18 - Ham Tortilla [Tortilla De Jamon]

Finally a piece of Spanish food that people can relate to. this is a thin tortilla with ham (or bacon). After last nights inanity it was time for something proper and which I knew would be a disastrous lark to make. I need humor in my life this week and the insanity of animating a stick man playing golf and creating 3d danish pastries aren't quite cutting the bill....


The Verdict:

Mental note to self: remember when you are making pancakes and the first one comes out all rubbish because the pans not at the right temperature and there's not enough/ too much butter... yes the same happens with Tortillas. It tasted really yummy mainly because I used bacon instead of Serrano Ham as the recipe dictated. I had you see run out of Ham but did have some gorgeous oak cured bacon courtesy of the Tesco's. I think the addition of the bacon more than made up for the scrambled mess which became the tortilla (thing). It was rather tasty and considering it was just for me I didn't really care how It looked but to be fair I'm judging it on my ability to make it. I did include a picture of it in the pan as well and to be fair it didn't look any better....

Taste :     3.5/5    

Had Better Tortillas. Had far worse.

Time  :     5/5       6 minutes
Visual :     1.5/5    Made By Someone Else Probably 4
Magic :     2/5      Needs Convincing

To my infamous flat-mate Mr Ciaran Garvey,
Thank you for putting up with my kitchen-stealing insanity but from this day forth no matter how bad anything I make looks, you have surpassed it with this. A pot of green which not only gave our entire kitchen a grotto-green hue but which took about 3 hours to make. In fairness though, it did taste pretty awesome...

17 - Meatballs [Albondigas]

Finally some actual ingredients. I also managed to have a huge phone row, tidy the kitchen and get the washing on while making these so multi-tasking to the extreme...

The Verdict:

Given the circumstances these were point blank awesome.

Taste :     4.5/5   Yes Please. 

Time  :     3/5      25 minutes.
Visual :     4/5      More rugby than round.
Magic :     4/5      Fairy dust.

16 - Fried Morcilla Pinchos [Pincho De Morcilla Frita]

Great excuse to eat black pudding on toast for dinner. Coming from Scotland I probably don't even need an excuse but the way today and this week are going I'm going to take whatever excuse I can...


The Verdict:
Its in my genes to appreciate this. Though it could of done with something else like tomato to balance it out. Greasy, tasty and just what I needed...

Taste :     3.5/5    Breakfast Sandwich

Time  :     5/5       5 minutes
Visual :     2/5      See Title
Magic :     2/5      Scottish Staple

15 - Rice and Black Pudding [Arroz Con Morcilla]

I'm having a day where I'm just overwhelmed by all the bad things in the world. Its a bit ridiculous but I put it down to tiredness and the fact I'm running a fever for no apparent reason. I was really wanting to hit the extensive fish section in the book tonight but the sheer lack of anything in local shops this evening dictated otherwise. I thought a rice/ meat based thing would be a good idea and on seeing black pudding I was sold...

The Verdict:

As my flatmate said when he saw it "geez that looks like something that came out of me earlier... but with tomatoes" I have to admit he's right. This is beyond a doubt the ugliest tapas yet. Having said that beauty is only skin deep and despite appearances this tasted really, really good. It was meaty but also rather sweet and the rice was cooked perfectly. Great balance of flavours and textures completely made up for the fact this looks like a dogs dinner. This could well be another comfort food type tapas and today I really needed it....

Taste :     4.5/5    Meaty But Sweet

Time  :     3/5       20 Minutes
Visual :     1/5      No.
Magic :     3.5/5   Far tastier than it looks

14 - Pork Fillets In Wine [Solomillitos De Cerdo Al Vino]

This strikes me as the perfect  wet and windy Sunday meal. Simple, warming and rather wintery which as I've caught a cold is badly needed and gives me an excuse to finish off a bottle of red which I've had sitting around for long enough and is probably safer cooked with than drunk...

The Verdict:

Considering how simple this was and that it took such a small amount of time, this was incredibly yummy. The pork was juicy and tender and the wine smelled incredible and infused the meat well. It was so filling and easy. I had initially though the sauce might be too runny or dull but there was a good balance. if nothing else this exercise is teaching me that you don't need a lot of ingredients and that a simple tasty meal can be created quickly with a limited number of herbs...

