Being confined over the winter months has led a lot of us to re-examine our pantry and explore other ingredients outside our regular weekly shopping bag. As a result many of us have been experimenting with all sorts of flours which, like toilet paper, became very scarce at one point!
Chickpea flour with its high protein and fibre content is one of those superfoods that hits the low carbohydrate spot and tastes deliciously crispy on the outside with a nutty chewiness on the inside.
As some of you know, I am a hopeless pizza-holic and as the summer heat subsides we can now switch back into oven and stove cooking without wilting in the process.
Broccoli & Cheddar Skillet Pizza
Topping
Makes 1 thick-crust pizza (serves 2-4) Notes: If you want a thin crust, use a larger pan or make two pizzas using half the chickpea batter for each pizza. In this case, you may need to adjust the amount of toppings. The recipe calls for tomato sauce. Use your favourite one here. Some have been cooked down with olive oil, herbs, garlic and onion. But if you use plain tomato sauce I suggest stirring through a crushed clove of garlic, salt, and pepper along with the lemon zest called for in the recipe. Please don´t use my pet hate ingredient: tomate frito – or if you do, don´t tell me about it.
Chickpea flatbread (recipe below)
3/4 cup (180 ml) tomato sauce
Zest 1/2 lemon
1 small head of broccoli
Large handful sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional for some, essential for me)
Make chickpea crust following recipe below.
Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Chop broccoli head and tender stem into bite size pieces. Place on foil baking tray and toss with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and drizzle of oil. Roast in oven for 10 minutes, or until broccoli is crisp tender and browning around the edges.
Stir lemon zest into tomato sauce.
Once chickpea crust is cooked, layer over tomato sauce, spreading evenly to the edges. Scatter around roasted broccoli, cheese, and onion if using.
Set oven back to broil and return skillet to top third section of oven to melt cheese (for 4-6 minutes).
In a medium bowl whisk chickpea flour, salt, and cumin. Add warm water and 2 Tbsp. oil and whisk well until very smooth (it should be the consistency of pancake batter). Set aside on counter for 30 minutes so flour has time to absorb the water. Alternatively make batter 6-10 hours in advance and leave on the counter, covered with a clean kitchen towel, until ready to use.
Turn oven to broil, set oven rack in the upper third section of the oven, and place a 10-in (25 cm) cast-iron skillet (or other heavy non-stick pan) in oven to preheat for 10 minutes.
Remove skillet, pour in 1 Tbsp oil, tilting the pan so the entire surface has a generous coating.
Give the batter one last good whisk and pour into the pan, tilting pan so entire surface is evenly coated with batter. Place in oven and cook 7-9 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and curl up slightly.
Loosen flatbread by running a thin spatula around the sides and underneath. Proceed with pizza
Any trip to the Centro Cultural Conde Duque should be synonymous with Panic. As featured in Gywneth Paltrow´s website, Goop, Panic is one of Madrid´s best artisanal bakeries.
Two years ago I stumbled across a huge queue of people enveloped in steam emanating from the ovens of a bakery known as Panic on Calle Conde Duque, off Calle Alberto Aguilera. Always on the look out for good quality bread I decided to join the line and 15 minutes later I got to the front and a flustered lady brandishing a large notebook was asking me my name. Rather non-plussed I explained that I´d come to buy bread, not to attend an interview. Confusion shortly gave way to panic as she explained that loaves had to be pre-ordered in advance. By this stage my gastric juices were close to causing a terminal ulcer in my stomach after spending so long inhaling tantalising aromas of freshly baked bread in the queue. Much coaxing ensued and I was issued with a few leftovers from the morning batch. Therein the panic gave way to today´s addiction.
This week, having been thwarted by the opening times of the Mats Staub video installation I end up fortuitously in “Emigrantes Invisibles” in the same Centro Cultural Conde Duque. This is a small boutique exhibition of photographs from the tens of thousands of Spaniards who emigrated to the US between 1890 and 1945. Many ended up in factories such as steel and tobacco in Ohio and Florida. Whilst Andalucían agricultural workers were granted free passage to Hawaii to continue their expertise in the sugar cane plantations. Once the railroads were built many moved again within the US and reputedly one of the first bars on the Lower East Side of Manhattan after Prohibition was opened by a Spaniard.
