Filed under: Food, Food Recipes | Tags: Pears in Wine, Peras al vino, Recipes, Spanish Dessert, Spanish Dessert Recipe, White Wine
I’m so excited, I love the Christmas season! Here is a fantastic Spanish dessert recipe from País Vasco to serve your friends at your holiday gathering. Since I’m thinking a lot about parties and food, I’ll probably be posting lots of recipes. Enjoy!
Pears in Wine
4 firm pears
750 ml white wine
1 3/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
- Wash and peel the pears, without getting rid of the stems.
- Cut the bottoms so that they stand up
- In a large pot, pour the wine, water, sugar and cinnamon stick. Place on medium heat on the stove and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Place pears in the sherry mixture, cover and allow to simmer on low heat for 1 hour.
- Carefully remove each pear from the pot and place in the plate on which you will serve them – the pears will be soft, so be careful when getting them out.
- Uncover pot and continue to cook the wine mixture on low heat for about 30 minutes so that the liquid is reduced. Ladle the sauce onto the pears before serving.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Last Monday our vineyard in Malpica woke up in white!! It was very beautiful!!
Merry Christmas to all of you and hope you can share this special night with friends and family and of course enjoy a good glass of wine!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Food, Food Recipes | Tags: Brazo de Gitano, Holiday Dessert, Recipe, Spanish Tradition
One of the desserts that I have eaten since I was a tiny girl, and before I could even speak, is the Brazo de Gitano, which translates as “Gypsy Arm”. Last harvest I had a laugh with winemaker Adam Richardson because of the name , it’s pretty odd, isn’t it? It is a sponge cake with a filling of cream that is so good. This is not just a holiday dessert, but it is a traditional dessert for any special occasion. I love to drink it with a glass of bubbly. Try it!
Brazo de Gitano
Ingredients:
5 eggs separated
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup of flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp. sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 1/4 tsp. rum extract
*1 tablespoon superfine sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until thick and smooth.
- Stir in flour, cocoa and vanilla extract.
- Whip egg whites until stiff, but not dry.
- Fold into yolk and flour mixture.
- Butter a 15 x 8-inch baking pan and line with wax paper.
- Butter well again (on top of paper), and dust lightly with 2 tbsp. of the confectioners’ sugar.
- Pour batter into the pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Turn cake onto a cloth to cool for 10 min.
- Peel paper off
- Combine whipped cream, rum and sugar.
- Spread over cake and roll cake like a jellyroll, starting with the long edge.
- Sprinkle powder sugar on top, and chocolate powder if you wish!
Filed under: Culture, Food, Tempra Tantrum, Wine | Tags: Cheese Party, Entertaining, Liquor de Cassis, Olives, Piquillo Peppers, Tapas Party, Tempra Tantrum, Tuna, Unexpected Visits
Have you ever been at home and suddenly your friends pop in with out any warning?
It happens to me a lot, no matter if it’s to watch a soccer game, to chat or just to hang out. I’m pretty sure my friends do it because they know I always have a lot of wines and a wide selection of spirits. My “house bar” is pretty complete, if you want a Kir Royal cocktail, you bet I have Liquor de Cassis.
Because I experience this many times, I always have a few key ingredients that help me feed my friends when they appear at my doorstep. These are my “must-have” recommendations:
1- Bread loaves: Always helpful, cheap, and go with nearly everything. Also, bread makes people feel full!
2- Olives: Better if they come in a can as they last a long time. The trick is to put them in a bowl, chop some garlic, add a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of oregano.
3- Tuna: But the good one, the one that comes in a glass jar where you actually can see the tuna. It might be expensive but because it is cooked and in olive oil, it’ll last quite a long time and it’s very tasty.
4- Piquillo peppers: You can find them in a jar or in a can with olive oil. Place them with the tuna and some slices of bread so your friends can make their own toasts.
5- Cheese: Cured cheeses last more than the others, so make sure you have some cheese in your refrigerator. My choice, Manchego cheese!
6- Almonds: Put a spoon of olive oil in a saucepan and toast the almonds. Add sea salt and serve.
These are few things that are very helpful because you can store them for a while and very easy to make. And don’t forget the drinks, Tempra Tantrum wines are perfect for these casual moments!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Food, Spain, Uncategorized | Tags: Estado Puro, madrid restaurants, Modern Tapas, Paco Roncero, patatas bravas, Spanish Cuisine, Tapas, Where to go in Madrid
@ Estado Puro with my friend Alicia
Last Thursday in Madrid, I went to Chef Paco Roncero’s tapas bar, Estado Puro; the perfect example of the new and modern way to enjoy tapas. Many modern restaurants in Spain are honoring the tapa, but taking it to another level, creating and imagining new recipes, while experimenting with different textures, surprising presentations, etc. It’s wonderful to be able to taste top Spanish cuisine in small bites, as you can try many different items off the menu. And when the menu is good, believe me, you want to try as many things as you can.
