Jingle Jam

Jingle Jam is by far the most clever condiment I have found this holiday season. I absolutely love cranberries and I am always looking for a new way to prepare them. They are slowly but surely moving away from that awful memory we have of cranberry sauce that was dumped on a plate and still had the shape of the can. Cranberries are very versatile (savory and sweet) and go so well with holiday entrees, such as turkey and ham. What I didn't know is that they also have cancer-fighting ingredients.

Texas Oncology came up with Jingle Jam, a Southern-style preserve that combines healthful cranberries, citrus, and jalapenos, to help bring a few cancer-protective foods to the holiday table. Last year, they came out with Holiday Crunch, which was a tasty combination of other cancer-fighting ingredients such as nuts, cranberries, and dark chocolate. Delicious!

I love that Texas Oncology has made it so easy to help raise awareness about cancer prevention. My mother-in-law is a cancer survivor so we are always looking for opportunities to look after friends and family. Check out the Texas Oncology web site for a crafty recipe card, video demo on how to prepare Jingle Jam, and tips for other healthy holiday foods.

Texas Oncology also recommended a few creative ways to serve Jingle Jam that I will have to try. I would have never thought to use the jam as a glaze on steamed carrots, or spread on whole grain toast for breakfast, or dolloped atop goat cheese tartlets for an appetizer. I am in the process of creating my holiday menu and I am looking forward to incorporating Jingle Jam into my spread.

Chocolate con churros

Chocolate con churros are one of Spain´s greatest sweet treats. To be honest, I wasn´t a big fan at first. But now, I love them! They can be enjoyed any time of day but they are most popular at breakfast or a late night snack after a long night out.

Churros are made with a simple dough that is shaped into ridged sticks - perfect for dunking - and fried. In Mexico, they are dusted with cinnamon and sugar. In Madrid, there is no need for the extra sweetness because they are accompanied by a very, very thick hot chocolate.

The most famous place in Madrid for chocolate con churros is Chocolateria San Gines. It is a small cafe nestled in a tiny side street off the beaten path toward Puerta de Sol. While the cafe is filled with locals and tourists, it has an outstanding ambiance and great service. It is truly an authentic Spanish experience.

Calzone

Since we can´t get Joe´s Pizza around here, we have to make our own Friday night supper. We can´t come close to making pizza as good as theirs or even one of their outstanding subs but our calzone is a good substitute. Also, it´s Oscar´s way of sneaking in another pizza dinner without me complaining because technically it´s not pizza.

1/2 onion, sliced
1 tlbsp olive oil
1/4 lb Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
3 pieces of ham
1 cup shredded mozarrella
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 package of ready pizza dough
1 egg

Preheat oven to the temperature indicated on the package of the pizza dough.

Heat a small skillet on medd-high heat. Add the oil and the onion. Sautee until onion browns slightly and set aside. In the same pan, increase the heat to high and add the sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and basil and cook for 2 minutes more.

Lay out the pizza dough on a cookie sheet. In the center of the dough pour on half of the tomato sauce. Top with the ham, overlaying the pieces to fit nicely. Then top with sausage, onions, mozarrella, and the rest of the tomato sauce.

Make about 8 slits on the left and right sides of the dough. Fold the dough over the center and braid the strips together. Beat the egg with a splash of water to make an egg wash and brush the top of the calzone. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the dough is cooked through.

Cookie Cake

Oscar´s boss, Mikel, is a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. He raved about some he had on a business trip to NY so I decided that I would make him a cookie cake for his birthday. Since I had already figured out the trick to making cookies in Spain - using American flour - I was all set. Unfortunately, while making the cake, our oven broke. What luck! So it was a little toasty on bottom but other than that it turned out fine. I took a short cut and used Betty Crocker chocolate frosting that I bought at the American store. It was a nice touch :)

It looks like it was a hit!

Mexican Food in Madrid

Oscar and I were craving Mexican food the other day. We knew we wouldn´t find anything like Abuelos but we were sure we could find something more authentic than nachos from the Hard Rock Cafe, which actually aren´t bad. A friend of ours recommended the restaurant Tepic so we gave it a shot. It was really good! It is traditional Mexican cuisine rather than Tex-Mex. We had beef tacos al pastor (left) and chicken flautas (right). They were both very good. To drink, Oscar had a Mexican beer prepared with lime juice and salt and I had a strawberry margarita. Then for dessert, I had Mexican coffee that is made in a huge clay pot on the stove and brewed with cinnamon, orange peels, and other essences. Before we left, the chef came out and introduced himself - very nice touch. I am sure we will go back.

