Spain...A Culinary Day In The Life...

The inspiration for my wanting to write this article was a conversation I had with Grammy Award winning musician, Arturo Sandoval. Though he is from Cuba, like a good number of Latin Americans some of his ancestors are from Spain. He was explaining about his grandfather and mother, describing for us what is the the typical Spanish day, especially as it pertains to lifestyle and how the people of Spain incorporate food and the famed 'siesta' into their daily routine.

As Arturo spoke, it was a fascinating glimpse of this vibrant country's people, culture and lifestyle. Admittedly, the appeal and allure of this laid back pace, that 'smooth glide through life,' as I have come to refer to it, was just too good to pass up, so here we find ourselves whisking off to Spain for a look at 'a day in the life.'

For me, the observance of what is the Spanish dining ritual, if you will allow, is such a wonderful way to socialize and spend quality time with the ones you love, enjoying the varying nuances of every part of the day, from sunrise and breakfast, all the way through to churros and hot chocolate at 2 A.M. In Spain, every day is a celebration unto itself, deserving of your 100 % effort, an embracing of a lifestyle that is very much after my own heart; Squeezing every drop of life out of every minute of every day.... so as not to miss a moment. A pretty intense, and possibly quite exhausting way to live, hence... the Siesta! Spain is a country set in traditions, especially when it comes to the subject of food, so before we delve into the specifics, we need to a quick trip through the basics of Spain's cultural and culinary history, in order to give us a better understanding of the region and its people.

The Iberian Peninsula
South of France, in Western Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain is surrounded on three sides by water – to the north is the Cantabric Sea, to the west is the Atlantic Ocean, on the east is the Mediterranean Sea. Just across the Straight of Gibraltar lie Morocco and Algeria. A surprise to most is that Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe behind Switzerland, with a wide variety of climates, from the hot, dry region of Andalucía in the South, to the lush, green and humid zones of Galicia and Asturias in the North and Northwest. In Spain you can ski in Granada one day and go to the beach the next! Spain lies at approximately the same latitude as California, so it has similar weather.

Regional and Cultural Divisions
Spain has been invaded over the centuries by various peoples, including the Phoenicians, the Romans and the Moors. For centuries Spain was divided into small feudal kingdoms that had their own money, culture, languages and food. Although Spain is one country and two basic ingredients common to all regions are garlic and olive oil, there are large regional differences in cuisine. There are traditionally six culinary regions in Spain, however within those regions are areas of distinct cuisines as well:

Cuisine of Castilla Leon

Castilla-Leon, the largest area of Spain is known for its roast suckling lamb and pig, as well as hearty stews. Castillians also enjoy fish and seafood plates, and very traditional sweets with a religious past.

Cuisine of Valencia

Valencia is well-known for its rice dishes, in particular "paella." It is also the region where the Spanish almond candy "turron" originates.

Cuisine of Cataluña

Cataluña has some of the most sophisticated regional Spanish cuisine. Barcelona has been well known for its cuisine for centuries. Seafood, game, beef or lamb are mixed and cooked with rice and/or sausage. There are a wide variety of dishes in this region.

Cuisine of Castilla La Mancha
Land of windmills, stomping ground of Don Quixote, it produces delicious Manchego cheese, hearty stews, soups and about half of all Spanish wines.

Cuisine of Asturias

Asturias, a province in the northeastern corner of the Peninsula, with a natural beauty and exquisite cuisine. Regional cuisine from Asturias includes fresh salmon, hot and tasty "Fabada Asturiana" and rich "Cabrales" blue cheese.

Cuisine of Galicia

Galicia is located in the extreme northwest of Spain and is known for its fish and seafood, as well as sauces and stews, "empanadas" and fish dishes of Galician cuisine. 



A Culinary Crossroads
Spanish cooking has popular roots. Over the centuries, Spanish cuisine has been influenced by many other cultures, both invaders and visitors, as well as from its colonies. From the Phoenicians, who arrived in the South, and established a colony called Gádir, the modern day Cádiz, to the Romans, who brought not only their government, culture and art, but their agricultural technology, too. Grape-growing and wine-making, olive cultivation and pressing techniques came to the Peninsula. Hispania (the Roman name for the Peninsula) was part of the Roman Empire for over 500 years. During this period, a blending of cuisines took place, with Hispania being an important producer of food for the Empire.

