Onions are one of the most versatile staples of our pantry. They make for a perfect base and a perfect condiment, either cooked or raw. For now we will be dealing with the raw onion. I’m sure it happens to everyone; you eat a dish, bite into some raw onion and feel its pungency linger throughout the entire day. There are two tricks I like to use to diminish its pungency but without giving up any of the flavor.

Let’s start with a Montreal classic: bagels and lox. I personally have an affinity for St-Viateur’s all dressed bagels. At home I serve it up with cream cheese (and it has to be Liberté …or your local creamiest of the cream cheeses is a must), lox overflowing the sides of the bagel, a mount full of capers, coarsely ground pepper, a drizzle of lemon infused olive oil (take out your best-est olive oil here) and thinly sliced red onion.

To tame the pungency of the red onion as a condiment, you’ll want to start by thinly slicing it. In a bowl cover it with salt; pour cold water over the onions to cover and mix until the salt is dissolved. Add a few cubes of ice and let the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes. Strain and pat dry the onions. Drop a few over the lox to complete this all dressed classic Montreal bagel. These onions are also great for salads, sandwiches, burgers…

Another way to soften the blow of post onion bad breath is to marinade the onion in some sort of acid like lemon or vinegar. This is the base for my famous guacamole. Yes, I said it, famous! You can ask any of my friends and family. The onion taming technique is described below in the recipe and makes a great base for other dishes like gazpacho.

Kristel’s Kitchen Guacamole

• Two ripe avocados
• One small onion
• Two limes – juiced
• One garlic clove – pressed
• One tomato – seeded and chopped into a small dice
• Small bunch of cilantro – chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon Mexican spice blend – any generic grocery store mix works here, or make your own by combining equal parts of cumin, dried oregano, chili powder and paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Splash of hot sauce – or as much as you or your guests can handle

Finely chop the onion. In a mixing bowl add the onion, the juice of one lime and a few pinches of salt. Mix it all together until the salt has dissolved and let sit for 20 minutes. At this point you can start mixing your guacamole. Scoop out the ripe avocado into the mixing bowl and using a fork mash it all up. Using a garlic press, crush one clove. Slice in half one tomato and using your thumb remove the seeds. Chop the tomato and add to the mixing bowl. I enjoy experimenting with different varieties of tomatoes but grape tomatoes give just the right amount of sweetness and they don’t need to be seeded. Gently mix all ingredients; careful, the tomatoes are delicate.

Mix in the Mexican spice blend and the hot sauce. I like playing around with different types of hot sauces and I usually use two kinds: a basic one to give a base of spice and one that adds a different flavor dimension, for example smokiness (think chipotle). This is the perfect opportunity to play around and wow your guests. If you have any fresh hot peppers on hand you can also add those into the mix (remember to use your latex gloves). Make sure to taste the guacamole and adjust the seasoning with pepper, salt, spice and perhaps even add more lime juice. Grab your favorite chips and dig in!

This past weekend Creative Delites teamed up with Chef Mario Rodriguez-Salazar from the trendy Upper West Side Restaurant Fatty Crab. Together, we hosted our first ever Cooking Party. The event was such a hit that we would like to invite more up-can-coming chefs to turn up the heat in kitchens all over the Upper West Side. Although the restaurant’s focus is Malaysian fare, we decided to focus the evening on Spanish Tapas and basic cooking techniques– from mastering knife skills to making Spanish omelets and sauces.

While there are a number of NYC chefs who offer private cooking lessons, Creative Delites is all about having fun in the kitchen– with a little bit of class. The interactive demo-style evening allowed for guests to shout out questions while relaxing with pitchers of pomegranate sangria and a plates full of tasty tapas. For Mario, it was an opportunity to pass on his love of cooking to others, and get his name out there. At the end of the night, all of the guests left with full stomachs and a booklet of recipes.

| View Show | Create Your Own

The Photos: Chef Mario Rodriguez-Salazar, of Fatty Crab, at work in the Creative Delites Kitchen; Guests enjoying Mario’s Spanish Tapas favorites.

Check out the links below to view the ingredients, preparation and photos for all the dishes. We would love to hear your ideas for a new class, including what kitchen skills you would like to master as well as any menu ideas.

the MENU

SPANISH TAPAS PARTY

Pomegranate Sangria

Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese & Olive Tapenade

Grilled Autumn Vegetables

Pan Con Tomate (Tomato Bread)

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Omelette) with Romesco Sauce

Pan Con Chocolate

this past weekend we ventured of to madrid, spain. the city is magnificent. its got a great energy, many sites, and amazing food. we saw many things ranging from the old to the new. we had a hostel 5 mins away from the city center. we visited the prado (madrid’s version of the lourve) and reina sophia (modern art) museums. we ate delicious churros con chocolate (the chocolate was so thick, it felt like drinking a melted chocolate bar, but still amazing). palella, tapas, all very very good. we visited retiro park, which has the only statue dedicated to the devil. we also hit up some great modern buildings, including the caixaforum and church of santa monica. in the end, i love madrid but i had that feeling on the first day. enjoy the pictures

Life in Spain is very, very different from America. Starting from waking up, all the way to going to sleep. First of all, the language. I speak Spanish, but I’m still learning, and sometimes it can be scary and most of the time it is hilarious. This is included in things like going to the grocery store and restaurants. But today I will educate you on the Spanish diet, an interesting and somewhat complicated being all on its own.

So first of all, Spanish people don’t really eat fast food the way that Americans do. I can think of one fast food chain that is only Spanish off the top of my head, Pans y Company. It’s okay, and they sell hot sandwiches (example: roasted chicken breast with lettuce, tomato, and sauce on baguette), nuggets, fries, and patatas bravas.

Now, before I go on, I must explain patatas bravas to you, for those of you living incomplete lives and don’t know about them. They are potatoes cut into chunks, sautéed in olive oil, and topped with a sauce that is a little bit spicy and made with tomato, garlic, and mayonnaise. I am obsessed. I highly recommend you wander off and Google for a moment, drool, copy down a recipe, and return.

