Sunday 30 June 2013

84 - Chickpeas and Onion [Garbanzos y Cebolla]

Um. Well I was hunting for something basic. I found it. 



The Verdict:
Well its light but pretty uninspiring and thats after I added some paprika, chili and red over white onion. Fine but nothing special.

Taste: 2/5 Emm...
Time: 4/5 12 Mins
Visual: 3/5 Bland
Magic: 2/5 Nah.

83 - Tomatoes on Bread [Tomates en Bread]

Yup. Believe it or not Tomatoes on Bread is a genuine recipe. Its also a perfect summer lunch time meal. 

The Verdict:
Fresh, light, tasty, more-ish. A Standard staple which is a favourite for valid reasons. That it all. 

Taste : 3/5 Simple 
Time :4/5 10 Mins
Visual : 4/5 Bright
Magic : 3/5 Staple

82 - Prawns in Oil [Gambas Pil Pil]

Another dish on the move in a lunchtime picnic special. Trying to work between three jobs is rough. Not to mention exhausting and insanely stressful.

The Verdict:
What's not to love. Just Awesome.

Taste:  4/5 Yumsk.
Time:   4/5 Yup.
Visual : 2/5 Practical Albeit not Pretty
Magic : 4/5 Perfect




81 - Bean and Chili Salad [Habas y Chile Ensalada]

Another quick dish eaten on my London adventure. This time from a small tapas bar near Camden in London town. God knows how but after one of my standard epic walks I ended up in Hampstead Heath from having started near Westminster. Well I had music and the sun was out. 
The Verdict:
Quick, yummy snack, cheap and refreshing on a summers day! Not particularly adventurous but tastier than expected so an overall win.

Taste:  3.5/5   Light
Cost:      4/5   Pretty Cheap
Speed of Service : 3/5 Meh.
Magic:      3/5 Double Meh.


80 - Squid and Chrorizo [Calamar y Chorizo]

Another busy week and some cross country traveling has resulted in a lack of updates. On this day I found myself back down in London for a graduate open day at Dneg studios. I had such a great time there and handed them just about every shred of information I have for an application. So once again its back to waiting and keeping fingers crossed. Handily opposite the studio was a spanish deli and restaurant called iberico which was lovely. Being on a non-existent budget meant I opted for a small but lovely dish and made a mental wishlist of things I'd like to buy/try.
The Verdict:
Perfectly cooked, lovely mix of flavours. Really tasty and great balance of texture!
Taste:                   4/5
Cost:                     3/5
Speed of Service: 3/5
Magic:                  3.5/5

Thursday 27 June 2013

77 - Black Pudding and Prawn Skewers [Morcilla y Gambas Brocheta]

Finall a dish using Spanish Morcilla as opposed to breakfast favourite black pudding. This was not made by myself (as you can probably tell from the genuinely attractive presentation) and was created with balls of black pudding from Milan which were mixed with rice. Tasted closer to sushi than black pudding which got me thinking about some sort of Japanese-Spanish fusion dishes...

The Verdict : I loved this. Such a great balance of flavours with ever mouthful tasting good and exactly as ne would expect. Only downside was that there could have been more Morcilla! 

Taste: 4.5/5
Time: 3/5
Visual: 4/5
Magic: 3/5


76 - Spanish Dolmades [Dolomades EspaƱolas]

Such a busy, crazy week it's been, so much so I'm having to edit this on the move so post presentation like many of my dishes at the moment is in need of a makeover. So this dish is more Medditerranean than specifically Spanish. And while they were mentioned on Masterchef Austrailia (possibly my favourite program...because I'm sad like that) the coincidence of me making them was simply circumstantial. 

The verdict: While the oil/leaf balance on these were a little bit erratic and the presentation was far from elegant - Tupperware while practical is not renowned for producing beautifully presented food - theses were mouthfuls of satisfying gooey parcels of yum! 

Taste: 4/5
Time: 2.5/5
Visual: 2/5
Magic: 3.5/5 

79 - Poached Egg and Roe Tapas [Huevo Escalfado y Roe Tapa]

The insanity of my life this year has resulted in having some part time employment in a gorgeous Medditerranean restaurant part time. It's a lovely place with renowned food and working there is rather fun. On the more disturbing side though it has meant that I have encountered industrial sized times of pressed cod roe. This makes my stomach churn slightly as roe, which I encountered for he first time in South Africa n Feb is, in my opinion, pretty awful. I just don't appreciate it. The idea of industrially pressed fish eggs though strikes me as worse. The Spanish lady at work, Carolina however tried to sway my hand and assisted in making this tapas. Not only did I eat roe but successfully poached an egg in wat without the use of any utensil. Yes 28 years of age and I can finally make eggs...

The Verdict:  I'm sure many people would of snapped this up as a winning day, the roe just killed it for me. Maybe someday ill acquire a taste but not anytime soon. The ham was excellent, the bread nice and rustic and the egg was well cooked. Shame about the roe! 

Taste: 2.5/5
Time: 3.5/5
Visual: 4.5/5
Magic: 3/5



78 - Anchovies with Garlic, Chili and Lemon [Anchoas con Ajo, Chile y LimĆ³n]

Well Anchovies are not my favourite fish. But incredibly common in Spain and Portugal, they are a staple ingredient in many tapas dishes. I've been pushed for time and been on the to so much recently that I have no choice now but to start making a d net into the dishes contain them. It's not that I hate them but I find a little goes a long way and I prefer them as an ingredient in sauce than marinated in a dish. Still it's not cucumber and salmon roe tapa so I'm confident I can do this!

The Verdict: Ok given that I'm not the biggest fan of this fish this actually tasted really good. The amount of lemonade garlic perfectly cu through the fish ones which I find np,easing and allowed the texture of the fish to shine. I was pleasantly surprised and may have to rethink my stance on this Medditerranean staple! 

Taste: 3/5
Time: 3/5
Visual: 3/5
Magic: 3/5

Sunday 16 June 2013

75 - Prawn Skewers [Brochetas de Langostinos]

So incredibly shattered. Taken on far too much recently but in a way think I needed to. Its good for me at the moment to be rushing around and kept busy. So another simple, quick one! 

The Verdict:
Oh so good. Prawns are amazing and with some butter and lime is simple but utterly delicious.

Taste:  4/5 Simple Yum
Time:   4/5 7 Mins
Visual : 3/5 Stiicky
Magic : 3/5 Yip!

74 - Sweet Potato Chips and BONUS Pancetta Wrapped Aparagus [Camote Chile Frites y PLUS Aparagus Envuelto Pancetta]

Lunch in the go. Ironic that I'm now working in and out of kitchens all day yet finding it hard to cook for myself. This wasn't made by me but for me which is just ace. Tapas lunch on the go! What's better than coking for yourself, getting cooked for that's what! The homemade chips I have been informed were cooked in the following way : 
"cut into wedges, par boil for 3mins, put oil cajun spice, chilli powder, cumin, coriander and paprika in roasting tin mix wedges with spices, season then whack in oven for 25mins turning half way"

The Verdict:
This was a perfect combination of taste and flavours. Sweet Potatoes are amazing and when chili and a crunchy shell are mixed complete win! The asparagus fingers and pancetta were crispy, tasty and brilliant. Many thanks! 

Tatse:   4/5 Loved!
Time:    2/5 35 mins
Visual : 4/5 Tupperware aside these looked awesome!
Magic : 4/5 Yum! 


73 - Spiced Chicken [Pollo con Especias]

Challenge Accepted! One of my jobs at the moment is working for a catering company in both a lovely boutique restaurant at night and in various good ol' commercial kitchen canteens at lunch. Its really fun and I'm loving the fact that I'm on my feet making things as well as spending the evenings in front of a laptop getting the animation done. This chicken dish was one I got to invent for serving a Friday canteen of 25 lunches to oil workers. As I got to choose I went for a tapas marinaded chicken. 

