"Seeing Red" for the Holidaze

                      These oven-ready lamb-stuffed piquillos are a stunning holiday show-stopper
 

"Red" is the theme for December's blog and this will be the second article in a three-part Holiday series.  Today we pay tribute to the neon-red colored piquillo pepper from Spain.  In case you don't know them, piquillos are sweet, smoky flavor-bombs that can be served multiple ways.  Their color and the fact that they can be easily stuffed with a huge variety of scrumptious goodies make them perfect gastronomic treats for yuletide tapas.

                                        Goat cheese & chive-filled piquillos scream holidaze

One of my favorite stuffings is minced lamb mixed with a host of Middle Eastern spices such as tumeric, toasted cumin and fresh mint.  Top them with minced chives and you have Christmas on a plate.  Other faves of mine are a goat cheese-stuffed piquillo, or an earthy wild-mushroom & truffle filling.  But the sky's the limit as piquillos make a wonderful ingredient in a holiday omelet, pasta, risotto, or even blended to make a lip-stick red holiday sauce. 

But, wait!   December is dungeness crab season on the west coast which means piquillos can be filled with crab for a very special holiday appetizer (or first course).  I mix a little binding agent (Greek yogurt is okay if you're watching fat content, or if you're blowing the wad for the season use creme fraiche).   Mince into the crab mixture a little fresh tarragon and you have a decadent, colorful, and absolutely outrageous yuletide dish.

Note:  if you can't find piquillos, they are available online.

Happy holidaze....

Piquillo Peppers are Perfect for the Holidays!

Piquillos stuffed with lamb were a big hit in a recent tapas cooking class I conducted on Mallorca

Looking for something different for your upcoming December culinary festivities?  If you're also interested in a scrumptious item that will beguile even the most discerning of your foodie friends, then look no further than the holiday-red piquillo peppers from northern Spain.  Piquillos are sweet and smoky flavor bombs that can be served in multiple ways.                        

                    Piquillos stuffed with goat cheese infused with herbs make a perfect holiday starter

While they're now becoming increasingly popular in the US by those-in-the-gastronomic-know, these peppers were essentially unknown in the US twenty years ago.  I know because that's the first time I tasted them in Spain and returned home on a mission to find them.  Thank heavens for the Internet and for importers of specialty Spanish food items.  Fast forward twenty years later and even Amazon is carrying them.  Once you taste a piquillo, you'll understand what all the hoopla is about.

                                        Crab stuffed piquillos epitomize the Christmas season

So what is so special about these bite-size peppers?  Piquillos are slow roasted over a wood fire, thus their distinctive smoky flavor.   They are then peeled and grilled again for extra flavor.  Last, they're de-seeded by hand prior to being packed into jars or tins with olive oil, or a simple brine.  While they are small in size like a chili pepper, piquillos are definitely more like red bell peppers in flavor than actual chili peppers.

Piquillos are met to be stuffed and make a perfect couple of bites for a holiday tapa.  They are often filled with seafood, cheese or meat.   I particularly like them filled with minced lamb laced with a host of Middle Eastern spices like tumeric, cumin and mint.  (Top them with chopped chives or parsley and you have Christmas on a plate.)  On the other hand, just the peppers themselves are wonderful in an omelette, pasta, risotto, or even used as a sauce.

                                            Brighten up bland-looking chicken over pasta with piquillos

While Piquillo peppers scream "holidays," I use them year around.  They are an especially great addition to a Fourth of July party (stuffed with an herb infused goat cheese), or a Spring fling piquillo puree served with Spring veggies like radishes, asparagus, fennel, and artichokes.

Happy holidaze! 

Spice it Up for the Holidaze!

                            Poblanos when stuffed with cheese morph into chile rellenos 

With the holidays descending, many are looking for special items to prepare for pot-luck dinners, or for evenings at home with visiting guests.  I like to spice things up by serving peppers.  Not all peppers, however, are hot.  In fact, the three peppers below offer very little in terms of heat, but are chocked full of flavor and color for the holidays. 

