A lifetime of encounters with Spain.
Posted in Amigos, Corners of Spain, Fairs, Feasts and Fiestas, Migas, Reflections on Spain, Tesoros, Un Sabor de España on Sep 15th, 2010
This book is a collection of some of the most interesting essays on this blog, which I have extensively edited, and included many pictures.
This two part video is an excellent presentation prepared by my friend Han de Roos who provides La Tienda with Can Solivera Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Wild Olive Oil by Can Solivera and the exquisite Can Solivera Extra Virgin Olive Oil Soap.
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.
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 Tesoros on Oct 25th, 2009
To this day the eldest members of the village remember eating a piece of cheese when they were but children in the shade of the old clay house, savouring every crumb in the reassuring presence of the words and stories of Carpuela, Grandfather Carpuela.
Posted in Tesoros on Oct 25th, 2009
Bread made from a natural yeast flor, especially from stone flour, results in a better nutrition than yeasted “white” bread.
Posted in Corners of Spain, Reflections on Spain, Tesoros on May 10th, 2007
Juan Antonio is a dignified man who loves the land he has tilled for so many years. He carries within him the knowledge of many generations. What I appreciated most was that he was a true traditionalist. He told me he prefers plowing with a mule, even though most of the time he uses a tractor. Sometimes for recreation, he goes plowing with a bunch of the guys in town and their mules. Juan Antonio reflected “I first learned to walk behind a plow.”
Posted in Reflections on Spain, Tesoros on Jun 14th, 2005
Creating a delicious paella is well within the reach of a regular cook. If you use authentic ingredients to start with, you do not need to be a master chef to prepare something delightful for your friends and family. I know you will have fun experimenting – it can even be a common project, with everyone pitching in to prepare a perfect feast.
