2. Traditional Spanish Dishes

3. GALICIAN CUISINE

4. The importance of eating, in Spain generally and Galicia specifically, cannot be over emphasized. The activity of getting the family together and sharing a meal (with plenty of wine) over a couple of hours is a daily routine and forms a major part of this regions culture.

5. FAMOUS GALICIAN DISHES Lacón con grelos: This may be the most famous dish of Galicia. Lacón is boiled meat from the front leg of a pig. Grelos are the leaves of turnips. The lacón and grelos are then boiled together and served with sausage and potatoes.

6. Vieiras: Vieiras or sea scallops are abundant on the shores of Galicia and their shells are worn by pilgrims on the Way of St. James, who make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. First, a mixture is made of onion, parsley and breadcrumbs. Then, the scallop, still in its own shell is covered with the mixture and baked. Finally, it is served in its own shell.

7. Caldo Gallego – Galician Broth This soup is a very common dish in Galicia. Cabbage, potatoes and beans make the basic version of the broth. Many times ham, sausage and pork are added to make a filling main course.

8. Pimientos de Padrón: Pimientos are peppers and pimientos de padrón are tiny peppers about 2 inches long that are considered a delicacy by not only the Gallician people, but many tourists who taste them as a tapa, fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. So much so that we recently spotted a small ½ pound bag of these tiny peppers at a Berkeley, CA store selling for over $5.00!

9. Tarta de Santiago - St. James' Cake: This cake is named after St. James, the patron saint of Spain. It is a rich, heavy cake made of ground almonds, decorated with powdered sugar and the sword of St. James or a cross. Although the exact origin of this cake is unknown, it is thought that a pilgrim may have brought the recipe to Galicia during a pilgrimage.

10. Empanada: Empanada is a traditional Galician pie (although eaten throughout Spain). It can be made with a filling of pork, veal, fish (usually tuna or cod) or seafood. Empanadas are quite expensive and unlike pies in the UK or USA, they use the best cuts of meat and are not padded out with vegetables. You can get empanadas in the supermarket, but the best source is from a bakers (Panaderia) where they will be freshly made. Most quot;Panaderias" sell them whole or by slice.

11. Chorizos: Chorizo (pronounced choritho), is a Spanish style sausage and can be used in cooking or eaten, sliced, in a sandwich or as tapas. There are many different types. Personally, I like a spicy version called "chorizo de pamplona" which is impossible to get hold of at home in England.

12. Chocolate con churros: Churros is the traditional breakfast of the region. It is made from a donut like batter cut into strips and served (sugared) with very thick hot chocolate. You dip the churros in the chocolate. Churros is a dream come true for choc-a-holics, but more of a breakfast challenge for the rest of us. I like churros, but I need to psyche myself up for a sugary chocolate breakfast the day before.

13. Wine & Liqueur: Wines from this area of Spain vary greatly from province to province and Galicia is no different. It is best known for Albariño, a fruity, white wine that is often served with fish dishes. However, Galician Ribeiro wine is also known throughout Spain. It is a bit sour and is served traditionally in small bowls of porcelain. Galicians have a long tradition of making strong distilled liqueurs. Locally produced orujo is a strong liqueur (between 37 and 45% alcohol by volume) that is used to make the popular and very traditional drink called queimada. We’ll get to queimada in just a moment. First, let’s talk a bit about orujo - whose basic ingredient is the residue from wine production – grape skins, seeds and stalks. Locals carefully guard their recipe and distilling secrets, which are passed down from generation to generation. From orujo, Galicians make queimada, in which bits of lemon peel, sugar and ground coffee are put into a clay pot, then the orujo is poured on top and the pot is lit on fire.

14. RECIPES From Galicia: Pancakes (Filloas) Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter, melted

15. Directions In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Cook the pancake for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

16. Octopus cooked “fair style” (Polbo á feira) Polbo á feira (Galician name literally meaning "fair style octopus") alternatively known as polbo estilo feira and pulpo á galega is a traditional Galician dish.

