New position

I've taken a new position at a campus-geared website writing about all things food related, and I love it! The bad part it's taken away from my time spent here, on my faithful old blog. I hope I can manage to keep both things afloat at once, and to start I am going to link articles I've written back and forth between sites, with some changes.

Since I've taken this position, I've found myself even more consumed with food: something I didn't think was possible. But, it's true, food has become an even bigger driving force in my life. It's always on my mind, even when I'm supposed to be concentrating in class. But, I kind of like that. It gives me the feeling that my career is starting to take front stage over classes, and at this point, so close to graduation, I think that is a positive sign.

Things are falling more and more into place everyday, and I'm loving it.

Here's to my future filled with food!

Restaurantes en Santander

Aunque estoy contenta con la comida que mi madre cocina, me gustaría probar restaurantes en Santander también. Así, el otro día, después de almuerzo en mi casa, fui con amigas a un restaurante cerca del centro. Tuvimos el menú del día y era tres diferente opciones para el primer y el segundo plato y muchos opciones para postre. La comida también incluye vino y café.  Tuve hojaldre con jamón y queso, calamares asados con cebollas y papas fritas. El hojaldre era riquísimo y se sirve con un ensalada y puré de papas muy cremoso. Los calamares eran delicioso también y la salsa de cebolla los complementado perfecto. Para el postre tuve pudin de coco. Era como flan, pero con el sabor de coco. Lo me gustaba mucho. En todo, fue un buena experiencia, y quiero ir a más restaurantes antes de salimos Santander.

Paella

Hoy mi almuerzo era increíble. Aquí están fotos. Disfrute!

Leaving my preconcieved notions of Spain behind

During my time in Santander, in Cantabria, on the northern coast of Spain, I am staying with a local family. While there are many benefits to staying with locals, including continuous inoculation to the language, I have to say the best part is getting a taste of how locals really eat. This isn't some restaurant or chef's interpretation of Spanish food, this is real, stick to your bones home cooking. I'm not sitting in a four-star restaurant being bombarded by jazzed-up interpretations of what makes Spanish food uniquely Spanish, I am tasting what comes from the hands and hearts of people raised on the cuisine.

I have to say, I am constantly surprised by the variety of foods I am served here. I have had a classic soup from Burgos, pasta tossed lightly with hard-boiled eggs and white-fleshed fish, garlicky meatballs, steamed cabbage, fried sardines, chicken wings and roasted pumpkin soup. I guess I didn't really know what to expect in terms of a "theme" of Spanish food, but so far I haven't been able to grasp on to a strong common thread, besides the use of olives and olive oil, which I expected.

It seems people have a kind of "anything goes" type of mentality when it comes to preparing meals. What they have on hand, what they got at the local market, is what is served. Sometimes each part of the meal is separate and compartmentalized. Sometimes it seems there is no cohesion. But the strange thing is it works. I can't complain about anything I've had. And even though with my American-mentality I first questioned the pairing of certain foods (Why aren't we having pasta with the meatballs? Wouldn't pork go well with cabbage?) in the end everything was fluid and logical.

I am more than ready to encounter another odd couple and have my preconceived notions of what makes a meal "a meal" challenged again and again.

Madrid

El primer almuerzo

El primer día en España fue muy abrumador pero tenemos tiempo para un buen almuerzo. Fuimos a un restaurante poco en un paseo. El comida completa fue sólo 10 Euros y incluyendo ensalada o sopa, un plato principal, postre y bebidas. Comí una ensalada caprese primero. No fue como la ensalada caprese yo estoy familiarizada con. Claro hay fueron tomates y queso, pero no albahaca ni balsámico. También, la ensalada tuvo aceitunas y lechuga. Fue muy extraño. Por mi plato principal tuve lomo con un salsa picante y papas fritas. Las papas fueron muy delicioso. El lomo fue ordinario, no especial. Pero, lo mejor fue el vino. Nosotros tuvimos cuatro o cinco botellas de vino tinto y todo fue incluyendo con el precio y lo fue sabroso. Típicamente no bebo vino tinto, pero cuando en España!  Y no fue vino barato como se recibe por un precio económico en los estados unidos. ¡ En realidad, vino es la bebida más económico en España y es más barato que el refresco y a veces la agua!

