The weather is warming up and what better than a delicious Spanish fish stew when the sun is starting to shine but the wind is still a little bitter!   This recipe is delicious and you need serve it only with a green salad and some crispy bread – perfect for lunch or dinner and even better with a delicious glass of Spanish Wine – perhaps something from Emporda DO?

Ingredients for 6 people:

6 Crayfish

12 Prawns

30 Mussels – cleaned

6 small squid – cleaned

12 centre slices of two different types of firm white fish – sea bass, haddock

½ a cup of Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium Onion – minced

¾ cup of Tinned Tomatoes – forced through a sieve

4 dzn Toasted Hazelnuts – peeled

3 small Garlic cloves – peeled

3 sprigs of fresh Parsley

10 dashes or drops of Pernod, Pastis or Anis

1 ½ cups of water – you may need a little more

½ teaspn freshly ground Black Pepper (or White pepper if the colour is preferable to you)

Method:

Cut squid in rings.

Open mussels by shaking them in a pan over moderate heat.

Strain juice through a kitchen towel for use in sauce.

Wash crayfish and prawns, but do not peel.

Sweat onions slowly in olive oil. Increase heat, add tomato and let cook for 1 minute. Season with pepper.

Add slices of fish with squid cut in rings. Spoon sauce over them and let them cook over a rather hot fire. In a mortar, crush the hazelnuts with the garlic and parsley to a smooth paste (or mix in an electric blender with 1/2 cup water).

When the fish has been cooking 4 to 5 minutes, turn it over. Season with salt.

Two minutes later, add the strained juice from the mussels, 1 cup cold water, and the prawns and crayfish. Cook 2 minutes more. Add cooked mussels.

Dilute contents of mortar with 1/2 cup water. Add to sauce in pan and stir. Add water if necessary to prevent sauce from sticking to bottom of pan.

When the slices of fish are tender, remove them to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle liqueur over the sauce, stir it well over heat and pour the contents over the fish in the serving dish.

Note that this dish should be served at once

I was in Barcelona recently and amongst other things during a very busy day had the fortune to meet two of our clients after their Gourmand Breaks Secret Barcelona Tour.   Gwenn Weiss and her husband Phil are ardent cooks and Gwenn has a nowadays internationally respected website, www.cookinginpajamas.com.

It all started it seems when Gwenn, who has always been very “into” cooking found that she was always being called by friends who wanted recipes for special meals etc., and she decided to start a blog which could be helpful to all of them.   Since then the blog has just expanded and grown and she now has people from all over the world who are contacting her not only for recipes, but sharing their recipes and chatting with her generally.   Not only that, Gwenn makes videos for cooking appliance makers and cooking classes and frequently appears on television!   The next move is a cookery book, sure to be a great success!

Since starting her blog, Gwenn has extended her cooking expertise to include advice on healthy eating plans and in particular details on how to cook all those dishes you really love but are frightfully fattening, by preparing them with ”less fattening” methods.   Her blog article advice includes such interesting suggestions for healthy living as the use of coconut oil and water and a myriad of other interesting facts so do pop into her website and have a good look around, it makes for fascinating reading.

Gwenn’s husband Phil, albeit a very successful paediatrician, still has time to be very wrapped up with, as he put it, “the longer methods of cooking” – sour dough bread – he has had a starter for some years!   He also smokes bacon and other meats, prepares his own cheeses and has a healthy herb and vegetable garden supplying the family with the very freshest of produce for Gwen to cook her clearly delightful meals.

What a “foodie” partnership – I was so delighted to meet them and do hope they are back in Spain again some day and we can have another opportunity to meet.

It seems the magnificent legend of Restaurant Celler de Can Roca has no boundaries!

We are thrilled to confirm that Celler de Can Roca, our own very precious Girona based Michelin 3* restaurant, has been confirmed, yet again, as No: 2 Restaurant in the World, at the much-anticipated World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2012, which was held tonight, Monday 30th April at the historic Guildhall in the City of London, in the company of the world’s finest chefs, international media and the world’s most influential restaurateurs.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and List, which is now in its 10^th year, is organised and compiled by Restaurant magazine and sponsored by S Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.

The list is created from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a highly influential group of over 800 international leaders in the restaurant industry. The Academy comprises 27 separate regions around the world, each region having its own panel of 31 members including a chairperson at its head. The panel is made up of food critics, writers, chefs and ‘gastronomes’ each of whom has seven votes. Members vote for seven restaurants, at least three of which must be used to recognise restaurants outside their region.

In the heart of the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona our Clients have been tasting local Catalan cheeses with Katherine – a specialist in her field, who is delighted to explain the local cheese and its background to all of our clients when they visit with a private guide on a Secret Barcelona Tour!

Where are Gourmand Breaks’ clients today?   Having just spent a few heady days in San Sebastian, they are on their way to the Emporda Region in Northern Catalonia, but are stopping overnight in the ancient French walled City of Carcassonne.

Set high up on a hill, Carcassonne’s fairytale collection of drawbridges, towers and atmospheric cobbled streets could be straight out of Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty! Carcassonne is, in reality, two cities in one and apart from the pretty-as-a-picture walled city, there is a low-key, lower town that dates back to the Middle Ages. Known as the Bastide Saint Louis, it features typically French bars, shops, cafés and restaurants

The citadel of the upper town is Carcassonne’s major sight and is surrounded by a double wall – the area in-between is known as the lices or “lists” where medieval knights once did their thing. Whilst the outer wall is the work of Louis IX, parts of the inner wall date back to Roman times.

And so to food – the real French food that everyone has been waiting to sample and perhaps the wonderful Cassoulet sums this up to perfection.   The origin of Cassoulet (see separate Blog item for Recipe) is a little obscure. Some say it is an Arab dish, others says it was created in Castelnaudary in the 14th and 15th centuries during the Hundred Years’ war. But whatever its origin, it’s one of the most delicious and satisfying of all French provincial dishes. It is a slow simmered casserole made primarily of white (haricot) beans, beans, pork, garlic sausage, vegetables and preserved (confit) duck or goose.   What better place to sample this French speciality than Brasserie du Donjon, 2, Porte d’Aude,  in the heart of La Cité, where the owner and staff will, without doubt, treat you as one of the family. Another really good family restaurant worthwhile trying is Auberge de Madam Carcas, at No 3 Place du Chateau, where the Cassoulet and indeed everything is reassuringly inexpensive and the food delicious.

After a enjoying a truly French menu why not have a wander around the Place du Château. This wonderful old-fashioned store is stuffed with regional specialties such as cassoulet (in a glass) and olives aux herbes. If you’re particular passion is cakes and pastry, it’s also the place to stock up on grés de la cité, a Carcassonne favourite that features a heavenly mix of almonds and vanilla wrapped in puff pastry.

Later, take an opportunity to stroll through the streets of the lower town, savour the atmosphere and enjoy this authentically gallic experience, as this part of Carcassonne is home to a handful of charming boutiques.  While not exactly a shopper’s paradise, Carcassonne’s lower town has some eye-catching boutiques that are a good source for take-home treats and self-indulgent souvenir purchases. They are all concentrated in the grid-system of streets leading off from the Place Carnot (home to the weekly food market) and the newly-refurbished Les Halles (Carcassonne’s covered food market) – a must for foodies.

La Ferme, on the corner of rue Verdun/rue Chartron (just off Place Carnot) is what the
French call an “épicerie fine” – a fine food emporium, packed full of the most enticing goodies and accessories for foodies and wine-lovers. From luxury items like foie gras and caviar to fancy flatware and truffle slicers, via state-of-the-art corkscrews and champagne buckets.

Everybody in the “foodies” world in Spain knows Ferran & Albert Adria’s Tickets restaurant and 41º coctail bar next door in the bohemian Parallel avenue of Barcelona.   Now, from April 20^th the lucky (or well connected) ones who will be able to get a booking, will enjoy the “Frosted Rain” futuristic dining experience there. Albert Adrià wants to turn 41 º into something that he says does not fall into the restaurant category. Customers, upon purchasing a ticket which will cost 250 Euros, will have access to a menu of about fifty elaborations that they may eat with their fingers (or with tweezers),  paired with cocktails and wine, ensuring total  immersion in a world of sensations. “Everything will be orientated to enhance the flavor and the food”

Adrià’s project, in which he works with Javier Milara, will be called “Frosted Rain” because the dining experience will be held in an area surrounded with more than 20,000 white crystals of fossilized aspect suspended at considerable height around the perimeter. Images projected onto these white crystals will envelope them in light and the area will be filled with music. “We will play with the emotion that we provoke with each elaboration, from being able make the client feel as if he is in the  middle of a Stones concert, to make him feel that  he is in an extremely pleasant place/environment which predisposes him to enjoy everything which has been prepared more intensely. “

Albert Adrià hopes they will be able to offer the first dinner at  “Frosted Rain” on April 20.  He says “We have advanced  our knowledge of the product, of the technique, of the  amazing dishes on the tasting menu and now we should move forward to present our creation”

We are delighted to hear that our good friends at Celler de Can Roca Restaurant in Girona have received yet another award!    Yesterday, in Paris,The International Academy of Gastronomy, formed by 22 individual countries, held its General Assembly and  Joan Roca of our beloved Celler de Can Roca in Girona  received  The Grand Prix de l’Art de la Cuisine 2011.  Joan Roca said he was thrilled with the award, which really just reconfirms the massive part that Spain takes in International cuisine today.

Could this perhaps be a fore-runner for the April awards in which his restaurant, Celler de Can Roca,  might just be proclaimed “The Best Restaurant in the World”?

The Assembly also awarded with the prize of Chef de L’Avenir 2011 ( Chef of the Future)  three other Spanish chefs  -Ramón Freixa, from the restaurant of the same name in Madrid, Angel Leon of Restaurant Aponiente in Puerto de Santa Maria and Josean Martinez Alija at Restaurant Nerua at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, a great favourite of our clients!

Many congratulations to all!

January in Northern Spain can be lovely!   This weekend it was so beautiful – yes, a little on the chilly side, but oh with a big and strong sun shining down on the whole garden, that we decided that a barbecue was in order, albeit we were definitely going to eat everything inside!!! Afterwards it occurred to me that you may like to share my recipes, so here goes – though they are not really for beginners as there is insufficient detail.

Well, that time is here again in Spain – Calçot time.   I have written in past blogs about the glorious Calçot – like a large spring onion, something like a leak – but different.   They are a feast in themselves, but onto the rest of the barbecue.   The men wanted rabbit – no, it is not for me, but here in Spain rabbit is very popular, low fat and thus a cholesterol friendly meat.   In addition, it is cheap, so I don’t usually grumble and always make something else for my meal.   For me – well, very young lamb which is in season here at the moment – a small leg and shoulder make enough for me and the men to share as well.

But back to the rabbit, which is so low in fat that it really does need well oiling – as well, I always stuff the tum with herbs – sometimes Rosemary – lots of it, still on the branch, or Sage – again lots of it.   Add half a dozen black peppercorns and a couple of good lumps of butter;  take a long pointed sate stick and seal the two sides of the stomach together with “stitches” – you may need two sticks – it depends really on the extent of the opening.

Now, take a mortar and throw in some mixed peppercorns, black, red and green, a good large teaspoonful of glorious Spanish Pimenton Dulce Ahumado (Smoked Sweet Pepper) some course salt, a scant teaspoon of Cumin and mix well together, stomping on the peppercorns with the pestle to break them down.   Add some Spanish Virgin Extra Olive Oil and then smother your rabbit in the luscious and colourful mixture.   If you have time, do leave it to “marinade” for an hour or so – if not, well, it isn’t the end of the world.

For the baby lamb – I use part of a super recipe Rick Stein has in his recent book of recipes on Spain –originally a recipe for cooking goat, Rick says he has done this with lamb in the UK, but did not mention whether the lamb was as young as that which we get in Spain.  A good handful of rosemary leaves, a good handful of parsley leaves, course salt, grated rind of a non-waxed lemon (sorry to boast but I cut one off my tree!), three cloves of garlic.   You need to “smunch” this for quite a while to achieve a really good gooey mass before adding some lovely Spanish Virgin Extra Olive Oil – not too much, just enough to make it maleable. Take a small roasting tin – add 250ml (or thereabouts) of dry white wine (I used Albariño as I was ready for a glass myself), pop the lamb on top and then smother the top of the lamb with the gloriously green mixture. Again, if you have time to let it marinade, do so, if not – it will still be great!

Turn your oven on to 180ºC. and when it is hot, pop your lamb in and the timing is up to you – half an hour for very pink, 40/45 minutes for not so pink – I am a heathen, like it well cooked and crispy on the outside, so leave it, albeit at a lower heat, for 1.5 hours -and then to see if the men have got the barbecue going well……it is time for the Calçots.

If you live here in Spain you will buy your Calçots in a large bundle.   No need to clean them, they will be well cleaned by the heat of the barbecue flames – because flame it must to cook the Calçots properly.   Place them in a row on the fire and turn them when they are blackened on one side – in fact turn them until they are black all over apart from the green stalk.   The Calçot is ready when a little juice starts to spurt from the side.   Whip them into your living room on a large platter – they are ready to eat.   Did you say sauce with them?   Yes, you need sauce – I am a frightful cheat and buy it in a glass as it is quite a bit of work to concoct, but if you feel adventurous, there are loads of recipes for Salsa Romesco on the internet and actually there is one on this blog too.

Now we hardly sit down to eat our Calçots as there is an urgency to the dish – I use thin rubber gloves, the men usually just wrap the root end of the delicacy in newspaper and pull – if the Calçot is cooked properly the root and the blackened outside of the onion will shed itself in one go and there you have it – a deliciously sweet white morsel – dip it in the sauce – raise it above your head like asparagus – open your mouth wide and pop it in…..words cannot describe……they are just gorgeous!

Towards the end of the cooking time of the Calçots your barbecue will be starting to whiten off beautifully and now is the time for your rabbit.   Keep an eye on it and turn it frequently – brushing with the oil left on its original platter.   It will need a good half an hour to 40 minutes – maybe even an hour, it really depends on the size, but you can tell when it is cooked through – push the legs apart, in the same way in which you might check a chicken to see if it is cooked – if they start to break apart it is done.

Back to the lamb and when it is ready to your liking, take it out of the oven and place it on a warmed plate.   Cover with silver foil and then a couple of thick tea towels and give it a good 20 minutes to half an hour to rest.

This meal is just great served with a vegetable rice – make it like a paella, but with no seafood, meat or chicken – it is the perfect accompaniment.

To drink?  What better than a bottle or two of Spanish DO Rias Baixas Albariño, fresh, lemony, crisp, I just love it to bits.

Enjoy!

Madridfusion the International Gastronomy Summit, brings together elite chefs and experts in the culinary field to discuss avant-garde trends, the evolution of tastes and new food habits.

The latest culinary creations are launched, new ingredients are discovered and styles, trends and products are merged together. Fusion, deconstructuion and globalization are the watchwords of the summit, which turns Madrid into the world capital of gastronomy.

The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) also participates at Madridfusión through the Foods From Spain and Wines From Spain program, promoting Spain’s wealth of good food and wine to the international press. ICEX also uses this summit to unveil its Young Chef’s Culinary Scholarship in Spain, (Programa de Formación de Jóvenes Chefs Extranjeros en Gastronomía Española).

24 Jan – 26 Jan 2012
Palacio de Congresos de Madrid
Avenida Capital de España Madrid, s/n
28042 Madrid

Gastronomy and products distinguished with the food quality mark are taking part in the 15th Extra Virgin Oil Show and the 49^TH Les Garrigues Fair, which will be held from 20 to 22 January 2012 in the Les Borges Blanques Oil Pavilion Lleida, The Fair promotes gastronomy and food quality and having gained a reputation for being the extra virgin oil capital of Catalonia, this event in Les Borges Blanques becoming the benchmark for top quality oil in the Mediterranean.

The fair attracts over 120 exhibitors representing more than 40 different brands of Arbequina extra virgin olive oil from cooperatives and private presses. This year, the organization is expecting more than 60,000 visitors to attend.

20 Jan – 22 Jan 2012
Les Borges Blanques Oil Pavilion
Lleida
Catalonia
Spain
patronat@firaoli.com
http://www.firaoli.com/

The celebration originates from the New Testament where it is stated that the kings, Melchor, Gaspar and Balthasar, travelled by night from afar to bring gifts to Jesus, whom they recognized as the Son of God. As well as being regal, the Three Kings are depicted as wise men, whose very wisdom is proved by their acknowledgement of Christ’s divine status. Arriving from three different directions, the kings followed the light provided by the star of Bethlehem, which lingered over the manger where the Virgin Mary gave birth for many days.

In 1885, the Spanish government called for a parade to mark the very special holiday. While the traditional scriptures tell of gifts of myrrh, gold and incense, these days the Kings bring sweets or in Spanish caramellos. It remains a beloved tradition and also the longest standing parade in Spain.

With festive lights brightening the streets and nativity scenes in various locations, Spaniards celebrate the arrival of the Kings on 5th January each year with a joyful parade called the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos. The kings ride upon horses or elaborate floats and throw sweets to the children lining the streets. This is also traditionally the big opportunity for children to ask the Kings for presents.

Later that evening, just before going to bed, children leave out their shoes in a spot where the Kings are sure to see them. The religious monarchs, just like Father Christmas, certainly love their sweets, so Spanish children often set out Turron, chocolate and sweets to entice the Kings as well as hay to feed their camels. When morning arrives, the children scream with delight to discover that the Kings have nibbled the sweets, the camels have eaten the hay and next to their shoes there are presents, brightly wrapped and waiting to be broken into. To follow,another Spanish Christmas tradition a breakfast of Roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake decorated with fruits symbolizing the precious gems that adorned the royal trio’s dramatic clothing.

Feliz Navidad from Gourmand Breaks!

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and a Healthy & Prosperous New Year 2012

Christmas is really a rather religious time in Spain. It officially begins on December 8, with the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated each year in front of the great Gothic cathedral in Seville with a ceremony called Los Seises or the “dance of six”.

A very important Christmas symbol in Spain is the Nativity scene, which can be seen in plazas in both cities and small towns throughout the country and which are also displayed prominently in the doorways and entrances of many Spanish homes.  In many small towns there may even be a live Nativity scene, with actors and actresses playing the parts of Mary and Joseph and the three wise men as well as live animals.

In Catalonia a very typical character is the “Tío de Nadal”. It is a hollow log, about thirty centimeters long with a broad painted smiling face, enhanced by a little red sock hat and often a three-dimensional nose.  Beginning with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), the tradition is to give the Tió a little bit to “eat” every night and usually cover him with a little blanket so that he will not be cold at night.  On Christmas day the Tió is placed partly into the fireplace and ordered to “poop” presents. To make him “poop”, he is beaten with sticks, whilst the family sing the various songs of Tió de Nadal.

Christmas Eve in Spain, called “Nochebuena”, just like in many parts of the world, is celebrated with two very important traditions, eating an enormous meal and going to Christmas mass.  There is a wide variety of typical foods one might expect to find on plates across Spain on this night and each region has its own distinct specialties.  Among typical dishes served on Christmas Eve and during the days that follow are roast lamb and suckling pig (typically served in the regions of Castilla León, Castilla la Mancha, and Madrid),  turkey or duck (commonly prepared in Andalucía) and an enormous variety of seafood, including shrimp, lobster, crab and various types of fish such as hake, trout, sea bream, sea bass and salmon (common in many regions, but mostly on the coasts).  For dessert, there is quite a spread of delicacies, among them are turrón and marzipan, desserts made of honey, egg and almonds that are Arabic in origin, as well as polvorones, delicious almond based biscuits and a variety of nuts and dried fruits.  To drink  -  a glass of cava, the Spanish equivalent of champagne.  After the meal, many Spaniards get their second wind and go to midnight mass, known as “La misa del Gallo”, or “Rooster Mass”, named such because the Rooster  is known as the first to announce the birth of Christ.

On Christmas day people spend time with their families, they eat another large meal, and children enjoy the gifts that they have received from “Papa Noel”, the Spanish equivalent of Santa Claus.  The custom of giving gifts on this date is not as popular as it is in many countries, as Spaniards traditionally wait until Three King’s Day to exchange gifts.

New Year’s Eve, or Nochevieja, in Spain, is quite an impressive spectacle.  In all plazas one can see a similar scene that includes church bells and grapes.   When the clock strikes 12, the church bells sound 12 times, and at this moment all Spaniards eat 12 grapes, one for each toll of the bell. This lively celebration will go on until the wee hours of the morning.

January 6 – Dia de Los Reyes in Spanish – is virtually as important as Christmas itself in Spain, especially for children, as this is the day when they get their presents! The fun starts the evening before, when the three kings Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar  lead their procession through the streets, throwing sweets to the children. The next morning, the children wake up to find their presents have been left

Everyone also eats Roscón, a sweet, donut-shaped bread (though much bigger than a donut) covered in glacier cherries and sugar, symbolic of the emeralds and rubies that adorned the robes of the three kings. A plastic toy is buried inside the mixture, so don’t dive in too quickly. He or she who finds the toy gets good luck for the next year (double the luck if they also ate the grapes on New Year’s Eve!)

Merry Christmas from Gourmand Breaks in Spain!

Barcelona was chosen to celebrate the presentation party of the new Spain Michelin Guide 2012, which took place last night at the Palace in all its splendor.  The party continued at the bar “Rien de Rien” – a coincidence or a very appropriate joke under the circumstances? The closing of many restaurants, including El Bulli, resulted in the Michelin Guide Spain 2012 showing poorer results than ever this year. As expected, there is no new 3 star restaurant in Spain and Raco de Can Fabes in Sant Celoni has lost its 3^rd star following the sad death of Chef Santi Santamaria this year.  Together with the retirement of El Bulli from the Guide, which closed its doors last July, this leaves Michelin Guide Spain 2012 with just 5 three starred restaurants for the coming year, three in San Sebastian – Arzak, Akelare and Martin Berasategui and two in Catalonia – Celler de Can Roca and Sant Pau.  Xavier Pellicer, who is the leading chef at Can Fabes said that “the stars always belong to the chef and we are proud that we still have 2 stars and will work hard to recover the third star next year.”  Everything wasn’t bad news at the Michelin stars Spain 2012 announcement  – the very young chef Jordi Cruz (the youngest to obtain a Michelin star) has recovered the second star for Abac in Barcelona (lost last year after Xavier Pellicer left for Can Fabes);  the chef Quim Casellas of our beloved Restaurant Casamar in Llafranc has obtained his first star for the establishment which he runs together with his sister in their family hotel and which offers creative cuisine based on products from the immediate region.  Another of our favourite restaurants, Nerua in Bilbao at the Guggenheim Museum has gained their first Michelin star as well.  It’s a bit of a Michelin paradox, though,  that Chef Josean Martinez Alija, of Nerua, who has been one of the most revered avant garde chefs in the world for quite some years, only now has received his first star in the Michelin Guide Spain 2012. Some of the ever present candidates for a third star, Quique Dacosta ( of a restaurant of the same name in Denia)  y Andoni Luis Aduriz ( of Mugaritz restaurant at  Errenteria, the Basque Country)  are still waiting, whilst they receive the recognition of gastronomes all over the world, who place them in the highest position.

The list of Michelin starred restaurants in Spain for 2012 is as follows:

Michelin 3 star Spain 2012:

• Sant Pau (Carme Ruscalleda, Sant Pol de Mar, El Maresme, Barcelona)
• Arzak (Juan Mari Arzak, San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa)
• Akelarre (Pedro Subijana, San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa)
• Martin Berasategui (Martin Berasategui, Lasarte, Gipuzkoa)
• El Celler de Can Roca (Joan Roca, Girona)

Michelin 2 star Spain 2012: :

Newly granted:

• Abac (Jordi Cruz, Barcelona)
• Club Allard (Diego Guerrero, Madrid)
• Diverxo (David Muñoz, Madrid)

Existing:

• Mugaritz (Andoni Luis Aduriz, Renteria, Gipuzkoa)
• Quique Dacosta (Quique Dacosta, Denia, Alicante)
• Miramar (Paco Perez, Llança, Girona)
• Azurmendi (Eneko Atxa, Larrabetzu, Vizcaya)
• Freixa Ramon (Ramon Freixa, Madrid)
• Calima (Dani Garcia, Marbella, Málaga)
• Casa Marcial (Ignacio Manzano, Arriondas, Asturias)
• Lasarte (Martin Berasategui, Barcelona)
• Atrio (Cáceres)
• Sant Celoni (Oscar Velasco, Madrid)
• Sergi Arola Gastro (Sergi Arola, Madrid)
• La Terraza del Casino (Paco Roncero, Madrid)
• Les Cols (Olot, Girona)

Michelin 1 star Spain 2012: :

Newly granted:

• Casamar (Quim Casellas, Llafranc)
• Nerua – Guggenheim Bilbao (Josean Martínez Alija, Bilbao)
• Maralba (Almansa)
• Rodrigo de la Calle (Rodrigo de la Calle, Aranjuez)
• Choco (Cordoba)
• Marqués de Riscal (Francis Paniego, Elciego)
• Lillas Pastia (Carmelo Bosque, Huesca)
• Es Fum (Thomas Kahl, Palmanova)
• Jardin (Macarena de Castro. Port d’Alcudia)
• Annua (Oscar Calleja, San Vicente de la Barquera)
• Solana (Ignacio Solana, Ampuero)
• Casa Marcelo (Marcelo Tejedor, Santiago de Compostela)
• Silabario (Alberto Gonzalez, Tui)

Losing one star this year:

• Koldo Miranda (Koldo Miranda Avilés)
• Drolma (Fermi Puig, Barcelona)
• Lluçanès (Angel Pasqual, Barcelona)
• A Reixidora (Javier Gonzalez, Bentraces)
• Gadus (Thierry Enderlin, Cala d’Or)
• La Solana (Gonzalo Pañeda, Gijón)
• La Broche (Angel Palacios, Madrid)
• Café de Paris (Jose Carlos Garcia, Málaga)
• Tierra (Ismael Delgado, Torrico-Valdepalacios)
• Ramiro’s (Ramiro Ruiz, Valladolid)
• Ikea (Jose Ramon Berriozabal, Vitoria)

With many thanks to El Mundo for a fabulous photograph

The Spanish makers of extra virgin olive oil, Castillo de Canena, based in Canena (Jaén, Andalucia), have received yet another award, one more to add to the many they have received over recent years.  This one is just about the most prestigious yet!

In the 2012 edition of the  Flos Olei, the definitive Italian olive oil Guide headed up by Marco Oreggia, Castillo de Canena  receives an amazing 97 points out of a possible 100 – the highest number of points given to any of the 1000 olive oils reviewed.  Flos Olei, considered the olive oil equivalent of Robert Parker’s guide to the world of wine, had already awarded the Jaén based olive oil 96 points in its 2011 edition.

Marco Oreggia’s well known guide to the world’s best extra virgin oils has a very strict evaluation process, which is based on detailed tastings of oils produced in as many as 20 different countries.

How many people we wonder would love to cook like famed Spanish Chef Ferran Adria, but really wouldn’t dare.   Now comes your opportunity with a new Cookery Book just published, The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria. This book does not contain the spheroids, foams and complex cooking methods of El Bulli Restaurant methods, but is in fact a compilation of the restaurant’s ever thoughtful staff meals.  The recipes are very usable and include ingredients that are not only readily available, but consciously inexpensive, which can’t be a bad thing in these times of crisis. In Adria’s words, “At El Bulli we were 75 people between chefs and waiters and I have created cheap practical menús for everybody at 3 or 4 Euros per  menú that everyone will like and they are elaborated in half an hour – màximum 50 minutes…..my favourite dish from the book was noodles with mussels.”

Despite the fact that in our opinion the names of the recipes lose something in the translation from Spanish to English (they sound much more basic than they really are) for example, Rice in a rich sauce  with crab:Tomato and basil salad , coconut cake is one “menu” which is truly delicious but very cost conscious;  another “menu” is fried eggs with asparagus, chicken wings and fruit sangria – sound simple?   Yes, they are, but the recipes are designed to suit both the cookery beginner and those with considerably more experience behind them.

The book is emblazoned with absolutely super photography, each recipe including many instructional photographs – always a fantastic help! There is a photo gallery of key pieces of kitchen equipment used in the recipes; a list of all the spices used in the book. Tips to make the most of ingredients and buying tips to assist you in recognizing freshness. The cookery advice is to the point, but still has meticulous instructions, even if the advice simply covers poaching an egg.

In a recent interview with Adria in La Vanguardia, a prominent Spanish newspaper, he was asked if he ever cooks at home, to which his reply was, “The chef cooks at his restaurant, not at home.  I go to La Boqueria, I buy mushrooms, seafood, fish and cook it a la plancha or poach it and serve it with extra virgin olive oil – it is hardly Cooking!” We doubt very much that his home cookery is quite as simple as he claims!

Fans of Spanish Chef Martin Berasategui will be delighted to hear that he has opened a new restaurant  – Doma – in Bilbao, located on the roof top of the exclusive five-star Silken Gran Domine Bilbao hotel, which is opposite the Guggenheim Museum.

