With Spanish wines on trend, I thought I would find a recipe for a pork stew that would not only pair perfectly with Tempranillo or Garnacha, but would also warm the belly on a cold night. Make this delicious stew this weekend and you’ll enjoy the leftovers all week long too.

Ingredients:
• 1 pound lean pork shoulder (also known as pork butt)
• 4 to 5 medium potatoes
• 1 pound tomatoes, diced, canned or fresh
• 1 green bell pepper, or use half green and half red
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 bay leaves
• 1 medium onions, chopped

Directions:
1. Cut pork into large chunks. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Seed, core, and thinly slice bell pepper.

2. Heat oil in a skillet; brown pork, stirring to brown all sides. Layer all ingredients in crockpot in order given; cover and cook on LOW until meat is tender, about 9 to 10 hours.

I was working on a project that involved researching wine trends (tough job, right?!) and I found a few that I thought were veryinteresting. What caught my eye in several different reports is that Spanish wines are continuing to grow in popularity. This is in large part to other trends – affordability, food-friendliness, and the mainstream consumers’ desire to try non-traditional varietals.

“One of the up-and-coming regions to look for value is wines from Spain,” Patrick Okubo, managing partner for Formaggio Grill in Kailua, Hawaii recently told Restaurant Management Magazine.

Uncorked editor Pat Kettles sees millennials as being more adventuresome in trying different wines, and not as connected to specific growing regions, traditional varietals and wine ratings as previous generations. She says to look for an uptick in sales of wines made from lesser known grape varietals and growing regions.

When asked by people who are intimidated and unsure of what wines to choose, I recommend Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Verdejo. These Spanish varietals are similar to traditional varietals and they pair really well with a wide range of foods, plus at around $10 a bottle, you can afford to venture beyond your comfort zone.

Here’s to adventurous wine consumption in 2012!

Related Articles:

The Drinks  Business – Top 10 Wine Trends of 2012

Restaurant Management – No Siesta in Sight for Wines of Spain

After my last post on piquillo peppers, I was inspired to experiment. I have a family recipe for a Chile Relleno-style casserole that is very popular with everyone who tries it, so I thought I’d update it by using piquillo peppers and crab instead of Anaheim peppers, since I already had those ingredients in the refrigerator. I have to say, it made for a very tasty dinner, especially when paired with a Spanish Rosè! And it was just as good, if  not even better, the next day for brunch.

Piquillo Peppers & Crab Relleno

Ingredients:

2 7-ounce jars of roasted piquillo peppers

1 pound crab

1 pound shredded pepper jack cheese

4 large eggs (separated)

4 TBS flour

1 can Evaporated milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 9”x13” glass or ceramic baking dish. Lay one jar of piquillo peppers across the bottom of the dish, then layer on all of the crab. Add ½ pound of pepper jack cheese. Repeat with remaining jar of peppers and ½ pound of cheese.

3. Separate egg whites into one large bowl and yolks into another large bowl.

4. Beat egg whites at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form.

5. Beat egg yolks till frothy. Add in flour and evaporated milk, beating until mixed.

6. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites.

7. Pour egg mixture over the top layer of cheese in the baking dish.

8. Cook for about one hour.

Over the holidays I received several culinary-related gifts, including two chafing dishes, which were perfect because I love to entertain probably even more than I love to cook. I was also thrilled to receive a jar of wood fire-roasted piquillo peppers in a gift basket from LaTienda. I love my recipe for crab stuffed piquillo peppers, which were a big hit at the Iron Chef party I went to last year, but it being a new year and all, it got me thinking about finding some new recipes to try out for a future dinner party.

If you aren’t familiar with piquillo peppers, here’s a little background:
- Piquillo is Spanish for “little beak,” due to their shape

- They’re from Northern Spain, primarily the Ebro River Valley

- The peppers are handpicked, roasted and packed in a jar in olive oil or their own juices

- They’re very flavorful, with a nice smoky taste that is more sweet than spicy

And for that dinner party, two great recipes I’d like to try are Lamb Shoulder Chops with Smoky Red Pepper-Shallot Butter or Potato, Ham and Piquillo Pepper Croquetas. Both of these would be wonderful paired with Garnacha, and would make the perfect menu this winter.

Do you have a favorite recipe that features piquillo peppers?

If you’re planning to celebrate the Epiphany this weekend, you’ll have to make the traditional Roscón de Reyes, or King’s Cake. Oftentimes a baby Jesus figurine or a toy, along with a faba bean, is hidden in the cake and whoever gets the piece with the baby is crowned and considered the king or queen, while the person with the bean has to pay for next year’s Roscón.

