Aperitivos Secos

I really wanted to blog this simply because I was surprised at the taste of what I purchased today and (obviously) how beautiful they looked. Dried items have been a staple in my diet here, and these three items (figs, almonds, raisins) are almost always on my shelf.

A big culture shock for me (being an extranjero) was the amount of junk food that is available in Spain. The kids here love their candy, but come on, who doesn't? In any case, the amount of "junk food" is equaled by the amount of dried snacks available. At almost every market, vendors have an array of dried fruits and nuts to purchase. I adore this. It is natural, healthy(ish), and fun. You do not know what some things taste like dried until you purchase them, for example, dried strawberries, or fresas secas. These are common. They are, without a doubt, delicious in every way. (If you mix them with peanuts, the combination tastes like peanut butter and jelly.) My other addiction: dried figs, and the battle between who's are better, Turkey or Spain. I also purchased almonds (a staple of mine), and I love mixing these with dried cranberries (arándanos secos) for a snack while in class.

Let me preface this with "I am so so sorry Charlie". I finally purchased something today that I have had my eye on forever. It is the one single item that Charlie despises more than anything in the world: raisins. Yes, Charlie, you may stop reading this now. For everyone else that actually enjoys raisins (myself obviously included), please read on. These raisins are dried on the vine and are the most delicious looking item you ever saw. In the correct light they are a beautiful Cabernet color. Enormous, they are plump, moist, and fall off the stems like roasted meat off a bone. Yes, the seed is inside (like all grapes in Spain; seedless must be an American thing), and they are everything a raisin should taste like.

I felt like Julia Child in My Life In France when she samples things at the Parisian markets she so frequently strolled. She often wrote how items had tasted, and how wildly different they were from the American version. These had such a strong, concentrated raisin flavor. It was so different, and I wish Charlie were here to sample it. He might not hate them as much if he had this one. I cannot wait to nibble on these as I ride the bus to Segovia for a mini-holiday for New Years. As I eat another one now I cannot help to lean back and smile. They are so much fun to eat off a vine!! Did I mention that they are still on the vine? I am sorry, but I can't get over how ferociously cool that is. It is going to be a fantastic new year! Happy 2011, everyone.

Paella de Verduras

I should not write this post. I should not. But I am anyway because it was a beautiful night in (and out of) the kitchen. I have been in Spain for almost 4 months and I have not had yet had paella. I know, I know, "Shame on me". Apart from the obvious (it is a seafood dish), I have not had it for several reasons:

1. You are never able to order a paella for one, unless it is a tapa. Minimum two people always. And if someone is going to share a beautiful pan of paella with you, why (repeat) why share with a vegetarian?! ENJOY THOSE GAMBAS!

2. Everybody (actual Spaniards) have said to me that you should not order paella outside of Valencia. That is their dish, they are proud of it, and they have the best without question. All other paellas in other parts of Spain are secondary and not as good.

3. I am waiting for the right occasion to enjoy paella. For example, a birthday, a holiday, or finishing my finals perhaps? (T-16 hours!)

Again, I should not write this post. After I have had paella is when I should blog and try to break down the flavors. Instead, I am writing at my first attempt at making a paella. I have looked at several "authentic" recipes and they all use different rice to water ratios, etc. There were similar ingredients, and that is where I gathered my efforts: most importantly is arroz bomba (a rice used in Valencia made specifically for paellas. It reminded me a lot of the Italian aborio rice), salt, rosemary, white wine, lemon, pimentón, saffron, garlic, oil, peas, and onion.

So I did just that. I sauteed the onion with garlic and peas. I then added salt, pimentón, rosemary, and saffron. I deglazed the pan with 1 -1/2 cups of vino blanco (within the recipes I read, most of the ratios for wine wine were about a cup on average) and added my bomba rice. I kept adding salted water (as I had no stock on hand) and made it like a risotto. To stretch it out a bit, I added red peppers, a handful of spinach, and some tomato frito. I ended with a splash of lemon, which was seen in all recipes I read. It turned out delicious and I will absolutely make it again.

