summer cocktail extraordinaire...

We found it! THE perfect summer cocktail. This watermelon margarita recipe came from a recent Everyday Foods (by none other than Martha, goddess of entertaining) and we served it at a recent soiree with much success.

When picking a cocktail du jour for your next party, you want something that can be made ahead of time in batches. That way you aren't slaving away at the bar, one high ball at a time, when a guest wants another cocktail. This watermelon margarita can be blended early in the day and kept cool in the fridge in a pitcher until serving time. Go on and make a double batch- you'll use it!

We served it with some grilled shrimp,  Mexican style corn rolled in spices and cotija cheese, and a fresh salad with hearts of palm and avocado. I love summertime.

Watermelon Margaritas
In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 3 wide strips of orange peel to a boil over high. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Let syrup cool. In a blender, puree 12 ounces of watermelon cubes (about 2 cups) until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids, into a pitcher (you should have about 1 cup juice). Stir in cooled syrup, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes), and 3/4 cup white or silver tequila (we used golden tequila in a pinch). Fill salt rimmed glasses with ice and pour over margarita mixture. Garnish with lime wedge.

eating your way through spain...

Family members are in Madrid at present for some good food and the last days of the Feria de San Isidro, the best of the best bullfights at the Plaza de Toros on Madrid. Tomorrow’s spectacle features bulls from El Ventorillo, and no doubt plenty of wine will be flowing from leather wine bags shared amongst strangers. Shouts fall down on the bullfighters from the stands, cheers of approval or shouts of dismay at their performance.  It is a spectacle.

The vibrant colors of the bullfighters from the Feria de San Isidro inspired this collection of Cerulean must-haves. Bright fuchsia from the Matadors stockings, the red, orange and yellow of the capes, the gold trim of their elaborate costumes. The leather and fabrics and fanfare is all represented below.

Gold Medallion Earrings - Tapestry Belts - Cerulean Julie Dresses - Enamel Petal Necklace - Orange Embroidered Clutch - Gold Sandal - Gold Tassel Necklace - Matta Pom Pom Dupatta Scarf - Gold Bead Bracelet - Coral Paisley Scarf

I also asked these family members for their “must-eat” list when in Madrid (some of the travelers make Madrid a regular stop every year, so I trust their opinions on this).  Here are the tops:

O'pazo

http://www.pescaderiascorunesas.es/gran_cocina/restaurante/?id=3

Owned by a famous Spanish fishing company called Pescaderias Corunesas, O'pazo is the epitome of farm- erg, boat - to table.  A beautifully modern, minimal restaurant with just a touch of seaside décor to soften the look, the service is impeccable and the food divine. Visit their fishmonger in town if you are staying in a place where you can cook your own meal, or just stop by to see the spectacle of it all. They’ve shared the recipe for their house specialty with us- Rodaballo al Horno- a flat fish that seems a lot like flounder that is pan sautéed, finished in the oven, and topped with a garlic vinaigrette before bringing the entire fish to the table. Recipe follows (with my translation skills at work here, so be forgiving).

Recipe for Rodaballo al horno (serves four)

Ingredients

1- 4.5 lb rodaballa (flounder or turbot) (2kg)

10 ounces olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

6 ounces red wine vinegar

salt

flour

Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet or saute pan.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the oil is heating, lightly dredge  both sides of the fish in flour. Once the oil is very hot, put in the fish white side down (bottom of the fish down) and cook 2-3 minutes until the white skin has browned. Turn the fish over and put the pan in the oven for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a serving platter. Finely chop the garlic and combine with the vinegar in a small mixing bowl or jar. Add the oil and dripping juice leftover in the sauté pan. Mix well and pour over the fish. Serve immediately.

Asador Donastiarra

http://www.asadordonostiarra.com/

You juts need to know one thing- go for the meat (asador means grill).

El Sobrino de Botin

http://www.botin.es/web/?q=en
Affectionately referred to as just  ‘Botin’, the oldest restaurant in the world (founded 1725) serves up relevant and tasty fare behind the Plaza Mayor. Try the suckling pig- their specialty.

Check out this video of one of their chefs preparing the suckling pig. Squeamish stomachs need not apply. But you get a good sense of the place and a view of the original oven built when the restaurant first opened its doors 285 years ago…

a delicious new year...

While I don’t normally have an overly large sweet tooth, the cold weather of the past few weeks has kept me indoors eating nothing but stews and sweets. Not a terrible life. I recently tried a recipe for a three layer lemon cream filled meringue tower that was to die for. Three large flat meringues (almost the size of a pie) are layered with a homemade lemon curd full of tons of tangy zest folded with homemade whip cream. And repeat the layers and repeat again. If you can avoid eating the entire thing in one sitting, you are stronger than I. Thought the least I could do was share the recipe…

I didn’t take any pictures of my towering lemon confection, but I found a picture of a similar concoction in Gourmet Magazine July 2009. They used berries instead of lemon, but the concept is the same.
Lemon Meringue Torte
6 egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ tsp vanilla
6 egg yolks
1 ¼ cups sugar
4 ½ TB lemon juice
2 TB lemon zest
1 ¼ cup whipping cream
3 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff in a electric mixer. Gradually add 1 ½ cups sugar and ¾ tsp vanilla. Divide the meringue mixture into thirds and pour onto a baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Spread to the diameter of a pie pan. (tip: I took an old pie pan and traced the outline on the parchment, then flipped the parchment over so you don’t get pen or pencil marks on your meringue. Makes gauging the right size of each meringue much easier) Bake one hour.

In a medium bowl beat egg yolks. Add remaining sugar, lemon juice and zest. Cook over a double boiler until thick (consistency of pudding), stirring occasionally. Cool. Whip cream with an electric mixture until it forms soft peaks. Whip in remaining vanilla. Remove cooled meringues from parchment and place the first on a cake stand (plate will do but its not as pretty). Spread with 1/3 the lemon cream. Layer the second meringue and repeat with filling. Repeat again. Thinly slice a lemon or two and place on top for decoration. Keep refrigerated. Serves 10. Enjoy!