Kitchen Voyage

Forum Santiago 2012

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The Forum of Santiago was held for the third year in the capital of Galicia Santiago de Compostela on 26, 27 and 28 February 2012 with an estimate of 15.000 visitors. With this new edition the Forum Santiago becomes the Spanish national gastronomic event . In the forum take place several activities: live cooking sessions, workshops and tasting for a small audience, guided tastings, lectures and debates, contests and prizes, product presentations of the exhibitors, culinary workshops for children

The forum has plenty of Spanish young chefs, and some top star like the Roca Brothers or Xavier Pellicer that held several Michelin Stars and likes work with biodynamic ingredients.

Also the Forum Santiago is a good platform to know the best wines of Galicia, personally I think is if the Galician winemakers stay working in the same direction soon Galician Wines will become one of the favourites wine region for wine lovers.

Joan Roca

The big news this year was the new gastronomic concept that the Roca brothers are working at the moment, having not enough to have already one of the best restaurants of the world’s El Celler de Can Roca

The new idea consists in having just twelve fellow dinners sit down in isolated dining room where they are going to enjoy a kind of culinary opera. The dishes or aromas on the round table will be supported by video art and music with the idea to come together all the senses and following a common narrative.

Fran Abreu video artist and opera manager is helping with the project of the Roca Brothers that are looking for new paths to the avant-garde cuisine

More Spanish Gastronomic Festivals: Madrid Fusion 2012

Rocket Nutritional Facts

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Rocket leaves. Photo by kelpenhagen

Is an edible annual plant naturally from the Mediterranean basin, easy to find in the wild or beside routes or around the city in countries like, Portugal, Morocco, Greece, Spain or Italy, once upon the time considered a bad vegetable; since the Roman times has never enjoyed such a popularity like now, starting such popularity two decades ago when top restaurant started to use like a side dish. Today rocket is present in a lot of salad recipes because the peppery acid flavour of the rocket leaves stand up over the rest of salad leaves. Rockets leaves are at their best at the end of the winter.

Rocket Nutrition Facts per 100g

Kcal	Fat	Carbohydrates	Vitamin C	Vitamin A	Iron	Calcium
25 kcal	0,6g	3,65g	15 mg	2373 IU	1,46mg	160g

Like other greens, rocket is a very low calorie vegetable; just 100g of fresh leaves provides just 25 calories and also has many vital phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals that can immensely benefit our health. The rocket is rich in Vitamin A (beta-carotene) and Vitamin C, the last one help to a better absorption of the Iron that is also in the rocket leaves. Also rockets are good in fibre and the bitter flavour helps the digestive system.

In the market

Today rocket is harvested all year around in green houses, but the rocket natural season start to end of the winter to beginning of the summer. In the supermarket or fresh market look for crispy green colour young leaves. Discard any with yellow, wilted, bruised leaves. At home place in the vegetable container of your fridge.

Why I love English Cider and Three Cider recipes

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:31:00 +0000

Cider barrel. Photo by Jojo 77

I always associate cider with joy, in our private family celebration my mother always like to say cheers with a flute glass (like the English aristocracy in the 17th century) of Spanish cider rather than champagne, I am not sure if it was because she really liked it or because the little low content in alcohol or perhaps because the more little in the family can have a little sip without getting tipsy
Then when I grow up and I become a rugby fan Bulmers and Magners cider with their heavy advertisement in Pubs and rugby events did the rest for me, so now I am the kind of guy that I am going first for a cider in the pub rather than a pint of beer.
The cider making process doesn’t differ too much from the wine one, first the apples are washed and pressed, then the yeast is added and fermented for some weeks and then siphoned off from the yeast to mature further in steel tanks, bottles or even oak barrels to add more character.

English Apples. Photo by ant-photos

Luckily England has several regions where you can find great quality cider and even very good organic cider and some very traditional brands of cider makers since 2 centuries ago and don't forget that cider has been drunk in England since before the Romans landed in the British shores
Cider was considered the English champagne, now the English cider is recovering its status lost in the past century (considered a cheap drink for the drunks) and not just the big brands are doing well in the big supermarket, you also can find local and smaller producer making traditional cider and another making new blends, because at the end in Britain there are around 2000 apples varieties.
The last big triumph of the cider makers has been to catch the eye of the rising British cuisine and media chefs like Heston Blumenthal, Jaime Oliver and the BBC Hairy Bikers that are cooking with cider instead of wine or brandy.

Three easy recipes with recipes

Before to start, cooking get a flat cider non-carbonated, start with dry or medium dry ciders before to explore some sweet ciders for your recipes. Cider is a great substitute in wine cooking recipes.

Simple Hake in cider

Hake with cider is traditional dish from north Spain

You need for 4 serves: 4 hake fillets – 400ml apple cider – 400g potatoes (peeled and diced in 2x2 cms) – 1 small onion (finely chopped) – 2 garlic cloves (chopped) – 100ml olive oil – 2 cooking apples (peeled and diced) - Flour for coating and chopped parsley to serve. Oven at 180ºC

1. Wash and pat dry the hake, then season with salt and black ground pepper. Then coat in the flour shaking any excess.

2. In a deep frying pan heat the olive oil in a medium heat, and fry the fish fillet from both sides by 2 minutes each side. Set aside.

3.Then stir in the potatoes and fry them until golden brown, at the end add the garlic, onion and apple and cook 3 extra minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Return the fish to the pan and pour over the cider. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the fish is done.

5. Serve the fish with the potatoes and rest of the ingredients in individual plates, pour over some of the cider juices and scatter over some parsley.

Pork loin with cider

You need for 4 serves: 750g – 1 kg of pork boneless loin roast – 400ml apple cider – 3 green apples – 8 prunes – 4 tbsp of olive oil. Oven at 200ºC

1. In a roasting try coated with olive oil, rub the loin roast with salt, pepper and the olive oil. Before putting in the oven pour over the cider. Cook for about 50 minutes (check the cooking recommendation of your loin), pouring over the juices every 12 minutes.

2. Meanwhile wash the apples, slice them in the middle and remove the seeds (without peeling the apples).

3. After 30 minutes of the loin is in the oven spread into the baking tray the apple and prunes. If the cider has been evaporated, just add some more.

4. When the cooking time is finished remove from the oven, set aside the loin pork to rest. Remove also the apple, without burning yourself remove the apple peel and blend the apples..

5. Fillet your loin pork, serve in individual dishes, with the apple puree in one side and the prunes in another side of the dish. Pour over some juices from the baking tray.

Mussels with vegetables and cider

Use apple cider instead of the classic white wine

You need: 1kg of mussels (cleaned and de-bearded) – half leek (in Juliana) half carrot (in Juliana) – 50g chopped onion – 50g chopped celery – 2 tbsp thyme leaves only - 150ml apple cider – 100ml cream. Chopped parsley to serve.

1. In a deep pan at medium high heat add first the mussels and top them with the vegetables and thyme. Cover with a lid. And shake a couple of times during the cooking process

2. After 3 minutes, pour in the cream, shake again, and cook for an extra minute without the lid.

3. Discard any mussels that have not opened and serve with some chopped parsley

Terroirs London

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:08:00 +0000

Terroirs Is part of a good quality littlegroup that serves some great dishes from Provence with a very interesting organic wine menu it is a short walk from the National Gallery.
The Terroirs wine menu includes wines from Nantes, Rhone, Alsace (Domain Matassa Roussillon) and even the Alps. The organic Bourguevil from Catherine & Pierre Breton is a real find with a really nice finish after the stinky blue cheese flavours from the beginning . Another good option is to try a very nice Pinot Noir from Jean –Francois Ganevat without sulphite and biodynamic production that will fill your palate with rich, juicy and sweet notes of ripe fruit.

Also for me was a total pleasure to find a rare Rioja wine, Gran Cerdo an outsider to the Rioja wine regulation, the taste of this almost unique organic Rioja will play with your taste and mind, but don’t expect classic rioja flavours here!

Cheese selection at Terroirs

Terroirs London offer as well very well done seasonal dishes or tasty French charcuterie, pates or cheeses also seasonal to have with your wine wines, for me the pork pistachio terrine is divine.

More: National Gallery food paintings

Basque Culinary Center

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:30:00 +0000

VAUMM arkitektura has designed the new Basque Culinary Centre. The new building needed to be built in a hilly landscape and the Vaumm studio came with a project full or art and reference to the gastronomy and also linked with the landscape. The building façade looks like a pile of plates , meanwhile the building side closer to the neighbourhood houses have a more human look.

