When I think of Spain, the first thoughts that come to mind are Elegance, Flamenco, History, Museums, Paella, Explorers, Tapas, Conquerors, and Beauty. My first trip to Spain was the summer of 1987. My entire family including my maternal grandparents were off for a month long excursion to the Iberian Peninsula. First stop on the itinerary was beautiful Madrid. We arrived in Spain's capital on a very hot sunny day in July. The very bustling city was bursting with history, arts, culture, cuisine. It was enough to keep us busy for weeks.
As the 7 of us managed to navigate the city's main arteries- Gran Via, Calle de la Princesa, Juan Catolica-being the most memorable, I had my first foodie moment of beautiful Espana. We made our way into a casual lunch spot for Tapas. The most delightful small plates that are unique to Spain. My favorites were the savory-salty chorizo sausage and the lovely garlic prawns. I had my first every Gazpacho soup while in Madrid, pure heaven. We covered so much ground in 2 weeks, exploring Avila, Segovia, Toledo. One more beautiful than the other. Castles, countryside, quaint towns rich in culture and history.
Many different groups of people have settled in Spain throughout history, including Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, Celts, Basques, and the Moors (Muslims who came from North Africa). The Phoenicians who entered Spain in the 8th century B.C. called the peninsula Span or “the hidden land.” At the time, I wasn't so interested in exploring the various art museums, which my sister and father relished, it was more about the scenery, beaches, and people I was interested in. Spain had all of the above in abundance. I tried the traditional Spanish breakfast of Churros con Chocolate for the first time. So delicious! The fried dough sticks covered in sugar and cinnamon were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Dunked into pure molten chocolate in a cup was truly a delight!
Many different groups of people have settled in Spain throughout history, including Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, Celts, Basques, and the Moors (Muslims who came from North Africa). The Phoenicians who entered Spain in the 8th century B.C. called the peninsula Span or “the hidden land.” At the time, I wasn't so interested in exploring the various art museums, which my sister and father relished, it was more about the scenery, beaches, and people I was interested in. Spain had all of the above in abundance. I tried the traditional Spanish breakfast of Churros con Chocolate for the first time. So delicious! The fried dough sticks covered in sugar and cinnamon were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Dunked into pure molten chocolate in a cup was truly a delight!
My next trip was the summer of 1995 with my sister Annie. After studying in Rome for several weeks, we set out for our first ever European trip sans mom and dad. We visited Barcelona and Valencia. I loved both cities tremendously. The gorgeous parks, art museums, outdoor markets, were lovely. Valencia was gorgeous, however. The beauty of the beach was magnificent. It was here in a little roadside café, Annie and I had our first Paella Valencia. The saffron infused rice with every jewel of the sea so fresh -Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, and savory chorizo with chicken had me hooked!
It was difficult to devise a menu for Spain this week, because there are so many dishes that I adore! From Tapas, to Serrano Ham, Paella, Churros. So I let my children decide and of course they were very excited about the Churros con Chocolate. I am a seafood lover and anxious to try to recreate the Paella Valencia I fell in love with 19 years ago. So off to the market for our Chorizo Sausage, Chicken, Mussels, Shrimp, and Clams we went. We invited our dear friends Roslyn Valentino and her lovely kids over to cook with us. What a fabulous day was had by all. We started with the Paella which took about 1 hour in total. The aroma from the shellfish, chorizo, wine, saffron, oh! Heavenly. It was just as I remembered, so savory and delicious. Even the kiddos loved it. After a post lunch dip in the pool, we got started on our churros con chocolate. We melted the dark chocolate in Milk with a touch of cinnamon and started piping the flour, egg, mixture into Roslyn's pastry bag with a star tip. I was amazed that the dough was actually resembling what looked like a churro as it cooked in the hot oil. I am not a proficient baker in the slightest, must have been Roslyn's help!
The kiddos gobbled up the pillowy churros and lapped their bowls clean of the velvety chocolate. We will be sure to cook this menu again! Here are the links to the recipes we used this week:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/paella-valencia-10000001654636/http://www.hotpaella.com/Recipes/Churros-con-Chocolate.aspx
The most enduring contribution of Spain to the world is its language, which was imported to the Americas with the expansion of the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. Now, more than 400 million people speak Spanish in 22 countries, including 35 million who speak it in the United States. Famous Spaniards include Seneca, Hadrian, Salvador Dalí, El Greco, Pablo Picasso, Francisco de Goya, Jose Carreras, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo(discovered California in , and Plácido Domingo. In 1603, Spanish sailor Gabriel de Castilla (1577-1620) became the first man ever to see Antarctica. Spanish sailor Juan Sebastián Elcano (1476-1526) was the first man to circumnavigate the world. Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475-1519) was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. The first novel, Tirant lo Blanc (1490), was written by Spanish author Joanot Martorell (1413-1468). Translated as Tirant the White, it played an important role in the development of the Western novel.
WHAT A COMPLEX DISH TO COOK, BUT OH SO DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS!
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