The restaurant not only has panoramic views, but the menu is also compiled of the best of this great chef’s professional and avant-garde career – clearly an harmonious addition to the innovative and contemporary look of the hotel in which it is situated.

Martin Berasategui –  the Spanish chef with the most Michelin stars, seven in total, never  tires of starting new projects. In Silken Ciudad of Vitoria he has set up a school, ESAB, for the training of future chefs under his supervision. Meanwhile, overseas, he has embarked on ‘a new adventure in the Caribbean’, as he calls it, in the Meliá Paradisus Caribe of Punta Cana, with several restaurants and luxury gastro-bars.

Martín Berasategui also supports green products. At the last Fruit Attraction Fair, he introduced some revolutionary products, such as the ‘living lettuce’ of Salanova and the cucumber snacks ‘My Cubies’. According to Berasategui, his ‘living lettuce’ contains the roots and can survive up to a week outside the fridge. He considers his Cubies perfect for children and in Gin Tonic for adults.

Various individuals from the wine and hospitality sectors including Ferran Centelles of El Bulli and Josep Roca of El Celler de Can Roca will give talks on “wine production and enjoyment as part of the culinary experience” at the international culinary congress, San Sebastián Gastronomika 2011 – Euskadi Saboréala commencing Monday, 21 November.   The conference, which will be held in the Palacio Kursaal, San Sebastian is packed with talent, speakers and exhibitors. In 2011 the conference salutes new colors, new cuisines, the newest culinary sensations, looking out towards three great Latin American countries: Brazil, Mexico and Peru.

The latest edition of San Sebastián Gastronomika is divided into two sections: the ALTA congress, where international representatives from the haute cuisine sector will share opinions on the latest culinary trends and experiences from their own establishments; and OFF Gastronomika, the parallel congress focusing on dining and wine. In addition, the international congress aims to offer those companies taking part its ‘Espacio Marketing’, a dedicated exhibition space for businesses to forge trade links, which includes a reserved area to showcase some of the very best Spanish wines.

The list of speakers at the OFF Gastronomika congress, which in addition to conferences also boasts a series of tastings programmed from 21st to 23rd November, includes professionals from the Spanish wine industry such as Raúl Bobet, managing director at Bodegas Torres, Agustín García, oenologist at Bodegas Tajinaste, and Agustín Santolaya, managing director at Bodegas Roda. Some of the representatives from the haute cuisine sector include such well-known individuals as Juli Soler of El Bulli, Carme Ruscalleda of Restaurante Sant Pau, and Claude Troisgros of the Olympe Restaurant in Río de Janeiro.

As well as hosting talks and tastings, San Sebastian Gastronomika will also host the Official Best Spanish Sommelier Competition 2011 for yet another year, in which the winners from the competitions held in every Spanish province will compete in an event where they will have to face challenges such as identifying products in blind tastings, carrying out guided tastings, or detecting errors on a menu.

San Sebastian Gastronomika – Basque Country Savour has been committed to innovation from the very first year. In 2011 they are taking things a step further and after the success of last year, focussing strongly on offering tastings during the sessions. This is a unique format not offered by similar events around the world, which will allow those attending to taste, in real time, the creations that the chefs are demonstrating in the Palacio Kursaal Auditorium.

45 of the chefs taking part in Alta Gastronomika will offer a total of 14,000 tastings over the three days of this professional event as a result of which the Auditorium will be turned into the largest restaurant in the world, with a live food service to include the great dishes of 2011.   Examples will include :

Joan Roca, Celler de Can Roca Restaurant (Girona) – Truffle Brioche

Pedro Subijana, Akelarre Restaurant (San Sebastian) – Edible Papers

Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, Arzak Restaurant (San Sebastian) – Grilled lemons

Martin Berasategui, Berasategui Restaurant (Lasarte) – Wild salmon with liquid cucumber and chives with red fruits and radishes

Carme Ruscalleda and Raül Balam, Sant Pau Restaurant (Sant Pol de Mar) and Moments Restaurant (Barcelona) – Spiced, seasoned shortbread

Some of the world’s leading chefs and sommeliers, including Ferran Adria and Jose Andres have given their support to a coalition calling for truth in wine labelling.    Adria and Andres have signed an open letter lending their support to protect wine place names.   Others who have given support are The French Laundry’s Thomas Keller and Pontus Elofsson of Noma, Joel Robuichon, Wolfgang Puck and Alain Ducasse.

Spaniard Jose Andres, who has restaurants in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington DC said, ‘We support the Joint Declaration to protect wine place and origin because place names are central to understanding the foods and wines we work with every day’.

The United States has agreed, in a deal signed last year between US and Europe, to prevent new wine producers from using the names ‘port’ and other semi-generic names such as Sherry and Burgundy. However, the agreement has a ‘special clause’ that allows producers in the market before March 2006 to continue the practice in some cases.

The Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, a coalition first formed in 2005, has the support of 15 wine regions including Champagne, Jerez, Porto and Napa and
according to the Napa Valley Vintners Association, producers from countries as wide ranging as Germany and China have put ‘Napa’ or similarly misleading labels on their wines.

The coalition hopes that, with the support of chefs and  food and wine experts this will persuade lawmakers to better protect wine place names.

One of the happiest events in Spain takes place every year on on the coast of Galicia in O Grove (El Grove),  where many of the 11,000 population earn their living from seafood.   The town has an annual festival in Honour of Seafood and to show off the excellence of the area’s shell fish and fish –  the Fiesta de Exaltación del Marisco (Seafood Festival) attracts more than 220,000 people every year from 4 – 14 October.

During the fiesta, fish and shellfish go on sale at special prices, prepared and served by town locals. The excellent regional produce attracts thousands of people every year, making this event a point of reference, and earning O Grove its nickname of “seafood paradise”. There is also music, traditional dance, competitions and sporting events, as well as seminars and exhibitions.

Beaches, hot springs and sea products, make O Grove a well-known tourist spot and point of reference throughout Galicia. O Grove, a peninsula located on the entrance of the Arousa estuary, occupies an extension of 21 sq km, with two parishes -San Martiño and San Vicente- and a populated island, A Toxa. The sea represents the most valuable treasure of the town of O Grove. Everything circles around the Atlantic, situated on the entrance of the Arousa estuary.  The rich waters that surround O Grove have turned its fishing port into one of the most important of Galicia. Here are collected the best products to be auctioned every day in the fish market.

Local Catalan Cheeses

Catalonia and the Catalan Pyrenees mountains are a perfect place for raising livestock.   Cows, sheep and goats are raised here to produce Spanish cheeses that are very much considered to be a delicacy throughout Spain and are now slowly becoming more recognized in the United States, United Kingdom and all over Europe.   Promotion of these artisan made Spanish cheeses has been a slow process but Catalonia has already become the Spanish region with the most cheese shops in the country.

Tupi Catalan Cheese

The tradition of Tupi cheese is still maintained – Tupi in Catalan is the name for a clay jar where the cheese is stored.  The Tupi cheese is made with pasteurized milk from the cow, sheep or goat and cazalla (aniseed)  liquor that is fermented in these clay jars.  This Catalan cheese has aggressive bold flavors. The mix of cazalla liquor comes through in the fruity finishing notes. Tupi cheese is piquant and very flavorful.

Mato de Montserrat Catalan Cheese

Mato de Montserrat is a fresh typicail Catalan cheese which is only a few days old.   Mato de Montserrat is made with milk from the cow or goat or even a mix of milk from both animals.   The Mato de Montserrat cheese does not contain salt and is normally eaten as a dessert, topped with jam or honey.

Tou del Tillers Catalan Cheese

In the province of Lleida in the town of Sort, production of  Tou del Tillers cheese is prominent.   This local Catalan cheese is made from raw cow’s milk with a little salt, the end-result is similar to Brie with a creamy centre.

Costa Negra Catalan Cheese

The Pyrenees mountain area is home to Costa Negra, a Catalan cheese with a complex flavour which is a mix of sweet and sour or tart.   The outside rind of Costa Negra cheese is black and inside, the cheese has an elastic consistency.

Drap Catalan Cheese

Drap is a buttery almost sweet typical local Catalan cheese, also from the Pyrenees and made of raw cow’s milk;  two varieties, fresh without a rind and white with a yellow rind.

Alt Urgell-Cerdanya Catalan Cheese

Alt Urgell-Cerdanya is a cheese type which has reached the level of having its own DO (Denomination or Origin) – the Alt Urgell-Cerdanya – the first Catalan cheese to be recognized in this manner.   Alt Urgell -Cerdanya cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and fermented lactose products and is creamy, soft with a sweet and very smooth flavour.

New forms of local Catalan cheese preparation (preserved in oil, wrapped in herbs, etc) are on the up. The world of gastronomy, with chefs to the forefront, is giving them very special attention. The Pyrenean Craft Cheese Fair, which is held as part of the Sant Ermengol Fair in La Seu d’Urgell on the penultimate weekend in October, attracts craft cheese makers from all along the Pyrenees (Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country and Navarre). More than a hundred different kinds of Spanish cheeses can be tried at the show. The main event at the Fair is the craft cheese contest that is organised by types. Each type makes up a section: mató, fresh cheese, cow cheese, sheep cheese, goat cheese and Tupi cheese.

We recently ate at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and were mightily amused to see that the restaurant has brought the art and science world to their menu with, amongst others, a dish based on Einstein’s theory of Physics – laid out on a plate with seaweed and anchovies.   It seems the restaurant, run by top chef Josean Martinez Alija, is joining other top Art Galleries in Spain who have introduced such delights as Monet canapés, Walt Kuhn cheese and Gaugin focaccia!

In Madrid, the snack bar at the Thyssen Museum is offering tapas mirroring some of the Impressionist painters and one of its dishes – a sausage and cheese plate, is based upon a work by Paul Klee.

We hear that similarly themed menus are included in the Centro Niemeyer Museum in Avilés and La Sucursal in Valencia’s IVAM.

Well, what do you know – the height of creativity!

Distinguished American wine writer Robert Parker has become the only wine critic to be awarded Spain’s Gran Cruz al Merito Civil.  In a ceremony on Wednesday, 11 May in Madrid, government minister Rosa Aguilar handed the award to the influential wine writer.  The honour has not been bestowed on a wine critic before, according to Raphael Del Rey, director of the Observatorio Español del Mercado del Vino (OEMV).

Parker said on his bulletin board that he found the experience “surreal”.  “I write about a beverage of pleasure, not about curing cancer, and to say it is humbling is to understate my sentiments and good fortune.”

The Bordeaux answer to Bilbao’s Guggenheim was revealed recently, we feel it could look like a thumb or a decanter or even wine swirling in a glass – what do you think?

Plans for this futuristic Wine Centre, which were unveiled in Bordeaux , will be designed by Parisian architects X-Tu, with London company Casson Mann working on the interior.  The two companies, selected from 113 candidates, will start building in early 2013, with a completion date set for 2014.

Philippe Massol Project Director,  said, “We selected the most spectacular building. It reflects the sensual side of wine, and is in harmony with the river which it will be built alongside”.   He  additionally stated that the building would be ‘environmentally sound’, built out of wood and glass, ‘which themselves are materials used in wine’.

Spanish Gonzalez Byass has doubled production for the re-launch of its Tio Pepe En Rama.  Tio Pepe En Rama – rama means ‘raw’ – is an ultra-fresh andyoung fino sherry made from unfiltered and unclarified Tio Pepe taken from the cask in spring when the flor is at its thickest. This is the second year of production.  With no stabilisation of any sort the sherry must be drunk within three months of bottling, and within 3 days of opening!   Marketing Director Jeremy Rockett, said, “We want people to taste it as they would if it came directly from the barrel”.

Gonzalez Byass, which also owns several wine brands, have high hopes for Tio Pepe ´En Rama´, doubling production this year to 5000 bottles.  There is a mini-boom in tapas bars as an indicator of the burgeoning popularity of top-end sherry and London alone has gained four new sherry bars in the last 12months..

Gran Cerdo or Big Pig, is a great wine, dedicated to the Bank Directors who denied a loan, saying that wine is no guaranteed equity.  No doubt these fat, oily and suited people will one day discover that the most important things in life can never be held to ransom.  “Thanks to our friends, we finally managed to do the bottling and now you can enjoy our most acid creation”;   this is the surprising presentation card of a young wine from La Rioja of Gonzalo Gonzalo Winery, which is sold at around 5 Euros a bottle and on which label you can see a pig with feathers.

It is certain that wines with funny or odd names exist in all corners of Spanish wine geography.   In Catalonia we have Finca Malaveina (Bad Neighbour) from Castell de Perelada in Emporda.   A Bodes em Convides (You Invite me to a Wedding) in Penedes, or Cap de Ruc (Head of a Donkey) from Celler Ranadelles de Cornudella de Montsant.  A donkey is also the protagonista of La Senda del Burro (the path of a donkey) of Viñedos Propios Pajares in Leon.   There is a saying that, “he who goes to a winery and does not drink wine arrives as a donkey and leaves as a donkey”.

Wine labels are the surprise situation for many different animals, for example, El Pero Verde (The Green Dog) a very successful verdejo from DO Rueda, fruit of the collaboration of Bodegas Angel Lorenzao Cachazo and Catalan Wine Merchant, Quim Vila from the famous Vila Vineteca.   In collaboration with Bodegas Viscarra, Quim Vila also promoted the wine Venta Las Vacas (Villa of the Cows), DO Ribera del Duero.  But clearly the prize goes to Cojón de Gato (Cats Balls)and Teta de Vaca  (Cow’s Tit).   We don’t even want to mention a brand of Alpujarras in Almeria, Tetas de la Sacristana (Tits of the Priest’s Housekeeper)!

Clearly if we go around the world we will find names which are repulsive to some extent, such as French Frog’s Piss or Le Vin de Merde (The wine of shit) On the label of this last one you can read Le pire cache le meilleur (the best is hidden in the worst)

They are many bizarre names of wines to suit each taste -  The Australian Beach, The Fat Bastard from Languedoc-Russillon, the Californian Mad Housewife, or the Nappa Valley Cleavage Creek.   Clearly those of a superstitious nature should abstain from tasting the Chilena Gato Negro (Black Cat) or Casillero del Diablo (Coffin of the Devil)

Jose Andres, the man credited with popularizing our famous Spanish tapas in the USA was named the nation’s most outstanding chef last Monday during the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards ceremony, the so-called Oscars of the culinary crowd. Andrés, whose company, the Think Food Group, runs a string of popular restaurants in Washington, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, beat fellow chefs Gary Danko, Suzanne Goin, Paul Kahan and Charles Phan to win the prestigious accolade.

Jose Andres,  who grew up in the Asturias area in northern Spain, started his career under the tutelage of Ferran Adrià at El Bulli, before moving to the USA in 1990. Nowadays he owns a number of very successful restaurants across America, including Cafe Atlantico, Jaleo, Zaytina, Oyamel, China Poblano, the Bazaar, and the most unique of these, Minibar.

“Here’s an immigrant celebrating the melting pot,” he said.  “I feel like I’m an ambassador bringing Spain to America and also to the world.”

We here in Spain feel just so proud of our cuisine being acclaimed in the world with such great ambassadors;  Ferran Adria has recently been named “ambassador of Spanish tapa”  – it’s pretty clear our cuisine is more in vogue than ever!

In the last two decades, contemporary architecture has staged a thrilling encounter with the unlikely world of viticulture. Originating in California’s Napa Valley, the earliest of these winery designs were brash and postmodern, selfstyled “temples to wine” that created a thriving tourist market around California’s vineyards. But in recent years, innovation has turned West, flourishing as a modern form of branding amongst the ancient bodegas of northern Spain.

Branding, of course, is tightly bound up with contemporary architecture. Retail shops, fashion houses, hotels and restaurants seek out an identity in architecture: signature styles, celebrity names and the thrill of the avant-garde leave their trace on the brand, infusing them with the cutting-edge aura of a building that pushes boundaries. Increasingly, architectural branding is designed to entice customers out of their own worlds into a fairyland of high-end luxury and breathtakingly improbable design.

But wineries – particularly European wineries – are different. These brands don’t float free, placeless products in a global economy. Vineyards trade on their terroir, the flavour of the land and geography and climate. The land shapes the wine in these areas, and, despite even the most sweeping architectural gesture, the prestige of the winery comes first and foremost from the vineyards, the appellations and the grapes themselves. As such, the buildings can’t lift the brand entirely out of their environment without compromising the integrity of the product. And yet the environment is hardly the stuff of avant-garde architecture. Areas like northern Spain are defined by their centuries-old vineyards and rustic peasant buildings: plenty of stone but very little that defies gravity or violates tradition.

Frank Gehry, of course, is famous for his gleeful disregard of gravity and tradition alike. His highly anticipated design for the Marqués de Riscal Winery doesn’t disappoint – but nor does it totally abandon the local. Instead, the building literalises the winery’s own claim to unify tradition and the avant-garde.

Located in Elciego, a sleepy medieval village in the Rioja wine district, Gehry’s trademark waves of undulating titanium erupt out of the landscape. The building is widely taken as a follow-up to the groundbreaking Guggenheim Bilbao, a masterstroke of branding (both of the Guggenheim and of Gehry himself) that is located only an hour and a half north of the winery. Certainly, despite their highly symbolic colouring (purple for wine, silver for the bottle’s capsule and gold for the mesh that wraps the bottles), the trademark sheets of undulating titanium recall nothing if not Gehry’s own works. But unlike these earlier designs, the titanium ribbons of the Marqués de Riscal Winery aren’t structural; instead, the building is grounded by a series of rectilinear shapes in local sandstone. The same colour and material as both the earth and the impressive church that forms the village’s other great landmark, this gesture manages, against all the odds, to engage Gehry’s eccentric structure in a dialogue with its surrounds.

Just down the road in Haro (where Zaha Hadid has erected her own monument to viticulture at the R. López de Heredia winery), locals celebrate wine culture with an annual Batalla del Vino, a literal wine fight that drenches its participants and the landscape in bucketfuls of cheap wine. Gehry’s structure seems to reference this bacchanalian spirit: wine as indulgence and abandon, a joyful revelry in the richness of life. Indeed, it’s a building whose function is the winery’s froth: a hotel, spa and restaurant, Gehry’s building sells wine but doesn’t produce it. In this sense, it’s pure brand, the beautiful, spectacular public face that references, reflects and magnifies the winery’s impressive wine cellars and wine-production facilities.

In the Ribera del Duero, a neighbouring winemaking district, Richard Rogers (with Alonso Balaguer y Arquitectos Asociados) and Norman Foster are responding to the rather different challenge of designing wineries that integrate promotion with production. If Gehry’s design tips the balance heavily in favour of branding, Rogers and Foster both defer to the primacy of the landscape and of the winery’s functions. Rogers’ design for the Bodegas Protos in Peñafiel sits on a triangular site whose overwhelming mass is broken into a series of five parabolic vaults, supported by laminated timber arches and clad in terracotta tiles. Its underground cellars connect to an existing network of tunnels, traditionally used by the bodega for wine production and storage. Partially underground, the site uses thermal mass for passive cooling, a modern and environmentally sound quotation of traditional winemaking practice. Where Gehry’s design answers the local church as an equal, Rogers’ defers to Peñafiel’s medieval castle, perched on a hill directly above the winery. From the castle, Rogers’ structure appears as a series of modern shapes in traditional materials. The tiles repeat the terracotta roofs of neighbouring buildings to affirm the winery’s position within the community, while its clean curves establish its own distinct identity.

Foster’s Faustino Winery in Gumiel de Izan performs a similar feat of traditionalised modernity. With a palette of steel, glass and oak, the symbolism of Foster’s building references the processes of production instead of the joys of consumption. Its sleek, low-lying stature cleaves to the ground rather than launching into a dreamworld. The trefoil design aestheticises the functional, visually demarcating the three processes of production: fermentation, ageing in bottles and ageing in barrels. Partially submerged to maximise thermal mass and maintain an optimal temperature, the two arms of the ageing process are connected by a road that passes over their roofs. The subdued undulations of the road mimic the rise and fall of the land, as the building sinks symbolically into the earth. Like Rogers’ Bodega Protos, the innovative shapes modernise traditional design processes and universalise the virtues of the terroir.

Rogers’ and Foster’s sober, functional designs seem to be the precise opposite of Gehry’s celebratory architecture. Contemporaneous with each other and virtually neighbours, these two tendencies nonetheless represent the poles of architecture’s engagement with winery design. And yet, oscillate as they will between these extremes, the animating dynamic in each building is always the tension between authenticity and extravagance, between the local and the global, between tradition and terroir. This basic opposition, intrinsic to the very act of engaging a world-class architect for a local Spanish bodega, is itself productive. Calling on globalised architects to engage with the local, and local communities to welcome the avant-garde, these Spanish bodegas are exemplary buildings in the age of the celebrity architect.

With thanks to www.specifier.com for this excellent and interesting article.

Some may take the Pellegrino Restaurant Survey with a pinch of salt and yes, sure, it isn’t the Michelin listing, but how proud are we in Spain, particularly those of us in the Girona area, that Celler de Can Roca has just been elevated to the 2^nd best restaurant in the world in the Pellegrino Restaurant Survey!

http://www.theworlds50best.com/awards/1-50-winners Spain has a magnificent 5 restaurants in this top 50 Restaurant Survey.   Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain is in 3^rd place – Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain in 8^th, Martín Berasategui, Lazarte-Oria, Spain, 29^th and Etxebarri, Atxondo-Bizkaia, Spain 50^th.   Proof beyond doubt that Spain is for certain one of THE countries to eat the best food these days!

Ingredients for Basque Chicken – typical Spanish recipe:

8 Chicken joints to include all parts of the chicken or Joint a 1.70 kg chicken yourself into 8 pieces

150 Spicey Chorizo Sausage, cut into 1cm slices and skinned

2 good sized Red Peppers

1 Large Onion

50g of Sundried Tomatoes in oil (or dried and soak for half an hour in hot water)

3 good sized Cloves of Garlic or more if you wish

1 Tablespoon of Tomato Puree

200 g Paella or preferably “Bomba” rice

50 g Black Olives – preferably stoned –  if you leave the stone in it adds to the flavour, but you have to watch your teeth!

275 ml of Chicken Stock, either fresh or made up from a cube

150 ml of dry White Wine

1 large tspn of freshly chopped thyme

1 tspn Pimenton (smoked Pimento)

To commence making your Basque Chicken, season the chicken well with salt and freshly milled black pepper. Then, slice the stalk end of the pepper off with the point of a sharp knife, which will remove the seeds.   Slice the pepper into good thick strips. Peel the onion and slice thickly. Cut your dried tomatoes, whether they be in oil or freshly re-hydrated, into small pieces.

Now heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a good sized casserole pot and add the chicken pieces, not all at once, but two or three first and brown them well on both sides. Have a plate lined with kitchen paper ready and as the chicken  pieces brown remove them and place them on the plate to drain.  Add the onion and peppers to your pot now and let them soften, moving them around for some minutes on a medium heat.

Then, add the garlic, chorizo and sun-dried tomatoes and stir well, turning the contents over and over until the chorizo has a little colour. Add the rice and and stir well turning and turning to ensure that the rice has a really good coating of oil.   Now add the tomato puree, pimenton, thyme, stock and wine.   Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and bring up to simmering point.  Add the olives and then place your chicken pieces on the top of everything.   Cover with foil and then a lid, as tightly as you can and cook on a really low heat for up to an hour – but check from time to time after about 45 minutes that the rice is cooked, but still al dente.    If you wish, you may place your casserole in the oven at 180C or 160C for a fan oven, for one hour, but do check at 45 minute stage that the rice is cooked.

Serve your Basque Chicken with a mixed green salad, baquette bread and a super Priorat wine!

Ferran Adrià this week assembled some of the best chefs of the world, Joan Roca, Juan Mari Arzak and Pedro Subijana at his restaurant El Bulli in Roses for what has become an annual meeting of the great! The four chefs who between them share 12 Michelin Stars had a chance to chat about the restaurant world in general and in particular, the future of luxurious restaurants, which Adria considers, but for a few, is limited.

The four chefs enjoyed a sailing trip prior to a meal of seasonal March specialties of the Mediterranean, Sea Urchins and grilled Sardines    During their discussion Adrià confirmed that he felt that the future of gastronomy is in informality, which suits the way of the world today and to this end, the Spanish Tapa, which is convenient, simple and speedy.

Not surprising perhaps, as Adria’s new Restaurant, TICKETS in Barcelona is already booked up for the coming year!

Ingredients (4 servings)

>         24 green asparagus

>         sea salt

for the romesco sauce

>         40 gr of toasted hazelnuts

>         40 gr of toasted almonds

>         1 garlic bulb

>         5 ripe tomatoes

>         1 sweet onion

>         3 ñoras (sweet dried peppers)

>         1/2 slice of bread

>         extra virgin olive oil

>         vinegar

>         salt

Method

Season the onion and garlic bulb with salt and oil and bake them in the oven previously heated at 180ºC for un hour (the tray should be covered in foil paper). Do the same with the tomato, but leave without covering.

Soak the peppers in warm water for 10 minutes. Open them and get the pulp out with a knife.

Fry the bread slice in a pan with some oil, together with the almonds and hazelnuts. Set aside.

Put all ingredients in a vase and blend, adding the oil little by little to emulsify.

Taste for salt and vinegar.

Clean the asparagus and cut the end out with your hands. Cook them in a hot pan with a little oil. Season them with coarse sea salt.

Serve the asparagus with a little sauce.

With many thanks to Cook & Taste for this recipe

The “Xatonada” is a ritual meal eaten during Lent, when historically meat would not pass the lips!  According to legend the name of this typical Catalan dish comes from the word chateau, a reference to the size of the plate and the shape of this delicious winter salad. Originally cooked by the fishermen and consisting of cod fish, salad and a sauce made from red pepper, almonds and garlic, la Xatonada Catalan local speciality is enjoyed every February in the regions south of Barcelona.  A famous saying is that “the Xato is much better in Sitges”, but the xató route begins in Sitges before heading inland to Sant Pere de Ribes and Vilafranca del Penedès, swinging south-west to El Vendrell then returning to the coast at Vilanova i la Geltrú and there is a recipe for each town of the Xató route.

We recently had a chance to look at the new 5 star Ohla Hotel in Barcelona.  Ideally situated on the Via Laietana,  just 5 minutes’ walk from Plaza Catalunya,  this stylish design hotel is built on the site of a former Roman canal and the palace of the first Count of Barcelona. The exterior remains historic, which suits Barcelona perfectly, but the inside is ultra-modern minimalistic, black, white  and chic with oak accents.

How minimalistic is the hotel?   Well, it takes a little while to find the toilet in your room as it is actually hidden behind a moving wall!   To be expected with a five star hotel, all the modern rooms at the Ohla Hotel have plasma television, iPod docking stations and the guests are provided with bathrobe and slippers.   Guests also have an opportunity to select their own bedding, pillows, the scent of the linens, music, bath salts and other personal articles.

Hotel Ohla has two restaurants, one of which, Sauc has a Michelin star.   There is a rooftop “chill area” with pool and of course magnificent views of Barcelona. Additionally there is the mandatory gym and sauna.

Will the Ohla Hotel become one of the future favourite accommodations for our Clients?  Well, it depends on the Client and as ever, we will select the hotel which we most feel suits our Clients’ preferences.

Gambas from Palamós are famous throughout Catalonia and prized for their flavour and size.  If you have had an opportunity to sample these delicious creatures of the sea, you may understand why people even suck the juice out of the heads and shells, ensuring that they savour every last morsel.

The Palamós fishermen start their day early, heading out to sea before dawn.  Most return in the early afternoon in time for lunch before unloading their catch and carrying it to the building, “La llotja”,   where they hold the daily wholesale fish auction.  The Palamós auction opens at 4.00pm on Monday to Friday of each week. A conveyor passes the crates of fish and seafood fish into the auction room from an area that opens onto the docks where the fishermen have moored their boats.

The action in the bidding room is alive with energy and there is a sense of urgency and tension in the air, with a pressure to keep the fish moving as fast as possible, due to the commercial stakes involved.  The auction brings together two groups of people, both involved in fish, but in entirely different manners.   It is the end of the day for the fishermen, but the start of the day for the fish shop owners.

The fresh fish, many of them still alive, in their plastic crates, move steadily along on the conveyor belt, pausing only slightly to allow the bids of buyers.  The auctioneer calls out the bids for the crate being considered and at the same time the bid appears on an overhead electronic display. The buyers sit in chairs on ascending rows that overlook the conveyor and to make a bid, they simply press the button next to their chair.  Their identification number is automatically transmitted to the computerized system, having already activated the station where they sit with a personalized key.  Only registered buyers can participate and the process is incredibly efficient and organized

Once having completed their deals, the buyers take the fish straight to the local shops for sale. If you want to be sure your dinner is of Palamos King Prawns caught that day, go early, but do not be surprised to find a queue, as the shops commence selling around 6.30pm and their stock is rapidly diminished.

Gambas or King Prawns/Shrimp such as those sold at the Palamós auction exist up and down the Catalan coast, but many believe that the flavour depends on both the general region and the specific place in which they are caught.  Several gamba species are found in the area but when people speak of Palamós gambas they are referring to the popular red gambas, which are also classified by size into three or four categories;  the larger the gamba, the higher the price.

