Peppers stuffed with blood sausage

I got a medium to small onion blood sausage, peeled and sliced it, and then fried the pieces in a pan with olive oil. I heated in a saucepan a can of tomato sauce mixed with 2 big tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Then I stuffed two big red piquillo peppers with the sausage, put it on an iron pan over which I poured the sauce, sprinkled the peppers with olive oil, and to the oven at about 340 degrees fahrenheit (170 celsius) for a while.

A simple tappa that we ate for dinner and transported us back to beautiful Andalusia.

Madeleines (French magdalenas/muffins)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/womans-hour/cooktheperfect/perfect/madeleines/

Another evening I searched for lost things in my memory and made the classic madeleines, roughly following the aforementioned BBC website.
I fried in a pan on low heat 2 oz (60 grams=4 tablespoons) of lightly salted butter. Then I whisked in a large bowl 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, and added to keep mixing 1/4 cup flour (sifted), 1/4 cup ground almonds (sifted too) and 1 lemon zested. When it was super well mixed I added and whisked the nutted butter which smelled wonderfully aromatic. I let the mixture sit for an hour and then filled the paper molds with it and put it in the oven for about 14 minutes at about 375 Fahrenheit (about 190 Celsius).

I felt like Proust tasting a merienda which was not at all uncouth nor devoid of delicacy, but a dainty treat whose impression was bound to remain associated with the magdalenas of my childhood with hot Cola-Cao, manzanilla or yerbaluisa and the company of my grandmother.

Classic vanilla ice cream

One day I decided to make the simplest ice cream, the classic vanilla. So I whisked in a large bowl 1 cup whole milk with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and a pinch of sea salt, stirring then 2 cups heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract from Uganda. When it was well mixed I poured it in a Tupperware and put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours, got it out and then into the ice cream maker for 15 minutes after which I added some Spanish caramelized pecan nuts for 5 more minutes rolling around.
(http://www.cuisinart.com/share/pdf/manuals/ice-21_recipe.pdf)

It was the finest helado, with a silky texture and a delicate flavour. Sublime!

Spicy garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo)

I peeled about 300 grams of shrimp and fried them in a pan with olive oil, adding also 5 peeled and chopped garlic cloves and crushed chili peppers (3 tablespoons) until it sizzled with a smell that made me want to sneeze (as if I were eating wasabied sushi) and the shrimp were turning golden brown. I served it very hot. Ideally they would be served in brown clay little plates or pots. So deliciously simple! Dipping white bread in the spicy sauce is one of my favourite things...

Pistachio ice cream

This is one of my favourite flavours for the summer. I like very much the one by Haagen Dazs. This time I decided to do it homemade myself. I followed roughly the recipe of Emeryl on the foodnetwork website:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pistachio-ice-cream-recipe/index.html
So I grinded in a blender 1 cup of unsalted shelled roasted pistachios and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. I boiled in a saucepan 2 cups of whole milk, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 cups of half and half. I beat in a bowl 12 egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Then I added little by little 1 cup of the boiled mix in the bowl and then little by little I put it back together with the rest of the mix and heated it for 6 minutes. I added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract and the pistachio mix. I refrigerated overnight and then I put it in the ice cream maker for 20 minutes:

Toasted green sweet flavour of summer...

Sherry risotto

I had never tried or cooked it before but I loved it. I bought special rice for risotto (Primoriso brand). In a pan I put a little bit of olive oil and fried until brown a chopped little white onion. Then I put 1 cup of the rice in it until it started getting transparent after some minutes. In a saucepan I boiled a couple of cups of water with a piece of chicken stock broth (Knorr brand). Then I started pouring into the pan alternatively some sprinkles of dry Sherry wine (a little glass in all) and of the broth (until finishing both) and whisked the whole thing. Finally I put on the rice about a tablespoon of unsalted butter. To finish it off I sprinkled the dish with grated parmesan cheese:

Heavenly Italian!

Potato omelette (tortilla de papas)

One evening last week I made this classic of Spanish cuisine, the tortilla de patatas or de papas as many of us call it.
I started peeling  6 or 7 small Texas red potatoes (Muleshoe brand), washed them and cut them in small pieces. Then I peeled a white onion and also chopped it the same way. In a large pan I started heating some Spanish olive oil and fried both the potatoes and the onion. After they looked golden I took them out and drained the oil. In a small bowl I beat 6 eggs and then poured onto the potatoes and onions and added a little bit of sea salt. In the aforementioned pan , already without oil I dropped a tablespoon of olive oil, heated a little to medium heat and poured on it the mix of eggs, potatoes and onion. After exactly two minutes, having taking care of the borders with a skimmer, I took another pan and putting it on top of the other I turned around the omelette letting it sit on the fire for another two minutes, and it was ready:

Delicious straight or served with mayonnaise!