You’re back now? Okay, good. So not so much fast food. But bocadillos, goodness gracious. Bocadillos are what the Spanish eat as fast food. Now, I have to preface, I LOVE sandwiches, and bocadillos are high on my list. It can be anywhere from simple to elaborate and the basic bocadillo is just baguette and ham. But they can have all kinds of awesome stuff: chorizo, tuna, vegetables, cow tongue. I haven’t personally had cow tongue, but pretty much anything you can jam in a baguette becomes a bocadillo and the Spanish LOVE them. They are available at any self-respecting bar here, and I am all over them. So, I have written out some bocadillo suggestions so that you, too, can feel like you’re in Spain.

For starters, you need to learn basic technique, and this is important. Many bocadillos are made with pan con tomate, which is pretty much bread with tomato rubbed on it. So, first, you need about half or a third of a baguette to serve as the base of your sandwich. It sounds like a lot, but bocadillos are simple so they’re normally pretty large, and naturally the fresher the baguette the better.

PAUSE. Let’s go over the characteristics of a good baguette, because bread here is important. First of all, you should be able to squish it, but it shouldn’t be rock solid. That being said, it should feel crisp on the outside but kind of like clouds on the inside. Now, smell it. Does it smell like carb heaven? Do you want to bury your nose in it for the rest of your life or until it goes stale? If you said yes to both of these questions, this is excellent. Also, baguette here is wrapped in paper sleeves, so if you want to be authentic…I’m just saying.

Moving along. Saw that sucker in half and spread it wide. Take a tomato, preferably one that smells like sunshine, and slice it in half. Now, the next part might seem sacrilegious but just go with it. Take the tomato half and rub it vigorously on the inside of the bread, getting the seeds and the juices and the insides all up in that bad boy. Repeat on the other side. Now you’ve made pan con tomate. I’m not kidding. It’s that easy!

Now that you have the pan con tomate, your possibilities are endless. Some bocadillos are simply pan con tomate and a layer of thinly sliced deli meat like salami, ham, serrano ham, or chorizo. Usually I squirt a little mayo on these and inhale. Another personal favorite is baguette without the tomato rubbed on, slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato, a sprinkle of dried oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil. As long as you keep it kind of simple and fresh, your bocadillo will be a beauty to behold and eat. For complete authenticity, wrap in foil and eat at lunch with an orange, or as a midday snack.

Next week: TAPAS!

My semester final exams are approaching, as are all deadlines for presentations and unfinished projects.  What better to alleviate the pain of schoolwork than a warm and sweet dessert?  NOTHING, I SAY, except perhaps naked James McAvoy knocking at my door on a warm summer night.  However, since that is unlikely to happen anytime in the near future, here is the recipe for this dessert instead!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of rice
2 cups of water (or however much it takes to cook the rice)
4-5 cinammon sticks
Milk
Sugar to your taste

PREPARATION:

Cook your rice in water along with the cinnamon sticks. Sit down and enjoy the sweet smell in your house while you try very hard to ignore your homework. Once it’s thoroughly cooked and soft, drain the water (but leave the cinnamon sticks) and add enough milk to cover the rice plus a little more. Let the rice and the milk heat to near-boil, while adding sugar to taste. The result of this concoction should be arroz con leche, which shouldn’t be too soupy nor too dry. A little excess milk is perfectly acceptable and desirable. Sprinkle with powdered cinnamon for even greater taste and enhanced visual pleasure.

Serves 4 normal people OR 2 very hungry college students OR 1 starved blog writer.

Nick, me and Mimi

Homey, Cozy, relaxing, good food, what else? I don’t know anymore what else to describe this Spanish Restaurant in Fairlane Village, Guadalupe, Cebu City.

The village is just right before the famous CNT Lechon in Guadalupe along V Rama Street. Taxi cab driver may not be familiar with the name of the village but if you mention CNT Lechon in Guadalupe, rest assured you are on the right way.

Fairlane Village is not really hard to find. The entrance is right across Guadalupe Elementary School. The Village is really small and the road is just like letter O One way only to the right. As soon as enter the village, firth turn right to enter the O Road, then to the first going to the left you will see the signage of the place. Arano.

Spanish Restaurant - Arano

The house specialty:

Paella Madrillena, Callos, Lengua, Baked Chicken. They also served Quality Red Wine at a very affordable price. Too bad I am the only wine drinker so not a good idea for a bottle.

Lengua, Callos and Baked Chicken

Lengua, Callos and the Baked Chicken. Very Yummy!

Paella Madrillena and Baked Chicken

Must have at Arano!

Call them in advance at least two hours prior to your meal time. Paella and Baked Chicken will be cooked for more than an hour!

Right after a hefty meal, we met the owner, Mr. Arano himself. Speaks Spanish, English,  Cebuano and Tagalog. Vey nice and wonderful person. Gave us a warm welcome in his humble home style restaurant.

Dinner last Octoebr 27, 2009

Last night, I decided to make a recipe I stumbled upon from a weekly Betty Crocker e-mail I get. I was a little skeptical, but with a leap of faith I dove into the recipe.

I had always assumed pot pie was extremely tedious. I guess it all just depends on the recipe, because this only took me about 15 minutes to prepare, and another 25 for it to bake in the oven; which just involved me sitting at the kitchen table sipping some Yellow Tail chardonnay.

The great thing about this recipe is it’s easily modified. I consider myself a halfetarian (one that usually eats a more vegetarian diet, but sometimes needs a good burger or piece of chicken). So, this time I made it with chicken. If in an all veggie mood, though, it could easily work with a bunch of different vegetables.

I definitely give this recipe two thumbs up. I brought leftovers for lunch today, and it was just as good reheated in the microwave. It made the office kitchen smell delicious too!

You’ll find both the recipe and pictures of the finished product below.

Happy nomz!

Ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium bell pepper (cut into strips)
2 cups cooked chicken
1 3/4 cups thick & chunky salsa
1/4 cup of water
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/3 cup Montery Jack cheese
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400F
2. Heat oil in 10 inch skillet
3. Cook bell pepper. Stir in chicken, salsa, & water (cook 1-2 minutes), until bubbly
4. Pour into un-greased 1 1/2 inch casserole dish
5. In small bowl, stir Bisquick, cheese, milk
6. Pour over chicken mixture, spread almost to edge
7. Bake uncovered 30 minutes (until golden brown)
8. Enjoy!

*                                                                                               *

A recipe coming from an old Spanish village. A recipe of my Spanish grand mother. Delicous and not expensive.

Ingredients :

- potatoes
- some pieces of calmar or cuttlefish (fresh or frozen)
- mussels (fresh or frozen)
- a small can of tomatoes
- a small can of peas
- garlic
- saffron

If the mussels are fresh, clean and cook them. Remove the shells and to keep the mussels and the juice of the cook
Put  a few oil in a big pan on the fire. Put the pieces of calmar or cuttlefish in and let them fry a moment.
Add tomatoes and crushed garlic.
Let let cook a moment.
The add the mussels and their juice (take care to the sand they let in their juice)
Add some water.
After a moment, add potatoes, saffron and the peas. Add water covering the potatoes.

That’s all !

*                                                                                                         *

So this post has taken quite some time for me to finish. The reasons are two-fold; one, there is just SO much for me to talk about in regards to food in Chicago, and two, I got sick with a nasty cold almost as soon as I pulled into my driveway.

I can honestly say I’ve never been somewhere that had such a plethora of [delicious] food in such a small radius. You name the type of food, it’s available. They even have late night places open from 9p to 5a, for the sole purpose of feeding your midnight munchies!

That being said, I’ll do this the most economical way; day by day, meal by meal. So prepare yourself!

We arrived Friday evening after a grueling 12 hour drive. Not to waste any time, we checked into the super nice Belden Stratford Hotel (thanks, Orbitz!) and set out on our first culinary adventure. We weren’t sure what type of food we wanted, or even where to go, so we settled on our tried and true favorite, Mexican. The place was called El Nuevo Mexicano, and it was awesome! The place was small and loud with lots of talking, and great music. We each ordered a Mojito; mine regular and my boyfriend splurged for the pomegranate. The tortilla chips were nicely seasoned, and the salsa was spiced just right. I got the Combonation Vegetariana, which had a guacamole burrito, rice and bean chimichanga, and chile relleno, all served with rice and beans. I’ve had all of the aforementioned foods, but never in the specific combinations. A burrito solely stuffed with guacamole is satisfying in itself. Throw in some deep-friend rice and beans, almost like a Mexican eggroll, and a deep fried, stuffed with cheese chile smothered in sauce = heaven. I left full, with a smile on my face!

On the way home, we happened upon Molly’s Cupcakes, which was actually recommended by a friend (Serial Baker). Ecstatic over our first cupcake experience in Chicago, we ran into the store, forgetting our stuffed bellies. I’ve never seen a cupcake joint so crowded in my life! It was overflowing with people sipping huge cups of coffee, and chatting over delicious looking cupcakes. I ran up to the counter, and immediately started deliberating. Being in an extreme chocolate mood, I went for the Chocolate Decadence, while my boyfriend got the Pumpkin Spice. BEST. CUPCAKES. EVER. Mine was filled with chocolate mousse, and topped with two different types of chocolate ganache. As a chocolate lover, I couldn’t have asked for anything more! The pumpkin was also awesome; the spice and pumpkin ratio was perfect, with an almost cheesecake –like filling and icing. I really don’t think I could have asked for two better cupcakes!

Saturday morning we got up early, and trekked through the rain to the all famous Orange. A breakfast place known for its juices and frushi, I had only heard great things. Though, some of Yelp’s reviews left me a little wary. At any rate, we sat down and immediately got a water with a cucumber slice (nice and refreshing), and some orange infused coffee. The coffee was okay; it tasted more like a tea, and reminded me a  bit of a mixed drink. We then ordered some frushi, which was absolutely delicious. It was coconut rice wrapped around either kiwi or watermelon… yum! I went for the #11.5 omlette that had bacon, leeks, and brie cheese, along with toast and delicious breakfast potatoes. My boyfriend went for the chai tea French toast. Both were decent, but nothing to write home about. The French toast was a little soggy, and the eggs were good, but could have used more cheese. Overall I enjoyed the experience, but wasn’t floored.

We continued our mediocre eating day by stumbling upon Phoebe’s Cupcakes, a place I had found from the Cupcakes Take The Cake blog. I went for the red velvet, and my boyfriend got a red licorice cupcake. I couldn’t have been more disappointed! It feels blasphemous to even write about a subpar cupcake, but someone’s gotta do it. The cake itself was really good. The icing, however, not so much. It was WAY too cheesy, to the point where I couldn’t even finish it. My boyfriend’s, however, was good. I’m going to chalk it up to a bad batch of icing, but it’s definitely ruined red velvet for me for awhile. Such a shame. On a brighter note, though, they did have cupcake flavored coffee that was amazing! I couldn’t put my finger on the flavor combination, but it was just right without any milk or sugar.

We spent the rest of our Saturday at The Lawrence Arms 10 year anniversary show which was awesome, despite me feeling sick from the aforementioned cupcake. Afterwards, we stopped at The Weiner’s Circle to get ourselves a Chicago dog. I was skeptical about liking a hot dog with pickles, hot peppers, and relish, but I really liked it! It’s definitely something I would get again. The place itself was also quite an experience; the help talked back to every drunk person looking for a late night snack, and didn’t take anyone’s crap. I was actually afraid to place my order, in case I messed up. Thankfully, since I was sober, they treated me with respect. Others weren’t so lucky.

