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April 23, 2009
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| Food writer Nancy Leson’s blog has released a flock of calls and emails here at the shop. What’s all the twittering about? California wine producer E.J. Gallo has filed a lawsuit against the Spanish Table for selling “Gallo” brand fideua pasta, produced in Barcelona. “Gallo” means rooster in Spanish and icons of the bird are seen all over the Iberian peninsula. Sadly, we can’t afford the fight to sell our favorite brand of pasta, so we’ve found a replacement brand of noodle. Stop in and get one of these Gallo collector items before they sell out! To read Nancy Leson’s blog: http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/allyoucaneat/2009/04/20/gallo_crows_well_sue_you_spani.html To watch the King 5 TV report: http://www.king5.com/business/stories/NW_042109WAB-winery-gallo-KC.fb370cdf.html |
Fideau, or fideo, is a dish made in a paella pan with short pasta noodles, garlic, broth and whatever else you’ve got on hand. To use those Spanish noodles, try this recipe from The Spanish Table Cookbook:
Fideo Pasta with Seafood in Oloroso Cream Sauce (serves 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
1 pound salmon, or a 1 pound mixture of shrimp meat and crab
½ cup dry Oloroso sherry
3 cups clam juice or water
½ pound fideo pasta
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Heat oil in a 12-inch or larger paella pan and cook the pasta until it turns golden. Remove pasta from pan, reserving the oil. Add garlic to pan and cook until soft. Add the seafood and saute for 1 minute on each side. Add the sherry and clam juice, then bring to a boil.
Add the pasta and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the pasta has absorbed the liquid and is al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Add the half-and-half and parsley and cook until incorporated. This is even better with a bowl of alioli (garlic mayonnaise) served on the side.
“When fideua is outlawed; only outlaws will have fideua.” Steve Winston
COLLECTOR’S CORNER On Easter weekend, we opened and drank a bottle of 1968 Vina Bosconia Rioja. In 1968, when the grapes used to make this wine were growing, I was stationed at U.S. 6th Army headquarters in San Francisco. Recovering from the wounds I received in the infantry (173 Airborne Brigade) in Vietnam, I was drinking, ironically, Gallo Hearty Burgandy by the jug. My palate has matured since then. If you are old enough to remember 1968, we have one bottle available of 1968 Vina Tondonia Rioja ($327.00). Steve Winston
CHEESE CORNER Pata Cabra is a unique goat’s milk cheese is from Zaragoza, made in a brick shape. It is a washed rind cheese which is dense, smooth, creamy and mildly piquant. Faintly goaty, lightly lemony, fresh, earthy and full of character with sweet herbaceous overtones. Pairs perfectly with Albariño or Godello white wines.
- Jorge
Celebrate Earth Day by planting a garden! A a new shipment of padron pepper seeds has arrived, just in time to start germinating. If you’ve never tasted a padron pepper, they are a small piquant green variety from Galicia. They grow well in the cool northwest and are best enjoyed when they are not over 3 inches long. The larger they are, the hotter they can be!
VALUE WINES UNDER $10.00
2007 Dom Martinho rose, Estremoz Portugal ($8.99) Rothschild-Lafite acquired this estate in 1992 and since has brought the vineyards back to immaculate condition, as only the Rothschilds can do. Dom Martinho rose is fresh and clean, with vibrant strawberry-raspberry flavors. With great acidity and hints of mineral, this is a perfect wine to kick off the rose season with!
2006 San Isidro Cepas del Zorro Dos Ano Monastrell, Bullas ($8.99) The region of Bullas is near Jumilla in Southwestern Spain but has a superior high and dry terroir. Produced from vines as old as 60 years and at 2100 feet elevation, this is a powerfully authentic wine. With fruity raspberry aromas on the nose, it has a brawny mid palate with mineral notes, hints of spice and plenty of tannic structure. Aged two years in the bottle but without any time in barrel, Cepas del Zorro is rustic and meaty. Great with barbecued ribs!
2007 Valdemar Tempranillo Rioja ($9.99) New on the market and bursting with vivid boysenberry fruit, Valdemar Tempranillo is a must-try for those looking for a great paella wine. With just the right amount of acidity and moderate tannins, it deftly balances any rich dish or roasted meat. This is a red that I’ll be serving all year round.
SPECIAL OCCASION WINES UNDER $20.00:
2007 Martina Prieto Pariente Verdejo, Rueda ($15.99) Martina’s mother, Victoria, is said to produce the best white wine in Spain under their famous estate name, Jose Pariente. Martina, an enology student, is making her own wine with her mother using extreme methods such as harvesting grapes at night to lock in the fresh aromatics. Martina Prieto sings with flavors of creamy grapefruit, ripe pineapple, lime, flint, and a hint of cinnamon. Vibrant with acidity, it is a great pairing with octopus ceviche.
2006 Naiades, Rueda, Regularly $23.99, now on sale for $19.99. This is absolutely one of the best white wines I’ve tasted. The Naiades vineyards were planted in the 19th century with ungrafted Verdejo vines. Surviving generations of harsh climate, poor soils and phylloxera, these vines produce the extraordinary fruit that goes into Naiades. With aromas of beeswax and dried flowers, the oak is evident but muted. Full bodied, creamy and rich, it has great balanced acidity with flavors of buttered toast, melon and citrus. “The barrel-fermented 2006 Naia Des is 100% old-vine Verdejo sourced from ungrafted 80- to 100-year-old vines. The nose is slightly toasty but the fruit comes through with plenty of citrus, mineral, and floral notes. The oak treatment seems to have resulted in a creamier texture. The wine is nicely balanced, medium long, and may evolve for 1-2 years although it can be enjoyed now.” 90 points Jay Miller
2006 Luigi Bosca Malbec Reserva, Mendoza ($19.99) The 2005 Luigi Bosca Reserva Malbec was a sensational Malbec and quickly sold out. The 2006 vintage just arrived, and it has all the rich smokiness, structure and balance of the 2005. “Full ruby-red. Musky, vinous aromas of blackberry, mocha, espresso and tobacco. Suave, juicy and palate-coating, with a distinctly saline element adding complexity to the flavors of raspberry, tobacco, smoke and green olive. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely aromatic lift. A distinctly soil-inflected wine with loads of personality-and an excellent value.” 90 points Stephen Tanzer
Have a great week, and we hope to see you at the shop.
Sharon Baden & Steve Winston, owners
The Spanish Table
April 16, 2009 
Processions of wooden platforms with statues of saints labor through Spanish streets. Mournful groups of hooded figures glide alongside the floats. Saetas, which begin with a moan then descend to a lament, are sung from balconies to the processions below. Misa Flamencas, religious music sung in the style of flamenco, are performed during mass. This is Semana Santa, or Holy Week in Spain. It culminates on Easter Sunday when church bells ring and hoods are removed for celebratory family feasts of lamb or rabbit. 