Galette des rois is not, as the name implies, a Spanish treat but a French one. Usually made and enjoyed on the feast of the Epiphany, I thought this was a good moment to make it.
The feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, commemorates the visit of the Three Kings, the Three Wise Men, to baby Jesus in Bethlehem. In Spain, the feast is widely celebrated, marking (more…)
The preparations, the excitement, the arrival of loved ones to spend the holidays together. I want to help you out by offering a recipe that looks and tastes extra special but that it’s easy to make and will not break the bank: spice and rosemary pork roast with onions.
The weeks leading from Thanksgiving to Christmas are some of the busiest of the year and yet, when Advent starts, they should become some of the most still and serene. Easy to say but hard to achieve, right? And if you’re (more…)
After a few years of very good intentions, finally 2022 sees the recipe for roscón de Reyes, Kings cake, on the blog. Not that I haven’t been making it! But I am not a great planner of the recipes that I will post on Mama Ía blog and the Christmas hustle and bustle always caught up with me.
Kings Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar at the January 5 Three Kings Parade in Alcoy (Alicante, Spain)
Nativity scene at the Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago
That always seems to be the case. I do have some method and loose plan of what I will post on the blog. However, more often than not, I will cook or bake something that (more…)
Don’t we all crave the flavors of our childhood at Christmas time, the treats that bring us back to our younger selves, the sounds of the songs sung and the games played with siblings and cousins in crowded, noisy and happy homes? Okay, I’m describing my own memories, but I’m sure each of us has our own, those which bring a smile to our faces and make us long for those care and stress-free days. Marzipan pastries or panellets are a treat that brings me back to the Christmases of my childhood.
Handel’s Messiah by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic at gorgeous First Wayne Street United Methodist Church, a Christmas tradition
The recipe I’m sharing today is that of a traditional Spanish sweet, more typical of All Saints Day than of Christmas, depending on what region of Spain we’re talking about. In Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic islands these almond treats are called panellets, and are eaten and sold at the pastry shops mostly on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1 and 2nd. In other regions of Spain they are called simply mazapanes, marzipans, and even though they are made and sold throughout the year, Christmas is where you’ll find them more often at the pastry shops. The most famous ones are from obrador Santo Tomé in Toledo, an institution founded in 1856. (more…)
Here we are again, days away from a major feast, with a recipe I would love you to make —because, trust me, your guests will love it! I serve citrus marinated salmon as an appetizer, and it’s always a hit. Pretty simple to make, it looks and feels as if you took special time and care to make it, as something special, for a special occasion. The occasion is certainly special (Christmas), but the dish is not complicated. The main thing you have to remember is to make it at least 3 days before you plan on having it.
Another birthday, yay! I’ve learned to embrace them, feeling blessed to be counting one more (thank you, Byron!). Because what’s better than adding one more year of experience to your biography? Spending one more year with your loved ones? Live life fully no matter what your age? So happy birthday to me, and to everyone who can count one more. To celebrate it, a super special cake: lemon layer cake with lemon curd buttercream and ginger cookies.
We are talking turkey today. I know, not a very typical Spanish dish. But like many others I have been cooking for years, this one had to be on the blog, because even though we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Spain, we do celebrate Christmas. And I have been eating turkey for Christmas since middle school. Seriously!
I know what my children will say when they see this post: banana nut bread (in any of its forms, like the banana nut bundt recipe I’m sharing today) is not Spanish. I’ll have to remind them then that this blog includes the recipes that I make at home, most of which are Spanish, but some of which are not. If I make it often enough and is part of my repertoire, chances are, it’ll make it to Mama Ía blog. I’ve been living in North America for over two decades, after all!
It is true that this blog is dedicated to Spanish cuisine in America; it is also true that some dishes have been made on both sides of the Atlantic, and beyond, for many years. Just like sangría is now made in many countries, with different variations on the original Spanish recipe (which you can find here, on this blog), I would think another of those dishes is tiramisu, an Italian dessert that has become, like many others, almost international. I make it often at home, so it has become part of my repertoire of recipes. As Christmas, and the festive days ahead, approach, with many of us hosting family and friends, this is one dessert that will not disappoint, and that can be made in large sheets and refrigerated, ready to feed a crowd. With coffee and some liquor in it, it is a crowd pleaser (and I don’t let the coffee and liquor part stop me from sharing it with my children, ha!)
It happens every year around Christmas time: I buy too much turrón, Spanish nougat. And every year I tell myself that next year I won’t buy as much, but invariably, I do it again. Not that I don’t buy many other Christmas sweets, and make them, too, of course. But turrón is closest to my heart. I talked about Christmas nostalgia in other (more…)