Ham, Cheese and Tomato Pastry

This is very similar to the ham and cheese braid that I do but with a twist. I had some pastry dough in the fridge that was going to go bad so I needed to use it up. I remembered that Barefoot Contessa cut squares and folded the dough over like this for a cheese danish and thought it would be perfect to make individual portions for dinner. All I did was cut the dough into four squares (turned vertically into diamonds) and laid a couple pieces of ham, cheese, and tomatoe on each piece. Then I brought the horizontal points together; sealed them with a little egg wash; brushed the tops with the rest of the egg wash; and topped with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. All they need is about 25 minutes in the oven and dinner is on the table. Even though my presentation isn´t all that great in this picture, you can make this look pretty impressive simply by laying it over some fresh greens and serving it on a cute plate.

Vegetable Garden

A friend of Felix, Antonio, has a small vegetable garden in Boadilla del Monte, close to where we live. He is a local police officer and has this garden as a hobby. I met Antonio one day at the vineyard when we were shooting skeet and he mentioned that he was having a great harvest this year. My eyes must have lit up because he then invited me to come and pick whatever I wanted. I didn´t hesitate to say ¨Ok, when can I come?¨

A few days later, I was knee deep in fresh summer vegetables. I imagined I would get to bring home a few samples of each but never imagined that I would get to go home with all this! I picked fresh tomatoes, green bell peppers, Spanish peppers from Padron, zucchini, eggplant, onions and cucumbers. You wouldn´t believe how good they smell and what a difference they make in cooking. I have already made gazpacho, pisto, pasta with sauteed vegetables, tomatoe and cucumber saladas, and fried zucchinni. Delicious!

Just a few tomatoes.

The bell peppers are the big ones and Pimientos de Padron are the small ones. There is a saying ¨Pimientos de Padron, algunos pican otros no¨(Peppers from Padron, some are hot some are not.)

Ahh, heaven!

Feeling Empowered

I don´t ride horses very often, ok almost never, but I enjoy it. So when I organized a weekend getaway for Oscar and me, it included a two-hour route through the mountains and the countryside of Siguenza on horseback.

When we got there, Oscar asked if he could saddle up the stray cat that was wondering around the stables instead of a horse. We could tell that this wasn´t going to be your ordinary pony ride. A girl and her father, who were much more experienced than we were, joined us along with our guide, Mija. Mija basically helped us on the horse; gaves us the reigns; and said let´s go.

Before we knew it we were trotting up the mountain. My horse was well trained and was quite docile. Mija told me - tell the horse what to do and he´ll do it. However, it didn´t work that way at first. I was saying ... Excuse me, horse, could you please pick up the pace a little, if you don´t mind. ... Mija said ... No, you need to say... Go! ... and give him a strong nudge.

I am normally very good about telling people what to do in the kitchen or on a trip (it´s not being bossy, it´s demonstrating leadership) :) but with the horse it was different. Afterall, he was carrying me for two hours.

As we trotted up a hill, I noticed on the other side there was nothing but open countryside and I knew the horse was going to want to run. The other horses took off so I did, too. I gave him a nice nudge and we started to gallop. It was great! Much better than trotting. Oddly enough, I was more in control of the horse galloping than any other time on the route. I would move the reigns to the left, and the horse would go left ... then I would pull back and he would slow down; a little kick and we were passing up the other horses. It was quite empowering.

But I have to say that I was and put in my place as we were taking the last hill into the stables. My horse wanted to dart home but I wasn´t comfortable so I pulled back on the reigns and he want up on two legs - not good. Luckily, I held my own and we made a compromise and trotted down the steep hill. All in all, it was a great day. I really enjoyed the amazing views and the crisp fall breeze. I was really proud of Oscar, too. He was a great sport about it and ended up riding really well. I always knew that there was some cowboy in him :)

Oscar 53:33 - Elizabeth 57:37

We ran when the rest of the world ran. Last night, Oscar and I participated in The Human Race in Madrid. One million runners across the world participated and over 10,000 ran in Madrid. It was a 10K race that started in the Retiro park, crossed through the oldest parts of downtown Madrid, and ended in another famous park called Casa de Campo. We ran past some of the most famous monuments in Madrid including the Prado museum, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, la Almudena cathedral, and the palace.

Nike did an amazing job organizing the race and an even better job making you feel part of something historical. I truly felt proud as I ran. This was Oscar and my first 10K but we hope that it won´t be our last. I am especially proud of Oscar because he works so hard that he hardly had time to train and he did an outstanding job. He will always be my champion :) My goal was to come in under an hour and I did. I even jumped start two groups (by 23 sec!) so the next race I can start in the Under 58 min group.

Under the sign that put us in the group of first-time runners.

Before the big race.

Runners behind us at the starting line.

Runners in front of us.

The finish line as we left. I think the hardest part of the race was trying to find eachother at the meeting points. It was dark by the time we finally met up.

My souvenir. I had one on each foot that Oscar very delicately took care of.

Real Madrid

Wednesday night, Oscar and I were invited to go to a soccer game to watch Real Madrid and Sporting Lisboa play for the Santiago Bernabéu Trophy. It was an exicting game with lots of goals. Real Madrid defeated Sporting Lisboa 5 - 3. We had amazing seats and enjoyed a nice summer night at the stadium. It is tradition to bring your own sandwiches and eat them at half time. Oscar and I bought a Spanish tortilla baguette from one of my favorite restaurants/bars, José Luis, that is located close by. It was delicious! We would especially like to thank Iván and Molly for giving us the tickets. We had a great time.

Arroz a banda

Arroz a banda is like a paella but better because you don´t have to peel all the shell fish. Oscar is not a big fan of shell fish (mussels, clams, etc.) so he particulary likes this dish. He was very nervious when I made it for the first time because I made my own fish stock. We went to the grocery store together and when he asked what I was going to buy he freaked out because he thought I was going to bring home a 20 lb fish and clean it myself. I am a little crazy in the kitchen but not that bad. They sell just the bones, which is what I wanted because it is what gives the stock its flavor. I have also used premade fish stock and it works just as well. So if you don´t have a good fish store close by, just buy the stock.

Arroz a banda
1 potatoe, quartered
1/2 tblsp of olive oil
1/4 tsp of paprika
2 cups of water
2 tblsp of olive oil
100 grams of shrimp, shelled
100 grams of calamari
1 tomato, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of saffron
3 cups of fish stock (see recipe below)
1 cup of short grain rice (or risotto)
4 slices of lemon
1/2 roasted red pepper (see recipe below) or you can use jarred ones

1. Heat a small pot on high heat. Add 1/2 tblsp olive oil and then the potatoe but be very careful because potatoes have a lot of water and the oil will pop. Brown on all sides and add 1/4 tsp of paprika. Coat potatoes with paprika and quickly add the 2 cups of water. Boil on high for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are al dente but don´t overcook because they will continue to cook with the rice.

2. In the mean time, warm fish stock in aonther pot and add saffron.

3. Heat a large skillet on med-high heat. Add 2 tblsp of olive oil and sautee the shrimp and calamari. Once browned, add tomatoe and garlic. Sautee for about 2 minutes and add the paprika. Quickly add the fish stock. When the fish stock starts to boil, add the rice, lemon and potatoe. Top with roasted red pepper strips and cook for about 25 minutes on low heat until all of the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Note: You can shake the pan every so often but don´t stir the rice.

Fish Stock
If you make your own fish stock, skip steps 1 and 2 above.
1 potatoe, quartered
1/2 tblsp olive oil
Bones from a white fish
1 fillet white fish (hake, cod, etc.)
Shells and heads (if available) of 100 grams of shrimp
1 tsp of paprika
Salt
4 cups of water

Heat a small pot on high heat. Add 1/2 tblsp olive oil and then the potatoe but be very careful because potatoes have a lot of water and the oil will pop. Brown on all sides and add 1/4 tsp of paprika. Coat potatoes with paprika and quickly add the 4 cups of water. Add fish botes, fillet of fish and shrimp shells. Boil on high for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are al dente but don´t overcook because they will continue to cook with the rice. Add salt to taste. Reserve the potatoes and pass the stock through a colander. Keep the stock warm on the stove.

Roasted Red Peppers
1 red pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven at 450º. Slice red pepper into 1/4 long strips. Move to a bowl and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir to coat the peppers well then transfer to a baking sheet. Pour any extra olive oil over the peppers and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the peppers brown on one side. (Toss once while cooking,) When you take the peppers out of the oven, put them in a brown paper lunch bag and close. Let them sit for at leat 15 minutes to cool. This will help make it easier to peel them. Once cooled, peel the peppers and discard the skins.