The Verdict:
This fitted the requirements of the canteen, filled the bellies of some hungry men and was the first time I've created a recipe for a large amount of people for a set time. Not the most exciting dish but worked in the context and helped me tick my tapas box. Juicy, tasty and chargrilled. 

Taste:     3/5 Perfectly Cooked
Time :     3/5 15 Mins
Visual :    4/5 Yum
Magic : 2.5/5 Solid Work

Friday 14 June 2013

72 - Ways to Dress Olives [Formas de Vestir Olivos]

Believe it or not : Ways to dress olives is genuinely a collection of olive marinading recipes! With the book residing an hours drive away I find alternative ways of dressing olives. Being on the go this week, pots of olives work in salads and are a great source of food/ energy when flitting between three jobs. Exhausting though. The best thing about this is that you can re-use some ingredients. For example after making 'Gambas Pil-Pil' and demolishing all the prawns, the remaining garlic/oil infusion makes a gorgeous baste for olives! Also works for roasted peppers, tomatoes, salads, pickles...etc...

The Verdict:
Perfect starter and varied with chilli/ garlic and herbs. Not the most adventurous dishes but tasty, versatile, long-lifed. Can't really score this as there are many variations of this but how can you not go wrong...

Tuesday 11 June 2013

71 - Chorizo and Prawn Tapa [Chorizo ​​y Tapas Gambas]


Ooohhh...what's this? Wait. Hold the phone. What IS this. Yes this. What? That. That glowing ball in the sky. Could it be... at last....a summery day! [stares at sky for a minute blinking] . Nods. Indeed. QUICK. I demand we go to the beach at once! 

As life is proving to be relentless and its onto another move and another [secondary] job and another home I have managed to leave my Tapas book behind in home #2. Nevermind I can pick it up soon and the internet and imagination/ resourcefulness fixes all. This one was created on one of my favourite beaches at a much needed picnic. So I was schlumpy from work and shattered after the pervious late night's work involving a laptop which fell out with a 3D mesh (grrr..Maya) but a picnic on a beach was called for and it was very fun. Muchos Gracias Brillantes Uno! 

The Verdict:
Seaside surf and turf. Nothing like a bit of sand to add an extra texture/ dimension to a meal. This was such a fun adventure and needed a dish which was equally as spontaneous and exciting. A simple tapa (with epic flavours) was required and this did not disappoint. I raised eyebrows when adding the jalepenos but the mozzarella and prawn completely balanced the dish out. Tasty, insane (and slightly sandy). 

Taste : 3.5/5 Oooh
Time :  5/5 3 mins
Visual : 3/5 Ad Hoc
Magic : 3.5/5 Yups

Also...sand skeleton...

Sunday 9 June 2013

70 - Morrocan Roast Chicken [Marroqui Pollo Asado]


Another serving from The Tapas Bar. This time from the bird family! Moroccan spices like I've never had outside Spain. All these tasty encounters are also teaching me that I badly need to expand my vocabulary to fit the tastiness of the food, (and invest in a better camera) I'm just not doing the good dishes enough justice!

The Verdict:
Wow. Incredible. Skin is crispy, Flavours are amazing and well balanced. The chicken literally melted off the bone, it was so tender and juicy and just really, really yum! 


Taste :                   5/5 Wowee
Cost :                     5/5 Brilliant
Speed of Service : 5/5 Entertaining and Informative
Magic :                  4/5 Yes!

69 - Lemon Hake Cheeks [Limon Filetes de Merluza]


The best Tapas I have ever had in this country and indeed one of the top three meals [in no particular order] I have ever had was at this weird and wonderful tapas bar above the ferry inn in Broughty Ferry. A strange set-up but absolutely delicious and incredible value for money. With nothing on paper and once they had established any dietary requirements there was a set menu in which they brought out several lovely and perfectly cooked dishes explaining there and then what they were. The one I';m reviewing tonight was lightly battered Hake cheeks with parsley and lemon..