The aim of the Basque Culinary Centre in San Sebastian is training and research, innovation and knowledge and technology transfer in the different areas of the Gastronomic Sciences. The International Advisory Members have chef such as Adriá, Hattori or Blumenthal. The Basque Culinary Centre has signed agreements with various restaurants at national level with which to collaborate and also have the sponsor of the best Basque and international gastronomic brands and the local government and where you can get a Degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts offer by the Mondragon University. Also the Basque Culinary Centre offer course for food enthusiasts

Vertical Farming

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:11:00 +0000

Vertical Farms are a relative a new concept in architecture, the original idea from the New York Columbia University teacher Dickson Despommier. The main idea is to create vertical farm buildings in the cities avoiding the waste of CO2 emission created by the transport of food to the city, another advantage of the Vertical Farms are, use of eco-friendly energy like wind energy or solar energy. The ability to produce food all the year around like in a greenhouse. The production will not suffer from countryside for drought or flooding. Lees water consumption and saving in production and transport.
The last year Loft London Farm Tower Awards have very interesting project to build over the Thames River even still looking a bit futuristic and they seem rather expensive.

Ground breaking ceremony in Linköping, Photo by Tommy Hvitfeldt

Anyway Sweden has taken note and is already building the first Vertical Farm in Linkoping and seem that will be ready in about over a year. The Plantagon Greenhouse dramatically change the way we produce ecological food. The Plantagon Greenhouse cut costs and environmental damage by eliminating transportation and delivering directly to consumers in city areas. The basic idea is to grow vegetables in pots in a vertical building. The pots are then put into trays, which are transported around the growing helix where the cultivation takes place.

The trays are equipped with a light sealed nutrient solution reservoir, and the pots are irrigated about three times per day using an ebb-and-flow technique. A capillary mat at the bottom of each tray protects the individual plants from drought. Excess nutrient solution is collected and reused after disinfestation.

http://plantagon.com/plantagon/urban-agriculture

Climate Protection Supermarket

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:39:00 +0000

The Love Architecture Studio has designed the first energy self-sufficient store that produces more energy than it uses.

Organic products and a healthy lifestyle are mega trends in our society and therefore in the food industry as well.
When building supermarkets, environmental friendliness and sustainability are becoming increasingly important. Economically and ecologically sustainable construction and operation minimize the ecological footprint and reduce the life-cycle cost of buildings.
The project has received a gold certification from the ÖGNI (Austrian Green Building Council). In fact, the site produces more energy than the store uses, making it Austria’s first energy self-sufficient supermarket.

The Spar supermarket façade consists of galvanized sheet steel and wood. Due to their contrast, the two materials convey the different themes, while also creating additional excitement. The roof was designed as a fifth façade, with circular, hill-shaped green spaces.

In order to achieve the goal of a climate protection store, a wide variety of measures were necessary, which can be summarized in five large areas:

The highly-insulating building envelope minimizes both energy loss and energy input.

The building technology includes room ventilation, heat recovery and a sectional foundation slab for cooling and heating; lighting with LED technology and daylight control systems.

The use of sustainable, separable and reusable building materials, preferably solvent-free and non-toxic.

The micro climate at the site. This means the creation of as many green spaces as possible, including on the roof.

The energy generation. In addition, a photovoltaic power plant is located in the parking lot, and a hydropower turbine will be installed in the adjacent Mühlgang stream for energy generation. These features create more energy than the store uses.

Juan Mari Arzak Formula One Food

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:15:00 +0000

The last year Formula One season the worst team so for in the competition was the Hispania Racing Team but seems that this year they are going to have a better season. For the first time the team pass the “crash test”which means that they will be in the last training season in Catalonia with all the rest of the formula one teams and presumably they are going to have a more competitive car.
Whatever happens in the racing, one thing is very sure for HRT, they are going to have one of the best chefs and their catering team behind them

Recipes for watch the Formula One with your mates

The acclaimed Spanish chef Juan Mari Arzak will be in charge through the catering company Arzak-Bokado of the food for the HRT Formula One team for the coming season.

Sorpionfish puding with fried noodles by Arzak. Photo by

The Arzak-Bokado chefs will travel with the Hispania Racing Team through all the 2012 Formula One circuit, having their base in their own HRT Motorhome (now in Caja Magica Madrid) for the European races and outside Europe the Arzak-Bokado will use the facilities of the different circuits.

Juan Marzi was the first chef in Spain to win three Michelin stars and has inspired several generations of chefs with cutting-edge food and now is the first chef of such status that will be in charge of the food of a F1 team.
The chef said that is a great opportunity to promote the Spanish gastronomy around the world and as well a great challenge to Arzak-Bokado catering team.

Juan Mari Arzak recipe of Crêpes with smoked salmon and yogurt sauce and oranges

Juan Mari Arzak Créps, with a Michelin Star touch and very easy to cook

You need for the crêpes: 2 eggs – 40g flour, 250ml milk – 3 tbsp of beer – 12g butter (softened) – pinch of salt.

1. For the crêpes just mix very well all the ingredients in a blender and let rest aside for 30 minutes.
2. Then add some butter in a pan, add a dollop of the batter and cook both sides until golden brown. When you are finished set aside and keep warm. The size of the crêpes should be around 12 centimetres diameter.

You need for the filling: 4 slices of smoked salmon – 6 tbsp of cream – 50g cream cheese – 1 tsp of junipers (chopped) – 1 fennel (chopped) – 1 sweet red pepper (finely chopped) – 1tsp of lemon juice.

1. In a bowl mix the cream with the lemon and add the salmon slices finely chopped.
2. Then add to the mix the junipers, fennel and sweet red pepper

You need for the sauce: 36g of thick Greek yogurt – 1 orange (finely chopped) – 1tsp of sugar –

1. In a bowl mix very well the yogurt with the sugar and orange until you have a smooth sauce.

For the serving you need:

1. Spread some filling over each crêpes and then make a roll.
2. Serve with the sauce in one side of each plate and sprinkle some chopped parsley.

Recipe translated from HogarUtil

5 tips to promote your Restaurant in Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:25:00 +0000

I think twitter must be the best social network for restaurants more or less because you can find out if your clients are already in your table and what they are saying. And also is a good way to follow your clients and another restaurant in the area. Lately I have been following some great Chefs, but unfortunately they little speak about their restaurant, I receiving lot information about food and perhaps their style but not much about what is going on inside the restaurant. I think with the following 5 tips for restaurant in Twitter you can make your restaurant more interesting to follow and also more interesting for the people to go more often to your table

Brighton Restaurants Review

KitchenVoyage 5 tips to promote your Restaurant in Twitter

1. Expand your tweets. Tweet every day and in an often and quality way can be a hard task. Maybe the best you can do is hiring somebody to write your tweets or a blog. But a good approach is to get involved your staff, from the room manager to the last kitchen assistant, they can produce very interesting tweets under a previously policy and target agreement. For me will be nice to know for example what you waitress was tweeting in the lunchtime or from where came the oyster that your kitchen staff was preparing earlier
2. Listen to your clients and also make some benchmarking, choose a popular restaurant already in twitter and read their tweets, reply, subject and which ones are the most re-tweet and find out the best #hashtags for you restaurant style
3. Engage with your clients. If one client tweets about your restaurant don’t just reply with a thank you. Maintain a little conversation with them, ask why they like your restaurant, which are the favourites dishes or find out more about your service or what your clients would like to improve, like more fish in the menu or gluten free dishes.
4. Create twitter lists and share. You should be creating twitter list with your clients, with another restaurant of same area or kind of food and list with locals and food blogger. Then share what they are saying and also you always will know what are they doing or thinking.
5. Tell good histories. Don’t just tweet the dish of the days , a restaurant is a great source of history, you have histories of all your staff, your clients and providers and how interesting is creating dishes for them

Traditional Spanish Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:18:00 +0000

Fideua packet by De Irene Exquisita

First to be clear, Spanish pasta doesn’t mean pasta with chorizo or ham. Actually what we can call like authentic Spanish pasta in whole Spain the variety is very scarce. Why? Well is very difficult to understand because in the roman times the Iberian peninsula was a wheat stock for the Roman Empire and later on the Moorish introduce the pasta almost at the same time than Sicily, but for some reason the pasta in Spain with the following exception has been a rarity and still today outside Catalonia or Valencia regions a rarity find a good pasta restaurant. Today pasta is more popular between the families and although a lot of Italian restaurants have opened still a big gap between both countries so if you are going to Spain avoid asking for Italian style pasta and go for the traditional Spanish pasta, the only one that the Spanish can cook and very well.

