What We Cooked

SOME DELICIOUS THINGS WE COOKED THIS WEEK:

Catalan Pork Sausage with Mushrooms: José Andrés cooked this on his television show, Made In Spain: Butifarra with chanterelles, pine nuts, raisins and moscatel wine. The companion Made In Spain cookbook ($35) has this recipe and many more with similar spins on traditional Spanish dishes filtered through the sensibilities of this Asturian born, Washington DC based chef.

Greek Baked Pasta: Using Grace Parisi’s recipe from the March 2009 Food & Wine, we paired our Misko No 3 pasta with ground lamb seasoned with oregano, cinnamon and cloves then topped with ricotta cheese, egg yokes and Zerto (Argentine Parmesan-Reggianito cheese) seasoned with nutmeg. While it baked, we made a chopped salad of cucumber and green pepper enlivened with a handful of big, grey, Egyptian Olives ($5.99) and chunks of Ulker Feta Cheese. We took home a chilled bottle of Boutari Retsina ($9.99) to pair with it.

WINE SPECIALS THIS WEEK

2006 Vin Nico Flor del Montgó (Yecla) $8.99 on sale! Vin Nico searches out underutilized old-vine properties all over Spain to produce affordable, well crafted wines. Flor is a blend of 85% old-vine Monastrell, 10% Merlot and 5% Shiraz. It is dark ruby in color with a nose of blue and black fruits that leap from the glass. The fruit is ripe and sweet, the tannins silky, and there is excellent concentration and length from the old vine fruit. This is a great value on a very expressive wine.

2006 Andeluna Malbec Mendoza ($9.99) One of the best under-$10.00 Malbecs, we thought it was sold out. Luck smiled on us when the distributor found 5 cases of this vintage so get it while you can! Hand crafted in collaboration with Michel Rolland, this lush Malbec is ripe and juicy. Full bodied, it has complex flavors of black currant, Morello cherry and chocolate with notes of dried fig and cassis liquor. Sweet tannins compliment the spice notes and exceptional balance. Highly recommended!

2006 Altozano Tempranillo Toledo, ($9.99) A smooth and silky Tempranillo with fruity black cherry flavors and rich chocolate notes. Grown at high elevation in Toledo, it is lightly oaked and well balanced with hints of pie cherry on the persistent finish. Versatile, Altozano is great with foods from pizza to tagines.

2007 Nuntius, Cariñena ($12.99) This terrific wine dances over the tongue with the energy of a bulerias. Importer Basilio Grueso of Casa Ventura Imports chose this blend for Nuntius after over 25 tastings with the winemaker. Made of 50% Garnacha, 30% Syrah and 20% Tempranillo, its smoky aromas lead to fruity strawberry and then deep black fruit flavors A hint of rose petals compliment the black pepper on the earthy and dry finish. Serve Nuntius with a spicy Indian curry or grilled kebabs.

NV Valdespino Contrabandista Amontillado, Jerez ($33.00) Bodegas Valdespino has been producing sherry in Jerez de la Frontera since 1430. Made from a solera that originated in 1892, Contrabandista was aged under flor for over 8 years, and further aged for 8 additional years allowing oxidation to take place. With just a touch of Pedro Ximenez for sweetness, it is round and unctuous on the palate with notes of roasted hazelnut and almond paste. Its acidic spine provides balances to the sweetness and the persistent nutty finish seems like it goes on forever. The traditional label with a galloping horse and rider is seen in bars all over Spain.

NV Tio Pepe Palomino Fino Our best selling fino has flavors of yeast and almond with a traditional touch of bitterness. It’s now available in half bottle ($9.99/375ml) and we’re also stocking Kosher Tio Pepe ($25.99/750 ml)

OUR FAVORITE PORTUGUESE CHEESES ARE BACK IN STOCK!

Serpa is one of the most famous traditional cheeses from Portugal. Extremely hard to source, we special ordered it from Portugal. Made in Alentejo from Merino sheep’s milk and aged for at least six months, its rind is rubbed with olive oil throughout curing. Serpa has a buttery interior and tangy flavor of local herbs and grasses. Wrapped in white linen, this artisanal cheese is typically served before a meal and is best with a glass of red wine from Alentejo.

Queijo Amarelo is our new favorite Portuguese cheese. Amarelo is a washed rind cheese, a blend of sheep and goats milk from Beira Baixa region. It has an astounding buttery, slightly piquant flavor with roasted onion, sea salt, notes of sweet lemon and a lingering savory finish with grassy overtones.

MUSIC

Brazilian Jazz Pianist and Dreamy Vocalist Eliane Elias is performing at Jazz Alley on February 24 & 25th. For details, go to http://www.jazzalley.com/calendar.asp. Elias’s newest CD, “Bossa Nova Stories” ($18.99), has classic tunes beautifully reinterpreted and is available here at the store.

