Recipe of the day: Black trumpet mushroom quiche

You know how some people get excited buying clothes?  Or electronics?  I get really excited when I find a new and completely useful cookbook.  It becomes an obsession.  I lovingly read it as soon as I get home, turning the pages and salivating at all the pictures, trying to decide which one I am going to tackle first.  Well, that happened to me last week, twice.  I found this great book by Michel Roux called "Pastry".  It is absolutely delicious.  Every recipe is worth a try, and of course, being a book about pastry, they are all low fat/calorie/sugar etc.  (I WISH, now that would be a dream come true.)   And you know that pastry is what the french do best, well, besides champagne, of course!  So, there were so many pastries that I wanted to try, and when I get excited like this, I want to do them all at once, which of course would cause all my family and friends to have a sudden heart attack.

So anyhow, I decided to try the Pate Brisee, which is your basic pastry for quiche.  The recipe was for your typical Quiche Lorraine, but I had some black trumpet mushrooms at home, so I wanted to make a quiche out of them.  What I love about them is that when you cook them, they release their juice and it becomes this thick, rich sauce....and if you add wine, or port or anything that tickles your fancy, some salt and pepper, this by itself can be a sauce for meat, chicken, or pasta.  If you can get your hands on some of these mushrooms, please please please make this quiche!  It is soo easy and you will be so surprised at how absolutely scrumptious this is!  So here you go!

Pate Brisee:

250g Flour (approx 1 1/4 cup)
150g butter (approx 1/2 cup) softened and cut into cubes
1 Tbsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp. cold milk

Place half of the flour on a clean surface and make a well.  Place the butter, egg and the salt into the well and with the tip of your fingers, mix and blend into the flour.  Little by little, add the rest of the flour and blend until you get a grainy texture.  Add the milk little by little and mix with the tip of your fingers until the dough start to come together.  With the palm of your hand, knead until it becomes firm.  Form into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.


Black trumpet mushroom quiche:

375g of Pate Brisee (what you made before)
2 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, cut in half and sliced thinly horizontally
200g black trumpet mushrooms, cleaned of all dirt and roughly chopped
1/4 cup of ruby port
1 egg
2 egg yolks
300 ml creme fraiche
pinch of nutmeg
freshly gound salt and peper
140g provolone cheese, grated

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the shallots, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Raise the heat up to high, and add the mushrooms, stirring until they soften a bit.  With the heat on high still, add your port and flambee until the alcohol evaporates.   Cook for another 4-5 minutes, making sure the liquid doesn´t evaporate, turn off heat, set aside to cool.

Roll your dough out to a large circle, 2 mm thick.  Butter your quiche tin, and place the dough into your tin.  Cut the overhanging dough, and press the dough into the sides.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.   
Preheat your oven to 190º (375 F), with a fork pinch your dough all over, and cover with parchment and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven temp to 170º (350 F) and discard parchment and weights (well, save them but just take them off your pastry) and bake for another 5 minutes.  Take out of the oven and set aside while you make the rest of the filling.

In a large bowl, add your egg, yolks, creme fraiche and add your nutmeg and salt and pepper, mix vigorously for about 5 minutes.  Stir in your mushrooms and mix to combine.  Put the mixture into your pre-baked crust, scatter the grated cheese on top, and pop in the oven.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the center of your quiche isn't wobbly anymore.  To check if its done, place the knife tip into the center and see if it comes out clean.  Let cool and transfer to a serving plate.

I like to serve it with a side salad of Mache, with just a little extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt and pepper, and a lovely glass of wine......

Bon appetit!

Restaurant: Cheriff

The Barceloneta, Barcelona´s fishing village, is one of the greatest places to go have lunch.  I love the area itself, its narrow tree lined streets, the many stores, bars and little restaurants that have so much history.  It also is home to 8 of my favorite spots....yes, count them, 8!!!  If I had to choose where to have lunch or dinner or drinks with my friends or family, any day of the week, but especially on Sundays, it would be the Barceloneta.  The last post talked about my favorite seafood restaurant, which is located at the end of the "Paseo".  This one, is at the beggining, on Calle Ginebra (which is Gin....and you all know how much I love Gin).  This street holds three of my favorite places, and the street before it has another. 

So, lets get on to the food.  Cheriff is one of the classic Paella and seafood restaurants in Barcelona.  Its old world charm stays true today, and every time I have been there, it is chock full of business men, families, friends and the odd tourist couple sampling their finest dish, the Paella. 

When you think of Paella, you think of Spain.  The only problem, is that you can get really crappy Paella everywhere, and it is really hard to get a good Paella outside of Valencia or someone´s home.  In Barcelona, we like our seafood paella.  Now, the stuff you get in the states, which is usually chicken and shrimp, really does not exist.  The typical Valencian Paella is rabbit and chicken with vegetables, and then there are the seafood ones, which usually have cuttlefish, clams, shrimp and norwegian lobster. 
Cheriff's paellas are truly special.  Here, they only serve the seafood variety, ranging from the ones described above to lobster paellas.  And the best part, is that it is really inexpensive, you can share a paella for 15 € per person, but obviously the lobster ones are market price. 