Palamos Gambas or King Prawn/Shrimp are incredibly expensive, but prices fluctuate according to supply and when the fishermen bring in a larger catch the price falls.   But watch out for Fiesta Days and Weekends, especially in the summertime, when these little honeys are so prized that the price can easily double!

Great news for those of you who will be the UK during Spring and Summer this year, the Spanish Tourist Board is returning again in 2011 with Fiestas celebrating Spanish Food, Wine & Culture in Liverpool, London, Leeds and Edinburgh.   Streets will be closed for these colourful fiestas with Flamenco dancing, massive paellas, etc., etc.   Watch this space for more information!

Back in the 15th century, Prince Henry the Navigator requested his explorers to bring back to Portugal any exotic fruits, nuts, and plants from new lands which they encountered. As a result, much of the Portuguese cooking was affected by the findings of these very explorers.  Amongst other things, tomatoes and potatoes were brought to Europe and tea was introduced to Europeans. Today, the Portuguese fondness for certain ingredients such as cinnamon or curry powder for example, is a legacy from that time. But other cultures had been introducing new foods to Portugal for centuries before that. The Romans brought wheat and introduced onions, garlic, olives, and grapes. Later, the Moors were the first to plant rice, introduced figs, planted groves of lemons and oranges, and covered the Algarve province with almond trees.

These days Portuguese food varies from region to region, but fresh fish and wonderful shellfish are found on virtually every menu. The national dish is dried, salted cod or “bacalhau,”. The Portuguese have been obsessed with cod since the early 16th century, when their fishing boats reached Newfoundland. The sailors salted and sun-dried their catch to make it last during the long journey home and today there are said to be 365 different ways of preparing it, one for each day of the year!

Also popular in the coastal towns are grilled sardines and mackerel which are also added to a mixture of other types of fish and included in “Caldeirada”, a local fish stew.

Specialty seafood restaurants are in abundance in Portugal, many with dramatic displays of shell fish such as lobsters, oysters, crabs and shrimp. Try the “Arroz de Marisco”, which is somewhat the same as a fish and shellfish Spanish Paella – a rich seafood rice.

“Cozido à Portuguesa”  is another national dish, made with meat and is a thick stew of vegetables with various kinds of meat. Perhaps the favorite meat in Portugal is Pork, which is cooked and served in many different ways;   roast suckling pig (“leitão assado”) is popular in the north of the country and pork sausages called “chouriço” or “linguiça.”

Yet another typical dish of Portugal is tripe with haricot beans. Yes, we agree it does not suit everyone, but it has been the country`s most famous dish since Henry the Navigator sent a vessel to conquer Ceuta in Morocco and the people of Porto slaughtered all their livestock to provision the crew, keeping just the intestines for themselves. They have been known as “tripeiros” or “tripe eaters” ever since.

Although breakfast is normally just coffee and a bread roll, lunch is a big affair, often lasting up to two hours. It is served between noon and 2 o’clock or between 1 and 3 o’clock;  dinner generally being served late, after 8 o’clock in the evening. There are usually three courses, often including “caldo verde”, a popular soup prepared with potatoes, cabbage and sausage.

Desserts are typically cinnamon-flavored rice pudding, flan and caramel custard, but also often include a variety of cheese. The most common varieties are made from sheep or goat’s milk the most popular being “queijo da serra” from the region of Serra da Estrela.

Portuguese pastries are outstanding and many were originated by nuns in the 18^th century, who sold them as a means of supplementing their income. Their creations have interesting names like “barriga de freira” (nun’s belly), “papos de anjo” (angel’s chests), and “toucinho do céu” (bacon from heaven). “Pastel de nata,” is a small custard tart sprinkled with cinnamon, which is particularly delicious and could be called Portugal’s national dessert!

Finally, we should mention the Portuguese bread, which is totally delicious and which you will have opportunities to sample with every meal you have in the country.

Ingredients to make Spanish Quince Alioli:

400g Stewed Quince or Quince Paste (Dulce de Membrillo in Spanish shops or Delicatessens)

4 Cloves of Garlic, very finely chopped or pushed through a Garlic Mill

½ Tspn of Salt

1 Tbspn of Lemon Juice if you are using the Quince Paste

75 – 100ml Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation of Spanish Quince Alioli:

Crush the Garlic and Salt with a Pestle and Mortar until it becomes a paste.   Ensure there are no lumps left.

Put the drained stewed Quinces into a blender with 2 tablespoons of their juice;  or the quince paste with lemonjuice and reduce to a puree.

Add the garlic and salt paste and blend, then introduce the Virgin Olive Oil, a very little at a time with the blender running until you have a mayonnaise type mixture.

Spanish Quince Alioli is perfect with roast lamb or chicken, cold meats and salads – please don´t worry about the garlic – it´s so good for you!

How many times have you visited Spain and sitting in a bar ordered Spanish tortilla (or potato omelette)?  No doubt, like I did years ago, you arrived home eager to prepare this wonderful potato omelette, but once made, it didn´t somehow taste the same – well with this tried and tested recipe it will!

Ingredients for Spanish Tortilla:

Half a kilo of very thinly sliced potatoes

Half a medium sized onion chopped finely

4 eggs

Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Preparation of Spanish Tortilla:

Place your thinly sliced potatoes (slice them on a Mandolin if you have one) in a large bowl and sprinkle plenty of salt over them – turn and mix the potato slices until the salt is mixed throughout the bowl.

In a medium frying pan, preferably with a good thick bottom, heat about half a cm of Virgin Olive Oil and when it’s hot add the potatoes from the bowl and start to fry them.  Be sure to keep stirring them so that they don’t stick or start to brown.

After about 5 minutes add your finely chopped onion to the potatoes.   Stir the contents of the frying pan then cover it, but keep the heat down, not too high, so that the potatoes and onion do not brown.

Now break 4 large eggs into a bowl and beat them.

Keep an eye on your potatoes, stirring and turning them with a spatula or wooden spoon.As soon as the potatoes break easily they are ready.  Now add the potato/onion mix to the bowl of beaten eggs and away any excess oil that maybe left in the frying pan.

Mix the potato and egg mixtures together well whilst the frying pan gets hot with no extra oil in it.  Now add the mix to the frying pan and flatten it all over, keeping the heat at medium for several minutes. Put a plate over the tortilla and turn it over gently.  When you return it to the pan press down the sides which will create the classic shape of Spanish tortilla de patatas.

You will need to turn the tortilla several times and on each occasion it will get heavier.   Your Spanish Tortilla is ready when a skewer is inserted and comes out clean.

Ingredients for Iberian Suckling Pig with Caramelized Shallots, Orange and Cloves for 6 persons:

Suckling Pig:

• 1 (3.5 k) suckling pig
• Salt
• 6 vacuum bags
• Black peppercorns
• 2 dl olive oil

Sauce:

• 400 g shallots
• 2 oranges
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 dl Cabernet Sauvignon Wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation of Iberian Suckling Pig with Caramelized Shallots, Orange and Cloves:

For The Suckling Pig:
Preheat oven to 85ºC (185ºF). Cut the pig into six pieces (2 shoulders, 2 legs, 2 ribcages). Salt the meat and and then place them individually in the vacuum bags with peppercorns, more salt and olive oil. Cook for 5 hours, until the meat is 82ºC (180ºF) in the centre. Open the bags, reserving the juices and de-bone the pieces of pork.

For the Sauce:
Roast the shallots in the oven and then peel them. Juice the two oranges.

In a separate saucepan, make a caramel with the sugar, adding the orange juice, cloves, vinegar and pork juice. Reduce it by half and then strain the mixture through a seive.

Using a quarter of this sauce, caramelize the shallots in a pan over a low heat. Add the olive oil and the rest of the sauce. Emulsify it with a hand blender. In a nonstick pan with a little oil, place the pork pieces with the skin facing down. When the skin is crunchy, remove it from the heat.

To  Serve:
Place the shallots and sauce in the center of the plate and the pork slices on top of them with the skin facing up.

With grateful thanks to Chef Joan Roca of Cellar de Can Roca in Girona, for this recipe and to Starchefs for the beautiful photograph.

For the lemon curd
- 4 lemons
- 4 Eggs
- 250 g (1 1/4 cup) sugar
- 50 g (5 Tbsp.) cornstarch
- 1 liter (4 cups) water

For the sponge
- 8 eggs
- 200 g (7 oz.) flour (about 2 cups)
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Soaking liquid
- 200 ml (3/4 cup) kirsch
- 200 ml (3/4 cup) simple syrup (100 ml water + 100 g sugar)
- 100 g (6 Tbsp.) lemon juice

Garnish
- Berries (raspberries, small strawberries, blackberries, red currants)
Preparation of Berry and Lemon Fruit Cup
Making the sponge
1.    Beat the eggs, sugar and lemon zest until thick and foamy.
2.    Gently fold in the flour. Spread the batter on a prepared baking sheet.
3.    Bake for 22 minutes in a preheated 190° C (380° F). Cool and cut into 3 x 3 cm (1 1/4″) squares.
Soaking liquid
1.    Bring the 100 ml (6 Tbsp.) water and 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar to a boil to make the syrup.
2.    Combine the syrup with the lemon juice and kirsch and moisten the sponge squares in the mixture.
Lemon curd
1.    Grate the zest from the lemons and squeeze the juice. Bring the water to a boil. Combine the eggs, sugar and cornstarch, add the lemon zest, juice and hot water.
2.    Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Strain.
Use transparent dessert cups so that the ingredients can be seen and alternate layers of soaked sponge cake, berries and lemon curd.

Recipe Courtesy of ICEX, the Spanish Secretariat of State for Trade and Tourism, Ministry of the Economy

Ingredients for Spanish Trout with Romesco  (Piquant Almond Sauce) – Truchas con Salsa Romesco:

4 Large Trout, gutted and cleaned (remove the heads if you prefer to do so)

2 Dried Ñora peppers (usually available nowadays, but substitute a Jalapeño if not)

100ml Virgin Olive Oil

500g Tomatoes (whole or cut in half if very large)

25g skinned Almonds (blanched)

25g skinned Hazelnuts (blanched)

5 slices of stale Baquette bread or similar

1 bulb of Garlic – skin on

1 – 2 tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar

Salt to Taste

Preparation of Spanish Trout with Romesco  (Piquant Almond Sauce) – Truchas con Salsa Romesco

First make your Spanish Romesco Sauce:

• Soak the ñoras in cold water for approximately an hour, having removed stalks
• Meanwhile place the Olive Oil in a small roasting tin and place it into a cool oven.
• Pre-heat the oven to Gas 6/200C/400F, and once heated place all of the other ingredients into the tin apart from the Ñoras and Vinegar.
• After about 10 minutes turn the ingredients over and leave to roast for another 10 minutes. It is a good idea to check the oven regularly to prevent over-cooking or burning
• Drain the ingredients into a blender or food-processor, having peeled the tomatoes and garlic, but remember to reserve the oil. Blend the ingredients to a thick sauce.
• Add the Ñoras and vinegar to the sauce and blend well once again. Add the reserved oil, little by little until you have the required thickness. Season to taste and if necessary, add more oil.

Now, season your trout with salt and plenty of freshly ground black;  push a slice of lemon, a sprig of Dill and a knob of butter into the stomach opening.   Place in an oven proof dish and pour a little Olive Oil over the trout.   Place in hot oven (190ºC) for 20 minutes.  Check that your salmon are cooked through by lifting the stomach flap of one a little – if it is cooked to perfection you will see the bone lifting and separating from the fish a little.

Serve the Spanish Trout with Romesco  (Piquant Almond Sauce) – Truchas con Salsa Romesco immediately on heated plates and ladle a little sauce onto each plate at the side of the Trout.   This dish is perfect with freshly steamed Brocolli and perhaps new potatoes, if they are readily available.   Don´t forget your bottle of Spanish Wine!

Chef Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca – Girona, Spain

Ingredients for Smoked Sea Bass with Apple Acid and Vanilla Oil for 4 People

Sauce:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 vanilla beans
• 2 apples (Granny Smith)
• 1 vacuum bag

For Sea Bass:

• 4 pieces sea bass
• Salt
• 2 Tablespoons smoked olive oil
• 1 vacuum bag

Preparation of Smoked Sea Bass with Apple Acid and Vanilla Oil:

For Sauce:
Seal the oil with the vanilla in a vacuum bag and cook  in a bain marie at 60ºC (140ºF) for an hour.

Peel the apples, ensuring the peel remains thick. Then pass the peel through a liquidizer. Dice the flesh into small uniform pieces. Reduce the juice and emulsify it, adding the vanilla oil little by little.

For Sea Bass:
Place the sea bass filets in a vacuum bag with salt and smoked oil and seal. Submerge in a bain marie at 50ºC (122ºF) for 12 minutes. Open the bag; sear the filets skin-side down in a sauté pan for two minutes,  to crisp the skin.

To Serve:
Place the sauce in the center of a deep plate. Place the sea bass on top, and sprinkle with the diced apple pieces.

Preparation of Spanish Churros:
Place the butter and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until butter melts and water just comes to the boil. Add flour and stir until well combined and mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and allow to cool slightly before adding the eggs, one at a time and  beating well between each addition, until mixture is smooth. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle.

Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan to reach a level of about 4-5cm. (Oil is ready when a cube of bread browns in about 15 seconds.) Pipe 10cm lengths of the dough directly into the hot oil, using a knife to cut lengths;  do not try to do too many at once. Cook for 1 minute each side, then drain on paper towel.

Immediately place churros on a tray containing the combined sugar and cinnamon and toss gently to coat. Repeat with remaining dough.

Spanish Churros are historically eaten together with a large glass or mug of thick chocolate drink, into which they are dipped and then speedily popped into the mouth!

What’s On in Girona next week and “What is the Forum”?

We’re looking forward to the annual Gastronomic Forum commences in Girona next week.   It is THE meeting place for Professionals in the Food Industry and Companies too.   More than 300 companies in the food and wine market will be promoting their wares at the show.   New this year is a Session with the major chefs demonstrating in the Symphony Hall, which has no additional cost for attendees, it is included in the entry price.  What’s more, Josep Roca of Cellar de Can Roca, Michelin 3* Restaurant, will be giving a very special talk on Vines, their Terrain and the Men who work with them who listen to nature – something rather special and which we will be attending for sure!  Another exciting forum which we will surely attend will include Ferran Adria of El Bulli Restaurant plus Carme Ruscalleda of  Sant Pau, plus many others famous in the business.

The Forum is a platform for promotions, training and a space for business and exchanges of ideas and products.

It includes an area dedicated to the world of wine, live cooking shows, dialogues between chefs, oenologists and gastronomic analysts, tastings and samplings, amongst many other opportunities to learn about what is NEW in the world of gastronomy.

This vegetarian recipe is simple, inexpensive and extraordinarily tasty

Ingredients or Spanish Fried Cauliflower to serve 4:

1 large Cauliflower

1 Garlic Clove finely chopped or pressed through a Garlic Mill

2 Tbspn Chopped Parsley

2 Large eggs – beaten

½ Tspn Salt

Freshly ground Black Pepper

6 Tablespoons of Wine Vinegar

Flour for Coating

Virgin Olive Oil for frying

Preparation of Spanish Fried Cauliflower:

Separate the cauliflower into florets, splitting any large bunches.   Cook for 5 minutes in loads of boiling salted water and then leave to drain very well.

Using a pestle and mortar, mash the garlic and salt together until it becomes a paste.

Mix the vinegar into the paste

Now, having placed your well drained cauliflower in a large flat type dish, pour over the mix and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and most of the parsley.   Leave to marinade for at least half an hour – an hour is better, but turn the florets from time to time.

Put a goodly amount of flour on a plate;  dip the florets in the flour and then in the beaten egg.   Fry in hot oil, turning the florets over until they are golden on all sides.

Serve the Spanish Fried Cauliflower immediately sprinkled with the remaining parsley – this makes a good side dish for a potato tortilla or serve it alone with a yoghourt dip. And a glass of good Spanish wine completes the meal!

With thanks to Trevor Hayward of the UK Guardian, who  recently posted this article:
“Does the move by the Italian government to outlaw some of the chemicals and processes of molecular gastronomy mark the end of an era?
Last week the Italian government moved to ban some of the chemicals and techniques used in molecular gastronomy from Italian kitchens. To be fair, they have form in this area. In 2002, with what appeared to be complete seriousness they also suggested a licensing scheme for any restaurant selling ‘pizza’ anywhere in the world, and their posture in defence of regional specialities like Chianti and Parmagiano is usually one of naked aggression. In a nation where a huge number of voters are involved in agriculture and all are cheerfully obsessed by their regional cuisines, high-profile legislation against foreign culinary influence will be a sure vote winner, so such moves probably shouldn’t surprise us.
What is slightly more surprising is how little attention this announcement has attracted around the world. It’s gift of a story after all – barking government minsters v nutty professors. You could write your own headline. But instead, a cynical soul might conclude, while molecular gastronomy used to be a hot-button issue for global nosh-botherers, suddenly nobody gives a tu’ppeny toss.
Both Blumenthal and Adrià have spent the last few years distancing themselves from the idea that made their names. Both highly talented chefs originally achieved widespread public notice through the very newsworthy combination of culinary genius and mad professor schtick. Both have proved themselves to be so much more than the easy photographer’s cliches of stary eyes and foaming test tubes and now, both have pretty much stopped talking about it and changed the subject. Adrià is closing his restaurant to reopen it as a “gastronomy think-tank” and has just been announced as a Spanish Tourism Ambassador. By fixing the menu, Blumenthal has cemented the position of the Fat Duck as a lucrative culinary thrill ride while he, thankfully, shifts his attentions to new and entirely different restaurants in central London.
Perhaps the final nail in MG’s coffin is the depressing, quiet ubiquity of some of its early techniques. Adrià hasn’t wielded a foam gun in anger since the late 90s yet now they crop up in every gastropub with pretensions to quality. The sous vide water bath is a more common fixture in most urban restaurants than a cheerful waitress.
Before we finally lay it to rest though, it’s worth remembering the benefits that molecular gastronomy brought us. The parlour tricks were fun but its real legacy is that cooks of all levels now think in more scientific terms about what they do in the kitchen. Professor Pete Barham, who has worked extensively with Blumenthal, argues in a recent paper that MG should be taken as a more scientific discipline. “To me, he says, a kitchen is just like a science laboratory and cooking is just another experimental science”. Hmm. I guess if I was Italian, that ‘just’ would make me pretty mad too.
So is molecular gastronomy all over? Should it become a module in GCSE science lessons? Can we get back to our tea now?”

Ingredients for Spanish Passion Cocktail (Cóctel de Pasión):

• 2 oz gold Tequila
• 3 oz Cranberry Juice
• 1 oz Lime juice
• 2 oz Grand Marnier
• Lime slices for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the Tequila, Cranberry juice and Lime juice into a cocktail shaker with loads of ice
2. Shake Well
3. Strain into a chilled stemmed glass.
4. Splash with Grand Marnier.
5. Garnish with the slice of lime.

Do make sufficient for four – between the two of you – Valentine only comes once a year!

On February 14 of every year we give flowers, cards and make other affectionate gestures to those most dear, in honor of San Valentín. In Spain this day  is known as “El Dia de Las Enamoradas” the “ Day of the Lovers ”;  little by little the tradition of exchanging gifts, flowers and cards between partners and would be partners, on this special day, has been included into Spanish traditions.

Ever wondered what is behind this day – from where it originates?  Well, there are several legends regarding San Valentín. Nowadays, the Catholic Church  recognizes three martyrs called Valentín or Valentinus.  The first one was a Italian priest of the third century who was serving during the time of Emperor Claudius II.   Claudius considered that the single men were better soldiers and consequently prohibited marriage with the hope of gaining better army. He argued that bachelors did not have the major worries of a married man, who as a result of having a wife and children, may appreciate the safety of their home more than the safety of their country.  Valentín was opposed to the new decree and kept on secretly marrying young people and couples of the city.

Apparently Claudius II heard about this and subsequently had Valentin executed on February 14 of 269.

Another story tells that Valentín was executed for helping the escape of Christian prisoners from Italian jails, but it is possible that this is only one of the legends created in France and England in the Middle Ages to add a little more sentimentality to St Valentine’s Day.

The final story is that Valentín was a prisoner who fell in love with the daughter of the prison guard and the day of his execution, wrote a letter to his love and signed it “from your Valentin”, words that are still used today to express love on Saint Valentine’s Day.

It is more probable that we shall never find out the real history related to Saint Valentine’s Day, but nevertheless, February has always been the month of love and Saint Valentine has truly become the patron saint of such, with 14^th February immortalized by giving cards (especially secretly with anonymity!) and letters, flowers, in particular red roses and affectionate gestures.

INGREDIENTS FOR SPANISH MARINATED ANCHOVIES:

6 SERVINGS:

1 kilo Fresh Anchovies (Boquerones)

1 ¼ cup of White Wine Vinegar

¼ Cup of Salt

A 2 inch piece of fresh Ginger, sliced finely

½ cup of Virgin Olive Oil

Handful of finely chopped Flat Leaf Parsley

2 Tbspns Fresh Garlic, finely chopped or pushed through a garlic mill

1 Tbspn Black Pepper Corns (whole)

1 Finely chopped hot Chilli pepper (discard seeds if you do not like too piquant)

PREPARATION OF SPANISH MARINATED ANCHOVIES:

Clean the Anchovies and take out the spine (cut from head underbelly to tail, remove head, flatten out Anchovy and remove spine easily)

Put the anchovies into a glass bowl and cover with one cup of  White Wine Vinegar, the salt and slices of ginger.   Cover, place in refrigerator and leave overnight.

After 24 hours remove the anchovies and throw away the marinade.

Prepare a new marinade with the Virgin Olive Oil, Parsley, Garlic, Black Pepper Corns and Chilli Pepper.

Mix the ingredients well together, add the anchovies and bottle in sterilized jars.

Leave for at least two weeks in the refrigerator prior to serving your Spanish Boquerones or Spanish Marinated Anchovies with a glorious glass of Spanish White Wine, toast or fresh bread……just delicious!

Cut the Pork Fillet into bite sized pieces, add the spices and leave to marinate overnight or for at least one hour.

Slice the onion finely and brown slowly until caramelized in the olive oil in a frying pan.  Push the browned onions to one side of the pan and introduce the meat – brown on all sides. Introduce the finely chopped garlic and mix everything together.

Cut the lemon into six pieces and add it to the meat, with its rind, the olives and the white wine. Bring to the boil, season to taste with salt and freshly milled black pepper, cover and leave to cook on a low, simmering heat for half an hour, adding a little water if necessary to the sauce.  Taste – and if you wish and feel it necessary, add the brown sugar and mix.

Serve the SPANISH PORK FILLET WITH LEMON SAUCE with freshly boiled new potatoes or on a bed of long grain rice or couscous with a green salad on the side and please don´t forget your glass of gorgeous Spanish Wine!

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 SERVINGS:

- 600g Fresh Sirloin Steak
- 50g Parmesan or Gran Pardano Cheese, sliced into curls on a cheese mandolin
- 2 tablespoons of good Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice of half a Lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black Pepper

PREPARATION OF SPANISH CARPACCIO FOR 4 PERSONS:

Wrap the meat in cling-film and put it in the freezer for 2 hours. When it is frozen, slice it very thinly with your sharpest knife. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place on a serving dish, dress with the oil and lemon and then sprinkle the cheese curls on top.  There you have it, Spanish Beef Carpaccio (Finely Sliced Raw Beef) – a magnificent starter!

Catalan Calçots, typical Catalan dishes, typical Catalan food

Around about a decade ago, when I first came to live in Catalunia, Spain, I was driving along the main road towards Pals when I saw a banner across the street – slowing down a little I read the letters Calçotada and as a translation of the ongoing words, “fresh Calçots (Catalan Barbecued Onions) on the barbecue.    Wondering what it was all about I suggested to my friends we went along and that is just what we did!

Nowadays it is a yearly ritual – whether it be a to Calçotada in a local village or one of the more salubrious masia-type restaurants that frequent the roads here in Catalunia.

The Calçotada, now one of the typical Catalan dishes, became a family feast celebration in the first few decades of the twentieth century, but it wasn´t until 1983 that a small town in Catalunia, Valls, undertook the first communal Calçotada to which all are invited to attend.   Other areas in Catalonia produce Calçots or Catalan BBQ Spring Onions, but Valls proudly lays claim to its role as founder of the Calçot tradition.   The Calçots are normally cooked on a barbecue and turned and turned until entirely blackened outside and soft and sweet within, but in Vals they are cooked on burning vines, which adds just a little certain something flavour to this typical Catalan food.   On the streets of Valls you can stand at a long table and grasp a fire-blackened Calçot in your hands (don´t worry about getting your fingers dirty, it is all part of the fun) before peeling off the burned outer skin;  dipping it into a Romesco sauce made from red pepper, almonds, garlic and oil and thrusting it speedily into your mouth before it drips,   Traditionally, sausages or lamb are served up after the Calçots, followed by Crema Catalana.

So, last week, off we went – a gaggle of six girls of varying ages to yet again enjoy our yearly Calçot feast.   Arriving at one of our favourite masia (old farmhouse) restaurants, we were ceremoniously led to our table by the owner of the restaurant, who on hearing that we wanted Calçots beamed and said, “Leave it to me…..I will get everything ready”.  And so he did – returning to the table with bibs which he neatly tied around each lady’s neck prior to lying a little pair of gloves on each attendee’s side plate.

We decided on a full-bodied Emporda wine from the prestigious Peralada Winery – perhaps a little heavy for lunchtime, but a perfect match for the Calçots and after a wait of a little over 10 minutes, during which time bowls of orange tinted Romesco sauce were placed before us the moment arrived.   Jordi and Juan entered the dining room from the kitchen area with arms akimbo – carrying high the promised Calçots, blackened and piled in a roof tile, as is the custom for this typical Catalan dish.

Words cannot describe this delicious treat – I didn´t even bother to don the gloves in my impatience to peel and insert the first juicy Calçot into my mouth, having previously loaded it with the Romesco sauce……what devine sweetness, what luscious richness …….well, as I said before, words cannot describe …

I think we would all have enjoyed more, but as we grinned at each other with blackened witchey teeth, decided that enough was enough and waited patiently for our second course and the inevitable Crema Catalana to conclude our meal.   Nothing could be better – one can´t stand on ceremony – hands and faces are blackened and smudged – it is all part of the fun and we probably, just possibly may not wait until next year until we have our second helping!   Join us in Catalonia for just such a typical Catalan dish of Calçots or Catalan Barbecued onions!

Flan, or caramel cream is just about Spain’s National pudding – to be found on virtually every Menu del Dia (Menu of the Day).   This is not a flan as we know it, it is a caramel cream, a custard with a melted caramel top – somewhat like a Crème Brulee.   In this recipe orange juice is used rather than milk – it makes a perfect light sweet.

Ingredients for Spanish Orange Caramel Cream, Spanish Flan de Naranja

Yolks from 7 large Eggs

1 large Egg

250g Caster Sugar

2 or 3 Large Oranges to make 7 fl oz freshly squeezed Orange Juice

Preparation of Spanish Orange Caramel Cream:

Firstly heat your oven to 170ºC.

Place 6 small 100ml moulds or coffee cups in a small roasting tin

Put 50g of sugar in a small pan with 2 tablespoons of water and heat gently to make the caramel.   Allow it to boil until it turns brown and gives off a caramel smell and then immediately remove from the heat before it burns and becomes bitter and quickly pour about 1 tbspn into the bottom of each mould or cup.   Turn each mould/cup slightly to cover the bottom and part of the sides.

Grate the zest from 1 orange on a fine grater.  Put the yolks and whole egg in a bowl and beat lightly to combine.

Put the remainder of the sugar in a pan with the Orange juice and bring to the boil, stirring all the time to dissolve the sugar – turn down the heat and boil for 2 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and let it cool a little prior to integrating with the beaten eggs.

Pass this sauce through a sieve and then divide the mixture between the moulds/cups.

Pour boiling water around the moulds/cups to come half way up the sides of the moulds and bake for 30 minutes.

Take the tin out of the oven and let everything cool down sufficiently so that you can handle the moulds/cups, then chill in the refridgerator.

When ready to serve the Spanish Orange Caramel Cream upturn the moulds onto individual plates and enjoy with perhaps icecream, cream or even solo – refreshingly different!

From last Friday, 28 January to Sunday, 6 February, 2011 Barcelona is cheap and cheerful! Barcelona Opportunity Week offers  is really a great bargain – with special offers at exclusive hotels such as Mandarin Oriental or W, or Majestic or even the flamboyant new Hotel Museum Bagués, with rooms at 50% off the normal price.So treat yourself to a luxury night in a fabulous hotel and even more…….forty-one restaurants in Barcelona are participating in the campaign as well, with great menus at a fixed price of 25€ plus VAT plus drinks – a great chance to indulge yourself with a Michelin starred meal at Hoffman, Gaig or trendy spots like Blanc at the Mandarin Oriental (run by Jean Luc Figueres), Petit Comité or Indochina -  but hurry, restaurants are filling up as we speak!