Valentine

VALENTINE’S DAY IS SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14!   One of our favorite celebrations, Valentine’s Day, is right around the corner.   Our February Gold daffodils are poking their heads up and cheerful sunny weather is signaling the end of winter doldrums.  What a great occasion to invite friends over!   February is prime season for crab and oysters and, aphrodisiac qualities aside, pairing shellfish with cava is a stellar combination for Valentine’s Day.   Not a seafood fan?  Substitute marinated pork tenderloin and serve with a rosé cava for a meat-centric celebratory meal.
Here are some other ideas for your sweet:
Valor Chocolate bars with assorted flavors (We’re fans of Dark Chocolate with Orange) $3.69
Vaverite wafer cake with crumbled hazelnuts (an endearing squirrel is on the front of the box!) $3.99
Corazones Dulces Candy Valentines Hearts with love messages in Spanish. ($1.19)
Bubbly: We have a broad array of Spanish Cavas to meet every taste and budget and a couple of Argentinean sparklers as well.   From reliable Segura Viudas Brut Reserva ($7.99) to the complex and yeasty Agusti Torello Mata’s Reserva Bayanus Cava ($24.99/375 ml), stop in and check out our selection.
Gift certificates: When in doubt, give a Spanish Table gift certificate.  Available in any denomination.
HEAT, BILL BUFORD: In 2002 Bill Buford, an editor at New Yorker magazine, met Mario Batali and decided he needed to work in the kitchen at Babbo.  He not only slaved in that New York restaurant but went off on crazy sojourns apprenticing with even more eccentric individuals in Tuscany making pasta and butchering four legged animals.  Bill is extremely erudite and captures both “Molto Batali” and culinary Italy in this book.  If you watched Batali in the recent PBS series, On the Road in Spain, you will have your worst suspicions delightfully confirmed by the descriptions of Mario in this book.  We have grabbed a pile of the paperback version of the book which is on sale for only $7.99.
NEW WINES THIS WEEK
2007 Eximus Branco (Estremadura) $6.99 Not only graceful and refreshing, Portuguese Eximus has a myriad of other appealing characteristics.  For starters, when have you tasted a blend of Fernâo Pires, Vital (reputedly a cousin of Sauvignon Blanc) and Moscatel grapes?  Secondly, Eximus is an all-around, well balanced white wine that pairs well with cheese or fish dishes.  With enticing pear aromas, it has ripe lychee, honey and melon flavors.  Lively and crisp, it has vibrant acidity with notes of citrus and plenty of length.   And finally, all of this goodness can be had for just $6.99 per bottle.    What’s not to like?
2007 Terrai Garnacha, Cariñena $6.99 The Cariñena region is one of the oldest D.O.s in Spain and is known for producing tasty quaffers that are a great value.  Terrai is made from 100% Garnacha.  Light on its feet, it has notes of dust, rich black fruit flavors and a dry finish.  Well balanced, all in all this is a great every day wine that pairs well with grilled pork or flavorful roasted vegetables.
2007 Hacienda Plata Zagal Malbec Mendoza ($9.99) We snapped up a case of Zagal after just one sip. Loaded with cherry aromas, it has rich blackberry, vanilla, and licorice flavors.   Balanced with minerals and ample acidity, it begs to be paired with red meat.
2005 Miranda (Rioja) $14.99 Wow!  Fresh aromas of pie cherry with a hint of earth and oak on the front palate segues into a mouth full of zingy, ripe bing cherry and intense plum flavors.  Miranda is 100% Tempranillo with eight months aging in America and French oak casks.   Herbal undertones compliment tar and licorice on the persistent finish.   Miranda is a great all-around Rioja that will appeal to both traditionalists and modernists.
