Some Americans may confuse Spanish food with Mexican, but the cuisine of Spain is distinctly different from that of our southern neighbor. Unlike refried beans and corn tortillas, Spanish staples such as olive oil and garlic feature prominently in the heart-smart Mediterranean diet. Many metropolitan areas of the United States have authentic Spanish restaurants, and online shoppers can easily purchase the ingredients for traditional fare such as paella or gazpacho and prepare the dishes in their own kitchens. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Tapas
Tapas are snacks of seafood, meat, salad, olives, croquettes or potatoes. Accepted legend says they originated in southern Spain's Andalusian taverns during the 19th century when patrons would place a small saucer on top of their wine glass to keep the bouquet in and the flies out. In short order, owners discovered that if they served up small bits of food on the saucers, patrons lingered longer and sales increased. Today, tapas bars are everywhere in Spain, and they're popping up in American cities as well. You might nosh on exotic octopus dressed with olive oil and paprika or slivers of jamon iberico, a delicate ham from acorn-fed black pigs, eaten at room temperature with the fingers.
Paella
Some people might call it Spanish rice, but paella should never be mistaken for the recipe routinely served in school cafeterias. True paella begins with a wide, shallow pan, designed to keep as much rice as possible in contact with it for maximum flavor. Choose medium-grain bomba rice when possible, and refrain from using long-grained varieties. The sofrito, often made from tomatoes, onions and garlic, provides the flavor base, while the liquid in which the rice is cooked may be a stock or plain water. Many recipes also call for a pinch of colorful, yellow saffron. Paella originated in Valencia, where typically the dish contains chicken, snails or lima beans.
Gazpacho
If a plate of leafy greens seems more suitable for rabbits to you, consider nutritious and savory gazpacho, sometimes referred to as salad in a soup. Cooks prepare a variety of gazpacho recipes, but Andalusia's best-known version of the dish contains ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and garlic. Using a mortar and pestle, chefs combine the peppers, cucumbers and garlic with water-moistened bread and pound the mixture into a paste. Next, olive oil and vinegar are added along with the tomatoes, which have been processed through a sieve to remove any seeds. Finally, ice-cold water thins the salad mixture to a soup, served unheated.
Cheese and Olives
While Spain may not be the first country a person associates with cheese or olives, chef Jose Andres of Jaleo, an upscale Spanish restaurant in Washington, D.C., names both foods to his list of Top 10 key ingredients of Spanish cuisine. Spain produces more than 100 kinds of cheese such as manchego from sheep's milk or garrotxa from fine goat's milk. Spain also produces many varieties of olives, each with its own pleasing characteristics. Andres believes there is no better tapa than the olive, and he enjoys serving them marinated in citrus and herbs, paired with a Manzanilla sherry.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar