Category Archives: cooking

gazpacho

19 October 2011

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growing up on madrid, during summer, we had gazpacho almost every day. of course, i never got to do it, but a couple of years ago my friend Bea shared with me her recipe. its so easy to do, refreshing and healthy –  its one of those things i always like having in the fridge.

gazpacho = 8 ripe tomatoes + 1 green bell pepper, with no seeds + 1 cucumber + 2 cloves of garlic

whizz all up in the blender with water, olive oil and salt to taste, place in fridge before serving very cold. love it with some chopped boiled egg –  you can also add chopped onions, peppers, cucumber, croutons,  and so on.

in provo, try the one they have at the grill rouge (seen on picture).

cream cheese choc chip cookie

12 October 2011

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i’ve been wanting to try a choc chip cookie recipe for a while – every time i go to green bean for a coffee and a cookie i ask myself what am i waiting for. so, when i found this recipe, and since i’m in a cream cheese mood, i thought i would give it a try.

i was so proud the way the came out, the tough part is having to let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight… but in the end it is so worth the wait!

hummus = delicious

29 September 2011

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last month, when james’ friends came for a visit, they shared this simple and easy hummus recipe – i absolutely adore hummus and its a a great appetizer for our warm nights in provo. how didn’t i think of doing it sooner…?

all you need is –

  • olive oil
  • a can of chick peas
  • 2 cloves of garlic (or more if you like it very garlicky)
  • juice of half a lemon
  • salt ‘n pepper

whiz it up in a mixer and serve with warm pita bread – there you go!

the freshest fish

22 September 2011

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every day i am more and more into fish. although i miss the variety and quality of fish from back home, i try to eat as much local fish, lobster and conch as possible.

when buying from the local fishermen, here in provo, i know its fresh, as i see them arriving to the dock – you can’t get fresher than this!

but when buying from the fish mongers or supermarket, i always find it hard telling if the fish is fresh. so i found a few jamie oliver tips on this;

USE YOUR EYES

  • Fresh fish has shiny almost slimy skin like it’s just come out of the water.
  • Scaly fish like salmon, sardines or red mullet should have all their scales intact not half rubbed off.
  • Fish should have bright clear eyes, not cloudy or glazed over, and healthy red gills. filets of fish should be shiny and look wet. The flesh should not be flaking apart.
  • Look at the display of fish. If they’re neatly laid out on the ice it shows that the fishmonger cares about what he’s selling. If they’re carelessly thrown in a pile so the filets are bent and flaking apart, be wary. Just imagine what the fridge in the back must look like!

USE YOUR NOSE

  • Fresh fish never ever smells fishy. It smells of the sea.
  • Don’t be afraid to get close to the fish and take a good sniff. Trust what your nose tells you.
  • Strong fishy smells in a fishmonger’s are a bad sign, and if you smell anything like ammonia, it’s time to turn around and walk out the door!

USE YOUR HANDS

  • Reach out and touch the fish if you can. It should be slippery and wet like it’s just come out of the sea.
  • Press it lightly. It should be firm and slightly rubbery to the touch.
  • Fish that has hard, dry skin or is squishy and soft to the touch is fit for the bin, not your frying pan!

more on how to tell if fish is fresh

picture source