Since Sunday was our last full day, we decided to spend most of it doing touristy things like visiting Millennium Park and the Willis (Sears) Tower.  We decided to start the day off with breakfast at The Bongo Room. Now let me tell you, I’m actually not much of a breakfast person; I tend to shy away from it when given the option. But Chicago has definitely showed me how delicious it can be! We decided to share plates this time, as every thing on the menu sounded amazing, and we couldn’t decide on one thing each. Being a lover of Mexican food, I tend to judge places on their burritos. Naturally, we got the breakfast burrito, and one of their daily specials; French toast smothered in cream, caramel and caramelized apples, along with a side of Thai chicken sausage. Every single thing I tried there was phenomenal. Everyone around us had something equally delicious looking on their plates. If I had the stomach for it, I would have tried everything. It seemed like most tables each got their own dishes, and then shared one of their yummy sounding pancake options. I would go back there in a heartbeat; the 45 minute wait was more than worth it!

We ended our trip with some Chicago style pizza. I had searched on Yelp while waiting in line at the Willis Tower, and decided on Giordano’s, which was around the corner. After tweeting about it, some locals gave me a hard time, telling me I should have gone to a few other places. Unfortunately, they were too late. I’m not sure what the huff and puff was about, though, because I really enjoyed Giordano’s! We decided to get the pie stuffed with onions, peppers, and broccoli. I was never really interested in the concept of a stuffed pizza with the sauce on top. After having it, though, I’m a fan. We only got a 10 inch pie to share, and wound up bringing more than half of it home which was convenient for snacking on the 12 hour drive back!

All in all, I think I gained anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds (I was too afraid to actually weigh myself), but it was totally worth it. While we were there, we walked everywhere, and I couldn’t help but take note of all the people out for jogs. Now I understand. If you live in that city and aren’t afraid to eat, you need to work it off some how! Needless to say Chicago is vying for the top spot on my list for best cities. And when it comes to food, it’s definitely number one.

So here are the pictures of everything mentioned above. Let the salivating commence!

If you love Spanish Food then don’t miss the Gastronomy Conference 2009 (Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía) from 7-11 November at the IFA Exhibition Centre in Alicante. It features some of Spain’s top chefs showing off their skills and taking workshops alongside numerous events, activities and workshops.

This week, Madrid is the gastronomy capital of the world! There are so many food related events going on, including Restaurant week, Millesime Madrid and the Mediterranean Diet and Health Fair, it’s so much fun!

Millesime Madrid is a gastronomy club that has organized a food expo with live cooking shows, workshops, and food-themed spaces. At the cooking shows, top chefs display their cooking magic while the audience watches and then enjoys the chef’s creations. The themed spaces are divided into streets and corners: there is a Spanish ham street, a cocktail street, a beer street; as well as the cheese corner, the Spanish omelette corner, the gin and tonic corner, and the delicatessen corner.

For those looking for a more educational experience, there are workshops led by experts in their category. There is the Spanish ham workshop, where the world champion in cutting ham will teach twenty people the art of cutting – which is not easy, doing it the wrong way can spoil the ham. There is also the senses workshop, where the audience is guided through wine tastings and surprise pairings using all five senses. Then there is the bubbles workshop, which includes champagne tastings and an introduction to the fantastic world of Champagne, its history, elaboration process, characteristics of the wine, etc. And a cooking workshop, where one can cook alongside the expert chefs.

Millesime Madrid will feature three cooking teams with 4 chefs. Among them there are names like Dani Garcia (Calima), Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca), Pepe Rodríguez (El Bohío), Paco Roncero (El Casino de Madrid) and Mario Sandoval (Coque).

Some of the Top Chefs in Spain: Chicote, Dario Barrio, Paco Roncero and Pepe Rodríguez among others

I’m so excited, as you can see, Madrid will be a culinary fest this week!

-Rocio

Recently we have a few food places in mind to try, and one of which is Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant that Cai was raving about after he went there with his family for lunch. Located in a humble cranny of Upper Bukit Timah, it has a sitting capacity of about 80 people, and it has boast a wide variety of alcoholic drinks in its stash.

I love the hip spanish music playing in the background, and this place is sophiscatedly decorated.

They offered complimentary bread and herb butter dip:

Crema de Calabazay Puerros ( Cream of Pumpkin and Leek) – $7

Whenever there’s pumpkin soup on the menu I’d definitely have one. This is one of the best-tasting pumpkin soup I’ve had. Second to TCC’s pumpkin soup!

Berenjenas al Horo (Oven-baked Eggplant) – $10

Not many people like eggplant, but Cai and I happen to be fans of it. The eggplant is first oven-baked, and then the broth is poured over it in a pot. Broth is very nice-tasting, but they did add too much olive oil in my opinion.

Paella Valenciana (Spanish Style Rice with Seafood and Chicken Pieces) – Small: $28

The paella was unforgettable, even though it’s 3 days since I had it. We requested for more moist texture of the rice, hence it looks a little like the Italian Risotto. The pan-flavour was nicely light and the rice was very fragrant. The mussels and clams were very fresh too.

They have a wide variety of tapas and paellas that we haven’t had the stomach-capacity to try, but we’ll definitely come back here for more of this! In my opinion (not sure about Cai), after trying Don Quijote, Esmeralda and Tapas tree, I think Don Qujiote is the best Spanish food restaurant in Singapore.

The very happy and full couple.

Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant

17 Lorong Kilat, #01-09
Singapore 598139
Tel: (+65) 6465 1811
Email: info@don-quijote-restaurants.com

Open from Tuesdays to Sundays
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.00pm to 10.30pm
Sunday Brunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm

]]> http://followthenomad.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/dont-drink-the-milk/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:42:37 +0000 kafetters http://followthenomad.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/dont-drink-the-milk/ http://rocioosborne.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/time-to-make-patatas-a-la-riojana/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:30:37 +0000 Rocio http://rocioosborne.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/time-to-make-patatas-a-la-riojana/

Winter is getting close and as the weather starts to get chilly, it is time for cooking things that warm you up. One of my favourite recipes is Patatas a la Riojana, it is super easy, cheap and delicious! This recipe is from the region of Rioja, mostly known for its wines, but the gastronomy in the area is just as fantastic. Try this recipe on a cold day, and you will get to heaven!

