Paella: The Star of Spain

May 19 | 0 comments | culture

Every country has its dish to boast about, but has there ever been a dish a country fights over more often? It seems that every region in Spain has a claim on the “correct” way to make a paella, just like they each claim to have the “correct” way to speak Spanish. But that’s another article. And I have to say, after trying every paella I could get my hands on, I think they are all right! Whether they are traditional Valencian, seafood, or mixed, give me a properly prepared paella and I am one happy lady.

Now where paella originated is a matter of debate with stories ranging from a cheap king serving his leftovers with rice to try to skimp on a feast bill to the Moorish influence of rice and fish casseroles. But the truth is probably that field workers would prepare a rice dish in a pan over the fire and add whatever ingredients they happened to have around, which usually included snails, rabbits, and vegetables. Once the main populace caught on, things got a little more involved.

The key to correct preparation, so I have been told my many a Spaniard, is the paellera. Also just called a paella itself, this pan has two looped handles and my dip slightly in the middle to hold the oil for sauteing. But the main importance is the fact that it is big, and I mean very big. The rice should be only as thick as “un ditet,” or the width of one finger, so about 1/2 an inch. You want as much rice touching the bottom of the pan as possible so you get that delicious, crispy layer called the socarrat. So if you don’t have a paellera hanging around, just grab the biggest stainless-steel or other all metal skillet you can find. Cast-iron isn’t the best choice since the sides are so deep and non-stick pans aren’t the best at creating that crispy bottom.

Next is the sofrito and this is where the debate begins. Sofrito is a combination of tomato, onion, garlic and a variety of spices, herbs, and peppers. It’s a little like the salsa we love so much with tortilla chips here in the US, but is cooked instead of raw and a good bit less chunky too.

The meat is of course the next big item on the big debate. For a traditional Valencian paella, you start sauteing rabbit, chicken, and/or snails, as well as beans and artichokes. This is the most famous paella recipe, and ask anyone from Valencia and they’ll tell you it’s the only correct way to eat a paella. There are also the seafood recipes that are more popular along the coast which include mussles, squid, octopus, fish, and all other delicious sea foods. Then there is the mixed paella, probably the most well-known throught the world as your standard paella. This is a delicious combination of the seafood and the Valencian paella with some spicy chorizo sausage probably thrown in there as well.

No matter what kind of paella you are eating you can know it tells a little bit about the cook. To make a great paella takes love, care, and attention to detail that you may not find in every restaurant out there boasting “traditional paella.” But don’t let that stop you! It sure doesn’t stop me from dipping my fork in the paellera for one last bite of the socarrat!

What is Cinco de Mayo All About?

May 05 | 0 comments | culture

If you’re like me, then you are definitely excited about the festivities of Cinco de Mayo, when everyone in the U.S. gets together and stands in long lines at mexican restaurants to enjoy fajitas, nachos, tacos, and their favorite drinks, all in celebration of Mexico’s independence…or not.

The idea that Cinco de Mayo is all about Mexican independence is a wide misconception in the U.S. Even many college Spanish majors don’t know the real reason they set aside May 5th for piñatas and lime flavored drinks, so read along and maybe you can win the big prize for Cinco de Mayo trivia.

Americans are sometimes a little disappointed to learn that Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independece Day, but rather a commemoration of the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It was an important battle because the French outnumbered the Mexicans 2 to 1 and had not been defeated in almost 50 years, yet the Mexican army under General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín was victorious. Unfortunately, with money on the mind (France was trying to occupy Mexico to make them pay their debts), France deployed another 30,000 troops within a year and won Mexico City, installing Archduke Maximilian of Austria as ruler of Mexico. The story gets better when, after ending the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln helped Mexico to expel the French and assassinate Maximilian, thus restoring the Mexicans to power in their own country.

So even if the French did end up ruling Mexico for a while, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated to commemorate the bravery and victory of Zaragoza’s outnumbered army at the Battle of Puebla. So, during your festivities with friends and family, why not toast to the bravery of Mexico and maybe educate some of your fellow Americans on the real reason they are celebrating on the 5th of May.

Tapas - Delicious Snack or Drink Cover?

Apr 17 | 0 comments | culture

Tapas, those delicious little snacks you can get in any bar in Spain, have recently been making quite a splash in the United States. In the past 3 years, I have seen 4 tapas bars pop up in my neighborhood alone. And people are crazy about them! The thing is, other than serving tiny bits of expensive food and over-priced drinks, these trendy American tapas bars have almost nothing in common with your traditional Spanish tapas bar.

