Chen -
A Glossary of Cooking Terms and Ingredients
The tapa tradition is as important for the conversation and company as for the delicious food. Every Spaniard has his favorite tasca, as the tapa bars are called, where he goes regularly to meet his friends or business acquaintances. Tapas will be found in even the smallest bar in a tiny village. The word tapa, meaning cover or lid, is thought to have originally referred to the complimentary plate of appetizers that many tascas, would place like a cover on one"s wine glass. Tapas can vary from simple to complex and include cheese, fish, eggs, vegetable dishes, dips, canapes, and savory pastries. A quantity of tapas can make an excellent meal.
Olive oil is indispensable in preparing many of the recipes. Chorizo is the best-loved Spanish sausage and blood sausage is also popular throughout Spain. Vegetables are not overly favored, except for potatoes, which often come fried with an entree. Salads are served as first courses and are invariably offered undressed, accompanied by cruets of oil and vinegar.
Fish and bean soups can make a meal. Paellas provide colorful and festive dishes for a crowd. A beachside cafe is the place to find fine shellfish and tackle a tray of unshelled ultra-fresh crustaceans. Game birds have wide appeal in Spain. Baby lamb and pig have reached cult status and are often prepared in a woodburning oven with thyme, rosemary or oak for fragrance.
The Arabs and Moors left their influence in dessert making, introducing almonds, egg yolks, and honey. Orange and lemon zest also play a role in flavoring sweets. Ground almonds often replace flour in cake baking and beaten egg whites are invariably the leavening agent in cakes.
A panaderia sells bread, while a pasteleria provides sweet breads, pastries, cookies, and candies. A helageria dispenses ice cream and a bomboneria is a candy shop.
Cookbooks
The Foods and Wines of Spain
by Penelope Casa
This comprehensive book covers the traditional cooking of Spain, from the mountain villages and seaside ports to the fashionable restaurants. A survey of Spain"s wines and sherries is included.
The Spanish Table
by Marimar Torres
Over 200 recipes from all regions are included in this book along with an authoritative tour of Spain"s wineries.
The Wine and Food of Spain
by Jan Read, Maite Manjon, and Hugh Johnson This comprehensive color-enriched book covers the geography, history, restaurants, wineries, and recipes of Spain"s varied regions. Descriptions of visits to the vineyards of the great wine producers combine with entertaining accounts of the wine-making traditions of each region.
The Food of Spain and Portugual
by Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz
Authentic recipes are presented by this noted London author.
Tapas
by Ann and Larry Walker
A tantalizing collection of tapas, both hot and cold, ideal for entertaining.
From Tapas to Meze
by Joanne Weir
The author features more than 220 recipes for first courses from the Mediterranean shores of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Foods and Cooking Equipment
Azafr噉
saffron, an Arab word for yellow. Stigmas of a purple crocus flower.
Bacalao
dried salted codfish.
Butifarra sausage
a white sausage popular in Cataluna.
Cazuelas
glazed earthenware dishes.
Chorizo
the most typical Spanish sausage, heavily scented with paprika and garlic.
Piment枭
paprika, or ground sweet red pepper, from Spain.
Turr枭
an almond and honey candy of Arab origin that comes in a hard bar and in a soft marzipan-like form.
Recipes
Potato Omelet (Tortilla Espanola)
makes 4 servings
1/3 cup olive oil
4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
Coarse salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 eggs
Heat three tablespoons of the oil in a 9-inch non-stick skillet and add the potato slices and onions, salting lightly. Cook slowly, lifting and turning occasionally, until tender but not brown. Beat the eggs, add the potatoes and let sit a few minutes. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, heat until very hot, and add the potato and egg mixture, spreading it with a pancake turner. Lower heat to medium, shake pan to keep potatoes from sticking, and when brown underneath, place a plate on top and invert, then slide back into the skillet and brown the other side.
Gazpacho Andalusian
makes 8 servings
1 large cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 sweet white onion, coarsely chopped
6 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth
3 tablespoons each white wine vinegar and olive oil
2 slices sourdough French bread
1 small carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Condiments: chopped green onions, croutons, diced avocado
Place the cucumber, onion, tomatoes, garlic, broth, vinegar, oil, bread, and carrot in a blender and blend until almost smooth. (Prepare in two batches if necessary.) Thin to desired consistency with water and season with salt and pepper. Chill. Serve in bowls, passing condiments to be spooned into the soup.