I first came to Cheriff because of my very good friend Albert.  He is Mexican, but his family is of Catalan descent.  My first impressions of the locale were mixed, the decor itself reminded me of an outdated Red Lobster (to all you europeans, this is a very cheap seafood chain all over the states), but it had a certain charm to it, especially when you see the owner and chef, a jolly,corpulent lady in her fifties.  It made me realize that this was truly, homemade food.  This last time I went though, Albert and I opted for the Fideua, which is kind of like a seafood Paella, but with short thin noodles instead, and a lovely side of Allioli....yummmm.

We started off our lunch with a bottle of Cava, as all good Catalans do.  Then we ordered the fried baby squid as a starter.  This is much like fried calamari, but only tiny and whole.  When it is done right, they are crispy and light and battered and fried to perfection.  Cheriff is definately a place where you can have one of the best fried baby squid in Barcelona.  You can get this almost everywhere, but most of the time they will be soggy, or just tast of oil, or maybe not even that small......I highly reccomend them here.  We chose to have this, but as starters there is an infinite variety of seafood that you can choose, from steamed mussels, clams, razor clams, tuna, anchovies, cockles, etc.  I could go on and on, and trust me, they are all fabulous.

Then, it was time for our Fideua.  I personally love this dish, when made well, it is truly sublime.  It isn´t Michelin star food, but whoa nelly, its what you wish your grandma would make you on a sunny Sunday afternoon! (If you like seafood, that is)  Now, the fideua here is extremely good, better than most restaurants, but I have to say, it is not the best I have tasted.  It was beautifully presented to us, at the table before serving, which is tradition here with paellas and fideua's.   The one thing I missed, is the noodles standing up on end, which is what happens when you put this in the oven.  See, Fideua has a process.  First you pan fry the noodles so they become brown.  Then you add your fish stock and the rest of the ingredients, cook a bit more until the stock is almost reduced, and then you place it in a hot oven until the noodles stand up....it really is a beautiful thing.

This fideua was lacking in that one detail.  The tast was spectacular though, and the allioli was freshly made, which is always a plus.  Nothing ruins a dish like store bought allioli.

It was an amazing meal, that I have to admit.  And I implore all of you to try Cheriff if you make it down here.  Because you will be highly disappointed in any other Paella you try in Barcelona, especially the ones on the Ramblas, which are frozen.  The greatest thing about having lunch or dinner in Barceloneta, is being able to take a stroll to digest the copious amounts of food you have consumed.  Then, make a stop at the FOC cocteleria, they serve all types of delicious cocktails, and take in the gorgeous sunset over the Old Port of Barcelona.  Simply, maaahvelous darling.

Tootles and stay tuned for the next post!

Cheriff Restaurant

Calle Ginebra 15

Tel. 933 100 760

Restaurant : El Suquet de L'Almirall

There are few places in Barcelona that I go to time and time again.  El Suquet de L'Almirall is one of them.  It is my favorite restaurant here in Barcelona, and I am also inclined to say that I think it is the best fish restaurant in the city.

Anytime I have an out of town guest, I bring them here, and the true test of its greatness is the fact that my out of town guests reccomend it to their friends when they travel to Barcelona.
I love it because it is right on the esplanade in front of the old port, in summer, the views are unbeatable.  The ambience is relaxing, and if you can get a table on their terrace in summer, or winter for that matter, it makes for some terrific people watching.
I have been coming to this place for 7 years, and it never tires me.  I find that the food is always excellent, and it should be, because the owner and chef, Quim Marqués, is of the Bulli school.

They have great tasting menus, and their a la carte selction of starters and fish and the most superb rice dishes is gorgeous.  What I always like to do though, is tell Quim or Manel ( who is also a good friend of mine and also a magnificent chef ) to surprise me.  And I have never, ever been let down. 

Two nights ago, my good foodie friend Emmanuel, stopped by into town.  The first time he came, I brought him here, and he couldn´t stop raving about the food.  So, we were due a repeat performace, since we hadn´t been here together in over a year.

We were not let down.  My glorious journey of catalan classics with a twist was utterly divine, and I am going to share it all with you. 

First we had our starters:

Oysters on the half shell from the Island of Olerón, whose taste and special green color is due to a presence of an algea in the "claires", (which are small ponds in clay fields) where they mature instead of the regular saline banks.  They usually serve it with a spray of vinegar made from "Augustí Torrelló Mata", which is a cava (Catalan Champagne) producer.  You can add the spray yourself, natch.

Buñuelos de Bacalao (cod fritters).  This is a staple item present in almost any fish restaurant in Spain.  The difference between the fritters in a normal restaurant and this one, is that in normal ones, it is basically a fritter with pieces of cod mushed in with the batter, so it kind of just tastes like a batter fritter.  At El Suquet, they take a gorgeous, large chunk of cod, and batter it with a light and airy tempura batter.  I say this with absolute authority, they are THE BEST COD FRITTERS IN BARCELONA.  Of course, with your side of "Pa amb tomaquet", crispy country bread spread with tomatoes.  Delicious.....mmmm, getting hungry.