For more information about Barcelona Opportunity Week:

http://www.bcnow.cat/ECV2TBCN/Front/Otros/BOW2011/home/_3_dQuJ0eNs5-tb7W0d80D85iLuaoABv8vZ-59osZ9KpI6WXSdUDbew

Just for your info – you will also be supporting a good cause, as many of the great deals and special offers include a donation to a charity specified in each participating establishment.

Last week, we made a short visit to 41º Cocktail bar in Barcelona, owned by Ferran & Albert Adria.   41º is a very singular place, a classic Cocktail Bar but with a unique and very creative gastronomy – here the creativity has no limits!    The entrance to Ferran Adria 41º Cocktail Bar, which is situated on the Paral.lel in Barcelona, is discreet and gives the suggestion that it is a private club, but behind this somewhat austere and secretive façade we discovered a tiny bar with masses of personality.

At 41º we shared Ferran & Albert Adria classics such as Corte Helado de Parmesano (parmesan ice cream), Air-baguette de Jamon Iberico (air baquette of Iberian Ham), mini-Mozarellas esfericas con albahaca (spherical mini-Mozarellas with basil).   Then we moved on to Ferran & Albert Adria new creations for 41º Bar – Ostras con Salsa Ponzu (Oysters with Ponzu sauce), Huevas de Salmon con Clorofila y Fingerlime (Salmon eggs with Chlorophyll and Fingerlime), as well as a delicious small and crusty Crepe Pekin (Pekin Pancake).   We accompanied all with a Margarita con Aire de Sal (Margarita with Salt Air) which made a perfect marriage with the Oysters.

Now after such a feast at 41º Cocktail Bar, we can’t wait for the opening of Ferran Adria Tickets Tapas Bar, Barcelona (next door to 41º) in a few weeks, for more exciting gastronomical experiences!

Croquetas are ubiquitous in Spain, although they most likely originate from the French ‘croquettes’. Their beauty lies in the bechamel base which is then mixed with your particular ingredient of choice to give it a characteristic flavour. The possibilities are almost endless – in this recipe we have used prawns.

Ingredients for approximately 30 Spanish Prawn Croquettes – Croquetas de Gambas

• 3 1/2 oz butter
• 4 oz plain flour
• 1 1/4 pints cold milk
• salt and pepper
• 14 oz cooked peeled prawns, diced
• 2 teaspoons tomato puree
• 5 or 6 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• olive oil for deep-frying

Preparation of Spanish Prawn Croquettes

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan with a good heavy bottom.   Add the flour, stirring continuously and then let the flour cook in the butter for a couple of minutes, continuing to stir rapidly.

Add the cold milk little by little, stirring all the time until you have a thick, smooth sauce. Add the prawns, season well and stir in the tomato puree. Continue to cook for 7 or 8 minutes over a low heat and stirring frequently; the end result should be quite thick. Let the mixture cool completely – the best way is to leave it overnight if time allows.

Take a small tablespoon of the mixture and form into a Croqueta typically a 1 1/2 – 2 inch cylinder. Roll the Croqueta in the breadcrumbs, coat in the beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs again. Make sure the breadcrumbs are always dry to ensure an even coating.  Put in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Heat the oil for deep-frying in a large, heavy-based pan until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 20-30 seconds. Fry in batches of no more than 3 or 4 for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slatted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Spanish Prawn Croquettes (Croquetas de Gambas) –are perfect with a pre-dinner drink or as a Tapa and a great tip – children love them!

Ingredients for Peres al Vi Negre – Pears in red wine to serve 4

4 big firm Conference pears. Any firm pear variety will be ideal for this recipe

(Preferably 1 litre, but 75 cl will suffice) red wine

225 g brown or white sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cloves

Peel of an unwaxed lemon

How to prepare Peres al Vi Negre – Pears in red wine

Cooking time: 45-50 minutes – Preparation: 5-10 minutes

Wash the pears as you will use the skin. Peel the pears from the stem to the base, but do not remove the stems.  Reserve the skin.

Put the whole pears flat in a large saucepan together with the skin, the wine, the sugar, the 2 cinnamon sticks, lemon peel and cloves.

Bring the wine to the boil over a medium to low heat and continue cooking the pears uncovered. After about 20 minutes, carefully turn them over.   Suggest you turn them with a couple of wooden spoons so that you don´t break the flesh of the pears.

Continue cooking the pears over medium to low heat for a further 20 minutes and then carefully remove the pears from the liquid and place them in a dish.   Reserve.

Now, continue cooking the red wine with the skins and the cinnamon. Slowly reduce the liquid until all alcohol has evaporated and the consistency of the liquid has thickened.

When the liquid has thickened to a syrup sift the liquid into a large jug.   Return the syrup to the pan, add the pears in an upright position with the stem sticking out of the syrup and cook for five more minutes very carefully so that the syrup does not burn.   From time to time baste the pears with the syrup.

Place your pears upright in a serving dish, pour the red wine syrup over them and either serve immediately warm, or let them cool.   The pears are delicious on their own but a dollop of cream or a large spoon of vanilla ice cream can only add to this flavoursome sweet.

You can use almost any firm-fleshed fish for this Spanish dish, just as long as it is really very fresh indeed. The fish is effectively ‘cooked’ by the action of the acidic lime juice. I suggest you adjust the amount of chilli according to your taste and whether you like a hint or massive hit of heat with your Ceviche (Marinated Raw Fish) !Ingredients to serve 6

1 1/2 lb of skinned halibut, turbot, sea bass or salmon fillets, optionally, a handful of finely cut rings of calamari and some peeled shrimp or prawns – not entirely necessary, but a nice addition.

Juice of 3 limes

1-2 fresh red chillies, seeded and very finely chopped (according to your taste)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt

For the salad garnish

4 large firm tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 ripe advocado, peeled and diced

Half a large Spanish Onion, very finely sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves

Preparation of Ceviche (Marinated Raw Fish)

Cut the fish into strips of about 2 inches long.   Put the strips of fish into a  shallow dish and pour over the lime juice, turning the fish strips to coat them all over in the juice. Cover with a clear film (plastic wrap) and leave for 1 hour.

Mix all the salad garnish ingredients, except the coriander, together.  Put on one side.

Season your now marinated raw fish with salt and scatter over the chillies and drizzle with the oil, tossing the fish in the mixture. Replace the cling film cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 15-30 minutes more.   Note:   Do not leave for yoo much longer or for overnight – it will be ruined!

I like to place the salad garnish around the edge of a large serving dish and then put the marinated fish into the middle of the dish and sprinkle with the chopped coriander leaves.   But it is entirely up to you and you can of course serve the salad and the ceviche in separate bowls.   However, do serve your Ceviche immediately with loads of fresh bread to mop up the delicious juices and of course, a good Spanish Wine of your choice!

Very few Catalan towns have had the luck for their traditions to receive such recogniton as Valls, but the people of Valls have certainly worked hard to promote their Human Castles (Castells)  and Catalan BBQ Spring Onions(Calçots). That’s why nowadays, when you think Valls, the capital of Catalan Alt Camp Region, you think it’s the land of Calçots and Castells.   The Calçots are  a gastronomic emblem of Valls and represent a million Euro business – who in Catalonia does not eat calçots in winter!  As for castells, the city of Valls has contributed to the proclamation of Castells by UNESCO as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Valls is the cradle of Catalan Human Castles

as well as of vibrant rivalry between the Castells groups.   The bi-centennial festivity will be held from 28 January to 6 February 2011 and it is a unique opportunity to visit Valls, try some calçots and see the incredible Castells.

The Catalan Humans Castles traditions was commenced in Valls precisely 200 years ago.  The origin of Castells is strictly religious. The first Catalan Human Castles were a show of gratitude to the Mare de Déu de la Candela (Virgin Mary of the Candela) the Valls town´s patron saint, for her protection against the devastating effects of  the black plague.   The Valls Human Castles Festival is an incredible chance to see nearly 7000 castellers ( human castles performers) from 56 Colles (Human Castles groups) present their magnificent and heart stopping feats.

We all sat there thinking about what we could do that was “different”, then Jordi, the Catalan neighbour from next door  said, “how about Garotes?” – Garotes we all chimed with frowning faces.   “Yes, Garotes, Sea Urchins”, said Jordi´s wife Ana – “they´re one of the Spanish specialities at this time of the year – winter is the time to indulge”. And so off we all went to Palafrugell on the northern Catalan coast – one of the rather special and unspoiled seaside resorts which we who live here try to hide from everyone else!

We selected one of the restaurants on the sea-front and were led to a massive round table in the window.   “Garotes”, said Jordi, “We all want to eat Garotes”.    And so you will beamed the waiter – we have Garotes fresh from the sea this morning and at this time of year they are particularly good.

After pouring over the Spanish Specialities menu which included many dishes with Sea Urchins, we all decided we would start with a simple plate of these delicacies.   And so the Spanish Sea Urchins arrived, no doubt originally looking like tiny porcupines rolled up into a tight little ping pong ball shape, by now expertly prepared by the chef – the Garotes were cut to display their orange mouth-watering interiors.   “One, two three” said Jordi – lifting the Spanish speciality to his mouth and sticking out his tongue to make a pointy spoon to relieve the Sea Urchin of its magnificent roe – and so we followed suit – with a little trepidation of course, but this soon turned to smiles as we poste haste devoured the exquisite Spanish Sea Urchins.   There was scarcely time to lift our glasses of the superb sparkling local Emporda Cava we had selected to pair with our meal – but as our plates emptied we lifted our glasses and proposed a toast to Jordi, who had introduced us to these Spanish specialities.

By now of course we were “aficionados” of Spanish Sea Urchins and needless to say our meal continued with Sea Urchins – some with pasta, others with rice, but all positively rich and delicious with the now well loved Spanish speciality.

Here’s to the next time!

Jay Miller, the timid but very likeable “Nose & Mouth” of Parker’s The Wine Advocate is here in Catalonia from 12 – 23 January, 2011 to taste for the first time in situ our wonderful Priorat, Penedes etc., wines, after 25 years of close collaboration with Robert Parker.   He will taste up to 1,300 Catalan wines and cavas and will visit small and large Catalan wineries in the following DO’s:  Penedes, Cava, Catalunya, Priorat, Montsant, Terra Alta and Emporda.

On Saturday last Jay Miller started his Catalan wine tour with Cavas Agustí Torelló Mata Winery of Sant Saturni D’Anoia.    Then on Sunday he went to Alemany i Corrio Winery (Sot Lefriec wine), one of the most fashionable wineries in Penedes.   Everyone reports that Miller listens carefully, asks the price of each product in the US, takes copious notes and never accepts any gifts.

Once back in Baltimore, Jay Miller will continue tasting Spanish and Catalan wines with US distributors from 27 January to 23 March, 2011.   Jay Miller considers the Catalan wines of DO Priorat, DO Montsant, DO Penedes DO Emporda etc., to be of excellent quality and to have a fantastic price/quality relationship. He says that, “the success of Spanish wine amongst the American consumers resides in offering very acceptable products between $15 and $25”.   He also predicts that Spanish cava has now a historical opportunity in its battle against champagne as in the US champagne is usually never sold below $45 a bottle, whereas you can find great Spanish cava for below $25.

Jay Miller strongly defends the promotion of local grape varieties and gives an example of the DOC Priorat where the local varieties such as Garnacha and Cariñena are giving much better quality than Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, which do not improve the coupage as much as some people may think.

Ingredientes for Gambas al Ajillo for four as a tapas

1 lb of good medium sized uncooked prawns
3 Cloves of Garlic
½ of a hot red Chilli pepper
4 tablespoons of good Virgin Olive Oil

½ teaspoon of Salt
A handfull of chopped Parsley

Preparation of Gambas al Ajillo

First of all peel your prawns and remove the heads, but leave the tails – place on one side.

Peel and mince the cloves of garlic, remembering to remove any green root in the centre (creates bitterness)

Cut your chile pepper in half lengthwise, discard one half to use in another recipe and with the remaining half remove the seeds and then chop finely.

Put 4 good tablespoons of Virgin Olive Oil in your skillet and after bringing to hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic, the prawns and the hot red pepper.   Toss and turn around for five minutes until the prawns have turned bright pink – sprinkle with salt and then the parsley and serve with chunks of warmed French bread.   There you have it, Gambas al Ajillo – succulent and delicious!

Originally from Andalucia, but now adopted all over Spain, Las Tapas  were designed to be eaten between main meals as food that allows the body to survive until lunch or dinnertime.   The story goes that Spanish tapas were born when, due to illness, the Spanish King Alfonso the 10th, the Wise, had to take small bites of food with some wine between meals. Once recovered from the disease, the  king decreed that no wine was to be served in any of the inns in the land of Castile, unless accompanied by something to eat. This was a wise precaution to counteract the adverse effects of alcohol on those people who, through lack of money to buy a nourishing meal, drank alcohol on an empty stomach.

Apart from the story of the royal disease a further theory should be considered, that the Spanish tapas first appeared because of the need of farmers and other workers to take a small amount of food during their working time, which allowed them to carry on working until time for the main meal.  This main meal, rich in fat, was so heavy to digest that a “siesta” had to be taken for a couple of hours before going back to the fields or to the workshop. Longer working hours in the morning meant an easier workload after the meal.
Wine was the natural accompaniment to the Spanish tapas, as it induced a mellow mood and increased strength, while in winter it warmed the body as protection against very cold days in the fields and in the workshops of the Middle Ages. In summer, the drink taken in the South was “gazpacho” (cold tomato soup), instead of wine.

Spanish Tapas are called “alifara” in northern Spain , Aragón and Navarra; and later, in the Basque Country, they began to be called “poteo”, because the wine had to be drunk in “potes” (jars).   Once the “botillerias” (bottle-shops) and “tabernas” (taverns) became established throughout Spain , the wise King’s decree remained in place. For that reason, the glass or jar of wine was served covered with a slice of either smoked ham or cheese, for two reasons: first to prevent insects or other impurities falling into the jar and secondly, for the guests to soak up the alcohol they had drunk with something solid, as King Alfonso had advised. This was the origin and is the history of the Spanish tapas, a solid food that covered the wineglass and a word rooted in Spanish tradition.  And so the tradition of the Spanish tapas spread throughout Spain and continues right up to the present day. Many other countries have adopted the tapas, serving it in many different ways.   In Andalucia tapas tend to be of the fried variety;  in Galicia & the Basque Country the tapas are served on a slice of bread and are called Pintxos, whilst in Catalonia tapas are normally small portions of the most typical dishes.

Some of the most famous  Spanish Tapas are:

Tapa de Tortilla de Patatas – a thick cake of omelette containing eggs and potatoes, but which can also contain onions, spinach, asparagus or green beans and is normally served warm in a wedge

.

Tapa de Patatas Bravas con alioli – potatoes cut into small pieces, fried and then smothered in a spicy sauce of fresh tomatoes, garlic and hot red pepper.

Tapa de Buñuelos de bacalao – which is in effect a bacalao and potato fritter, salt cod and potatoes mashed into a béchamel sauce and then rolled into balls and fried until Golden and crisp.

Tapa de Gambas al ajillo – fresh uncooked quite large prawns, de-headed peeled and de-veined and fried in virgin olive oil with crushed garlic, a finely chopped hot pepper and parsley.

Not to be forgotten is the famous Pan Tomate – a thick slice of bread, normally toasted, upon which is rubbed a clove of garlic and the flesh of half of a tomato prior to sprinkling it with olive oil and salt.

But the list is endless and suffice to say a meal of good Spanish tapas with a glass of fine wine is a meal to be remembered!

The museum houses the largest collection of Salvador Dali´s work outside Spain, with over 2,000 examples of his art – twice the size of the old museum which opened in 1982.   Our Ambassador to the United States of America said at the ceremony, “It’s a great day for the world of art”.

The building had to be sufficiently strong to withstand hurricanes and winds of up to 165 miles per house, but still manages to be most attractive with its 75 foot high geo-desc dome, made up of over 1,000 triangular glass panels, none of which are the same.

There are still elderly village people over here in Spain who knew Dali personally and with whom we have had the great opportunity to chat over recent years – they have certainly explained a good number of anecdotes about this truly eccentric man and his strangely beautiful wife, Gala.   How very thrilled Dali would be to be so recognized in the world today!

This Wednesday, the 12th January El Bulli restaurant will open for its last season.    Until the 30th of July every single session with be “a goodbye”.   However, THE SHOW GOES ON!   El Bulli – year 50 (1961 – 2011) – Tickets – year 0 (2011 – ????)!   Just about to start its own history – will it become as famous as El Bulli?   What is Tickets, anyway?   Tickets is the hyper-tapas bar/restaurant at 164 Avenida del Paral.lel in Barcelona, in the midst of the theatre district, just about to be open in February. Owned by Ferran and Albert Adria and the three Iglesias brothers (from Rias de Galicia Restaurant), Tickets Restaurant in Barcelona will consist of five theatre-type bars offering an evolution in traditional tapas;  even sweet tapas will be served in a circus tent!

After a pause of a little more than 2 years , the prefix for Ferran Adria’s Restaurant, El Bulli, will be re: the reform, the reappearance and  the reopening as a Foundation in 2014. And in the meantime, the re-invention of la tapa in Tickets Restaurant in Barcelona.   You can be sure we will be there as soon as it opens, taste as many tapas as we can and tell you everything about it!  So, for Tickets Restaurant in Barcelona watch this space!!!

Photograph from El Periodico Dominical, 9 January 2011

Turrón is perhaps the most well known of Spanish sweets and although it can be enjoyed any time of year, it is particularly famous for its traditional appearance at Christmas time. Spanish children are excited when the first turrón of the season is brought home as it is a signal that the Christmas season is fast approaching.

The origin of turrón is said to go back over five hundred years to when the first example of this gorgeous sweet was first created by the Moors in the small town of Jijona, north of Alicante. Jijona and turrón still go hand in hand today, the town is famous for its production and it is home to the Turrón Museum where the most famous and expensive brand of turrón, 1880 can be found.   Jijona and Alicante turrón are the most well known types of turrón, named after the location where they were created. Turrón de Alicante is a hard, nougat type, so full of almonds that it would crumble if any more were squeezed in. Turrón de Jijona, sometimes called the original turrón is soft and sticky, a little like fudge.

The most important ingredients of turrón are honey and almonds and only the finest local examples of both, which are found in abundance in the regions of Alicante and Catalonia, go into the very best turrón.

Apart from the Alicante and Jijona turrón, whose recipes have remained unchanged for generations, there are many variations and types and turrón is today made all over Spain. A fairly new but extremely popular type of turrón is the yema tostada where ground almonds and egg yolks are mixed together and toasted for a soft and sweet treat. There is also the turrón de chocolate which comes in various types ranging from extrafino to popular depending on the percentage of cocoa utilized in its production.

Whatever the type of turrón you prefer, the quality is an important factor. The best turrón available is the supreme quality. Producers must abide by strict rules in order to be allowed to label their turrón as supremo, there must be at least 64% of almonds present in the hard Alicante turrón and 60% contained in the soft Jijona turrón.

The finest way to enjoy turrón is to serve up a selection of samples of each after dinner with a coffee and liqueur. As a treat for the children, crumble a generous amount over soft vanilla ice cream. The Spanish also love having little tasters of the different types of turrón with a glass of cava for a very festive aperitif. It truly is one of Spain’s sweet delights and is enjoyed by all whatever the occasion or time of year.

EIBTM is the leading global event for the meetings and events industry, held in the vibrant business and tourism destination of Barcelona. The event delivers three days of focused access to a dynamic business environment, thought provoking professional education and business networks for exhibitors, hosted buyers and trade visitors.

This is a meeting of 3,000 top international suppliers from over 100 countries across the globe.   It will give attendees an opportunity to receive up-to-date information in industry trends, new destinations, products and services.   There is the possibility to build and develop business contacts on the show floor and through the several networking events, to assist those attending in making purchasing decisions and to develop their knowledge through the extensive education programme.

Additionally, an opportunity to experience Barcelona – a vibrant city and one of the world’s major meeting and event destinations.

Held in the Fira Gran Via, Av. Joan Carles I, 58-64 ,08901 L’Hospitalet (Barcelona)

San Sebastian, the only city in the world with more concentration of Michelin stars by inhabitant, was chosen to unveil the content of Michelin Guide 2011 for Spain and Portugal. But there are no new three stars, there are a dozen losers, those who have lost stars and only three chefs have gained two stars. Last night, in the Maria Cristina hotel, the suspense was finally resolved. Every year, the unfolding of the culinary Oscars is a thriller with massive tension to know  who will be the shining stars of the new year.   To whom the stars have been given and from whom they have been taken away.  So now from yesterday, the gastronomic market in Spain accounts for 21 new Michelin stars, which means Spain dominates with 144 restaurants with the Michelin distinction.

As in the last edition, when the third star for the Roca brothers was celebrated by everybody, yesterday the joy was for Dani Garcia. The talented chef from Malaga, the driving force of the gastronomic tapa with his franchise La Moraga, received the second star for his restaurant Calima, in the hotel Melia Don Pepe in Marbella. Girona, this gastronomic power, adds another star with the seafood cuisine of Paco Pérez, from Miramar in Llanca.

Other one star news – the twins Javier and Sergio Torres, who in their restaurant Dos Cielos ( Two Heavens) in the hotel ME in Barcelona mix Mediterranean cuisine with exotic products from Amazonia.

If you take into account the leading position of Spain in the culinary world, which was started in the last decade by the revolutionary Ferran Adria, is this balance reflected in the Michelin guide?  “ I have a lot of respect for Michelin; it is a very serious company. I believe Spain deserves many mores stars, but it is their guide. If you don’t like it, make another”. This is the opinion of the chef from elBulli, whose restaurant appears in the Michelin guide for the last time, as on the 30th June, 2012  it will close its doors and re-open in 2014 as a fund. In practice, it means it will disappear from all the guides and classifications.

Complete list of Michelin stars in Spain:

3 stars:

There are no new 3 stars, but there are no losers either:

Akelare, Arzak, elBulli, El Celler de Can Roca, Martín Berasategui-Lasarte, Can Fabes, Sant Pau)

New 2 stars:

Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Vizcaya), de Eneko Atxa. Calima (Marbella), de Dani García. Ramón Freixa Madrid. Miramar, de Paco Pérez (Llançá, Girona)

New 1 star:

Caelis (Hotel Palace Barcelona). Dos Cielos (H. Me Barcelona). Moments (H. Mandarin Barcelona). Hisop, de Oriol Ivern. Ferrero-Paco Morales (Bocairent). Gadus (Cala D’Or) Mallorca). Alborada (A Coruña). Venta Moncalvillo (Aroca de Rioja). Mirador de Ulía (Donostia). Zaranda Hilton Satorre (Llucmayor, Mallorca). Kabuki (Madrid). A Poniente (Puerto de Santa María). Santo (Hotel Eme Catedral, Sevilla). Capritx (Tarrasa). Arrop (Valencia). Maruja Limón (Vigo). Ikea (Vitoria-Gasteiz).

Withdrawals from 2 stars to 1

Abac (Barcelona).

Loss of the one star they originally had

Hispania (Arenys de Mar). Freixa Tradicio (Barcelona). El Ermitaño (Benavente). Pardo (A Coruña). Arrop Tradicio (Gandía). Vivaldi (León). Zaranda (madrid). Altair (Mérida). El Cenador de Salvador (Moralzarzal, Madrid). Plat D’Or (Mallorca). Tragabuches (Ronda, Málaga). Casa Marcelo (Santiago de Compostela). Tàpies (La Seu D’Urgell). El Cingle (Vacarisses, Barcelona). El Rincón de Antonio (Zamora).

Fuet is Catalan sausage, in other words, from the Catalan region of Spain, a wonderful and versatile a thin, dry cured, sausage of pork meat in a pork gut.  It can be added to a variety of dishes, eaten on bread, or often it is served on a cutting board on the dinner table. It is perhaps most delicious when served in this traditional manner. Just slice it with a sharp knife and eat it. Many chefs and cooking enthusiasts like to add Fuet to soups and casseroles or grill it and serve it on warm bread. Another wonderful idea is to add it to a stuffing. The most famous Fuet is made in the comarca of Osona and is also known as Vic Fuet after the City of Vic, capital of Osona.  Fuet is often seen hung by an attached rope or string used in the curing process and the outside of the casing sometimes has a powdery white layer to it. It is rather long and narrow in appearance and resembles a dry Salami in both appearance and consistency. The spiciness and overall flavor of the meat varies depending on the spices used, but all are considered very delicious It is truly a must have ingredient for the gourmet chef. The name fuet means “whip” in the Catalan language.

White blossoms in Catalonia and Andalucia yield an ancient delight, almost as much a part of life as the blue sky over the countryside. The Marcona almond is called the Queen Almond for its incomparable, delicately sweet flavor. Thought by some to be the ultimate almond, Marcona almonds from Spain have a uniquely buttery and sweet flavour.  Lightly salted, they are just the thing to eat with a cold glass of dry sherry and delicious with any appetizers and are a  sophisticated snack to enjoy before a meal.

Particularly in southern Catalonia and Andalucia the countryside is dotted with almond groves and kitchens throughout the region make use of creamy almonds for soups, meat dishes, pastries and seasonal treats.

On February 10th every year, without fail and regardless of snow, rain or shine a truly magical act of nature takes place in the olive groves of Catalan, the almond trees blossom.   Almost overnight the almonds prepare to share their beauty with the misty dawns and the chilly sunsets of late winter. The deep pinks and snowy whites of the rich almond blossoms surround the silvery leaves of the olives trees. The air is infused with the fragrant, delicate scent of the almond flowers.

Four weeks after flowering new almond nuts the size of thumbnails appear in bright green clusters, and rapidly increase in size as the warmer weather approaches. The almonds are irrigated through the hot summer months, which is vital to ensure perfect, fully flavoured nuts. Without irrigation a large percentage of the almonds would dry out and become what is called ‘tight skinned’ which are nor palatable or marketable.

The almonds are hand picked as soon as their outer velvety husks start to split. The Marcona are the first to be picked in late August and the Valencia in early September, each variety being kept separate. The husks are removed by hand and the nuts are then laid out on nets to dry in the sun, turning each net daily for a period of four days.

Ounce for ounce, almonds are one of the most nutritionally dense nuts. As well as providing an array of powerful flavonoids, almonds are among the richest sources of vitamin E in the diet. A one-ounce, 164-calorie serving of almonds, about a handful, is also a very good source of manganese, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2 and phosphorous, and delivers a heart healthy monounsaturated fat and other nutrients as well.

Almonds are an ancient food that has been written about in historical texts, including the Bible. The Romans referred to almonds as the ‘Greek Nut’ in reference to the civilization suggested to have first cultivated them. Almonds are now grown in many of the countries that boarder the Mediterranean Sea including Spain, Italy, Portugal and Morocco.

Almonds that are still in their shells have the longest shelf life.  Refrigerated shelled almonds will keep for several months, while if stored in a freezer, almonds can keep for up to a year.

In addition to being eaten raw, almonds are a wonderful addition to a variety of recipes from salads to baked goods or sprinkled over desserts, particularly ice cream dishes.

Whole almonds can be chopped by hand or can be placed in the food processor. If using a food processor it is best to pulse on and of a few times, instead of running the blade constantly, as this will help ensure that you end up with chopped almonds rather than almond butter.

If you want to remove the almond skin, blanch them for a few minutes until you notice the almond skin beginning to swell. Drain them and then rinse them under cold water. Pinch the cooled almonds between your thumb and index finger and the skin should slide right off the almond meat.

The Marcona variety of almond, which is shorter, rounder, sweeter, and more delicate in texture than other varieties, originated in Spain and is becoming popular in North America and other parts of the world. Marcona almonds are traditionally served after being lightly fried in oil, and are also used by Spanish chefs to prepare a dessert called turrón.

Capçanes winery in Montsant, is the very first winery in Spain to produce a Kosher wine in the 20th century, although Kosher wine has been in existence since 636 AD in Israel and may have been in Spain prior to Capçanes innovative move to commence making Kosher wine.   If you would like to enjoy a visit to Capçanes Winery, we at GourmandBreaks.com will be very happy to make arrangements for you.

The history of Judaism in Spain dates back to Roman times, while some research even suggests that they may have inhabited the country earlier than the 3rd century. You may not be aware that  Spanish Jews were one of the largest Jewish communities worldwide, living peacefully under both Muslim and Christian rule until the year 1492 when  Isabel and Ferdinand expelled them during the inquisition. Currently, there are approximately 40,000 Jews living in Spain, and of that very healthy percentage, there is clearly a strong contingent of wine aficionados!

Capçanes dates back to the 19th century and was one of the many victims of the grape vine infection Phylloxera in Spain. Almost totally wiped out and under resourced, it was some time before in 1933 five families joined forces to create the co-operative of Capçanes. Over the years the co-operative grew steadily until 1995 when a Jewish family from Barcelona requested that they make the first Kosher wine in Spain and times truly changed for Capçanes. It meant the installation of new equipment allowing the winemakers to identify, isolate and vinify under controlled “Lo Mebushal” conditions, small parcels of quality fruit.”  Subsequently, the Peraj Ha’abib (Flor de Primavera or Spring Flower) was the wine that placed Capçanes on the map worldwide.

