Mesón de Santa Cruz

In this blog we will share with our fans some ideas of how you can prepare this dish (or at least a similar version) when you they are not able to enjoy it in our beautiful colonial restaurant.
The following Spanish Tortilla recipe is for 6 people and preparations is approximately 35 minutes.

Ingredients

- 2 pounds of potatoes
- 9 eggs
- 1 medium onion
- Olive oil
- Salt

Preparation

- After washing and peeling the potatoes, cut into small cubes and add a small amount of salt.
- Peel and cut the onion into small rectangles or squares.
- Place a deep frying pan on top of the stove when on with plenty of olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and potatoes. Remember to keep the fire not very high in order for the potatoes and onions to become well cooked with the oil.
- Once soft and lightly browned, remove the onions and potatoes from pan and drain the oil.
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs until well mixed. Pour over the potatoes and onions, mixing well.
- In another frying pan, place two tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, pour over the mixture of eggs, potatoes and onions, be sure the ingredients are well spread in the pan.
- Cook until the mixture begins to boil.
- Turn over tortillas until lightly browned on both sides. It can be served hot or cold. And … Enjoy!

“La paella” is a traditional Spanish iron cooking utensil (though nowadays made from stainless steel) shallow and circular with a thick flat base and handles on either side. In the centuries following the introduction of rice in Spain, the peasants of the Valencia region would use the paella pan to cook rice with whatever ingredients could easily be found locally, most often tomatoes, onions and snails. When available, chicken, rabbit or duck would be included.

Gradually, this ‘Valencian rice’ spread throughout Spain and by the end of the nineteenth century ‘paella valenciana’ was a staple dish in the country. Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain’s national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be only a regional Valencian dish. Valencians, in turn, regard paella as one of their identifying symbols.

According to tradition in Valencia, paella is cooked by men over an open fire, fuelled by orange and pine branches along with pine cones. This produces an aromatic smoke which infuses the paella. Also, dinner guests traditionally eat directly out of the pan. Nowadays whole families will head off to a restaurant for paella, load themselves, food and drink into a car and make for a favourite beach or up into the mountains for a paella picnic, or make it at home with all those present lending a hand with the preparation. The preparation and consumption of the meal becomes a mix of party, ceremony and debate.

The three most common types of paella are Valencian paella (Spanish: paella valenciana), seafood paella (Spanish: paella de marisco) and mixed paella (Spanish: paella mixta). Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (the traditional snails with rabbit, chicken or duck), beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces the meat and snails with seafood and omits the beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans.

Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez, Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez. “Sherry” is an Anglicization of Jerez, previously, sherry was known as sack. In Europe, “Sherry” is a protected designation (product can only be labelled as “sherry” if it comes a specific area), under Spanish law, all wine labeled as “sherry” must come from the ‘Sherry Triangle’, an area in the province of Cádiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María.

Sherry is produced in a variety of styles, ranging from dry, light versions to darker and heavier versions, all made from the Palomino grape. After fermentation is complete, sherry is fortified with brandy, creating a dry drink. Sweet sherry is made by adding sweeter wines or grape musts later in the process.

Jerez has been a centre of wine-making since 1100 BC. In 1264 Alfonso X of Castile took the city from the Moors and it was renamed Xeres (over time the spelling was adjusted to Xerez, and finally to Jerez). From this time, the production of sherry and its export throughout Europe increased significantly, and by the end of the 16th century, sherry had a reputation in Europe as the world’s finest wine. Christopher Columbus, took sherry on his voyage to the New World and when Ferdinand Magellan prepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more on sherry than on weapons.

In 1587, Sir Francis Drake attacked the port of Cádiz and seized around 3000 barrels of sherry from the docks (where it had been waiting to be loaded onto Spanish vessels). As a result, sherry became a favourite with the English Court and was even recommended by Queen Elizabeth 1. Due to the ever growing popularity of sherry in Britain, many British entrepreneurs set up their own business in the area during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most of the famous bodegas such as González Byass, Domecq, Sandeman and Osborne were founded in the 18th and 19th centuries. Nowadays there are 64 registered bodegas, located in Jeréz, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Sherry is still produced in other towns such as Chiclana, but on a smaller scale.

Although growing now, historically, the Italians have always preferred (and concentrated on producing) wine rather than beer. There is little tradition of brewing in the country and the largest breweries mostly came into being during the twentieth century. However, there are some very fine breweries in Italy, and as with other countries, there is a rapid growth in modern micro-breweries, many of which produce extremely high quality beers.

Among the larger brewers (most of whom are now owned by international groups such as Heineken International, the Carlsberg Group and SABMiller Group), one of the best know is Peroni, The Peroni company was established under the founding family name in the town of Vigevano, Italy (1946). The company was moved to Rome by Giovanni Peroni in 1964, six years prior to the establishment of the city as a capital centre in 1970. Beers under the Peroni brand include: Crystall; Peroni Gran Riserva; Peroncino; Peroni Leggera; and Astro Azzurro – the company’s premium brand.