Then to the right you can see a tall glass that had a balsamic reduction on the bottom layer, with hummus and topped with very thin slices of perfectly cooked tuna, rare on the inside and seared on the outside.  It is refreshing and different all at the same time.

Then we had a plate of fried baby shrimp with Romesco Sauce.

Romesco is a sauce that accompanies fish, seafood and most notable, Calçots, which are spring onions.  We'll talk about that in another blog.  This sauce has its origins in antiquity, it is said it was first elaborated after Columbus brought back the Romesco Peppers from the new world.  It is delcious, it has this smokey taste due to the peppers, balanced out with the sweetness from the hazelnuts and walnuts.  The shrimp were exquisite bite sized morsels, which could be eaten whole due to the light crispy batter it had, and the smidgen of sauce on the bottom lent the whole dish another quality.  It took us like two minutes to eat the whole plate.

Then it was on to the pan seared scallops with Porcini mushrooms.

This was a delightful version of the catalan tradition of "Mar y Muntanya" which translates to Sea and Mountain (their version of our American classic, Surf and Turf).  Usually Mar y Muntanya is rabbit and norwegian lobster, but due to the prolonged mushroom season we have been having, this was an unexpected and creative take on the typical classic.

This was one of my favorites of the night, Razor Clams with truffle oil.  I would never have thought of combining the two, since razor clams on their own have this delicate sweet flavor.  But the addition of the truffle oil was just magnificent.  And the presentation, I think, is really original but nonetheless, traditional, since razor clams and mussels etc. can be bought in the stores in tins like these.

This is the last of our tapas, "Pop amb Cap i Pota"  Pop is octopus in catalan, and cap translates to head, and pota to foot.  This is a hearty stew that is traditionally made with pigs feet and cheek, or from veal, and some veggies.  The addition of the octupus I thought was genius.  It was sooooo good.  My friend Emmanuel was drooling just from the look of it, and when he took the first bite, he said that "this was his comfort food" it reminded him of dishes from his homeland, Greece.  The octopus was cooked to perfection, and the zucchini and eggplant were fork tender, not gooey and overdone as you would imagine in a stew.  The tomato sauce was rich because of the chunks of pork added to it.  Really, this was probably the best dish of the night.  Emmanuel enjoyed it so much, you could have mistaken his bowl of cap i pota for a clean one!

After this, we had our main, Pan seared Sea Bass over veggies.  I am sorry to say, that in our excitement, we forgot to take a picture.  As always, the fish was perfect.  There is nothing better than eating fish that is the star.  When you have fish as fresh as El Suquet does, you really don´t need to cover it with any sauce, because it needs to be the protagonist.  They cook it to perfection, so that it is flaky but not dry, juicy, just, well, perfect.  I with that I had another adjective to be able to describe it, but my suggestion is that if you make it out here, just come and try it yourself.  You'll understand.

Then for dessert, we had "Tarta de Santiago" which is an almond tarte, and a cheese plate. 

I love nothing better than to finish off my meal with a cheese plate.  I don't understand people who don't like cheese.  If I were stranded on a desert island, forget the coconuts.  I want cows and sheep and goats, cause you know I would learn how to make cheese.  And I would be fat and happy.  That is my stand on cheese.  I could eat it every night, and I love discovering new cheeses.  It was a beautiful and well thought out selection, ranging from a soft delicate cow's cheese to a spicy goat cheese, accompanied by "Membrillo", Quince paste.

So, fellow readers.  If you ever come and visit me, or Barcelona, please don´t leave without making a stop at "El Suquet de L'Almirall".  Its like coming to Barcelona and not seeing Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. 

Today for lunch, I am going with my friend Albert to another Barcelona classic, "Cheriff", where they make the best Paella's in town.  Stay tuned, cause you know I'll tell you about it!

El Suquet de L'Almirall

Passeig Joan de Borbo 65

Barceloneta

+34 932 216 233

Recipe of the day: Turkey Croquettes

WARNING:  You must have enough free time to tackle this recipe.  I myself have never made them before, and although I have to admit at one point I just wanted to grab all the bowls and throw them across the kitchen, I am really really happy with the end result!

Croquettes are an institution here in Spain.  You can get them almost at any restaurant or bar, you can find them in your freezer ailse in every supermarket, but homemade ones, two words.  THEY ROCK!
Croquettes here are made from ham, chicken, spinach, there are infinate possibilities.  Normally, families now buy them from delis, the market etc.  But I can imagine mothers and grandmothers 20 years ago lovingly making them for their families.  It is a long and arduous process, not because of the difficulty, but because it is extremely time consuming and repetitive.  All the basic ingredients are right there, in your pantry, but the process in itself is painstakingly tedious.  As I said, if you have alot of time, and want to try something different this year, I suggest you make the time, because once you try one of your homemade croquettes, you will be hooked.  And, you can freeze them easily and have them on hand for your next party, dinner or whatever, and your guests are going to ooh and aaah after tasting them! 