Our little mascot

The owners of the vineyard found this little guy abandonded in the animal reserve they have across from the vineyard a couple of months ago. They took him in and have been taking care of him ever since. He loved plain yogurt and quesitos and was bottle-fed. Then he wanted off the bottle and get outside to stretch his legs. He had a little playground where he spent most of the day and moved on to heartier meals like lettuce. But that didn´t last long. He was anxious to explore beyond his corral and was released back into the wild yesterday. We wish him the best of luck and will always remember his little bark.

A Cookie Miracle!

I had tried everything ... different butter, different eggs ... I had even brought Parkay from home to try to make a good cookie in Madrid, and none of them ever worked out. Finally, after reading the blog A Merrier World and learning that flour in the European Community does not go through one of the bleaching treatments as it does in the U.S., which alters its effects in baking, I asked Angela to bring me some flour when she came to visit to test it out. This way I could narrow down the variables and see if it really was the flour or if I had to keep experimenting.

Turns out, it was the flour! I also think Angela was my angel of luck and contributed to the success. I told her that every time I want to make cookies, she would have to come help :) I am not going to lie, though, there were moments of doubt.

First, Angela agreed that the butter looked especially oily compared to what we are used to. Then when we added the eggs, the dough started to look more like cake batter than dough. Angela never lost hope. As we added the flour, things started to take shape (never better said!) Then we mixed in the chocolate chips by hand like mom does and started to drop them on the tray. We kept a close eye on them in the oven and when it came time to take them out, they looked great ... and tasted even better! They were delicious right out of the oven. But the next day, you could taste the butter more than the ones from home but they were still good. Unfortunately, we didn´t have tall glass of cold American milk to wash them down.

Now, I have to ration a 5 lb bag of flour until Christmas. In the mean time, I am going to experiment to try to make Kate Flour and see if I can do it. I mentioned in an earlier post that an amazing woman in the UK was determined to continue baking American desserts using the ingredients she could find locally and ended up developing Kate Flour - a flour, when heated, takes on the same characteristics of flour found in the U.S. I will let you know how it goes!

I would like to especially thank Angela for all of her help. If it wasn´t for her, I would´ve never known if the problem was the ingredients or the cook. Also, she was so kind to bring me a box, literally, full of kitchen things. Her suitcase exceeded the weight limit at the airport and she had to empty all of my kitchen things into a box and check it. She is too good to me!

Angela and I hand mixing in the imported chocolate chips.

Excited because the dough had the right texture and looks promising. Still nervous, though.

Success! They turned out just like my mom makes them.

Oscar and I having a cookie toast.

Grilled BBQ Tacos

I am all about making a great dinner out of leftovers and whatever I have in the pantry. You will also start to notice that I will take the same basic ingredients and make them into several different dishes. For example, BBQ Chicken Pizza and Grilled BBQ Tacos have a lot of the same ingredients but are two different dinners.

Oscar is a big fan of quesidillas. His favorite are ham and cheese and would eat them everyday, if he could. (I think he actually did when we lived in Texas!) Anyway, to keep dinner interesting, I turned the quesidilla into a grilled taco by using one tortilla instead of two and adding some cool veggies to it.

Rachael Ray has a section in her magazine called ¨no recipe zone¨, which are recipes that don´t have written instructions. This one would definitely qualify for one of those because you don´t really need to measure anything. And, if you don´t have all the toppings on hand, no worries - just use what you have or add something new.

You can see that I didn´t have red cabbage or tomatoes the last time I made these but they were still just as good! But I have to admit, I really like the crunch the red cabbage adds.

Grilled BBQ Tacos
Leftover chicken or pork (shredded or cubed)
BBQ sauce
Red onion (chopped)
Canned corn
Shredded colby-jack cheese
Tortillas
Cilantro
Lettuce
Red cabbage
Tomato
Hot sauce
Sour cream

Heat a skillet on high heat. Add meat and heat through until brown around the edges. Lower the heat to simmer and add BBQ sauce, corn and red onion. Set aside. Heat a clean skillet on medium-high. (You can add some butter to the pan, if you would like, but it doesn´t need it.) Place one tortilla in the pan and add BBQ meat mixture to one half of the tortilla. Top with cheese. Fold the tortilla in half to make a taco and flip so that it browns evenly on each side. Then top with lettuce, red, cabbage, tomato, hot sauce and sour cream. The cool sour cream goes great with the tangy BBQ sauce!

