Crown Roast - Picture Perfect

Have you ever had a nice old fashioned crown of ribs roast? I hadn't, which is why I organized this year's Easter dinner at Can Roig - one of our gourmet restaurants out in Cap i Corp, just in view of the sea. I felt it was time I experience this classic roast.

The chef, Juan, schooled in one of the top schools in Barcelona liked the idea when I spoke to him some weeks ago. And just to be certain, I downloaded three photos - each a variation on the theme. I am sure he enjoyed doing something different and off his menu.

I find this photo stunning but it doesn't quite do justice to what is now very past tense.

"Unfortunately" explained the waiter, "we couldn't find a bigger lamb, so instead of filled with vegetables, we present it this way. We hope this is no problem?"

Of course it wasn't. The crown was resting on four good sized medallions taken from the leg cut and deboned. There was also wild asparagus and broccoli. The center bouquet is mint, rosemary and sage flowers...the white you see are the paper cuffs, hand made. Obviously, he did not have them on hand...because this concept of serving lamb is definitely not a Spanish thing to do. Definitely an exception, much appreciated though.

By the way, did I mention it was one of the most delicious meals we've had in a very long time? Need I say the lamb was tender and flavourful, the roast vegetables a delight? There was also a side bowl of superb classic brown sauce (oh thank goddess, we've been spared the obligatory English mint sauce!). Lemon sorbet with Cava (Spanish champagne) was the perfect closure to a very memorable meal.

Divine dining, we did. Very repeatable.

Easter - Sugar Eggs and Tosca

Do you remember these panorama, pressed sugar eggs from your childhood? Nostalgia and running across the kit (can't remember if it was Belgium or in Germany...or did I order it?) prompted me to try my hand at making 'sugar art'.

I made these eggs about 3 years ago. A few are faded because I had them out too long past Easter and the sun bleached them somewhat. But they store well and I bring them out each year.

Tosca, a true admirer of edible art, was highly interested. Fortunately and unlike Russo, she has no interest in sweets or chocolate...in spite of Reggie's sweet tooth and chocoholism.

I hope your Easter is/was enjoyable no matter what your spiritual followings. For me, its a spring thing with much symbolism and I honor/respect those around me here in Spain for whom it is a major holiday - more so than Christmas, in fact. What do I take from it? A sense of renewal and a reminder to move/improve forward.

Green blessings to you!

Things You Need To Know...

. The dye used to colour the bright red uniforms of British soldiers (think 1700's or so) was made from the root of 'madder', a type of cleaver (Galium family).

. The herb referred to in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' that was for remembrance was rosemary.

. Americans consume about a third of a pound of pepper per capita annually.

. Caraway is the most popular herb seasoning for bread in ...Germany and Austria (why are we not surprised).

. One of the most used herbs in Spanish cooking is laurel (bay leaf) followed by thyme and rosemary.

. Stuff fennel in the key hole to keep the witches out!

...and now you will all be able to sleep better tonight! ´ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

:D

Traditional Easter Braid (Osterzopf)

This afternoon after discussing with Mama who's doing which cake when, I decided to make a yeast cake - a traditional German one. This version has ground hazelnuts and grated apple as the main ingredients for the filling. The eggs were coloured raw as they bake with the cake.

I know Mama likes a good, fresh baked yeast cake so she took home half. Tomorrow I'll be baking a regular cake but one in the shape of a lamb, the other of a rabbit.

Why not...afterall I've got the forms. Mama will be making an egg shaped one from another form of mine. So Sunday after our lunch, we'll have plenty of cake for dessert. I groan already.

The second photo is one I did last year. No filling in that one.

It's an Easter thing to do ;>D

Alpha, Beta, Theta...Have a Snortfull

Here's a little herbal trivia for you from my notes:

Increase your beta brain waves and heighten awareness by sniffing stimulating essential oils, such as rosemary or peppermint.

For promoting relaxation, a sense of well being, activate the alpha and theta waves by sniffing on lavender and sandalwood.

