Making the difference – Marcando la diferencia

Posted on September 14, 2012 by

Last week and a half I had my last summer break. I took advantage of September weather – warm during the day and cool at night -to go to Spain, again. I could join part of the family and see not few friends, I could cook, and go swimming in the sea…but what I will hardly forget was my first time at a fish market…but not any fishmarket. – La semana pasada y media hice mi ultimo paron del verano. Aprovechando el clima de septiembre - calido durante el dia y fresco por la noche - fui a Espa~na, otra vez. Pude ver a parte de la familia, a no pocos amigos, pude cocinar, nadar en el mar… pero lo que sera dificil de olvidar es mi primera esperiencia en la lonja de pescado, pero no una cualquiera.

When you buy local products your cooking is more than just better. It is unbeatable! It does make the difference, for many reasons. Noting compares to a freshly catch fish, at the right season, using the most convenient fishing method. But it’s not only the gastronomic quality of the products what I like about it. The support to the local ecomony, the protection of traditions, the joy of betting and getting your catch at the best price…well, if things go as planned. – Cuando se compra productos locales, la cocina es mas que solo buena. Es inmejarable, marca la diferencia, por muchas razones. Nada es comparable a un pescado recien sacado del mar, en la temporada adecuada, siguiendo el metodo mas conveniente. Pero no solo la razon de calidad gastronomica es lo que me gusta. Se apoya a la economia local, se protejen las tradiciones, y la emocion de llevarte tu compra al mejor precio…bueno, si las cosas salen como esperabas.

            

Schedules vary from place to place, in Moraira the fish auction starts at 10 am. We went early enough to see the boats entering the harbour, and follow carefully the preparation of the different lots, and choose the one we liked, and couldn’t buy because -let’s admit it – we lacked a bit of  experience :( But we learnt our lesson and next time we’ll go home with our treasure. Los horarios pueden variar de un sitio a otro, en Moraira la subasta empieza  las diez de la ma~nana. Fuimos on bastante tiempo para ver como los barcos entraban en el puerto, y para seguir atentamente la preparacion de los distintos lotes, y elegir el que mas nos gustaba, y que no pudimos compra porque - admitamoslo - nos faltaba un poco de experiencia :(  pero aprendimos la leccion y la proxima vez iremos a casa con nuestro tesoro.

 

 

 In any case it was a great experience that brought me back to some childhood memories. En cualquier caso fue una experiencia genial, que me trajo recuerdos de mi infancia.

   

You know how it works, right? One of the fishmen is “singing” the figures in a descendent order and you can stop him when the price interest you. You choose your lot, you get it, you pay for it. Ya sabeis como funciona, verdad? Uno de los pescadores canta las cifras en orden descendiente y se le puede parar cuando el precio te interesa. Eliges, cargas y pagas.

The tray above shows the lot we wanted to buy and we lost for 10 cents!! the guys before us stopped the action at 25,10 euros when our target was 25,00…beginners I guess…Good that we could erase our disappointment the second we went back home and put on our swimming suits! La bandeja de arriba muestra el lote que queriamos comprar y que perdimos por 10 centimos!! un tipo delante de nosotros paro la subasta a 25,10 y nosotro precio objetivo era de 25,00… novatas imagino. Menos mal que pudimos olvidar el chasco al segundo de enfundarnos el traje de ba~no!!

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oh gloriuos Sunday breakfast! Maravilloso desayuno de domingo!

Posted on August 5, 2012 by

What a better way to celebrate my 100 post than baking a mouth-watering brioche! There is nothing I don’t like about it, from kneading the sticky dough, to adding the butter in small pieces, till waiting to the yeast to wake up and triple the size of the dough…and oh! the smell of the whole house while baking it! It makes it hard to wait till it’s ready to eat, but it’s so much worth it! – Que mejor manera de celebrar que ya llevo 100 posts que hacer una deliciosa brioche. No hay nada que no me guste de todo el proceso, desde amasarla cuando aun esta pegajosa, incorporar la mantequilla en trocitos, hasta esperar mientras la levadura se despierta y triplica la masa…y el olor de toda la casa mientas esta en el horno… Es dificil resistir hasta que esta lista, pero bien vale la pena!