In 711 A.D., the Moors crossed the Straight of Gibraltar from Africa and invaded the Peninsula. They quickly established themselves in South and Central Spain and they flourished for many centuries. The Moors brought with them advanced agricultural technology, rich spices, new fruits and vegetables. In 1492, with the discovery of the New World came revolutionary changes to Spanish cuisine, as well as the rest of Europe. The Spanish explorers brought back many new and exotic foods, such as potatoes, tomatoes, corn, avocados, papayas, peppers and cacao for chocolate.

Spanish cuisine is down-to-earth, uncomplicated food, based on the ingredients available locally or the crops grown regionally. Many dishes are prepared today using the same cooking methods and ingredients as they were two or three hundred years ago.

The Traditional Foods of Spain

Olive Oil
Spanish recipes either call for olive oil or lard. Most Spaniards consider extra virgin olive oil to be worth the added expense. Spain is a leading producer of olive oil and olives are grown all over the south of Spain.

Ham
Jamón is a very prized food. Spaniards take their ham very seriously and will pay a high price for top-quality. There is even a denomination of origin for certain types of ham. So proud are Spaniards of their ham, that there are several museums of ham, or museo de jamon. You will see different types on menus or in supermarkets, but typically it will be jamón serrano or ham from the sierra or mountains.

Fish & Seafood
Because Spain is surrounded on three sides by water, fresh seafood is always plentiful in the markets and is eaten daily. Everything from halibut, shrimp, to octopus are common to most markets and menus.


Cheeses
Wonderful cheeses of every type can be eaten in Spain. Spanish cheeses are made from sheep, cow, goat milk and mixed. Types range from aged cheeses, such as the manchego variety from La Mancha, to the soft creamy cheeses, such as tetilla from Galicia and everything in between. There are even blue cheeses that mature in limestone caves, such as Cabrales. Cheese can be eaten as a tapa as well as during meals and for dessert.

Sausages
Spanish love sausage, in particular their chorizo, a pork sausage made with paprika. Again, there are many types of chorizo, from fresh and soft to smoked and aged. Every local market offers a variety and Spanish families often make their own in the winter and hang them in the cellar or the attic to dry.

Beef, Lamb and Pork
All three meats are common and can be roasted, grilled over the coals or sautéed in a sauce. Generally, Spanish prefer veal, suckling lamb and pig. Roasted meats are a popular dish for holidays and festive occasions.

Eggs
Eggs are eaten daily either fried, deviled, or in a Spanish omelet. They are an essential part of many recipes, including desserts.

Chicken
Chicken is very popular and is eaten regularly. It is prepared in every way, but mostly commonly is fried, roasted or stewed.




Fruits and Vegetables
Spanish eat lots of fresh fruit as snacks or as the last course to their meals. A fresh fruit bowl sits in every kitchen. Simple salads and sautéed vegetables are eaten every day. Popular dishes often include eggplant and zucchini.

Legumes
Beans of all types are eaten regularly. Beans and chickpeas (garbanzo beans) have been a staple of the Peninsula for centuries and rival bread as the most commonly eaten food.

Nuts
Spain is one of the top producers of almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. Almond-based and milk-based desserts are very common. Turron, the almond nougat candy eaten at Christmas is probably the best-known of these sweets. Many recipes of Arabic origin contain crushed almonds. Hazelnuts, not almonds are the most popular nut to be mixed with chocolate.

Herbs and Spices
Onions and herbs such as oregano, rosemary and thyme are used, while garlic is predominant in most regions.



Cooking Methods
Cocido, olla, pote, guiso, estofado or escudella are the Spanish terms for stew. This is one dish that could be called characteristic of Spain, although each region has its own version. Spanish do not only stew, they roast, fry and saute many foods. It is not as common to bake or broil, although they do grill meats on a metal plate or on a charcoal grill.