Poblano

These large, bright green shiny peppers are best known for their use in chile rellenos.  While poblanos are the perfect vehicle for ooey-goey melting cheese, they can also can be stuffed with anything from meat to rice, veggies or poultry (relleno actually means “stuffed.”)   Topped with a red tomato sauce, chile rellenos make the perfect colorful holiday dish.   Poblanos are used as well in traditional Mexican dishes such as chile verde, a luscious pork stew.

                                        Anchos are simply mature, dried poblanos

Poblanos used in chile rellenos are young fresh chiles.  At maturity, poblanos turns dark reddish brown.  These fully mature poblanos are called ancho chiles.  Anchos have a raisin-like sweetness and are often dried to be reconstituted later in a sauce for items such as enchiladas.  Dried anchos are also a predominant ingredient in many classic chili recipes---and chili is perfect for any cold holiday night in which you're serving a crowd.

Piquillo

                       Super mild piquillos provide the perfect holiday backdrop for crab

I first learned of piquillo peppers twenty years ago when visiting Spain’s Rioja wine district during the autumn.   All of the elderly women in the wine villages were sitting outside in front of their homes cleaning piquillo peppers that had been first roasted over open air wood fires.  Every autumn menu in the Rioja features piquillos.  Most common is a simple preparation of these exquisite roasted peppers sliced, and served with olive oil and garlic.  The fancier the restaurant, the fancier the picquillo dish.  Some upscale restaurants stuff them with crab or wild mushrooms.   Michelin star establishment can even serve them topped with truffles.

                                   Fresh herbs & goat cheese scream holidaze

I particularly love piquillos for the holidays because of their brilliant red color.  While the US is not growing many, the peppers are becoming increasingly popular on upscale restaurant menus.   Roasted Spanish piquillos can be easily procured online, and increasingly are being featured in fancy grocery markets.  They come either packed in olive oil or simply water-packed.  I buy them by the case.  My favorite preparation is stuffed with crab for Christmas, but a goat cheese and wild mushroom stuffing topped with truffle oil is also a crowd-pleaser all year long.

Shishito 

                                          Only 1 in every 10 shishitos can be spicy

Shishito peppers are becoming a main-stay appetizer on many up-market restaurant menus in California.   Harvested while tiny and emerald green, these mild peppers are just the right size for a holiday nibble.   I love them prepared simply, sautéed quickly in some extra virgin olive oil with garlic, and topped with fleur de sel.  

Have a spicy holidaze season!

Online Gifts for Foodies

I’ve made my list….and I’ve checked it twice.  Here’s what on my 2017 list:

Piquillo Peppers: 

I order these yummy mild peppers from Spain year around by the case, however, their gorgeous red color make them absolute perfection for Christmas.  While I can eat them solo (right out of the jar), for the holidaze I prefer to serve them as an h’ordeuvre filled with fresh Dungeness crab and a little crème fraiche.  Olé!

(Amazon.com)

Farro:

Don’t know what gift to send a foodie who has everything?  If the gourmand lives in a non-metropolitan area, consider sending farro, a wonderful grain from Italy.   Although previously a rustic Italian staple, farro is now the new darling of the food world.  It can be cooked like risotto, or used as a substitute in pasta recipes.  Magnifico.

(Amazon.com)

Croissants:

I’ve been ordering William Sonoma’s outrageously decadent croissants for >20 years.  These are the closest rendition to the authentic French version that I’ve found on this side of the Atlantic.  While their price tag is steep, it’s much cheaper than an airline ticket to Paris.  Shipped to you frozen and uncooked, set them out the night before and bake them the next morning.  OMG. 

(williams-sonoma.com)

Stilton Cheese:

Every autumn I order a small wheel of Stilton as a luxurious treat for my husband and myself.  I especially love the Stilton made by Long Clawson Dairy (England).   I freeze it in several small sections and then take it out piece-by-piece to make our favorite autumn salad with Fuyu persimmons, pomegranates, toasted nuts and arugula, as well as other heavenly dishes like the Stilton tart (see next week’s Blog for this recipe).  

(Igourmet.com)

Lobster:

Need a special something for a special someone?  Nothing screams holidaze like fresh lobsters from Maine.   Caught one day and overnighted the next…what could be a better way to ring in 2018!

