Recently, a friend of ours Raymond Magourty, was given the opportunity to work the harvest for a Mas Doix, a prestigious wine producer in the town of Poboleda who’s recent Parker Points have elevated it in popularity, is located in the Priorat. With his background in wine, and desire to learn more about about the […]
Harvesting in the Priorat 2009: Wine Tourists, Wine Festivals and Grape Picking Read More »
In my two previous posts, we’ve explored Portugal’s most renown and cherished artisanal cheeses, learning the basic flavor profiles, as well as common Portuguese terms when buying and selecting cheese. (Read Part 1 and Part 2) Now it’s finally time to enjoy our delicious Portuguese cheese with some equally delicious Portuguese wine. For many of
Part 3: The Ultimate User’s Guide To Portuguese Cheese Read More »
In Part 1 of “The Ultimate User’s Guide to Portuguese Cheese”, we covered the 2 self-created categories “A Lil’ Stinky But Smooth And Creamy and the “Not Too Soft, Not Too Hard And Not Too Stinky”. The last 2 categories highlight the “Hard, Rugged and Nutty” cheeses, as well as the “Refreshing”. However, you must
Part 2: The Ultimate User’s Guide To Portuguese Cheese Read More »
Like wine, cheese is an important and valued part of Portuguese cuisine and one that is typically overlooked by much of the world. Portugal boasts of various high-quality artisanal cheeses, which are primarily produced in the central mountainous and plateau regions using sheep’s and goat’s milk. The islands of the Azores are also famed cheese
Part 1: The Ultimate User’s Guide to Portuguese Cheese Read More »
Coming across Fondillón is a bit like meeting Samuel Taylor Coleridge‘s Ancient Mariner, buttonholing you with stories of ancient glories and disaster. You’re half fascinated and half disbelieving. Yet he starts pulling bits and pieces out of his pockets – there is the price list of leading Alicante wine merchants Maisonnave & Co. from the
Fondillón: A Very Unique Style of Sweet Spanish Wine from Alicante Read More »
Regardless of where you are in the world, someone wants to know, “Are there vegetarian options available?.” When I first think about Portuguese cuisine, vegetarian or vegetables are definitely not what come to mind, while fish, meat and rice are more common. But as a foreigner, I am no expert. So I decided to take
Cozinha Portuguesa Vegetariana: Eating Vegetarian in Portugal Read More »
Bacalhau is Portuguese for dry, salted cod, and is referred to as Bacalao in Spain or Bacala in Italy. Today we take a look at it from a Portuguese perspective. Historically, Bacalhau was the staple for these three predominately Catholic countries during Lent, when meat was considered a forbidden food. And although the recipes have
Bacalhau: The Staple of Portuguese Cuisine Read More »
When I first saw the pointy hats, it was slightly unnerving. For most people, the associations are obvious. Thankfully pointy hat wearing in Jerez started way before the Klan was formed, so nothing to do with each other apart from the style of hat. The pointy hat brigade, as my colleague likes to call them, comes
The Pointy Hat Brigade: Holy Week in Southern Spain Read More »
Ever since I was little, I would look forward to a particular treat during the Easter season. It wasn’t the chocolate candy, or the colored eggs, but the homemade Easter bread made by my Italian mother and aunts. This sweet bread, traditionally flavored with anise oil and seeds, would be my breakfast every morning during
Folar da Pascoa: Portugal’s Delicious Easter Bread Read More »
There is a romance to Spain that is all its own. From Bizet‘s Carmen to Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, the world has a vision of Spain steeped in exoticism that draws many of us towards this fascinating country; myself included. But one of my most cherished elements of Spain has little to no
Patatas Bravas: My Dirty Spanish Secret Read More »
For years, I have gushed to no end about Portugal’s delicious pastry tradition. No matter where you travel in Portugal, you can always find plenty of Pastelerias, the home of the delicious sweet treats that put a smile on my face almost every morning. But what you may not know is that apart from these
Portugal’s Regional Pastries: A Touch of Sweetness With Individuality! Read More »
For being one of my most frequented cities outside of Lisbon, I’ve often reference Setúbal as a geographic landmark to other cities. But now, it’s time I give the stunning city of Setúbal due diligence as your idyllic travel destination! This little city, situated right on the Sado River estuary about a 45-minute drive south from
Setúbal, Portugal: The Underrated Region Read More »
Las Fallas – Valencia’s festival that you can’t miss First, I have to be very clear about the timing of this article. It’s just after 4 PM on March 15th when I sit down to write this and Spain”s biggest and loudest festival is underway, but nowhere near its height of the frenzy. Over the
Las Fallas: Top 5 Tips to the Loudest and Longest Festival in Spain Read More »
When I was a child, I was enthralled with the persona of Paddington Bear. My sister had the books on tape (remember cassettes?) and I would borrow them over and over, keeping them on as quietly as I could long past my bedtime to hear about the adventures of this little Peruvian bear. Looking back
El Almuerzo: The Spanish Version of Paddington Bear’s Elevenses Read More »
On a trip to London last week, I tried to get a feel for how consumers might see sherry. Just ordinary consumers,not the sorts who buy wines from expensive West End merchants.Of course, this exercise was totally unscientific. In between errands and meetings, I dropped into as many shops as I could to get an
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