A Day in the Life
The typical Spanish working day in any town or city involves a morning's work from about 8:30 or 9 until 1:30, followed by a three hour break in the middle of the day, during which many people go home, have lunch, sleep, watch television, etc., before returning to work at around 4:30. Most people finish work at about 8 P.M., which is about the time that shops close. Spaniards tend to live near their place of work, often in central apartment blocks, and after work, some stay on for a drink or for dinner.

Breakfast – El Desayuno The Smallest Meal of the Day

Continental Breakfast
A typical breakfast might include café con leche - strong coffee with hot, frothy milk, bollos (sweet rolls) with jam, or toast with jam or mild cheese.

Tapas - Little Spanish Meals

Tapas are eaten well after breakfast, but before lunch, the large mid-afternoon meal! Tapas-time includes bar-hopping to wine-taste and chat.

A Different Tapa at each stop

Spanish love tapas so much, they made a verb out of it. The phrase 'Vamos a tapear' means “Let’s go eat tapas!” A few of the most popular tapas are:

Tortilla Española - Spanish Omelet

Patatas Bravas - Potatoes with Spicey Brava Sauce

Gambas al Ajillo - Shrimp in Garlic

La Comida – Lunch

The midday meal, la comida as it is called in Spain is the largest meal of the day. It is definitely a large meal, usually with multiple courses. Traditionally, Spaniards have a 2-3 hour break from work or school in order to enjoy la comida and take a nap or siesta and the entire country closes up shop from about 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. The siesta is a tradition that goes back centuries. When most people worked in agriculture and air conditioning did not exist, it is easy to understand why folks needed a large meal and a rest from the hot Spanish sun before returning to work outside. Everyone in Spain enjoyed this afternoon break, from school kids to shop workers and government officials. Most Spanish still enjoy the break and large meal, but life is slowly changing. Many people spend over an hour commuting to and from their work, making it impossible to go home for a meal and siesta. Because of this, Spanish government employees in Madrid now work a standard eight-hour day with a one-hour lunch break. Many large supermarket and retail chains in large cities no longer close for lunch either. Still, in most of the country folks close up shop and enjoy their meal and break.

The Largest Meal of the Day

Eaten between 1:30 and 3:30 P.M.
Below is a sample meal that you might find on a menu at a restaurant or if you were invited to someone’s home for lunch:
Vegetable or Seafood Soup, Fresh Fish or Seafood, Roast Chicken or Lamb, Fried Potatoes, Rabbit Stew, etc. Green Salad or Vegetables Dessert - Flan, light pastry, fresh fruit or ice cream, Coffee, Brandy and a Cigar.

Bread is always on the Spanish table. It is plentiful and fresh and used to mop up sauces. Spanish lunches are always large! Courses come one at a time, so pace yourself! Since Spaniards love eggs and dairy foods, you will find that many desserts are made from fresh milk or cream. Fresh fruit is typical to see on the dessert menu, and may be served with a soft cheese. Don’t forget the coffee – You’ll probably need that after the big lunch!

La Merienda - Snack

The late-afternoon snack in Spain is called la merienda and is necessary since lunch is done by 3:30 P.M., but dinner isn't usually eaten for another five to six hours. La Merienda is especially important to children, who always seem to have lots of energy and play soccer in the streets, etc. La Merienda can be anything from a piece of French-style bread with a piece of chocolate on top, to bread with chorizo, ham or salami. La Merienda is eaten around 4:30 or 5:00 P.M..

La Cena – Dinner  

Smaller than Lunch
Eaten between 9:00 P.M. and Midnight
A dinner might include fresh fish or seafood, roast chicken or lamb, fried potatoes or rice. A simple and quick dish, commonly eaten at dinner is arroz cubano, which is a mound of white rice, topped with tomato sauce and a fried egg. Green salad and/or a vegetable dish are standard at lunch and dinner. A lighter dessert of fresh fruit or flan (Spanish vanilla custard) may also be eaten.

