in the context ” dirty Spaniard’.
For those in the know, it is a derogatory term, no different than those used to identify various ethnic and religious identities throughout the world.
Posted in Migas on Dec 8th, 2009
I know the food world is filled with superlatives, so that, regrettably, they words lose their meaning. Nevertheless, I will use one now. I believe our Villajos Manchego is the best Manchego available in North America and quite possible anywhere in the world.
Together with their friend the cheese master Beni, Antonio Villajos and his brother produce consistently award winning Manchego cheeses, which are only known by connoisseurs due to the tiny scale of their family operation.
Here is a fascinating project for someone who loves to cook. Nochebuena is Christmas Eve, and for the occasion my dear friend Miguel, forwarded to me his traditional recipe for the Roast Pork he serves his extended family each year.
The intriguing feature is that it requires injecting the leg with up to a liter of bandy and Oloroso or Pedro Ximenez, letting it marinate for a couple of days.
Posted in Corners of Spain, Fairs, Feasts and Fiestas, Reflections on Spain on Dec 3rd, 2009
One of the ironic accidents of history, which occur when rival cultures intermingle for centuries, is that the classic sweets for Navidad – the celebration of the birth of Christ, are Moorish, or Islamic, confections. I think it is a happy natural convergence when people learned to live with one another.
For today, and for centuries past, virtually all of the traditional Christmas treats served in Spanish homes are variations of almonds, honey, and sugar whose origin comes from the Moorish confections of the Islamic era of Andalucía.