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds small potatoes (1 to 2 inches in diameter)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound chorizo, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Water
• Small mildly hot pickled chilli peppers

Preparation:

Cut the potatoes halfway through, then “snap” open.

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat until hot. Add potatoes; cook about 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add onion and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes or until onion is slightly brown, stirring frequently.

Stir in the bell peppers, the paprika, and the salt. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the chorizo and the white wine. Cook about 3 minutes, until wine is slightly reduced.

Add water to cover vegetables; add pickled chilli peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove chillies.

Serve the potatoes in individual soup bowls.

This is how it should look like!

Hope you like it!!

-Rocio

http://www.barferdinand.com

Northern Liberties is one of the up-and-coming neighborhoods in Philadelphia. There are certainly still some ugly spots, but it is quickly becoming trendier. And there are some good restaurants.

I visited one of them tonight – Bar Ferdinand. The name of the game there is Tapas – small, appetizer-sized spanish dishes. They also serve paella, but tapas are their specialty. Makes for a great happy hour spot or for dinner, if you’re willing to make one out of tapas. A very good meal and, compared to some of the other nice restaurants in Philly, a fair price.

Tortilla was one of my favourite breakfasts when I stayed in Vigo, Spain. Tried to prepare it here at home many times, and never managed to achieve the flavour of the original one, but I will tell you how it should be done .

Take a large bowl, 1kg of potatoes, cut it into nice slim slices and add some salt over them. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil. When it’s already hot, start to fry the potatoes. Don’t forget to keep stirring them so that they won’t stick or get burnt.

After 5 minutes, add a half onion to the potatoes, chopped very fine. Stir it, then cover the frying pan. Take the bowl, break 8 large eggs, add a pinch of salt and beat them.

When the potatoes break easily under the touch of the stirring spoon they are ready, and you can add the potato to the beaten eggs. Mix the potato with the eggs in the bowl, meanwhile the frying pan gets very hot, but there will be no extra oil in it.

Now you can put the mixture into the frying pan, splat it down and keep the heat at medium for a few minutes.

And the best part: put a plate over the pan and try to turn over the tortilla carefully. When you put it back into the pan, press down a little the sides so that it will look like a real tortilla de patatas.

Turn over the tortilla several times – you know that it’s ready when you put a knife into it and the knife comes out clean. Good appetite!

(If it does not turn out to be perfect for the first time, just keep practicing – or you can also look for a cheap flight ticket to Madrid, Valladolid, Vigo or Oviedo, and have a holiday dedicated to the gastronomic delights of Spain!)

Tapas is one of my favorite theme menus to serve when hosting a cocktail party.  Compliment delicious small bites with a big batch of sangria.  Several items on a tapas menu – such as olives, nuts, cheese, bread and cured meat – don’t require any cooking.   Here’s a menu to get your tapas party started.

Tapas Menu

Marcona Almonds
Gazpacho “Shots” (served in tall shot glasses)
Spanish Cured Olives or any mixed olives
Spanish Tortilla Bites
(link to recipe below)
Patatas Bravas (fried spicy potatoes)
Gambas Al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce)
Spanish Green Bean Salad with Pimientos
Garbanzo Bean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Spanish Cheese Platter: include Manchego (sheep’s milk cheese), Calabraza (Spanish blue cheese), Iberico (cow, sheep and goat’s milk cheese), Tetilla (soft cow’s milk cheese), Membrillo (quince paste – link to post about Membrillo below) and paper thin slices of Serrano Ham wrapped around store-bought breadsticks
Country-style Bread or Sourdough, sliced thin

Mini Delce de Leche Brownies (link to recipe below)
Caramel Flan

Sangria (link to recipe below)
Spanish red wine, such as Rioja, Garnacha or Tempranillo
Cava (Spanish sparkling white wine, similar to Champagne)
Spanish Cervesa (Beer), such as Mahou, Voll Damm and Mahou Negra

Spanish Tortilla Recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/spanish-tortilla-recipe/index.html

Membrillo
http://hiphostess.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/membrillo-quince-paste/

Dulce de Leche Brownie Recipe
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/06/dulce_de_leche.html

Sangria Recipe
http://hiphostess.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/hip-twist-on-traditional-sangria/

Tortilla Española

Kefta Meatballs / Roasted Red Peppers

Grilled Bavette / Chimichurri

Japanese Crudité Bundles / Soy Sesame

Black Olive Tapenade / Flat Bread

Event day! My boss graciously allowed me to leave the office early in order to do some last minute prepping and setting up. The campaign office doors are supposed to open at 6 pm. At precisely at 6 pm sharp and not a second later, supporters start filing in while I’m still setting up.

The trays and platters are filled a placed in the reception area, the menu and ingredient list displayed, napkins laid out and extra toothpicks ready at one’s fingertips. Little by little people start crowding around the food table, shaking hands with the man of the hour – M. Karim Boulos, and mingling amongst them.

Around 8 pm the crowd starts to dwindle and the trays become emptier. With this event I not only had the opportunity of meeting many interesting people but was showered with compliments. *blushing* 

120 tortilla cubes, 180 meatballs, 100 bavette skewers, 100 crudités bundles and 25 hours of labour later, the event can be deemed a success!

The campaign office doors opened, people were fed, people met, posters went up… the campaign is officially underway! 

An immense thank you goes to everyone who supported and helped me over that week, especially my better half who himself was busy with his own campaign prep. Most importantly, thank you Karim for giving me my first catering gig!

Sit back, relax and grab a glass of wine because this is going to be a long one, quite representative of how my prep week felt.