2005 Vega Escal Priorat ($19.99) This powerfully concentrated blend of 60% carinena, 30% garnacha and 10% syrah is pure poetry.  “Ripe cherry and blackberry aromas are complicated by smoky minerals and anise. Expressive dark berry flavors show light weight but impressive purity, with brisk minerality gaining strength on the back end. Graceful and edge-free, with very good finishing clarity and cut. This is extremely easy to drink.”  90 points Stephen Tanzer
2001 LUIS CAÑAS, Reserva de la Familia (Rioja) $33.00: We routinely pay over $30 for a wine in a restaurant yet we often balk at paying that much for wines to drink at home.  “Why?” we asked ourselves after popping the cork on Reserva de la Familia last Friday night.  This is an heirloom Rioja, traditionally styled with select fruit from a great vintage.  Rich and silky, it was an elegant companion to grilled lamb chops rubbed with Miguel & Valentino garlic, sprinkled with coarse Spanish sea salt, covered with pebrella and finished with a few rosemary needles from the plant braving its way through this winter in our backyard.   93 points Wine Advocate 91 points Stephen Tanzer
2006 Colomé Malbec Estate, Salta Argentina, $26.99: We were in Salta for Thanksgiving 2006 but had to cut out a side trip to the wine region due to flight mis-connections.   (However, the colonial city of Salta is well worth the visit, if even for 2 days).  Since then, we’ve been seeking out these hard to find wines and  Colomé is one of the best we’ve found. At La Boca restaurant in Santa Fe, it’s hearty elegance paired wonderfully with rich duck breast and braised leeks with a dab of harissa pepper sauce.  A very elegant and balanced Malbec, it is now in stock at The Spanish Table for the first time.   92 points Wine Spectator   Top 100 Wines of 2008
LA CONCHA WHITE TRUFFLE SEA SALT FLAKES, $9.99: Along with lamb chops and Luis Cañas Rioja, we tossed asparagus with fideo #2 pasta, Hojiblanca extra virgin olive oil and dusted it with a new arrival: white truffle salt.  When we unpacked the ocean container from Spain last week, it was filled with the aroma of this salt which is a full 8% truffles.  The low price reflects the current exchange rate and that we direct-imported it with no middle men.  In fact, a few years ago, I drove down the coast near Alicante to visit the salt drying ponds with Rosa Bevía, the owner of this Spanish salt company.
14 PALLETS OF NEW STOCK JUST ARRIVED: We have them again: All sizes of paella pans, propane burners and cazuelas.
AGAVE NECTAR or MEXICAN VANILLA, $6.99: We tracked down a few dozen bottles of the beautiful flasks of these products.  Use the agave nectar to make the best margarita ever.
TEQUILA FLAVORED LOLLIPOP: Clear, nonalcoholic candy complete with a worm.  Can you lick this? Need we say more?
GRAINS OF PARADISE:  We have been crushing some of these round seeds in our mortar and sprinkling them over savory dishes.  Grown in Ghana, Mustapha’s grains of paradise are a wonderfully aromatic and pungent substitute for black pepper, adding exotic hints of ginger, coriander and cardamom. In Morocco they are ground and are an important ingredient in the spice blend Ras El Hanout.
RECIPE
UPSCALE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH: March’s issue of Bon Appétit takes comfort food up a notch.  Use Manchego cheese and Jamón Serrano to make a grilled sandwich and toss in a layer of chopped Mejool dates (page 68).
 