17. This dish is prepared by first boiling the octopus inside a copper cauldron. Before actually boiling it, the octopus is repeatedly dipped in and out of the boiling water, held by its head. The objective of this operation is to curl the tips of the tentacles. The tentacles are preferred over the head, which sometimes is discarded. The tendrils are sometimes best cherished by children. After the octopus has been boiled, it is trimmed with a scissors, sprinkled with coarse salt and paprika (pemento picante) and drizzled with olive oil. The optimal cooking point is the one in which octopus is not rubbery but not overcooked either, similarly to the al dente concept in Italian pasta cooking. This is achieved after approximately a 20 minutes boil, provided that the octopus is left to rest for a further 20 minutes inside the boiled water away from the fire. The dish is traditionally served on wooden plates, along with sliced boiled potatoes (cachelos) and bread. The traditional plates are disappearing in some places for hygienic reasons. Tradition dictates that drinking water should not accompany octopus, so the dish is usually accompanied by young red wine.

18. Galician Pie (Empanada Gallega ) A large two-crusted savory pie from Galicia, the Spanish empanada is typically filled with fish or meat, red or green peppers, and lots of onion. Substitute pizza dough if you're pressed for time, though the pastry crust is easy to make. Empanadas are best at room temperature; serve with a mixed salad for dinner. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

19. Ingredients PORK: 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika or hot paprika 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips DOUGH: 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large egg, lightly beaten

20. FILLING: Cooking spray 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion 2 cups red bell pepper strips 1 cup chopped tomato 1/4 cup chopped Spanish serrano ham or prosciutto (about 1 1/2 ounces) 2 tablespoons dry white wine Dash of crumbled thread saffron REMAINING INGREDIENT: 1 large egg, lightly beaten

21. Preparation To prepare the meat, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, and add the pork to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. To prepare the dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine the water, the oil, and egg in a medium bowl. Gradually add the oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly until smooth. Divide dough in half. Cover with plastic; let rest about 30 minutes. To prepare filling, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the pork mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 5 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato, ham, wine, and saffron; cook 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), roll each portion into a 13-inch circle on a floured surface. Place 1 portion of dough on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spoon filling onto dough using a slotted spoon, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place remaining portion of dough over filling. Pinch edges to seal. Cut several slits in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cool. Cut into wedges.

22. St. James' Cake(Tarta de Santiago) Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Ingredients: 2 2/3 cups ground almonds 3/4 cup Flour 1 1/4 cup Sugar 4 Eggs 8 Tbsp butter (1 cube) at room temperature 1/2 tsp baking Powder 1/2 cup Water zest of 1 Lemon powdered sugar to decorate

23. Preparation: This St. James' cake recipe serves approximately 8. Blanch the almonds, then using a grinder or a food processor, grind the almonds until fine and set aside. Heat the oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a round 8-inch springform pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together. Add the butter, flour, baking powder and water and beat with an electric hand mixer. Stir the almonds into the batter. Grate the lemon and add the zest and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake in oven on the middle shelf at 350 F degrees for approximately 45-50 minutes. Check doneness after 45 minutes. Cake is done if a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The traditional way to decorate is to sprinkle powdered sugar on the top, with a cutout of a cross on top. Use any clean piece of paper folded in fourths to cut out a cross. Then, after the cake has cooled, place the cross in the center of the cake and dust the top with powdered sugar. A small flour sifter works well for this job. The traditional cake has a decoration of the Cross of the Order of Santiago. You can use a stencil and then dust the top with powdered sugar so the design remains. If you don’t have one of those lying around though – just dust the top with powdered sugar and serve after it cools.