Estado Puro makes surprising new versions of the most traditional tapas, not being afraid to change them upside down. Like the tortilla de patatas, I’ve tried many different versions: liquid, foam, ice cream flavoured… but Estado Puro’s creation was great, a soft and creamy potato purée with caramelized onions and an egg yolk, served in a small glass. The patatas bravas were very good, just a little bit hot as they should be. The toast was also quite good, though it’s a pity they don’t have more than 3 different types of bread. For dessert we had a new version of tiramisu, served in a glass, with mascarpone cheese and chocolate powder on top, and amaretto liquor gelatin at the bottom.
Patatas Bravas
Mini Burguers
Estado Puro; A New Tapas TrendTiramisu
The place is very nicely decorated, with many seats in front of a big window facing a busy street. The walls and the ceiling were completely covered by peinetas, an old Spanish flamenco accessory. It looked awesome!
What I didn’t like about the experience is that the waitress seemed quite rude. Maybe it’s because I just got back from the States, where the service is unbelievably nice and attentive. But my friends also complained about it, so I don’t think it was just that.
Other than that, the place is great. If you go to Madrid, don’t miss it, it’s cheap and chic!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Culture, Family, Food, Spain, Tempra Tantrum, Wine, Winemaking | Tags: Lambrusco, Osborne Family, Osborne Wine, Tempra Tantrum, Winemaking, Young Wine Drinker
Today I read an article in www.elmundovino.com about young people and their nonexistent relationship with wine. I’ve been aware of this for quite a long time as my friends mostly drink beer, coke, or just water during meals, and spirits and cocktails at night.
Coming from a family with more than 230 years of tradition in winemaking, it’s very sad for me to watch young people reject wine, something that has always been a part of Spain’s history, and is still a big part of our culture and economy.
Wine has suffered from anti-alcohol campaigns, being compared to spirits that have a lot more of alcohol volume. This is not the solution. Young people (over legal drinking age, of course) must be taught how to enjoy wine, in moderation, and as a part of our heritage. There has been a lot of health research done by doctors, stating that one glass of wine a day is good for the heart and also that red wine is full of antioxidants. Wine is also an element of gastronomy, with food and wine being good partners for hundreds of years, enhancing each other with their flavours.
Many of my friends say that most young people don’t drink wine because they don’t like the taste. I think one of the solutions to overcome this problem is to make more approachable wines, that are easier to drink, with more fresh fruit flavours , and at a reasonable price. This is the reason a lot of young people drink Lambrusco. And I’m not saying we should make Lambrusco to get young people to drink wine, but I believe a more modern and fruity wine will bring them closer to the culture of fine wine and food.
This is why I wanted Tempra Tantrum to be as it is, modern, fruity but dry, fresh and approachable, so people my age could start enjoying and learning about wine.
Enjoy a glass of vino this weekend. Cheers!
-Rocio
Filed under: Food, Tasting, Tempra Tantrum, Travels, Wine | Tags: Asia de Cuba, Columbia Restaurant, Jacksonville, Miami, Mondrian Hotel, Montecillo Gran Reserva 1982, Tampa, Tempra Tantrum Wines, Tempranillo Blend Wine, Urbanite Bistro, Wine
The last leg of my U.S. Tempra Tantrum tour took me to Miami, Tampa and Jacksonville. It was amazing to feel like it was summer again, since Madrid was pretty cold when I left. When I was little, I used to visit Miami and Orlando quite often, but the last time was 15 years ago!
It’s funny how each city in Florida has it’s own style and rhythm. It seems like everyone in Miami South Beach is in party mood, and each place has loud music and lights all throughout the night. It was a little bit difficult to sleep, and if I hadn’t had an early meeting, I would’ve loved to enjoy Miami’s night life! So unfair!
While in Miami, we had a casual media dinner at a very nice restaurant, Urbanite Bistro. We had a great menu to go along with the Tempra Tantrum wines, which was a great success. As always, one of my favourite parts was meeting so many interesting people with whom I share a passion for wine.
In Tampa we went to Columbia, a restaurant that has been around for more than 100 years and is now operated by the 4th and 5th generation of the Gonzmart family. We had the chance of having dinner with the family: Richard and his wife Melanie, their daughter Andrea, her husband, and their 4 month-old baby. They were all great and treated us like family. The wine list was spectacular with more than one thousand wines, most of them Spanish. We got to enjoy an amazing dinner paired with Tempra Tantrum and Montecillo Gran Reserva 1982 that was my grandfather’s favourite Montecillo vintage until he passed away.