There are two things I also feel like I should mention there is a long, shallow pan in Spain made specifically for paellas called a pallera. Buy this online or come to Spain to purchase one!

In closing I have had my eye on this one restaurant that does, in fact, have a paella de verduras in Marbella. Have I been tempted? Of course, but the price is a little expensive. Perhaps I should wait to find such a menu when I visit Valencia. If Ben and Sylvia are reading this post, I am flattered you had 2 helpings of this trial for paella. May you have the very best of luck in Germany and will miss you both more than you know. Have a safe move. I love you.

Champiñones Asados

If any of the readers of this blog have been to Spain (Jenny), and have had “Gambas Pil Pil”, then this will sound very familiar. “Gambas Pil Pil” is a tapa of shrimp sizzling in a cazuela lined with garlic-chili infused olive oil. It is served with bread to mop up the oil when finished. It is practically everywhere here in southern Spain. There is a similar treatment (thank goodness!) for a tapa of champiñones, or mushroms. My friends and I were walking last Saturday and I was craving this very dish, Champiñones Asados. The group consensus was to get montaditos for lunch, so my craving was pushed aside. (Sidenote: Montaditos translate literally to “little hills”, and are a teeny, tiny bocadillos. They are dinner-roll sized sandwiches stuffed with almost anything. My favorite is stuffed with tortilla and queso manchego. The perfect snack.)
The craving lasted all day. I decided to make this for dinner because I simply could not take it any longer. My friends stayed to try the experiment. I had bought chamiñones at the market and this was the perfect way to use them. How much easier could it be? Oil, garlic, chili, and mushrooms. I didn’t have a cazuela to use, so a regular skillet would have to do. I guess that means I must purchase a cazuela. Let me try to sound sad. (Note: If you wish to buy gambas to make “pil pil”, feel free to use them in place of the mushrooms. It is the same procedure, no doubt. Just check and make sure your shrimp do not become too tough. HA! Look at me writing about seafood like I know what I am talking about. Thanks, Food Network, for providing a vegetarian with culinary information I never thought I would need.

Materials:
Roughly 300-400 grams of white or button mushrooms
¼ of a cup of your best olive oil
2 small dried chilies*
3 cloves of garlic (or 1 per person if making more than this recipe)
Sea Salt
1 crusty Baguette
optional: Saffron (the golden rule: 1 long strand per person. Do you hear me, Charlie?)

This serves 3 people.

Preparation:
Wipe your mushrooms clean with a towel or rag. Discard the stems and slice them length-wise. Thinly slice your garlic cloves. Heat a skillet (or a cazuela if you own one) on medium-high heat. Add oil. Add a slice of garlic. When this piece gently sizzles you know your oil is the right temperature. Slice your chili* in small bits and add this (and the seeds) to your oil. Wash your hands. (After handling chili always wash your hands.) Let this simmer for about a minute. When you smell your garlic, add saffron (if using) and your mushrooms. Let simmer and stir occasionally for about 5-10 minutes. Add more oil if there is not enough coat on the bottom of your pan. Sprinkle generously with sea salt (less if cooking gambas) and serve in a hot dish or simply out of your cazuela, if using. Don’t forget to serve with thick, crusty bread. We had ours along side a mixture of olives and slices of queso currado.

*chili: Here in Spain it is very popular to use these tiny dried chili peppers sized to about a thumbnail called "guindillas". I was ambitious and used 4 chilies not knowing the heat strength. This was too much. Was it uncomfortable? No. But it was too much. And I can take heat. The flavor (when ordering it in the restaurants) is much more subtle. This was in your face. I would use 2, or maybe even simply 1 per person. It could have been fine with 4 if I had not used all the seeds perhaps. Either way, Mission: Success!