A Special Birthday Wish

Ya say it´s your birthday ... du na na na na nuh na .... You´re gonna have a good time .... Ya say it´s your birthday .... du na na na na nuh na ... Happy birthday to you!

Happy Birthday Chris! I love you!

Always an FHer at Heart

A close friend and colleague from Fleishman-Hillard, Alison, let me know that I made it on the FH web site. I am the face of the FH Alumni landing page :) To be honest, I am truly honored. I have never been more proud to have worked for company than I have for FH. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding positions that I have ever experienced. And, the best part of it, was the people. I met some of the most amazing people along the way that still inspire me today.

Delightfully Distracted

I apologize for not posting lately. I have been delightfully distracted. My sister, Angela, came to visit and Oscar and I were busy preparing for her arrival. It is such a blessing to have her here. Oscar organized a fabulous trip for the three of us to go to Ibiza last week and we had a blast. (I will post some photos soon.) We enjoyed a lot of great beaches and amazing food! I can´t wait to share them with you.

Panna Cotta

I made Panna Cotta for a dinner party Oscar and I hosted last weekend and it was a huge hit. I love it but wasn´t too sure if my guests were going to be crazy about it since it has an interesting texture. I went ahead and made a plate of cream puffs to go along with it, just in case I didn´t have any takers.

To my surprise, they loved it. Before I knew it, I heard spoons clanking against empty glasses as everyone was trying to enjoy the last bite. I had a few left over and Oscar and I devoured them the next day. I can´t take credit for the recipe, though. It is a classic from Giada de Laurentis, Everyday Italian.

Recipe courtesy of Giada de Laurentis

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin

3 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of salt

2 cups assorted fresh berries

Place the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour milk mixture into a heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves but the milk does not boil, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, honey, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour into 6 wine glasses so that they are 1/2 full. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours. Spoon the berries atop the panna cotta and serve.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Oscar loves any kind of pizza, Joes Pizza especially, but BBQ Chicken Pizza is one of our favorites. I am not crazy about Telepizza or Pizzahut, our only options here for take-out pizza, so I brought back an old recipe I used to make in college. It is one of Oscar´s favorites and a great option for a super simple supper.

1 package ready pizza dough
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup corn
2 tblsp chopped cliantro
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350º (or whatever temperature indicated on the pizza dough package)

In a small skillet over high heat, sauté chicken in a little olive oil. Don´t move the chicken until it starts to brown on bottom then shake the skillet every so often to brown on all sides (about 5 min). Salt and pepper to taste then add 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce. Set aside.

Follow directions on pizza dough package. Some ask you to brown the dough first in the oven before adding toppings, others don´t. Then top dough with 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce (add more if needed), chicken, red onion, corn, cliantro and cheese. Bake for about 20 min until cheese browns and bubbles.

Rock in Rio

A couple of weeks ago, Oscar and I were invited to the VIP tent at Rock in Rio Madrid. Rock in Rio is a music festival that started in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was so successful that it later went to Portugal and now Spain.

They built an amazing outdoor venue called La Ciudad del Rock where the festival took place. During two consecutive weekends, hot artists like Shakira, Amy Winehouse, Alejandro Sanz, Estopa, Alicia Keys and Sting performed. Oscar and I went on opening day and saw a famous Spanish musician, Manolo García. I would have loved to have seen Alejandro Sanz or Alicia Keys ... maybe next time.

The main stage.

Me and Oscar. He finally makes it on my blog! Isn´t he cute?!

Kanpai

Oscar and I are by no means sushi experts but we do enjoy a nice sushi dinner every once in a while. The best sushi we have ever had was at KOI Restaurant in Los Angeles. We were rookies and didn´t know what to order. The waiter was extremly helpful and told us that he would bring out dishes for us to try and if we liked them, great, if not, he would bring it back to the kitchen and bring out something else. We ended up loving everything he recommended. It is probably one of the best dinners we have ever had.

I read an article in the paper a few weeks ago that recommend places in Madrid ¨a la Sex in the City¨ since the movie was about to premier here. Of course, no NY night on the town would not be complete without a little sushi. We hadn´t been to a sushi restaurant in Madrid and decided to try it.

