How am I feeling? A Monday is still a Monday - even if you are working from home! But the sun is shining and the sky is blue. My mid-day break with be a socially distant lunch with a friend and co-worker.
What am I watching? Watched a country music special last night where the musicians played from their homes. It made me realize that everyone is going through the same thing. And of course, still watching Cuomo's daily briefing.
What am I reading? Wish I could tell you that I am reading more...but I didn't do much of that over the weekend. I did promise the family that I would restart my Sommelier studies this week.
The presentation over lunch was spectacular. Honestly, I have prepared, given and listened to a lot of presentations and this one was spot-on. The girl has a gift. And at the end, she surprised us all with choosing to attend Dickinson College.
So...Sunday lunch...that is perhaps my favorite meal of the week. Regardless of where we were in Europe, if I could drive to France, I would on a Sunday just to have Sunday lunch. Ask my family....I put them through it last summer - driving from Spain across the border into France where I had already booked a table for Sunday lunch. My requirements are not lengthy...I want a prix fixe, 3-course, leisurely lunch. I want to arrive at noon and leave at 2pm. I want a kir to begin, one or two glasses of wine, some sparkling water and a digestif to end. Maybe I do have some lofty requirements.
Yesterday, we started our lunch with Foie Gras on toast and a glass of our favorite Cremant d'Alsace. Cate gave her presentation and then for our main course, I made Oeufs en Cocotte and Salade. What are Oeufs en Cocotte? Literally, eggs in a pot. So have you seen those super cute little pots with lids made by Le Creuset? Scroll down and look for the mini cocottes: https://www.lecreuset.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=cocotte They are so damn cute that you have to have a set. I bought mine from the factory store in France...two friends of mine, drove down on a Sunday morning, went to the factory sale and then to...Sunday lunch. Another story.
Anyway - for my Oeufs en Cocotte - very simple, no recipe. You can use a variety of ingredients. I cut bacon into small pieces, cook them, add sliced leeks and cook until softened. Place a tablespoon or so of the mixture in the bottom of the cocotte - leaving a hole in the middle. Crack an egg and place it in the hole. Season with salt and pepper. Grate some Gruyere cheese and sprinkle over the eggs. Top with a tablespoon (or two) of heavy cream. Cover with the top and place in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. You want the egg to still be a bit runny. I serve with a salad and a small piece of toast. I honestly could have these every day.
I have digressed enough given the title of this post is Spanish Tapas. For dinner, we snacked on Spanish Cheese and Jamon Iberico (yes, I get an entire leg of Jamon Iberico for Christmas!). I followed that up with grilled baby squid stuffed with breadcrumbs and shrimp. We had this in Montenegro one May evening and have loved them ever since.
However, the main tapa of the evening --- Croquetas de Bacaloa or Salt Cod Croquettes. This dish is not hard but you have to start it a day ahead of time. The recipe comes from Spanish Sabores which is an offshoot of Devour Tours, a tour company that we have used many times when we have visited Spain. It is a wonderful small business started by an American and devoted to food. They conduct great food tours in Madrid and a number of other cities. Once, we had a tour of the Prado museum followed by a lunch of sucking pig at the world's oldest restaurant. Last summer, we had unforgettable tapas tour of San Sebastian. Unfortunately, with this crises, they have had to layoff most of their tour guides and it has been very hard on them. So, I hope that with our Salt Cod Croquettes last night, they felt that we were thinking about them.
Anyway, Lauren Aloise has a great website and you should visit it for all sorts of recipes. You can probably do a bit of online travelling as well. And when this ends, take one of their tours.
https://spanishsabores.com/2012/07/08/salt-cod-croquettes-croquetas-de-bacalao/
Penn Mac and Wholey's both sell salted cod.
Stay healthy and safe. Until tomorrow.
lal
Anyway - for my Oeufs en Cocotte - very simple, no recipe. You can use a variety of ingredients. I cut bacon into small pieces, cook them, add sliced leeks and cook until softened. Place a tablespoon or so of the mixture in the bottom of the cocotte - leaving a hole in the middle. Crack an egg and place it in the hole. Season with salt and pepper. Grate some Gruyere cheese and sprinkle over the eggs. Top with a tablespoon (or two) of heavy cream. Cover with the top and place in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. You want the egg to still be a bit runny. I serve with a salad and a small piece of toast. I honestly could have these every day.
I have digressed enough given the title of this post is Spanish Tapas. For dinner, we snacked on Spanish Cheese and Jamon Iberico (yes, I get an entire leg of Jamon Iberico for Christmas!). I followed that up with grilled baby squid stuffed with breadcrumbs and shrimp. We had this in Montenegro one May evening and have loved them ever since.
However, the main tapa of the evening --- Croquetas de Bacaloa or Salt Cod Croquettes. This dish is not hard but you have to start it a day ahead of time. The recipe comes from Spanish Sabores which is an offshoot of Devour Tours, a tour company that we have used many times when we have visited Spain. It is a wonderful small business started by an American and devoted to food. They conduct great food tours in Madrid and a number of other cities. Once, we had a tour of the Prado museum followed by a lunch of sucking pig at the world's oldest restaurant. Last summer, we had unforgettable tapas tour of San Sebastian. Unfortunately, with this crises, they have had to layoff most of their tour guides and it has been very hard on them. So, I hope that with our Salt Cod Croquettes last night, they felt that we were thinking about them.
Anyway, Lauren Aloise has a great website and you should visit it for all sorts of recipes. You can probably do a bit of online travelling as well. And when this ends, take one of their tours.
https://spanishsabores.com/2012/07/08/salt-cod-croquettes-croquetas-de-bacalao/
Penn Mac and Wholey's both sell salted cod.
Stay healthy and safe. Until tomorrow.
lal
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