Sangria

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm an observer by nature. As we travel, I love to watch new parents caring for their infants and young people caught in the first flush of love. Custom and tradition differ from one country to another but the tenderness they share is unmistakable and knows no borders. We had a whirlwind day today. Chance placed us in disparate spots where we watched two very different types of weddings. One was a homemade affair, held beneath a bower in a public rose garden. The other was far more grand, held in wine country at the King Estate. Both brides were lovely and the tenderness in the eyes of their new husbands was unmistakable. I would be hard pressed to say which bride will have the most pleasant memories of the day. The tonier wedding had food that you are all familiar with. The simpler feast was a truly homemade affair. The bride made her own cake and the sandwiches which were served to her guests. The groom whipped up the brew just before the ceremony began. They obviously had me in their camp the moment they said "I do." As I watched him make a punch that looked surprisingly like sangria, I knew exactly what would accompany our dinner tonight. Sangria is a wine punch that comes from Spain. I've made this sangria for better than forty years and it is, without a doubt, my favorite version of this wonderful summer drink. The original recipe belongs to Dione Lucas. She was the first woman to graduate from Le Cordon Blue and was a respected chef and restaurateur. She predated Julia Child on television, but lacked Julia's camera presence and thus was history writ. She was a marvelous cook and wrote many terrific cookbooks, one of which I still use today. I must warn you that this sangria is like a rum drink. It really packs a punch and gangs up on the unsuspecting very quickly. It is very easy to make. Here's the recipe.

Sangria...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Dione Lucas

Ingredients:
1 large lemon, sliced
1 large naval orange, sliced
1/2 cup Cognac or good brandy
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups soda water
1 bottle (fifth) Rioja or other dry Spanish red wine

Directions:
1) Place lemon and orange slices in a large pitcher. Add brandy and sugar. Sitr well with a wooden spoon. Let mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
2) Just before serving, add wine and lemon juice. Stir well. Add ice cubes and soda water. Stir contents well, adding more ice cubes if necessary to chill sangria. Yield: 2 quarts.

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Limoncello - One Perfect Bite
Cranberry Cocktail - One Perfect Bite
Iced Watermelon Drinks - One Perfect Bite
Sangria - Foodista
White Sangria - Delish
Basil Sangria - YumSugar

Lemon Anise Churros

Photo Courtesy of Nicki Dowey

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When a chef whose specialty is Southwestern cooking, adds Asian spices to pâte à choux, the end result is a churro with attitude. In its simplest form, a churro is a cylindrical piece of fried dough. It was developed by Spanish shepherds centuries ago and it got its name because it resembled the horns of the Churro sheep they tended. The original churro was the size of a breadstick and was usually eaten for breakfast. The churro escaped its borders during the Age of Discovery and can now be found on tables in many parts of the world. Chef David Walzog added ground star anise and lemon zest to the churros he made during his tenure in the kitchen at Arizona 206. They are delicious and easy to make, but they are not with out pitfalls. The churro must be well-drained, but still warm when it receives its sugar coating, and it must be served immediately after that's been done. These wait for no man or woman. You've been warned. You'll see what happens when I don't follow my own advice at the bottom this post. Having shared that with you, I'd like it to remain our little secret. If you have never had a churro, I hope you will give this recipe a try. If you've had them before, I hope you'll give this version a try. The star anise and lemon zest make these really special. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Anise Churros...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by David Walzog

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 stick (4-oz.) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground star anise
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions:
1) Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl
2) Combine water, butter, anise and lemon zest in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add flour, all at once, and cook, beating constantly until flour forms a ball and films bottom of pan. Remove pan from heat.
3) Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and mixture is smooth and shiny.
4) Combine granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a plastic bag and set aside.
5) Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized star tip.
6) Heat 3-inch of oil in a deep pan until it reaches 375 degrees F.
7) Pipe batter into oil in 5 to 6-inch lengths. Do not crowd pan. Fry until golden brown, about three minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper toweling. Continue frying until all batter has been used.
8) Drop warm churros into bag of sugar and shake to generously coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings

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French Quarter Beignets - One Perfect Bite
Zeppole - One Perfect Bite
Calas Sweet Rice Fritters - One Perfect Bite
Recipe of the Day: Churros - Mark Bittman
Churros con Chocolate - Baking Bites