In many places in Spain, dinner is not served until 9 or 10 o’clock at night. So many people like to “tapear” or go out and eat tapas at a few different bars to meet up with friends, discuss the day, and in general just relax in a fun social atmosphere. In a lot of the major cities and in most parts of Adalucía, when you order a drink, often you get a tapa for free. Or sometimes it is the other way around; if you order a tapa, you get a free drink.

Now, how this tradition came about is debated among a few popular theories. First, it is important to know what “la tapa” means. Literally, it means “cover” or “top,” so it is important to keep this in mind when thinking about its history.

Some say that some sneaky tavern owners from Castilla-La Mancha found that a strong smelling and tasting cheese could “cover” the flavor of cheap wine. This way, they could sell the not so great wine for a higher price by including a free piece of cheese.

Others say that when King Alfonso XII was visiting Cádiz on the south west coast, he ordered a cup of sherry, which is famous in this region. In order to protect the wine from the blowing beach sands, the waiter covered the wine glass with a slice of cured ham. King Alfonso apparently enjoyed it and asked for another glass of sherry with a “tapa” just like the first.

Less legendary is the thought that since you are most likely standing when you are out having drinks with friends, you would need to cover your drink with your plate in order to have a free hand to eat. Or that you would need to top your sherry, a very sweet wine, with bread or ham to keep the curious flies away.

Now what kind of tapa you get with your drink widely depends on the region, but the staples are olives, of which there can be many different varieties, bread with aioli, and some kind of fried seafood. It is also very common to see small slices of bread topped with Spain’s famous jamón serrano or slices of cheese. My favorite is tortilla española, which is very similar to an omelette with pieces of fried potato and onion inside instead of cheese.

There are thousands of tapa recipes out there and I encourage you to try a few on your own. Being all the fad right now in the US, your friends would definitely be impressed if you invited them all over for an early evening of tapas at your house. ¡Salud! and ¡Buen provecho!

Valentine’s Day in Spanish-Speaking Countries: For Love and Friendship

Feb 13 | 0 comments | culture

Chocolate, flowers, dinner, dancing, and most of all love. Everywhere you look on Valentine’s Day you can see love-birds holding hands and trading sweet poems and gifts and friends exchanging Valentine’s cards, balloons and hugs. Valentine’s Day can be celebrated by all and in many different ways, depending on where you are in the World.

In most of South America, Valentine’s Day is known as “El día del amor y la amistad,” or Love and Friendship Day. This special day is not just for lovers! Many groups of friends exchange Valentine’s cards and gifts and later go out for dinner, all in the name of friendship.

In Spain, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in much the same way as in the U.S. and the U.K. But many people also celebrate “El día del libro y la rosa” on April 23 in which men give their special lady a rose and she gives him a book in return.

This year in Venezuela, Valentine’s Day has been canceled! Or, rather, postponed until the 16th where it will be celebrated for a whole week. Hugo Chavez thought with such a big voter referendum coming up on February 15, that Valentine’s Day may be too distracting, so he just moved the celebration to the day after.

Colombia celebrates Valentine’s Day on September 20 where it is very popular to send gifts from secret admirers.

Bolivia also favors September for its day of love, celebrating el día del amor on September 21 in conjunction with Students’ Day, Day of Spring, and Children’s Day. It is common to give cards, flowers, chocolates, and teddy bears to friends, family, and loves.

No matter where you are, Valentine’s Day is a day for love and friendship and a great time to show those you love how you feel.

¡Feliz San Valentín! ¡Feliz día del amor y la amistad! ¡Feliz día de enamorados!

We Are Not Alone: Father’s Day in Spanish-Speaking Countries

Jun 12 | 0 comments | culture

Year after year we agonize over which tie, pair of socks or cologne to buy and give to the father, fathers or father-figure in our lives. Perhaps this year you will take comfort from the fact that Americans aren’t the only ones who must endure the torment and insecurity of picking out the “perfect” gift: most Spanish-speaking countries must do it as well!