The whole idea of baking a brioche came to my mind yesterday while biking around. I needed a different type of exercise. Something requiring my hands and energy, but not much attention..and I remembered the days at Ferrandi, at the bakery lab! If you want a nice fluffy brioche you have to beat up the dough!..Perfect! that’s what I was looking for! – La idea de hacer una brioche se me ocurrio ayer mientras iba en bici. Necesitaba otro tipo de ejercicio. Algo para lo que necesitara mis manos y mucha energia, peor no concentracion…y me acorde de los dias en Ferrandi, en el laboratorio de pasteleria. Si quieres que tu brioche sea esponjosa tienes que golpear la masa a conciencia. Perfecto! eso es lo que estaba buscando.

  

And that’s the secret why this brioche tressee or tresse briochee ( the beauty of speaking French!, no matter how you say it, all ways are correct ) have become a real feast. I could pass you thousand recipes, with milk, without, with oil, with butter, with eggs, lots, few… I tell you, you have nothing to do if you are not in love with kneading the dough and have lot of patience. More than 12 hours resting: 2 hours at the beginning, so the yeast starts working, then you knead a bit more, shape it on a ball and leave it in the fridge overnight!! then you shape it as you like, egg wash and leave it resting at least one more hour. Only then the elasticity, the flavour and the volume are perfect to go in the oven, at 170-180 C during 20 min. – Y ese es el secreto de porque esta brioche trenzada o trenza “briochada” ( la belleza del frances, puedes decir las cosas de cualquier forma y es correcto) han resultado un festin. Podria darlos la receta, hay miles, con leche o sin ella, con aceite, con mantequilla, con huevo, muchos o pocos…Lo dicho, no hay nada que hacer si no os  gusta amasar y teneis mucha paciencia. Mas de 12 horas de reposo: 2 horas al principio para que la levadura empieze a actuar, se amasa un poco mas, se forma una bola y al frigo toda la noche!! despues se puede dar forma, se pinta con huevo y aun hay que dejarlo por lo menos una hora. Solo asi la elasticidad, el sabor y el volumen estan perfectos para ir al horno, 170 -180C durante 20 min.

    

Days like today, while many towns and villages are celebrating their summer festivals in honour of Mary, I am sitting with G, enjoying our little garden, on a Sunday morning, with fruits and jams and the comforting smell of home that only a freshly baked brioche can bring. Happy Sunday everyone! – En dias como el de hoy, mientras muchas ciudades y pueblos estan celebrando sus festividades de verano en honor a la Virgen, yo estoy con G, disfrutanto de nuestro peque~no jardin, en una ma~nana de domingo, con fruta y mermeladas y el confortable olor “a casa” que solo se consigue con una brioche recien horneada.

  

PS/- Yes! I have decided to write both in English and Spanish…Hope you don’t mind it -Si!! he decidido escribir tanto en ingles como en Espa~nol. Espeor que no os moleste.

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It’s a baby girl!!

Posted on June 8, 2012 by

Elisa was born on a rainy day of May. But she brought the sunshine to her new home, and revealed one of the most precious secrets. It was a baby girl! When I first came to The Netherlands I learn – with great surprise – it was rather impolite to ask the sex of the baby to the mother-to-be. Not that practical when it comes to buy a present, I guess I thought. Maybe because I was thinking of all those pink and blue little dresses people buy for babies in my country. Now, after some time among the Dutch I kind of like it. It’s part of the intimate relationship between the mother and the baby, and they reserve it for the closest ones. But what surprised me the most was the way of announcing the new to the broader audience! Beschuit met muisjes!!

“Muisjes”   in Dutch literally means ” little mice” but no they are not mice ! They are little sugar coated aniseeds, and these days  they come in three colours… white, blue and pink.  Some say that the ” mouse” association came about because when the aniseeds are dipped into the sugar mixture a little  mouse-like “tail” sometimes forms around the stalk.  Aniseed is known to stimulate milk production in nursing mothers and was believed in the 17th Century to give protection from spirits from the mother and baby so maybe that’s why Aniseed is the traditional flavour.