Wednesday at 5 pm, the night before Karim Boulos’ Campaign Launch event, I am rushing out of the office and over to the grocery store to pick up the last of the ingredients needed.

At 5:30 pm, I’m flaring up the BBQ to char the red bell peppers, roast the garlic, sear the bavette and cook the kefta meat balls.

Two hours later, help finally comes to the rescue! Together we start chopping, mixing, blending and skewering the various ingredients.

At 10:30 pm, the kitchen looks like a huge mess and we finally take a moment to sit and relax while the tortillas cook in the oven. Wine in hand, tired and exhausted from being hunched over cutting boards, blenders and food processors, we sit back and proudly glare at the result of our labour neatly packed in their respective plastic containers, ready to be prepped onto their serving trays. By 11 pm Layla heads home to catch some well deserved sleep but if she hadn’t offered to lend a hand (and a sandwich) I would have been up much later than I was.

At 11:15 pm, there is only one thing left to do: cut up the cucumbers, carrots, yellow bell peppers and scallions into juliennes, to have them ready to be wrapped in nori just before the event.

At 1 am, I’m lying in bed exhausted yet restless… still planning how the event will unfold later that day….

Tortilla Española, makes one

• Eight eggs
• One onion, chopped
• Two potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (about 1 cm)
• One chorizo sausage, cubed (about 1 cm)
• ½ tbsp paprika
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Begin by steaming or blanching the cubed potatoes until barely tender. You want the potatoes to hold their shape. If they start to break up they are overcooked. Strain, pat dry and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, the paprika, salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle some olive oil in a medium oven-proof skillet and bring up to a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent. You do not want the onions to brown. If they start gaining color, turn down the heat. Add the chorizo and potatoes, sauté a couple of minutes. Combine into the bowl containing the egg mixture and pour into the skillet. Cook until the bottom barely starts to set. Transfer skillet to the oven and allow the tortilla to cook through, about 30 minutes.

Remove the tortilla from the skillet by flipping it onto a plate (plate the plate over the skillet, then flip). This can be served hot or cold, in pie slices or cubes. Makes a great brunch or aperitif!

For this event, I needed to make three and I chose to serve the tortilla cold in bite-sized cubes, no dip necessary.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip, makes four cups

• Eight red or yellow or orange bell peppers
• Two tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cored
• One head of garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil + a few extra drizzles here and there as needed
• Salt and pepper 

On the grill or in the oven on broil, roast the peppers whole until skin is completely charred. Remove from grill or oven, put in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to cool before removing the skin and seeds. 

Slice the top of the heads of garlic, place on a piece of aluminum, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap it all up with the foil and throw it onto the grill or oven. Let the garlic cook for at least 30 minutes or until the cloves sweeten and caramelized. Remove from grill and allow to cool. 

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Score the bottom of the tomatoes with an X and drop into the pot of boiling water. Blanch for two minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the tomatoes and immerse them into a bowl of ice cold water. At this point the skins should peel off easily. Remove also the core and put into the food processor. 

Place the skinned and seeded peppers into the food processor, squeeze out the roasted garlic from its skin into the food processor, add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. If the mixture appears too thick, feel free to add more olive oil. Thickness of this dip depends on how you like it. You can also make it extra thick and use it as a spread. 

For this event, I used this recipe as a dip for my Kefta meat balls.

Chimichurri, makes about two cups

Let’s take a little trip down south, to a small place called Argentina. It the condiment used for all types of grilled meats. Used as a dipping sauce or a marinade, chimichurri is at the epicenter of Argentinean asados – aka. barbecue. After a few trial and errors I have come up with my own combination for chimichurri, one that is reminiscent of my many culinary experiences in Latin America.

• One bunch parsley, about 2 cups
• One bunch cilantro, about 2 cups
• Three garlic cloves
• One red hot pepper, finely chopped
• One lemon, juiced (about one tbsp)
• One cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

In a food processor, mix together the parsley, cilantro, olive oil and lemon juice. You want the mixture to create a smooth blend. For the hot pepper, I recommend finely hopping it by hand so that it doesn’t get lost into the mixture. Don’t forget your latex gloves for this part!

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. This mixture can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days but don’t forget to let it come to room temperature before serving since olive oil tends to congeal when cold.

For this event I grilled up some flank steak simply seasoned with salt and pepper, thinly sliced it and skewered bite size pieces onto a toothpick. I served it cold with the chimichurri as a dipping sauce. Chimichurri is great as a marinade or condiment on just about anything: beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, veggies…

Japanese Crudités Bundles

Crudités are always a staple snack food for any sort of event. There is a reason they have stuck around for so long, they are crunchy, healthy and foolproof, but who says you have to stick with the old fashioned carrots and celery with ranch dip. In an attempt to make things more interesting without adding too much complexity I decided to give it a Japanese twist.

For this recipe use a variety of raw vegetables that can be easily julienned into about 3 inch strips. Combine a variety of colors to maximize visual appeal. Create bite-size bundles and wrap it together with a strip of nori – seaweed paper normally used to make sushi. Mix up a dipping sauce and you’re ready to serve! Although this requires a little prep time, it is still a very simple dish that brings a lot to the table. People will be impressed, I promise. Here are the ingredients I used to put this dish together:

For the bundles: carrots, cucumbers, yellow bell pepper and scallions, all julienned and wrapped in a strip of nori. The nori is delicate and susceptible to moisture so try to work with dry hands, moistening your finger only to make the end of the strip wrapping stick together. You can use clean and dry scissors to cut the sheets of nori into strips. Play around with different sizes to see what works best for wrapping. Unfortunately these bundles cannot be prepared too much in advance or else the nori will get gummy and unpleasant.

For the dipping sauce: four parts soy sauce, one part sesame oil, one part mirin, hot pepper sliced horizontally (use as much or as little as you want), a few pinches of sesame seeds. Mix all ingredients together.

