Archive | Featured RSS feed for this section

Introducing Digby

24 Aug

For those of you who know us you will also know that we lost our beloved little Scrappy dog in June – thankfully we have been very busy so that has kept our minds of how much we miss him.  Last week, Pat (the lovely lady who dog sits occasionally for us) emailed us saying that she had a little Jack Russell cross who had been left at her gate.  She has 8 girl dogs of her own and so can’t take a male.

She said she knew it was a bit soon after Scrappy, but that this little chap was just gorgeous – very good with people and other dogs and immediately thought of us as I had said I would consider having another small dog in the future and she knew how heartbroken we were at losing Scrappy.  She said that there was no pressure on us as if we didn’t think we could have him, he was going in a vehicle to Holland on Sunday with one of the charities here (lots of them go to Holland – they must be really kind over there.  I emailed back saying that we would give it some serious thought that we felt it was a bit soon, but that we knew we were in a position to take in another little hound.

Once Mick and I had discussed the fact that we were indeed considering taking him we kind of knew what would happen next!  We went to visit him on Saturday and one look at his little face and the deal was pretty much done, on the basis that if he fit in with Kevin the Pointer and us we would keep him.  So we brought him home for the rest of the weekend to see how things went.  He is absolutely adorable, very very good and even Kevin seems to like him.  So we emailed Pat to say that things were going very well, we loved him already and to cancel his place on the lorry!  So we are back to a full complement of dogs again – Digby (the new one pictured) has not replaced Scrappy, but we knew he wouldn’t mind sharing. I hope he has a happy old time with us.

Arista (Roast rack of Pork)

23 Aug

Sunday and Mick and I have a precious day alone.  We have a little bit of work to do for the arrival of more guests on Monday but generally it is a day of pottering and some lazy time in the morning to decide what I will cook for dinner.  I always cook from scratch even if there are just the two of us and so I sit with a coffee and a wonderful cook book which my sister bought for me sometime after we moved here.

It is called Twelve – A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros.  But that’s not Spanish I hear you cry.  No it isn’t but of course the climate is very similar and so are the ingredients.  I love it – it is seasonal too so that really helps sometimes.  However, I really fancied a roast type dinner tonight and so went straight to February!

The pork here is fantastic – really good quality and I never seem to go wrong with it.  Actually I didnt’ have a rack of pork – I had a solomillo or fillet to you.  But I knew it would work just as well, just a little less cooking time (do watch it though as the fillet will cook fairly quickly so check it 30 minutes after the browning bit).   So you will probably need to go to the butcher and ask for a rack of pork (just like a rack of lamb).  Ask the butcher to chine it for you otherwise it makes carving difficult.  You can also look up chining on Google if you feel like having a go yourself!  If you can’t be bothered then do as I did and just get a lovely fillet of pork – the size you get depends on how many you are cooking for but around 1.5 kg will feed 5-6 with some leftovers.  If you are using a fillet, it is easier to judge by eye how much you will need as you will be slicing it up.

Ingredients

1 fillet or rack of Pork

zest of one lemon

Some slices of bacon, pancetta or palma ham

1 onion chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 celery stalks in pieces

A good slug of white wine – a couple of glasses

Half a cup of olive oil infused with sage, rosemary, thyme and garlic all chopped up and left for a while in the oil

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/400F/Gas mark 6

Rub the fillet all over with the oil and herbs – just do it with your hands

and scatter the lemon zest over

Wrap up in slices of bacon or whatever you are using and secure to the bones by tie-ing with kitchen string

Give a good grinding of pepper but no salt as the bacon is enough

Drizzle olive oil on to a roasting dish and place the pork in

Put the vegetables around the meat

Brown the meat for 10-15 minutes each side and then slosh in the wine and reduce the heat to 180c/350 f/Gas mark4 and continue to cook for up to an hour, turning occasionally and basting with the juices – you can add a cup or so of water if it looks like it needs it as it doesn’t want to dry out

Then remove from the oven and stick a skewer through to make sure it is cooked through – the juices must be clear.  Leave to cool and then carve if a rib or slice if a fillet.  I must say if you are not a confident cook then use the fillet as it is so easy and looks and tastes fantastic.  If you have the rib just cut into chops as you would a rack of lamb.

