The Reign (of) Spain is far from the Plain

Hello Foodies

According to many foodies Spanish cuisine is the most innovative around. (Our two French forks probably don't agree). On October 6th, we had the opportunity to test that theory at the James Beard House. Chef Javier Nuñez and other officials from the Castilla y León area of Spain introduced us to the culinary treasures of their region. Chef Nuñez has been taking León around the world, demonstrating his recipes using the products of the area to Tokyo, Copenhagen, London and now, New York.

The 7-course tasting menu included many of these products: bacalo (dried cod), chickpeas, goat cheese...don't fret...as simple as they sound in this list, Chef Nuñez brought them to new heights with his unique flavor combinations. Here's a run down of our menu:

• Roasted Peppers with octopus and shallots
• Sahagún Leeks Soup with marinated/smoked Trout and Quail Eggs
• Chickpeas with Quail and Foie Gras
• Cod with Cabbage and Arriero Garlic Bacon
• Carrilleral al Vino Prieto-Picado and Lentil Minestrone
• Valdeleon Cheese with Reinette Apples
• Chocolate Flan with Citrus

Your mouth should be watering by now. We relished it all but what actually blew our socks off was the "Rara Avis" wine from vintner Raúl Perez Pereira. The tastebuds tingle just thinking about it. We are on the hunt for it now - before the world discovers it. Unfortunately, that may not be long. We just found out that Robert Parker has discovered it -- and awarded it a 96. We think it is a 100. Another of Perez Pereira's wines, "Ultreia de Valtuille" was given a 99. Go forth and seek them out!

One little thing did bother us. The chef came out after the meal and spoke to all of us. It was, of course, in Spanish but there was no translator and no one at our table spoke Spanish. We hope that he enjoyed cooking the meal as much as we enjoyed eating it.

Enjoy!

The New York Forks

From Katia at loveSicily Cookery School!

Hello Foodies,

Good quality food has always been a central element in my family life. My grandparents taught us all about the joy of sharing with others and Nonna Elvira was never jealous of her recipes. My mother and my aunt, have often taken notes while Nonna Elvira was cooking. Over the years, they used to talk about Nonna's precious recipe books but we seemed to have lost most of them.

One day, while we were emptying the house, before beginning the restoration project to turn it into our cookery school, I found her books and notes in one of the bottom drawers of her kitchen. I cannot describe the joy! These books are the best family legacy and even my daughter now is tasting her great-grandmother's food. I am sure Nonna Elvira would be very happy to share her version of "Calamari Ripieni" (stuffed calamari) with you.

CALAMARI RIPIENI DELLA NONNA

30 minutes preparation time: 40 minutes cooking time

Ingredients:

4 calamari
2-3 tomatoes
3 onions
3 tbsp Parsley
1 tbsp Garlic
2 slices of bread (possibly from the day before)
2-3 eggs
4 tbsp Olive oil

Clean the calamari, remove the tentacles and set aside.
Blanch the tomatoes, remove their skins, seeds and chop them.
Chop the onion and tentacles and mix with the chopped tomatoes.
Sauté the mixture in olive oil and set aside
Crumble the soft part of the bread into a large mixing bowl and soak in water or milk
Add it to the mixture of onion, tentacles, and tomatoes together with 4 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp chopped parsley, and 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic.
Stir the mixture and add also beaten eggs, just to keep the filling moist, salt and pepper.
Stuff the calamari, close using a toothpick and place in a tray with a splash of good white wine. Then place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.
Cover the tray with a lid for the first 15 minutes, then remove for the remaining cooking time.

Extra tips: If you have any mixture for the filling left over, smear it onto the stuffed calamari after you remove the lid on the tray. I like to add also a tbsp chopped capers and chilly pepper to the mixture and, usually, sprinkle the calamari with toasted breadcrumbs just before serving them.

As a side dish I suggest a nice potato and topinambur (Jerusalem artichoke) pureè, sprinkled with chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive
oil.

Hope you enjoy it!

Katia
loveSicily