OLIVE OIL

I don’t think a single dish in Greece came with out some olive oil somewhere. Olive oil is an essential ingredient in Greek cooking as well as many other Mediterranean countries. There are over 750 million olive trees worldwide, 95% of those being in the Mediterranean region. Spain is the top producer of olive oil, but Greece holds 3rd with over 130 million olive trees which equal 350,000 tons of olive oil each year! Greece devotes 60% of their cultivated land to olive growing.

Olive oil is used in so many ways for cooking and has great health benefits – like favourbale effects on cholesterol, good omega-6 acids, vitamin E and antioxidants!
Get this – there is an International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) which is based out of Madrid. The council promotes olive oil worldwide by tracking production, defining quality standards and monitoring authenticity.

There are different retail grades of olive oil:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: come from virgin oil production only (oil was produced by use of physical means, with no chemical treatment)
Virgin Olive Oil: virgin production only
Pure Olive Oil: Usually a blend of refined and virgin production oil
Olive Oil: Lacks a strong flavour and is a blend of refined and virgin production
Olive Pomace Oil: refined pomace olive oil that is blended with some virgin oil. Very neutral flavour
Lampante Oil: Not suitable for food. Used for oil burning lamps
Refined Olive Oil: l has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes (characterized as defects) and neutralize the acid content (free fatty acids). Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil.

Well-made olive oil is delicious as is. As a dip for bread, drizzled over pasta or a pizza, over any type of salad, with mozzarella or feta cheese or on top an appetizer of tzatziki. Olive oil is such a multi-purpose cooking ingredient!

photo credit: google images

SANGRIA

Drink of the week: SANGRIA.

A Spanish classic perfect for patio drinks and cooling off in the summer heat. A great drink to serve at parties, at the lake or backyard BBQs.

Sangria is kind of like a punch. It consists of red wine (generally from the region of La Rioja, Spain), chopped fresh fruit, a sweetener (honey, sugar, simple syrup), brandy or triple sec, soda and ice. It can also be made with white whine for those of you who aren't big red drinkers...and generally I am not, but Sangria just works!

Vineyards in La Rioja, Spain

When I was living in Spain, I took a cooking course with a famous Spanish chef. On one of our cooking nights we whipped up some Sangria to accompany our meal. It is so simple and so Spanish! Later in the year when I was in Seville my friend Lindsay and I cooled off from the southern heat by relaxing on a patio drinking fresh Sangria.

Give this drink a whirl this summer! It will not disappoint!

Bobby Flay's Red Wine Sangria

Ingredients:

- 2 bottles red Spanish table wine (from La Rioja if possible)
- 1 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup triple sec
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/2 simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)
- orange slices
- apple slices
- blackberries
- pomegranate seeds

Directions:

- Mix all ingredients together and let stand in a tightly sealed container or pitcher preferably for 24 hours before serving.
- Served chilled with a cup of ice


photo credits: my images

PIMENTON

Pimentón: Spanish & Mediterranean Fine Food is a new store on Mt. Pleasant in Toronto. I have recently noticed it while driving but today was the first time I checked it out and let me say it was so great! I lived in Spain for about four months and Spanish food and cooking have always been near to my heart - so this place just hit home. Pimentón is Spanish for "paprika" or "cayenne pepper." The store is a combination of "a fine prepared food store and a gourmet retail." (pimenton.ca) There is great prepared food, many different products of Spain and the Mediterranean, cooking classes, catering and take out meals.

The classes seem really interesting. They are hands on classes or demonstration classes. Here is an example of one of the classes they offer! Paella - probably the most associated dish with Spain. A delicious rice dish filled with vegetables and fresh seafood!

Paella Menu 
Learn about this, the most famous dish outside Spain and how to cook it properly.We will talk ingredients, techniques and utensils. As well, you will make a Catalunian specialty called Escalivada and learn how to make Turron ice cream from scratch. 

Their products include olive oils, flavoured oils, cheeses, charcuterie, condiments and olives. One of my favourite cheeses is manchego which I tried the first time I visited Spain and luckily they sell it here! And you know it will be good quality just by being in the store.

Pimentón writes that Manchego is "made with 100% manchega ewes milk, is an aged cheese. It can be found semi-cured to cured. It is made primarily in La Mancha. It is one of the most well known cheeses of Spain. It has been protected by its DOC appellation (Denomination of Origin and Quality) since 1984. Manchego cheese is sliced and served up as a Tapa, it is sometimes paired with membrillo or quince paste."