The first day in Spain was really overwhelming, but we still had time for a good lunch. We went to a little restaurant in an alley. The whole meal was only 10 Euros and included salad or soup, a main entree, dessert and drinks. I had a Caprese salad for starters. It was not like the Caprese salad I am used to. Of course there were tomatoes and cheese but no basil or balsamic. Also, the salad had olives and lettuce. It was really weird. For my main dish I had pork loin with a spicy sauce and french fries. The fries were sooo good. The pork was pretty ordinary, nothing to write home about. But, the best part of all was the wine. We had four or five bottles of red wine and it was really good and included in Price. I usually don’t drink red wine, but when in Spain! And this was not cheap wine like you would get for a low price in the U.S. In fact, wine is the most economical drink in Spain and is less expensive than soda and sometimes water!

¡En Madrid!

¡Buenas! Estoy en Madrid. Llegué ayer mañana. El hotel tiene wi-fi, pero es sólo in recepción y es sólo para 30 minutos. No bueno. Pero, estoy usando el wi-fi gratis de Mcdonalds en mi cuarto. No es bien, pero es mejor de nada. También, en dos días voy a ir a Santander! Ojala que puedo usar la computadora más y es más fácil para conectar con el Internet. Bueno, me duelen las manos porque necesito tener la computadora en un posición incómodo para usar el wi-fi. Más después!

Hey! I am in Madrid. I got here yesterday morning. The hotel has wi-fi, but only in the lobby and you can only use it for 30 minutes at a time. It sucks. But, I am using (stealing) the free wi-fi from Mcdonalds in my room. It's not very good, but it's better than nothing. Also, in two days I am going to Santander. I really hope that I can use the computer more and have a better internet connection. Well, my hands are killing me from holding my computer up in the awkward position I need to get wi-fi. I will write much more later!

España

I will be spending 6 weeks in Spain this summer, and 8 weeks in Europe total, and as the time slowly approaches, I am starting to feel the excitement.

My plan (just a plan, remember!) is to blog in both Spanish and English about the delectable things I try while I am there. After finding out I got a $1,000 scholarship this weekend, I am even more excited about it, particularly about the FOOD! This means I can spend all of my free time nibbling and munching my way through the country without worrying about all of the money I'm spending.

Most of my time will be spent in Santander, a small coastal town on the Northern tip of Spain, not too far from France. It is going to be a seafood extravaganza, and I can't wait!

So stay tuned, and be prepared for some mouth-watering photos and tempting words.

Getting creative with the Co-op

Because my sister is part of a co-op, we always seem to have an over abundance of vegetables. At first it was great, but after a while you get sick of trying to invent ways to use sweet potatoes and kale. So one night, after weeks of arugula, I remembered a pizza I once had with my grandmother in Germany, who, by the way, does not like arugula in the slightest. But I liked the pizza and remembered it, so I did my best to recreate it.

I grabbed some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and prosciutto, sliced it all up, and layered it on top of my homemade dough. And while the dough could have been rolled out thinner, I was being lazy, and it turned out great anyway.

The only complaint I have is I should have made two pizzas. I definitely didn't get enough.

When tradition is broken

Don't get me wrong. I am all for holding onto tradition, and sometimes I prefer the original version of things: the first Nintendo gaming system, the original Facebook layout, Neapolitan pizza, etc. But, sometimes, tradition has to be broken.

This is how I feel about Paula Deen's "Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding" recipe. While I have always loved, and always will love, classic banana pudding chock full of Nilla Wafers, Paula Deen's version of the yellow-tinted, creamy classic elevates the dessert to a whole new level.

With the addition of frozen whipped topping, cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk (and surprisingly no butter,) the pudding becomes lighter and more complex. And while the use of Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies in place of the Nilla Wafers renders this version a little more expensive, it is definitely worth shelling out a couple extra dollars.

Even for all of you die-hard traditionalists, this is one twist on the original you should try.

Paula Deen's "Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding"

Ingredients

• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

My logo

In my visual storytelling class, to practice using Adobe Illustrator, we had to make a logo for our name. We were supposed to choose a font and object that represents us. I used a font that I found creative yet professional, which is how I see myself. I hope others see me like that too. We were to use only one color other than black so I chose green to emphasize my last name. I picked a whisk as my object because it was easy to draw in illustrator and it signifies my love of cooking and food. I hope you like it!

Talent rises

We met at, what was for both of us, our very first restaurant job. We were both enrolled in high school culinary programs. And while we have taken very different paths, we have both become extremely successful.

I am so excited for my talented friend Morgan's success in his new restaurant Slyce in Ocala. I hope I can review his restaurant soon, but for now here is a piece that was in the Ocala Star Banner.

Slyce Bistro & Pizzeria

If you are in the Ocala area, please try it out, and support another local eatery!

Not my latest, but fairly new

Freedom at last

I am so excited Reporting is over. I can finally resume my life, including continuing this blog!