The main ingredient that makes the croquette so delicious and smooth is the bechamel sauce, or white sauce.  This is the glue that holds the whole little package together.  Since I also had gravy left over, I decided to use two parts gravy and one part milk to make the sauce.  Let me tell you, it was like having a bite size plate of thanksgiving dinner!  Sooo soo soo good.  Really.  Now, I am no expert on the actual process, and in theory, I think with some more practice, the shape could be alot better,  but the taste was superb!  So, I invite all of you to try it this year, and I promise you, you'll be really happy with your croquettes!

Recipe: Approx 30 croquettes

4 cups left over turkey, picked off the bone and shredded
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
2 cups gravy
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
Flour, for dredging
Breadcrumbs, for coating
Sunflower oil, for frying

Place your shredded turkey in a bowl, set aside.  In a deep sauce pan, over very low heat (lowest setting on your cooktop) melt the butter.  When it starts to bubble, add the flower and whisk until smooth, which is called a Roux.  It should look something like this:

Keep whisking over very low heat, for about 10 minutes.  If you don´t really want to spend so much time, you can cook it for 2-3 minutes or so, but cooking it for at least 10 minutes guarantees that the flour will be cooked through.  It is imperative that you whisk constantly, making sure that it doesn´t change color, or burn.  If you feel like it is cooking too fast, lift your saucepan off the fire and continue whisking, and place it back down.  If it burns you WILL be able to taste it once the bechamel is done.  Slowly pour in your gravy, then your milk, and whisk until it is completely mixed.  Now switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly until it becomes really thick, 15 minutes approx.  Test the thickness by taking a spoonful and pour it back into the mixture, and drizzle zig zags.  If the zig zags stay on top, then you know it´s done.  Take off the heat, and add your salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Mix the sauce into your turkey, a little at a time.  You want enough to coat all the turkey, but not too much so that it is really liquidy.  You want it to kind of have the consistency of really soft mashed potatoes, but it should be firm enough to handle. I put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, so it would harden up a bit.

So.....on to the tedious bit.  I suggest you grab a friend, a bottle of wine, and put on some great music.  Cause this is going to take a while depending on how much turkey you have.

In one bowl, place your flour, then next to it, have your eggs, and then your bread crumbs, and then a bowl of water, so you can rinse your hands after each croquette, and an empty pan or tray, kind of like a factory line.  The first bowl should be your turkey.  Now, dust your hands with flour, and grab a bit of your turkey mix, and shape it into a little log, dredge it in the flour, shape it a bit more, dip it in the egg, and then roll around in the breadcrumbs.  Place it on your empty tray, and rinse your hands.  Repeat all of this until they are all done.

Now, don´t worry if they look lumpy, once you fry them, they will take on that "professional" shape, albeit they won´t look perfect.   But you don´t want them to, cause they're homemade!

You can either deep fry them, or pan fry them.  I think pan frying is probably healthier (if anything fried can be healthy) or if you really really really want to, bake them in the oven, but it just won´t be the same.  If you pan fry, roll them over so they brown on all sides, even the ends.  Place on a paper towel to drain.  If you aren´t making them immediately, you can freeze them for up to a month.

Trust me, it will take time, but it is well worth it!  Enjoy!

Recipe of the day: Slow roasted tomato soup

Ahhh.....tomato soup.  Nothing makes me feel more yummy than a hot bowl with the ubiquitous grilled cheese sandwhich.  For me, this is one of the great American classics, truly being able to meld some great staples, tomatoes, cheese, bread and of course.....butter.

I remember the first time I tried tomato soup, it was in the Zurich airport, of all places.  My roommate from high school, Jayne, and I were crossing the pond to go home for the holidays, and we had a lengthy layover in the aforementioned airport.  In the dingy airport lounge, she wanted tomato soup.  I had never tried it before, and as adventurous as I am now, as a child and teenager, my limitations on food were plentiful.  As a child I even went so far as to have numerous food "allergies"....my favorite memory of this was at my globetrotting friend Alice`s house, whose parents had so generously invited me over to dinner, only to serve Cous-cous (which I had never ever heard of).  When I saw the bowl of that glorious semola, I thought it looked like sand.  I promptly stated that I was "allergic" to cous-cous.  Ok, I was 11 or 12, and had no idea that I could possibly be a celiac, but that was highly doubtful since I consumed large quantities of pasta on a weekly basis, coming from a part Italian family.