Catalan Cannelloni

Saint Stephan Catalan Cannelloni. Photo by ElPais.es

If Spain has a pasta region it must be Catalonia, and they have unique pasta adaptation, the Catalonian cannelloni, that also are the traditional dish for Saint Stephan (Catalonian Boxing Day). The tradition of eating cannelloni in Catalonia is quite new, started the last century when Italian, French and Swiss workers arrive to Catalonia.
I am just going to explain the Catalonian more traditional filling for the cannelloni tubes

Filling ingredients¹: 125g ground beef – 125g ground pork – 1 chicken or turkey breast (cubed) – 200g chicken livers (cut in small pieces) or 100g foie gras – 1 leek (sliced into thin rings) – 1 onion sliced - 2 ½ tbsp breadcrumbs. 4 tbsp. tbsp sun dried tomato pureé

1. In a medium deep wide pan with 3 tbsp. of olive oil fry the vegetables for 4 minutes then add the ground meat with the chicken and chicken livers.
2. When the meat is browned add the tomato puree, mix very well.
3. Remove from the heat and add the breadcrumbs. Season.

Filling ingredients²: 125g ground beef – 125g ground pork – 1 chicken or turkey breast (cubed) – 50g of ham – 50g foie gras – 1onion (sliced) 250ml chicken stock – 200 ml white dry wine – 3 tbsp sun dried tomato pureé.

1. In a medium deep wide pan with 3 tbsp. of olive oil fry the onion for 4 minutes then add the ground meat with the chicken until the meat is browned
2. Add the ham, and after 3 minutes add the wine and leave to reduce in a slow heat.
3. Finally add the foie gras with the tomato and the chicken stock. Half reduce and season.

Then you just fill the cannelloni tubes and top with béchamel sauce (white sauce) and heat in the oven for 20 minutes.

Fideuá with Clams

Fideua with clams. Photo by Victor

Fideuá is a kind of noodle pasta introduced in the Arabian times in the Iberian peninsula. Today is very popular in almost all Spain and the traditional fideuá is more or less a paella made with noodles. The only problem is that in England is not very easy to find those little short noodles that make the fideuá so special. Many British chef recommend to make it with vermicelli noodles. Honestly I tried but for me doesn’t work at all. You can buy it on Internet, but just is good to know that in Spanish supermarkets 1kg of fideuá just cost 1 €.

You need: 250g of fideuá (4 serves) – 300g monkfish fillet or other firm white (cubed) -200g clams (cleaned) – 80g green peas – 1 onion (chopped) 3 garlic cloves (chopped) - 2 tbsp sun dried tomato purée – 400g can of chopped tomato – 1tsp Spanish paprika – 300ml stock (fish or vegetable). Parsley and lemon in wedges to serve.

1. Heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a wide pans at least 8 cms deep. Stir in the garlic, onion with the tomato puree, sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and stock. Bring to boil
2. Add the white fish and the paprika. Simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the pasta, green peas and clams. First read the pasta packet instruction but usually take 4-6 minutes same time to green peas and clams to open. Give everything a couple of stir very gentle.
4. Remove from the heat and let to rest for 2 minutes. Scatter over the parsley and lemon juice from one of the lemon wedges.

Seafood Fideuá

Seafood Fideua. Photo by webosfritos

You need: 250g of fideuá (4 serves) – 200g monkfish fillet or other firm white (cubed) -100g clams (cleaned) – 8 scampi or prawns - 8 rings of cuttle fish (or one cuttle fish cleaned and chopped) – 4 ripe tomatoes (chopped) 2 garlic cloves (chopped) - 300ml stock (fish or vegetable) - 1tsp Spanish paprika - pinch of saffron and 100ml extra olive oil

1. Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a wide pans at least 8 cms deep, and sauté the fish. Set aside and then sauté the scampi or prawns with the calamari rings, set aside as well.
The same with the clams, sautee until they are open, (about 3 minutes). discard any open clams.
2. In the same pan stir in the garlic, when start to brown, add the chopped tomato and paprika, stir and quickly add the fish stew. Simmer for 4 minutes. (if the packet time said cook for 6 minutes)
3. Add a pinch of saffron and then the fideuá noodles, simmer at a medium heat for about 4 minutes.
4. Add the fish and the rest of seafood, and let simmer the last 2 minutes remaining.

Fideua is popular served with extra lemon wedges on the sides of the pan or plates and also with ali-oli sauce. I like fideua al dente like the Italian pasta, but in Spain in every family the cooking time is to the taste of the chef. The same happen with the quantity of fish stock, some people like a bit more wet and another a bit more drier. If get too dry for your taste you always can add a splash of hot stock or plain hot water

Malaga Noodle Stew

Malga Noodle Soup by Chef Alberto Reina

You need: 100g fideuá - 200g cod fillet (cubed) – 200g clams (cleaned) – 1 green pepper (chopped) 1 small onion (chopped) 200g potatoes ( dice into small pieces) – 2 tomatoes (skinned and diced) – 1 garlic clove (chopped) – Saffron threads – 1ltr fish stock . Chives or parsley to serve

1. Heat in a deep pan at medium heat 4 tbsp. of olive oil and sauté the green pepper, garlic, onion and tomatoes for 6-8 minutes. Add the cod or another firm white fish and cook for 3 extra minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve apart
2. In the same pan, heat the stock with a few saffron threads and add the potatoes.
3. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the vegetables, clams and noodles. Remove from the heat when the pasta is cooked and the clams open (4-5 min) Discard any closed clams.
4. Serve and scatter over some parsley or chopped chives.

In some places in Malaga they add to the stew 100g ground almonds with 200 ml of dry white wine. Stir in before you add the pasta and clams.

National Gallery food paintings

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I have selected ten of my favourites painting in the London National Gallery that are related with food from the times of the big master painters. They are food related masterpieces.

The Four Elements Room 11

In room 11 of the National Gallery you can find the masterpieces of Joachim Beuckelaer (1533–574) another Flemish painting where many of his painting include pictures of food and markets. The National Gallery since 2004 managed to have in the same room the series of The Four elements where the fish stall means water, the butchers fire, the earth is represented by the vegetables and a poultry stall in the market means air.

Still Life with Drinking-Horn Room 22

Williem Kalf painted a collection of exotic and opulent object with a great brilliance and depth of colour. A lobster , a drinking horn, a half peeled lemon look so real that you feel that you can start to cook with them at any moment.

The Effects of Intemperance Room 22

Jan Steen started to paint landscapes but soon started to paint controversial scenes of the middle class influenced by the merrymaking that he saw at that time. I like this picture because it shows a believed strict society under the alcohol effect like the snoozing woman or the old man in the back misbehaving with a young lady. The weakness of the elderly encourages the misbehaving of the children. A scene that many modern families are still contemplating. In room 27 is another Jan Steen picture where an oyster is used like a symbol of lust

A Poulterer's Shop Room 27

Gerrit Dou painting is around 1670, he specialised in genre scenes of his time like this poultry shop painted in very deep details like we feel we are inside the shop. The scene makes you think of those moments when you are in the fresh market and the owner is telling you how is the best way to cook the hare or where the precious hare came from.

A Lady in a Garden with Children Room 33

Nicolas Lancret painted the main figures to one side of the picture to show us an almost pastoral scheme of the French aristocrat class before The Revolution. Pay attention to the little girl sipping chocolate and abandoned her doll in favour to join to an afternoon tea, something that any child will do even today, just change the doll for a console game and the setting for an Ikea kitchen.

La Fontaine Room 33

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin was a Parisian painter in the times of Louis XV, his paint works always reflect simple domestic tasks with very common household elements that transport us to the times that a simple task like bringing water from the cistern wasn’t so easy like our days but painted with a great pictorial harmony

Still Life with Lemons and Oranges Room 39

Still Life with Lemons and Oranges and Still Life with Oranges and Walnuts are two pictures of Luis Melendez recognized as one of the greatest European still-life painters. The Still Life series of Melendez show us the best product that Spain has been always to offer to the kitchens, painted with a precision that captures all the texture of the fresh food and also of the oldtime kitchenware.

Still Life with Apples and a Pomegranate Room 41

Gustave Courbet (1819-77) was a French painter who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting that also had very clever quotes. Most of the Still Life paintings were painted when he was in prison, his sisters brought him fruit and flowers as subjects for his canvases. Many of these represent fruit in landscape settings.

