Anita Fournier’s Foodinis
February
Now we have left Valencia and are working our way through central Spain in the region of La Mancha. We all know that Cervantes wrote Don Quixote and had his character going to war with the windmills on these plains. Does “the rain in Spain, really fall mainly on the plain”? Heaven only knows, but we do know that more fusion takes place here with garlic, saffron, paprika, and olives and that foods have a Moorish touch. Let’s not forget the vineyards. This region’s vineyards have always been known for their precious local white grape. Today there is expansion into the reds, the Merlots, Cabernets and Syrah are taking over. Well, not “taking over” but pushing their way into the mix.
The Spanish meals are very much like the Italian meals, in that they are a time for conversation, laughter, serious talk, and simply for the pleasure of eating. I have never been able to understand how or why people in this country rush through a meal. We do lead busy lives, but there is no reason why the whole family should not sit down together and eat. This is what being part of a family means.
There is usually one daily meal in Spain that includes soup. I always looked forward to this meal and would often eat a Castilian soup known as “Sopa De Ajo Con Huevos”. It is a garlic soup with egg. So I will share this recipe with you and let you be the judge as to how you like it. I picked this up in a small café in Central Spain. This recipe yields about four servings. double it for eight.
Sopa De Ajo Con Huevos ~ Garlic and Egg Soup
2 garlic cloves 4 tomatoes
4 slices of white bread 2 tablespoons of olive oil
sea salt & pepper 4 eggs
I suspect you will find this recipe in most households in Spain. Remove the crusts from the bread (use a rustic bread). Pound the garlic cloves in your mortar and fry them in oil. When the garlic is golden, add the bread and fry it slightly. Add the tomatoes and fry, then add two pints of cold water water. Bring this to a boil and just before serving, beat the yolks of four eggs and add this to the soup. Sometimes poached eggs are used in this dish with added paprika, prosciutto, and parsley. Hearty country bread can be used as I said, “rustic”.
This is a simple dish but tasty one! What the Spaniards had in mind when they dreamed this recipe up, I believe was it is a “stick to your ribs”, filling soup, and very inexpensive to make.
One does not normally sit down to a meal considered lunchtime until 2:00 p.m. Dinnertime is about 9:00 to 10:00 p.m.
A typical menu Dinner Menu would be Trucha en aceite (trout in oil)
Sopa de Ajo Con Huevos (Garlic & Egg soup)
Pastel (a flan)
Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken)
Preparing these dishes as we travel along, the fun for me is shopping the markets for the ingredients. Each Wednesday vendors set up their wares across Ranch Road 12 across from Ozona Bank. Shoppers stroll through looking for what they need. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have more vendors and a larger market? I hope if this happens there will be the addition of more food items.We also have a great kitchenware shop on the square. They can help you choose any items you need. I believe in patronizing the local shops.
I covered this before but would like to repeat that the three things necessary when preparing Spanish foods are a mortar and pestle, a casuela, and a paella pan. The mortar should be of marble, ceramic or stoneware. I use stoneware. I recommend that the casuela 12 to 13 inches in diameter. It is brown earthenware that has been used in Spanish kitchen for centuries. The paella pan I prefer is 16 inches in diameter and is carbon-steel. Remember that paella is NOT paella unless a paella pan is used. It is considered a “deadly sin” otherwise.
As we leave La Mancha, I leave you with this thought, relax and unwind when having your meals, no matter whether you eat alone or with others. Savor the food before you!
Hasta la vista
Anita Savino Fournier