GREAT BUYS ON SPANISH CHEESE
Our cheese monger George has negotiated fantastic savings on our most popular cheeses.
Tetilla………………………………………..was $14.99/lb now $11.99/lb
San Simon…………………………………was $21.99/lb now $15.99/lb
Mahon……………………………………….was $22.99/lb now $18.99/lb
3 Month Manchego…………………….was $20.99/lb now $16.99/lb
Aged 12 Month Manchego………….was $21.99/lb now $17.99/lb
Caña de Cabra…………………………..was $17.99/lb now $14.99/lb

Day of the Dead in Oaxaca

October 23rd, 2008

Next Tuesday night, we are flying off to Oaxaca for a week of tasting moles and steeping ourselves in the atmosphere of Los Dias de Muertos.   Rooted in pre-Columbian rituals, the annual, decorative ceremony pays respect to the departed.  The markets and park stalls will be filled with sugar skulls, paper-mache skeletons and marigolds. While we are gone, Isaac Rivera from our Santa Fe store will be helping out here in Seattle again.  If you met him when he was here last May, drop in and say hello.
Some new stuff now in the store:
COPPER CATAPLANAS: These Portuguese clam cookers are back in time for Christmas but at much higher prices ($80.00 to $160 each).  4 sizes, 23cm, 26cm, 29cm & 33cm.  New flat bottoms and shrink wrapped without being lacquered making them easier to use (Available Friday, October 24th).
BLACK GLAZED CAZUELAS: What we expect to be a one-time import, we have brought in some open cazuelas and some bean pots with lids glazed in black.  Our supplier gave us a price break on these so if we do import them again, it will be at a higher price.
EUROPEAN STYLE MUSTARDS Since 1996, our supplier Kitty Keller has wanted to import coarse mustard made with Banyuls vinegar, but couldn’t do it because U.S. Customs collects a 100% duty on all European mustards as a retaliatory tariff.  Eventually, she found a U.S. firm she liked and trusted to do her private recipes.  Here is her line‑up:
BANYULS MUSTARD:This is coarse mustard with French-Catalan Vinegar of Banyuls, a touch of water, mustard seeds, Spanish sea salt containing no anti‑caking or flowing agents and a dash of turmeric to keep the color.
DIJON MUSTARD: This is what Dijon style mustard should be: mustard seed, water, vinegar, sea salt.
DIJON TRUFFLE MUSTARD: The addition of a substantial ration of truffle bits and truffle essence to this silky mustard will take your jamon y queso on baguette up more than a notch.  What you will have is a heavenly bocadillo.
RUSSIAN MUSTARD: Not from Kitty Keller – a Gorbachev Babushka doll adorns the label of this post-cold war, imported hot mustard.
QUESOS
MONTCABRER:  Spanish Table Exclusive!  This beautiful charcoal and grey rind wheel of cheese is made by the famous cheese maker, Josep of Nevat. A Catalonian original, this semi-firm goat cheese is bathed in vegetable oil and charcoal and aged for 90 days. The texture is creamy and slightly chalky. The flavors are sweetly herbaceous with mushroom overtones, and a subdued tangy finish.
DOM VILLAS QUEIJO DE VACA CURADO:  Dom Villas is a cow’s milk curado aged 6 months.  This Farmstead cheese is made on a small cooperative of four people near the costal area north of Porto Friesia, Portugal. The texture is creamy and springy. Dom Villas is washed in brine to enhance its herbaceous mildly piquant buttery flavors.
KITTY KELLER’S SALTS
BLACK TRUFFLE SALT: Kitty also combines black winter truffle powder and truffle essence for flavor and truffle scent.  Election night, what could be better than a bottle of chilled Cava and popcorn dusted with Black Truffle Salt?
SAFFRON SALT: Simply stellar Spanish sea salt with bits of saffron threads and a tasty custom ground saffron powder.  This is terrific dusted over shrimp to be grilled or rubbed on chicken which turns a beautiful color when roasted and has great flavor!
PIQUILLO BLOW-OUT: This week, Napoleon Piquillo Peppers from Peru are a beat-the-Euro, low, low price of just $2.99 a jar. Stock up while our floor-stack lasts!
POEMA BRUT CAVA $8.99: Crisp night air and cool coastal waters translate into bright and juicy tasting citrus and sea shell which compliment this sparkler with its aromas of pears, toast and orange zest.  Price just reduced from $10.99!
NV ALANDRA RED ALENTEJO $6.99:  We mentioned this Portuguese wine in our email last week.  Saturday night, we took it to a wine tasting where it showed itself off in a blind tasting of 14 wines scoring in the top tier.  Bursting with flavor, it is the best value in the store right now.  Look for it on top of the wine barrel marked “Great Value.”
TERRAI BLANCO MACABEO CARIÑENA, $6.99: Floral, fruity, tropical flavors with a bit of a tart citrus finish makes this white wine perfect for sipping while you catch the latest election shenanigans.  Or turn off the TV and pair it with cheese and one of our fig jams.
NUNTIUS CARIÑENA ‘07, $12.99: After tasting 25 variations, Bellingham importer Basilio Grueso of Casa Ventura Imports came up with this power packed wine blended from garnacha, syrah and tempranillo.  Earthy and smokey with hints of rose petal, you won’t find a better bottle of wine under $15.00.  Look for the red label with a branch and a bird.
As we mentioned last week, Basilio and Andaluca Restaurant are putting on a Spanish Wine Dinner, this Friday October 24th.   A six course meal pairs a different wine with each plate that’s guaranteed to knock your socks off!  The cost is $99 per person.   For details or reservations, contact Andaluca Restaurant 206-382-6999 or email kkhoshdel@andaluca.com
PLAVAC CROATIAN RED DRY WINE: This Dalmatian red from the Dingnac winery is reminiscent of the village wines made in Spain 20 years ago and sold to people who brought their own 5 liter jug to the winery along with a handful of pesetas.  The donkey loaded with wicker saddle bags filled with grapes telegraphs its pre-Parkerian character, unspoiled by flattery or adulation.  At $15.99, it is neither a value nor a discovery but it is a trip down memory lane.  Drink it with eggplant baked in Ajvar.
BOOK:  SPAIN A Culinary Road Trip, Mario Batali with Gwyneth Paltrow: Companion to the PBS television series, this book is filed with fun photos of both food and celebrities; travel tips and great recipes.  Now in stock!
By the way, if you want to participate in Day of the Dead, here at The Spanish Table we have folding paper altars, greeting cards, books, papel picado banners, paper mache skulls and plastic molds for making sugar skulls so that you can have your own Day of the Dead celebration. We also have a range of Moles so you can prepare your own Day of the Dead feast.