Peroni is the Peroni company’s original brand, and the best selling pale lager in Italy. It is 4.7% alcohol by volume, and is made with barley malt, corn grits, hop pellets and hop extract. By the 1950s and 1960s, Peroni had become the brand of beer most recognized throughout the Italian peninsula. The 1970s saw Peroni expand into foreign markets through international distribution, itself spurred by recognition of the increasingly popular advertising for the Peroni brand. Today, market research confirms Peroni as the most recognized and most widely consumed Italian beer.

Other major breweries and brands include, Beba, Castello, Dreher, Forst, Ichnusa, Menabrea, Birra Messina, Morena, Moretti, Poretti, Splügen, Theresianer and Raffo Beer. Like most countries on the European mainland, all the locally produced beers are light, lager-style beers of varying strengths and most are produced in the north of the country, near the Austrian border.

The Coca-Cola or famous drink also know as “Coke” was created on May 5, 1886 by John Pemberton. Today, this drink is probably the most famous in the world one that belongs to a company proud of its history. It even has a museum located in the city of Atlanta in the state of Georgia that is visited by a total of over three thousand people a day. This product is widely distributed on the planet, to such extent that there are those who see the words “Coca-Cola” as the most universally recognized words next to “okay” making it a symbol or way of lifestyle.

Interestingly, in the beginning Coca-Cola was introduced as an “effective tonic for the brain and nerves.” Part of the initial appeal of the drink was also the fact that supposed to be ease digestion. One can say that Coca-Cola was the first patented soft drink available to the world. According to Mary Humphrey (1894), the greatest merit of Coca-Cola is its democratic character, “the poor drink beer, millionaires drink champagne, but surely both drink Coca-Cola.”

Back in those days, the company has infiltrated the daily lives of Americans, by being sold together with chewing gum, candy and even cigarettes, all with the logo of Coca-Cola. As an example of the variety of brands that emerged from this brand, the following products have once existed: Cold-Cola, Cafe-Kola, King-Cola, Mexicola , Coke-Cola Paupau-Cola.

“Tres Leches” or “Tres Leches Cake” is named for the three different types of milk added to this dessert cake (“leche” means milk in Spanish) extremely well known in Panama. The three type of milks used specifically for the making of this sweet course are condensed milk, evaporated milk and whipped cream. The last may also be used as topping if desired. Due to the richness of the ingredients that make up this tasty dessert; “Tres Leches Cake” is extremely dense and moist, almost like custard.

Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Preparation Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of baking flour
• 1 pinch  of salt
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 5 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Condensed milk
• Whipped cream

Preparation:

1. First combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time until well mingled with the rest of the ingredients. Stir in the 1/2 cup of milk and gently add in the flour mixture.

2. Pour the batter into a lightly greased cake pan (with butter, oil or a similar greasing material) or baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until it feels firm and an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean.

3. Let the cake cool until it reaches room temperature. Then, let it cool in the refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes.

4. Whisk together in a separate container the three different types of milks. Slowly pour it over the cooled cake and enjoy!

Tea is a drink made from dried leaves of tea plant, or in its most modern versions fruit and other species. It is consumed, either as hot or cold drink by approximately half of the world’s population, despite being second below coffee due to its popularity and commercial value.

This drink is also used for medicinal purposes and is chemically composed of ingredients such as caffeine, phenols, tannins and natural oils. Curiously, it is said that an infusion of tea provides an average of 2 kcal per each 100 g (3 calories per cup of tea), where its composition is 99% water.

Its origin dates back to Japanese mythology that associates it to the Buddhist Chinese Saint Bodhidharma who according to ancient stories remained, against a wall, meditating for nine years. Tea is believed about because he fell asleep during his meditation. According to believers, he woke up angry from having fallen asleep (without staying focused in meditation) so he cut off his eyelids. After being immersed in hot water, they became what today we call tea, and in its most common form helps us stay awake due to its energizing properties.

Contradictory to the belief that tea was brought by the British, the Western use of tea became popular thanks to the Dutch who brought it in their many travels and introduced it to America through New Amsterdam (later renamed New York) in the middle of the 17th century.

Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup that originated in the region of Andalusia, Spain, however, it is very popular, not only throughout Spain but in other European countries. Today, with the popularity of Spanish cuisine on the rise, gazpacho has become a signature dish of this country in the world. Some say that the soup origins date back to the time of the Moors who brought a variation of what is known today as the Andalusia gazpacho.
Like all good popular dishes, there are a lot of recipes and ways to prepare it, but here is the typical Andalusia gazpacho recipe with original ingredients:

Ingredients

§  1 kilo of ripe tomatoes

§  1 Italian type pepper

§  1 cucumber

§  ½ large onion

§  1 clove of garlic

§  3 tablespoons olive oil

§  4 tablespoons white vinegar

§  1 tsp salt

§ ½ green apple

Preparation

§ Wash the tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper. Add the tomatoes cut into four pieces, pepper deveined, peeled garlic, onion, cut into four pieces to the blender.