After Dinner 

Spaniards are night owls. The typical Spaniard does not eat dinner until at least 9 P.M. and probably does not get to bed until close to midnight. On the weekends, on holidays and during the summer months, it wouldn’t be unusual for a Spanish family to turn in round 3 or 4 am. So, after the late-night dinner, Spaniards continue their socializing in their neighborhood cafés and taverns or go out to a nightclub or disco-pub.

The last stop on the way home from an evening of fun might be to a churreria or a churro stand. After a night on the town, there is nothing better than fresh churros, bought from a street vendor or sidewalk café, served hot and sprinkled with sugar.They are delicious and very light.

To accompany your churros, hot chocolate is the drink of choice. Chocolate in Spain is your typical rich drinking chocolate that is common throughout Europe, although Spanish chocolate is hot and very thick, made with fresh, whole milk. It’s very sweet and sometimes so thick that you can stand a spoon in it.

So there you have a pretty comprehensive snapshot of Spain, its regions and its cuisines. The most fascinating aspect of all this for me, being a traditionalist at heart, is that even though we now find ourselves in 2012, many of the centuries old traditions and dishes are still popular among the younger Spanish generations, having been handed down within each family. This is certainly a culture that has embraced the overall integration of dining together as much more than just eating. To the Spaniard, it has always been, and continues to be, the center of social interaction. Ah...what a life! A little tapas, a nice nap. You know, I could get used to this...

Bon Appetit,

Lou

Image Sources allworld-vacation.com , wikipedia.org, a-t-s.net, viajejet.com, afectadosporbanif.ning.com, seelecttea.com, t3.gstatic.com, delariberanavarra.com, freecountry.bligoo.com, livespanish.com, robinyap.com

Florida Keys Cuisine

I must say that since my youth, to me, the Florida Keys has always conjured images in my mind of laid back, artisan type lifestyles filled with tropical nights, drinks, men, women, music and food. And not necessarily in that particular order. Fresh seafood, beaches, diving and of course the rich, maritime history of Spanish Conquistadors and swashbuckling pirates. Stretching more than 100 miles into the open ocean, the Florida Keys can boast early settlers ranging from the aforementioned Spanish, to Bahamian fishermen, Cuban cigar makers as well as the merchants from France, England and New England. A rich melting pot of culture and influence, the indigenous cuisine came to incorporate diverse and delicious nuances, with a reliance on an abundant array of fish and seafood harvested from surrounding waters. For more about the Florida Keys, check out the History & Origins of The Keys.

Commercial fishing, in fact, is the second-largest industry in the Keys. The fresh fish that grace a restaurant table at night is more than likely unloaded at the docks that morning, and fish and seafood headline nearly every restaurant menu. Among the favorites are Key West Pink Shrimp, a delicacy generally considered sweeter than other crustaceans. Key West pinks rank among the most popular of the Keys' "natural resources."

The Mollusk Conch (pronounced konk) is served in many mouthwatering forms: lime-kissed salad, spicy Caribbean chowder and golden deep-fried fritters among them. Conch chowder can either be tomato-based or white, but don't expect to find any consistency of recipes from one restaurant to another. Keys' eateries pride themselves on creating unique interpretations of classic dishes.

As well as savoring the taste of conch, Keys' residents admired the mollusk's tough, hardy nature so much that they adopted its name for themselves. Today, Conch is no longer fished in the Keys, but the word Conch refers to someone born in this island chain, also affectionately known as the Conch Republic.

Stone Crabs, renowned for their sweet and succulent meat are also a popular delicacy and what most may find surprising, a sustainable and self renewable resource. Because nearly all of the crab's meat is contained within its grapnels (claws), these are the only portions of the crustacean that are harvested. Once the claws are removed, the crab is returned to the sea where, over the course of up to two years, the claws regenerate. It is for this reason that stone crabs are considered a renewable resource, and the Florida Keys are responsible for about 40 percent of the state's overall harvest. Florida's stone crab season runs from Oct. 15 to May 15.

