Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Wild asparagus - Quick and easy recipe

Today I got the first wild asparagus at the weekly food market. I buy most of my vegetables at two stalls, which sell the most authentic Mediterranean vegetables.

Some traditional farmers still go to pick wild asparagus, and I am very grateful to them as not many people want to do it now.

Wild asparagus are delicious, really. I'd like to gather them myself, but right now I am very busy building my Mediterranean food web site.

Wild asparagus are easy to prepare. Chop them into one inch pieces, discard the hard end, and steam them for 7 to 10 minutes depending on their thickness. Don't add salt so that they keep the natural flavor of the forest.

Serve them warm. Every guest can add a dash of extra virgin olive oil to the steamed asparagus, but this is optional.

Steamed wild asparagus is a great quick and easy recipe. You can combine them with other vegetables, or serve them as a side dish with meat, -like the traditional Catalan fricassee I cooked today- or fresh Mediterranean sardines.

Wild asparagus recipes are a good example of the Catalan landscape cuisine.

If you can't get wild asparagus, steam another variety. In this case you'll need to add salt to taste.

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Monday, April 17, 2006

Fresh sardines now in season

Spring brings us delicious new potatoes, peas and the first fava beans (broad beans), which are the most tender.

Also, from now until the end of May fresh Mediterranean sardines are at its best.

Ideally, we should cook Mediterranean sardines over burning embers, and serve them with a dash of extra virgin olive oil. The flavor when you cook fresh sardines over embers is incomparable.

Traditional Catalan cuisine has many simple but mouthwatering dishes cooked with this method: roasted mushrooms, and escalivada, roasted peppers, onions and eggplants, are two dainty examples of authentic Catalan cuisine.

We know that for most people it is next to impossible to cook often over open fires. So the second best is charcoal grilling fresh sardines. With this method they taste great too.

Failing that, a stovetop grill pan will also cook fresh Mediterranean sardines very well.

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Saturday, April 15, 2006

Snack idea, quick and easy snack recipe



Bread, red wine and sugar, pa amb vi i sucre, was a very common afternoon kid snack recipe in Catalonia. It only takes the time to slice some bread and a couple more minutes.

I know that the fact that this kid snack recipe contains a little red wine may sound very strange to some people, but it was considered a healthy snack. Actually, it is much healthier than the junk food kids eat today as snacks.

Anyway, if you find it too weird for kids, think of it as a new and delicious Catalan-Mediterranean afternoon snack idea for grown-ups.

Traditionally, this snack recipe was prepared with the typical porró (do you see the drawing?), but as you won't have it, a spoon will work just as well.

Cut two slices of good bread per person; white bread is best. Place them in a plate, pour some wine over the slices of bread, and then sprinkle some sugar over it. You can use white or brown sugar, but as we all know, brown sugar is healthier.

It is a very simple, quick and easy snack idea. Although the preparation of this snack recipe may be unknown to many people, everyone is familiar with the ingredients.

In my Mediterranean food web site I have a step-by-step dessert cooked pear recipe prepared also with wine, that is mouthwatering. Check it out. Posted by Picasa

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Sunday, April 09, 2006

Seasonal peas

The beginning of spring is the best time for peas. I have bought some in the weekly market, which are as sweet as when I was a child.

Rice with peas is a tasty quick and easy Mediterranean food recipe for everyday.

Peas combine very good with chopped cabbage too. Last week I cooked a stew which was a fusion of Indian-Catalan cuisine. I added spices like mustard, cumin, and hing, a basis for various Indian-Ayurveda vegetable stews or subjis that I regularly prepare.

Check my web for everyday rice and vegetable recipes.

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Thursday, April 06, 2006

Barcelona brownie

The American Diva of Desserts, Rose Levy Beranbaum, has created the Barcelona brownie. As a Barcelona native, I am honored that a famous guru of desserts with so many awards has given the name of the Catalan capital to one of her delicious creations.

Her web site is at: http://www.thecakebible.com

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