What is Kosher Wine?

1. According to the practice known as orla, the grapes of new vines cannot be used for winemaking until the fourth year of planting.
2. No other fruits or vegetables may be grown in between the rows of the vines (kalai hakerem)
3. After the first harvest, the field must lie fallow every seventh year. Each of these sabbatical years is known as shnat shmita.
4. From the onset of the harvest, only kosher tools and storage facilities may be used in the winemaking process, and all of the winemaking equipment must be cleaned [sometimes up to 7 times with hot water] to be certain that no foreign objects remain in the equipment or vats.
5. From the moment the grapes reach the winery, only Sabbath observant [male] Jews are allowed to come in contact with the wine.
6. All of the materials (e.g. yeasts) used in the production and clarification of the wines must be certified as kosher.
7. A symbolic amount of wine, representing the tithe (truma vama’aser) once paid to the Temple in Jerusalem must be poured away from the tanks or barrels in which the wine is being made.
8. A Kosher wine proves to be a challenge to any winemaker. The winemaker may not have any contact with his wine other than through the Rabbi. Which means, that if the winemaker at Capçanes wants to check on his wine, he must ask the Rabbi to come in from Barcelona and take out a sample for him to both see and taste.

Peraj Ha’abib is made with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Garnatxa Negra and 30% Samsó and aged for 12 months in new and one year old, Kosher French oak barrels. The wine is incredibly dark in color with a fabulous black cherry, chocolate and floral nose, worthy of accolades.

The 16,000 bottles of kosher wine produced each year represent only about 5 percent of Capçanes’ production but attract most of the attention. The wine is exported to the United States and Israel, mostly, but it also finds its way to small Jewish communities in Europe and Mexico.

Capçanes has three extremely knowledgeable winemakers, each of whom is dedicated to a specific area and together they bring their talents to their business. Angel Teixido is the most experienced and is in charge of the vineyard control. Francesc Perello coordinates bottling and wine analysis and Jürgen Wagner composes and styles the blends.

We only have good comments to make about their excellent customer-oriented philosophy, not to mention the superb quality of their wine!

The European Day of Wine Tourism includes a series of events based on the promotion of wine territories, organized by each city in their territory and promoted in a common way, so that it has a stronger impact as far as image and diffusion are concerned.  Culture and tradition of the territory are strongly linked to wine identity and to thousands of typical products that become symbol of life quality and ambassadors of a place, allowing the discovery of the wine tourist points of RECEVIN’s municipalities.

The opening of cellars together with the discovery of landscape resources, as well as typical products and authentic craftwork will allow the discovery of culture, nature and tradition: essential characteristics of each city belonging to the network.

The Festival of Ratafia in Santa Coloma de Farners, near Girona, is celebrated on the second weekend of November each year, 2010 being its 26th year of celebration. Visitors can try different brands of Ratafia and taste dishes made with the spirit by local restaurateurs, while villagers are encouraged to enter competitions for the best home-made liqueur. The day is rounded off with some traditional Sardana dancing.

Collecting the ingredients for Ratafia, the Catalonia region’s traditional liqueur, a heady concoction of around 50 aromatic herbs, flowers, fruits and spices, is, to say the least, no mean task!   Plants with names such as horse´s tail and lion´s tooth; aromatic herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano as well as various types of ferns, leaves, pine cones and stinging nettles.

But the most important ingredient for Ratafia is unripe walnuts. The tender green nuts, picked before their shells have hardened, form the base of the liqueur. They are steeped in alcohol along with the rest of the herbs and spices for a minimum of 40 days before being filtered straight into bottles or decanted into wooden containers to age for three months.   Traditionally, the herbs are gathered on the eve of the midsummer festival of Sant Joan when they are said to be imbued with magical qualities.

This “Witchey” brew also needs coffee beans, lemon and orange peel, cinnamon sticks, freshly ground nutmeg and anise. The final ingredient is the liquorice-flavoured liqueur Anisette, in which all the plants are left to soak.

While many Spanish liqueurs, such as Patxaran, the sloe-flavoured liqueur from Navarra and Orujo, the transparent spirit popular in Galicia, Castilla-León and Cantabria, have become easily purchasable in supermarkets, Ratafia is still very much a local product.

Although small distilleries, such as Cal Russet in Olot and the Distribucions Portet based outside Lleida, produce Ratafia commercially, the practice of making it at home is still widespread.

Each family has its own recipe – a closely guarded secret that is passed down through the generations – and their own way of making the liqueur. For this reason it is said there are as many different types of Ratafia as there are people who brew it.

Full of tannins, Ratafia was traditionally drunk after a meal to aid digestion. Nowadays, it is also drunk with, or in, coffee, “on the rocks” or with crushed ice.

In Catalunya, where such high regard is placed on food, Ratafia has also found its way into the kitchen and is used in everything from starters and main courses to desserts.

Girona plays host to many festivals and celebrations throughout the year which are an opportunity to give visitors and new inhabitants an idea of the Catalan culture and lifestyle.  The “Fires i Festes” of Girona are a week-long city festival which are also referred to as Sant Narcis, Girona’s patron saint, held from 24th October -1 November. Legend has it that a massive swarm of flies came out of the tomb of Sant Narcis and drove away the invading French army and so the fly is duly celebrated as Girona’s emblem.

It all starts with an evening opening ceremony in front of the Girona Ajuntament or town hall building in the old town, in Placa Vi which gets very crowded. Giant figures are paraded through the streets and a huge, motorized Frankenstein-like efigy about 12ft tall is enough to scare any grownup, never mind a child!

Numerous market stalls crop up on open spaces all over the city, the Placa de Independencia has stalls that sell books and locally produced artisan food like cured meats, sausages, olives, beer’s from local micro-breweries, honey and cakes.

The Parc De La Devesa’s long, wide avenues get totally taken over by a giant fairground, open every day and till the early hours at weekends, with rides for all ages and even a giant ferris-wheel that towers above the tall Plane trees.

At the north end of the park on a large open area called La Copa they erect a huge stage with different bands playing most nights, and surrounded by numerous shacks that sell hot food and drinks. Locals refer to this place as the ‘barracks’ or ‘Las Barraques’. It seems that each food’ shack’ is run by or supports local schools who benefit from the profits made.

On one of the festival days, at the bottom of the Girona cathedral steps at about 9pm the human castles are performed, spectacular and a must-see. This is where the members of the group stand on each other’s shoulders and slowly build a tapering-column of people with a small child being the very last person to clamber up to the top. Once the human column is assembled the whole column ‘walks’ up the Cathedral steps! Other group members on the ground lend physical support to the human column as it climbs.

There are many other festival events dotted around the city on different days, antique and collectible fairs are held outside St. Feliu church as well as Arts and Craft markets at the weekends, the biggest is in the old town on November 1st. with many stalls lining the Rambla and beyond selling paintings, curios and jewellery.

About late morning on the last day there’s the Trobada de Gegants (meeting of the giants) these are large papier mache figures which are paraded through the streets. Inside each ‘gegant’ there’s a person who walks along the route as other group members play an assortment of instruments, mostly drums. A good place to watch it is in the old town’s Rambla de Llibertat at about 11am.  The whole procession takes about one hour to pass by with each group representing a local village or town. The St. Narcis festival ends with a magnificent, big firework display at about 8.00pm.

Now that Ferran Adriá is introducing changes in El Bulli and his brother Albert has closed Inopia, his famous Tapas Bar, we can´t wait to try tapas at TICKETS, their new project in common, to be opened on January 11.   Here goes with the Press Release by the Adriá brothers

“TICKETS la vida tapa and 41º, the new gastronomic project by Albert and Ferran Adrià together with Iglesias’ brothers.

Albert and Ferran Adrià will start a new gastronomic project in Barcelona in spring together with Iglesias’ brothers, who will be responsible for the daily management of the business.

This project wants to be the reflection of the current image of the city, which is really creative and innovative and fights for gastronomy. And the setting chosen has been the Paral.lel, as it is the cradle of the theatre and cabaret in Barcelona and the emblem, during decades of the social and cultural life of the city. It is an area which is again a boiling point and will soon be a vital area in our city and which has recently experienced two nice events including the re-opening of El Molino and Arteria Paral·lel. The Paral·lel of yester-year, full of theatres, some of which we miss, comes back and wants to get back to the city which was a reflection of an enthusiastic happiness and culture as we have not lived before. The Paral.lel turned into a myth which people living in Barcelona have missed in many occasions letting us live again nowadays the experiences thanks to public and private contributions.

It will be located at 164 in Paral·lel Avenue with Tamarit and Entenza streets. Two gastronomic concepts will be placed in the Flotats building, which was built in the thirties. These two concepts will be the tapas area and the cocktail bar, which will be connected by an internal corridor and they will share some communal areas.

The place will consist of two different spaces in terms of offer and aesthetics. The first space called TICKETS will be a contemporary tapas place, an evolution of traditional tapas and the second, called 41º, a classic cocktail bar with an exciting gastronomic offer full of creativity with no limits for imagination.”

The mushroom hunting season is upon us and Autumn with all its glory and reddened leaves brings with it too the rain and dew upon which wild mushrooms really thrive and grow.  The tradition of gathering mushrooms is deeply rooted in the Iberian Isles but it is here in Catalonia and the Basque country that mushroom picking is at its most popular. You can enjoy a unique and authentic mushroom picking experience with a local expert on our Mushroom Hunting Getaway Tour.   In our region, the mushrooms’ greatest fans in recognition, hunting and consumption of the species can be found.  It is worth noting that the boletus edulis, commonly known as Porcini, has made a huge comeback in recent years and is one of the most hunted of the mushroom species. The most common to be spotted, however, are the Rovellón or the Níscalo mushrooms.

Mushrooms are the most important ingredients for the preparation of many of our typical dishes; in some they are the main, or even the only, ingredient.   What could be better than a dish of freshly picked wild mushrooms, gently but rapidly cooked in a combination of Virgin Olive Oil, Butter, Garlic and Parsley, which needs nothing more than a hunk of fresh bread and a glass of good wine?   But the interest in mushrooms is not merely limited to culinary or commercial reasons.   Equally important, if not more so, are the leisure or sporting aspects which mean that, when the autumn rains come, large numbers of people go into the forests to enjoy a pleasant walk while filling their baskets with mushrooms.

Spanish mushroom hunters often keep their picking location secret in order to avoid less enthusiastic pickers from pillaging the area for monetary gain.  Much like secret fishing spots, mushroom picking areas (which vary from season to season) are only shared with close friends. As a matter of fact, friendships are known to have been broken on account of picking spots being revealed by unreliable partners or a picker being spotted on a week day at a location disclosed to him by a senior picker. In order to understand what is considered appropriate etiquette one should know that an amateur picker will not become the primary hunter in an area he has recently been introduced to by a senior picker!

The mushrooms that grow in Spain do include unfortunately, toxic species, some very dangerous.  Ignorance and confusion with edible species with a similar appearance, means that each year, when the mushroom season arrives, there are cases of poisoning, some even fatal.

Enjoy your mushroom hunting, but be careful, go with someone who really “knows his mushrooms”.

It´s almost time for chestnuts, sweet chestnuts – glistening mahogany as their shells open on the ground and one of the most inviting fruits of late Autumn.   Who can resist the permeating aroma of chestnuts as they roast on the open fire or coals of the street seller, who, himself is swathed in woollens against the fierce chill and winds of winter.  As he scoops his globules of delight into pyramid shaped bags and passes you the hand warming mass, your mouth waters at the prospect of such a delicious feast.   But wait, it´s almost too hot to handle -  press the blackened shell between gloved fingers and rush the roasted cream centre to your lips with caution;  oh what reminders of childhood evenings by the fire at home.   Truly the chestnut evokes memories for us all, be they of the first time one tasted a Marron Glacé, the chestnut stuffing in the turkey, chestnuts with Brussels sprouts – the list is endless!

To relish in the freshest of the freshly roasted chestnuts, visit the Fair of the Chestnuts (Fira de la Castanya Viladrau), held each year on 23 and 24 October in the lovely village of Viladrau in the Montseny mountains a little way north of Barcelona, in Spain.   Viladrau, which  is surrounded by large chestnut trees, has become an incomparable setting to celebrate this Fair, which is open to everyone and full of activities to promote chestnuts and their tradition.   There is much roasting chestnuts and the consequent sale to all;  different talks about chestnuts and gastronomical tastings of chestnut cuisine in local restaurants.    If you want to taste beef stew with chestnuts and home-made delicious cake with chestnuts, Viladrau is the place to be!

Now for a little information about the sweet chestnut, which was introduced into Europe from Sardis, in Asia Minor; the fruit was then called the ‘Sardian nut’ It has been a staple food in southern Europe, Turkey and south western and eastern Asia for millennia, largely replacing cereals where these would not grow well, if at all, in mountainous Mediterranean areas. Alexander the Great and the Romans planted chestnut trees across Europe while on their various campaigns. Ancient Greeks like Dioscorides and Romans such as Galen, wrote of chestnuts to comment on their medicinal properties—and of the flatulence induced by eating too much of it. To the early Christians, chestnuts symbolized chastity. Until the introduction of the potato, whole forest-dwelling communities which had scarce access to wheat flour relied on chestnuts as their main source of carbohydrates.  Fresh chestnut fruits are a healthy option and have about 180 calories to100 grams, which is much lower than that of walnuts, almonds, other nuts and dried fruits.  Chestnuts, as with all plant foods, contain no cholesterol and very little fat, mostly unsaturated, and no gluten. They are the only “nuts” that contain vitamin C, with about 40 mg per 100 g of raw product, though the amount of vitamin C decreases with heating by about 40%.  For more information: http://www.firesifestes.com/Fires/F-Castanya-Viladrau.htm

“To make a Tapa Flag”, this is the idea launched by Ferran Adria in his presentation in New York as the Ambassador of Spanish Tourism.   The man considered by many as the best chef in the world and of whom a biography has just been published in the US, said that “Tapa is a great gastronomical revolution”.  According to this visionary of cuisine “Tapa is a way of life and lifestyle and a style of cooking very American.”

Adriá said that one of the objectives of his incorporation into the campaign, “I Need Spain”, is to attract more American visitors, as American visitors are well known in general to have a curiosity that goes much further than just the sun and the beach.

‘I Need Spain’ is the new slogan which the Spanish Tourist Board hopes will bring more people to Spain in the coming years.  The new advertising campaign, led by Ferrán Adriá, who juggling fruit on a poster says “Art here is not only in the museums”. Other personalities to take part are Gisela Pulido, six times Kitesurfing World Champion, the Spanish Basketball team, the Spanish MotoGP motorbike riders, and Spanish football players.

The Spanish lifestyle, personality and way of life are at the centre of the campaign which plans to improve the image of Spain all over the world.   The Government hopes that the new campaign will be seen by 400 million people in more than 40 countries around the world.  The plan is to show the spots around the major events of the year and time has been purchased on CNN, Fox, National Geographic and Eurosport. A simultaneous campaign will take place on the Internet.

If you are the type that likes a bit of fear in your life and want to enjoy Halloween like never before, be brave and enjoy with Gourmand Breaks a unique and unforgettable tour of Bodegas Protos winery in Peñafiel.  Protos’ warehouse will become a mansion of terror on the evenings of 30 and 31 October and 1 November.   Normally a good tour of their facilities is highly recommendable, but these particular tours will be additionally really chilling!   During an hour and a half the visitors will cross the old warehouse in the dark and go through 2km of underground galleries under the mountain where the Castle of Peñafiel is located – on this occasion there will be more than one surprise that will make you shake and shudder.   The tour will terminate in the new warehouse designed by the famous British Architect, Richard Rogers where two of the excellent Protos wines will be sampled.   Throughout the tour the history of the Bodega and the elaboration of its wines will be described, but with a script especially adapted to the Halloween timing.   It will surely be an authentic experience – only for adults – so get in touch and we will arrange this visit for you during your tour of Ribera del Duero. Also, have a look at www.bodegasprotos.com to find our more about this exciting winery.

Panellets, Catalan for “little breads,” is a traditional dessert served in Catalonia on the All Saints Day, which takes place on November 1. These warm, squishy sweets are especially comforting during the cold and crisp days of fall – that’s why we always stop to try some in our favorite Barcelona pastry shops on our autumn tour around Catalonia. To serve in traditional Catalan style, drink some cava (Spanish champagne) or moscatel with them.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground almonds
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 -1 cup water
• 1 small potato
• grated peel of 1 lemon
• 3-4 drops lemon juice

Toppings:

• pine nuts (and egg whites if using)
• sweetened cocoa powder
• candied fruit

Flavorings:

• instant coffee powder
• coconut flakes
• cinnamon

Servings: 32

Blanch almonds, then grind in a food processor into a fine dust. Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. After boiling until cooked, drain the water and mash with a fork.

Place sugar in a medium saucepan with ½ cup of water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved (pour more water in if necessary). Then bring to a boil, stirring often. Add 3-4 drops of lemon juice. Lower heat and simmer until mixture is a thick syrup.

After removing the pan from heat, use a large wooden spoon to gradually stir in ground almonds, potato and grated lemon peel. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 380 F degrees and grease cookie sheets. Spoon out dough with a teaspoon and roll into small balls with your palms. Then roll the balls in powdered cocoa or whole pine nuts. Before using pine nuts, brush each with a bit of egg white. Put on greased cookie sheet. You can add flavor the cookies if you want by separating a portion of the dough with your hands and working in a bit of instant coffee flakes, candied fruit or cinnamon. Then roll back up into individual balls.

Bake cookies just long enough to brown the pine nuts, usually about 4 minutes. Remove immediately using a spatula before cookies cool and stick to the cookie sheet.

The prestigious American gastronomic journalist Colman Andrews presented last week, in New York, together with Ferran Adria, a new book, in which he portrays Ferran Adria, El Bulli Restaurant and the now world famous gastronomic creations of this incredible chef.   The volume, published by Phaedon goes through the biography and career of the chef which the Spanish Government is now using as an Ambassador for Tourism.  “Spanish Tourist Office Turespaña, estimates that more than 10 percent of the 52 million tourists who visited Spain last year were drawn by its food and wine”.   There are few people who are not au fait with the legendary El Bulli Restaurant which is situated roughly 100 miles north of Barcelona and in which it is almost totally impossible to get a reservation!

We found a very interesting link to this ‘must have’ book by Business Week

Saffron is the most precious and expensive spice in the world and is often said to be worth its weight in gold.  The Saffron filaments, or threads, are actually the dried stigmas of the saffron flower, “Crocus Sativus Linneaus”. Each flower contains only three stigmas and these threads must be picked from each flower by hand; more than 75,000 of these flowers are needed to produce just one pound of Saffron filaments, making it the world’s most precious spice.  However, because of saffron’s strong coloring power and intense flavor, it can and should be used very sparingly.

The arrival of autumn means only one thing for many of the inhabitants of Castilla-La-Mancha – time to harvest its ever precious saffron.   From October 29 to 31 the historic town of Consuegra is holding its annual Saffron Rose Festival, which, organized to coincide with the harvest, celebrates all things Manchego.   Visitors can enjoy the competition in which nimble-fingered locals separate the saffron spice from the flower or take a trip to the Molienda de Paz to watch wheat flour being made at the old Sancho windmill. The star of the show is of course the purple saffron flower and with the searing summer heat having passed, villagers will flock to nearby fields and begin the arduous task of plucking purple crocus heads.  But with the price to the farmer standing at 1200 euro a kilo, and it selling for just over a euro a gram in the market place, it is worth the 40 hours of manual labor that it takes to produce a kilo of the prized spice.  So delicate are the stigmas that the production of saffron is now one of the few food processes that is still completely non-mechanised and the whole chain from harvesting and drying, right up to packaging, is totally done by hand for fear of damaging the delicate stigmas. Nevertheless, time is still of the essence as – for every hour that passes – the intensity of the color and the flavor diminishes as well as the value of the spice.   Whole villages therefore fight the back-breaking conditions to collect as much saffron as possible during the three week harvest period.  Thanks to specialist knowledge handed down over generations, the Castilla-La-Mancha harvesters are highly adept at ensuring their export loses minimal value during the production journey.

Spain is actually now the second largest saffron producer in the world, after Iran. Spanish food lovers argue that their azafran (saffron from the plains of Castilla-La-Mancha) is unrivalled across the world. They have even nicknamed it ‘oro’, gold.  The most famous dish containing saffron is of course paella, but many other dishes including fish stews, soups and meat stews, known as fabada’s, made from white beans, pork, and spicy sausage also have their own dashes of saffron. If you would like to experience this unique festival, here is some more info:

http://www.theolivepress.es/2010/10/10/it%E2%80%99s-the-season-for-saffron/

If there’s one thing you’ll learn for certain as you browse cafes, fine dining establishments and the plates of all the natives around you, it’s that Spaniards are proud of their ham, or jamón iberico. With one taste of this rich specialty, you’ll already know why, but a little background on what makes it so special will further astound you. On our Barcelona Culinary Tours you will be able to taste the famous Joselito, the best Spanish Iberian Ham, but here are some basics facts

about this absolute delicacy.

Instead of being crowded into dirty farms, the pigs that make jamón iberico are raised free range in a forest called a dehesa where there is about one hectare of space for each pig there. These forests, which take up 2 million hectares of land in Spain, is full of ancient oak trees with pastures that have have been kept clear and intact by workers for centuries also. The pigs only graze on fresh acorns, or bellotas, dropping from the trees and the fresh herbs growing around it. So much of their diet is made up of acorns, in fact, that some studies have shown jamón iberico has much more of the healthy kind of fat found in nuts than unhealthy saturated fat. Nutritionist Grande Covián even called the Iberian pig “an olive tree with four legs.”

But the processing of the meat is just as interesting as the way it is raised. When the pig is one year and half old and weighs about 150 kg, it is taken to the butcher . The meat is then covered with marine salt as many days as the kilograms it weighs. Afterwards, they clean the salt and hang the meat 15 days in the drying place, where fresh air circulates freely. Then the ham passes to the cellar, just as good wine does. Here the microflora acts, building a flavorful “bouquet” for the ham. In many cases, the curing process from beginning to end can take as much as four years!

From there, families and restaurateurs across the country take pride in displaying a shoulder or leg of the pig in their kitchens. Among all brands of jamon iberico, it is an accepted fact that the best is Joselito.

Watch for three levels of quality for Iberian ham when you order:

• bellota (free range Iberian pigs acorn only fed)
• recebo (free range Iberian pigs, half fed with acorn, half with animal feed
• cebo (Iberian pigs fattened with animal feed at farms)

Also note that there are four Denominations of Origin:

• Guijuelo (Samalamca)
• Dehesa de Extremadura (Extremadura)
• Huelva (Sierra de Aracena, Jabugo)
• Los Pedroches (Cordoba)

Now you’re ready to head into Spain and feel like a natural among all the other jamón aficionados—enjoy!

Ever since the Virgin of Mercy saved the city of Barcelona from a plague of locusts in 1687, the city has been celebrating the miracle she helped create with the liveliest festival it has all year. Happening at the end of September and on the 24th this year, the parties will go on for four days through the night and early hours of the morning with wild fireworks, strangely costumed giants, colorful decorations and musical concerts lining the streets. It is a kind of end-of-summer celebration, so participants usually party as hardily and as noisily as they can.

At our autumn guided Boqueria market visits we stop at the famous Llorenç Pelras stall to buy rovellons.  Here goes a recipe for a very simple and tasteful Spanish dish for breakfast or a starter. The proportion below  serves two for breakfast, and the side-by-side presentation features the mushrooms as a separate flavor. The recipe can also be assembled as scrambled eggs or an omelet. With more cream or half-and-half and doubling the recipe, it easily converts to a quiche filling or a frittata.

2 cups Rovellons (Lactarius rubrilacteus), cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
4 T. olive oil
2 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 T. good dry sherry
4 eggs
2 T. cream
salt and pepper to taste

Beat egg, cream, and salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat 2 T. of olive oil in skillet and saute mushrooms, onions, and garlic over medium-low heat until mushrooms are cooked and liquid has evaporated. Add sherry, salt and pepper to taste, and continue cooking and stirring until liquid has condensed into a sauce. Remove mushroom mixture and keep warm. Clean and reheat skillet. Add and heat remaining oil, then pour beaten eggs into skillet. Stir with wooden spoon periodically until the eggs are cooked soft. Place the scrambled eggs on one side of serving platter and place the mushroom mixture on the other side. Sprinkle parsley over all and serve.

Rich in culture, charm, and beauty and located just an hour north of Barcelona, the city of Girona boasts narrow cobblestone walkways with something new to discover at every turn. Visit Girona on a Gourmand Breaks Private Guided tour.  The combination of chic boutiques and modern interiors juxtaposed against the backdrop of an ancient medieval village give this city a striking contrast between old and new. And with such close proximity to the beaches of the Costa Brava as well as the backdrop of the Pyrenees Mountains, Girona is a destination that should not be missed.

Although first settled by the Iberians, it was not actually named until 218 BC, when the Romans arrived. Winding your way through the Gothic quarter of Girona, you can still see the remnants of the Roman walls built so many centuries ago. The true beacon of this town though is the Cathedral that looms overhead. It is visible from almost any vantage point and feels as if it is “keeping watch” over the town. While the Romans began constructing the iconic Cathedral in the 13th century, it was actually not completed until the 18th century, more than 500 years later. As a result, it features a medley of architectural styles including Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque.

By the 9th century, a large Jewish population had established a semi-independent town within Girona and they were quickly becoming leaders in the area’s development. It was here that the Jewish School of Mysticism was created, and where many texts for the Kabbalah were written. With the aid and protection of the Spanish Kings, the Jews prospered. However after an attack on their community in 1391 and 100 years of persecution following, the Jews, who refused to convert to Christianity, were forced to leave.

It wasn’t until 1970 that their true heritage and influence on Girona was actually discovered. “The Call”, as the area was named, was sealed off and the non-Jewish Gironians who remained built over and around the Jewish Quarter for centuries, nearly obliterating it from existence. The Moorish baths and history existed, but were never fully understood. As real estate market trends changed, a restaurateur named Jose Tarres bought a group of buildings near the Cathedral that still dominates the old city. During the excavation of those buildings, the story of the Jews began unfolding, and Gironians learned of a silent generation and what the Jewish heritage means for the history of their town.

So with its newly discovered Jewish heritage and roots, its trendy restaurants and cafes, quaint shops and streets, Girona is highly recommended by us at Gourmand Breaks! You will not regret making the drive to this historic town, and day tours of the area are featured on many of our tours!

There’s only one time of year in Spain to come and participate in the grape harvest and it’s almost here! Most grape harvests, or “vendimias,” happen in September and October of each year.

We’re excited because it’s a unique time for visitors to come visit the region and learn first hand from vineyards how to recognize, pick and store ripe grapes for some of the most highly regarded wines in the world. We have launched our Grape Harvest Tour, so our guests can come and experience with us this smashing good time!  It also brings the excitement of all the harvest festivals that are just around the corner–ones like Cava Week in Sant Sadurni. In the beginning of October this town, which is the capital of cava production, prepares train tours to all the vineyard harvests, hosts several tasting events, the election of the Cava Queen and her patriotic speech of course.

The remarkably preserved fishing villages of the Costa Brava offer a beautifully blue and tranquil setting for restaurant visitors who want to eat the best seafood dishes available on the Mediterranean. But foodies who want to familiarize themselves more with this valuable seafood can go much farther than ordering Suquet for dinner -they can join us on our Spanish Gastronomic Tours and visit with us an authentic fish auction!

When going straight to the source at a local fish auction, like the one in Palamós, foodies can see first-hand how early local fishers set out to sea, catch fresh prawns, squid, octopus, monkfish and more then auction it to early-morning buyers. On the same day, all these fish are shipped to be sold fresh at morning markets all over the Catalonia region. If you make a dish like paella later in the day with a cooking class instructor, know that the seafood you’re cooking with was swimming around in the Mediterranean that very morning. One of Catalonia’s biggest prides is its variety of fresh, delicious seafood!

The Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona lights up every year in mid-August for its week-long Festa Major. Every town here has a charming Festa Major during the summer, but as a particularly influential city in Spain and the world, everything about the celebration is done in bigger and more extreme ways. In order to experience the Gracia Festa Major yourself, join us on one of our Barcelona Cultural Tours. You will find that during  the Gracia feast the castells—or human castle competitions–are larger, there are more aisles of fireworks to run through, but the decorations are probably what stand out the most.

Each street is carefully and creatively themed with wild decorations everywhere. The beautiful floral decorations they specialize in are called arte festivo éfimero. Within the decorations visitors find orchestras, games, theater, music, dance and other activities, which combine for one energetic week-long party.

Well, of course, we know what a finely preserved treasure Catalonia is–we’ve dedicated our careers to it! But just in case you need an outside opinion to elaborate on the subject, the New York Times (we’re fans of this publication too) put out a wonderful article one weekend about the quiet aquamarine shores of Catalonia’s peaceful fishing villages. You can read it here and browse its lovely slideshow here.

The quiet villages it references–Cadaqués, Pals, Empuries–are important pieces of our Spanish culinary  tours because they do much more than give our clients a truly relaxing spot to vacation: They give our clients an opportunity to really savor a centuries-old culture undisturbed by the unfortunate overdevelopment that plagues so many other areas in Spain. From the bucolic scenery of farms and vineyards near Pals to the clear tropical-blue shorelines of real fishing villages, you are able to take advantage of the best in traditional Catalan cuisine, wine and personal hospitality.

Browse all of our tours through this area

Every Sunday, Catalans gather outside in their city’s plaza to do Catalonia’s centuries-old national dance, the Sardana. It’s a very sweet patriotic dance I’m quite enchanted by. Most of our guides, as proud Catalans,  can dance Sardana so you can ask them to teach you a lesson while they accompany you on one of our Spanish Cultural Tours. The most recently I observed sardanas it was when I was in a charming little medieval town called Besalu. Older Catalans are especially proud of doing it because the Spanish dictator Franco, a fascist who ruled from the 1930s until 1977, made it against the law for Catalans to speak their own language or do the sardana on Sundays. This dance is just one testament to the strong pride and energy Catalans put into keeping their culture alive.

The origin of the Sardana is not clear though some say that it was already popular in the 16^th century.   What remains undisputed is that the Sardana was a popular dance in the Emporda region by the end of the 19^th century.   Contributing to its mounting popularity by this time were the additions from similarly popular genres such as Zarzuela and the popular Italian operas of the time, which increasingly made the Sardana a fad dance.

As the rise of the Sardana took place, in the context of the Renaixenca or newborn Catalan nationalism, the origins of the dance were embellished in order to symbolize a distinct Catalan ethos as to serve Catalan nationalism.   Modern choreography was established as late as the end of the 19^th century and features slight differences from the original North-Catalonian dance.   Pep Ventura´s band is credited with stabilizing different variants around a clear 6/8 rhythm and fixing the instrumental ensemble.   Though some Iberian and Mediterranean circle dances follow similar patterns, instrumental music for the Sardana has achieved a complexity of its own.

The music is provided by a cobla, a small group of musicians playing mainly brass instruments. Tambourines provide the rhythm. The flaviol, a small flute with a tone akin to that of the piccolo, gives these bands a characteristic high pitched sound. The dancers form a circle which gradually enlarges as more dancers join it. When it becomes too large for the space available, the circle may break into smaller ones or a another ring may form within the large one.

Among dedicated dancers, the sardana has a well defined etiquette, e.g. as to whether the ring should be broken to the left or to the right of a man. You may see these “purists” in a small, perfectly formed circle apart from the rest, their foreheads held high and their eyes almost closed in an expression of concentration, in harmony with the music and with each other. They may not take kindly to the ring being broken by a novice or stranger, tightening their grip rather than parting to let the circle enlarge. The late Jean-Pau Giné, a Catalan singer from the French village of Bages, once commented when vexed by a refusal “You are nothing but legs!”. Generally, however, anyone who can make a passable attempt at the steps is welcome to join in. It is a quintessential part of the Catalan experience.

Who needs bulls running in the streets when these strapping Catalans can flex their macho muscles without them?

Once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, the seaside city of Tarragona still has a captivating amount of archeological finds. An amphitheater where gladiators made shows of courage and strength, a circus where legendary chariot races took place, museum of artifacts and archeological passage give visitors a fabulous setting to envision the ancient empire that once thrived here.  Tarragona is an archeological treasure and we have included the city in one of our Wine Tours in Spain.

After enriching yourself with these archeological destinations, you can relax at the beach, an atmospheric fisherman’s quarter called El Serralló or go shopping on one the city´s wide avenues. If you feel like visiting a relaxing hidden treasure, Altafulla is a quaint seaside city near Tarragona with boutique hotels and quiet seashores to walk along.

There really is no one recipe for paella. In the same way pizzas are made with endless combinations of ingredients, paella can be made with various kinds of meats and vegetables. The combination of ingredients below, however, is the most typical in Catalonia and the one we use at our Traditional Spanish Cooking Classes, especially along the coast where seafood can be caught and cooked in the same day. But, just in case you feel like experimenting sometime, we’ve helped you out by leaving an asterisk next to all the essential ingredients you should never leave out. Everything else can be left out or substituted as you wish.

Ingredients

• • ½ cup of oil*
• • 3 cloves of garlic*
• • 2 medium tomatoes*
• • 1 tender chicken
• • 3-4 oz. (100 g.) of jamón serrano
• • 20 prawns
• • 2 ¼ lb (1 kg.) of mussels
• • 1lb. (500 g.) of clams
• • ½ lb. (250 g.) of squid
• • 5.5 oz. (150 g.) of octopus
• • 4 artichokes
• • 3-4 oz. (100 g.) of peas
• • parsley
• • 2 cups of rice*
• • ¼ tsp. saffron or 2 saffron cubes
• • 4 cups of broth*
• • 1 hard boiled egg
• • 1 red chili
• • 2 lemons

(*)Essential ingredient

Serves 4 (or 2, depends on how good of a cook you are!)

First, make sure you prepare this dish in a typical paella pan or iron frying pan. For this recipe, the diameter of the pan should be about 8-9 inches (22 cm) in diameter and about 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) high, depending on how wide the pan is.

Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and the jamón serrano into small slices. Peel the tomatoes and 15 prawns, reserving the remaining ones for decoration. Wash the mussels and clams and put them in a pan with 3 tbsp. water until they open. Reserve the water and take off the shells with the exception of 12 mussels and some clams that will remain for decoration. Clean and empty the squid and the octopus. Boil them in water in order to take off their skins, then cut them into smaller pieces. Separate the hearts of the artichokes and quarter them. Chop the parsley. Wash the rice.

Once everything is ready, heat the oil on medium heat. Put in the garlic and chopped chili until the garlic is golden-brown. Then toss in the tomatoes. Add pieces of jamón serrano and chicken. Then add the octopus, squid, mussels, clams, prawns, artichokes and peas. After tossing everything together for a couple seconds, mix in the rice so it is fully coated in the oil for 3-4 minutes. After that, add the broth, mix well, boil then lower the temperature back to medium heat. Add the saffron and parsley, preferably after being ground together in a bowl.

As the rice cooks for another 10 minutes, arrange the prawns, clams, reserved mussels, the hard-boiled egg and lemon slices on the surface of the paella into a pleasing design. The rice should be dry along the edges, but if you think it needs more moisture, just add a little more broth. After cooking, let the paella rest for a few minutes, then serve.

Que aproveche!

How to pronounce it, well it isn´t very difficult… “Al-ee-ohlee”, the Spanish version as opposed to the French aïoli. So then, how much difference is there between the two? Well, you could say that alioli is the less polite relative of aïoli and we mean that in the nicest possible way, because with its pungent garlic flavour combined with fruity extra-virgin olive oil, it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Alioli has a long history. It is mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79), a Roman procurator for a year on the Catalan coast, who favoured garlic for medicinal purposes. He wrote that when garlic is “beaten up in oil and vinegar it swells up in foam to a surprising size”. While not definitive, it’s not hard to make the leap from here to the Catalan classic we know today.

The name of this pillar of traditional Spanish cuisine derives from its ingredients. The Catalan word for garlic is ‘all’, ‘i’ is for ‘and’, and you can probably guess the name for oil – ‘oli’. As far as purists are concerned, it’s only these two ingredients, and perhaps a pinch of salt, that go into a true alioli although, to be honest, almost everyone uses a little egg yolk to assist the emulsification of the oil – and a little lemon adds something rather special to the finished product.   In the traditional method, garlic is pounded in a mortar with salt until completely mashed and smooth. Olive oil is then added, literally drop by drop, and pounded between each addition to emulsify.  I don´t need to tell you that this requires a fair amount of elbow grease and a heavy-duty mortar and pestle is a must as no inky pinky  fashionable glass little number is going to do the job here. The traditional Spanish version uses a wooden pestle, but they can be tricky to find. I found that a stone pestle worked just fine.

And now, to matters of taste. The amount of garlic used is, of course, up to the individual. There are recipes that call for up to 10 cloves of garlic and though traditionally here in Spain the recipe always used Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, modern translations of this ancient receipe use combinations of extra-virgin and other regular olive oils.    In the end result, it is up to your personal taste buds – for me, I prefer it very strong and made with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.   The reward is a thick, paste-like product and the test of the cook’s skill is to be able to turn the mortar, containing the alioli, upside down without any of it falling out. Not that we’d recommend such a test. The best way to test it is to eat it, with chicken, fish, lamb, well anything really, it´s even delicious on bread!.

Alioli

Sufficient for 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 Fat Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons of sea salt

1 Egg Yolk

130 ml (a little over half a cup) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Not essential but a good idea, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed Lemon Juice, plus a little finely grated peel

Freshly ground black pepper

Method.

Combine the Garlic and salt in a mortar and pound to a fine paste – do not stint on this operation, the finer the paste, the finer the result!

Add the egg yolk and stir with the pestle to combine

Commence with one drop at a time of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and stir to mix, gradually adding more until the drops start to be a thin, steady stream and until the accumulation is thick and combined.   Season to taste with lemon juice and a little grated lemon zest

Finally add the freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Fisherman arranging nets in their boats. Coffee, paella and crema catalana awaiting customers in white-washed buildings accented with brilliant blue hues. Children playing in soft waves lapping up on the shore. Painters still at work outside on the street. Feel such visions combine in the unforgettable atmosphere of what was once a haven for Salvador Dali here in Cadaqués. We invite you to experience this piece of heaven with us on Gourmand Breaks Cadaques trips.

A beacon of Costa Brava pride, Cadaqués is often seen as having everything that is good about Catalonia’s coastline—the art, the views, weather, fresh seafood, architectural aesthetic and relaxed residents. At one side of Cadaqués in Port Lligat is Dali’s house (open to reserved tours) and on the other is Roses, home to what is often regarded as the best and most exclusive restaurant in the world, El Bulli, with its world-famous chef, Ferran Adriá. Some say it is the area’s tramontana winds, which carry a higher than average level of oxygen, that has inspired so artists, which have also included Picasso and Walt Disney, to frequent the area.

Despite years of popularity, the area has preserved its original look and culture successfully and is a Mediterranean treasure not to be missed.

The monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes is one of the most important of all Catalan Romanesque sites. Perched high on a hillside overlooking the Gulf of Léon, the setting is as impressive as the ruined walls and towers themselves. See this magnificent edifice on a Gourmand Breaks luxury private tour, including visits to prestigious wineries in the Alt Emporda area.   The first written record of the monastery dates back to 879 AD, when it was one of the many religious institutions founded in this area after the departure of the Moors. The magnificent Bendictine edifice was constructed between 979 and 1022, and was sacked and abandoned in the eighteenth century. Best preserved is the church at its centre with three wide naves and capitals of delicately carved acanthus leaves and animal heads. The 27-meter high bell-tower has fine arcades. The ruins are at their most atmospheric when shrouded in swirling mist, which is not uncommon in autumn and winter. On the hilltop above Sant Pere are the remains of a medieval castle and fantastic 360º views that sweep from Cerbère in France to Cap de Creus to the east, to Montgrí and Begur in the south, to the high Pyranees in the west. There is an interesting Romanesque church above the main parking lot. On the hillside just below the monastery there is a pretty grotto with a fountain. This is a good spot from which to look up in awe at the mighty edifice above.

The Monastery lies in the mountains, in the municipal area of El Port de la Selva in the province of Girona, Catalonia (Spain)and dominates the entire Cape Creus peninsula; it is a prime example of the Catalan-Roman era.  By car the monastery can be reached via Port de la Selva or Vilajuïga. Numerous footpaths lead there as well, one of which is the path from Vall de Santa Creu.   The Monastery was constructed in the hillside of the Verdera mountain below the ruins of the castle of Sant de Verdera that gave protection for the monastery. It offers exceptional views over the bay of Llançà, to the north of Cap de Creus. Near the monastery Santa Creu de Rodes is the ruins of a medieval town, of which its pre-Romanesque style church is the only remains dedicated to Saint Helena.

According to the legend, Christians coming from Rome were stranded in the bay and predicted this as a sign from God to erect a monastery here. The Christian doctrine at Sant Père de Rodes ranks among the most significant monasteries. It still dominates the bay of Llançà and Port de la Selva today.  During a long period, its power reached from Barcelona far into the Roussillon. During the twentieth century the monastery was restored at considerable cost, although many consider that the work was carried out in a somewhat unfittingly modern way

The true origin of the monastery is unknown, although it is thought that it was founded by monks who disembarked in the area with the remains of Saint Peter and other Saints, to save them from the Barbarian hordes that had fallen on Rome. Pope Boniface IV then commanded them to construct a monastery.   In 945AD, an independent Benedictine monastery was founded, prevailed over by an abbot. Sant Pere de Rodes reached its maximum splendor between the 11th and 12th centuries but decayed in 17th century.

In the 17th Century XVII it was attacked on several occasions and in 1793 was deserted by the Benedictine community who transferred to Vila-sacred and finally settled in Figueres in 1809 until it was finally dissolved. The monastery was declared a national monument in 1930. In 1935 the Generalitat of Catalonia initiated the first restoration work.

Being on steep hillside, the buildings are constructed in terraces. Cloisters of XII century form the central part of the complex and around them are the rest of the constructions. The Church, consecrated in 1022AD, is a prime example of the Romanesque style, well ahead of others of its time.

In Catalunya and throughout Spain, the most important celebration during the month of June is undoubtedly the Eve of Sant Joan (St. John). This is celebrated both in private houses and in public places, and there is dancing and the typical “coca”, as well as bonfires in some streets and squares, and fireworks.  . Catalonians celebrate in their idiosyncratic way and Barcelona is one of the most spectacular places to join in the fun on a Gourmand Breaks tour,  where your private guide will introduce you all the local  rituals of this very special festivity.

The fiesta takes place the night before Saint John’s Day, which coincides with the summer solstice. Old furniture is bundled onto bonfires in the villages and towns throughout Catalonia, the fire acting as a purifier and curative element. At first, this was a rite celebrated in main village squares, bringing everyone together round the fire. Nowadays fireworks are also an integral part, particularly in the various city districts of Barcelona.

For the past 50 years or so in Catalonia, the flama del Canigó (Canigó flame – an emblematic mountain in the Pyrenees) has been part of the celebration. From the top of this mountain, the flames spread throughout the region as fires are lit in each community. The flame has contributed to a new vision of the celebration and signifies Catalan unity and identity.

The most enjoyable part of the Noche de Sant Joan are the verbenas (open-air celebrations) that last from sunset on 23 June to sunrise on 24 June.

The only official food of Sant Joan is called the ‘Coca’. These are bread style cakes that you will see in bakery windows throughout the city. There are various types available – both sweet and savoury. Some contain crackling, fruit and nuts or cream. The one ingredient that they all share in common is anise – giving all of the Cocas a distinctive aniseed flavour.

Aside from these cakes, there are no other traditional foods for this feast day. You will find that many Catalans eat out for dinner on the evening of 23rd June. If you have a restaurant in mind that you would like to eat at, it may be best to reserve a table to ensure that you will not be disappointed.   The day after the Feast of Sant Joan – 24th June, is a bank holiday.

The Feast of Sant Joan celebrates the start of the summer. It is the longest day of the year and what is known as the Summer Solstice in England. It is one of the most important feast days for Catalans and is celebrated throughout the city. The idea is that on the night of Sant Joan the sun reaches its highest point, before beginning to drop. The sun is seen as a symbol of fertility and wealth and so it must be given strength. The strength is provided by bonfires and fireworks lit throughout the city for Sant Joan.

Sant Joan is often described by Catalans as the ‘Nit del Foc’ – meaning the ‘Night of Fire’. The main aspect to the celebrations is fireworks. In the days leading up to the celebrations you will see temporary fireworks shops open up throughout the city, with queues down the street. Many groups of families and friends organise their own parties – known as ‘Reveltes’.

If you do not have a friend’s party to go to, the most common place for people to head to for Sant Joan is the beach.   The  beach begins filling up during the early evening on 23rd June, with groups who bring picnics and cava to watch the fireworks displays and listen to the music playing in the chiringuitos (beach bars). Groups of musicians and drummers also gather to provide the soundtrack to the evening’s events.   The dramatic fireworks displays which especially many of the seaside resorts present are watched by hundreds of people both on the beach and in their homes, as the displays are magnificent and grand and can be seen from a great distance.

Spain is known world wide for its excellent quality olive oil and is actually the greatest producer in the world,  for its oil quality is unsurpassable. Visit Spain on a tour with Gourmandbreaks.com and see how the oil is pressed on one of our wonderful tours.

Spanish virgin olive oil contains no additives, colorants, flavorings or any other foreign matter and is obtained by decantation, centrifusion and filtration, its quality depends on several factors, such as soil type, olive variety, climate, humidity, etc.

Spain´s geographic conditions, together with the large number of olive varieties used in making olive oils, mean that it can offer a wide range of aromas and flavors that are unrivalled by any other producing country. Olives are grown throughout Spain but certainly each region has its own varities and styles.

Olives are harvested “ordeño” style (pulling the olive branches) at the precise time of maturation, when they change color (golden red), and there are scarcely any green olives. They are immediately transported to the mill to prevent damage to the fruit and in order to obtain high quality oil. The milling of the olive is a process of little mechanic intervention.

Catalonia in particular produces high quality olive oil, which is one of the main ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine and it plays a fundamental role in traditional diets and Catalan cuisine

At present there are four Protected Denominations of Origin (PDOs) in Catalonia: Les Garrigues, La Siurana, La Terra Alta and El Baix Ebre-Montsià. In addition, L’Empordà DOP is in the process of gaining community certification. Visiting the olive groves in the late autumn and early winter, when the olives are harvested and pressed in the mill and new oil is made, provides a unique spectacle and an excellent way of finding out about the culture of olive oil.

There are mainly four olive oil types:

• Extra virgin olive oil, which is obtained from high quality olives on the first extraction. This oil has a strong aroma of the fruit, and cannot surpass 1% acidity

• Virgin olive oil, commercialized in Spain under the name of “fine”, it cannot surpass 2% acidity.

• Normal virgin olive oil, commonly used to produce refined oils, it does not surpass 3.3% acidity.

• Refined olive oil is “refined” because of its non appropriate “virgin” quality.

Not only is olive oil known as “golden liquid”, but it also offers many health benefits, here are just a few:

It is rich in vitamin E, which prevents oxidation of bad cholesterol.
It has antioxidant properties which prevent cellular ageing and formation of cancerous substances
In  diabetics, the consumption of olive oil favors the decrease of the glycemia levels.

La Diada de Sant Jordi, also known as el dia de la rosa (The Day of the Rose) or el dia del llibre (The Day of the Book) is a Catalan holiday celebrated on April 23 similar to Valentine’s Day with some unique twists that show the ancient practice of this day. The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and respected ones. Historically, men gave women roses, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion—”a rose for love and a book forever.” In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is customary though husbands and lovers still give a red rose to their wife or girlfriend. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval times, but the giving of books is a more recent tradition. In 1923, a bookseller started to promote the holiday as a way to honour the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on April 23, 1616. Barcelona is the publishing capital in both Catalan and the Spanish language and this heady one-two punch of love and literacy was quickly adopted.

On Barcelona’s most visited street, La Rambla, and all over Catalonia, thousands of stands of roses and makeshift bookstalls are hastily set up for the occasion. By the end of the day, some four million roses and 800,000 books would have been purchased in the name of love. You will be hard-pressed to find a woman without a rose in hand, and half of the total yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on this occasion.

The sardana, the national dance of Catalonia, will be performed throughout the day in the Plaça Sant Jaume. in Barcelona and in most of the town squares throughout Catalonia.   Many book stores and cafes host readings by authors (including 24-hour marathon readings of Cervantes’ “Don Quixote”) and as well there will be a variety of street performers and musicians on hand to add a romantic feel to nearly every public square and plaza.

Additionally, April 23 is one day of the year when the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona’s principal government building, is open to the public. Inside this Gothic architectural masterpiece there are  huge displays of roses created to honour Saint George.

Catalonia has exported this tradition of the book and the rose to the rest of the world. In 1995, the UNESCO adopted April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day.

Easter processions have been a tradition in Girona ever since 1566. Experience Easter in Catalunya, Northern Spain with a Luxury Food & Wine Tour of the Costa Brava.  Commencing near to the cathedral on Good Friday at 10pm it continues throughout the Old Town. Suffering and Death, accompanied with disharmonic music, have something to them that reminds the spectator of Verdi’s The Power of Fate. All penitents are traditionally clad in hooded cloaks with small peepholes for the eyes. Thus, nobody can be recognized and anonymity is guaranteed since penance is a private affair.  There are a number of different fraternities and they can be told apart by the different colours of their cloaks. Some pennants are also carrying big crosses made of wood and richly adorned altars. Standing on the latter, there are life-size figurines of Saints and different sceneries re-enacting the Sufferings of Christ, which are called Pasos procesionales. Chief Executive or factory worker, this day, it makes no difference. There is mystic, there is religion and there is mere happiness. Being part of a fraternity (confraries) is usually inherited and considered a great honour. In Girona, the Easter Processions have little in common with the dark and gloomy procession they used to be in the Middle Ages; they are indeed more of a Baroque folk festival. In splendid colours and adorned with flowers, the beautifully carved Madonna has a special appearance as a light in the darkness. She is a virgin, a goddess, a heavenly beautiful creature and wherever she goes, she is met by rejoicing and enthusiasm. In a flurry of flashbulbs, she is the queen of Easter Night, surrounded by intoxicating whiffs of olibanum. Paso de Christo passes her by, swaying, his face a mask of suffering patience. The mystic scenery, the beautiful Old Town of Girona  – it truly is a feast for the senses. All the little cafes are open far into the night and all pubs and restaurants will not close until the early morning. Friends and acquaintances, all are together and everyone is in high spirits.

Dance of Dead in Verges

Verges is quite different. The tiny, medieval town between Figueres and La Bisbal is host to the Dance of Dead on Maundy Thursday, at midnight.  The event is a rather interesting relic of medieval liturgies and each year, more and more spectators come to take part.   It all begins at 10pm in the market place, where the Sufferings of Christ are re-enacted. Then, at midnight, people gather for a procession through the village, lead by people dressed as skeletons, the procession moves through Vergez’ narrow, winding alleys. This somewhat bizarre spectacle, accompanied by drums, is known to be one of the oldest manifestations of Christian art. Candles, with wax dripping from them, mark the way. The dull sound of drums, the eerie rattling of chains, the sound of whip lashes – and the many, many spectators are what makes the spectacle worth a visit. The town’s medieval atmosphere adds to the dramatic air. Just as in Girona, all pubs are open all night long too. The town is vibrant with anticipation.

The Sufferings of Christ in Sant Climent Sescebes

In Sant Climent Sescebes, a town at the Pyrenees’ foothills, the Sufferings of Christ are re-enacted on several evening during the Paschal Week. Love. Sacrifice. Forgiveness. Hope! What sounds like a Hollywood movie really is deeply religious. “La Passio” in Sant Climent Sescebes is known for the village’s inhabitants taking the lead part. Ever since the 1970′s they have put Jesus’ story on stage. How he came to Jerusalem, how he had the Last Supper, how he was betrayed, condemned and crucified and how he was resurrected.  Those living pictures appear like historical paintings as they tell the stories of the New Testament, accompanied by music. It is a highly emotional way to remind people of why we still celebrate Easter, even today. On Easter Sunday, there is a Jewish Market in the winding alleys of Sant Climent Sescebes and there is food and drink galore.

The last days of Jesus life in Castelló d’Empúries

The last days of Jesus’ life were full of emotional scenes, especially on his way to the cross. Generations of artists have been inspired by the story of the New Testament and have, as a consequence, left us many masterpieces. Some of them can be found around the basilica Santa Maria de la Candelera in Castelló d’Empúries – especially stone sculptures. This Easter the stones come alive: under torchlight  the Roman soldiers gather, together with the  disciples, Maria and Jesus and suddenly the wheel of history has been turned back; we find ourselves in the first century, a few hours before God’s son on Earth will die.

Generally speaking, Easter Sunday is a family holiday in Spain. Every­body meets up for a feast. Happy Easter!

LENT IS OVER! And we foodies celebrate it!!! Each country, each region has its own particular way and here in Catalonia every Monday of Easter, godfathers give to their godsons these special cake and chocolate compositions. Cake shops show all kind of Monas (that’s how they are called) and after a good lunch families eat them! Every single piece is edible, including the dolls and chicks which are usually made out of marzipan.  Experience delicious food in Spain with a Luxury Tour.

Originally, the tradition started as a symbol of the beginning of spring and abundance. The first Monas were made of a spongy cake with chocolate, egg and llonganissa (like a dry chorizo but not as red and spicy). The word Mona comes from the Arab word Munna which means “food you get to your mouth”. But nowadays in Catalonia you can see all kind of funny compositions though the original design, which always shows at least none egg, still exists.

Traditionally, the Godfather would give the Mona to the godson after the Sunday Mass and then on Monday the whole family and friends would eat it at home, preceded by some grilled rabbit or paella and lots of wine.

Ingredients

For the Sponge

• 4 eggs
• 150g of Sugar
• 150g of flour
• 20g of ground almonds
• 5g of yeast
• 2 beaten egg whites
• 50g of butter

For the Filling

• 300g of Peach Jam (or any other rich tasting fruit jam)

To Garnish

• 250g of dark chocolate
• 125g of butter

Instructions:

1) Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl

2) Mix the flour and yeast together in a separate bowl

3) Gradually add the mixture of flour and yeast through a sieve (to avoid creating any lumps) to the egg and sugar mixture

4) Stir constantly while adding the ground almonds

5) Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form peaks

6) Once they are half whisked, add 50g of sugar, once whisked blend in with the flour and egg mixture

7) Turn the final mix out into a greased and flour sprinkled mould

8 ) Place in the oven at 180 ºC for about 40-45 minutes

9) Remove the sponge, allow to cool, cut in half and spread with the jam filling

10) Finally, stir and melt the chocolate and butter together, cover the sponge with the chocolate and allow to cool. Why not try adding your own final touch, some decorated or coloured eggs? A few feathers? A few miniature chicks? Or a little rabbit?

Monday, March 8, 2010 was not only memorable for the incredible snow storms and winds which  devastated Catalunya in Northern Spain and enormous snowflakes, which put surprised faces on the residents and tourists of Barcelona alike.

It was indeed a very memorable day in the life of 16 chefs, graduating chefs and guests from Harrisburg Culinary Arts School, who had arrived in Barcelona (on an Active Gourmet Holidays culinary tour) from a snow-filled Pennsylvania in the USA, expecting sunshine and springtime in Spain!   However, their surprise at the weather was soon forgotten when they piled into a cooking school in the Gothic Area of Barcelona, sat down and commenced to view something quite innovative and amazing.

Gourmand Breaks, together with Chef Eduard Bosch, who has been a member of the team at El Bulli Restaurant for the last 20 years, had put together a very special cooking lesson for professionals and semi-professionals in the culinary business.   The lesson was to explain some of the complexities of “Spherification” and “Foams” and additionally to point out the major differences between Truffles.

Sixteen pairs of eyes sparkled in anticipation as Chef Eduard commenced with an explanation of Siphons, Foams and the Creams which go into the Siphons to make the Foams.    Continuing on, the different creams, sweet and savoury, were freshly made, “ensiphonised” and retained in either a bain marie to keep warm or in a refrigerator to chill.   Later the levers on the siphons were pressed and the finished results exploded into mousseline type creams onto plates of asparagus, lentils and almond sponge cake.

There was however, more to come, when Chef Eduard´s “magic” spherification methods were unfolded and everyone had an opportunity to try the flavour explosion which had commenced as a very strong stock and evolved into a rounded sphere of encapsulated aroma and taste which would, once in the mouth, immediately melt and exude its contents  to the surprise and delight of everyone´s taste buds.

The final part of the lesson was a fascinating introduction into Truffles and the manner in which they can be identified, used, and preserved, which was rounded off by everyone tasting the good, the bad and the ugly of Truffles.

To complete this memorable lesson, all the dishes which Chef Eduard had explained during the evening where completed, plated up and consumed by all those present, with  many a Cava toast to what was certainly a very exciting and unforgettable cooking lesson.

Join a Gourmand Breaks Culinary Tour in February/March to sample this unique speciality.  Calçots were discovered by a Catalan farmer called Xat de Benaiges at the end of the 19th century. The cultivation of Calçots is a complicated process that starts at the end of the year when onion seeds are planted. Once the onion has germinated and begun to grow, it is pulled out of the ground and stored for a time before being replanted. It is only buried half way into the earth and as it grows higher, it is necessary to repack earth around the newly grown part of the vegetable. When harvested it has the long leek like appearance that most people living here know and love.