Taste :     4/5       Flavourful and Juicy

Time  :     3/5       15 Minutes
Visual :     4/5       Red, The Colour Of Tasty Food
Magic :     3.5/5    Simple but Ingenious

13 - Toast With Cheese and Beer [Pan De Molde Con Queso Y Cerveza]

This is another recipe which just sounds genius. Not really something I'd ever throw together normally but as an evening snack or as a morning alternative to a fry-up breakfast it does sound slightly different at least...

The Verdict:

Its surprisingly tasty. I did wonder when I saw the gloopy mess in the pan that it wouldn't really work. The recipe was quite vague on the type of cheese/ beer so this could be one for further experimenting. In the end I used mature cheddar and san miguel. The mature cheddar definitely worked well and I think a cheese with less flavour would be pretty bland. I would however like to try this with chili cheese and mustard in future and think that it would also work well as a slightly different macaroni cheese sauce. For cheese on toast it was just rather cool...

Taste :     2.5/5    Yup.. Beery Cheese 
Time  :     5/5       5 Minutes
Visual :     2.5/5    Definitely Cheese on Toast
Magic :     2.5/5    Curiously Tasty

12 - Serrano and Cheese Tapa [Tapa de Jamon Serrano Y Queso]

Its been such a busy tiring week that I haven't had any time/ energy to do much shopping so breakfast options today were pretty limited and not helped by the fact I was also running late. That being, I do have a lot of tapas-based ingredients kicking around and a nice loaf of mediterranean-style bread which is still fresh. So ignoring the fact its still sleeting down outside its continental breakfast time.  


The Verdict:
Ok so its an open sandwich but for cheese and ham on bread its rather epic. Apparently when you get a good sandwich it really can be an interesting meal . It helped that the sun-dried tomato loaf I had a) tasted fantastic and b) was still doughy for I do feel that on rubbish bread, or with hard cheese this would be as exciting or tasty as a cup of tepid tea in a wet carpark. There was no olives in the recipe but the addition made it more colourful.





Taste :     2.5/5     Choose Your Bread Wiseley
Time  :     5/5       2 Minutes
Visual :     2.5/5   Olive Helped
Magic :     2/5      Ham and Cheese

11 - Chicken Brochettes With Spices and Honey [Brochettas de Pollo con Especias Y Miel]

I made this marinade yesterday and have been wanting to eat it ever since. I thought I'd make this as a victory dinner/ incentive to reach this weeks deadlines [which were reached]. I was up till 3am working and very nearly made these then. Only thing stopping me was sheer tiredness and respect for my lovely flat-mate. So what is this you say? Caramalised honey marinade/ glaze filled with some of my favorite spices and a chilli kick. Yes please. I also added in a magic birthday lime to the lemon juice mix. I felt a bit sorry for it as I've been carrying it around for a while and it was destined for Gin and Tonic  [it will also be used in a celebratory glass after dinner] but being a birthday present wanted to give the poor thing a good send off. I figured this may be it!

The Verdict:
Oooooh yeeeaahhhh. This tapa is AMAZING. Sweet and sticky and spicy and chargrilled and tender and.... generally all round fantastic. I had worried that looking forward to it this much throughout a shattering day would mean I was disappointed in it but really I needn't have feared. Without a doubt this is my favourite tapa so far and I'm glad I added the lime, you can really taste it and it goes so well with the chilli and the honey. This dish tastes distictly eastern and I was wondering that as tapas originated in Adalucia in the South the addition of honey could perhaps be a moorish influence? In any case its delicious. I could quite easily go on about this but its time for victory gin and bed..

Taste :     5/5       I Just Love This 
Time :      3/5       20 Minutes [plus marinading time]
Visual :     4.5/5    Smells Great Too.
Magic :     5/5       Now With Birthday Limes!

