Tudela - Navarra

There are places in Spain famous for what they grow. One of them is Tudela, located in the Navarra region, between the cities of Pamplona and Zaragoza. Because of it´s particular weather they are famous for their delicious artichokes, white asparagus and lettuces. White asparagus are famous for their delectable flavour, and if you ever got the chance to have some fresh, please do it, as there is no comparison, at all, with the canned ones. Fresh asparagus are tender but consistent and there is so much flavour in them that you hardly need any season to add. The hard part is to cook them, it is not as easy as cooking the green ones.

Asparagus are really healthy so when they are in season there is no reason not to eat them all the chances you got. This year we try a couple of batches, and so we improved the cooking method.

Advices to cook white asparagus

- Peel them all the way. Not only the bottoms, because they have some hard to cook fibers, so it`s better to get ride of them.

- Put them in a pot with cold water, until you cover them.
- Season the water with salt and sugar.
- When the water starts boiling cook 30 minutes on medium heat.
- When ready, they should have some consistency but tender enought to bite through them.
- Let them cool and eat at room temperature.
- Serve with a little of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or some mayo, or any vinaigrette you like.

Another thing I enjoy while visiting Tudela are the - now in season - lettuce hearts, also famous.

They are tender small lettuces served almost always with anchovies and good olive oil. As you can see it´s one lettuce per person, cutted in four, and served just like that.

Lovely crunchy bites of greens, ideal for the hot days I´m spending in Tudela.

Breakfast

I want to introduce you to the world famous "Chocolate con churros". Have you heard of them before?

Don´t panic, but this is the typical Sunday breakfast in Spain. Yes, yes, thousand of calories, but you´ll be full until dinner time, so if you plan to go walking around visiting cities on foot (which is the best/only way to really know European cities) don´t worry and give it a try.
Churros are these beautiful fried goods, slightly sweet, crunchy on the outside but smooth and soft on the inside. You have to have them hot and do......

that!! exactly, the deep dense chocolate is not to drink, it is to sunk your churros in.

Then just have to dunk and bite, and dunk and bite...until you realize that the whole plate of churros is gone and that the cup of chocolate is perfectly meassure to insure it´ll let you eat all your churros covered with this awesom chocolate.

Elegant Hamburgers

Hamburgers can become a really "fashion/elegant" dish. For no special reason I believed in the combination of beef and goat cheese, well to be honest I´m always looking for an excuse to have some chevre cheese.

These hamburgers does not have much ingredients, or needed time, or effort at all. It´s super easy and you´ll end up being proud of yourself, for such an exquisite dish !!!

Easy as mixing all ingredients. Ground beef, caramelized onion, worcestershire sauce and goat cheese. Season.

Form with your hands, cook in a little bit of olive oil until done. Put some more cheese and onion on top to warm up.

Serve with no more than a bit of lettuce. The flavour of the burger is strong for itself, so you won´t need any other sauce to brighten it up. Success is on your plate! Promise!!

Recipe of Goat Cheese Hamburgers (2 good size burgers)

400 grams ground beef

1 caramelized onion *

150 grams goat cheese "chevre"

- worcestershire sauce

- salt

Mix all ingredients and form the patties. Cook in a little, tiny bit of olive oil, until done. Serve in a bun with nothing more than a lettuce leave. I promise you´ll make it more than once.

* To make the caramelized onion, it´s as simple as cooking in some olive oil, one sliced onion, let it become soft after cooking 8 minutes in a cover pot, uncover, season with salt and pepper, cook for 5 minutes more and add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar or soy sauce, cook 2 minutes more and done.

Jamón Ibérico - Spanish Ham

Take a close look to the walls of this store, yes, there are hundreds of "Patas de Jamón".

The smell on the street is incredible, inside the store, is delicious.

There are lots of types of ham you can get, but you MUST try "Jamón de Bellota " (the real deal), 5 Jotas or Joselito, are the best brands, with the ones you can´t go wrong.

Believe me, there is an enormous difference between a good ham and a not so good one.

I trully believe that before you die you have to try a good ham, it is expensive, I know, but it´s worth it. Besides you just need a couple of slices to feel like you are in heaven.

It has to have fat don´t panic, better if this fat is sweating, because you should let it get to room temperature before eating it. This way it´ll melt into your mouth and make an unforgetable memorie in your mind.

Summer is almost here

When warm weather arrives, it´s hard to change salads for something else. There are fruits and vegetables at their best so we have to eat as much as possible. And of course it doesn´t have to be boring or hard to prepare. Just check up this delicious dinner I prepare last night...easy as 1,2,3.

Open your fridge and check out what you have. If you don´t have the same ingredient I do, no problem, you can change, add or rest, it is as simple as that. Just layer things up, and heat.

"Warm Veggies on the go"(2)
1 medium zuchinni
2 big tomatoes
1 ball of mozzarella cheese
150gr Spanish ham
- grated cheese and fresh oregano

Slice the zucchini and saute in a little of olive oil, until cooked through. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella and chop ham.

Directly into the serving dishes layer zucchini/tomato/cheese/ham and repeat. If you have red peppers, add, if you want to give more consistency layer in between some lasagna pasta, if you have eggplant, add it too, no Spanish ham, no problem change it by some cooked chicken or turkey ham, poached onions, sauteè mushrooms, so on and on...cover all with grated cheese and straight into the microwave until cheese melts.

Super easy, super healthy, super good, and great to clean your fridge.

PS: as we are only heating in the microwave you have to cook all things before layering. Veggies just have to be sauteè for a little bit.

Fungi & Mushroom Season

Spring mornings are ideal to go to farmer´s market, all new fruits and vegetables are blooming out of a cold winter and bright colors are everywhere.

Today, this stand catch my attention, not only because it´s different style looking goods, but because it smells from feet's away, fresh fungi and mushrooms from the land around Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Big Fungi boletus, you can do almost anything with these guys, and all will be delish!.

Perretxikos mushrooms, they smell so distinctive. No better way to prepare them than mixed with scramble eggs, that way you`ll get all their wonderful flavour.

Mushrooms and Fungi are good garnish dishes to serve with meat, easy to prepare, as you only need to sauteè in a bit of olive oil, add some minced garlic, salt and serve.

Change a bit, it won´t hurt!.

Bilbao Pintxo Contest

I`m lucky enough to get to see this view everyday, for a month. Because of my job I happen to be in Bilbao and every morning I have to walk through "Calatrava´s Bridge" name Zubizuri, to get to my office.

Right after crossing the bridge you get to see this:

This monumental museum, Guggenheim Bilbao, catch your eyes from every angle you stand, and it surprises me everyday and makes me smile. After this view, working is not that hard.

Anyway, Bilbao has much more to see, to shop and to eat. And what a coincidence, I´m in here just in time for Pintxo Contest, which you already know what it is by reading my old posts in GastrobaskandCo, where I showed you what was cooking in Vitoria-Gasteiz Pintxo Contest.

I invited you to take a look and dream of comming around at least one in a lifetime. I promise, you won´t regret it.