             

 You treat visitors with these biscuits (beschuit, almost sounds the same), but Ricardo took it seriously and also made us participate of such a tradition in the office.

 After mainly many rainy days in May, we were surprised with a sunny first of June. Those are as beautiful as rare. And best way of enjoying it it’s to take a bike ride to Lage Vuursche and eat real farmer pancakes!! It’s very easy to get anywhere by bike, impossible to get lost, almost every corner you find signs. Lage Vuursche is known for having the best pannenkoeken restaurants, but also for being the place where Queen Beatrix will move to when she retires, since she used to live there before.

   

 Savory or sweet, there is nothing like a nice ride through the forest topped by a pancake in the “de Vuursche boer” terrace

   

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Where East does meet West

Posted on May 26, 2012 by

I told you about May being my favorite month when you work in Holland…full of long weekends and flowers blooming all around. We are enjoying our third long weekend, but having temperatures above 25C has made me stay and enjoy the unusual summer weather. If I spent Easter in France visiting some friends, last “Ascension” long weekend I did same, with destination Istanbul. It’s not first tie that I visit Turkey, and I’m sure it won’t be the last one.

Istanbul is an amazing place. Geographically situated where Europe becomes Asia, kissed in both sides by the Bosphorus, blessed with a mild weather. It’s one of those places where you can see, and feel the progress and the tradition hand in hand. The finest restaurants and the most delicious street food. And how to forget…the Turkish brunch! We had this one in “Mehtap Kaffeterya” by the Bosphorus. Fresh orange juice, omelette with saucisse, scrambled eggs with tomato and green pepper, cream with honey – it melts in your mouth!!-, cheese, olives, cucumber and tomato salad, tea and coffee…What we call a healthy Mediterranean meal.

People are very welcoming, easy to get into a conversation, they will try to please the customer, what sometimes can be a bit overwhelming, but never with a bad intention. We had Mezze ( Turkish starters, or tapas) in different places. But it works the same everywhere. The waiter comes and shows you what they have available, and you choose few mezze that will be served with bread…oh!! delicious… Near the Blue Mosque we made friends with “Cesar” at a Kebab places frequented by locals.

Among the different types of street food you can find I think the one I liked the most is “Kumpir”, a baked potato mashed and mixed with cheese to which you can add all the topping you like: pickles, sliced olives, tomato, onion, sweet corn… They are very popular in Ortakoy and it makes the perfect meal after a boat trip in the Bosphorus. 

  

Sultanahmed area is full of Kebab and small restaurants, so eye-catching windows! and lot’s with nice terraces on the top floor, it’s good to ask always. You’ll be surprised.

Sweets might not look as refined and delicate as French pastry, but gosh…they are so yummy! BAsed in dried fruits like pistachio, almonds..and honey, there is a never-ending choice.

 Can’t wait to find a spot in my agenda to visit again… Soon will tell you about the incredible nightlife at Angelique and poshest clubs ever, and the bargains at the Grand Bazar, the fish restaurants near the sea…and lovely friends.

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the smell of my market

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

Even if temperatures are still below 15 C in Holland, tulips fields are at their best and the markets start being colorful and fragranced. I just come back from my weekly grocery shopping, and I realized about the big the impact of scent in the shopping habits and attitudes. There must be about 50 stalls in the market I go, but with no doubt the ones who have most shoppers are the ones that smell “the best”….There would be a long discussion about what “best” means. To me deep-fried fish is a repulsive odour, but there is not market in the Netherlands without a fish monger selling ready-to-eat  fried fish with sauce. And given the crowd you see around them, Dutch street food must be one of the “best”. If I was blind, I could tell whether I am in a Dutch market or not just by the way it smells. Other than fried fish, they cherish raw fish too.. and consequently you can eat the best and freshest ”haring” in one of those open markets, what contributes to that peculiar “fishy” note.

     

But today, as a certain sign that spring as arrived to stay, a trace of sweet, juicy and tasteful strawberries dragged me to one of the most crowded stalls. Wow, it’s not for nothing, that the person next to me was a work colleague! a perfumer!! they are the most expensive strawberries in the market, but their taste it’s worth the price difference. What supports my recently adopted theory that using local food it’s one of the best secrets to succeed in the kitchen. 