§  Peel the cucumber, cut in half and save half for later. The other half is cut into four or five pieces and added to the other ingredients in the blender.

§  Now that all the gazpacho vegetables are in the blender give it a good blend (don’t forget to cover it well) and leave running until there is no pieces of vegetable left.

§  Now add salt, oil and vinegar. Give it another five seconds in the blender. Try it. Rectify salt and vinegar to taste.

§  Finally add half apple and cucumber that you had saved and refrigerate. Serve well chilled.

Just as food is important to the Italians, so is drink, whether it is their fine wines, spirits or coffee, everything has to be a bit special. This celebration of food and drink has made Italian cuisine popular throughout the world, and has also produced coffee shops and cafes from Alaska to Australia that use the language of Italian coffee (cappuccino, latte, espresso etc.). Italy was one of the first European countries to take up consumption of coffee, helped by Venice being the main port through which the beans were imported to Europe from the Arab world.

Espresso (sometimes also called ‘expresso’) is one of the most famous Italian styles of coffee and has now spread throughout the world. Espresso coffee requires specialist equipment and skills to make, and although home espresso machines are now available, most espressos are still drunk in cafes. Espresso-style coffee is named for the brewing method, and is unique in requiring specialist technology that only became available during the twentieth century.

Attempts to use pressure to extract a liquid coffee from beans began in the nineteenth century, and the first machine was produced (in Italy of course) at the beginning of the twentieth century by Luigi Bezzera. However, this produced coffee in bulk, and it took until after World War II for the first true ‘espresso’ machines to be produced. Achille Gaggia (another Italian) developed the first modern style espresso machine that was lever operated and forced hot water through the coffee to produce a single cup of coffee.

Espresso machines force hot water at high pressure through a layer of ground, roasted coffee beans. Any variety or blend of beans can be used, it is the process and the single cup produced by each use of the machine that defines a coffee as ‘espresso’, rather than any specific flavors or beans used in the preparation. The ‘espresso’ method produces coffee that is generally considered to be of thicker consistency and contain a higher concentration of both suspended solids and the ‘crema’ (foam which is formed on the top). This produces a much stronger flavored coffee, which can either be drunk straight, or used as the base for other drinks, including latte, cappuccino, macchiato, mocha, or Americano.

The need to preserve meats in Italy’s often hot climate, led to the creation of various methods of curing meat, a tradition that has continued to this day, and made Italy famous for its ‘salumi’. Whether just preserved in salt, or salted and then smoked or allowed to dry, cured meats in Italy have a history dating back to before the Romans. The ancient Romans loved the spicy pork sausages that are still produced in Basilicata in the south of the country, and also introduced the practice of salting whole pig thighs to create Prosciutti, as can still be found in mountain villages throughout the country.

There are two distinct types of salumi found in Italy. Whole cuts of meat are cured to create Prosciutto, Pancetta, Coppa, Culattello etc. However, when the meat is chopped or ground, it can be cased to create Italian sausages such as Salami. So popular are salumi that the Italian equivalent of the delicatessen is usually the local ‘salumeria’. While pigs are the most popular source of cured meat, whether in sausages or whole cuts such as the world-famous Parma ham, most any type of meat can be found in a variety of cured varients, including beef, boar, chamois (a goat-like antelope found in Southern Europe), goat, poultry, sheep, veal, venison and in some regions where they are less sentimental, horse, are all used as sources of cured meats.

Among the most famous Italian cured meats are Prosciutto (Parma ham being the best known variety), a dry-cured ham that is usually sliced very thin and served uncooked. Salami is a sausage made from cured, fermented and air-dried meat. Salami come is a vast variety of types, and can be made with almost any readily available meat, with traditional recipes including beef, venison, chicken, goose and horse. The meat is generally spiced and often wine, garlic and herbs are added to increase the flavors. Pepperoni is actually an Italian-American invention, though this spicy salami usually made from cured pork and beef is related to the spicy salamis of southern Italy. However, these are far from the only salumi produced in Italy, and among some of the ones you may not have heard of, a number are well worth seeking out.

Speck is made in the Tyrol region (on the Italian/Austrian border) and is a cold smoked ham. Unlike many other salumi, Speck uses a boned pig’s thigh as the source, adding distinctive juniper and other flavors (often including garlic). Speck makes a wonderful pizza topping, and also goes very well with seafood, often being used to wrap scallops and other shellfish. Bresaola from the Lombardy region in Italy’s Alps is an air-dried, salted beef. Bresaola is lean and tender and is often served as a starter. Guanciale is an unsmoked bacon prepared from pig’s jowl or cheeks and is a local delicacy in central Italy, particularly Umbria and Lazio.