Father’s Day (El Día de Los Padres) Dates in Spanish-Speaking Countries

Country	Date
Belize	Third Sunday in June
Costa Rica	Third Sunday in June
El Salvador	June 17th
Guatemala	June 17th
Honduras	March 19th
Nicaragua	June 23rd
Panama	Third Sunday in June
Argentina	Third Sunday in June
Bolivia	March 19th
Chile	Third Sunday in June
Colombia	Third Sunday in June
Ecuador	Third Sunday in June
Paraguay	Third Sunday in June
Peru	Third Sunday in June
Uruguay	July 19th
Venezuela	Third Sunday in June
Mexico	Third Sunday in June
Puerto Rico	Third Sunday in June

The majority of the Spanish-speaking countries featured above share the same Father’s Day date as the U.S.–the third Sunday of June. But while Father’s Day is an official holiday in the United States, for many of the these Spanish-speaking countries (Mexico and Costa Rica among them) Father’s Day is an unofficial holiday.  Nevertheless, it is celebrated with the same fervor.  I guess fathers in both the United States and Spanish-speaking countries are great pretenders:  they always make us believe that what we buy them, however banal and boring it may be, is their favorite.

Happy Father’s Day!

or

¡Feliz Día del Padre!

9 Top Spanish-Speaking Travel Destinations

Jun 05 | 0 comments | culture

Spanish-speaking travel destinations vary from the extreme to the exquisite, the famous to the infamous. Perhaps you want to scale a mountain or maybe you desire the star treatment at a luxury resort. Maybe you want to spot celebrities on the riviera, or perhaps you just want some time away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Think about what you love in your vacations and then check out these 9 top Spanish speaking destinations suited to match your travel personality.

Check out the spot for your travel personality:

  * The Archaeologist
  * The Fine Arts Lover
  * The Cosmopolitan
  * The Celebrity Gawker
  * The Recluse
  * The Outdoorsman
  * The Rum Connoisseur
  * The Deep Sea Adventurer
  * The Party Animal

The Archaeologist: Chichen Itza, Mexico

You were the kid that anxiously awaited the ancient civilization section in social studies class. You still love to find “treasures” in nature even if it means finding some ear phones on the grass at your local park. You can pretend all you want but wouldn’t it be far more scientific if you were to actually discover something at the ruins of an ancient civilization? You can! In Chichen Itza, Mexico, you can explore Mayan civilization grounds like the Cenote Sagrado, a large sink hold that measures 198 feet in diameter. “Archaeologists” just like you have found jade, gold rings, necklaces and (gasp) even ancient human bones-the remains of young girls sacrificed to the Mayan rain god Chaac! If you can, you should schedule your trip during the next spring equinox. At the Pyramid of Kukulcan, or El Castillo, a natural phenomenon occurs where the sunlight creates a shadow image of a serpent descending down the pyramid’s stairs! Ooo..how eerie!

The Fine Arts Lover: Madrid, Spain

Pouring over your college art history books and hanging reprints of Diego Velaquez may pacify your desire to see the original but sometimes, you just have to go see it for yourself. Just a hop, skip and an airplane-fueled-jump away is Madrid, Spain in all its fine-arts glory. The Golden Triangle of Art refers to the three great art museums of this city: Museo del Prado, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Museo Reina Sofia. Walk the sprawling space of the grand Museo del Prado and see Diego Velaquez’s Las Meninas and Francisoco de Goya’s La Maja Vestida. Then over at Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, walk through eight centuries of European paintings including Renaissance and Baroque paintings by Titian, Sebastiano del Piombo, Caravaggio, Rubens, Van Dyck, Murillo, Rembrandt and Frans Hals. Finally at the Museo Reina Sofia, one can discover art exclusively by Spanish artists including two of 20th century’s greatest artists: Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Good thing these museos all have stores! Buy all the reprints you can carry on the airplane!

The Cosmopolitan: Buenos Aires, Argentina

You are the child of the World and you like to soak in every aspect of a culture. Welcome to Buenos Aires, Argentina–a city so unique, you’ll want to move here. Buenos Aires is known for steak, the tango, and the shopping so go ahead, dive right in! The steaks are grilled in the traditional Argentinian manner that propelled it to world-wide popularity. The steak is grilled on a parilla, an Argentinian traditional barbecue and coal grill. As famous as the steaks but perhaps a bit more lean is the tango. Tourists and locals alike congregate in tango clubs to dance the night away. Every hotel offer tango lessons and have a tango ballroom so do not fret about not finding a venue–not that you would. The shopping in Buenos Aires is among the best in the best in world. Buenos Aires boasts very fashionable streets paved in cobblestone that is a great departure from indoor malls associated with shopping in the US. Also, the great exchange rate does not hurt either!

