Tasty Vittles in Villaricos, Spain
We had an incredible time in Andalucia, Spain, in mid-to-late August and though there were a couple standouts food-wise, we weren't overly impressed by the meals we had there. Granted, we weren't necessarily seeking out the top-notch culinary spots, but I was really hoping for more little homestyle places serving classic, unimposing dishes.
Honestly, one of my most memorable eating experiences where we stayed (in a small fishing village called Villaricos in a region of Andalucia called Almeria) was the Tapas feast I prepared on an overcast day. We picked up some groceries, I think on the way back from our visit to a teensy mountain village called Cabrera -- high, high up above a beach town called Mojacar and neighboring Turre. (I'll get some more Spain shots up soon). I consulted a Tapas recipe book left in our villa for just such occasions and altered a few recipes to come up with what turned out to be a really tasty spread.
I made some really delicious deep fried artichoke hearts, prepared with a light and super-crispy batter of flour, olive oil, salt and the liquid from the can of artichoke hearts (probably the most successful deep frying I've done). I'll try to find the batter recipe which was very simple and put it up here.
I combined a couple recipes in the book, using a white bean and goat cheese dip mixture as a stuffing for bell peppers I pan fried. A really great combo. I also fried some remaining pepper slices with the leftover batter from the artichokes.
Though I usually swear by making everything from scratch, I was curious to try the aioli they sold in the grocery stores in small containers in the refrigerated aisle alongside yogurts, creams, and prepared bechamel sauces. It was quite good on its own, though I added some olive oil, dijon mustard and lemon juice to make it a bit more my own. That I served with thinly sliced cukes, wonderfully sweet tomatoes and blanched asparagus.
I also put out a meat assortment for Steve (the ubiquitous Serrano ham and spicier, fattier stuff they serve everywhere) and some manchego and another type of semi-soft cheese I can't recall the name of.
It was quite a treat!
Honestly, one of my most memorable eating experiences where we stayed (in a small fishing village called Villaricos in a region of Andalucia called Almeria) was the Tapas feast I prepared on an overcast day. We picked up some groceries, I think on the way back from our visit to a teensy mountain village called Cabrera -- high, high up above a beach town called Mojacar and neighboring Turre. (I'll get some more Spain shots up soon). I consulted a Tapas recipe book left in our villa for just such occasions and altered a few recipes to come up with what turned out to be a really tasty spread.
I made some really delicious deep fried artichoke hearts, prepared with a light and super-crispy batter of flour, olive oil, salt and the liquid from the can of artichoke hearts (probably the most successful deep frying I've done). I'll try to find the batter recipe which was very simple and put it up here.
I combined a couple recipes in the book, using a white bean and goat cheese dip mixture as a stuffing for bell peppers I pan fried. A really great combo. I also fried some remaining pepper slices with the leftover batter from the artichokes.
Though I usually swear by making everything from scratch, I was curious to try the aioli they sold in the grocery stores in small containers in the refrigerated aisle alongside yogurts, creams, and prepared bechamel sauces. It was quite good on its own, though I added some olive oil, dijon mustard and lemon juice to make it a bit more my own. That I served with thinly sliced cukes, wonderfully sweet tomatoes and blanched asparagus.
I also put out a meat assortment for Steve (the ubiquitous Serrano ham and spicier, fattier stuff they serve everywhere) and some manchego and another type of semi-soft cheese I can't recall the name of.
It was quite a treat!
posted by Connie Sewer at 7:43 AM
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