Bowl of Fruit and Tankard before a Window Room 45

This picture is believed to be an act of homage to a painting which Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) had acquired earlier, Cézanne's 'Still Life with Compotier, Glass and Apples' (Museum of Modern Art, New York). Gaugin instead paints the bowl of fruit in full details using the colours for pure decorative and emotional purposes with non-naturalistic approach of painting with very simplified brush touches. At the time he painted the picture he was living in Haiti, but is believed that the background town is based on a picture of Pont-Aven

The Arnolfini Portrait Room 56

Perhaps this famous Jan Van Eyck portrait is not exactly a foodie’s one, but Jan Van Eyck is one of my favourites, the portrait is about an Italian merchant living in Bruges holding the hand of his young pregnant bride. In the mirror beneath is probably the reflection of Van Eyck, but if you are a real foodie you will notice the perfect orange fruit detail painting by the window a rare and prized delicacy.

Quick Chorizo and chickpea stew

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Traditional and nutritional Spanish stew in a quick way

Most of us really like a nice stew in those rainy and cold British winter days, but we need to admit they take long time to cook; most of the traditional stews take beforehand preparations, not very good for an idle mind like mine and then you have at least 2 hours of stewing.
So I created a quick stew recipe from the traditional Spanish stew mix of spinach and chickpeas.

You need x 4 Serves: 2 onions (peeled and almost minced) 2 garlic cloves (also minced) – 2 tomatoes (peeled and chopped) – 2 bay leaves – 70g pancetta (chopped ) – 150g Spanish chorizo (roughly chopped) – 250g fresh spinach (or frozen) – 1 x400g can of chickpeas (washed and rinsed) – 1tbsp Spanish mild paprika.

Using canned products is a great way to save time in your kitchen

1. Add 4 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan with the minced garlic and onions, heat at a medium low heat for 7 minutes. Stir very often.

2. Meanwhile put the kattle on and wash the spinach under cold running water. Pour the hot water in a big bowl with a tbsp of salt. Move in the spinach for 1 minute. Then drain the spinach and set aside reserving 400ml of the water – you can use the remaining hot water to peel the tomatoes –
3. After 7 minutes add the pancetta and chorizo and cook for 3 minutes, then add the paprika, stir with a wooden spoon for 1 extra minute. Season with fresh ground pepper
4. Cover all the ingredients with the reserved water and wait until slowly bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Then add the chickpeas and simmer for 3 extra minutes, then the spinach’s, cover the pan and further cook for 2 minutes. (if you like you can chop the spinach’s before the final cooking)
6. Season the stew with salt and pepper and serve in a soup dish.

Red blood oranges and Pink grapefruit a red temptation

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Photo by ElvertBarnes

Red blood oranges

Soon blood oranges will be in season in the supermarkets taking the place of the bitter Seville oranges. I am pretty sure that with the mild winter we had been having this year the blood oranges will be sweeter than ever. Blood oranges nutritional benefits are the same as other oranges with plenty of Vitamin C for your day, but the colour is not the only difference the blood oranges give your body more anti-oxidants than other oranges. The Beta Carotene in this orange covers 2 per cent of your daily recommended Vitamin A intake, Beta carotene has been found to help protect against cancer and aging.
Choose Blood Oranges that are firm and heavy for size and Store in the fridge up to two weeks. The season starts now with the Ruby red blood oranges and finish in April with the even more vivid red flesh of the Sicily blood oranges that grow up in the foot of the Mount Etna.

Download the KitchenVoyage Food Season Calendar 2012

Pink grape

Another citrus in season with a lively pink red colour that is so tempting in winter months. For all the citrus fruits for me this this has the most peculiar flavour, a citric bitterness with an acid taste mix perfectly with the sweetness. Even though Vitamin C content is less than oranges a fresh juice of pink fruit made it with 2 pieces is enough to cover your vitamin c daily intake and has only 27kcal per 100g.The pink grape variety also has Beta Carotene that benefits your antioxidants levels. Like the red oranges beta carotene helps protect against cancer and ageing and also is well proven that antioxidants prevent cardiovascular diseases. Pink grape are in season until March, in the market pick those that are heavier for their size, that means that they are juicier. United States is the main producer of pink fruit, but if you live in Europe for minimalize the environmental cost pick those from Spain or Israel.

Red blood oranges ideas

Blood orange with soda By - luz -

1. Blood orange Campari x 2: Mix 100 ml blood orange juice with 60 ml Campari. Pour in the mix in 2 champagne glasses and top up with prosecco.

2. Blood orange smoothie x 2: Mix in a blender 2 blood orange juice with a frozen banana and one apple (cored) and 1 tsp of honey. Blend and serve.

3. Grill Blood orange: Slice in half your blood orange, sprinkle each side with 1tsp icing sugar and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Grill until caramelised.

4. Blood orange sauce for salmon: In a low heat reduce by half 200ml of blood orange juice, then add 2 tsp of honey plus 40g butter. Shake the pan until the butter has melted. Spread over a couple of tbsp. of the sauce over your just cooked salmon fillet.

Pink fruit ideas

Pink grapefruit slice with sugar is a great breakfast. Photo by grongar

1. Pink grapefruit Campari cocktail: Shake 2 shots of Campari with 100 ml blood orange. Stir in 2 tsp of dark brown sugar. Shake again and serve!

2. Pink grapefruit smoothie: Juice 2 pink grapefruit. Remove the skin and the core from a 1kg pineapple and also juice. And juice 2 kiwis. Transfer to a blender and mix with 150g of frozen berries. Blend until smooth and serve.

3. Grill Pink grapefruit: Slice in half your grapefruit, sprinkle each side with 1tsp brown caster sugar and grill until caramelised.

4. Honey Pink grapefruit salad dressing: Half zest the grapefruit, then juice and transfer to a bowl. Mix 2 tsp of honey, and 1 tbsp of extra olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 tbsp of fresh chopped tarragon.

Download the KitchenVoyage Food Season Calendar 2012

Pancake day recipes

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Pancake´s Day. Photo by Brett

Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday is a tradition in the U.K when the country makes delicious pancakes, traditionally served with sugar and lemon juice. It is often the case that pancake races are held in the towns and villages and this year a Pancake Olympics was held here in Sussex at Littlehampton, the winners receiving either a gold, silver, or bronze frying pan !

Quick pancake batter in just one step

Healthy pancake mix

You need: 1 egg – 250ml water – 250ml whole milk – 2tbsp sunflower oil – 2g salt – 250g plain flour.

1. In a blender put in all the ingredients, blend for 2 minutes and rest aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Apple pancake with raisins

London Pancake race. Photo by Martin Deutsch

You need : 3 green apples (peeled and cut in thin slices) – 50g caster sugar – 70g butter (softened) – 75ml rum

1. In a hot pan at medium heat melt 35g of the butter and add ¼ of the sliced apples. Cook for 1 minute, then turn over the slices, cook the apples for another minute.

2. Then place the apples so that they don’t pile up on each other and pour over the pancake batter until the apples are totally covered by.

3. After the first side is ready (aprox 90 sec) turn over the pancake and cook for another minute, and set aside until you cook the rest of pancakes repeating the procedure

4. Now in the same cleaned pan, melt 50g of sugar until start to caramelized and put over one of the pancakes. After a minute, remove the pancake and set in a serving plate and pour over a bit of hot rum. Repeat with the second pancake

Hungarian Pancakes

Hungarian pancakes with paprika sauce (Hortobágyi)

You need: 2 garlic cloves (crushed) – 500g minced beef – 1tbsp soya sauce – 1 ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce – 1 ½ sweet paprika – 170ml sour cream -1tsp plain flour – ½ beef stock cube in 100ml hot water -1/2 tsp caster sugar – 1 clove - 1 green pepper for garnish (chopped in matchsticks)

1. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a medium frying pan and fry the crushed garlic for 1 minute in a medium heat. Add the beef and both of the sauces; cook until the meat is all well brown.

2. Drain the juices in a bowl and set aside the beef. When cool down add 2 tbsp of sour cream.

3. In a second pan in a low heat add the meat juices and add the paprika. Stir in the remaining sour cream. With the plain flour. Stir very well.

4. Then add the beef stock, caster sugar and clove, let simmer in a low for 10 minutes. And season.

5. Meanwhile place the meat in the centre of the pancakes, and fold up the sides of the pancakes and make a roll. Heat them in a pan.

6. When the pancakes are hot, serve in a plate and pour over the pink sauce (clove removed) with the green pepper matchstick like a really refreshing side dish.

Chocolate hazelnut spread

You need: 50g hazelnuts – 2tbsp caster sugar – 200ml single cream – 2oog dark chocolate (finely chopped)

1. In a food processor blend the chocolate and hazelnuts with 1 tbsp of caster sugar.

2. In a sauce pan at medium heat pour in the cream with the remaining sugar and bring just to boil. Reduce the heat and add the chocolate and hazelnut mix. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
3. Spread over the pancakes

David de Jorge the last Robin Food

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

David de Jorge

David de Jorge is a controversial Basque Country chef, his books are between one of the best and innovative cooking books in the last years some have been recognised by the Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards, also have a close relationship with some of the best Basque Country chef like Michelin Star Martin Berasategui and some years ago the same David de Jorge was pronounced best young Spanish chef. Today he is becoming very popular for his T.V program in ETB (Basque Country T.V), this fat morbid chef swear and curse three time more than Gordon Ramsay and makes Jaime Oliver look like a posh kid every time that him taste a stew with his finger or lick a spoon
Their dishes can be sometimes heavy and a nightmare for any nutritionist but once you are in their style of cooking without foolishness, in a natural way without mysteries or complicated skills you will do the next step, try to cook like him or cook from their TV program or David de Jorge blog recipes.

Earl Grey Tea

In my Google Chrome favourites at the moment I have more than 100 recipes to try for different blogs around the world and at the moment David de Jorge recipes are having all my attention since I cooked last week his Earl Grey Tea Cake a little masterpiece of flavours, perhaps too simple but with a real Michelin start touch, no surprise that Martin Berasategui restaurant is around the block of the T.V studio and his team is giving him some extra tips.
Spain is in a moment that needs a generational change and any aspect of their social society and David de Jorge is showing the way to the new Spanish chef generation, back to the simple and natural roots of the Spanish cooking, and he is not afraid of the critics

Cod fillets with potatoes and raisins.

Cod with potatoes and raisins

You need: 500g floury potatoes (peeled and sliced in 0,5 cm – ½ cube of fish stock – 30g raisins – ½ liter fresh water - 125g butter (cubed) – 4 cod fillets (skin on) – 10g chopped chives for garnish

1. In a shallow and wide saucepan with enough room place the potatoes so that they don’t pile up on each other.
2. Pour in the water, spread all over the butter and put in the fish stock (or vegetable stock) and raisins. Try to get those raisins that still have a bit of flesh for a better result. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer in a slow heat until the water reduces and the potatoes are tender cover for a bright medium thick sauce.
3. Three minutes before the potatoes are done, introduce the cod fillets, cover for the first minute, check if the cod fillets are done and sprinkle over the chives.
4. Serve in individual dishes and sprinkle a little of olive oil over each dish

Earl Grey Tea Cake

You need: 20g of earl grey tea (Darjeeling or English breakfast are very good as well) 240g caster sugar – 250g eggs – 150g of fresh cream – 2tsp orange blossom water – ½ vanilla pod seeds – 500g flour (sieved) – 6g baking powder – 100g butter (softened) – 1g salt -Oven at 180ºC

Earl Grey mixed with sugar

1. If your tea is a leaf tea you need first to mill the tea in a pestle & mortar or a ground coffee machine can be useful as well. Then mix the tea with the sugar, set aside.
2. Now in a big bowl roughly beat the eggs, add the vanilla pods, salt and finely the sugar with the tea. Mix everything using a hand blender for about 3 minutes.
3. Then add the cream and blossom water, mix just a bit and the butter.
4. Still mixing and slowly start to incorporate the flour and the baking powder to the mix, always using the blender. When you poured in all the flour blend the mix for an extra couple of minutes
5. Transfer the mix to a greased cake tin. Let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
6. Bake for 40 minutes. In my experience after 25 minutes the top of the cake for me is brown enough so I covered the top with foil paper and continue baking until the cake is done. For check the cake is done introduce a skewer or cocktail stick (or even a uncooked spaghetti noodle). If come out clean the cake is done. If comes out with crumbs, or clearly shows wet cake batter, the cake is not finished cooking. Don’t use a knife to test the cake as this can deflate a cake.
7. Let cool down in a rack and serve the cake with a perfect cup of tea!

Notes:
a) David de Jorge original recipe uses double amount of ingredients.
b) I use orange blossom water a leftover from another cake recipe, David de Jorge use 1 grated orange peel and 1 grated lemon peel.
c) The cake will keep moist for almost a week in a cake tin.

David De Jorge in The Guardian

Cote Restaurant Brighton

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:52:00 +0000

Cote Brighton

Cote Brighton is part of the ever growing and popular Cote chain winner of the best value restaurant in Britain by Good Food Guide.

Located in the Old Music Library, the room is sensational and well decorated, it is just opposite the Brighton Dome.

The venue is very popular and on my last visit was full at 2pm which is always a good sign. The food on every visit (and I have been here at least half a dozen times) is of good quality and great value for money and the service is prompt and friendly. The menu at £9.95 is excellent value for two courses at lunch time.

Cote Brighton main dinner room

On my last visit I had moules marinières like most of the best Brighton seafood restaurants they were very fresh - thank you to the local fishmarket. The mussels, crispy calamari or the deep fried whitebait are a must as a starter, they don't dissapoint you.

Steak with french frites

Then followed a very well cooked grilled Steak with garlic butter and with the best thin french frites. The steak with fries for me in the real star of the menu. For dessert I had Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream - delicious!

I have also had before a rich and creamy céme caramel and the chocolate pot with creme fraiche on the top is a simple little gem.

In the wine menu you can find good french wine at very good price, you can also try the Meteor beer from an independent french brewery, this french Lager is a light beer, very refreshing with a good taste.

There have been a few negative reviews on trip advisor but for me this is a great restaurant for an inexpensive meal, good service and always with good atmosphere.

Government nutrition measures

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Last week I been very glad to read some news about the effort of some government are doing to tackle bad nutrition or bad habits nutrition in their citizenship. One of the bad sides or the globalization is that all the countries are having problem with the food industrialization, the phenomenon is well known in super rich countries like United States or United Kingdom who have been having already for generation obesity problems and any kinds of diseases linked with bad food habits, but the same problems have reached also countries like Italy or Spain who meant to have the famous healthy Mediterranean diet, as well news super economic houses like Brazil or tiny south American countries like Uruguay are starting to deploy laws and politics to tackle the same problems that have fully developed countries.

Uruguay

Photo by Skyscrapercity Uruguay

The Uruguayan government is working in a list of allowed and disallowed food for the Uruguayan scholars that include recipes and nutrition guide for parents and teachers. The Uruguayan government is looking for change the diet of the little Uruguayan modifying the menu in the schools, and forbidden the selling of certain snacks, sweeties and even the famous and traditional alfajores (two round biscuits joined with milk caramel and cover with chocolate). Anyway because the alfajores are part of the Uruguayan tradition they will able to have a healthier version make with corn starch and without cover. Soft drink and snacks are substituted with natural juices and fruits. A last year nutritional study discovers that the 43% of the Uruguayan kids are obese.

Massachusetts Usa

Massachusetts General Hospital

The Massachusetts General Hospital has introduced a system of Labelling and Choice Architecture Intervention to Improve Healthy Food and Beverage Choices in the coin operated food selling machines. Like in the supermarkets the selling machines have a selling strategy, where the products that are at the same level to our sight in the machine will be the star product. So the nutritionist and marketing experts of the hospital decided to make some changes, first labelling the food according to the nutritional facts, so soft drink received a red label like another sugar and saturates fat products and the healthier a green label. Then they relocate the products, the healthy one where put in the best-selling machines places, and the red labelled out to the direct sights of the consumers.
That two simple changes make that in few months the green label products become more popular with an increase of 4,5% in food products and almost 10% in healthy drinks. Meanwhile the red label selling records dropped to 9,6% in food and a drop of 16% in soft drinks. The study has helped to understand the close relationship between marketing and bad nutritional habits and how easy can be change with little cost for the governments.

A clear labelling for the European juices

British supermarket juices by Echoplex7

New consumer-friendly labelling rules for fruit juices and nectars were approved by the European Parliament. They aim to prevent potentially misleading names for mixed juices and "no added sugar" claims.

Mixed juices
A mix of two juices must in future have a product name that reflects the contents, say MEPs. For example, a mixture of 90% apple and 10% strawberry juice would need to be called "Apple and strawberry juice". MEPs say there are current cases where only the minority ingredient is in the product name. A generic name like "Mixed juice" could be used if there are three or more fruit sources.