Mini Hollywood – Oasys – Tabernas

22 Aug

Almeria is known for its history as a film location not just for spaghetti westerns, but many other epic Hollywood films had scenes which were filmed here.  2001: A space odyssey was not filmed here but the moonscape scene seen through the window of the spaceship is actually Almeria!  Hence there is a great park here called Oasys – formerly Mini Hollywood.

Spain's most wanted man

It is near the Tabernas dessert around an hour from here and is a fantastic place to visit for a day out.  There is a western film set where they do a couple of shows a day with horses, wagons, shootings, hangings (all good family stuff!), a vast zoo where there are many many beautifully cared for animals in decent sized habitats, with rocks, waterfalls etc and immaculately kept, and a couple of decent sized swimming pools to cool off when it gets too hot (so take your togs with you and leave them in the car).

Zoo time

There are plenty of ok places to have lunch, or you could pack a cool box with a picnic and leave it in the car til lunchtime and then take it to one of the swimming pool areas and relax for the afternoon.  It really is an enjoyable day out but quite a lot of walking is involved so take pushchairs for toddlers if possible and plenty of coffee stops for the older generation.  I guarantee though everyone will have a good time.

Enjoy!

Telephone: 950 365 236

La Posada del Candil – Seron

17 Aug

Sometimes, when we’re feeling a bit ‘desert-ed out’ we say ‘let’s go and find somewhere new’  which generally means inland as we have driven quite a distance along our coast.  On one of these days, Mick remembered a place that he had read about called Seron so we thought we would head off there.  It is around an hour’s drive from the house but as always driving here is a doddle as there is virtually never any traffic on the motorway and the roads thereafter.

Seron is set high upon a hill and is an ancient little town which seems to sell nothing but, well, ham!  There is the ham factory, the house of ham, the family ham shop and ham interiors (well I made that bit up).  But seriously this is obviously what Seron is famous for.  It is a lovely little town though and provides cool relief in the summer and a good little excursion with a beer at the end of it.

We came across a fabulous Casa Rural – a sign for which we came upon when heading up to Seron itself.  To find it, you take the turning before the town and drive up and up and just when you are thinking “where the bloody hell is it?” you are on top of it – literally.

It is called La Posada del Candil and has undergone major renovation – I mean big time.  They have obviously spent a fortune as it is very very classy and immaculate. The view is astonishing and puts one in mind of being in an Alpine forest in Switzerland rather than dusty Spain.

La Posada del Candil

When we arrived it was clear that they had a massive party arriving any time soon – the tables were all beautifully laid out inside and there was lots of activity going on in the kitchen.  We were starving by this point and so I sought out an official looking dude and fell at his feet asking please for a menu and a small table.  He laughed and said that if we wouldn’t mind eating on the “porch” (actually the fabulous terrace with the view!) then he could provide a simple meal for us.  Our rubbish spanish came in very useful as not a word of English was spoken, as you might imagine.

The view from our table

We ordered delicious wine by the glass, ham (of course) and then another load of stuff which we weren’t entirely sure what we would be getting!  But we kind of knew that this was a pretty special place and that it would all be good.  It was – fantastic skewers of meat, sausages, chorizo, lamb chops – all done on an outside barbeque in the car park – a meat fest really so if you are vegetarian I wouldn’t recommend it unless you aren’t hungry and only want to look at the view and drink!

Buena vista!

Another clever little touch is that on their card they include the co-ordinates of the location so sat nav is easily done and numpties like me won’t get lost.  It is rather remote to say the least.  They have rooms here too which I would say is a must if you choose to go for dinner – the drive would be very dark and a bit scary and it is too far to go for dinner.  Lunchtime is a different matter though.

As we drove down the hill again, we were met by a string of cars containing the party – I think it was a wedding party as they were all glammed up to death.

Anyhow, check out their website in addition to our pix shown here.  Another visit is definitely due.

La Posada del Candil telephone number: 696 388 561

Las Brisas – Villaricos Playa

16 Aug

Placido Domingo or Lazy Sunday to you!  We went down to our nearest beach at Villaricos to meet some friends for lunch at one of our favourite restaurants, Las Brisas.  It is a charming chiringuito that serves fantastic food at lunchtimes.  6 or 8 choices of fresh fish, prawns, salads, and a decent choice of meat, steaks, lamb chops and pork dishes.