We arrived early for our reservation and, since it was a nice summer night, decided to walk around downtown a bit. We peaked in the restaurant, Kanpai, on the way. It was after 9pm and the restaurant was empty - not a good sign. Oscar had his doubts but we decided that we would take another peak closer to our reservation. When we came back the place was buzzing. After a little encouragment, Oscar agreed to stay.

The restaurant décor was simple and modern. The service was good and the ambiance was much better than we had expected. We started with a vegetable and langostine tempura (house speciality) along with some dumplings. The tempura was outstanding but the dumplings didn´t wow me. We then had a california roll and a salmon cream cheese roll followed by noodles with chicken in a delicious sauce.

Even though this restaurant didn´t compare to KOI, we enjoyed the dinner and would go back another day.

Pasta Primavera

Looking for a light, fabulous, summer dinner? I have just what you need - Pasta Primavera. I make several versions of this dish but this one is by far the lightest and easiest of them all. Pair it with a peppery argula salad with cool gorgonzola cheese and you have the perfect summer dinner.

(Note: This serves at least 8. I normally make half and have some left over for the next day.)

2 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
3 carrots
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium red onion
1 small box of cherry tomatoes
1 lb bowtie pasta

1/2 - 1 cup of reserved pasta water
½ cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1 tblsp herbs de provence (optional)

1 cup of frozen peas
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Vegetables
Cut zucchini, red and yellow pepper, and carrots in two inch sticks. Slice yellow and red onions and halve the cherry tomatoes. Put vegetables in a large mixing bowl and add ½ cup of oil and salt and pepper to taste. (Add herbs de provence, if using.) Mix well coating all of the vegetables; then pour onto a baking sheet. (Make sure to top with any of the extra oil left in the bottom of the bowl.) Bake for about 25 minutes until the vegetables get brown on the tips and are cooked through. Toss once about half way through. Defrost peas and set aside.

Pasta
Boil a large pot of water. When it starts to boil, add salt and pasta. Stir to make sure pasta doesn’t stick together and boil according to the package (about 12 minutes). When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and add back into the pot. Mix with vegetables, peas, and reserved pasta water. (Add enough pasta water just to moisten the pasta.) Top with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Cake-tastrophe

Oscar and I made the trek down to the beach this weekend to celebrate my father-in-law´s birthday. We got a late start on Friday because Oscar didn´t leave the office until 9pm. He promised me that at the half-way mark we would stop for dinner. I had a feeling that there would be slim pickings for dinner and boy was I right. We were hoping to find a cute little restaurant nestled in a forgotten pueblo in Castilla-La Mancha but all we got was gas station after gas station. We had to stop for gas anyway so we bought a bag of potatoe chips and a coke to hold us over. It ended up being dinner since I dozed off shortly after, which was a good thing because nothing else ever came along.

My father-in-law, José, the birthday boy.

We took my in-laws out for paella on Sunday at Soqueta, a small restaurant in Oliva close to their beach house. We enjoyed fried calamari (Spanish style) and Arroz a banda. Arroz a banda is similar to paella but all of the shell fish come already peeled and diced so you don´t have to get your hands dirty. (I know Angela would love it because she doesn´t have to see the shrimp with the heads still on.) We had a nice, long lunch before heading back to Madrid. My father-in-law came back with us because he has to do a few errands in Madrid this week. Since I didn´t have time to make him a birthday cake before we left, I promised him one when we got back to Madrid.

Arroz a banda from Soqueta.

We didn´t end up getting home until after 10pm on Sunday but I was excited about making his cake. He requested chocolate - one I hadn´t tried to make yet in Madrid so this was the perfect opportunity. We decided to make cupcakes since they would be easier to bring back to the beach. I pulled out my recipe and went at it. Everything was going really well ... I had all the ingredients, the batter tasted right, timing was good ... I peaked in the oven close to the time they should be done only to find this:

Talk about a dissapointment. What went wrong? I´ve had some bad cakes in the past but this way by far the worst. I didn´t have time to freeze the flour or try to make Kate Flour but can I really only blame the flour for this one? What a disaster. I surprisingly took the defeat quite well. For those of you who know me, that is a big deal. The cupcakes went straight in the trash and I went to bed.

You win some, you lose some. Now, I will have to find use for the bowl of chocolate icing I have in the fridge ...

P.S. - I want to send a very special birthday wish to a very special friend - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISON!

