What a beautiful time of the year this is —and this week in particular, a week of anticipation, of preparations, for the big day on Christmas, if you celebrate it. The music in the stores, and in many radio stations, puts me in a happy mood, in an expectant mood. Maybe you’re traveling to see family. Maybe relatives are coming to spend some time with you. Or your (more…)
If you’re not a baker, or even think you’re not, this is the Christmas dessert for you to make. Medallas de chocolate, chocolate medallions, with a few toppings, will be the talk of the party (don’t they look beautiful?) Nobody will know that they are so easy to make. It only requires some organization, and very few baking skills. In fact, (more…)
Thanksgiving is two days away and I haven’t seen it coming. Blame it on the warm weather, or on recent travels, or on the busyness of life. Blame it on the elections, still fresh. Thanksgiving is in two days, and I had better get ready.
We have this tradition, my friend Shelby and I, where we take turns hosting Thanksgiving. Her house or my house, (more…)
It is the season, I know, for pumpkins and squashes, for persimmons and stews, and soups, of course. It is autumn, after all. And yet, I’m thinking fish, and had to make bacalao en salsa verde, cod in salsa verde, green sauce —cod, as you know, is one of my favorite kinds of fish. When I’m in Spain, I buy it in salt, then soak it for hours, changing (more…)
An apple recipe, finally. I was resisting it, not really wanting it to be autumn. But autumn is here, and I’m welcoming it now with open arms. It’s not that I dislike autumn, not at all. It’s the anticipation of winter that I dread, and the longing for summer. But I’ve made peace with it, and celebrate with these buñuelos de manzana, apple ring fritters.
Of all the Fort Wayne festivals, the (more…)
Early October, and the fields are beginning to show it. Colors have started to turn from green to shades of yellow and golden brown, leaves are drying, and corn stalks look as if ready to crumble under the hands of a giant. And yet, we have been enjoying summer temperatures. I’m not kidding you! This week we’ve been enjoying (more…)
I have to warn you about this post: if fish is not your thing, particularly the way it comes out of the sea, then stop right here. Don’t keep reading. Don’t scroll down. The images might hurt your sensibility.
I once had a colleague, my counterpart in England (in a previous “life” I used to work in Madrid for a British (more…)
I don’t know about you, but I am finding it hard to focus on autumn recipes, fall products and produce. Today I did my first trip to the pumpkin farm. It was supposed to be my only trip to the pumpkin farm this season, but as it turned out, today was my first of at least two. See, the farm was still closed to the public! I should have been surprised, (more…)
I was hesitant to post the recipe for tomato and onion salad with olives, because honestly, it can’t really be called a recipe. After all, I’m just slicing and tossing together ingredients, there’s no elbow grease, not much elaboration, and the key is in the ingredients, which have to be of the best quality. But when I think about salads in general, (more…)
I don’t know about you, but when it’s hot outside, and still summer, I don’t feel like having heavy desserts, like anything chocolate, or cakes, and the like. Don’t get me wrong, I love those almost at any time of year and any time of day! But my body asks for something fresh, cold even, fruit, or fruity desserts, or ice cream. However, (more…)