(mainelobsternow.com)

HAPPY HOLIDAZE !

Not-to-Miss Foods in Spain

The travel season is approaching.  If you’re heading to Spain here are some of the country’s culinary dishes you should seek out.

                                         Gazpacho is almost an art form in Spain

Gazpacho, a refreshing cold tomato soup, originated in Spain’s mucho hot southern region.  Today, however, the dish is now ubiquitous throughout Spain.  The nicer the restaurant, the fancier the presentation of accompaniments (finely diced cucumbers, white onions, bell peppers, croutons and extra virgin olive oil) .

                                                      Paella is a time intensive labor of love

Paella is an impressive rice entree cooked with saffron.   Every province has its own variation;  along the sea it’s filled with seafood;  inland it’s meat and or poultry; sometimes it's a mixture of both land and sea.  The vegetable ingredients are also dependent upon the region and many times include green beans or artichokes.

                                        The classical Tortilla is one of the most common dishes of Spain

Tortilla Espanol is on the menu of every tapas bar and most restaurants.  This dense potato omelette (which has no relationship to the Mexican tortilla) is served in slices.  It’s a great choice for vegetarians who often find eating in meat-centric Spain difficult.  In its best form, the tortilla can be sublime. 

                               While these padrons were stuffed with chorizo, the best version just may be plain

Padron peppers are about the size and color of jalapenos, but that is where the similarity ends.   Padrones are very mild and sweet.  They are typically sautéed in olive oil & topped with sea salt.  Served in both tapas bars and restaurants, this is one of my husband’s and my favorites.

Piquillos are addictive...especially these filled with crab

Piquillo peppers are becoming increasing popular in the US (Trader Joe’s is even carrying them now).  These very mild red peppers are roasted over open fires, deskinned, and then packed in a jar.   Piquillos are great stuffed with fish, cheese or meat, however, I often eat them plain, or add them to salads or sandwiches.

Membillo is made from quince

Membrillo is the best fruit preserve you’ll ever have.  Thickened and then formed into a block, it’s often eaten on toast for breakfast, but it’s also added to many Spanish pastries and cakes.  The most ethereal way to eat membrillo, in my opinion, is paired with one of the country’s mild cheeses as a dessert.

                                                     This special ham is pure nirvana

Iberico ham is not a dish but a product, however, no list of Spanish culinary masterpieces would be complete without paying homage to this fabulous food.   Made from a special breed of black pigs that graze on acorns, this is the pinnacle.  (Note:  I lean heavily to being a vegetarian, but I’m wild over this).

Bon viaje!   (Happy travels)

Foodie Gifts Bring Home from Spain

On every Wine-Knows trip one of the most common questions posed by clients is “What souvenirs should I bring home for my food-loving friends?”  Below is a list of items that will please any gourmand.  They are listed in the order of their ease of packing in a suitcase for the flight back to the US.

Saffron:

These delicate threads are used in one of Spain’s signature dishes, paella.  Plucked from the flowers of crocus, the miniscule stamens are then dried.  Top quality saffron is the most expensive food product on earth---more than caviar and truffles.  And, no worries if your friends don’t make paella as saffron is used in many classical risottos, curries, bouillabaisse, and even in baking.

But, buyer beware.  There are many grades of saffron so it is necessary to buy it from a trusted source.  If the price is too good to be true, don’t buy it.  It can be old (and therefore have lost all of its aromatic properties);  it can be an inferior grade (with inferior flavors & aromas); it can even be a knockoff and not even saffron.  I usually buy mine at the Corte Ingles department store (Spain’s Macys).  If you aren’t near a big city, ask one of the restaurants in which we’ll be dining where it can be procured locally.  (BTW…saffron in Spanish is azafran).

Paprika:

You haven’t tasted paprika until you’ve tasted Spain’s smoky paprika which can turn even the most mundane dish into a culinary masterpiece.  The best pimenton (paprika) is from area of La Vera where the mild red peppers are roasted over an oak wood fire.  This pimenton is killer with deep layers of woodsy flavor. While pimenton de La Vera is used in the best paellas of Spain, like saffron, it can be utilized in many international dishes to add complexity.