It's not a bad idea to carry a homemade sniffer with you depending on your situational needs. A small bottle (like those used for liquor samplers or digestives) with a little cotten stuffed in it and a few drops of EO (essential oil) is all you need.

Carry a rosemary or peppermint one when you need to be more awake/aware at work or driving and another with lavender or sandalwood for when you suspect a stressful situation (going to a meeting, dealing with aggressive situations/authorities).

Does it work? I think it does, of course subtly and like many things believing it will is a real boost. Just remember that EO's should be used judiciously and when a true need is there and not just for making the room air 'smell nice'. They are, afterall a powerful medicine.

I made one for my cold and head congestion. A personal blend of thyme, tea tree, and peppermint oils - a homemade Vicks sniffer. Just unscrew the cap, close off one nostril and SNIFF. Wooooo! It worked and I am certain the anti-bacterial properties of the oils (especially the thyme and tea tree) helped keep my head cold in check.

More trivia: the ancients used a crown of rosemary to honor academics. In ancient Greece, students studied with a sprig of rosemary behind the ear believing it helped them study better and increased their power of memory. Now we know WHY it works, something the ancients didn't - rosemary stimulates the beta waves helping memory, concentration and even mood.

Which is why, never take a bath with rosemary bath essence and think you can "sleep easier after a bath". Wrong. It WILL stimulate you. Save it for the Monday mornings.

The Eggs Have It

Easter is upon us and besides chocolate bunnies for Reggie and bringing up a few Easter decorations, my thoughts are on eggs...which I love anyway. Mama enjoys the holiday bits and, well, if it makes her happy I play along. So, we colour eggs et al. Some Easters together, other times - suddenly Easter is upon us and we do our thing separately until time to exchange our baskets.

But none of the above has to do with my tip for today...except that I doooo appreciate eggs, eat them at will and have no cholesterol problem - which is a lot of rubbish anyway. I get mine free range and ultra fresh.

So, do you know how to tell fresh eggs from not? Here you go:

Guidelines To Ensure That You Are Consuming Fresh High- Quality Eggs
You can go to the American Egg board for a great overview of eggs.

Always check the freshness of the egg right before you consume the yolk.

If you are uncertain about the freshness of an egg, don't eat it. This is one of the best safeguards against salmonella infection.

If there is a crack in the shell, don't eat it. You can easily check for this by immersing the egg in a pan of cool, salted water. If the egg emits a tiny stream of bubbles, don't consume it as the shell is porous/contains a hole.

If you are getting your eggs fresh from a farmer it is best to not refrigerate them. This is the way most of the world stores their eggs; they do not refrigerate them. To properly judge the freshness of an egg, its contents need to be at room temperature. Eggs that are stored in the fridge and opened immediately after taking them out will seem fresher than they actually are. Eggs that you want to check the freshness of should be kept outside the fridge for at least an hour prior to opening them.

First, check all the eggs by rolling them across a flat surface. Only consume them if they roll wobbly.

Open the egg. If the egg white is watery instead of gel-like, don't consume the egg. If the egg yolk is not convex and firm, don't consume the egg. If the egg yolk easily bursts, don't consume the egg.

After opening the egg you can put it up to your nose and smell it. If it smells foul you will certainly not want to consume it. (Duuuhhhh? - my comment)
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And there you have it. Anyone for a soufflé?

Wished for Wisteria

Besides bouganvilla, wisteria must be one of my favourite climbing plants and one that I always aspired to have gracing a wall of my house. For me it is a romantic, elegant plant with the similar grace of willow trees. I always have an emotional reaction to them.

We planted this pale wisteria about 3 years ago and were told that it can take 4 years to bloom. Promptly that year it gave us two stunning clusters. The next year about 20 and this year it is just magnificent. We couldn't begin to count the clusters. It has made it up to the upper terrace as you can see so we enjoy it sitting out on the table.

The other wisteria, more blue, is in a large raised bed by Reggie's office in the back garden. Perhaps it is not so happy there and gave us in the second year a few clusters as it did this year too. Well, we are grateful for that too and praise it. Perhaps its roots are restricted, as it doesn't climb much.