Dinner @ Columbia, Tampa
Columbia´s impressive wine list
Columbia´s cellar
After Tampa we went to Jacksonville for more tastings, and then returned to Miami. I couldn’t leave back to Spain without enjoying Miami’s night life and having a Cosmpolitan, so even though we were tired from traveling all day, we went out for a while. We had dinner at a very fancy restaurant, Asia de Cuba, at the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach. I enjoyed having dinner out in the terrace with an incredible view of Miami’s sky line, and the sea, it was great! And the hotel was great too, they even have a vending machine that sells cars!! It´s crazy!!
Trying to fit in Miami´s fashion style
Vending Machine @ the Mondrian Hotel
My week in Florida was incredible. I signed hundreds of bottles, had the opportunity to work with amazing people, taste Tempra Tantrum with many consumers, and even enjoy a little bit of the Thanksgiving spirit that was all over the air. I realized that Tempra Tantrum Tempranillo/Grenache is perfect with turkey, so if you’re looking for a wine, that’s my Thanksgiving tip!
Enjoy the holidays!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Culture, Food, Tasting, Tempra Tantrum, Travels | Tags: Boqueria, Madison Avenue, New York, Press Trip, Rockafeller Center, Soto Restaurant
View of Columbus Sqaure
I’ve always liked New York, I mean, in movies and magazines the city seemed fantastic. But two weeks ago, I finally visited the city in real life, and after staying there for 4 days, I have to say it’s one of my favourite cities.
I stayed in a very nice apartment, a penthouse in Madison Avenue very close to the Empire State Building. The apartment was very modern, with big windows and great views of the city. When I first walked up to the door, I felt like Carrie Bradshaw going into my very own New York City apartment.
The kitchen
Ready for a tasting @ the apartment
On Friday afternoon, we had many tastings and meetings with the media that went very well. Once those were over, I walked along 5th Avenue, and shopped around a little bit. Some stores were already dressed up with Christmas decorations, and in Rockefeller Center, they were “planting” the famous Christmas tree, while people ice-skated in the rink below.
Rockefeller Center´s Christmas tree
@ Times Suqare
For dinner we went first to a very nice and lively Spanish tapas bar, Boqueria , located on 53 west and 19th street. I really liked the place a lot. The wine menu was pretty comprehensive, and the tapas were modern-style bites with lots of flavour!
Boqueria menu
After the tapas bar, we went to have dinner at Soto, the best Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to. The place wasn’t what I expected, it was quite small, with hardly any decorations, but the food was unbelievable, very creative dishes and very well executed. The combination of flavours in every dish was perfect and the textures very soft and creamy.
Salmon tartar with avocado and caviar
A lobster cake with mango and shiitake mushrooms
We finished the night with a mojito for dessert at the Hudson Hotel bar. What a day!
The rest of my days in NY, I went to the MOMA, the Metropolitan Museum, the Statue of Liberty and Wall Street. It was all way more incredible in real life, than in photos.
As my cab receipt says, “ I LOVE NY ! ”
-Rocio
Filed under: Drink Recipes, Food Recipes, Wine | Tags: Desserts, Ice Cream Desserts, Ice Cream Recipe, Osborne PX 1827, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, PX
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pc: zepellipsis.com
pc: zepellipsis.com
All I have to say is yumm!!!. If you’ve never tried ice-cream drizzled with Osborne Pedro Ximenez 1827 Sherry, you are missing out.
I am a very big fan of desserts, and this pairing is so simple, yet heavenly. Make it for your friends, and you’ll look like a top chef! I personally love this recipe with rum-and-raisin ice cream, but slow-churned vanilla is great too.
Try it and let me know what you think!!
Have a great weekend!
-Rocio
Filed under: Drink Recipes | Tags: Chocolate Caliente, Chocolate Caliente Recipe, Churros, Hot Chocolate Recipe, Spanish Drinks, Warm Drinks
As part of my “Winter-Time Drink Series,” here is a recipe for one of my favourite warm drinks ever: Chocolate Caliente.
In Spain, we drink our hot chocolate very different than in the U.S. Instead of using more parts milk and less parts chocolate, we do it the other way around making a hot chocolate that is very thick and rich. You know it’s Spanish-style when the spoon sits above the liquid and doesn’t sink!
Chocolate Caliente
If you can get a hold of some churros, even better. Dip them into your hot delicious beverage for an incredible chocolatey experience.
Enjoy!!
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
4oz. Milk Chocolate
½ tsp of cornstarch
Preparation:
Break chocolate into pieces. In a medium-sized saucepan, add milk and cornstarch and whisk until the corstarch is dissolved. Then, bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Add chocolate pieces and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Place the saucepan back in medium heat, and whisk for 2 more minutes. Allow chocolate to cool and thicken for about 5 minutes. Serve warm! (Serves 4).
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