Fish and Seafood Delights

Yellow-tail snapper, hog snapper, mutton snapper, grouper, dolphin or mahi-mahi, are just a few of the Keys' scale fish preferred by chefs. At restaurants throughout the island chain, diners can find sautéed yellow-tail or snapper with a variety of sauces and accompaniments, along with fried grouper or mahi-mahi sandwiches, broiled or blackened fish entrees and much more.

In addition to offerings from the sea, Keys cuisine reflects a multitude of cultural influences, particularly Cuban in Key West. Migrating across the water by the thousands in the late 1800s, Cuban aristocrats and cigar makers brought the flavors of their homeland with them. Ropa vieja, a name that literally means "old clothes," tastes like heavenly shredded beef. Other favorite dishes are picadillo and roast pork or pork chunks. Cuban entrees are most often served with traditional black beans and yellow rice, sweet plantains and Cuban bread. Surprisingly, some of the best Cuban sandwiches, Cuban bread stuffed with meat and cheese and warmed in a press, can be found at take-out stands attached to many island laundromats. And many savvy residents can't start the day without a breakfast of toasted Cuban bread and Cuban coffee, which packs a ferocious jolt. Gourmets visiting the Keys will find (among others) French, Italian, German, Chinese, Caribbean, Thai, Japanese and vegetarian restaurants, as well as steak houses and establishments featuring casual American fare and "comfort food." 

Key Lime Pie
When it comes to desserts, it's almost impossible to spend time in the Keys without sampling Key Lime pie. Just as New Orleans is famed for its gumbo and Chicago for its Deep Dish pizza, the island chain is known for its signature dessert. There are no commercial Key Lime groves in the Florida Keys today, but Key Largo boasted a large Key Lime industry until about the mid 1930s. Restaurants throughout the Florida Keys and Key West continue to use Key Limes and their juice to enhance seafood dishes and sauces, as well as in pies. According to the owner of Key West's Curry Mansion Inn, a woman named Aunt Sally, the cook for estate owner William Curry, made the first Key Lime Pie. Key West historian Tom Hambright, on the other hand, surmises that Aunt Sally likely perfected a delicacy created by area fishermen. Today, each restaurant places its individual hallmark on this special dessert, but its primary ingredients are condensed milk and tiny yellow Key Limes. Often nestled in a graham cracker crust and smothered in whipped cream, Key Lime pie is a sinfully indulgent finale for any island meal.

As rich as Key lime pie is, however, it can't compare to the richness of experience awaiting visitors to the Florida Keys. Whether feasting at a water's-edge seafood shack or a gourmet emporium, visitors will find a warm welcome, an easygoing atmosphere and a unique and memorable dining experience. Described as 'Floribbean', Florida Keys' cuisine incorporates local seafood and tropical fruits alongside Caribbean and Cuban influences. The culinary tradition of Key West's near neighbor, Cuba, is saluted in Cuban dishes such as ropa vieja and picadillo, typically partnered with black beans and yellow rice.

The waters of the Keys are home to a wealth of fish such as Yellow-tail snapper, tuna and mahi-mahi - all staples on local restaurant menus. For instance, the Yellow-tail Largo is a fresh catch of snapper sautéed with shrimp, artichoke hearts and capers in a lemon-white-wine sauce. Marinated conch ceviche, pan-seared tuna and seasonal items such as sweet Key West pink shrimp are just a few of the many other dishes that delight the palates of residents and visitors alike. Seafood enthusiasts can even enjoy the satisfying taste of their own catch in one of the many restaurants which offer a 'cook the catch' option. Many restaurants will allow you to bring in your bounty after a day of fishing, and offer to cook it for you in a variety of ways. Try doing that in New York

Keys' Spiny Lobster

Unlike stone crabs, lobsters found in the Keys, like those found throughout the Caribbean, are claw-less. Known as spiny lobster, they offer sweet and tender meat. Lobster season runs from Aug. 6 to March 31.  It does not get any better than succulent Caribbean-Florida Lobster. The Keys' claw-less crustaceans are famous for their sweet, juicy and tender meat. Lobster is served steamed with clarified butter, paired with a seasoned stuffing, in a rich bisque, or cold in savory salads topped with creamy dressing.

Bon Appetit,

Lou