Their catering includes things like a "Tapas Party." A party in which you serve tapas, little Spanish appetizer type foods. They offer two different combination platters along with individual tapas choices. The "Iberian Platter" includes a selection of Spanish cheeses, Spanish Serrano Ham, Chorizo Ibérico, Salchichón Ibérico, olives and assorted fresh bread. Individual tapas includes chicken and Spanish serrano ham croquetas, chorizo tartlets, herb stuffed mushroom caps, and Galician tuna empanada.

For those of you Spain lovers I highly recommend making a stop at Pimetón and for those of you interested in learning more this is the place for you!

Pimentón

681 Mount Pleasant Road

Toronto  M4S 2N2 

647-343-4870

http://www.pimenton.ca

 photo credit: pimenton.ca & google images

SPAIN: On the Road Again

Spain On the Road Again is a television series staring Mario Batali (US Chef Extraordinaire), Gwyneth Paltrow (Hollywood legend), Mark Bittmen (US Food Writer) and Claudia Bassols (Spanish actress). The show follows the Fabulous Four on a culinary road trip all through Spain. The show is fascinating, fun and informative highlighting Spain's cuisine, culture and art! I adore Spanish food and the country itself is beautiful. The show is a fabulous tour encompassing it all. The DVD of the show is now out in stores, or you can buy episodes on ITUNES if you wanted to only watch a few!

The reason I first heard about the show was because my mother gave me the cookbook based off of the recipes from the show. It is awesome - truly showcasing Spain's culinary delights! A perfect gift for anyone - a great coffee table read as well!

Here is the teaser trailer for episode one of the culinary ride! Watch it and I guarantee you will want to see more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyOSbJT22g&feature=player_embedded

The website for the show also gives a few of their favourite recipes, here is one of my ultimate favourites, TORTILLA ESPANOLA - their way.

Tortilla Española is essentially the national dish of Spain. You can eat it as a tapa, for breakfast, in a bocadillo (sandwich), or for dinner with salad and a bit of jamón (ham). Basically anytime, anywhere. We had a great one at Valdubón and I think it’s because they weren’t afraid to use A LOT of olive oil. No fear!

Serves 4 to 6 as a tapa (little nibble) or appetizer

Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 extra-large eggs

Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high until very hot but not smoking
- Add the potatoes and onion, season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat if necessary so that the vegetables do not brown, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes
- Beat the eggs with salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl
- Combine the potatoes with the eggs in the bowl; add to the skillet, spreading the potatoes evenly in the pan, and cook for about 1 minute, just to set the bottom of the egg mixture
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, or until quite set
- Carefully flip the tortilla over (invert it onto a plate if you must, then slide it back into the pan, bottom side up) and cook for 5 minutes longer, until set
- Flip out onto a clean plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes
- Serve warm or at room temperature.

photo credit: on the road again website & google images

SPANISH WINE 101

For those of you who love Spanish wine or want to start drinking it, this is perfect for you! I was lucky enough to spend some time living in Spain last year, and it was there that I had my first real taste and then enjoyment of Red Wine. I visited the Marques de Riscal Winery - designed by Frank Gehry. It was here that I learned and watched the production of how wine is made, where it's made and the overall process. It was an extremely interesting tour, I would highly recommend taking a wine tour at some point if you have a chance. It's fascinating. Anyways, here is your little Spanish wine lesson for the day...

Here is a lesson in Spanish Wine, courtesy of Mario Batali, Spanish food and country enthusiast !

Spanish wine is labeled according to the amount of aging the wine has received. A bottle labeled vino joven (“young wine”) or sin crianza (“without aging”) will have had little–to–no wood aging. These wines are often intended for consumption within a year of release. The three most common aging designations on Spanish wine labels are Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva.

* Crianza red wines are aged for two years, with at least six months of aging in oak casks.

* Crianza whites and rosé must be aged for at least one year with at least six months spent in oak.

* Reserva red wines are aged for at least three years with at least one year of aging in oak casks.

* Reserva whites and rosé must be aged for at least 2 years with at least six months in oak.

* Gran Reserva designation is typically reserved for the highest-quality vintages. Reds require at least five years of aging, 18 months of which must be in oak. Whites and rosé must be aged for at least four years with at least six months in oak casks.

The vintage year or cosecha on any bottle of Spanish wine indicates that at least of 85% of the grapes used in the wine come from that specific year’s harvest. 

Marques de Riscal Wine Tour Pictures: