weekend

No particular plans, went to Spice of India in Swords last night, very good value.  I've a bit of a cold so a little spice helps, but little sense of taste this morning, coffee could be instant.

Some more tomatoes and chillies this morning, a friend at work got me these really cute little Tabasco sauces, good for holidays.

Planning maybe burger / steak with salad and potato wedges today, no idea for tomorrow yet

Freezer, plants and cooking

So freezer died, we had been expecting it, but still lost a little bit of stuff, not too much and most of what is in there was on offer or short dated, but we don't like to waste anything.  At least it gave us a clean start, there were lollies in there for at least 3 years and some coriander that was probably old enough to vote.

So to christen it, made ragu, chilli, curry, bought a short dated chicken for breasts and legs, cooked the wings and made stock, all for the freezer.

I got a good harvest of toms and chillies from plant-pots and green-house respectively:


As I needed egg white to clarify the stock, I made mayo with the yolk, looks pretty, but I did slightly over vinegar it...
 

I also made some truffles:

250ml double cream, 50 grams of vanilla sugar (had it lurking, but recipe days soft brown), into a pan bring to boil, chop up 50g of butter and 250g of good dark chocolate (2 bars cheap in JCs) in a bowl, add in cream and stir until smooth - if it is still lumpy and cooled, out over a pan over water (a bain marie) to warm up and stir - this is a ganache.  Put in fridge for a couple of hours to set.

Use a melon baller to scoop out onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper.  I then left overnight in fridge.

I made 4 coatings, ground almonds, ground coconut, cocoa powder / vanilla sugar mixture and white chocolate (messiest, soften in microwave or bain marie, pick up truffle with a tooth pick and drizzle chocolate over it.  For the others just into a shallow bowl and rolled the truffle in them.  Back into fridge to re-harden.
a few examples below



Also made flapjacks from a very simple recipe with a slight change.  Half a bag of muesli ( had some I didn't like), tin of condensed milk and mix together, I added chopped figs, currants, crushed nuts, dessicated coconut and then a bit of honey, as it was a bit dry.  Into a medium oven for about half hour:




Risotto with pork later

Segovia and a bit more Madrid

Segovia, about an hour on bus North of Madrid was magical, probably prettier that Cuenca or Toledo, both previous trips out of Madrid very much like the Sicilian town of Taormina. Lots of good tapas, THE aquaduct and a fantastic meal of roast piglet (cochinillo - the town's dish) in Restaurante Jose Marie



Some great tapas, not a bad one in three days, best was this kind of stewed, maybe pickled lomo



Went back to Madrid, for last two days visited all old haunts, loved Malasna's regulars as well as around Sol.  We were staying near Principo Pio with a great view of the Royal Palace, went to a bar twice we have walked past before and is now definitely on our favourites - Restaurante El Urogallo.  Massive ladle full of great albondigas and potatoes for a tapas, good wine, went back for a couple of media racions, rabo del toro outstanding.

Home now, bit sad, tired and fridge freezer has died!!!

Back in Madrid

Very early flight to Madrid, three days, then three in Segovia, back to Madrid for a couple.  Staying in a tiny AirBnB apartment, will do a bit of cooking, but not too much.

Days of tapas yesterday, all the usual haunts, Alhambra, Cervantes, Fatigues, a couple of new ones near the apartment including the best crisps free tapas:


Bowls of crisps with slices of very good jamon, with our beers.

Had the old faithful jamon y potatos con huevos in Alhambra so v happy -San's fave meal in the world

Went for a walk this morning to Paeque del Oeste, saw sonething going on at the Simon de Bolivar monument - it being 6th August - Bolivian Independence Day, listened to speeches, bit of singing, National Anthem, some old one shouting Viva Bolivia and had a lovely empanada