Black Olive Tapenade, makes one cup

• One can of black olives
• One garlic clove
• ¼ tbsp anchovy paste
• One small bunch parsley
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Pepper to taste

Strain the olives but preserve the liquid, it will come in handy if the mixture needs to be thinned out. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and mix until coarsely blended. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Adjust thickness of the tapenade by adding some of the preserved liquid. Serve with crackers or any type of bread.

Don’t forget to check the cans of olives at the grocery store and make sure you’re buying the pitted kind. Or else you will end up like I did on Wednesday night at 9pm, spending over 30 minutes removing the pits from each individual olive. Thanks to my lovely friend Layla who generously offered to help with the catering prep work and provided Boustan sandwiches, we got a dis-assembly line thing going and finished in no time.

If ever you are faced with the unfortunate task of having to remove pits from olives, grueling as it sounds, there actually is a trick to doing this easily. Using the flat part of a chef’s knife (it’s the large one with a wide blade), press down on the olives. This should slit the olives and enable the pit to slip out easily.

An immense thank you goes out to Layla for not only helping with the prep work, but also for providing good conversation, great company and lots of fun!

Naturally, I decided to post about brunch on a Sunday. Granted, this delightful quasi meal can be enjoyed any day of the week, it is most frequently visited on Sundays.

That being said, I can honestly say I’ve sampled some of the best brunch right here in New York City. I think a large selling point for most of the restaurants are their 90 minute ‘all you can drink’ options. Pair that with some eggs Benedict or juicy burger, and you have most sold. Don’t they say the best way to get over a hangover is to drink?!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of going to Maracas in the Village. For a whopping $15 I had a huge tostada filled with Mexican chicken (nice and spicy) with guacamole, sour cream and tons of veggies. Coupled with some strawberry margaritas and mimosas, I was in heaven. I then spent the next few hours lounging in Central Park. I don’t think I could have had a better Sunday.

That being said, brunch is truly one of the best meals – anything goes. You can get breakfast or lunch or even a combination of the two. Add in some drinks and you’re golden.

I urge everyone to get their brunch on. Drinks or no drinks, I can’t imagine a group being unable to find something appeasing to each individual’s taste. It really is a great way to connect with someone; over comforting foods on the earlier side of a day. Hey, it would be a great date too! Easy to cut off afterwards if things didn’t go as planned, but also just as easy to spend the rest of the day together.

I myself have spent too much of my time skipping breakfast or skirting around what I deemed to be appropriate breakfast fare. Now, however, I’m able to embrace breakfast, and more importantly brunch, on a whole. Breakfast is one of the great meals that really can be enjoyed anytime. Add it in later in a lazy Saturday or Sunday, even throw in some drinks, and I can’t imagine anything better. Unless, of course, there were cupcakes…

Bootsies 

I have walked past the place more than once but have never eaten there until today. A friends blog winemedinemecincinnati.com suggested it as part of Jeff Ruby’s promotion. Spend just $15 and get a $50 gift certificate to Jeff Ruby’s namesake restaurant. OK, twist my arm.

We parked around the corner and walked down the alley in between Trattoria’s and Nicholson’s on our way to the restaurant with the bright yellow umbrellas beckoning from above. Using space efficiently, there is one restaurant downstairs another upstairs (Bootsie’s) and yet another next door physically attached (Nicholson’s).

We walked up the stairs, not that easy for someone with a sprained ankle, where we were met with bright yet warm colors, prints of musical celebrities and a lighted bar. Off to the right you’ll find the outdoor seating and straight ahead is a seriously cool bar that is lit up and apparently children friendly during daylight hours, with a little boy struggling to sit still on one of the bar chairs. The seating desk is set off to the right behind the bar where we were asked our preference of dining. While we waiting I looked around. Spanish mosaic tiles and painted doors, colored glass globes hanging from all over, lots of reds, rusts and browns, definitely bright without being overwhelming. Typical colors of the more Latin cultures. Latin music. Sounded a bit like the Gypsy Kings. I couldn’t help but dance a little in place.

We chose inside for our first visit. Lots of fun but extremely loud, I think that I would like to try the outdoor seating next time. The first thing that I see as we are walked in to the dining area is a large jar of jelly beans and the different styles of seating. There are two different bar areas that you can be seated at. One is the sushi bar (you can watch the presentation of plating and the sushi being made here) and another one looking over the kitchen area. Booths up away from the hustle and more tables using marble as their surface. Lots of graphic patters like the one above us with it’s colors and patterns. There is a lot going on and I have yet to decide if it works or if it’s too much. I think that I will need another visit!

We sat at a marble table, which actually looked out at the kitchen, clad in red tile, as well as the heating table, kept company by gold mermaids holding the trays that would deliver the food if not served by hand. Here, I had the opportunity to watch all that was going on. If you would prefer something more away from the food preparation, you may like one of the booths. For me, this was really exciting. Something I found particularly interesting is watching the plates of food being inspected for perfection prior to being placed onto the heating area for delivery.

The service is outstanding and you don’t have to wait on just one person for everything. Who ever was available if your server was not (this included the manager) was there to take care of your every need. I wonder if it was the same outside? Our service was an adorable girl named Gina who was very much perfect for the position. She actually had an 8 top table next to us and I noticed when she delivered the checks (they all got separate ones!), she did not even need to ask who’s was who’s. I could never remember all of that. Perhaps, she doesn’t have mommy brain. Or, perhaps she is just that good.

Now, in regards to the food. I ordered the duck tacos and my husband the Bento Box. The Miso soup that came first was seasoned well and was nice and hot. The rest of the food came rather quickly, which is great for a lunch crowd. Presentation was also good. My dish came with three tacos and chips. It didn’t look like that much food until I was almost finished with the third taco and didn’t have any room left over for desert. The flavor and textures were amazing. Not gamy and well seasoned. The lettuce was laid in first with the shredded duck next and then a mix of sweet onion, tomato and fresh cilantro. The slight tang from the lime juice combined the flavors well and the different textures I found pleasing.