Owing to the Civil War in Spain from 1936-1939, many immigrants realised that the US offered a more stable future and many first generation Spaniards resolved to integrate seamlessly in their new habitat, hence the adjective “invisible” in the exhibition´s title. However, the Spanish continued to observe and re-enact their traditional customs, fiestas and sports from the mother country including La Fiesta de San Roque, putting together frontón teams, participating proudly in annual Spanish parades in places such as Canton, Ohio, setting up numerous active Spanish Societies around the country and the organisation of countless annual Spanish picnic celebrations.
All those photographs of Spaniards enjoying their culinary fare round the States ignited a monstruous appetite so I turned my attentions to exploring the myriad authentic tabernas in maze of streets and squares around Calle Limón, San Vicente Ferrer up to Malasaña where I clocked Casa Macareno, 44 for a future visit. Ten minutes` stroll later, on Calle Dos de Mayo, I found myself in front of a hole in the wall emitting giant wafer-thin 2€ pizza slices loaded with toppings ranging from a simple Margarita to BBQ sauce and pepperoni. Ever faithful to my culinary conviction that less is more (regrettably that rule doesn´t apply to money…) I order rocket and mushroom from the female pizzaiolo who is deftly stretching and kneading the next order. The symphony of springy dough with just the right ratio of tomato and cheese inspires me to inquire if the owners are Italian. “No,” she replies with a wry grin, “Not at all, This is New York style pizza! ” 2€ is a definitely a recommendable bargain if you´re looking to be teleported to NYC any time soon. You´ll get there a lot faster than the emigrantes invisibles.
Looks like the weather is hotting up so maybe we need to keep our cool with some homemade ice cream. Now, this cheat’s recipe has long been a carefully guarded secret of mine…so if you’re reading this I will have to warn you about 3 potential consequences:
You will now be blacklisted from any of my dinner parties lest you divulge the secret recipe publicly to the other guests thus ruining my reputation as an industrious chef who toils tirelessly in the kitchen for 6 hours before having any friends round.
I may also have to kill you in case you tell other people I might know or meet in the future that in actual fact Susannah is a culinary fraud and has no idea how to make “proper” ice cream at all.
You will now join the official Cheat’s Ice Cream Addiction Club which costs 3 cm extra to your waist per year.
Provided none of the above concern you, you may read on totally carefree……..except if you’re a dentist.
The only part of this recipe that I’ve ever been honest about is its origin. It was passed onto me by the elder sister of a friend who now lives in a remote corner of Western Scotland ………….. presumably so that she can spoon in large chunks of instant ice cream without any irritating interruptions. So imagine my horror whilst I was watching the BBC when renowned doyenne of British cuisine, Mary Berry cheekily announced that the recipe was hers. Absolute nonsense ……… it’s mine and now it’s yours.
NO CHURN HONEYCOMB ICE CREAM
Ingredients – serves 8 people or 6 servings if you’re bingeing on Netflix simultaneously
200g Crunchie bars (use Twix or Oreos if Great Auntie Nora can’t send you any Crunchies in the post from Liverpool)
260g condensed milk (just leave a couple of tablespoons in the standard 397g can………it’ll probably “evaporate” quite quickly..)
500 ml whipping cream which you will have to have previously chilled
Method
Whip the cream to gentle peaks. Fold in condensed milk.
Crush the Crunchie/Twix/Oreos into chunks, don’t vent out too much rage (on the Twixes or Oreos if Auntie Nora didn’t want to pay the postage) and fold into the cream and condensed milk mixture.
Place in the freezer for three hours. I usually use a cake tin mould and serve it up in slices with a fruit coulis oozing down the sides. Err….my version of a coulis is a bagful of liquidized defrosted berries or even mango squirted on top of the ice cream.
Enjoy the heavenly reward for your 5 minute labours whilst you remember my 3 conditions………….you have been warned………..
