September 28, 2020

Turrón ice cream —and Summer 2020 in Santa Barbara

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets, Events & Travel Christmas treat, dessert, helado, Jijona, Mediterranean cuisine, Santa Barbara, Spanish cuisine, summer, summer 2020

It happens every year: Summer dwindles away and I hold onto it for dear life. It’s easy to think that way, when I look through my window and the sun is shining, and I go outside and sit on the patio and I don’t even need a light jacket. I scroll down through Instagram and all the beautiful, talented people I follow are praising the coming of fall and embracing it with open arms.

I, in the other hand, hope for the Indian summer, the “veranillo de San Miguel”, as we call it in Spain. And for (more…)

August 21, 2020

Cucumber Gazpacho —and a trip to Assisi

Natacha Sanz Caballero Soups and Stews, Vegetables, Events & Travel Asís, Assisi, cocina española, cold soup, gazpacho de pepino, green vegetables, sopa fría, Spanish cuisine, summer recipe, vegan, vegetarian

We’re starting to see the fruits of our efforts, and with a bounty of vegetables from our garden, I‘ll be posting more recipes that use them. This post brings you a wonderful gazpacho that could be rightly called green gazpacho, a cucumber gazpacho that includes not only cucumber but also avocado and some other fruits of our garden: green pepper, jalapeño, basil and parsley. You see? A green gazpacho!

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Tortilla paisana, peasants omelet, Mama ía blog

March 1, 2020

Tortilla Paisana, Peasants Omelet —and the colors of Marrakech

Natacha Sanz Caballero Eggs, Tapas, Events & Travel brunch, cocina española, eggs, Marrakech, Morocco, Spanish cuisine

Have you tried tortilla paisana, peasants omelet? A very Spanish omelet, for some it’s a more tasty one than Spanish omelet. But that’s not the reason why I chose it for today’s post. I chose it for its color. Because this post is about color. The colors of Morocco. The colors of Marrakech that caused fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent to fall in love with the city and move there.

Tortilla paisana, peasants omelet, incorporates a wide variety of vegetables, almost any you can think of. The most traditional ones, the ones you find in this omelet most often in (more…)

Pimiemtos de piquillo de carne, meat stuffed piquillo peppers, Mama ía blog

September 5, 2019

Meat Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, and my book, “Yo Fui el Primero”

Natacha Sanz Caballero Vegetables, Meat and Poultry, Events & Travel first circumnavigation, First voyage around the world, mi libro, my book, pimientos de piquillo, primera vuelta al mundo, publication, Spanish cuisine, yo fui el primero

I have been away from these pages for too long. You know it, I know it. So to make up for it, I bring you a star recipe: pimientos de piquillo de carne, meat stuffed piquillo peppers. I still have to find one person I’ve served these peppers to that doesn’t like them. They are a crowd pleaser, and I make them on special occasions, precisely because they are so special. I make piquillo peppers stuffed with meat as well as stuffed with cod, and both varieties are just as delicious, and a success among family and guests alike.

Yo Fui el Primero, the paperback

Yo fui el primero, Natacha Sanz Caballero

Piquillo peppers, bright red and triangular in shape, grow in Navarra, in the north of Spain, and you purchase them either (more…)

May 13, 2019

Mojo Picon with Wrinkly Potatoes, for Culinary Diplomacy Spain at Joseph Decuis

Natacha Sanz Caballero Vegetables, Sauces, Tapas, Events & Travel cocina Canaria, Joseph Decuis, patatas, salsa, Spanish cuisine, Spanish tapas, vegetarian

Culinary Diplomacy Spain took place at the Joseph Decuis farm on March 22, 2019. A lot has happened since then (I published a book!), but now it’s time to talk about that great evening, and share with you one of the recipes the guests enjoyed, mojo picon with wrinkly potatoes, mojo picón con patatas arrugadas.

Joseph Decuis restaurant, located in Roanoke, Indiana, is a farm to fork restaurant that has been voted for years in a row as the best restaurant in Indiana. The restaurant itself (more…)

February 18, 2019

Croquetas de Jamón Serrano, Serrano Ham Croquettes, the Last of the Leg of Ham

Natacha Sanz Caballero Meat and Poultry, Tapas croquettes, fritters, jamón ibérico, jamón serrano, pata negra, Spanish cuisine, tapas

It is a fact that many families in Spain make an effort at Christmas time to buy a leg of ham, and not just any ham, but the best ham they can afford. That might seem like a strange concept for my American audience, but most Spaniards would understand it. In Spain you can buy jamón serrano, cured serrano ham, of various qualities, all the way up to the crown jewel, what is considered a luxury product, a leg of Iberian ham.

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January 15, 2019

Octopus with Potatoes, the Unexpected Guest at our Christmas Table

Natacha Sanz Caballero Vegetables, Fish, Tapas cocina española, mediterranean diet, Navidad, pulpo, seafood, Spanish cuisine

The anticipation of Christmas break is always special, no matter what one’s age. As a child, it was a magical time in every sense —the miracle of the birth, the visit of the Three Magi, loaded with toys, and the school vacation! As an adult, the excitement doesn’t wane, but new layers are added: this year was the first one we had two of our children away at college, and therefore back home for Christmas. What better opportunity than to celebrate with special dishes they don’t usually eat?

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October 26, 2018

Flan Caramel, A Classic

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets custard, Franke Park bike trails, mountain biking, postre tradicional, Spanish cuisine

Flan, or flan caramel, is one of those desserts I, and everyone my age, grew up with. Actually, it could be the dessert we grew up with. Every mom, every household, would make it, with just slight variations in the recipe. And not only at home, but every restaurant menu would have it, together with peach or pineapple “en almíbar”, in syrup, and different flavors of ice cream, most often chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. When I say this, I don’t mean that flan is an “old” dessert, made long ago, and that has been replaced by others in the 21st-century. Not at all! In fact, flan is a classic that never goes out of style, and shares restaurant menus with many other newer, fancy desserts.

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October 10, 2018

Braised Oxtail, Rabo de Toro, Cows and Cattle

Natacha Sanz Caballero Meat and Poultry beef oxtail, braises, cocotte, ganado, guisado de ternera, Spanish cuisine, Staub, stews, toros, vacuno, wine sauce

A few months ago, I posted a recipe for oxtail, a traditional Spanish dish (you can click here to check it out). However, back then I couldn’t find oxtail, but I was set on to making the dish, so I settled with short ribs, and the result was really delicious, a good substitution for sure. But last week, at my regular supermarket, I found them!

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February 27, 2018

Brascada, back at University

Natacha Sanz Caballero Breads, Meat and Poultry, Tapas beef sandwich, bocadillo, jamón serrano, Spanish cuisine, tapas, university, University of Miami, University of Notre Dame, Valencia

This recipe, for a bocadillo called brascada in Valencia, where I grew up and went to university, brings back memories. Bocadillo is what we call in Spain any sandwich made with baguette style bread. Baguette style bread, by the way, is the most common type of bread in Spain, and we call it simply pan, bread. Bocadillos are a common fare at all tapas bars and cafés in Spain, and they’re a popular midmorning snack for many. For us, students, bocadillos were an easy and nutritious lunch, or dinner. One of my favorites, brascada, was a typical and frequent meal in the evening (a few times a week) when I studied at the library of the Old University, a majestic building that, in the XVI century, housed Valencia’s University. After a few hours of studying, my friend and I would take a break at a tapas bar on the adjacent square, Plaza del Patriarca, that made the best brascadas in the city. I now make them at home, and my family loves them.

Library at the Old University, Valencia

Old University, XVI century, Valencia

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