The Bento Box is really neat and well, really comes in a box. Separated in to sections, one had steamed rice, one 4 pieces of sushi, pickled ginger, wasabi and your choice of shrimp tempura, terriaki steak or a third choice of some kind of chicken. My husband chose the steak and said it was really good but may be a little heavily flavored. Otherwise, everything in his entree was cooked nicely.

Although supposedly Spanish (?), the menu offered Japanese and Cuban food, soups, salads, sandwiches, meats and pasta. There really is a little bit of everything for each taste without being too much. Between that and the welcoming feel of the place, I will definitely be returning.

Thanks Julie for the post and thanks Gina for the outstanding service!

This is the part I like to refer to as “What the hell have I gotten myself into?!?!?!”

In the past couple weeks I have been volunteering – aka supporting my better half – in the municipal electoral campaign for M. Karim Boulos as City Councilor for the district of Peter-McGill. In the midst of helping with translations, doing door to door drop offs of reusable shopping bags for a “plastic bag free Montreal” and simply lending a hand here and there, the discussion of the Campaign Launch event came up. On a whim, the words “I’ll cater your event for you!” slipped off my tongue before my brain realized the implications of what I said. 

Before I know it my inner planner kicks in to high gear and I’m sending out menu items for a cold cocktail buffet. With the menu feedback I am also given the following parameters: there will anywhere between 60 to 100 people attending, the cocktail is this upcoming Thursday at 6pm, less than 6 days away, and there is no available budget. At this point, the inner planner slips into near-panic mode. I have never ever performed anything even close to this kind of reception. I’ve had prepared many 5 course dinner parties for 10 or more people, I have prepared eggs Benedict for more than 15 people for Jon’s birthday, but this kind of magnitude was way beyond my experience. I had no idea how much to prepare, how many dishes to present or how to manage with zero budget. 

I decided to set a menu with items I was comfortable with and had previously prepared on more than one occasion. Of course, my creative side likes to show its colours in these types of situations so I came up with a different take on the fool-proof and oh-so-boring crudités platter and ranch dip: julienned veggies wrapped in nori served with a soy sesame dipping sauce – aka. Japanese Crudités Bundles. 

Hell bent on getting this accomplished properly, I armed myself with my menu, ingredient list, shopping bags and headed to the market for my first round of shopping. Cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers (red and yellow), hot peppers, lemons, parsley, cilantro, scallions, garlic, 3 kg of Kefta meat = $45. Next stop is the dollar store for supplies. Napkins, toothpicks, tongs, plastic serving platters = $11.85. Final stop is the grocery store to pick up the menu’s staples. Eggs, potatoes, onions, chorizo, bavette (or flank steak), nori, sesame oil, soy sauce, black olives, anchovy paste, olive oil = $72.37. 

Total cost so far is $129.22. Whoohoo! Mission one accomplished! I must keep reminding myself that I am not feeding a meal to these people, simply providing a little something to nibble on while they mingle, and assuming only 60 people show up then $2.15 a head is not a bad deal! 

In any case, after the food prep frenzy I will have a better idea of what individual portions will look like. 

Here is the final menu that will be featured at Karim Boulos’ Campaign Launch event, this Thursday, September 17^th, 2009: 

Tortilla Española

(eggs, potatoes, chorizo, onions, paprika, olive oil, salt and pepper)

 Kefta Meatballs / Roasted Red Peppers

(Halal Kefta meat / red bell pepper, tomato, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper)

 Grilled Bavette / Chimichurri

(beef / parsley, cilantro, hot peppers, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper)

Japanese Crudité Bundles / Soy Sesame

(nori, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, scallions / soy, sesame oil, hot peppers, sesame seeds)

Black Olive Tapenade / Flat Bread

(black olives, anchovy paste, garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper / courtesy of Arouch)

A pocket of Spanish suburbia hardly seems the spot for a new swine flu battlefront, but an eatery in a shopping mall outside Madrid claims to be the world’s first restaurant with a specific plan to protect against the disease.

Food servers at Silk&Soya have their temperature taken before starting their shifts, menus are washed after each use, and tables in the dining room are set a bit further apart than usual.  The restrooms are rigged so customers don’t have to fiddle with doorknobs, faucets or light switches: the door’s always open, water starts flowing when you approach the sink, and the lights turn on when you walk in.  The servers never handle plates of food with their bare hands, using cloth napkins instead. And the elevator leading to the rooftop restaurant features a dispenser that squirts a blue disinfectant which evaporates as you wring your hands.

Between the lunch and dinner rushes, the restaurant opens its windows for a few hours to ventilate.

Cipri Quintas, the 43-year-old owner of the Asian-style restaurant overlooking a busy highway in Alcobendas, just north of Madrid, is aware it all may smack of a publicity stunt.

But he insists the program cost him money — he paid a Spanish consulting firm euro1,000 ($1,500) to design it — and continues to cut into his bottom line: roomier dining rooms mean fewer tables and less revenue.

As Spain’s and other governments around the world brace for a spike in swine flu cases with the onset of colder weather, Quintas said it is hard not to be spooked by the disease, which has killed at least 25 people in Spain with a reported 10,000 Spanish citizens being infected a week.

Quintas says he has received dozens of inquiries from Spanish restaurant owners and other business people since implementing the program last month, but he seriously doubts anyone comes to his place just because it’s squeaky clean.

Fernando Blazquez, son of one of Madrid’s most famed restaurateurs, Lucio Blazquez, now plans to implement similar steps at his own watering hole after speaking to Quintas. “Anything in the way of prevention is positive,” the younger Blazquez said.

Representatives of the World Health Organization and the World Tourism Organization were in Madrid in late August for a meeting on swine flu, and later stopped by Silk&Soya to have a look at the action plan.

“It goes in the right direction, and it would be good if other restaurants took such measures,” said one of those representatives, Guenael Rodier, WHO’s director for International Health Regulation Coordination.