Last month Brigitte, INC’s very own Fairy Godmother, treated us to a very special Chinese Tea Ceremony with some original add-ons of intrigue and healthy palate-teasers at family-run Tienda Amaté near Colón. I was half expecting a tiny, dark, musty and mysterious shop bulging with tins of tea on precarious bamboo shelving. Instead, I stepped out of the chaotic Madrid traffic into a bright, white serene oasis of calm as pastel-coloured partyware jostled next to beautiful artisanal Easter decorations, aromatic candles, detox products and stunningly-packaged selections of tea. As if by magic the Chinese Tea Master, Ling Long, appeared and after lighting some heady incense sticks he soon had us completely bewitched as he proceeded to mix, infuse, pour and infuse again tea upon tea in complete silence. It was rather like someone massaging your eyelids as you soaked up the aromas and felt the stress of Madrid’s nearby business district ebb away from you. I soon learned that I’d been steeping my tea for too long, thus over-enhancing the bitter tannins and that I’d probably also been making it with water that should be allowed to cool for a 1 minute or so beforehand.
By now I was casting around for some galleta María´s (Spain’s Rich Tea biscuit equivalents) to dip into my heady brew as I might do at home when the kids aren’t looking (except my lot were born with 360 degree vision) when suddenly bubbly Badajoz Chef Valentina (as in Valentina Mandarina delicious-but-still-healthy Catering) stepped forward to proffer quite the most delectable mini homemade vegan sweet and savoury breads and cakes that my taste buds can ever recall. Beaming Valentina is a culinary gluten and lactose-free Goddess who uses natural sweeteners such as dates, perfumed flowers and lots of rich nut butters including macadamia in ingenious concoctions that will smash through any vegan sceptisicm.
Over the course of a very happy morning we sampled all manner of green teas, black teas and even chocolate teas as Paula, the General Manager explained that tea is the most consumed drink in the world after water (and there was me thinking it was whisky) and is also at the heart of many Chinese herbal remedies.
By way of a fascinating aside Inmaculada Gómez stepped up and introduced her new crime novel, “En-red-@da” (Enrededa or Trapped in a web) about a fortysomething shop assistant who becomes heavily dependent on seeking male approval and avoiding potential loneliness through social media to the point of putting her own life in danger and therein commences the thriller. Whilst the softly-confident Inmaculada assured us that hers wasn’t an autobiographical tale her emotional summary certainly struck a chord with many of us present.
Finally Paula’s mother, Flor, brought our attention back to tea and we agreed that Amaté are also rather clever marketeers as, in addition to importing the well-known US tea brand, Harney & Sons, they produce their own labels with wonderfully playful names such as Anímate, Cuídate, Relájate and Mímate (Get up and go, Look After Yourself, Relax and Spoil Yourself). So I suggest you get yourself down to Calle Argensola, 6 smartish if you’re looking for a haven of peace and tranquillity or maybe the odd treat for oneself (park the guilt ladies). If I’d known my dear husband was going to forget all about Mother’s Day I’d have gone back again to treat myself……………….
How can I get my hands on some of that?
Tienda Amaté at Calle Argensola, 6. Madrid for first class teas, partyware, tea ceremonies and gift ideas (that means lots of lovely presents I actually like). Tel 913 198 934. Open Monday to Saturdays 1100 -1430 and 1700-2030. Closed Monday mornings.
valentinamandarina.com for mouthwatering vegan, gluten & lactose-free chef, courses and caterer extraordinaire
Which could easily all be indulged with a riveting novel in hand such as the first in a trilogy, “En-red-@da” by Inmaculada Gómez available at bookshops and Amazon.es
Whilst Sushi is internationally recognised all over the world as one of the key elements of Japanese cuisine, few people know how to make fun, simple versions to enjoy and prepare en famille at home. I was immediately struck by the value of this collective food preparation concept in a world where we increasingly live disconnected from each other, yet under the same roof. In the same way that all national dishes are subject to regional and even personal interpretations that vary from family to family, Lucia Shimizu and Nobuko Crook gave us a unique glimpse into their own tweaks on Japanese family favourites. Lucia grew up as part of the Japanese community in Sao Paulo, Brazil whereas Nobuko hails from the port of Yokohama on Tokyo Bay. Both of our hosts come from families of keen gastronomes where recipes have been handed down for generations.