The Calçotada became a family feast celebration in the first few decades of the twentieth century. However, it wasn’t until 1983 that a small town in Catalunya, Valls, undertook the first communal Calçotada to which anyone can go. Other areas in Catalonia produce Calçots but Valls proudly lays claim to its role as founder of the Calçot tradition. The calcots are normally cooked on a barbecue and turned and turned until entirely blackened outside and soft and sweet within, but in Vals they are cooked on burning vines.  On the streets of Valls you can stand at a long table and grasp a fire blackened calcot in your hands (don´t worry about getting your fingers dirty, it is all part of the fun) before peeling off the burned outer skin; dipping it into a Romesco sauce made from pepper, almonds, garlic and oil and thrusting it speedily into your mouth before it drips. Traditionally, sausages or lamb are served up after the calçots followed by Crema Catalana.

Should you decide to order Calçots in a restaurant, you will first of all be handed a bib to wear to save your clothes from the dripping sauce and perhaps even a pair of gloves to additionally protect your fingers from the burned flesh of the delicacy. The calcots will be brought to your table in a great blackened mound on a rounded roof tile to keep them warm and with great ceremony, will be placed in the centre for all to share;  as ever, the very tasty Romesco sauce will be at hand for “dipping”.  Needless to say girls, after a Calçotada is not the time to go off in search of a new friend…..your teeth will be blackened and witchlike, but what terrific fun and quite one of the most delicious ways in which to get some of your  five a day!

The Calçot season lasts from the end of January until the end of April or beginning of May and it is a great Catalan tradition to go to a rustic restaurant and eat calçots in the open air.

Serves 4

1 cup diced yellow onion, 1/8” dice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly crushed white peppercorns
1 cup Arborio rice
4 – 5 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 – 3/4 cup fresh sea urchin roe, carefully cleaned of all spines and grit, divided

Sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly crushed white peppercorns, in olive oil until they soften and start to turn golden. Stir in the rice to completely coat it with oil and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine, and stir until it’s almost absorbed. Add 1/2 cup stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the stock is almost absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring while its absorbed, until the risotto is the consistency you desire; it should be moist and creamy, not dry. It takes about 18 – 20 minutes for the rice to cook.

When the rice is just done, stir in 1/4 cup sea urchin roe, and divide the risotto between 4 warmed plates. Make a shallow hollow in the center of each portion, and fill it with the remaining sea urchin roe, evenly divided.

Serve immediately.

SEA URCHINS WITH PASTA

Serves 4

20 very fresh sea urchins
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (taste the oil, must have very delicate flavor)
1 – 2 cloves of garlic
chili pepper – a tiny bit
2 Tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
salt and lemon juice to taste
3/4 pound pasta

Using a heavy glove in the left hand take a sea urchin and with the point of a pair of scissors cut a circle large enough to spoon out the meat inside. Make sure that none of the shell or the spines is included.

Set the pasta water to boil, and when boiling add the pasta to be cooked “al dente”.

Peel the garlic, crush it slightly, and sautee it gently on low heat with a hint of the hot pepper until a light gold color.

A few minutes before the pasta (normally about 7 – 8 minutes) is ready, add the sea urchin to the oil and garlic and sautee gently until the pasta is ready. Taste and add lemon juice and  salt if necessary.

Drain the pasta, place in a large, heated serving bowl, add the sea urchin sauce, and mix well. Add a sprinkle of parsley and serve.

On the Empordan coast in northern Catalonia , sea urchins are a delicacy.   For an opportunity to sample Sea Urchins why not take the Ultimate Gourmet Tour in January, February or early March. Paracentrotus lividus goes by many names in Catalonia . In Spanish it´s erizo de mar (sea hedgehog – an old meaning in English of urchin is the same). The Catalans also call the zoological species an eriço but the animal to be scoured out and eaten is a garota. In the villages along the coast, sea urchin eating reveries are held every year known as orisades, garoinades or garotades, organised originally by fishermen, hence the simplicity in their preparation. Outside the Empordan region there is little about sea urchins in the Spanish Mediterranean, however as Barcelona’s middle class began to buy up huge swathes of one of the most beautiful corners of Spain, they muscled in on the custom, and it is now relatively easy – at a price- to get hold of a few urchins in La Boqueria in Barcelona. Garotes feature strongly and strangely on the winter menus of the trendiest Catalan restaurants these days.  Gastronomes here wax lyrical about their delights. The famous Spanish Journalist and Writer, Julio Cambó said ‘there is no seafood that better synthesises the sea so perfectly as the urchin‘ and . ‘an extract of the sea, a breath of a storm, an essence of tempests“. They’re also eaten in Asturias where I believe they use them to make a fine omelette, and urchin caviar is becoming increasingly popular.

The best and only time to harvest sea urchins is during winter. One reason given is that the sea level of the almost-tideless Mediterranean is lower here at this time of year so it is easier to get at the urchins. High pressure over the eastern Mediterranean in winter pushes down on the water, depressing it by as much as 30 cm. Climatically interesting it may be, but the theory is patently ridiculous- an invention of a tideless people- 30cm is nothing to a snorkeller. As with most seafood, they’re just tastier at this time of the year.

Dalí, that Empordà oddball and part-time Francoist, had a thing for sea urchins, and regularly held urchin eating sessions outside his Port Lligat hideaway. He even designed a handbag based on the sea urchin.

From mid-January until mid-March, restaurants in the Palafrugell area take part in the fiesta of the orange flesh of locally caught garotes (sea urchins).  Those who wish to sample them in a more natural setting can join the many locals who gather on the beaches to feast on this succulent delicacy.

Sea urchins are considered a delicacy for several reasons: the amount of effort it takes to collect them, and the amount of edible material you actually receive for pounds collected. You could buy these from a fishmonger or the pulp in a can, but why? The joy of collecting them yourselves and then eating them directly on the beach is what a sea urchin lover enjoys. Once you find where they are, the sea urchins can be pulled off with gloves or using tools (bring a big bag!) Though they are spiny, the don’t hurt when they walk across your hand, and rather tickle. Opening the sea urchin is an important process because the edible part rests completely on one side, so you don’t want to open (and destroy) the wrong end!

The edible part is commonly referred to as “roe” which is synonymous with fish eggs, but in this case, it’s actually the organ that produces the eggs rather than the eggs themselves and therefore considered gonads. They can be rinsed with fresh water or salt water before eating or you can pick around the internal parts of the sea urchin without rinsing. They definitely have a salty, complex sea taste and a consistency that is so light that it’s almost foamy. Most sea urchin lovers will tell you that eating the roe fresh and on its own is the best way to eat them, but often people will make a simple pasta dish with them, although risotto is also a popular option for eating sea urchins.

To eat the sea urchin, tip it to drain out any remaining liquid, and you can scoop out the roes with your tongue one at a time, or use a knife or small spoon.   Or see our recipes for sea urchins with pasta or in risotto!

Christmas is a very religious time in Spain. It officially begins December 8, with the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated each year in front of the great Gothic cathedral in Seville with a ceremony called Los Seises or the “dance of six”.

A very important Christmas symbol in Spain is the Nativity scene.  They are exposed in plazas in cities and small towns throughout the country, and can also be seen in the doorways and entrances of many Spanish homes, as well as in storefront windows.  In many small towns, plazas might even have a live Nativity scene, with actors and actresses playing the parts of Mary and Joseph and the three wise men as well as live animals.

In Catalonia a very typical character is the “Tío de Nadal”. It is a hollow log, about thirty centimeters long with a broad painted smiling face, enhanced by a little red sock hat and often a three-dimensional nose.
Beginning with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), one gives the tió a little bit to “eat” every night and usually covers him with a little blanket so that he will not be cold at night.

On Christmas day one puts the tió partly into the fireplace and orders it to “poop” presents. To make him “poop”, one beats him with sticks, while singing various songs of Tió de Nadal.

Christmas Eve in Spain, called “Nochebuena”, just like in many parts of the world, is celebrated with two very important traditions, eating an enormous meal, and going to Christmas mass.  There is a wide variety of typical foods one might find  on plates across Spain on this night.  Each region has its own distinct specialties.  Among typical dishes served on Christmas Eve and during the days that follow are roast lamb and suckling pig (typically served in the regions of Castilla León, Castilla la Mancha, and Madrid), foul like turkey or duck (commonly prepared in Andalucía), and an enormous variety of seafood, including shrimp, lobster, crab, and various types of fish like hake, trout, sea bream, sea bass, and salmon (common in many regions, but mostly on the coasts).  For dessert, there is quite a spread of delicacies, among them are turrón and marzapan, desserts made of honey, egg and almonds that are Arabic in origin, as well as polvorones, a sweet bread kind of like elephant ears, and a variety of nuts and dried fruits.  To drink, one must have a glass of cava, the Spanish equivalent of champagne.  After the meal, many Spaniards get their second wind and go to midnight mass, known as “La misa del Gallo”, or “Rooster Mass”, named such because the Rooster  is known as the first to announce the birth of Christ.

On Christmas day people spend time with their families, they eat another large meal, and children enjoy the gifts that they have received from “Papa Noel”, the Spanish equivalent of Santa Claus.  The custom of giving gifts on this date is not as popular as it is in many countries, as Spaniards traditionally wait until Three King’s Day to exchange gifts.

New Year’s Eve, or Nochevieja, in Spain, is quite an impressive spectacle.  In all plazas one can see a similar scene that includes church bells and grapes.   When the clock strikes 12, the church bells sound 12 times, and at this moment all Spaniards eat 12 grapes, one for each toll of the bell. This lively celebration will go on until the wee hours of the morning.

January 6, Three King’s Day, is the long awaited day in which the three Kings bring their gifts.  Before going to bed on the 5, children leave their shoes out in a visible spot in the house or on their balcony and hope when they wake up they will find gifts left by Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar.  For breakfast or after lunch, families often have the typical dessert of the day, the “Roscón de los Reyes”, a large ring shaped cake that is decorated with candied fruits, symbolic of the emeralds and rubies that adorned the robes of the three kings.  Somewhere inside the cake there is a surprise, and the person to find it will be crowned King or Queen of the house for the remainder of the day.

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange blossom honey
• 1 cup finely ground almonds
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1 egg whites, beaten stiff

Directions

1. Pour the honey into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat to 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Stir the almonds into the warm honey and remove from heat. Mix the egg yolks, cinnamon, and lemon zest into the almonds. Fold the egg whites into the mixture.
2. Line a dish with parchment paper. Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and smooth to a 1/2-inch layer. Place a sheet of parchment paper atop the mixture and then place a cutting board over the paper; place a few items on top of the cutting board to give it some weight.
3. Allow the turron to dry for 3 days. Cut into 1-inch squares to serve.

1 ½ chicken quartered
2 young fresh onions, grated
3 ripe but firm tomatoes, grated
150 gr dried stoned plums
75 gr sultanas
25 gr peeled and toasted almonds
2 biscuit rusks
A little glass of white wine
300 ml water
8 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Soak the plums and sultanas in warm water for about 20 minutes; after this period squeeze them very well from their soaking water and put apart.
Prepare the onions and tomatoes without removing the peel and seeds of the tomatoes.
Wash the chicken quarters under cold running water, pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper, season to taste with salt and pepper and brown them on both sides in the olive oil in a large pan. Once you’ve browned the chicken quarters, remove them from the pan and put apart.
Now add the plums, sultanas and 40 g (1 1/4 oz) pine nuts in the same olive oil. Let them fry lightly for some minutes; at this point remove the dried fruit from the pan and put apart. Now add the onions and tomatoes; let them fry lightly for some minutes and then add the water, the chicken and fruit you’ve put apart. Keep on cooking for about 30-40 minutes, half-covered, stirring now and then, until the chicken is tender and the cooking juice is well retired.
15 minutes before the end of cooking make this mixture: chop finely the almonds, the remaining pine nuts and the biscuit rusks and dilute this mixture with the wine. Add this mixture to the chicken, stir and let the cooking juice retire very well.
Serve hot.

Approx. 20 squares of cannelloni pasta
2 tablespoons salted butter
¼ lb ground veal
½ lb ground pork
3 oz. Jamon Serrano or prosciutto, finely chopped
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus ¼ cup for topping
½ oz. black truffle, very finely chopped
Pinch of salt
Dash of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 egg, beaten

Béchamel sauce
4 cups of milk
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to the boiling water. One by one, add the pasta to the water, cooking until al dente, about 12-14 minutes. Drain the water, and move the pasta to a cheese cloth to cool off. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the butter on high flame until it melts and becomes foamy. Add the veal and pork and cook on high until it is completely browned. Add the jamon, cooking it until it softens. Drain the fat from the pan. Add the milk, flour and parmesan, combine well. Add the truffles, salt, pepper, nutmeg, combine and bring to a simmer. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring often. Take the pan off the heat, and let it cool. Stir in the egg.

Once the meat is cool enough to handle, evenly divide the mixture among the pasta. Put the mixture at one end, and roll the pasta up. (If you are using the pasta tubes, simply stuff them with the mixture.) Place the rolls in a 9 inch square baking dish, in a single layer. Cover with the Béchamel, and top with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake 25 minutes, until bubbling and the cheese is crispy and golden brown.

Béchamel sauce:

Heat milk in a medium pan until almost boiling, being careful not to scorch the bottom.
Melt butter in another medium saucepan. Add flour slowly, stirring out any lumps, until it is smooth. Cook until it is a light golden color, about 5-6 minutes. Add the hot milk to the butter pan, very slowly, rapidly whisking until smooth. Add the salt pepper and nutmeg, continuing to whisk until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

Ingredients:

400 gr. chickpeas
1 piece beef bone
200 gr. bacon
1 pig ear
300 gr. beef
1 black sausage
10 garlics
1 cabbage
Celery
1 turnip
4 carrots
1 onion
Rice
Salt

Directions:
Lave the chickpeas to soak for 24 h.
In a large pot heat the chickpeas together with the bones, pig ear, bacon, unpealed garlics, carrots,  turnip, celery, onion and beaf meat.
Carefully add salt taking into account that some of the ingredients like bacon are salty.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow to slowly cook for 2 hours.
Cook the black sausage on a separate pot for approximately 15 minutes. Once cooked add the cabbage and heat for 10 minutes.
Once the vegetables and meat are cooked, place in a container. Bring the soup to boil and add the rice. Cook for 10 minutes.
Serve all ingredients together.

The big announcement was made public last night before an impatient crowd of chefs, politicians, journalists and friends at the San Miguel market in Madrid. Guests were able to savor the cuisine of Santi Santamarina, Oscar Velasco, Paco Roncero and Sergi Arola, among others.

After several years of disappointment in the gastronomic field, which claimed the highest recognition to what is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the world, yesterday chefs and critics could deservedly say “at last!”.

Michelin finally granted 3 stars to Girona´s Celler de Can Roca, run by the Roca brothers, Joan, Josep and Jordi and favorite of Gourmand Breaks clients.

Joan Roca, who during the days prior to the awards was intensely active was constantly being congratulated in advance. Finally he was able to breath deep: Celler de Can Roca is now a three starred Michelin restaurant. “This award is given to us in an unforgettable year”

Joan is confident that Celler de Can Roca won’t change too much with its new status “but we do think that there are many eyes watching and expecting a lot from us. We feel particularly protected and appreciated, but having so much attention causes a bit of dizziness”.

Josep Roca, referred to last night’s event as “an award to our customers, our team and specially to my brothers, Joan and Jordi, who are two very important chefs”.

As for Jordi, he had a few words for his older brother, Joan. “He is the boss, the wisdom, the serenity. He is fourteen years older than me and I am twelve years older than Josep, and not only lately I had no business in the kitchen, but now we talk on the same level and I know that between the three of us we make a good job”.

Awarding the Roca brothers is awarding one if the most appreciated families in the gastronomic field. “I don’t know how we are, -said Joan- but I do know that people are fond of us, probably because we grew up in a working class suburb, in a humble house in the outskirts of Girona and we have never forgotten who we are and where we come from”.

With the newly given highest score to Celler de Can Roca, Spain has now seven three starred restaurants, four Catalan and three Basque:

·    El Bulli (Rosas), by Ferrán Adriá, restaurant
·    Celler de Can Roca (Girona), by the Roca brothers
·    El Racò de Can Fabes (San Celoni), by Santi Santamaría
·    Sant Pau, (Sant Pau), by Carme Ruscalleda

·    Arzak, (San Sebastián), by Juan Maria Arzak
·    Martín Berasategui (Lasarte),  by Martín Berasategui
·    Akelarre, (San Sebastián),  by Pedro Subijana

2 Catalan restaurants climbed one knot, now being 2 stars:
·    Lasarte in the Hotel Condes de Barcelona, managed by chef Martin Berasategui. The new man in charge is knowledgable Antonio Sáez.
·    Les Cols in Olot (Girona) -  with a design-like atmosphere and slow-food cooking of  la Garrotxa by chef Fina Puigdeval
The other 2 star winners are:
·    La Terraza de Casino by  Paco Roncero in Madrid.
·    Casa Marcial in Arriondas (Asturias), chef Nacho Manzano
Restaurants maintaining 2 stars:
·    Mugaritz (Errentería), where Adúriz cooking still shines in the fourth position on the Pellegrino list
·    The exhuberant imagination of Quique Dacosta in El Poblet (Dénia);
·    The Madrid based Sant Celoni (Óscar Velasco, under guidance of Santi Santamaría) which was the protagonist of 2009 edition when it was awarded two stars at the same time.
·    Sergi Arola´s Gastro
·    Barcelona based Àbac by Xavier Pellicer. The luxurious restaurant is in full working condition
·    Atrio (Cáceres) by Toño Pérez;
·    And the Sevillian Alquería by Rafa Morales, gastronomic restaurant of the exclusive Hotel Benazuza of Sanlúcar la Mayor, managed by master Adrià.
New 1 star incorporations:
·    Enoteca (Hotel Arts, Barcelona), managed by Paco Pérez (also awarded one star at Miramar in Llançà);
·    La Fonda Xesc (Gombrèn, Girona)
·    Empordan cookin of Bo.Tic (Corçà Girona)
·    El Torreó de l’Indià (Xerta, Tarragona)
·    Freixa in Madrid obtained  1 ½ stars (which he already have at El Racó d’en Freixa in Barcelona;
·    La Broche (Madrid) by Ángel Palacios, gains back one of the two stars it lost when Arola left
·    Asador Etxebarri (Axpe),
·    Berasategui, is awarded one star for MB Guía de Isora (Tenerife) and loses one for Kursaal (San Sebastián);
·    Justice was done to Julio in Fontanar dels Aforins (Valencia),
·    Cocinandos (León);
·    Kabuki Wellington
·    DiverXo with spectacular results in Madrid
·    Etxebarri
·    A Estación (Cambre, A Coruña) y
·    As Garzas (Malpica, A Coruña),
·    and the most creative Almería based place managed by Alejandro (Roquetas de Mar);
·    La Cabaña

One would probably expect him to be distant, but on the contrary, he is rather modest and cheerful. He transmits he is cultured and wise, yet complex-free. Read through this interesting interview with the world’s most renowned wine critic.

He was asked how wine and its consumption are evolving, since many worry about that in Spain.

“The change I appreciate the most is that people no longer throw themselves to old, aged wines, but to recent ones. People want fresh, pure wines that are gracious and are immediately attractive….very, very, very early. To enjoy them it is not necessary to wait a long time, wines are attractive even when they are young, including Mediterranean wines. Many young and light wines walk hand in hand with the latest cooking tendencies.

Americans are eating Mediterranean style food more and more. More blend, more fresh herbs, more vegetables, less beef and more fish and poultry. Wines that match this type of cooking – and that will continue being popular- are from Spain, southern France, Italy and Argentina.

Even though Borgoña and Burdeos wines are excellent they are dying due to their high price.

In California wine prices are sky high because they forgot that most wine is bought by people who don’t drink expensive wines”.

What is the future of the Spanish wine?

It has a great future, despite the crisis. Cellars should provide more interactive, on-line information, in which Spain is a bit backward. It has world-class, extraordinary D.O. wines, such as Yecla, Jumilla, Toro, Navarra, Campo de Borja, which make people fall for them.

On Thursday, during the tasting among 540 other experts I said that in 1978 hardly three or four Rioja cellars and maybe two or three Catalan cellars were known of in the US, there were very few cavas, Vega Sicilia wasn’t even imported. Today there are at least a hundred Rioja cellars represented in my country.

What about cava and Catalan wines?

They have a really brilliant future. Lately champagne does not dominate as it used to, it still gives out an image of luxury but due to the crisis people look for other less expensive options. Cava is widely sold in my country, which didn’t happen five years ago, it competes with champagne which is the result of increasing the quality and lowering the price. Personally I like the Catalan Priorat but it is really expensive, it has turned into a very chic wine.

What about Grenache grape?

I think it has got great potential; its quality is really high. The wine is beautiful, fruity with spices and herbs, reminds of strawberries and cherries. If you add oak it isn’t a good combination.

I like Grenache, one of the most popular wines in the US this year is the borsao del Campo de Borja (Aragon).

Source: La Vanguardia November 15th 2009

According to the Roca brothers “a two Michelin star restaurant is one that strives to improve every day, just like a 3 star. We are trained to bear the stress that comes with being in the front line, whether we are awarded with the third star or not. To eat at Celler de Can Roca, customers as well as renowned chefs travel from abroad, which is the highest aim for those who are in this business”.

Last year many thought the Roca brothers would be prized with the precious award for the third time but that didn´t happen. Even Ferran Adria stated that he didn´t understand how Spain, being a world culinary benchmark, had not been awarded accordingly.

However, Celler de Can Roca is one of the top 5 restaurants in the world –preceded in ascending order by Mugaritz, Noma, The Fat Duck and El Bulli.

The restaurant was prized in April with a St. Pellegrino award of the magazine “Restaurant”. Its rise on the magazine´s ranking list has been remarkable since the year before it was on the 26th position.

As for this year´s Michelin awards to be celebrated on November 25th, the guide will celebrate its 100th  Spain edition, a great time to know who the prize winners are. Many prestigious chefs and culinary personalities will attend this exclusive event, although names have not been revealed yet.

The hotel also known as Hotel Vela, is an avant-garde icon created by world-famous Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill. It rises above the spectacular beachfront in Barcelona, one of Europe’s most stylish and cosmopolitan cities.

Some of the hotel amenities worth mentioning are its nearly 500 rooms with great views, all luxuriously yet modernly furnished and the ultra contemporary, New York style Spa, first of its kind in Spain.

We visited the much talked about hotel´s restaurant –Bravo- just about to be opened to the general public in a few days. The owners came up with quite a different concept, a kind of ultra-fashion, sophisticated barbecue. They will offer a wide choice of the best world meats (Kobe veal included) “NUDE” with minimum cooking intervention so the meats, fish, etc. will be mostly grilled; it is worth mentioning that a wide variety of different wood and coal types will be used for perfect “pairings” of meat and flavors. We think it will be an absolute hit since the concept is a novelty in Barcelona and also because it will be managed by successful Catalan chef Carles Abellan, owner of Michelin starred Comerç 24, among others.

And for those who like to “see and be seen” the cocktail bar….. it is definitely worth a visit! full of “beautiful people”, surely it will soon become one of the “must-visit, inn” places in Barcelona!

The W Hotel has direct access to the beach of the world famous sea port La Barceloneta, located at short walking distance from restaurants at Port Vell, and La Ramba, which makes its location very convenient.

The Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca, recently ranked by Restaurant Magazine as the 5th best restaurant in the world, opened their doors for private cooking class for the first time since its’ existence.

Who were the first lucky students to learn the latest culinary techniques from arguably two of the best Avant-Garde chefs in Spain, and perhaps the world? None other than Kent Rathbun, highly acclaimed Dallas chef, with his annual group of tour guests. Rathbun owns and operates a number of the popular restaurants in Texas, namely Abacus and Shinshei, among others. Each year he offers a chance to travel to different parts of the world on a culinary tour with him and his wife, Tracy.

This year’s ten day tour, organized by Gourmand Breaks, began in Barcelona, Spain, and the proverbial cherry on top was the cooking class at El Celler de Can Roca. In this case, that cherry was created from liquid nitrogen. That’s right – after the guests were greeted by Joan and Jordi Roca, head chef and pastry chef respectively, Jordi began the presentation right away and formed a sorbet of cherries into a ball. He then submerged them into a vat gelatin and a vat of liquid nitrogen and froze the entirety of the contents instantaneously; everyone’s jaws dropped in awe. He then added an actual cherry stem to the top to create the illusion of a real cherry and gave the guests the opportunity to make their own. Quite obviously an artisan of insinuation himself, Jordi creates several other illusionary dishes, which play on all five senses. For example, like watching a magician perform, he uses a blown sugar ball to produce the appearance of an apricot. The delicately thin orb assumes the role of the skin, while compacted fruit on the inside takes place of the flesh of an apricot. Absolutely delightful!

The Roca brothers’ say it best on their website – “Cooking is an art of make believe. Of appearances. Things that look like other things. Things that take the shape of what they intend to be, but with no extrapolation implied in such imitation. The art of insinuating.”

Chef Joan picked up from there and led the group to the meat station where he demonstrated the technique of cooking at a low temperature over a long period of time known as sous-vide cooking. Joan demonstrated how one of Spain’s most traditional dishes, the acclaimed Iberian suckling pig, can turn out incredibly perfect with the help of the Roner and company. The professional Roner, created by Joan, uses precise mathematical time and temperature control to cook sous-vide. These days, modern chefs around the world find the Roner absolutely indispensable to maintain the integrity of the product and to ensure a perfect result every single time. As a matter of fact, Joan has concocted another device, the Rotoval, which is a distillation machine adapted for kitchen use. It’s amazing how the traditional recipes carefully preserved by generations of Roca family chefs combined with state of the art devices lead to dishes of astonishing perfection!

The Gourmand Breaks privileged clients were later treated to the delicious lunch and witnessed with their own taste buds the perfect harmony of modern and traditional cuisine. After the unique experience of an afternoon in the Roca brothers kitchen, one can fully appreciate their enormous contribution to the development of avant-garde cuisine worldwide. It is no wonder they are considered one of the top restaurants in the world.

For additional information about visiting El Celler de Can Roca for a cooking course of your own or to get a quote for your own Spanish culinary tour, contact us at info@gourmandbreaks.com, or visit www.gourmandbreaks.com.

Yesterday Restaurant Magazine announced the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2009 based on polls from over 800 chefs, critics, and other industry leaders. At the top of the list is none other than Ferran Adria’s El Bulli, located right here in the Costa Brava. Considering that three of the top five to make the list are Spanish restaurants, Adria accepted this prestigious award saying that it has been “an important night for Spain”. He then went on to dedicate his honorable prize to The Fat Duck’s Heston Blumenthal, at number two on the list, who he said “has shown me what honesty means in this business”.

The celebrated restaurant is open for just six months of the year, and of the 2 million patrons who request a visit each season, just 8000 will enjoy this truly surrealistic culinary experience. Surrealism at its’ best embraces opportunities to create unexpected combinations and elements of surprise and is typically characterized by fantastic imagery. The notorious Ferran Adria and his professional team at El Bulli create just these kind of unpredictable juxtapositions, some of the most curious, yet innovative dishes ever invented.  From abalone with iberian pork fat, to grilled strawberries, and gorgonzola moshi, the cuisine at El Bulli will surely indulge, surprise, and delight every single one of your senses, and perhaps even find your sixth sense as well!

The Top 10:

1. El Bulli, Spain
2. The Fat Duck, U.K.
3. Noma, Denmark
4. Mugaritz, Spain
5. El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
6. Per Se, U.S.
7. Bras, France
8. Arzak, Spain
9. Pierre Gagnaire, France
10. Alinea, U.S.

With 4 of the top 10 restaurants voted best in the world located in Northern Spain, you have to wonder if there is something in the air here! Perhaps there is some truth to the legend that the tramuntana winds, typical of this region, breed creativity. Blowing at over 120 mph and containing an unusually high amount of oxygen, the majestic brilliance of the skies that remain after this strong wind has passed has inspired some of the most creative geniuses of our time, including Salvador Dali, Gaudi, the Adria brothers, as well as the Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca right here at our home in Girona.

Rising 21 spots from 2008, El Celler de Can Roca has made it to #5 on the list, being the single restaurant to make the highest jump toward the top, and we at Gourmand Breaks would like to offer you the opportunity to experience this innovative cuisine yourself on our Gourmand Delight tour!  The three Catalan brothers’ varying expertise complement each other perfectly to create a special meal that will surely be unforgettable. From Chef Joan‘s innovative combination of modernity and classic Catalan cuisine, to Josep’s perfect wine pairings, to Jordi’s mouth-watering desserts, you will remember your dining experience at El Celler de Can Roca for years to come.

To discover something rare and unknown to much of the world is like finding a diamond in the rough – you want to grab hold of it and keep it to yourself! However, this is not the case with the diamond, or shall we say, “ruby in the rough”, that we at Gourmand Breaks have discovered and would love to share with you on our “Wine Connoisseur Tour in Penedes“.

That ‘ruby’ in fact, better known as Heretat Mont-rubí and roughly translated as ‘Ruby Mountain’, is the first vineyard in the entire world to produce a single variety wine from the obscure Sumoll grape. And we must say, superbly done!

