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| The Coat of Arms of Barcelona |
About 5 pm local time, on Thursday the 17th August, a white Fiat van swerved off the road into a crowd outside of the Placa de la Catalunya metro station, in Barcelona. Then, it drove, for half a kilometer, in the famous avenue Las Ramblas, into innocent pedestrians, mostly tourists, trying to kill as many as possible before crashing into a kiosk. Unfortunately, 13 people were murdered and 100 injured, 15 of which, are in a very serious condition.
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| Las Ramblas |
Our warmest condolences to all who lost their loved ones so tragically, and our best wishes to the injured for a speedy recovery. Our heart goes out to Barcelona and Spain and we, especially, wish to express our deep admiration to the Barcelones for their bravery, resilience and courage.
Around 1.15 am local time, on Friday the 18th August, a car drove through a police checkpoint at Cambrils, a beautiful port, about 120 km south of Barcelona. After being pursued by the police, where several pedestrians were injured, the car rolled over. Five terrorists came out of the car and started shooting at random until, eventually, four were killed by the police.
ISIS claimed responsibility for this tragic, barbaric and cowardly terrorist attack. They planned a much larger and bloodier assault in the region, but fortunately, the Spanish police very bravely and adroitly managed to avert a greater tragedy.
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| The Beautiful Port of Cambrils |
Cambrils is famous for its gourmet dishes, here are a few.
WATERMELON GAZPACHO
I just love traditional gazpacho, a delicious, iced liquid salad that was invented and prepared in Spain since the Middle Ages. It was a soup, originally, connected with poverty. Poor Cuisine. Cocina Pobre?
Here is a rather sophisticated version made with watermelon, which I often prepare when I entertain my family and friends.
90 g (3 oz) 2 days old white bread, trimmed of crusts
6 tbsp sherry vinegar
500 g (1 lb) ripe tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
700 g (about 1 lb 6.7 oz) watermelon, shelled, de-seeded and chopped
1 large Florina pepper roasted, skinned and de-seeded
Salt and freshly ground pink pepper
5 tbsp olive oil
Garnishes:
8 small watermelon slices with the shell left on
In a bowl crumble the bread and drizzle with vinegar. Add the chopped tomatoes, watermelon, Florina pepper, olive oil, a little salt and freshly ground pink pepper and mix very well together.
Blend in batches until smooth; then taste and season accordingly with more salt, if necessary. Store in a covered glass jug in the fridge for at least 4 hours, until iced.
Serve in iced cocktail glasses, each garnished with a small watermelon slice.
IBERICO HAM WITH WILD ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOMS
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| Iberico Ham with Wild Asparagus and Mushrooms |
A delightful first dish of the region.
120 g (4 oz) Iberico ham, thinly sliced
500 g (1 lb) wild asparagus, trimmed
150 g (5 oz) white or chestnut mushrooms
Coarse salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Vinaigrette:
1 tsp Sherry vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
1/2 tsp sweet pimenton
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
(Whip all the ingredients well together until thick)
Finely chopped fresh mint for garnish
Cook the asparagus on a very hot grill, with a tbsp of olive oil until tender and slightly coloured on the sides. Sprinkle with a little coarse salt, remove and set aside. Grill the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes, sprinkle with coarse salt and reserve.
Prepare a dish with the Iberico ham slices, the grilled asparagus and mushrooms. Serve drizzled with vinaigrette, sprinkled with coarse salt and finely chopped fresh mint.
ALBONDIGAS
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| Spanish Meatballs |
Spanish meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce.
Meatballs:
250 g (1/2 lb) minced beef
250 g (1/2 lb) minced pork
1 onion, peeled, grated and sauteed in a little olive oil until soft
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large crustless slices 3 day's stale bread, soaked in
125 ml (1/2 cup) red wine and squeezed dry
2 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated
1 egg
Salt to taste
1/2 cup breadcrumbs if necessary (please see below)
62,5 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
125 ml (1/2 cup) dry red wine
4 large ripe tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 heaped tsp tomato paste
250 ml (1 cup) beef stock
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 salt spoon Cayenne pepper, optional
2 tbsp flour, optional
Place all the ingredients for the meatballs. except for the breadcrumbs, and mix very well together. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours at least.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, until soft. Pour in the red wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, spices and the bay leaf. Simmer very gently, covered, stirring occasionally. for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf and blend the sauce with a rod blender, for a smoother effect. Taste the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary, a tiny amount of Cayenne pepper for extra spiciness and honey for sweetness. Thicken the sauce with a little flour if you wish.
When ready to prepare the meatballs, add sufficient breadcrumbs to the minced meat mixture, if it seems too soft. Then shape into bite-sized balls and saute in olive oil until they just change colour.
Arrange the albondigas in the sauce and barely simmer for 30-35 minutes until they thoroughly cooked. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice or pasta and sauteed vegetables of your choice.
TARTA DE SANTIAGO
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| St James' Cake |
Santiago (Sant Iago), St. James, is the Patron Saint of Spain. This cake is baked in his honour.
2 2/3 cups almonds, blanched
6 medium-sized eggs
250 g (1/2 lb) sugar
120 g (4 oz) butter at room temperature
97.5 g (3/4 cup) plain flour mixed with
1 tsp baking powder
1 liqueur glass brandy + sufficient water to fill 1/2 cup (125 ml)
The grated rind of 1 lemon
Icing sugar
Grind the almonds until fine, and set aside,
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and lavishly butter a 20 cm (8 in) springform cake tin.
Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, Add the butter, sift in the flour/baking powder mixture and pour in the water, beating very well after each addition. Fold in the almonds and lemon rind and stir until very well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin, even he surface and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Run a flexible knife around the edges of the cake tin, reverse on a pretty dish and dust, generously, with icing sugar.
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