24. Simple Paella Recipe (From Valencia) If you want an easy-to-do simple paella recipe, just knock on us... This is the easier paella recipe you can find anywhere! Serves: 6-8 Difficulty: Intermediate Preparation time: 60-90 minutes

25. Ingredients 1/2 pint of olive oil 2 bowls of rice (1lb. 5 oz. approximately) 5 bowls of fish broth 1/2 lb. of shrimps 2 mid-sized squids 2 lb. of mussels or clams 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 1 small can of peas 1 small onion 2 tomatoes Saffron 1 clove of garlic (optional) Parsley Salt

26. Preparation Start to heat half of the oil and once warm toss the chopped onion. After 5 minutes, add diced tomatoes, without seeds and peeled. Let it braise about 5 minutes more, mashing the tomatoes with a skimmer. Strain it and throw it in the paella pan. In a pot, begin to cook in cold water the shells of the shrimps, reserving the tails. In another ladle cook the mussels with little water (well washed before with water and salt). As soon as the shells open up, take them away and take off the half that doesn't have the bug, reserving the other halves and straining for a very fine strainer the broth where they have cooked, as well as that of the waste of the shrimps. Add the rest of the oil to the paella pan. Throw the green pepper, cut to square pieces of half inch. Add the cut squid to ribbons or in fine hoops and the rice. Keep stirring with a wooden tablespoon, without letting it go brown. Throw salt, and the broth of the remains of fish, hot but not boiling. This is completed with the 5 broth bowls. Shake the paella pan a little taking it by the handles so that it is broth flows all over. All this should be made to medium fire. Meanwhile, in a mortar mash a little bit of garlic (optional), the parsley and the saffron, with a little bit of salt so that it doesn't slip, and it wet it with a couple of soup spoonfuls of temperate water. Spill this mixture on the rice and shake again the paella pan. Incorporate now the shrimps tails and when the broth has reduced to the half decorate the paella with the red pepper cut to ribbons, the mussels and the peas. Let it cook about 20 minutes. Once the rice is cooked and the broth has reduced, retire the paella pan from the fire, on a wet cloth, leaving it rest for about 5 minutes. Serve it with some big clusters of lemon without peeling like decoration.

27. Spanish Omelette (Tortilla de patatas) 1/4 kg potatoes 6 eggs1dl oil 1 onion Peel the potatoes, wash them thoroughly and cut them into thin slices. Chop the onion. Heat oil in a frying pan and then add the onion. Sautée the onion until it is brown and then add the potatoes and a little salt. Stir the contents until the potatoes are done. Beat the eggs, add a pinch of salt and then the potatoes. Mix well. Turn the heart up under the frying pan and add the egg and potato mixture. Brown on one side and then turn the omelette over to brown it on the other side.

28. COLD VEGETABLE SOUP (GAZPACHO) – From Andalucia INGREDIENTS: - 6 green peppers - 6 onions - 10 tomatoes - 6 cucumbers - Tinned sweet peppers - Tinned blended or chopped tomatoes - Small batch of crusty bread - Salt - Ground white pepper - 1 teaspoon of cumin - 1 clove of garlic - 5 spoonfuls of mayonnaise - 100ml of wine vinegar - Water

29. METHOD: Chop and mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cover with a tea cloth and also add some ice cubes. Leave everything to infuse overnight in the refrigerator. When coming to prepare the Gazpacho the next day put everything the blender and whizz everything until you get a fine soup. Season with salt and serve cold.

30. Spanish stews (cocidos) Spanish stews or cocidos, as they are called in Spanish, are typical main dishes in Spain, particularly in the central and northern regions of Spain, typically consisting of meats, sausages, vegetables and garbanzo beans or chickpeas. The most famous is the Cocido Madrileño or Madrid Stew. In this version beef, ham, salt pork, chorizo, morcilla, a stewing chicken, garbanzos, potatoes, cabbage and carrots are the ingredients besides onion and garlic. Often a pig's trotter and a marrow bone and variations of other seasonal vegetables are included. One variation involves the broth of the cocido served as soup before, often with Spanish pasta in it.