Back to the airport, I remember perfectly the moment when the server placed our tomato soups in front of us.  My first thought was, it's so pretty.  That gorgeous red creamy liquid, topped with a dollop of sour cream, or most probably creme fraiche, and sprinkled with chopped chives.  All that steaming splendor wafting into my nostrils making me salivate even before I had tried it, for the first time I remind you.  Hence, after my first spoonful, I was most definately, absolutely hooked.  In the years to come, at college, I could never replicate that soup, because I imagine its like a drug addict, you are constantly looking for that first high.  I tried so many different canned versions, but none had that same, je ne sais quois, that led me on the road to pure love with my tomato soup.  On a trip to New York, I read in a guide that there was this tiny restaurant in the village that served the best tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.....now that, I thought, is sheer genius!  Who doesn´t love a buttery fresh off the grill cheese sandwhich?  I made the trek down to the village, and placed my order.  I could hardly wait, the minutes ticked by like hours, and finally....there she was, my bowl of homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwhich. 

What a disappointment.  The soup was so far from homemade, chunks of canned tomato in this brackwater broth, overdosed with oregano.  And the grilled cheese.....well, the only way you can mess up a grilled cheese is to use kraft singles, (to you Europeans....it isn't even cheese, they call it processed cheese food) which they did, and for it to be soggy, which it was. 

So, last night, having a hankering for tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwhich, I decided to make my own ACTUAL home made version.  I think it turned out to be brilliant, it even had that lovely reddish orange color that I loved, but I decided to use a different garnish, just cause I loooooove avocados.  So, here goes the recipe:

Slow roasted tomato soup
Serves 2

7 plum tomatoes or vine ripe (get the reddest ripest ones you can find, plum works best because it has less seeds and more pulp)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/8 cup light cream
1/2 hass avocado, chopped into 1 inch cubes, for garnish (you can use an infinate amount of ingredients for garnish, oh, like bacon, basil, thyme, chives, fennel, bread crumbs, goat cheese....I could go on and on)

Preheat your oven to 300 deg. farenheit (150 celsius).  Wrap your oven roasting tray in tinfoil, and put the tomatoes on the tray and pop into the oven.  Roast for at least an hour. When done, take them out of the oven and let them cool.  When they are cold enough to handle, peel them, chop them into quarters and seed them, but place all the seeds and the liquid that comes out into a bowl, reserve. Meanwhile, chop your onion, and in a frying pan add the olive oil.  When it´s hot, add the onion and sauté over low heat until transluscent, 10-15 minutes.  Bring you stock to a boil in another saucepot, and then lower to a simmer.  When your onion is soft, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 mins. approx.  Then add your tomato quarters, and strain the seeds to you get all the liquid into the frying pan.  Mush the tomatoes with the back of the spoon as you are cooking.  Add a little salt, and cook for about 10-15 minutes.  When all the flavors are melded together, place your tomato mix into the saucepan with your broth, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, for at least 20 minutes.  When done, with an immersion blender ( or regular one if you don´t have an immersion blender) puree until it is really really smooth.  Take off the heat and mix in the cream, taste for salt, add the pepper.  Serve into the bowls and add the chopped avocado, and have yourself a delicious grilled cheese dipped into your fresh and easy tomato soup!  Bon appetit!

BTW, tomorrow, I am going to attempt to make turkey croquettes, in honor of my current country of residence, to make good use of all that leftover turkey!

MOments at the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona

After friday nights Bachanal.......my wonderful boyfriend had a surprise in store for me. It was my official birthday dinner, and we were able to get a table to MOments, belonging to the famed Carme Ruscalleda's  (3 star Michelin) son, on the third night of the opening of the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona.  This was a complete secret, and you can imagine how excited I was to be one of the lucky ones to go so soon after it opened.  From the moment we walked in, it was pure luxury.  The hotel itself is situated right on Paseo de Gracia, in an old bank building.  We were escorted to the restaurant, and from star to finish, the service was impeccable.  There has to be something said about service in Barcelona, it is notoriously lacking in good service in the restaurant industry.  Generally, waitstaff here treat you as if they are doing YOU a favour, and if you garner up the guts to ask for something like, let´s say, a fork, beware you will receive a look of complete disdain....I mean, who needs a fork to eat right?

So, I was so full, so tired of eating, but oh my....once I saw the tasting menu, I mean, hey what´s nine more courses on a full stomach?  I can always forgo eating for the rest of my life, but tonight, BRING IT ON.

I have to say, that the restaurant was so beautifully decorated, the menus, the charger plates, the glasses.....so perfect, and at the same time, so soothing.

Isn´t it gorgeous?  So these are the ratings for the items I ate, and I won´t include pictures of them all, just my favorites.

* Great

** Excellent

*** Sublime

Novembers Amuse Bouche:

Mixed mushroom and "butifarra" (sausage) croquette* - it was good, but it lacked a bit of "umph"

"Japonica Rice" Sushi style rice with anchovy, green olive and pine nuts - lower right in picture

Salted marzipan with spiced wine and manchego cheese *** - I thought the combination sounded odd, but you popped this little morsel in your mouth, and the immediate taste was the saltiness of the manchego cheese, then the soft marzipan and then BOOM....all that lovely spiced wine just filled your mouth!

Rabbit "escabeche" with mandarin oranges *** - This was one of the best dishes of the night, escabeche is a type of brine, that flavours, but at the same time it conserves whatever it is you are using by the acid, spice and oil.  I'm not including a picture, because frankly....it does it no justice.