I have had something similar during Mardi Gras and look forward to making this recipe below from the cookbook The Cuisines of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking by Teresa Barrenechea.

Roscón de Reyes - Makes One 15” or Two 8” coil cakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Minced zest of 1/2 lemon
Minced zest of 1/2 orange
2 1/2 tsp. (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2/3 cup milk, heated to lukewarm (90°F to 100°F)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
3 tablespoons orange-flower water
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
olive oil for preparing pan
1/2 cup candied fruits, finely chopped, optional
Optional - whipped cream, chocolate whipped cream, meringue, or pastry cream for filling

Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and both citrus zests and process on high speed until you have a mixture of fine particle. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until foamy.

3. Add sugar-zest mixture, the butter, 2 of the eggs, the orange flower water, and the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well mixed.

4. Add half the flour to the milk mixture and mix with your hands until well blended. Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until all the flour is incorporated.

5. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes until it is smooth, flexible, and no longer sticky.

6. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it has roughly doubled in size.

7. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting and brush rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.

8. Punch down the dough. On a floured work surface, using your palms, roll the dough back and forth until it forms a log about 30 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place it on the prepared baking sheet and bring the ends together to form a circle with a hole in the center 4 to 5 inches in diameter, forming a “crown.” Alternatively, divide the dough in half and form 2 logs each 15 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Form the logs into 2 crowns on the baking sheet.

9. Fill an ovenproof bowl with water and place it at the rear of the oven.

10. Place the baking sheet with the dough crown in the oven. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour, or until nearly doubled in size.

11. Remove the pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Break the remaining egg into a small bowl, beat until blended, and brush it onto the crown(s). Scatter the candied fruits evenly over the top(s), if desired, and sprinkle evenly with the sugar.

12. Bake the cake(s) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool on the pan.

13. Transfer to a serving plate and serve at room temperature.

14. If desired, carefully slice the cake in half lengthwise. Spread the inside with the filling of your choice and top with the other half of cake.

Hope your New Year is off to a good start and you are still in a celebratory mood as the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day (El Día de los Reyes), is January 6. Though it might not be familiar to you at first, Three Kings Day is always 12 days after Christmas – i.e. the “12 Days of Christmas” and also famously, the William Shakespeare play 12th Night, which refer to this special day.

In Spain, this is the day when children traditionally receive presents and unlike Christmas, they come from the Three Kings, not Santa Claus, as it was the Three Kings that brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. On the evening of January 5, children leave their shoes outside to be filled with presents and treats the next morning. On the 6th, presents are unwrapped while enjoying hot chocolate and Roscón de Reyes, or King’s Cake (be sure to check back on Thursday’s blog for a traditional recipe).

In the US, the Epiphany is celebrated in a variety of ways. In Louisiana (New Orleans in particular), Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, the Epiphany is the start of Carnival season and King’s Cakes are a prominent feature of the celebrations that last until Mardi Gras.

A few other ways to celebrate:

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, January 8 – from 4:00pm -5:00pm, a performance of the Epiphany will be followed by a sample of traditional Spanish Holiday Rosca bread and hot chocolate.

Disneyland, January 6-8 – this is the first time Disneyland is including Three Kings Day in their annual holiday celebrations.

New York Parades and Celebrations – from Harlem to Williamsburg, there are several events throughout the greater NYC area that are commemorating Three Kings Day.

Other cities with celebrations include Columbus, OH; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; and Washington, DC.

Related Article:
New York Times – Madrid to Celebrate Three Kings, and the Gift of Innocence

There are many “lucky” foods people like to eat on New Year’s Eve to help guarantee the New Year will be a good one. Shrimp, crab, lentils, and pork are just a few of these foods that are often consumed on New Year’s Eve, so I thought it would be a good idea to offer a recipe that combines two of them to make next year doubly good! Pairing nicely with Garnacha, this wonderful tapas recipe for Chorizo Shrimp Stacks is a cinch to make so you can easily whip them up and enjoy the evening.

Chorizo Shrimp Stacks – Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 pound extra-large shrimp (about 16-20, peeled and deveined)
1/3 pound chorizo (cut into about 1/2” slices)
1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
20 wooden toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Place one shrimp on top of each slice of chorizo. Put each stack on a rimmed baking sheet.

Cook under broiler for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and secure each stack with a toothpick and place onto a serving platter.

Lightly sprinkle each stack with parsley.