Lovely Sunday lunch

If you want the traditional lunch of Paella, you need to telephone the day before (apparently it is naff to have paella at any other time of day though goodness knows why!).

Paella - order the day before!

After a two hour lunch (pathetically short) it is down to the sea 10 yards away for a refreshing dip – the waves knock us off our feet and all hope of looking like Ursula Andress emerging from the surf goes out the window!  We don’t care – we have the rest of the afternoon ahead of us.  The beach here is under 15 minutes drive from the Cortijo so even if you just want a swim and a beer for an hour during the day it is no hassle.

Villaricos Playa

It is a lovely natural beach, with no umbrellas or beds – you take your own.  There is a natural lagoon so the water is always really warm at this time of year and the shore is flanked by lots of local Spanish families coming down to enjoy their regular family day out.  They bring everything but the kitchen sink with them and sit right on top of the water’s edge so nipping in and out of the waves is not too much effort!  They won’t leave untl sundown, but I have to get back to cook dinner for my guests but luckily I have prepared most it in the morning, so only a bit of last minute cooking to do.  I won’t get to bed before midnight as the kids have requested ‘The Hangover’ in the outdoor cinema after dinner.  There will be plenty of time for early nights in the autumn and if I am lucky I will get a short siesta in on Monday afternoon.

Las Brisas telephone number: 639 600 949

Harissa Dressing

15 Aug

I use Harrisa all the time – this recipe is from Delia’s summer collection and is put in my blog especially for Janet Wood, one of my lovely guests staying at the moment.

It is dead easy, cheap as chips (unlike the ones you can now buy in supermarkets) and you can obviously make as much or as little as you need.  I sometimes put in a small slug of vodka for no other reason than it gives it a tiny alcoholic kick (oh dear).

It will keep happily in the fridge for a week so if you have a bit left over it is lovely with barbequed or grilled fish such as Bream (Dorada as we in Spain call them), or even with a good rib eye steak.  Normally I will use it on a roasted vegetable cous cous salad – throw in some melting brie and some leaves on the top and you have a great dish for vegetarians.

To make enough for a huge dish of cous cous use:-

4 oz good olive oil

Juice of two limes (lemon is good too if you don’t have

limes in the house – why does one always have lemons, but not limes)

2 tablespoons of cumin – absolutely essential for this, so if you don’t have any you will have to go and buy some!

A teaspoon of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons of tomato puree

A pinch of sea salt

I just throw everything into a clean jam jar and give it a good shake – then leave for a few hours for the flavours to develop.

Mojacar Pueblo

13 Aug

Today I am going to write a little bit about the beautiful old town in Mojacar (or Mojacar Pueblo as everyone knows it) – the Pueblo is situated just up from Mojacar beach, high on a hill.  It is rich in history and has been occupied by both Moors and Christians over the centuries.

A great video here which shows Mojacar pueblo and beach.

You can certainly see the influence of the Moors in the architecture of some of the old buildings.  There is, I think, nothing nicer than wandering around the tiny, steep streets in the cool of the morning and stopping for a coffee in one of the many cafes or restaurants that the pueblo offers.

Mojacar Pueblo street

There are also some great souvenir shops, a cut above the normal gift shops (or toot shops as I like to call them) that one finds in coastal towns, selling some great pottery, clothing, jewellery as well as all the other stuff. On Saturday mornings, there is a flea market selling all kinds of bric a brac but good for a mooch if you are up early enough!

Mojacar Pueblo flea market

At night time during the summer months the Pueblo takes on a completely different atmosphere, with lots of things happening on any given day – there is a huge terrace as you enter the square which gives a panoramic view of the surrounding areas, right down to the coast, during the day, but serves as a stage at night for various performers and entertainers for all the holidaymakers.

Both in and out of season, it has something to offer – in summer it is lively, hot, busy and full of visitors from all over Europe enjoying themselves.   Out of season it is peaceful, beautiful and a very romantic place for dinner, though you can’t quite believe it is the same place that you partied at in August!  One thing is for sure, if you are visiting us or Almeria, Mojacar village is a must during your stay.