Sugars and sweeteners
MEPs know that consumers – especially diabetics, parents and people on a diet – want clear indications on the difference between a 'juice' and 'nectar', and presence of any sweeteners.
In future, fruit juices will by definition not contain any added sugars or sweeteners. 'Nectars', made from fruit purée with added water, may contain added sugar or sweeteners. "No added sugar" labels will not be allowed on nectars containing artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin, to avoid potential confusion.

Pure orange juice?
Under international standards, many products sold as "orange juice" may contain up to 10% mandarin juice, which contributes to colour and taste. To maintain a level playing field, the new rules clarify that all imported and EU orange juice will need to be pure to be sold as such, or will include mandarin in the product name, if present.

My 2 favourite tuna pie recipes

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Different varieties of Spanish turnovers. Photo by Qlis

Tuna and red pepper pies can be found almost in every corner in Spain, served in Bars like a tapas or sold as well in some of the many delicatessen Spanish shops in slices for fix you a quick noon snack or easy dinner or also sold in bakeries or food fresh markets (slices or whole). This turnover or pie works like a Cornish pasty, help to hungry workers have a sustainable and practical meal in the breaks and also very popular with family travellers on the way down to the beach or in a picnic. Although the Galician Turnover are the most popular (made from meat, sardines, seafood, cod, etc), I really like the circular Tuna pies made in the central north area of Spain (Asturias, Cantabria) or the square shape of the tuna pies of the Madrid workers bars.
Time to time when I know I will have a busy week I like to prepare my home made tuna pie for fix myself an easy supper. Since I have been in England I´ve been struggling to find good Spanish quality canned tuna, I guess mainly because the Asian offers a more cheap version mainly because the tuna is canned with spring water or sunflower oil and cheaper workforce but for my taste my tuna pie must be with tuna canned in olive oil, the difference in flavours are just abysmal.
Tuna like another oily fishes is very rich in Omega 3 good for reduce cholesterol levels, and helpful in another diseases like hardening of the arteries or cardiovascular problems. Tuna is even richer in Vitamin B than eggs or red meat a main vitamin for our system.

Please before to buy canned tuna check the MSC sustainable brand seafood list

Tuna pie with red pepper and paprika

You need for the pastry: 350g plain flour – 175g cold butter (chopped in cubes) – Pinch of salt.

1. In a food processor mix the flour, salt and butter. Blend and add 4 tbsp of cold water, until you have a dough (add more water if is needed). Try to no overworked, no need to be to elastic like pizza dough
2. Pick the dough ball from the blender, cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile you can prepare the filling.

You need for the filling: 1 can of tuna of 200g or 230g -1 big red pepper (finely chopped) – 1 onion (finely chopped) – 400g potatoes (peeled and small diced in 2cm x 2cm) – 300ml of dry cider – 1- tbsp. of smoked paprika - 2 tbsp. tomato puree – 1 ½ tbsp. of fresh chopped parsley

1. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil from the canned tuna in a wide pan. In a low heat fry the pepper and onion and diced potato for about 10 minutes, stirring at least every 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomato puree, stir, and add the cider (you can use dry white wine as well). Then the parsley and the paprika. Bring to boil.
3. Then simmer for another 10 minutes with the pan half covered. If it gets too dry add a splash of water.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool down for 5 minutes, then add the canned tuna. Mix very well and season with salt and pepper.

You need for the tuna pie: Oven at 185ºC and 20 to 25 cm shallow pie dish (circular or square) – 1 egg beaten.

1. Butter the pie dish with a bit of butter.
2. Remove the pastry form the fridge. Split 2/3 of the dough and flatten with a rolling pin until you have the size of your dish plus 2 cms.
3. Gently pat the flattened dough in the pie dish then spread the tuna filling in.
4. With the rolling pin flatten the rest of the pastry in a way to create a lid for the pie. Put over the filling and seal together the edges of the two pastries with your fingers.
5. Brush the top of the pie, including the sealed edges with the beaten egg and prick the top with a fork
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool down and serve at room temperature.

My Healthier Madrid Tuna cake

Spanish canned tuna in olive oil

You need for the pastry: 300g plain flour – 70g corn flour – 3 tbsp baking powder – 1 egg – 200ml milk (at room tempaerature) – 50ml sunflower oil – Pinch of salt.

1. In a bowl or food processor mix all the dry ingredients. Then add the egg, blend again and slowly start to add the milk and sunflower previously mixed in a cup. Blend or mix with your hands until you get an elastic dough.
2. With the dough make a ball, cover with cling film and let rest for 30 minutes.

Tuna with softened peppers is always a winner in any recipe

For the filling: 200grs canned tuna in olive oil - 1 big green pepper (finely chopped) – 1 onion (finely chopped) – 200g chopped tomatoes (can be canned as well) – 2 boiled eggs – 8 green olives (finely chopped) - 1 ½ tbsp. of fresh chopped parsley –
1. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil from the canned tuna in a wide pan. In a low heat fry the pepper and onion for 5 minutes until translucent, add the tomatoes a cook for another 3 minutes. Stir time to time. Let cool down
2. Now in a bowl mix the vegetables with the tuna, olives and chopped boiled eggs (or slice the eggs if you like). Season and add the parsley.

You need for the tuna pie: Oven at 190ºC - 20 x 30 cm rectangular shallow oven proof dish – 1 egg beaten.

In my filling I like chunky pieces of eggs

1. Butter the pie dish with a bit of butter.
2. Remove the pastry form the fridge. Split 2/3 of the dough and flatten with a rolling pin until you have the size of your dish plus 2 cms.
3. Gently pat the flattened dough in the pie dish then spread the tuna filling in.
4. With the rolling pin flat the rest of the pastry in a way to create a lid for the pie. Put over the filling and seal together the edges of the two pastries with your fingers.
5. Brush the top of the pie, including the sealed edges with the beaten egg and prick the top with a fork in several places.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool down and serve at room temperature.

How to freeze food

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Despite that for several years it has been possible to freeze our food in the Fridge, many of us still having some doubts how is the best to freeze food and how to unfreeze. Freezing food is a great way to save money and keep your favourites ingredients fresh for longer.

The freezer

Photo by Neff

Before you freeze your food you need to know what are the freezer levels of your fridge, if your freezer only can produce -12ºC you need to know that you just can keep your food for only a couple of weeks. The ideal is having a freezer with at least - 18ºC for keep the food fresh for several months. Freezer with anti-frost features improve the freezer process and avoid that the food is contaminated with another food odours and also avoid that some food kind of food get stick each other (meatballs, burgers). Also is important keep the internal walls of your freezer ice free. The ice act like an insulating making more difficult to keep a stable temperature and also make your freezer use more energy.

The containers

Photo by Rubbermaid

_Whatever the container you use, this must have a hermetic close.
_For liquid and already cooked dishes plastic rigid container or Tupper ware are ideal.
_For liquid or sauces you can also use freeze bags or plastic container, but remember that that sauces and liquid increase their volume in the freezer, so don’t overfill.
_Fish and meats for their irregular form is best keep it in bags or in aluminium foil.
_Vegetables in plastic bags.
_Label your container with the dates and the product name in it.

How to freeze

Poster by limegreen367

Vegetables: For keep the entire colour and flavour is best blanch first the fresh vegetables, drain and dry before to freeze.
Meat: Before you freeze you should be remove any fat excess and divide in size portions for no need to unfrozen a whole kilogram of meat that you won’t need soon.
Fish: If you fishmonger didn’t clean the fish, you should be clean it before freeze. Oily fish because have fat can be frozen just for 3 months. Salmon, hake and cod will lose in the unfreeze process.
Fruit: You must peel the fruit before and cover with sugar (250g sugar for 1000g of fruit) if not the texture and flavour will change too much. I peel the bananas and I cover in foil paper for make the perfect smoothie. No sugar needed in that case.
Bread: Just freeze bread suitable for freeze or those from an artisanal bakery, because much of the bread that is sold in supermarket was previously frozen.
Pasta: Just homemade fresh pasta or fresh pasta suitable for freeze like the bread. You can freeze pasta after cooking but the texture is no very nice.
Dairy: Semi-skimmed milk, butter and cheeses are also good for freeze with some exceptions.
Fresh Herbs: Washed and drained can be freeze until 6 months

Don’t Freeze

Photo by Alyssssyla

* Never freeze any kind of food that was previously frozen because the flavour and texture will deteriorate even more quickly than in a fresh state.
* Whole milk because the fat can curdle and Soft cheeses also will lose.
* Cakes, if you make a cake keep in the fridge if you freeze the cake, when is unfrozen will become crumble and difficult to slice properly.
* Stews will lose flavours.
* Eggs, fresh eggs are not suitable for freeze, they lost texture and flavour. Same for mayonnaise. You only can freeze the white egg.
* Pasta and rice’s. Even they are part of a soup of a stew, the pasta or rice will lose flavour and texture.
* Fresh potatoes are not recommended because the texture will be very hard after defrosting, instead mash potatoes keep very well in the freezer.