Looking for something fun to do this New Year’s Eve? Why not start the evening off by sharing wine and an extravagant meal with family and friends, then incorporate a few of these ideas to help say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012:

1. Wear new red underwear. It’s considered good luck to ring in the New Year sporting a pair of brand new red undergarments.

2. Kiss at Midnight. Whether it’s a sweet peck or a passionate lip lock, welcome in the New Year with a little love.

3. Eat grapes. In Spain, it’s tradition at midnight to eat one grape at every stroke of the clock. You’ll receive one month of good luck for each grape you can eat, so do your best to get in all 12 for the best year possible.

4. Raise a Toast. A nice glass of bubbly, like Spanish cava, adds a sparkling good time to the evening. After the 12th grape has been consumed, be sure to commemorate the passing of one year into the next with a toast to friends, family and good health.

5. Bring in the New Year with a Bang. Make loud noises – either to ward off evil spirits or just to welcome 2012 with joy. If your city doesn’t put on a fireworks display, crank up the noisemakers, blow on a horn, or just bang on some pots and pans.

How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve, do you stay in or do you go out?

Related Articles:

Grapes of Wealth: Eating for Your Luck at New Year’s

New Year’s History: Festive Facts

As I mentioned in my last post, seafood is a popular choice for Christmas Eve (La Noche Buena) dinner. If you’d like to institute this tradition, you may want to try this recipe for Mero a la Mallorquina, which is fish cooked with a variety of vegetables. Though this recipe calls for Grouper, other options include red snapper, striped bass, halibut or any other lean, white fleshed fish. In Spain fish is usually prepared whole, but if it’s easier, buy steaks or fillets and calculate 1/2 pound per serving and cook them for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy with a glass of Verdejo for a completely Spanish-inspired holiday meal.

Mero a la Mallorquina (Grouper with vegetables) – Serves 6

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 lemons
• 2 artichokes
• 1 (5- to 6-pound) whole grouper, cleaned
• Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fennel leaves, plus 1 tablespoon chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 boiling potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds total weight, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet pimenton or paprika
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 scallions, white part only, finely chopped
• 1 leek including tender green tops, cut into 1/4 inch-thick-slices
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed (reserve for another use) and finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs
• 1 cup fish stock

Directions:
Squeeze the juice from a lemon half into a bowl filled with water and set aside. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, peel off the tough, dark outer leaves. Cut off the stem and flush with the bottom, cut off the top two-thirds of the leaves, and quarter the artichoke lengthwise. Using a small, sharp knife or a spoon, remove and discard the fuzzy choke, then cut the quarters into small pieces and slip them into the lemon water. Repeat with the second artichoke.

Season the fish inside and outside with the salt and the pepper. Slice the remaining lemon crosswise into 4 slices, and insert the lemon slices and the fennel leaves into the cavity of the fish. Set aside.

Preheat the oven at 400ºF.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and fry, turning them occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on the outside but still undercooked inside. Remove from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, arrange the potatoes on the bottom of a large rimmed baking sheet. (Make sure the sides of the baking sheet are high enough to accommodate not only the fish and vegetables, but also the stock that is added later). Lay the fish on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the pimenton on top of the fish and drizzle with the wine.

Drain the artichokes and pat dry. In a bowl, combine the artichokes, scallions, leek, carrots, Swiss chard, spinach, and tomatoes and stir to mix well. Place the vegetables on top of the fish. Don’t worry if some fall to sides of the fish. Sprinkle the parsley, the chopped fennel, pine nuts, and raisins on top and finally the bread crumbs.

Pour the fish stock evenly over the fish and vegetables, Bake for 2 hours, or until the fish is opaque near the backbone when tested with a knife tip and the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the oven and serve the fish and vegetables immediately directly from the pan. Even though this dish is a little messy to serve, it looks impressive and tastes delicious.

New or old, traditions are a big part of what makes the holidays special. And though holiday traditions can vary from place to place and evolve over time, ultimately it’s all about food, friends and family.

We celebrate on Christmas Day with presents in the morning and an early dinner of either turkey or ham. In Spain, the celebrations last for several days and begin on Christmas Eve (La Noche Buena) with an extravagant multi-course meal with wine and close family members. Seafood is usually the main dish, especially in Madrid where historically it was difficult to get and therefore very expensive. A bit of Turrón and cava for dessert are followed by a small gift exchange.

Though we Americans think of Santa Claus as delivering presents to children all over the world, in Spain gifts are given to children by the Three Kings, but not until the morning of January 6 during the Epiphany.

What are your family traditions?

Related Articles:
Christmas Food in Spain

New York Times: A Catalan Christmas