The Verdict:
Absolutely perfectly cooked. Light, lovely batter, perfectly cooked fish, far from doggy and rich in flavour. Not the most memorable dish of the meal but one of the tastiest dishes of fish I've ever eaten...

Taste :                   4/5 Awesome
Cost :                     5/5 Brilliant
Speed of Service : 5/5 Entertaining and Informative
Magic :                  4/5 You Bet

68 - Jalepeno and Cheese Croquettes [Jalepeno y Croquetas de Queso]


Lunch with one of the closest people to me in the world resulted in the ordering of these delightful squidgy things. 

The Verdict:
So incredibly tasty. Spicy, creamy, toasty and incredibly yummy! Great lunch in lovely company!

Taste:                      5/5 Soo... Good
Cost:                       4/5 Bargain 
Speed of Service:   2.5/5 Erratic
Magic                     4/5 Yumski

Friday 7 June 2013

67 - Fried Squid with Chili and Garlic [Calamares Fritos con Chile y Ajo]



How to cheer yourself up when ill/ down/ blargh : find and eat some chili squid with a lovely companion! Sure its unhealthy but (after tom yum or wanton soup) its my favorite ultimate comfort food. Eaten all over the Medditeranean and Middle - Far East this has become a staple order of mine whenever I go out for a meal and is something I WILL learn  to cook properly...

The Verdict:
Never fails to cheer me up. Perfectly cooked, lovely flavours and excellent white wine, lemon, parsley dipping sauce. More Please. Yes Please. Yumsk..

Taste:                    4.5/5 YUM!
Cost :                     3/5 Fair Price for an Octopus
Speed of Service : 3/5 Sure
Magic :                  4.5/5 Oh Yes.

Also how cute are these chocolates?! I was brought them back by my family from Amsterdam when they had been away on an adventure and just got round to opening them.. These are so sweet, tulip shaped, come in all the main chocolate flavours and the chocolate used is high quality and delicious (although the while chocolate were naturally my favourite).

66 - Asparagus with Tomatoes [Aparagus con Tomates]


So so so incredibly tired and been rather ill today which resulted in a frustrating spiral of moping inside despite the weather, realisuing how nice it was and how bad I felt so moping more. Regardless though it was time for something simple and refreshing.
The Verdict:
Surprisingly absolutely excellent!
Taste :  3/5 Fresh
Time :   3/5 15 Mins
Visual : 3/5 Yes
Magic : 3/5 Solid Effort


Tuesday 4 June 2013

65 - Scallops, Bacon and Mushroom [Vieiras, Tocino y ChampiƱones]

Bar prawns which are easy to come by and wonderfully tasty Scallops are without a doubt my favourite seafood. They are so incredibly odd and I'm still not entirely sure how they even function [cue a wikipedia search]. I like how non-descript they are, appreciate their texture and the fact they go very well with black pudding which I love is merely a bonus. The recipe actually called for mussells but simply I prefer and had some Scallops. I actually made this for breakfast because I work up very hungry which given my co-ordination skills at that time of day was a miracle. 

The Verdict:
This was yummy. Scallops and Bacon work and chargrilled mushrooms are very tasty indeed. I added a bed of roasted pepper/ tomatoes just because I could. 

Taste:   4/5 Ace
Time:    3/5 15 Mins
Visual:   3/5 Sure
Magic : 4/5 YES


Monday 3 June 2013

64 - Baked Peppers [Pimientos Asados]


Salad-type one today. Why not start the week as I mean to go on - Colourfully. Simple but I am hoping that the different tastes of the red and green peppers will be interesting enough.

The Verdict:
Not the most astounding dish ever but the peppers were cooked beautifully and there was a good balance of flavours and textures. As a simple salad this was very effective. Would undoubtedly be better paired with another dish but stands up as refreshing and colourful on its own.

Taste : 2.5/5 Predictably Peppery
Time :     3/5 15 Minutes
Visual : 3.5/5 Colourful 
Magic : 2.5/5 Peppers