Membrillo:

I still remember my first bite of Membrillo and that’s saying something because it was nearly 15 years ago.  Membrillo is a thick fruit paste (think of a very thick jam) made from quince.  It’s one of the yummiest things I’ve tasted and most everyone who eats it falls in love.  (I was so enamored with membrillo that I had a quince tree planted at my home so that I can have home-made membrillo on hand at all times).  Typically paired with a cheese, it makes a perfect appetizer, or an ethereal dessert.    And, it is classically Spanish.  Ole!

Piquillo Peppers:

These mild red peppers are very popular in the Rioja wine district of Northern Spain.  In the autumn it’s not unusual to see them being roasted over embers in the back alleys, or to see the women sitting out on front porches peeling their charred skin.  Sold in jars, these bites of heaven can be addictive.  They can be stuffed, added to a dish in lieu of red bell peppers, or can be eaten directly out of the jar by themselves.  Love them…and most likely so will you.

Tortilla Español---New World with Old World Heritage

                                            Classic tortilla Español with Spain's Piquillo peppers

Tomorrow I’m conducting a Spanish cooking class in Florida.  For the appetizer I’m demonstrating Spain’s tortilla Español (a quasi-omelette filled with potatoes and onions).  The tortilla, which appears on every restaurant’s menu, is also a mainstay of every tapas bar in the country.  The best rendition of this traditional starter that I have ever had (after more than a dozen trips to Spain) was in the Ribera del Duero wine country.  I was so impressed with this version that I talked the chef into sharing his recipe during a cooking class the following year when I returned with a group.

How Spaniards named their most popular dish the tortilla has always puzzled me.  Spain’s cuisine does not use traditional tortillas.  In fact, Spaniards had never even seen corn until the Conquistadors arrived in Mexico.  I recently heard a story that makes a lot of sense to me and it goes something like this… 

The Aztec Empire made flat rounds of yellowish bread from ground corn.  Spanish explorers were taken with this new flavored bread, but had no such word in their vocabulary to describe it.  As it reminded the Conquistadors of the omelette in their native homeland (round in shape and yellow in color), the Spaniards gave this unknown bread the name “tortilla” as it looked similar to the tortilla back home Spain. According to this theory, the Mexican tortilla was actually named after the potato omelette in Spain, based on its association of shape and color.

Here’s the actual recipe I cooked today which I learned during the professional cooking class in Spain some years ago from chef Pedro.  The only thing I changed was the addition of my beloved Piquillo peppers from Spain (very mild, smoky, flavor-chocked red peppers, now thankfully available in the US).

• 2 lbs potatoes, sliced thinly
• 2 cups extra virgin olive oil (can be used later for sauteeing other items)
• 6-7 eggs (depending on size)
• 1 lb onions, sliced thinly  (white or brown)
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic (depending on size)
• 8 oz jar of Piquillo peppers, drained & cut into strips
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Place olive oil in a skillet and heat to a moderate temperature (do not get it anywhere ner smoking level or it will oxidize).  Add the potatoes and cook for 30 minutes on moderate heat, allowing potatoes to slightly brown on all sides.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Next, sautee the onions in olive oil over moderate heat, cooking about 5 minutes.  Lower the heat, add the garlic and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Remove and add to the drained potatoes.  Strain the olive oil and refrigerate for later use.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper.

Return back 2-3 tablespoons of the strained oil to a non-stick skillet.  Heat the oil to a moderately high heat (but again avoid that smoking point.)  Add the egg mixture and turn down the heat immediately.  Next, add the potatoes, onions and strips of Piquillos...making sure all of these items are submerged in the egg mixture.  Cook over moderately low heat until the top of the tortilla is almost set.  Put a large plate over the skillet and then turn the skillet over quickly so that the tortilla slips on to the plate.  Turn up the heat, add a few more tablespoons of oil to the skillet, immediately lowering the heat once again.  Cook an additional 5 or so minutes until the tortilla is totally cooked through.

Typically a tortilla Español  is served at room temperature in a wedge shape.  While it is often served as a tapa, it can also be served as an entree---a simple mixed salad is a perfect accompaniment.

Viva España!