The Celebrity Gawker: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

You check Perez and The Superficial compulsively. You have no clue what is happening in the world right now but you do know where Angelina and her brood are right this moment. Your TiVO is filled with E! celeb-reality shows and you can’t wait until you can binge on them the moment you leave work. If these statements apply to you, you are destined for Cabo San Lucas where celebrities vacation (it’s proximity to L.A. is unheard of!) and where you can gawk at them IN PERSON! The beaches are exclusive, pristine and so sunny that you will need to bring those Nicole Richie sunglasses that block out half your face (plus, sun and flashbulbs will destroy your retina and you need your retinas to see Jake and Reese on their vacay!). Other than gawking at the genetically gifted celebrities, you can book yourself in world class spas, swim laps in an infinite pool and dine at five star restaurants. Book that hotel or private villa in advanced, pack your bags and remember some binoculars…you are going to CABO!

The Recluse: Placencia, Belize

Placencia is a true tropical getaway destination. The sixteen miles of pristine beaches, the various areas to snorkel around the barrier reef and the relatively low tourist traffic makes one feel like they are alone on a beautiful island…with all modern amenities and great cuisine of course! The coral reef that surrounds the island is a great place to snorkel, even if you have never been before. There are a slew of different snorkeling spots to fit any experience level. Fishing and sailing is another great aspect of Placencia. The calm, warm waters lend itself to some big fish and if you are lucky enough to catch one, a personal chef will cook your catch according to your instructions! The various keys around the island make the Placencia even more beautiful. Divers often dive off these keys into the marine abyss.

The Outdoorsman: Puebla, Mexico

If nature is your best friend, then Puebla will become your family. Indulge yourself by visiting the many national parks including the Izta-Popo National Park, La Malinche National Park and the valle de Tehuacan Biosphere Reserve (which is the largest reserve in the world). You can go hiking, biking and see animals in their natural habitat! For those of you aspiring to be a outdoorsman, don’t worry: Guided tours are available too. Back in the town, you can roam around the market and find town artisans selling handmade crafts, Talavera pottery, el arbol de la vida (the tree of life) figurines and one-of-a-kind onyx and marble sculptures.

The Rum Connoisseur: Ponce, Puerto Rico

If you are the type of person that can smell Rum when thinking about the Caribbeans while sitting at your desk at work in December, then you must travel to Ponce, Puerto Rico. Wait, you haven’t heard of it? Ponce is less touristy than San Juan but if you think this city is inferior in quality, then you thought wrong. This is the home of the Serralles family and their historic distillery which produces Don Q authentic Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi and Captain Morgans are not distilled in Puerto Rico). You can take a tour of their former mansion, soak in the Serralles family story and drink Don Q all around the city (evidently, this is the only Rum Ponce carries). Remember, when you’re lounging on the beach sipping on some Don Q, do not put it down. The many different types of exotic birds that fly around the pristine beaches are known to snatch things from patrons!

The Deep Sea Adventurer: Isla del Cano, Costa Rica

For those who like diving, beware…you may never want to leave Isla del Cano! Isla del Cano (Cano Island) is rated as one of the best diving locations in the world by Skin Diver magazine. Are you a diver-wannabe? It’s okay becauseIsla del Cano has dives to fit any skill level. Located off the southwest coast of Costa Rica, Isla del Cano’s coral formation ranges from 15 feet all the way to 80 feet “walls.” Marine animals that are prevalent in this area are sharks (ranging in size from six to ten feet), sea turtles, dolphins, stingrays, morays and huge snapper and grouper fish! This life aquatic is untouched due to its status as a Biological Reserve so all dives are regulated (only five dive locations are open to the public at a time under federal regulations!). You will probably want to pick up a commemorative shell while you are near the ocean floor but sadly, it is against the Costa Rican law to remove any marine object from the ocean, dead or alive, so remember that before get caught for being a shell smuggler!

The Party Animal: Barcelona, Spain

After a day of strolling around historic Barcelona, looking at Gaudi architecture and feigning happiness in touristy pictures, all you want to do is go out. You’re in luck because Barcelona is one of the greatest nightlife cities in all of Europe. The nightlife doesn’t start until after 12AM so make sure to start your night at the myriad of bars and cafes before hitting the clubs. Keep away from the touristy Barri Gòtic & Las Ramblas and head over to The Village People or Barrio Alto neighborhood. If you partied too hard the other night and just want to listen to music and lounge, there are so many places for you to go! The music club scene is eclectic in this city, offering daily shows in all music styles including jazz, blues, classical and, oh course, flamenco.