Rice with Shellfish (Paella con Molluscs)
makes 8 servings
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 bottle (8 oz.) clam juice
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 large prawns, unshelled
16 small butter, rock or steamer clams, unshucked
1 crab, cooked and cracked or 8 very small lobster tails, cooked
1 package (10 ounces) frozen tiny peas, blanched for two minutes in boiling water
1/2 pound baby asparagus, parboiled (optional)
1 jar (2 ounces) sliced pimiento
Lemon wedges
In a large frying pan or four-quart casserole, saut?onion, garlic, and tomato in oil until vegetables are glazed. Add the rice, saffron, clam juice, water, and wine. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Arrange prawns and clams on top, cover and steam until the clam shells open. Transfer to a large paella pan or serving casserole. Add the crab, peas, asparagus, and pimiento. Heat through or keep warm in a low oven until serving time. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Rice with Chicken (Arroz Con Pollo)
makes 4 to 6 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pound broiler-fryer, cut in pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 green or red pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tomatoes, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup rice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoon salt
Pinch saffron
Garnish:
3/4 cup cooked tiny peas
1 pimiento, cut into strips
In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon oil and brown the chicken well on all sides. Remove from pan and add the garlic, onion, and pepper and saut?until the onion is golden. Return the chicken to the skillet, add remaining oil, and saut?for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil. Add rice and seasonings. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken and rice are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Garnish with peas and pimiento.
Flan
makes about 8 servings
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups milk
6 eggs
2 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
In a saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the sugar over moderate heat, shaking the pan frequently, until the sugar melts and turns amber. Pour at once into a 1-1/2 quart ring mold and quickly tilt the mold in all directions to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Heat the milk, but do not boil. Beat together the eggs and egg yolks just until blended, then beat in the remaining sugar and vanilla. Gradually stir in the hot milk. Pour the mixture into the caramel-lined mold and place in a pan of hot water. Bake in a preheated 325� oven for one hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Let the custard cool, then chill it. To serve, run a knife around the sides of the mold to loosen the custard. Place a large round platter over the mold and quickly invert; lift off the mold.
Wines
Ideally, the wines of Spain are the best accompaniments to the regional dishes. Rioja wines from north-central Spain are considered premium in quality. Another area that makes top-notch wines is Penedes, near Barcelona. All regions, however, have vines under cultivation.
The making of wine in Spain dates back over 2000 years, but the production of quality wines is a more recent development, dating back to the last century. Enterprising Frenchman came to Spain to renew their wine production when Phylloxera hit the French vineyards. They found these areas met their requirements and as the French prospered, the Spanish learned new wine-making techniques.
Climate and grape variety are two of the components that make Rioja wines unique. The third is the laborious process of barrel aging, and the wines spend many years in bottles in the bodegas before being released for sale.
A third region is Valladolid, where Vega Scilia produces the most expensive Spanish wine on the market today.
Sherry takes its name from its place of origin, Jerez, in southwest Spain. Its history goes back thousands of years, when Phoenician settlers introduced grape vines to the area. Only Jerez has all the optimum conditions for sherry production with the complex interplay of air, sun, soil, aging and tradition.
Sherries are blended and fortified wines and fall into several styles: Fino -- very dry or dry; Manzanilla -- very dry; Amontillado -- medium dry; Oloroso -- medium sweet; and Cream -- sweet.
Spanish brandies made by the French Cognac process are of exceptionally fine quality. Most come from Jerez, although the Torres company in Cataluna is producing excellent ones for export.
Sparkling Spanish wines are also made by French methods, developed in Champagne. Codorniu is the top name in the field; another firm, Freixenet, is widely distributed.
Restaurants in the Bay Area
Esperpento
3295-22nd Avenue (Mission District)
San Francisco
(415) 282-8867
Lunch or dinner Monday through Saturday with a variety of tapas. Main course specials, paella, house-made flan, and sangria or Spanish wines are served.
Alejandro"s
1840 Clement Street (Richmond District)
San Francisco
(415) 668-1184
Over 40 tapas are served in this Spanish/Peruvian restaurant but paella is the dish to order and flan is the specialty dessert.
Traveling to Spain
Contact the Spanish Government Tourist Office for information on all aspects of travel to and in Spain. 665-5th Avenue
New York, NY 10022
phone (212) 759-8822
fax (212) 980-1053
or 8383 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 960
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
phone (213) 658-7188
fax (213) 658-1061
For lodging in Spain, the well-known Parador system consists of 86 inns and mountain lodges, ranging from remodeled castles to modest inns in remote areas. All have restaurants that serve regional specialties. For information and bookings contact the Paradores Madrid headquarters (Velazquez 18, phone: 91/435-9700, fax, 91/435-9869.) This chain has an American representative:
Marketing Ahead Incorporated
433 Fifth Avenue
New York
telephone (212) 686-9212
fax (212) 686-0271.
Use your new-found knowledge of Spain by attempting the companion crossword puzzle to this article!