How to Defrost.

- The best way to defrost your food is in the top shelf of your fridge until recover their fresh texture.
- Never defrost at room temperature or under running water because the food will reproduce bacteria.
- Using microwave is also a good method.
- Some vegetables like peas and beans can be cooked without defrost.

Chicory health benefits

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Photo by by chez loulou

Most probably originated in the Mediterranean, chicory was already in the Egyptian, roman and Greek kitchens consumed in their wild form. The today chicory started to be cultivated in Belgium only in XIX century. Today, Belgium, France, Holland are their main producers and have also a great market in North America.

The common chicory is white in the bottom with the top of the leaves with a green yellow colour. The red one is a mix between chicory and radicchio. Both have crunchy texture and fresh light bitter flavour.

In the market, pick those chicories that the leaves still very tight and with a golden yellow colour, chicory is cultivates in dark environment, so in the direct light their colour starts to become greener and bitter. Store in the bottom fridge covered for avoid light

Nutritional Facts x 100g

Kcal	Vitamin A	Vitamin C	Calcium	Potassium
21,7	251 mg	10 mgc	58,5 mg	322 mg

Health benefits

Chicory is 94% water, for that reason have little calories, fat and sugar content, ideal for keep a good diet. The Chicory Vitamin A is good for the sight, recommendable for people with dry eyes or nocturnal blindness. Also have the properties of the Vitamin C.

The bitterness of the chicory is caused for a component that helps to have an easier digestion.

Also the high folates content (115 mcg x 100g) makes the chicory important ingredients in a pregnant diet. The potassium content act like a diuretic.

More: Chicory Recipes by top European chefs

Recipes for entertaining friends

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Nachos with Guacamole

Guacamole is today a classic snack that taste even better if you pick the perfect ripe avocados and make at home. For me sea salt is a must in the recipe and also choose the chilli variety that adjust more with your taste. Guacamole is to enjoy with your friends. Also you can make your home-made nachos if you want to skip the artificial nachos. The precooked white maize flour is not easy to find in regular supermarkets, try gourmets places like Taj in Brighton.

For the Guacamole you need: 1-2 serrano chillies to taste or fresh green chillies (finely chopped) -
½ red onion (finely chopped) - 2 tsp sea salt - 3 Hass avocados (ripe) - 2 ripe tomatoes (peeled, deseeded and chopped) Juice of 2 limes – 3 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped) or parsley -

Guacamole in a pestle and mortar

1. Put half of the chilli and half of the onion with the salt in a pestle and mortar and mash to a rough paste. Check the seasoning
2. Cut open the avocados and put the flesh into the pestle. Roughly mash the flesh with a fork or the mortar leaving some texture, add half the lime juice as you are mashing.
3. Stir in the remaining chillies, red onion and tomatoes, and half of the coriander and mix very well. If your mortar is no big enough continue the guacamole in a bowl.
4. Sprinkle over the rest of the lime juice and coriander, and season with black pepper. Check is the season, coriander or lime adjust to your taste, if not you can add more.

For the home-made nachos you need: 2 cups of Precooked white maize flour – 2 ½ cups of lukewarm water – 1 tsp salt – Corn oil or vegetable oil to fry

Flatten Nachos dough

Nachos triangle shape

1. In a bowl pour in the water, and the salt, slowly add the maize flour mixing with a wooden spoon as you go. Then with your hands make the dough.
2. Move the dough to a working surface and knead for about 7 minutes until you have smooth dough. Leave to rest covered in the fridge for half an hour
3. Put the dough between 2 cling film sheet, and with the rolling pin flatten the dough to about 3-5 mm (kitchen towel thick)
4. With a sharp knife, pizza cutter or a triangle shape cutter cut the flattened dough in nachos triangles (about 4cm base x 5cm side)

Home-made nachos

Deep frying nachos

5. Heat your oil until smoky and deep fry the nachos in batches. A minute each side will be enough to be golden brown. Keep warm the first batches over a kitchen towel.
6. When you have all the nachos ready serve with your guacamole!

Quick Pizza dough

My alla diavola pizza with fennel tomato sauce

This quick pizza is in the Jamie´s 30 minutes meals book and I really love it, choose the topping that you or your mates most like, because the dough is quick and dead easy.

You need for the dough: 215g of self- rising flour and 150ml tepid water with 2tbsp of olive oil
For the tomato sauce: 1 can chopped tomatoes - 6 sprigs of basil with leaves – 1 garlic clove (peeled) – 2 tbsp. olive oil - 1 tbsp. Red wine vinegar – 1 tsp. fennel seeds

Making the sauce

1. With a mortar crush the fennel seeds and keep apart.
2. Put the remaining ingredients in a blender or liquidiser, and smooth nicely. Season.
3. Add the fennel seeds.

Making the dough and pizza

Sprinkle some parmesan and pepper and ready to bake

1. Put 215g of self-rising flour in the food processor, start to whiz meanwhile you are adding the water, with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Whiz until you have smooth dough.
2. Then sprinkle with some flour a working surface, move in the dough and sprinkle some flour over, also flour a rolling pin and start to roll the pin until the dough is 1 cm thick.
3. Heat a pizza tray or a big pan brushed with olive oil in the oven or on the hob (if the pan is not big enough split the dough in 2), when it is very hot move the flat dough to the pizza tray or pan. With your finger push down the edges of the dough into the sides of the pan.
4. Pour over the tomato sauce just in the middle of the dough, spread evenly all over.
5. Add your favourite topping, mine is alla diaviola!

More: Cornichons burger - Fish Finger sandwich - Organic home-made chicken nuggets

Recipes for entertaining friends and TV Sports Sea...

Recipes for entertaining friends and TV Sports Season

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:54:00 +0000

Finnegans Madrid Irish Pub

We are in this part of the sport season where we are reaching a turning point, where every football league game, or Six Nations rugby match counts, and this special regular NBA season with fewer games counts much more than previously years. In just one week the Champions league starts the final 16 and in month the F1 is back. So plenty of sport action to watch and have a good time with your lads.

Some time ago when I was living in Madrid, I was every sport weekend in my favourite Irish Pub to have a good time and some of the best Irish pubs in Madrid on Sunday and Saturday are packed with the british Spanish community and also some Spanish that like the Premier League or international Rugby and also to try to improve their English. Much of the time the atmosphere is great, the beer is well served and the food, well the food.. you need to know what to ask for such as sausage and mash.

So when I moved to London I was in the paradise of the Sport Pubs, but unfortunately economic times have arrived, plus the alcohol taxation in England is like you need to manage very well your pub visits, and if you are hungry now you need to add at least 10 extra pounds to your bill.
But don´t spoil the fun, just invite your friends come by to your house, they bring the beers and you prepare your favourites lad´s foods for a much more affordable price!

Burger with pickled cornichons

Cornichons Burger with TV sport program

Adding the cornichons (pickled gherkins) and the shallots you will have a burger full of flavours with a good size with much less meat, that means less calories and more easy to digest and also you reduce the burger costs. Who needs a 8oz pub burger?

You need: 500g beef mince – 5 cornichons (finely chopped) - 150g shallot (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp. parsley (chopped) – 2 tbsp. Worchester sauce – 1tbsp grain mustard – Tomatoes slices – lettuce leaves and mayonnaise

1. First is very important that you finely chop the cornichons and shallot very finely, if the pieces are not chopped enough the burger can fell apart in the cooking process.
2. In a bowl mix the shallots, cornichons and beef. Then add the parsley and Worchester sauce. Mix with your hands very well and form 4 patties. Brush the burgers with olive oil.
3. Heat your grill pan until is very hot, the best way to know is hold your hand few centimetres above the pan, when you can hold the heat means that the pan is hot enough.
4. Cook each burger approx. 4 minutes each side, just for make it marked outside and juicy inside.

Remember that beef mince , unlike steak,must be cooked through to kill all the bacteria . Serve!

Chicken Nuggets

Home-made Chicken Nuggets

Even chicken nuggets are quite cheap, it´s difficult to find free range or organic chicken nuggets or find some that animal cruelty is not involve or just only find chicken nuggets that taste like chicken. This recipe is a tasty and crunchy one with no need of overpowering sauces

You need: 500g chicken breast (diced in 2x2 cms) – corn flakes without sugar – Ground cumin – smoked paprika – 1 tsp of chopped oregano or parsley – 2 beaten eggs- Olive oil to fry.

1. In a big bowl mix the diced chicken with the spices. Season and add 2 tbsp of olive oil, mix and coat the chicken very well. Set aside.
2. Finely ground enough corn flakes for cover all your chicken, if you dont have a blender, put some corn flakes in a frozen food bags or similar, close it and roll over a pin roll until grounded.

Coating chicken nuggets in corn flakes

3. Deep one by one the nuggets in the beaten eggs and then coat in the breadcrumbs. Shake any excess.
4. Heat the oil, when it is very hot fry the nuggets by batches, be sure they have enough space in the pan. Cook 2 minutes each side. Keep them warm until you finish with the rest.
5. Serve with ketchup or mayonnaise and also prepare some salad leaves even if nobody asks.

Fish Finger

Fish Finger Sandwich

Fish finger is another great snack that the food industry transform in something very unhealthy, the fish if it is a suitable catch is allright but much of the fish finger sold in supermarket hardly have more than of 50% fish, so the problem is the rest.

You need: 700g skinless fillets of cod or salmon – 2 beaten egg – 100g breadcrumbs

1. Cut the fish fillets in a finger size.
2. In a bowl beat the eggs, in another bowl put the breadcrumbs. Dip one by one the fish finger in the beaten eggs and then coat in the breadcrumbs. Shake any excess.
3. You can deep fry them as well, but for a really healthy snack pre-heat the oven at 200ºC, and put the fish finger in a lightly oiled baking tray and bake for 5 minutes each side.
4. Serve alone with salad or in a sandwich with tartar sauce or ketchup.

More recipes for entertaining friends: Nachos with guacamole dip - Jaime Oliver quick pizza

Post dedicated to Diana&Shane

Perfect cup of tea with jam biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:19:00 +0000

Perfect afternoon tea with jam biscuits

Since I moved to England my friends or my family always asked me how the English make the perfect cup of tea. England’s national drink to be honest doesn't have a precise formula, something uncommon for the English culture, in Mediterranean countries is very common to find every popular drink or dish prepare in a different way , just not north to south, we can say in every town just separates for a few miles. But that continental or European rules like the English wasn´t part of the European continent, something that First minister David Cameron seems to have very clear doesn't apply to England where everything have rules or formula. But not for the tea.

First of all I need to say very few English of the new generations or at least from the last 20 year knows very little about a really nice cup of tea. Homes and offices are invaded by the tea bag, very pragmatic for these times; but is like a fast food drink, just an intense flavour without balance and flavours, and unfortunately much of the restaurant don’t really bother to offer a nice cup of tea either, a pot of hot water and a cup with a tea bag inside.

Anyway after 3 years in England I started to figure out how to make my own perfect cup of tea.

Tea Pickers, Photo by dmahendra

You need: Organic English breakfast loose leaf-tea (to taste) – Splash of milk – Purified boiling water – China Pot (pre warmed) and preferably a mug rather than a cup

1. Boil the water in your kettle or similar just when reach the boiling point and let rest for 1 minute.
2. Add the English breakfast leaf tea to your taste in a pre-warmed the pot, like a guide is recommended 1 tsp. by cup. But every brand with different tea consistency will need different measures to you taste or your like weaker or stronger. Pour in the water.
3. Let steep for 3:30 minutes, exactly, this one of the few things on which the majority of tea drinkers agree. Even if you see that the tea become very dark after 1 minute, leave to rest because the tea flavour needs more time for be released than the colour.
4. Serve in individual’s mug rather than a tea cup. For some reason taste a little better.
5. Add a splash of milk (to taste), no sugar please!

Notes.
• I use purified water because in south-England the lime scale is so bad that left a film over your brew.
• Earl Grey tea is a very good alternative to English breakfast. Herbal tea such as mint or green tea are been drinking more and more in office and at home
• Do you know that the majority consumption of energy in England is around the traditional tea time? So many kettles are on that some time that England needs to buy extra energy to France.

Italian Jam Biscuits

Also I would like to share one of my favourite’s homemade cookies of my child-hood, I am pretty sure that my mum got the recipe from the strong Italian community living in Uruguay. The Uruguayans are well known for another brew the “mate”, but for reason they are also attached to the afternoon tea with cake or biscuits. Seems that they incorporated the tradition after the brief English invasion in the River Plate (1807) and the new free commercial relationship between them. (Please don´t confuse with the Falkland conflict)

Jam biscuits recipe – Makes about 15 cookies. Oven at 180ºC

You need: 3 boiled eggs – 150g plain flour – 80g caster sugar - 50g butter (softened) – 1tsp vanilla extract - 30 ml whole milk – Apricot or quince jam.

Jam biscuits roll log

Jam biscuits thumb indentation

1. After you boiled the eggs, remove the white and set aside the yolks.
2. In a bowl sift the sugar and flour. Now sift in the yolks, is a bit slowly but is worth it.
3. Make a well, and add the softened butter, milk and vanilla extract. Mix all together until you have dough. Work the dough for about 5 minutes pressing with your hands firmly.
4. Move to a work surface, sprinkle some flour and make a log roll of about 3 cm od diameter 20cm long. Roll in a cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Filling Italian jam biscuits

5. Remove from the fridge and cut the roll in pieces of 2cm long. Gently with your hands roll each piece in a ball.
6. Put the ball in a greased baking tray with enough room. Best if you baked them in batches or in 2 trays.
7. Pressing down with your thumb to make an indentation in the centre of each ball.
8. Fill each whole with your favourite jam. Each whole will need about ¼ tsp.
9. Bake in the oven for 17 minutes, until golden and the jam is bubbling.

Easy Salad for a gum infection

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:59:00 +0000

The last week I went to a restaurant in Brighton and very crispy prawns caused a Gum infection, at the beginning I didn't give too much attention because I wasn't felling any pain at all and I didn't feel that I had any food stuck, so I was taking care cleaning my mouth with toothpaste and mouthwash.

But I was wrong, 4 day later after I had for dinner a Galician Turnover for my next Spanish Turnover Special, I started to feel some pain, so I took Ibuprofen and went to sleep. I awoke at 3 Am of the morning with an unbearable pain, even worse than any toothache I had suffered (lucky just one in my life). So was impossible to sleep and pretty soon I find out that wheat and caffeine (Ibuprofen has) are very bad when you have a gum infection. The only good news was that I was sure that the gum infection was caused by the food. Hopefully I had just the medication that is needed in this case and I went to sleep.

Two day later my dentist in Brighton, cleaned my mouth and confirmed that I had a little piece of prawn shell stuck in my gum.
When I came back I was very happy and also very hungry, the past day I didn't manage to have too much food, I still I don't feel confident to have pasta, cake or steak, after 2 days eating soups, juices and some chicken that I managed (eat protein with gum infection really help you) I really was looking for something tasty and nutritive, I was thinking in my vegetarian cottage pie leftovers but I really wanted something refreshing, so I make for myself an easy tasty salad that really challenge my best Winter Salads.

Easy Salad recipe

You need for 2 serves: 50g salad leaves - 4 milano salami - 2 boiled eggs - 3tbsp of olive plus 1/2 tbsp of truffle oil for the dressing.

1. For the dressing mix the two oils and season. Set aside
2. Boil your eggs just for 6 minutes if you like them a bit runny. Let them cool down and cut in quarters.
3. Already in the serving plates, spread the salad leaves and salami, sprinkle with the dressing and top with the quarter eggs. Easy, healthy and tasty!

China Iberian ham

noreply@blogger.com (German) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:37:00 +0000

Photo by kisocci

Some time ago the Spanish crown visited China with the important task to open the Chinese market to the Spanish product. China is a country that consumes around 2 million pigs a day so was very easy to think that the famous Spanish ham will be have a great market to explode. So the Chinese government sent to Spain to inspect the Spanish ham producers for health production reason. Apparently more than healthy inspector China sent spies. A few year later China start to produce Chinese ham that look very similar to the Spanish ham, of course produced in half of the time and 10 times cheaper, they use Chinese pig breed but how they produced the ham is very similar process to the Spanish and they will be soon exporting to the rest of the world. As far I read some people say that the flavour is not even close and other that for not expert consumer or new market consumer will be taste all right.

Anyway the Spanish start to fear like happen before with another products that the Chinese Ham overtake the global market , so the Seville University already is working in project through a chemic identification process to determinate the authenticity of the famous Iberian ham and another Spanish traditional food products, where it came from and which product has been used.