First Courses:
Salt cod three ways with sausage broth and black pudding crisp *

Scallops with artichoke three ways *** - Definately my favourite of the first courses, and the main meal.  I personally love artichoke, I could eat it until my stomach explodes.  The sweetness of the scallops, that were perfectly pan seared balanced the saltiness of the fried artichoke crips, with the tender hearts in a smooth artichoke broth.  Gorgeous.

Red mullet stuffed with sauteéd vegetables over a saffron cream

Meat course:

Venison loin with berries and potato "millefuille" ** - This was delicious, especially when you mixed the venison with the berries.  I could have definately had a second plate of this!

Then we moved on to the cheese course.  I was really impressed by the selection of cheeses, the presentation, and the accompaniments.  We were given this cute little card, with the explanation of the cheeses and the order of which we were supposed to eat it.

Then there was the dessert course.  I have to say, this was my absolute favorite of the whole night.  It was the plate that surprised me the most, and made me re-think of the use of certain elements and taste combinations.  When I describe it, dear reader, you are probably going to gag a bit, but trust me, oh do, that this was the most refreshing and delicious thing I have tasted in a long long time.

IKEBANA ******* (have to give it like a million stars)  Vanilla ice cream, over avocado and onion, with vinegar cheese atop a sweet filo crisp, in a cider and olive oil sauce.  Words CANNOT describe how beautifully the different tasted intermingled.  This was a true test of the chef´s genius abilitly to think outside the box and happily introduce us to new ways of enjoying our desserts.  Bravo, I say, bravo.

Then after this, they brought out a small cake to celebrate my birthday.  It was good, but honestly, after Ikebana, everything seemed to pale in comparison.  There was even a chocolate dessert that I have failed to mention, which was very good, but after tasting Ikebana, it just seemed, well, normal.

It was a magical night, I can´t beleive that I was able to walk at all after two nights of marathon eating.  Somehow, I made it home that night, and promptly plopped myself onto the sofa, and fell into a food induced coma.

Inopia Tapas Bar and XIX Gins and Cocktails

Last night for my birthday, Paolo took me to my favorite tapas bar in Barcelona.

Inopia Classic Bar.

I personally think it is the best tapas restaurant in Barcelona. It is owned by Albert Adria, El Bulli´s famous pastry chef and brother of Ferran Adria. Everytime I go, I am always suprised by the amazing quality of all the food, and even though the menu doesn´t change except for their daily specials, it always surprises me. In the picture, is Gorka, my friend who works at the door, and in the past, used to sing out the tapas that were finishing.

The bar is standing room only, but for the one table that seats 12. You have to reserve it well in advance though, since its usually booked months before.

Last night, I had my usual. Started off with the Olive mix, then on to "Matrimonio" which is an white anchovy fillet on top of a normal one. The intermingling taste atop a slice of fresh, crusty bread with tomatoes is mouthwatering. Then, we had the "Ensaladilla Russa" which is a potato salad with tuna, eggs, olives and red pepper. I think that Inopia has the best one in town. Then we had the fried shrimp....I can´t explain how amazing this dish is. The batter is so unique, I was explained that it is almost a trade secret, the way they marinate the shrimp in the batter, softens the shell so you can pop the whole thing in your mouth, giving you this crispy crusty morsel of deliciousness.....no words. Then on to the daily special, which were porcini mushroom fritters, oh my God. It was like a party in my mouth. Amazing. Then of course, the "Patatas Bravas" which is fried potatoes with a spicy sauce and Alioli.

The best part about Inopia though, is that across the street is my favorite bar of all, XIX. It is a small bar on the corner of Tamarit and Rocafort, and it's unique for its tremendous selection of Gins. I am a gin aficionado. It is a philosophy. Before or after dinner, a stop here is well worth it. Not only for its selection of gins, but because Mike, (top picture) owner of the bar, prepares them so lovingly. You can´t imagine what a pleasure it is to see someone prepare your cocktail this way, it's a show in itself. I'm not going to give the details of what he does, because seeing it for the first time with your own eyes is something not to be missed. Suffice to say, that each gin has different ingredients, and each Gin and Tonic is prepared differently to make your sipping experience all the better. I highly highly highly recommend the two places, as a fantastic night out in Barcelona!

Check ya later,

C

Thanksgiving day massacre

I am about to shoot someone, something, somehow. Woke up this morning, lo and behold, no gas. So, that means no hot water, and no cooking. AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!!

Anyhow, I am trying to be a calm person and am praying that they don´t decide to switch it off tomorrow as well, since I am celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. Anyhow, went to the market to pick up the Turkeys, two beautiful 12 lb birds from my lovely turkey lady, Maria Jose, whose picture you can see above. Then, went to my vegetable guy, to get the rest of my veggies, and the cranberries. 11 freakin euros. They knocked off a euro for me cause they know me, but 11 freakin euros????

Ok, deep breaths.

So, pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin pie. But the last few years that I have made pumpkin pie, it inexplicably gets left behind.....only a few people having fearlessly tried it. See in Spain, pumpkin is something you eat as a vegetable side, the maximum being in soups. So, last year I tried a recipe from Martha Stewart, The triple chocolate pumpkin pie, and alas, it was a complete hit! I told everyone that it was a chocolate pie, then after it was all gone, explained that it also had pumpkin in it. So, this year I am doing it again, since I will have different guests, and the recipe follows:

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Serves 12

Graham Cracker Crust

2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers, and for those of us who live outside of the U.S., I find that digestive cookies work fabulously)

3 oz. (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsps packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (61 % cacao) finely chopped

Filling

6 oz. semisweet chocolate (55% cacao) chopped

2 oz. (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into small peices

1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin * (I prefer to use fresh pumpkins, I find that two small ones roasted in the oven at 375 (190C) for 45 min. give it a sweeter and nicer taste)

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp coarse salt

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Ground cloves

1 oz. milk chocolate, melted

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350ºF (175º C). Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a deep, 9 1/2 inche pie dish. Bake until firm, 8-10 minutes.

2. Remove from oven, and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over bottom of crust. Return to oven to melt chocolate, about 1 minute. Spread chocolate in a thin layer on bottom and up sides. (You can do this with the back of a spoon) Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temp to 325 deg. (150 C)

3. Make the filling: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

4. Mix pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves in a medium bowl. Whisk 1/3 of the pumpkin mix into chocolate mixture. Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated.

5. Transfer pie dish to a rimme baking sheet and pour pumpkin mixture into crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 55-60 minutes. Let cool in pie dish set on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours (preferabley overnight). Before serving, drizzle melted milk chocolate on top. Serve immediately.

Try it next year, I swear it is truly sublime!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

C

Day 2 Pies and shopping

I miss one stop shopping. Gone are the days when I use to park my highly un-economical and un-earth friendly vehicle in a parking lot the size of Wisconsin, grab my super size shopping cart and start perusing the 572 aisles chock full of everything known to man. The American Supermarket. *Sigh* Oh those days are gone. Now, when I have a shopping list of things like the one for this Thanksgiving, I have to co-ordinate the time, places and how many carts and eco-friendly bags its going to take me. So, now I just lace up my converse, grab my grandma cart (with ice cooler included, its so cool you have no idea) and map out the diverse amounts of markets, stores and stands that I am going to visit to get your basic ingredients.

So, today, shopped for the basics that I could get across the street. Stuff like flour, butter, basic veggies (but can you imagine they didn´t have sweet potatoes or corn starch?!?) to start making the pie dough. Today, I just basically tackled the Pâte Sucrée. This is your basic pie crust. You can use this for Pecan, Pumpkin, Apple......the list is infinate. I am personally using this for a Cranberry tart. I know in my last post I said I was making a Cranberry upside down cake, but this morning in the shower, I realized, I use ground almonds in my cake. I have one particular guest, who is the most epicurious of all, and he was very very excited to try the cranberry cake. but uh-oh. He´s allergic to nuts. So I had to crazily think of another option that would include cranberries. So, instead of your bluberry pie, I am making cranberry tarte. It sounds so much more sofisticated, vrai?

So, on to the recipe for my basic Pâte Sucrée, courtesy of ESCUELA CULINARIA HOFMANN (My alma mater)

575 gr (2 1/2 cups) flour

4 Tbps sugar

230 gr. ( 1 cup)unsalted butter (chilled and cut into little cubes)

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

55ml. (1/4 cup) ice water.

In the bowl of a mixer or food processor (if you don´t have one, just a med size bowl) combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter, and mix or process until it resembles coarse crumbs.....if you are doing this by hand, you have to dip your hands into the flour and butter, and mix with the tip of your fingers until this happens, this takes about 10 minutes. (I know...time consuming...buy hey, you like to cook, right?)

In a small bowl, mis the ice water with the egg yolks. While your machine is running, add the egg and water mixture. Mix until dough comes together without being wet or sticky. If it is too wet, add a little more flour (tbsp at a time) or if it is too crumbly, add a little more water (tbsp at a time) this shouldn´t take you more than 30 seconds. When it is done, make it into a ball, flatten it into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

You can freeze this for up to a month!

Side note....Last night´s dinner.

Yesterday, I had an overwhelming desire for Wiener Schnitzel mit Pommes Frites. It just came on, all of a sudden. So....I did, without the Pommes frites. Basically, I had cotoletta alla Milanesa. I love to eat this with a side salad of Rucola with just a little oil, lemon and parmesan shavings. This dish is so near and dear to my heart, because it reminds me of my school days, especially when we used to go skiing in St. Moritz. I don´t particularly remember the restaurant's name where we used to eat it, but I do remember the sensation of utter happiness when you would chew on that butter dredged morsel.

The secret to a great Wiener Schitzel, or Cotoletta (whatever you choose to call it) is in the bread crumb batter. I personally always use my Uncle Gianni´s method. It is fool-proof. Whatever it is you are coating, whether it be veal or chicken, we always use the same batter ingredients.