Please do not mess up! Look for Dutch label! and stay away from “mass grown, non labeled strawberries”, most probably from Huelva. You can eat those, when you are in Huelva…

But talking about local food, there’s no way you can skip the Dutch cheese!

 

So yes…there is a decent amoung of quality food you can find in Holland, just need to get the time to learn some Dutch to figure out which potatoes are b15 !! Now I understand Van Gogh painted so many potatoes eaters…

Hope you have a market near you, and  you can enjoy the treats of Spring…

  

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warming a warm house

Posted on April 15, 2012 by

Last night I joined a housewarming party. Now the term is quite familiar to me, but when I first arrived to a non latin country it sound rather funny. Because to me, a warm house is where a warm family lives…Who would like to have a family-warming party? like if you where the most unpleasant neighbour??… But now I do understand it. The first days you spend at your new apartment might feel a bit chilly, specially when you move in as a young professional, in a “strange” country. So you call your friends for a party, and then, the human warmth and the little gifts – a frame for pictures, or a vase, or a nice wine for you new cellar.. - altogether help to heat up your new home.

It’s not that the hostesses needed any help in warming up their place. They are so lovely people who their home will always be a cosy and welcoming refugee for friends and others. What I do love about those reunions is how each one helps in the way they are. And because one of the quickest ways of warming someone is “soul food” we came up with all sort of different regional goodies and drinks…including “sangria”! I did cooperate a bit with my cooing, but this time I had to talk about the prettiest cake of the party. And forgive me for the pictures…Still shooting with the BB :(

   

I have never being attracted with that cup cakes- wedding cakes – simply cakes thing… Butter cream is not my cup of thea, and I had the impression at the end all they taste the same. But please, don’t tell me this is not the loveliest way to warm someones’ heart up, and the fresh strawberries made the trick! I liked it! And what I loved the most..it proves there is a good bunch of foodies at work who, when it comes to cooking they take it seriously. I can’t wait to that knowledge sharing! Soon we’ll do some bistro food together at home, but I’ll trade it for some “British tea” lessons.

Just to compliment the rest of the cooks, here few snaps of the culinary world tour… Eggplant and feta cheese quiche, vietnamise rolls, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, salmon rolls, sangria, chorizo cake, carrot and ginger cake…

 

 

 

 After such a hearty evening I woke up craving of a fruit salad…Happy Sunday everyone!

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Paris, tout doucement…

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

It is known that if you give a call to your French work mates during the month of May, there are very hight chances that no one picks up the phone, they have holidays every other week. In Holland it happens the same, the only thing is that they play it quiet, so people only mock French and their strikes. If you add Easter and Queens day to Ascension day and Wit Monday… we are ready to go through two months with lots of long weekends, ah! I love it!!

I had been in Spain during las Fallas, so this time I headed to Paris and Loire Valley for my Easter break. And you know all about Easter, and eggs, and bunnies, and bells! because in France the kids wait for angels who will bring back the bells on Easter day to celebrate Jesus has risen.

But more than chocolate I was craving for desserts, other sweet goods, and some “Parisian” shopping. And I was decided to indulge myself. After an exhausting shopping day, I was ready to taste  “the best apple tart in Paris”. I couldn’t say if it was just the tarte aux pommes, the place, the company, or all together. I do know I enjoyed my tea as if it was the first one I had in the city of the light!

I had pass in front of “Le fumoir” like million times, but I never noticed the place. It is very close to the Louvre, just next to the mairie and the Saint Germain l’Auxerrois church… If you are lucky you can get a window facing that garden.

Fumoir would be translated like smoking room or something like that. They serve from breakfast till dinner.

A jasmin tea and a “Tosca” tart coupled perfectly.

The choice is not complicated, or too long. It has all you need, and we tasted all! Gateau au chocolat included!

Tart of the day was Pecan nuts and cherry ice cream.

Tarte Tosca, thin apple tart with a wonderful vanilla ice cream!

Did I tell you all this was after a shopping day..?? Just in case you are thinking of the wrong “shopping” …

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