Sumoll is a red grape variety currently grown on only 100 hectares of land throughout the whole world. Winding through the rocky, tree-covered hills surrounded by vines as far as the eye can see, you will make your way through the Penedés DO region where you will find a great deal of these rare vines at the quaint, family-owned cellar of Heretat Mont-rubí. Situated some 500 meters above sea level where the soil and climate are optimum for growing this particular variety, great care is taken to create the perfect result: a delicious, cherry-flavored, dry red wine with hints of raspberry and vanilla.

Heretat Mont-rubí uses entirely manual procedures throughout the fermentation process, including sampling grapes in the vineyard itself to ensure harvest is at the ideal time. The wines here are aged in oak barrels and separated by grape variety, and even according to the particular estate of which they are contributed from. The overall mineral quality of the final product make the tasting experience feel as if you could be drinking luscious cherry juices streaming from a stony brook. We hope you will join us for our Penedes Wine Tour and enjoy this unique experience for yourself!

Hidden away from mass tourism, unlike some unfortunate resorts further down the shore by Barcelona, these neighboring locales offer a relaxing break from Spain’s busier spots. On Gourmand Breaks Costa Brava Tours you will enjoy these peaceful fishing villages which have some of the most tranquil seaside walkways in Spain. Visitors get intimate views of a gorgeous blue shoreline while walking past the colorful fishing boats that dot the shore or enjoying meals at several shore-front restaurants.

Calella is also known for its havaneres—old songs Cuban immigrant fisherman sung for over 100 years in local taverns. Before the tradition completely died out in the 1960s, the community started a summer festival to celebrate the custom and it is still popular to this day. On Sant Joan’s Day in June, the seaside village also lights up with exciting fireworks that are especially charming from a terrace overlooking the sea.

The Picada is one of the most essential parts of Catalan Cuisine. After grinding herbs, oils, nuts or other ingredients with a wooden pestle inside of a thick yellow and green ceramic mortar, the picada’s mission is to perfectly accent the natural flavors of the fresh produce or seafood it is complementing. As one crushes and releases those aromatic flavors in the mortar, it reminds you of the basic beauty of fresh flavors from fresh products.

On a functional level, the picada is used to thicken the consistency of juices in particular recipes, like suquet (which, by the way, you can taste on our Barcelona cooking classes). In addition to being more flavorful than the flour or cream most people use to thicken cooking juices, it is also healthier. Ingrediants are usually crushed from hardest to softest, then mixed with a little liquid like wine, vinegar, or stock. The mixture is then added to the stew a few minutes before it is ready to add texture and enhance other flavors.

Invented during hard financial times in Catalonia, the picada was used as the most efficient way to make simple dishes taste as spectacular as the food served during prosperous times. Picada recipes eventually became so delicious and refined that it earned an essential and permanent spot in Catalan cookbooks. Here is one traditional picada recipe:

Picada Catalana

• Saffron threads
• Salt
• 4 peeled cloves of garlic
• Half dozen skinless roasted almonds
• Sprigs of parsley

Toast some saffron threads (a pinch) on a non-stick sauce-pan. Then grind it with a pinch of salt in the mortar. Add garlic, almonds and parsley to the mortar and continue to crush into a thick paste. Then add into any recipe (i.e. suquet, peus de porc amb naps, cap i pota) with a stew or juice and enjoy!

Just a short drive away from the beautiful fishing town of Cadaqués is Port Lligat, the location of what was Salvador Dalí’s private home and art studio. In addition to getting a more intimate picture of the painter himself through kitchy images and rooms he’d use for inspiration, the house contains original artwork that the world has not seen until recently. Now, you can discover this tramuntana genius artwork at some of Gourmand Breaks Dali Tours. The Casa-Museu Dalí, as it is called now, opened in 1997 and it was only two years ago that owners opened up the entire house to the public. This is especially a privilege since Dalí only allowed one guest to this private home for the most part–his wife Gala.

One significant artistic discovery I had just last weekend, for example was a sculpture of Christ there that I personally think is one of Dali’s best works—surprising because I had never heard of or seen it before. It was made of materials that would gather at the end of a stream near his house and is an extremely creative and original.

Besides that, one will note the fun he had in designing his offbeat house which, excluding a labrynth that winds all throughout it, was also extremely functional. Though many Catalans question Salvador Dalí’s dedication to his heritage after giving many important works to the Spanish government in his will, the Catalan flags that make up ceilings, pillows and other surfaces in the house tell another story.

After this intimate tour, a stroll outside where fisherman still organize their nets before going out to see is a very relaxing and scenic one. In the distance are magical views of the bay, enclosed by a small offshore island.

As soon as you encounter the entrance to this gorgeously well-preserved monument to medieval Jewish communities in Spain—a graceful bridge arching over the Fluvia River—you will feel like you’re walking into another time altogether.

Still standing today are examples of how Jewish and Catholic communities lived harmoniously together until the Spanish government expelled them in 1492. You will be amazed of how our expert guide will bring the local history secrets alive on our  Catalan Culture and Cuisine Tour . You will admire the churches of Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç, Santa Maria and Sant Martí, that blend into structures of Jewish baths, or the miqwé, and streets of the cobble-stoned Jewish district named the Call.

Strolls here feature picturesque combinations of small family farms, quaint Romanesque architecture and shops selling local sausage, ratafia (homemade liquor unique to the area) and produce. This small beautiful city also keeps Catalan culture alive, as one can see on Sunday afternoons in the plaza where citizens dance Catalonia’s national dance, the Sardana.

To see Antonio Gaudi’s genius in all its finished glory (La Sagrada Familia is still under construction) we take aficionados of his work go to La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milá on our Gaudi Cultural Tours.

Built for the Milá family between 1906 and 1910 on Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, this is one of the most imaginative residential buildings ever built. The façade is made of harmoniously undulating rock formations that culminate at the top with strange and colorful sea-shell like formations and statues which are actually chimneys for the apartments below. Flowing vines were forged out of iron for the balcony guards of each apartment. Each apartment is supported by traditional Catalan “totxo” (brick) arching walls that Gaudi often incorporated into his unique designs.

On top of being an extremely influential work in the world of architecture, it is significant in the design world in general because of the ergonomic innovations made for this building as well because of his interior decoration. Door knobs were made to fit the hand, lounge chairs and benches flow with the body and even resemble sometimes, as in the case of one bench with a somewhat pelvis-shaped back. You won’t be able to use any of them unfortunately, but your body will find itself in heaven wandering its halls nonetheless. When you’ve gotten to the top, try to time it so that you can see the sun go down over a panoramic view of the entire city to make your trip perfect.

If there’s one thing you’ll learn for certain as you browse cafes, fine dining establishments and the plates of all the natives around you, it’s that Spaniards are proud of their ham, or jamón iberico. With one taste of this rich specialty, you’ll already know why, but a little background on what makes it so special will further astound you. On our Barcelona Culinary Tours you will be able to taste the famous Joselito, the best Spanish Iberian Ham, but here are some basics facts about this absolute delicacy.

Instead of being crowded into dirty farms, the pigs that make jamón iberico are raised free range in a forest called a dehesa where there is about one hectare of space for each pig there. These forests, which take up 2 million hectares of land in Spain, is full of ancient oak trees with pastures that have have been kept clear and intact by workers for centuries also. The pigs only graze on fresh acorns, or bellotas, dropping from the trees and the fresh herbs growing around it. So much of their diet is made up of acorns, in fact, that some studies have shown jamón iberico has much more of the healthy kind of fat found in nuts than unhealthy saturated fat. Nutritionist Grande Covián even called the Iberian pig “an olive tree with four legs.”

But the processing of the meat is just as interesting as the way it is raised. When the pig is one year and half old and weighs about 150 kg, it is taken to the butcher . The meat is then covered with marine salt as many days as the kilograms it weighs. Afterwards, they clean the salt and hang the meat 15 days in the drying place, where fresh air circulates freely. Then the ham passes to the cellar, just as good wine does. Here the microflora acts, building a flavorful “bouquet” for the ham. In many cases, the curing process from beginning to end can take as much as four years!

From there, families and restaurateurs across the country take pride in displaying a shoulder or leg of the pig in their kitchens. Among all brands of jamon iberico, it is an accepted fact that the best is Joselito.

Watch for three levels of quality for Iberian ham when you order:

• bellota (free range Iberian pigs acorn only fed)
• recebo (free range Iberian pigs, half fed with acorn, half with animal feed
• cebo (Iberian pigs fattened with animal feed at farms)

Also note that there are four Denominations of Origin:

• Guijuelo (Samalamca)
• Dehesa de Extremadura (Extremadura)
• Huelva (Sierra de Aracena, Jabugo)
• Los Pedroches (Cordoba)

Now you’re ready to head into Spain and feel like a natural among all the other jamón aficionados—enjoy!

]]> http://www.gourmandbreaks.com/blog/spanish-gourmet-news/jamon-iberico/feed/ 0 http://www.gourmandbreaks.com/blog/spanish-gourmet-news/festa-de-la-merce/ http://www.gourmandbreaks.com/blog/spanish-gourmet-news/festa-de-la-merce/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:02:48 +0000 admin http://www.gourmandbreaks.com/blog/?p=74

Ever since the Virgin of Mercy saved the city of Barcelona from a plague of locusts in 1687, the city has been celebrating the miracle she helped create with the liveliest festival it has all year. Happening at the end of September and on the 24th this year, the parties will go on for four days through the night and early hours of the morning with wild fireworks, strangely costumed giants, colorful decorations and musical concerts lining the streets. It is a kind of end-of-summer celebration, so participants usually party as hardily and as noisily as they can.

Among the events not to be missed are the huge casteller, or human-castle building, contests. You can find out more about these amazing performers here on one of our previous posts. To see the unique Barcelona Castells join us on our Cultural Barcelona Tours.

As wine lovers venture out of Barcelona streets laced with Gaudi’s intricate designs to vineyards in the countryside, they are never left without brilliant Modernist architecture to gawk at. That’s because several of Catalonia’s best vineyards lie next to cellars often called wine cathedrals and you can visit them all on our Penedès Wine Tours. When the region’s viticultural renaissance hit its stride in the early 1900s, some of the best Modernista (or Catalan Art Nouveau) architects wanted to celebrate by contributing their designing genius to booming wine cellars.

One prominent and popular example is the Codorniu wine cellar outside of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Its arching ceilings aren’t only beautiful, but they naturally enhance the reverence for the wine-making tradition in this area. But in Conca de Barberá, Alt Camp and in other areas nearby there are plenty more wine cathedrals by architects like Cèsar Martinell i Brunet and Pere Domènech i Roure. 

But there are many architects continuing the building of gorgeous wine cathedrals for the area, including Lluis Ribas-Carlos Morales who uses a combination of sharp lines and natural textures at the Bellmunt de Priorat cellar near Tarragona. Sleek planes showcasing a pristine contrast between the sky and the fashionable Torres cellar in Penedés is also an impressive sight that Javier Barba created for wine worshippers in mind.

The wine cathedral concept has also grown outside of Catalonia into the nearby Rioja region. Two examples today particularly stand out: the Herederos del Marqués de Riscal cellar by the world-famous Frank Gehry, a building that looks like wine splashing up from the ground, and the Bodegas Ysios by Santiago Calatrava which has a rooftop that undulates like flowing wine.

*Photo credit for the first photo above goes to the New York Times

Once you’ve visited the Greek and Roman ruins of Empuries, you’ll be expecting a higher standard for all of your archaeological site visits that follow. I mean, how many archaeological sites are literally steps away from an incredibly beautiful blue beach?

On our Barcelona and Empuries Cultural Tour we will take you to this unique site. Three centuries after Greeks established a busy trading post here, Romans of the 6th century B.C. docked here to begin their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The remains of temples, houses, cemeteries, city forums and more lie outside to tour. Several intricate mosaic floors lye in the same halls they laid in more than 2,000 years ago. Living grape vines still wander around the columns the Roman atriums and offer a sweet snack to summer visitors.

Because the excavation is still in process, visitors can also see archaeologists at work while they peel more layers off this entire ancient city. A museum on the grounds also houses several of the treasures unearthed so far, including intricate jewelry, pottery, mosaics and statues.

As you approach the shore there is even more evidence of ancient Greek society in a large jetty, which is also where the 1992 Olympic flame first came ashore for the Barcelona games. A short walk away is a quaint collection of restaurants and cafes next to an ancient church in the village of Sant Martí d’Empúries.

The red and yellow stripes of the Catalan flag drape windows, balconies, walls, make up flower bouquets and wave in the fabrics Catalans hold up in the street all day on La Diada, or Catalonia’s national holiday. Celebrated on September 11, the day of Catalonia’s defeat under Spanish armies in 1714, the holiday brings attention to both the defeats and the optimistic future of Catalonia.

Although it may be odd to some to celebrate one’s heritage on a day of defeat, Catalans do not think so. This is because the day comes on the anniversary of a courageous battle in which many Catalans did everything they could to protect the sovereignty of their nation and culture. We offer you the opportunity to learn more about Catalonia, its history and people on our Catalan Cultural Tours.

After Barcelona had been beseiged for 413 days by troops loyal to Spanish King Felipe V on September 10, 1714, the 5,000 courageous soldiers trapped within its city walls would soon be outnumbered by 40,000 troops of the opposition. But under Catalonia’s head general, Rafael Casanova, they refused to surrender.

Felipe had suppressed the laws, language and culture of other areas in Spain before and Catalans did not want to see that happen to their own nation. But Barcelona did fall to him on September 11, and he tried to suppress them as much as he had other nations. Years later in the 1900s, Spanish dictator Franco would also try his hand at suppressing their culture, making it illegal to speak Catalan or even perform simple cultural activities like their national dance, the sardana. Through it all, however, one can see that Catalans still speak their own language, dance the sardana and wave their own flag.

Though this can also be a day–especially in Barcelona–for proud Catalans to protest the powers of the Spanish government again, the day is mostly celebrated simply as a lovely summer holiday weekend in which neighbors celebrate their heritage together.

Up until Jews were expelled out of Spain by its government and church in 1492, Jewish communities played a significant role in the culture, the architecture and academia of medieval Spain.

Passing through villages like Besalú, where a Jewish heritage celebrations takes place at the beginning of every September, makes this all the more evident. In addition to a gorgeous medieval bridge stretching over the Fluvia River into town, the walkways, homes and bath houses of these Jewish communities still exist and still look beautiful. We organize guided tours of Besalu Jewish quarters year round, however, so visitors can contribute to the extended restoration of these sights.

At Gourmand Breaks we frequently organize for our guests la Boqueria market guided visits, followed by private cooking classes with our chef. Located in the back of la Boqueria is the remarkable collection of Llorenç Petrás: baskets and baskets of gourmet mushrooms with different sizes, colors smells and flavours from all over the world. His stand, which has earned him the nickname “wizard of mushrooms,” is one of the best of its kind in Europe.

And now that we’re entering the best season for mushrooms—at the end of summer and beginning of fall—his collection is at the height of its diversity. Petrás’s humble stall is unique because he still sells his product in person, even though he’s made unknown fortunes selling to luxury clients in both London and Paris.

On our Culinary Excursion to La Boqueria, we make sure you don’t miss it!

Towering above the cobbled medieval Jewish quarter winding around it, the beaming Girona Cathedral has been a significant work of Gothic architecture since its construction began in the 11th century. Its prominence especially rose in the 15th century when architects added what is still the largest Gothic nave in the world and the second largest nave overall, right behind St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Inside are several relics dating back to the 11th century as well, including ancient saint shrines, an ivory throne made for King Charlemagne and Tapestry of the Creation, a very rare surviving tapestry from this era depicting the creation of the world, months of the year and Biblical characters.

On Gourmand Breaks Girona Tours we take you for a walk within the cathedral’s courtyard and the Roman fortification wall behind it -a beautifully peaceful journey through the history of Gothic art.

There’s only one place you can see some of Salvador Dalí’s best works in a museum that he personally designed and was laid to rest at: the Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueres. At Gourmand Breaks we are Dali’s enthusiasts and we take you to experiment the works of this tramuntana tormented genius on our Dali Tours.

Dalí selected this former city theatre, now adorned with large bright white eggs and a pattern of golden bread, because he wanted visitors to do more than quietly stare at his work. He wanted them to be part of the experiment and have a chance to respond to his work just the way an applauding crowd does.

In the case of this museum, you’ll want to have change on hand to participate. Otherwise, you may never know the glory of flooding a mannequin-filled Cadillac in the atrium, looking through binoculars that transform a painting of his wife Gala into Abraham Lincoln, or crucifixes made of the oddest things dancing to music.

The collection is impressive, archiving works that show the evolution of this legendary artist from age 18, through his romance with his soul-mate Gala, up until Dalí’s last death-foreshadowing painting, The Happy Horse. From strange and subversive to beautiful, dreamy, surrealistic and all of the above, the works in each room reveal something impressive about Dalí’s deep and twisted mind.

Picture courtesy of VirtualTourist.com

After a hot summer day, a light mist rolls in from the visible sea shores of Tamariu over hazy hay-wheel dotted farms surrounding the pueblo. Within it winds quaint cobblestone streets with Romanesque walls and arches dripping with hundreds of years of Catalan history. Sprinkled along these passages are shops selling locally made products like wine straight from the barrel, cheese, sausage, dark chocolate and a gelateria where we’ve stopped to have some of the richest ice cream we’ve had in a long time. This is just what we needed—a peaceful stroll through Pals. We cannot hide we’re in love with Pals – it appears on so many of our Spanish Culinary Tours!

A walk through this medieval town—just a short inland drive from intimate fishing villages nearby—makes you feel like you’ve walked into another time altogether. But the town has also been through its share of tumult, including the Spanish Civil Wars in the early 1900s, which completely vacated the area. Fortunately, visitors like us can thank the memory of a local doctor who rediscovered the town some time after and started a careful and award-winning restoration of the area.

Pals is also home to the oldest rice mill in Europe and the city’s economy is still greatly benefited by its successful rice production.  The short grain rice harvested in its marshlands then often becomes the essential ingredient for paella, a classic dish made by families all over Spain. These rice paddies also provide another treat: the beautiful spectacle of over 300 species of birds inhabiting it.

It’s too bad Montserrat tomatoes aren’t grown widely out of Spain because they’re gorgeous specimens. As soon as you cut slices of this Catalonia-grown tomato, which looks like some giant mutating piece of produce at first, an elegant almost floral-like design falls onto the plate. Delicate ruby-colored pockets of juice stud its center and especially taste divine when sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt. As a Catalan specialty here, the tomato often finds its way onto the platters of the area’s innovative gourmet chefs including the world-renowned Ferran Adria. At Gourmand Breaks we do the best Montserrat tomatoes pick at la Boqueria market and then we make the most of them at our Spanish cooking classes!

Almost exclusively produced in the Emporda region of Catalonia, the seeds for this plant are created by the local farmers themselves and not commercialized as of yet. Harvesting of this tomato lasts from June until early autumn, so if you want some, hurry up and come visit!

Ingredients

• 4 small eggplants
• 4 spring onions or large scallions
• 4 red bell peppers
• 3 tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil or brushing, plus 1/3 cup
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Salt and peper to taste

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat the oven to 500ºF. Brush the eggplants, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes with olive oil. If using a grill, place the vegetables directly over the fire and grill, turning frequently, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the skins blacken and the vegetables are tender. The variation in timing depends on the heat of the fire, and some vegetables, such as the tomatoes, may be ready before the others. If using an oven, arrange the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast, turning every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes, or until the skins blacken and the vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables from the grill or oven, wrap in foil and let cool for about 1 hour.

Unwrap the vegetables. Peel the eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, and peel away the outer layer of the onions. Split the bell peppers in half, discard the seeds and stems, and cut lengthwise into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. Transfer to a bowl. Trim the stems from the eggplants and core the tomatoes, and then cut them into strips of the same size as the pepper strips and add to the bowl. Trim the onions, cut into rings, and add to the bowl along with the garlic.

Add the 1/3 cup olive oil, season with salt, and toss to mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Feel free to experiment with the type of fish you use–the sauce and Picada are the most important parts of this recipe! Every Catalan cook along the Costa Brava, north of Barcelona, has a different way of preparing this dish. The recipe below is the one we follow at our Catalan cooking classes in the heart of Emporda. The name suquet comes from the Catala word suc, which means “juice,” and is a proper name for this juicy fish stew.

For the Sofregit (Sofrito):

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large onions  (preferably Spanish), minced
• 2 large red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and minced
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Picada

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 30 almonds and/or hazelnuts
• 1 slice bread
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
• olive oil

For the Fish and Potatoes:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Twelve 4-ounce monkfish steaks, or small fillet of any other fresh fish
• 8 large prawns9 oz. of calamari or squid, sliced
• Flour for dredging fish
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup full-bodied Spanish brandy, such as Torres Tres Torres
• 4 cups fish stock
• 1 pound white potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

The Sofregit and Picada can be prepared the previous day.

For the Sofregit (Catalan Sauce):
In a large pan, preferably a clay cazuela, heat the oil. Sauté the onions and peppers over medium-low heat for 45 minutes to1 hour, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown and almost caramelized. Toward the end of the cooking time, you may have to add a bit of water to the pot to keep the mixture from burning.

Add the tomatoes and cook over low heat until the juices have evaporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Picada
In a small skillet, heat the oil. Fry the bread, turning once, until golden on both sides. Transfer the bread to a food processor, add the almonds and garlic, and grind very fine.

Main Dish
Dust fish fillets in flour with salt and pepper and sauté over medium-low heat in oil. Sprinkle chopped parsley and garlic over fish, add brandy and ignite. Set aside.

Put Sofregit in a large paella pan and add chopped potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until almost done. Thicken the mixture with the Picada. Add fish fillets, shellfish and fish stock then cook for a couple of minutes, but don’t overcook. Season with salt and pepper. Take to the table in the paella pan.

Tip: Spoon some mayonnaise or alloli over the fish fillets and put briefly under a griller, before serving the dish.

On Gourmand Breaks Barcelona cooking classes we frequently prepare this delicious local dish as as a main course, it is an original  alternative to the well-known paella.

Ingredients

• 10 oz. fideos (or angel hair broken into 2″ pieces)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 12 small clams or mussels, scrubbed under cold water
• 6 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 oz scallops (large ones cut into quarters, small ones cut in half or left whole)
• 8 oz monkfish or other firm white fish, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices (up to)
• 3 cups fish or chicken stock or bottled clam broth, or as needed
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Scrub the clams under running water to remove grit and sand. Place in a bowl; cover with salted water; soak for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Then get the pasta and break it into 2-inch pieces and set aside. Toast saffron in a small skillet over medium heat for 1 minute, then aside to crumble into fideua later.

Heat oil in paella pan or large skillet at 14” in size. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent but not brown, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and paprika and cook until all liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Stir in clams, shrimp. scallops and monkfish and saute 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups fish stock with crumbled saffron and bring to boil. Stir in pasta and return to boil. Reduce heat and cook, without stirring, over medium heat until noodles are tender, 20-25 minutes (Discard mussels or clams that do not open).

Preheat broiler. Brown fideua briefly under broiler, then cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over it, then serve directly from pan at table.

Makes 4 servings

There’s only one time of year in Spain to come and participate in the grape harvest and it’s here! Most grape harvests, or “vendimias,” happen in September and October, but this week Raimat vineyards owned by Codorniu have already started, according to La Vanguardia newspaper.

We’re excited because it’s a unique time for visitors to come visit the region and learn first hand from vineyards how to recognize, pick and store ripe grapes for some of the most highly regarded wines in the world. We have launched our Grape Harvest Tour, so our guests can come and experience with us this smashing good time!  It also brings the excitement of all the harvest festivals that are just around the corner–ones like Cava Week in Sant Sadurni. In the beginning of October this town, which is the capital of cava production, prepares train tours to all the vineyard harvests, hosts several tasting events, the election of the Cava Queen and her patriotic speech of course.

At Gourmand Breaks we love Woody and we love Barcelona, that’s why we have just launched our  Vicky Cristina Barcelona Tour visiting the movie locations here.  We are the first and by now the only travel agency in Spain to have this tour available – the city of Barcelona provides a pretty background to the plot and here at Gourmand Breaks we believe it will be great fun for Allen’s and travel lovers to be able enjoy the Mediterranean culture here, the same as Vicky and Cristina did.
Vicky and Cristina are two American girls, one of which is working on her studies in Catalan culture, and the seductive relationships that entangle them during their trip to Barcelona. While I can’t guarantee you’ll be seduced by Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz or Javier Bardem on your own trip, I will guarantee that the scenery of Barcelona and the Catalan countryside surrounding will, just like it does in this sensual film. Below is a trailer for the movie …

Tours including Barcelona: On The Border: Between France and Spain; Sublime Spain; Long Weekend in Barcelona; Bites in Barcelona; Traditional Catalan Cooking; Fusion, Modern and Contemporary Cuisine; Cuisine and Art; For Chocolate Lovers: A Blissful Affair; Tailor-Made Tours

• 2 cups (15 fl. oz) whole milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Rind of 1/2 lemon
• Rind of 1/2 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 medium egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup (7 oz) superfine sugar
• 4 small, shallow heat-proof dishes, preferably cazuelas
  

4 Servings

Pour some of the milk into a cup. While warming the rest of the milk with the cinnamon, lemon and orange peels over low heat, not forgetting to stir the milk every now and then, mix the yolks of egg together in another bowl with the sugar until creamy. Then stir cornstarch into the cup of milk at room temperature and stir until it is very well dissolved.

As soon as the milk has boiled, mix it with the eggs and cornstarch milk in the bowl. After taking out the cinnamon and the rinds, pass it through a strainer to make sure the liquid is smooth.

Then put the mixture back in the saucepan over low-medium heat, making sure that it doesn’t boil and using a utensil to keep the cream from sticking to the sides of the pan. Just when it is about boiling, remove from heat with one hand while you continue stirring with the other hand for about two minutes. After doing this has thickened the mixture, pour into 4 shallow heatproof dishes. Allow it to cool at room temperature or refrigerate, preferably for a couple hours, until set.

Right before you serve it, scatter sugar evenly over each serving and caramelize it with a kitchen blow torch. If you don’t have a blow torch, simply put dishes under the broiler until the sugar begins to caramelize. Remove from broiler and serve.

We told you so

Well, of course, we know what a finely preserved treasure Catalonia is–we’ve dedicated our careers to it! But just in case you need an outside opinion to elaborate on the subject, the New York Times (we’re fans of this publication too) put out a wonderful article this weekend about the quiet aquamarine shores of Catalonia’s peaceful fishing villages. You can read it here and browse its lovely slideshow here.

The quiet villages it references–Cadaqués, Pals, Empuries–are important pieces of our Spanish culinary  tours because they do much more than give our clients a truly relaxing spot to vacation: They give our clients an opportunity to really savor a centuries-old culture undisturbed by the unfortunate overdevelopment that plagues so many other areas in Spain. From the bucolic scenery of farms and vineyards near Pals to the clear tropical-blue shorelines of real fishing villages, you are able to take advantage of the best in traditional Catalan cuisine, wine and personal hospitality.

Browse all of our tours through this area

This multi-media fashion map from the New York Times–called “The Born Supremacy“–is a handy little feature on Barcelona’s booming Born District that’s worth taking a look at before visiting. We’re especially proud of its recommendations, as they include a few outstanding spots, we visit on our Barcelona Tapas Tours through this section of town.

While discovering innovative designers of some of the most beautiful clothes, china, furniture and food in Spain today here, you can also enjoy the history of innovation here from people like Pablo Picasso. Many works of Picasso, who lived in this district while frequenting a diner called “4 Gats,” are housed here in the Museu Picasso. And until August 28 (hurry!), the museum is housing an impressive exhibit called “Las Meninas,” which investigates the influences of Velasquez on several artists like Picasso.

One of the most entertaining things to watch at the town festivals going on all over Catalonia from May to October are the castellers, or human castle builders, at work. As devoted admirerers of this local tradition, we always take our guests to see them, if available, during our Spanish Cultural Tours. A tradition since groups around Tarragona started it in the 1800s, teams of castellers from all over Catalonia participate in competitions to see how fast, how tall or how big they can make their castles. Their size ranges from the most common—about 6-8 stories tall—to even more suspenseful heights and sizes in which daredevil athletes risk a dangerous collapse.

Who needs bulls running in the streets when these strapping Catalans can flex their macho muscles without them?

The remarkably preserved fishing villages of the Costa Brava offer a beautifully blue and tranquil setting for restaurant visitors who want to eat the best seafood dishes available on the Mediterranean. But foodies who want to familiarize themselves more with this valuable seafood can go much farther than ordering Suquet for dinner -they can join us at our Spanish Gastronomic Tours and visit with us an authentic fish auction!

When going straight to the source at a local fish auction, like the one in Palamós, foodies can see first-hand how early local fishers set out to sea, catch fresh prawns, squid, octopus, monkfish and more then auction it to early-morning buyers. On the same day, all these fish are shipped to be sold fresh at morning markets all over the Catalonia region. If you make a dish like paella later in the day with a cooking class instructor, know that the seafood you’re cooking with was swimming around in the Mediterranean that very morning. One of Catalonia’s biggest prides is its variety of fresh, delicious seafood!