The Gin: 
I was lucky enough to get a bottle of Aviation gin for my birthday. I may be a huge fan of gin and having sampled a lot in the past year this one is up at the top of my list. Having done a lot of research on this tipple recently for another side project I can now impart some [useless] facts about it: 


Aviation gin is a New Western Dry style from Portland, Oregon. Its creation was a collaboration between mixologist Ryan Magarian and House Spirits Distillery in Portland, run by Lee Medoff and Christian Krogstad. It was established in 2002 with the intention to design a gin perfectly suited for the Aviation cocktail. On the label is a 1930s McDonald Douglas plane. After the botanicals are steeped for 48hours for maximum release of flavour, the spirit is then pumped into a copper pot for single distillation and diluted to boiling strength. Although Juniper is present, the other botanicals in Aviation contribute more strongly to the flavour of this gin in comparison to other brands. 

Aroma: Menthol, Spearmint, Dark Chocolate, Cardamon, Salt
Flavour: Juniper, Coriander, Cardamon, Sarsparilla, Lavender, Ornage, Angelica
Recommended Cocktails: Aviation, Corleone, Flying Hemmingway, The Last Word, Honey Basil Deluxe, Martinez, The Delicious, Singapore Sling, The 2othC Cocktail, NW Blackberry Bramble.
G+T : Add Pepper, Mint

10 - Serrano Ham and Melon Mousse [Jamon Serrano Con Mousse Melon]

Ideally I should of saved this for a hot summer's day when one needs something cold and refreshing. Being the UK I can't guarantee that we would have such a day but could confirm that i had half a melon in the fridge which I didn't want to waste. The recipe called for 2-4 hours cooling time in the fridge so I made this is the morning and left it to set all day while I was out at work. [I also was then cheeky and made the marinade for tomorrow's tapa when I got in - and boy is that one is going to be so incredibly tasty]. This worked out well as two deadlines tomorrow mean I have no time tonight for anything more. 


The verdict:
Dear Melon, I just wanted to say sorry for ever doubting you or passing you off as a mediocre fruit. Yes. THIS is the way to eat Melon. The mousse was light and lovely. I have no idea if I even made it remotely right but it had a gorgeous, silky, almost sorbet-like texture when it melted in my mouth. A crackling of black pepper on top gives a hint of savoury-ness which goes well with the serrano ham. I wonder if summer ever arrives if this would also work with matermelon or if gin could be added for a strange cocktail...



Taste :    4/5       Melting Moments
Time :   2.5/5      20 Minutes [plus time to set in fridge]
Visual :   4/5       Pretty Cool 
Magic :  4/5       Pretty Darn Good

09 - Curd Cheese and Olive Tapa [Tapa de Requeson Y Aceitunas]

I actually bought ingredients and was planning on making something a bit more Tortilla shaped but after an incredibly late night working, a slow day at work today and some freelancing work I'm really keen to get to an almost-finished point tonight, I'm needing a quick food fix. I want something simple, quick and preferably containing olives. This should do the trick

The Verdict:

I have to say I was expecting this to be a bit overbearingly oniony  [just as well its just me and my laptop tonight] but the shallots actually added a nice sweetness when blitzed with the chives. I may have over-olived the paste but I really enjoyed it like that and it gave me a great excuse to use my lovely little food processor which is always fun.  Not my favourite overall flavours but surprisingly sweet and very refreshing! Right taste buds satisfied its back to the After Effects...

Taste :   3/5      Refreshingly Sweet
Time :    5/5      2 Minutes
Visual :   2.5/5   Creamy but Varied
Magic :  2/5      Sure.

08 - Chorizo Cooked In Wine [Chorizo Al Vino]

Umm... yes. Its a cop out. No arguing around this. I had a computer to fix, posts to catch up on and a deadline which is slightly sooner than I'd like but not impossible. I had leftover wine. I had Chorizo. It seems like a simple match made in heaven, or is it too good to be true...


The Verdict:
Umm... Yes. Its great. Simple but great. The wine completely cuts through the saltiness of the Chorizo. Yes...

Taste :  3/5     Does exactly what it says on the recipe.  
Time :   4/5     5 Minutes
Visual :  1.5/5  Looks like... Chorizo.
Magic :  4/5    Best. Ingredients. Ever.