Proud to be an American

Happy Fourth of July! May your day be filled with sunshine, hamburgers and hotdogs, Dr. Pepper, Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream, fireworks, family and friends.

Oscar and I were going to barbecue tonight in honor of the big day but we are leaving for the beach this afternoon since his dad´s birthday is on Sunday. The people in Valencia are crazy about fireworks so maybe I can find some sparklers or something to celebrate from here :)

Be careful and have fun!

A Lovely Day

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of giving my first tour of the vineyard to an old colleague and dear friend, Keith Stephens. He was in Madrid on business and was able make time to come out and visit us. We lucked out because it wasn´t as hot as it has been recently and the vines are absolutely beautiful this time of year.

Later, we met Oscar for dinner downtown at the Taberna del Capitán Alatriste where we sampled a variety of authentic Spanish dishes, including Spanish ham, a partridge pastry, Spanish migas, baked cod, buey, and a special pastry for dessert. On our way there, we had to make a stop at the Mesón del Champiñon for a delicious grilled mushroom tapa that is one of my favorites. While the food was outstanding, the company was by far the best part of the evening.

Halibut in Papillote with Vegetable Medely

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week because it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit heart health. Fish is also a good source of protein and it’s not high in saturated fat. Even if you are not a fish lover, I recommend trying halibut. It does not have a strong ¨fishy¨taste to it and is easy to cook, especially in ¨papillote¨, which means in its own juices. According to the George Mateljan Foundation, it is one of the worlds healthiest foods.

2 filets of halibut
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 large lemon
½ cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Aluminium foil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Vegetable Medely
Cut zucchini, red and yellow pepper, and carrots in two inch sticks. Slice onion and chop garlic. Put in a mixing bowl. Add the juice of one large lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well.

Halibut
Pat fish dry and cut each fillet in half horizontally to get four rectangular fillets. Cut four pieces of aluminium foil to make papillotes for the fish and put on a baking sheet. Place one fillet in the middle of each piece of foil and season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Spoon a quarter of the vegetable mixture on top of each fillet. To seal the papillotes, bring the ends of the foil together and fold the edges together. Make sure to leave some room between the edge of the papillote and the fish so it can steam adequately. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully open each papillote (there will be a lot of steam). Place fish and vegetables on a plate and top with the natural juices from the papillote – they make for a great sauce. You can serve as is or over a bed of white rice.

Mix vegetable medely in a good size bowl. Make sure to distribute any olive oil left in the bowl among the papillotes.

Halibut assembled with veggies before making the papillote.

Finished papillote.

Halibut in Papillote with Vegetable Medely.

We are the Champions

Last night, Spain defeated Germany (1-0) to win the Eurocopa for the first time in 44 years. It was a really exciting game. Unlike most games where they only really play hard the last 15 minutes of each half, last night´s game was packed with really good plays. I was pleasantly surprised.

Juan and Sandra (and their two kids Claudia and Mateo) hosted us yet again. This time a few more friends joined us, too. I made some easy-to-eat finger foods, which were delicious: potatoe croquettes and empandillas with pisto. I didn´t have time to take pictures because we were running out the door but here are the recipes.

PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLIE!

Potatoe Croquettes

6 potatoes

3 tblsp of butter, plus more for frying

1 cup shredded cheese (colby jack, cheedar, whichever you prefer)

2 eggs

Splash of milk

Bread crumbs

Oil for frying

Salt

Peel potatoes and cut them in quarters. Boil the potatoes as if you were making mashed potatoes and drain. Move the potatoes to a mixing boil and add butter. Mix until potatoes are well combined with the butter; then mix in the cheese with a wooden spoon. (Taste test and add salt, if needed.) Cool to room temperature.

Add oil to a good size frying pan (about an inch around the pan) and a pat of butter. Heat on medium high. Beat the eggs and add a splash of milk. To make the croquettes, take a small handfull of the potatoe mixture and mold into a ball. Pass the ball first in the egg mixture and next in the bread crumbs. Flatten slightly so that the croquette is about the size of your palm. Fry in batches until golden brown on each side.