Vera Beach

12 Aug

Vera Beach is a beautiful long stretch of sand where you can happily spend the day sunbathing and swimming, or for those of you who like a bit more action, wind surfing or sailing the catamarans for hire.  It is just beyond the water Park so you can spend the morning on the beach and go to the park in the afternoon.  The water is clear and warm and there are beds and umberellas for hire.

Mick and I are off to Vera Beach after work for a drink at Lua, the beach club there (click here for pics etc) It is a very chilled out place for a drink either outside looking over the beach on the grass area or inside in the cool of the air-conditioned bar.  It is around 15 minutes away from the Cortijo by car so easy to get to either for a quick drink or to go later on for dinner.

You can lunch at Lua and use their facilities too -either a casual pizza or something more substantial – it is all good.  They also have a swimming pool and beds and umberellas next to the bar if you prefer.  Be careful which part of the beach you end up on though as it is Spain’s first legal naturist resort at one end so you may get more than you bargained for.  Err not for me thanks!  I like to take my early evening cocktail with my bikini on!

Basque Chicken

11 Aug

August is proving to be hotter than July and I am wishing that I had an outside kitchen like all sensible Spanish people do.  Even though my indoor one is in the shade in the afternoons, the tiles on the roof ensure that it is like a big oven!  And I have 7 people to cook for tonight.  Never mind, a swim and a glass of tinto verano (summer wine a little like sangria) at the end of it is keeping me going.

I am starting with classic caesar salad or home made hummus and am making a typically spanish chicken summer casserole to follow – Basque Chicken – it is surprisingly light and if you omit the chorizo, quite low in calories.

Here’s how to make it for four people.

1 chicken – whatever size you like (a large one would do for 6)

1 large spanish onion

2 red peppers

A handleful of sundried tomatoes drained

2 or 3 garlic cloves

A decent sized chorizo sausage either cooked or uncooked, whatever you can get skinned and sliced into pieces

Brown rice, a couple of cups will do and makes a nice natural thickener for the sauce

A generous half pint of chicken stock – by that I mean nearer a pint – I like plenty of juice!

A great big glass or two of white wine – we can get it in cartons here for twopence halfpenny, but plonk will do as long as it is dry

A blob of tomato puree

Half a teaspoon of paprika picante not dulce- I use one to make it spicier

A cup of black pitted olives

A large orange cut into eighths

Salt and pepper

A scattering of herbs – any fresh will do

Cut the chicken into 8 or 10 pieces depending on the size of it and season well.

Slice the peppers and onions, they don’t need to be fine

Brown the chicken in a little olive oil until brown and then drain them on kitchen paper. Then add a little more oil  and cook the onions and peppers for a couple of minutes.  Then add the chorizo, garlic and and sun dried tomatoes.  Give it all a good stir before adding the rice.  Add the stock, wine, tomato puree and paprika and bring it all up to a simmer.  Sprinkle on the herbs, olives and orange pieces and cover with a lid and cook very gently for around an hour, a little more won’t hurt.  Then just taste and add more seasoning and dish up with some lovely crusty bread and a glass of rioja.

Mine is simmering away so I have an hour to myself – hurrah!

Welcome to Yummy Almeria!

9 Aug

Welcome to Yummy Almeria, my new blog which hopefully you will find fun to read and helpful if you are thinking of planning a trip to Cortijo del Sevillano, Cuevas del Almanzora, eastern Almeria.

There are no Monday morning blues at the Cortijo and in fact no one ever seems to know what day it is including me!  That is a good sign I think unless the buildings insurance is due.  I will be including all kinds of information here – both useless and interesting – and will cover local activities, sports facilities, fiestas, beaches, towns both local and further a field, Almeria City, Murcia, shopping, markets and the most important one for me, Food!

I will include lots of restaurants which we or our guests have visited and what we think of them, and also include what’s cooking in my kitchen on a regular basis!

I have done all my chores for the day and write this from a hammock in our courtyard.  It is sweltering and I have just come back from the pool and mingled with the guests.  I tried out my comedy chocolate cake on them, comedy because I quadrupled the recipe and added quite a lot of baking powder so it looks like a giant cartoon cake.  I filled it with chocolate mousse, cream and black cherries.  I think, all things considered, that doubling the quantities in future will suffice and will also be easier to store.  I hate skinny cakes as they look a bit depressing and mean but equally, a foot high is a tad excessive.  But it was received with gasps not of horror I hope.

Newer Entries →