Patatas Bravas - Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are many versions of this classic Spanish tapa. This one comes from Valencia and it's made with olive oil and a special paste of chilies, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and vinegar. Patatas Bravas are as popular in Spain as potato skins are here. The name means "fierce potatoes." Bravas suggests the dish is very hot and that it's macho to eat it. This is one of the tapa that I regularly prepare for our supper and because I can control the quantity being made I don't have to deal with leftovers. I also happen to love these potatoes and will make them for myself when I'm alone for dinner. When served hot and crisp from the skillet with a perfectly fried egg, there is almost nothing I'd rather have to eat. It's important to remember you can control the amount of heat in this dish. The chilies that are used in Spain are not available in my area so I worked around the problem by using cayenne pepper or red chili flakes. If you like fiery food, use one-eighth to one-half teaspoon cayenne pepper in the paste you use to coat the potatoes. The Spaniards use Choricero, Nora, and Guindilla chilies. If you can find them, by all means use them. Just remember that size is inversely proportional to the heat a chili generates. Some small chilies will send you straight to perdition. The recipe begins with potatoes that are almost tender. You can steam, microwave or boil the potatoes to get them to that point. I prefer to microwave mine on HIGH power for 10 minutes. You may peel them if you wish. I don't bother, because I think the potatoes hold up better with the skin on. They are then fried in a small amount of oil until crisp and golden. Just before serving they are tossed with the seasoning paste. While these are sometimes served at room temperature, I advise you to eat them while they're hot. Sitting around doesn't improve the taste of anything that been fried. Donuts are the only exception. I like to serve these with an aioli. These are a real taste treat. I hope you'll try them.

Patatas Bravas...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds small new potatoes (I use Yukon Gold)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
3 dried chilies, seeded and chopped or 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
Coarse sea salt

Directions:
1) Scrub potatoes. Steam, boil or microwave until just tender. Cool slightly. Peel if desired. Cut small potatoes in half.
2) Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, turning frequently until golden and crisp.
3) Meanwhile mash garlic, cayenne, cumin, paprika using back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle. Stir in vinegar. Add to potatoes with sliced bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve hot with aioli. Yield: 4 servings.

This recipe is being linked to:

Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Albondigas - Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love Spanish food and don't think it gets nearly the attention it deserves. I became interested in it while searching for recipes scaled to feed two people. My research led me into the world of tapa and a new way of eating. A tapas is not a specific type of food, and it is not, as I once believed, a starter course. Tapas is a style of eating that revolves around small dishes of something edible. Anything can be a tapa as long as the portion is small and it is served with a drink. The word "tapa" means lid or cover. Originally a slice of cheese or ham was served with a drink to cover it and keep away the flies. The more fanciful believe the custom can be traced to a kindly king, who couldn't drink on an empty stomach. It's said he issued a royal decree that demanded all his subjects have food with their drinks. While there was a time in Spain when tapa were free, that is no longer true. At any rate, I started to use tapa recipes for some of our meals and was really pleased at how well they worked. These tasty meatballs, served in a lovely tomato sauce, are from a recipe I've adapted for use at our dinner table. It's a really simple recipe. Chances are you have all the ingredients you need to prepare it in your pantry and refrigerator. The original recipe called for meaty tomatoes. I use that method when heirloom tomatoes are readily available. The rest of the time I rely on a large can of plum tomatoes. A 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes is equivalent to 4 large tomatoes and its a great substitute. Use whole plum tomatoes. For reasons I don't understand, diced tomatoes retain their shape and don't cook down. This recipe is best with a pulpy tomato fondue. You can use any type of ground meat, but I think ground turkey produces dense meatballs that aren't as pleasant as those made from beef and pork. This recipe is scaled to feed 2 people. It can be doubled. Here's the recipe.

Albondigas Con Salsa De Tomate...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Peptita Aris

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt + salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper + pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large tomatoes, chopped or 1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons red or white wine
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Pinch of sugar
Thyme or parsley for garnish

Directions:
1) Place ground beef, green onions, garlic, Parmesan cheese, egg yolk, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently to combine. Shape into 12 equal sized meatballs.
2) Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute meatballs, turning several times, until brown, about 5 minutes.
3) Add tomatoes, wine, sugar and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes until tomatoes are pulpy and meatballs cooked through. Sprinkle with thyme or parsley. Serve hot. Yellow rice is a lovely accompaniment. Yield: 2 servings.