Empandillas de pisto

1 med yellow onion

1/2 of a red pepper

1 zuchinni

2 medium size tomatoes

3 tsp sugar

Olive oil

Salt

2 packages of pastry dough

Preheat oven to 375º F (or whatever temperature the package of pastry dough recommends)

Dice onion, red pepper, zuchinni, and tomatoes and small chunks. Heat a small frying pan on high and add 1 tblsp of oil. When hot, add tomatoes (stand back - tomatoes have a lot of water and when they hit the hot oil they will pop!) Add sugar and mix with a wooden spoon. Let it cook for about 5 minutes (stirring occasionally) and when it has condensed, take it off the burner and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan on med-high and add 2 tblsp of oil. Then add the onion, red pepper and zuchinni. Cover slightly and cook for about 15 mintues, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables become soft, mash slightly with the back of a wooden spoon and add the tomatoe mixture. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Roll out the pastry dough and cut out circles. (If you don´t have a pastry cutter, you can use a glass turned upside down.) Add a teaspoon of pisto (the vegetable mixture) to the middle of each circle and fold over. You can seal them with your finger pinching the pastry dough together. Brush with egg wash and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I have turned my kitchen into a little laboratory trying to figure out why my cookies and cakes are not up to par. My cookie dough is more like pastry dough - shiny and sticky - and my cakes don´t rise and are very dense.

First, I thought it was the eggs. The eggs in Spain have a much larger yolks than in the US. I normally use medium eggs in the US already and small don´t exisit so I was using one large or extra large egg instead of two. But that wasn´t the solution. Next, I blamed the butter. Butter in Europe has a higher butterfat content than in the US. In theory, this should just give it a better taste. However, it melts quicker and can´t take much of a beating with the Kitchen Aid.

Today, I did a quick search online to investigate any recommendations for baking with butter in Europe. I didn´t find much but what I did find shed some light at the end of the tunnel. The culprit to my baking disasters could be the FLOUR. It turns out that All Purpose Flour in the US is bleached and in the EU it is illegal to bleach flour so they only sell it unbleached.

I am going to ask my sister, Angela, to bring me some flour when she comes in August to test it out. In the mean time, I read that you can heat it to make ¨Kate Flour¨or freeze it, which alters the moisture level and will make it have similar characteristics of bleached flour. I will have to test it out and let you know. Wish me luck!

Hot Wheels

Since summer finally arrived in Madrid, we changed our mode of transportation on the vineyard. We still take out the Montero but the quads are much more fun. I officially learned how to drive one by myself. The crash course took a total of 45 seconds - here is the ignition, here is the gas, here are the brakes. Not too difficult. The only problem is that I was going in between newly planted vines and I could just see myself taking out one after the other. Fortunately, there weren´t any causualities.

The other thing is that they are literally hot wheels. With the sun beaming down in the middle of the country and the engine running, your only hope is to go a little faster and catch a breeze. My next step is to try to learn to drive a scooter for our trip to Ibiza. Not too sure about that, though, because it only has two wheels and I am not all that great riding a regular bike to begin with.

PS - Happy Birthday Bea!

School´s Out For Summer!

Last weekend Oscar and I and the family went to see my nieces, Sandra and Mónica, perform in the end-of-the-year school play. Each grade level represented a different time period in Spanish history. My nieces danced a traditional dance from Madrid called the ¨Chotis¨. They were adorable! I kept waiting for Yankee Doodle to come out from behind the curtain but then realized where I was. Since we were in Spain, no play would be complete without Goya and Carmen and they were both characters in the play. Some things are the same even half way around the world, though ... the big show took place in the school gym without air conditioning and with homemade props. Afterwards, we went back to the girls house for lunch. My brother-in-law, Pedro, made paella and it was delicious.

Mónica is in the middle of the picture but you can´t tell which one she is. The picture was too adorable to pass up, though. The boys were so cute with thier hats on and the girls had big red flowers in their hair covered with a white scarf.

After the show, Oscar bought us ice pops. They were a nice treat on such a hot day. The girls had a good time at the after party on the school playground.

Pedro´s famous paella.

Viña Esmeralda

I recently tried a new white wine and loved it. Viña Esmeralda is made by Torres in the Upper Penedès area of Cataluyna. It is a very aromatic, crisp wine. I found that the natural flavors of the fruit to be dominant, which was very refreshing. Since it should be served chilled, it is a great choice for the summer. It pairs nicely with paella. And, the best part about it is that it is very reasonbly priced - only 7 euros at the grocery store. I am not sure where you can find it in the US, possibly at Central Market or a specialty wine store. If you don´t see it on the shelf, ask if they can get it for you. It is definitely one worth trying.