WoW...

One of our favorite recipes from our signed copy of Jose Andres' Made in Spain cookbook. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients
1 pounds fresh bonito or yellowfin tuna
2 medium green bell peppers, roasted, skinned and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 slices day-old bread, preferably country-style
1 pound plum tomatoes (5 to 6) or 2-3 medium tomatoes
3 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2 large onions)
2 tbs minced garlic

I had a hankering for Thai food since we're currently planning a trip to Thailand. I did a quick search, and voila! I completely 100% copied this recipe, which is an almost 100% copy of this recipe. Isn't plagiarism the sincerest form of flattery?

Thai Fish Curry, adapted from epicurious/Bon Appetit/wineguyworld blogspot

ingredients:
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro stems
2 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass (from bottom 6 inches of stalk)
1 tablespoon turmeric (or 1/2 tbs powdered)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 large garlic cloves, halved
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2+ jalapeno peppers (depending on heat level), seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 pound 1 1/2-inch-thick halibut fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces (can use any mild fish, or even other protein)
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (using the whole can is okay, but dilutes the flavors some)
salt to taste
Minced fresh cilantro

This recipe was super-easy and really delish! Courtesy of Yasmeen.

1 medium butternut squash
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup low fat Organic Greek Yogurt
1/2 a medium onion(about 1/4 cup), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of hot chili powder
1 clove garlic,peeled and finely chopped
third-inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
few leaves of fresh herbs, sage or rosemary
Few toasted pumpkin or squash seeds for garnish
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

I grew up eating americanized gazpacho (from various supermarkets and restaurants) that, though good, has nothing on a true creamy Spanish-style gazpacho. My first trip to Spain, I had an absolutely delicious gazpacho in a random (and probably tourist trap) restaurant on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. I still remember that dish and seek out true Spanish-style gazpacho wherever I can.

So I was delighted to find, upon reading James Michener's Iberia on my second trip of Spain, a recipe for authentic gazpacho included in this wonderful travelogue of the author's time in Spain in the 1960s. Even though Spain has changed much since this book was written, it is still a very interesting account of the country, and I would highly recommend this book for anyone traveling there. (As a side note, unrelated to gazpacho, while I was in Toledo, I sought out a restaurant that Michener frequented and spoke with the owner, "la jefa," who fondly remembered him.)

(And back to the soup... beginning on p. 340, incidentally where my book is starting to come apart) Michener says "gazpacho is Spain," and he is absolutely correct. He tells the reader, "If you ever travel in Spain and come upon a restaurant that serves gazpacho, take it, because no other dish in the country will you remember with such affection." After describing the recipe, he remarks "No part of this strange recipe sounds very good, but taken together and properly blended, these ingredients produce a soup which is as distinctive as vichyssoise."

Whenever I make gazpacho, I use Michener's recipe because I know it is pure, authentic Spain. No exact measurements, no modern interpretations - just the soup as it has been made for generations. In describing the typical preparation, he notes that Spaniards prefer the soup made with one cup of olive oil and no more than a tablespoon of vinegar. He then says that "Americans, of which I am certainly one, prefer not more than a quarter cup of oil and four tablespoons of vinegar." After a bit of experimentation, we found ourselves somewhere in the middle. This recipe is our version of the dish, americanized to be sure, but all Spanish heart.