In a medium size bowl, combine 2 or 3 eggs (depending on how many fillets you are going to coat) with just a bit of milk, salt pepper and then grate some parmesan cheese into it. In a flat baking dish, place the bread crumbs so you can easily coat the whole fillet.

So, you dunk the fillet into the egg mixture, make sure it is completely coated, and then lift it up so the excess egg drips off. Then cover it with the bread crumbs. then dip it again into the egg mix, and then again into the bread crumbs, but this time, place the fillet in the palms of your hands after you coated it with breadcrumbs and start patting it down all over, so you can feel the crumbs almost becoming one with the fillet. Do this until you feel that it is dry, and the whole fillet is covered. Set aside and do with the remaining fillets.

In a deep frying pan, over medium heat, heat up a generous amount of oil. I usually use a mixture of olive and sunflower oil. The reason for this, is that sunflower oil can heat up at a higher temperature than olive oil, that way your fillets will brown evenly. Fry them until they become just golden on each side. Remember that they will continue to brown after you take them out. Place them on a paper napkin to soak up the excess oil.

I usually serve them with a lemon wedge, and as I said, a side salad of rucula with a bit of oil, lemon and parmesan shavings. Voila....perfection.

Check ya later on today for the pie recipes......if I can haggle down the price of the cranberries. If not, it´s blueberries this thanksgiving.
Carla

Day 1

Ok, so today had pretty much a full tuesday to fill. Had all these thoughts about being a sporty person. I wanted to go to the gym, swim 5k, run for 20 minutes. Anyone who knows me, would realize that I would get diverted. Diverted by what? Thoughts about food.



Basically, let me introduce myself, so you can get to know me too. I am a mother, first and foremost, lover of life, food, wine and all things to do with eating, tasting, creating and thinking about all things culinary. My background is Colombian, Italian, Eqyptian, Syrian. I grew up in Miami, Nassau, Bahamas and Lugano, Switzerland. That makes for an amazing combination of tastes!

Soooo, enough about me, let´s talk about food. This week is one of the most important for me, being Thanksgiving. I basically start to prepare well in the beginning of the month. Deciding the menu, planning the guest list, searching for the ingredients, and the most important part is going to "Aviram Maria Jose" in the Mercat de Sant Josep, a.k.a The Boqueria. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I live in Barcelona now.) I have always loved thanksgiving, and probably even more now, because the majority of the people who come to my house for dinner, have only seen these types of celebrations on television and the movies. They're always talking about "Oooh, those turkeys, they're so big". Well, that is not something that I can accomplish here. See, europe, generally has small ovens (unless you're a millionaire). One year I had about 20 guests for my dinner. So I got a 21 lb. turkey. That is about a 10kg turkey, and my turkey lady gave me this look like I was absolutely nuts for wanting a turkey that large, and she also had a ridiculous time trying to find it. Anyhow, she found one, I proudly brought it home, stuffed it, covered it with butter and sage, and then tried to place it in the roaster. It didn't fit. So, my only option was to place it on the roasting pan that comes with the oven, haven taken all the other pans and racks out, on the bottom layer. Ok, so far so good, it kind of fit.....after I had placed tin foil over the top so as not to get the oven coil marks on the turkey.....

All was going well, until my friend who was helping me out while I took a shower, starting screaming like an Irish banshee! I rushed out of the shower, only to witness my oven in flames. Yes...the oven was completely on fire!!!! We tried pulling it out, only for the flames to start licking up towards the ceiling......minutes of madness when we grabbed some kitchen towels, wet them completely and started throwing them into the oven, to no avail. Finally, I rushed out into the hallway, towel and all, grabbed the fire extinguisher.....and well, I guess you can imagine what the turkey looked like.

Since that episode, I have always done two, or three turkeysdepending on the guest list. Turkey is great cold, warm, hot. Whatever. So on to this year. This year I have a list of epicurious guests. So, the menu had to be quite spectacular. And they also are highly doubtful that anything good can come from American cuisine. This is the part I love most. When I get to say......Told ya so.

So, my menu is as follows, some things borrowed from Martha Stewart (Spice Brine +butter + pumpkin pie) and some from the Williams Sonoma website, tweaked to my preference.

Menu :

Two Spice Brined Turkeys with Spice butter gravy
Challah and pancetta stuffing
Roast garlic mashed potatoes with cream cheese
Sweet potato roulade with spiced pecans
Black trumpet and porcini mushroom green beans with parmesan and crispy onions
Braised chestnuts and jerusalem artichokes with marsala cream sauce
Balsamic glazed pearl onions
Cream biscuits
Triple chocolate pumpkin pie
Cranberry upside down cake with sweet ginger whipped cream

So....this is my task for the next few days. Come back tomorrow and we'll take about the pies, and their crusts. And how much I am going to pay for cranberries in this country.
And pray that my oven doesn´t catch fire this year.
Check ya later!
C