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Bill

Florida

For the last fifteen years, I have been learning to cook the Spanish way.

Interests: Spanish cooking, Spanish cookbooks, Spanish wines and other drinks, Spanish bars, restaurants, and markets, Spanish gardens, art, literature, and culture.

Recent Activity

Calçots, cebolletas a la barbacoa: Grilled Green Onions

Ana found a good video in the Spanish newspaper ABC on how to make this Catalan specialty. (If you don't understand Spanish, don't worry: the images make the process, which is simple, clear.) Basically you just grill the biggest green onions you can find until they're charred on the outside.... Continue reading

Posted Feb 3, 2013 at Simple Spanish Food

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Grating Tomatoes (tomate rallado): a Basic Spanish Technique

Grated tomato (tomate rallado) is used in many different Spanish dishes. In Andalusia it is smeared on toast and drizzled with fruity olive oil for breakfast. In Valencia grated tomato is a main ingredient in sofrito, which is used to make, among other things, paella. You can use grated tomato... Continue reading

Posted Jan 29, 2013 at Simple Spanish Food

2

A Spanish Split Pea Soup, sopa de guisantes amarillos

This is an easy Spanish style soup that doesn't take too long to make. 1 lb bag of yellow split peas 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces 1 bay leaf 2 cloves of garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 2-3 teaspoons Spanish spice blend fresh parsley and, if... Continue reading

Posted Jan 27, 2013 at Simple Spanish Food

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A Spanish Spice Blend

This mix of typically Spanish spices--thyme (tomillo), cumin (comino), smoked paprika (pimentón) and a little hot pepper (guindilla)--often serves as a base for adobo, but it can also be used in many other ways, basically anywhere you would use pimentón. It is especially useful for adding depth and complexity to... Continue reading

Posted Jan 20, 2013 at Simple Spanish Food

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Old-School Anchovies, anchoas "a la antigua"

Whenever we're in Spain, Ana tries to pick up a few tins of Ortiz anchoas "a la antigua"--anchovies prepared "the old fashioned way." We have not been able to find a source for these in the U.S., and even in Spain it isn't always easy to find them (the supermarket... Continue reading

Posted Jan 8, 2013 at Simple Spanish Food

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Winter Sale at La Tienda

Check out La Tienda's after-Christmas sale! You can save up to 40% on over 100 Spanish artisan favorites, from Manchego cheese, to chorizo, to classic sweets, and more. They even have roscones de Reyes on sale! Continue reading

Posted Jan 3, 2013 at Simple Spanish Food

1

Candied Citrus Peel for Decorating Your Roscón

Roscones de Reyes, the traditional, wreath-shaped sweet breads sold in Spanish bakeries for King's Day (and increasingly throughout the holiday season) are usually decorated with chopped nuts, powdered sugar, candied fruits, and sometimes a glaze. These decorations not only make the roscones look festive, they add a lot of flavor.... Continue reading

Posted Jan 2, 2013 at Simple Spanish Food

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How Are Your Guindas?

Back in July when cherries were in season I put away some guindas al licor, cherries in aguardiente or brandy. Here's what they looked like then: Now after five months maceration, they look like this: The aguardiente (a type of pomace brandy similar to grappa) has taken on a rich... Continue reading

Posted Dec 6, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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A Glimpse of a Madrid Fruit & Vegetable Stand in Winter

I love the tiny fruit and vegetable shops that can be found in every neighborhood of Madrid. The produce in most of them is top notch, even in winter (when these photos were taken) and always arranged beautifully out front, enticing you to come inside. Here's a display of thick... Continue reading

Posted Dec 2, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

1

¡Batatas! Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Spanish Street Food

In his recent article in the New York Times, Mark Bittman praises the sweet potato. He says, among other things, that roasted sweet potatoes make perfect street food. Spaniards already know this. Walk around just about any Spanish city in late fall and winter and you will find castañeras roasting... Continue reading

Posted Nov 26, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

1

Rice with Shrimp, arroz con gambas

The first time I went to Valencia I was surprised to find many restaurants did not serve paella. Instead they offered simple but highly flavorful yellow rice served with meat or fish or vegetables on the side. Here's my quick and simple version of Valencian-style rice with shrimp. Ingredients 1... Continue reading

Posted Nov 25, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

1

Torta del Casar Cheese

Here's a guest post from Julianne at Trujillo Villas in Extremadura about Torta del Casar, a soft, rich, creamy cheese that Ana and I often enjoy when we're in Spain. Julianne writes, "Torta del Casar is a cheese made from sheep’s milk in the Extremadura region. It’s named after Casar... Continue reading

Posted Nov 23, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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A Great Spanish Bubbly: Juvé y Camps Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava

In the under $10 range, it's hard to beat Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, but if you're willing to spent a bit more ($18 and up) Juvé y Camps Brut Nature Gran Reserva is an even better bargain. Unlike the overrated Anna de Codorníu, Juvé y Camps Gran Reserva is a... Continue reading

Posted Nov 18, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Horchata de chufa: Tigernut Milk, The Other Vegan Milk Substitute

In Spain horchata de chufa is a summer drink, especially in Valencia. It is served cold, sweet, and thick, almost like a milkshake. It is especially popular at outdoor cafes on hot afternoons. But there is no reason not to enjoy tigernut milk at other times of year. Think of... Continue reading

Posted Nov 7, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Green Salad with Fatty Tuna (Tuna Belly): ensalada con ventresca de atún o bonito

This is very easy and elegant. If you've never had ventresca, it's like premium tuna fish, but buttery and tender--one of my favorites. La Tienda sells ventresca bonito del norte, fatty albacore, which in Spain is considered to be the best. You can sometimes find tins of ventresca de atún... Continue reading

Posted Oct 29, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Caldo Gallego in Thirty Minutes

I've posted before on a vegetarian or vegan caldo gallego. Here's another version you can make in just half an hour. I used chicken broth for this, but you can use vegetable broth if you want to make your caldo vegetarian or vegan. If you prefer your caldo gallego with... Continue reading

Posted Oct 24, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Easy Spanish Cocktail Mix

Make this just as you would fried chickpeas (garbanzos fritos), with or without garlic and spices, but throw in a handful of nuts or seeds of your choice during the last few minutes of frying. We usually combine fried garbanzos with almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, just to name a... Continue reading

Posted Oct 18, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Madrid Chefs Recommend Restaurants and Bars with "Real" Spanish Food

Check out Lisa Abend's recent article in the New York Times "Where Madrid Chefs go for 'Real' Spanish Food" for reviews of four restaurants and bars rarely mentioned in the guidebooks. I hope to try at least one of them this spring. Continue reading

Posted Oct 17, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Chestnut Season Begins

We just ordered some Italian Marroni style chestnuts from Correia Chestnut Farm. We've had them in the past and we've been very pleased. They're almost identical to the chestnuts we enjoy in Spain. Can't wait to start roasting them! Check out my posts on chestnuts to see different ways Spaniards... Continue reading

Posted Oct 17, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

2

Pomegranate with Yogurt, Granada con yogurt

Back in the fifties, Esperanza (my mother-in-law) and her family used to enjoy a delicious dessert with just three ingredients: fresh pomegranate, sugar, and milk. The milk was whole, raw milk, rich with cream, brought to the house by the lechera. In this version, I substitute Greek yogurt for the... Continue reading

Posted Oct 8, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Spicy Mushroom Empanada, empanada de champiñones adobados

I would call this a vegetarian version of an empanada de carne adobada, but it's a good empanada in its own right. The pimentón gives it a nice smoky depth of flavor. Serve as a tapa. It's fantastic with a dark sherry. Here's how to make it. Ingredients empanada dough... Continue reading

Posted Oct 3, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Seven Spanish Ways to Enjoy Spinach

Looking for Spanish recipes for spinach? Here are seven options. Rice, chickpeas, and eggplant (arroz, garbanzos, y berenjena) A classic Catalan dish of spinach with raisin and pine nuts (espinacas con pasas y piñones) One of my favorites: a spinach empanada Spinach en adobo Substitute spinach for chard in a... Continue reading

Posted Sep 30, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Eric Asimov Contrasts Two Styles of Rioja in The New York Times

Check out Eric Asimov's latest article "Gentle Soul in a World of Bold Fruit" in The New York Times to learn about two very different styles of Rioja--the traditional Gran Reservas which he describes as "smooth, pale, harmonious" versus the newer, fruitier (and often pricier) types of Rioja that now... Continue reading

Posted Sep 26, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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Easy One-Pot Meal: Judías verdes con patatas, Green Beans & Potatoes

This is another dish that my mother-in-law, Esperanza, often makes for us when we're in Madrid. It takes about half an hour to make. It's vegetarian (vegan, if you omit the eggs.) It's also authentic--though not something you typically find in Spanish cookbooks. Here's how to do it. Ingredients 1... Continue reading

Posted Sep 23, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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An Andalusian Breakfast: pan tostado con aceite (toast with olive oil)

This is what I eat for breakfast when we're in Spain, and sometimes when we're here in the U.S., too. Take a good fresh roll (bollo) and slice it open. Toast it. Drizzle a good olive oil over it. And enjoy. Continue reading

Posted Sep 20, 2012 at Simple Spanish Food

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