Unfortunately, wisteria blooms only for a few short weeks a year. But it has become an event we look forward to!

Herbal Walks with Canine Guide

A few days ago I went out to Cap i Corp again to one of my favourite places to gather certain wild herbs. Sometimes I take Tosca with me, my favourite herbal walk companion.

This time, while I was gathering tender, young fennel fronds (somewhat out of the photo and more to the back) I noticed that Tosca found one of her favourite munching herb - Daucus carota aka. wild carrot or Queen Anne's Lace. She loves it. Next time you buy carrots with the tops still on, you'll think of Tosca.

Plucking and tugging with her teeth, she goes about her business while I go about mine. The difference is that while I am amused by her, she's not amused by my herb choice. Not a fennel fan.

In our area, wild fennel and wild carrot grow everywhere. And one can note where they grow, the thyme and rosemary do not...the latter preferring dryer ground. (You can find lots of information here on fennel, written by yours truly. I gather it to make my version of a Sicilian speciality - patties made with dried bread, parmesan cheese and chopped, blanched fennel fronds. They are sooooo tasty!)

Other times when we are out and about and she is curious what plant I am paying attention to, she'll wander off on her own investigations. When I have a look at what she has found... it is the same herb I had shown her...fennel excepting.

Tosca, the herb hunter.

Busy Updating

I have finally updated my Epicurean Table site with the seasonal menu (and of course vegetarian suggestion) and other updates. Much of it 'maintenance' work and I am still at it...since this morning until this evening. With breaks of course...little walk with Tosca, lunch, this and that and almost two hours at the pensionista dance. Not much going on there though this evening. So I came home early, puttered...and finished up tweaking my website.

Still have a little more to do tomorrow. Hopefully no more than an hour on a little reformatting articles.

What weather we had today, up in the 30's. Lunch on the terrace was lovely. This evening Reggie said the House Dragons (a small family of gekkos) - the female came out of hibernation and took up her place behind the decorative plate on the wall of the terrace. A stratigic position as the lamp just above it attracts late night snacks!

Mi Mimosa

...and here it is today in its full glory, bees and all busily buzzing about to and fro. Yes, this tree buzzes or so it seems until you look a little closer. Note the difference in the photo montage of 'How Does My Garden Grow' post.

I too, have been really busy these last days, mostly readingreadingreading until my eyes cross. But I have been out for my long morning walks (Nordic Walking about 45 min, that is to the light house and back) and in the evening a shorter walk with Tosca - since She-the-Sled-Dog and the Nordic Walking sticks do not function together well.

Amazing what 6 kilos of terrier-power can do. She could easily be lead dog in the arctic races...and drag the team on to win. She just needs a heavier fur coat.

Are terriers trainable (to walk)? Some, with difficulty, yes. Australian Silkie Terriers? No. She listens rather well to me, until she is out in the captivating magic of 'Out There' meaning 'walkies' where there are stray cats, other dogs, untrustworthy 'other humans' and exciting scents.

By the way, leashes are for humans to attach themselves to their lead dogs. Otherwise they'd (the humans)get lost, you see. Or silly you, did you really think they served any other purpose? ;>D

Ask 'Madam'...whose favourite 'thing' is 'On a Mission' power walking with me in tow.

Mimosa Tree

Mama's mimosa tree coming into bloom is one of the reasons to look forward to spring for. It is glorious - preceeding that may be a few bulbs coming up such as daffodils and crocuses - but a mimosa tree in coming into bloom is simply a spring delight.

I can watch hers progress from our terrassa.

Hers is a different type to mine (see right) which always blooms after hers, as if not wanting to distract. The type I have distinguishes itself not only by the much different leaf, but in the fact that it grows quicker and stays in bloom longer. The 'yellow pom-poms' are larger and the tree has a delicate 'weeping willow' character to it.

In the second photo you can see the progress of just a few days later. Ah, and the scent is faintly sweet too.