First up was the all-important sushi rice mixed with Japanese vinegar, salt and sugar while the salmon sizzled under the grill. Lucia stressed the importance of adding the miso paste to the soup without letting it boil and thus eradicating the natural nutrients. Nobuko then deftly laid out a number of cooked ingredients such as smoked salmon, shredded green beans, carrot flower shapes, and coriander on top of the rice for the pressed, weighted down Oshi Sushidish. We were also shown how to make stunning mini decorated sushi balls with prawns which we agreed would appeal immensely to children. Sushi balls are stuffed with whatever ingredients you have to hand and then wrapped in cling film to maintain their circular shape. Japanese mothers will typically pop a few into their kids’ lunchboxes with homemade faces on them as an affectionate maternal gesture which certainly beats the ubiquitous packet of potato crisps and a squashed banana. I can imagine squeezing a little note inside my kids’ sushi balls “Try handing in your homework on time for a change”.
Finally Lucia shared her technique for cooking a Japanese style omelette which is similar to a giant conical French crêpe that is then rolled in the pan and layered up bit by bit by the addition of more beaten egg until it forms a rolled egg log similar in size to a swiss roll or yule log! Quite an art and Lucia admitted that in some households they were apt to resort to western style scrambled eggs which are a lot faster to cook. Although there are still plenty of mothers rising before dawn to lovingly cook an egg roll which would await the rest of the family in all its golden glory when they finally appeared at the breakfast table…
Both Lucia and Nobuko hinted at the diplomacy required when a new wife is cooking for her husband as she may be tempted to cook some dishes according to her own family’s traditions whereas her new spouse will expect her use his family’s style. Personally I’m a great advocate of “you eat what you’re given mate or else you can go and cook it yourself…”
My poor husband has lost most of the sensation from his palate and has had toxic smoke emissions emanating from his ears from the moment we met as I do rather enjoy my spices. Yet, so far, he still hasn’t opted for the “cook it yourself” route.
Anyway, back to our sushi lesson as by now our dining table was a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate and much merriment was had as we concocted our own Temaki sushi cones with a square sheet of Nori (Japanese seaweed). I particularly enjoyed Lucia’s ingenious tip on using a piece of sticky sushi rice to fasten down the two sides of the seaweed sheet to maintain the perfect cone shape. It’s tempting to see if sticky rice will glue people’s lips together too…just imagine no whining kids at the table………..although they could probably still grunt.
Thank you Lucia and Nobuko for demystifying sushi preparation at home and for all your fascinating anecdotes that illustrated authentic Japanese culture. We all benefitted from your pearls of gastronomic wisdom and can now pass on your culinary skills so that our families and friends will be all the richer for the bonding experience of preparing our own sushi together.
Eight of us arrived at Elaine’s apartment with our aprons, ready to start and take her expert instruction on Muffins, Scones and Biscuits. She quickly organised us into pairs in her kitchen and allocated us to our stations – chopping, grating, measuring and following the recipes for the first items on our list of baking tasks that day – multitudinous muffin types: breakfast sausage, ham and cheddar, bran and cranberry corn. Despite a lot of chatting, laughter and mistakes, Elaine kept us on task and we were rewarded with a coffee break and the fruits of our labours – we were proud to agree that all of the muffins were delicious!
Elaine quickly had us busy again on making 5 different kinds of scones – English cream tea, cheese and herbs, orange and yogurt and oatmeal and pecan. She started by explaining how a basic scone mix could be adapted using different flours and additions of fruit, nuts amongst other ingredients and warned that over-handling of the dough produces a heavy scone – so a light hand is needed!
We moved straight on from scones to biscuits, though it soon became clear that the definition of biscuit varies from country to country and as we were a group of 6 different nationalities it was a lively discussion! We made shortcake biscuits with strawberries and buttermilk, whole wheat and scallion versions also.
Elaine had prepared lunch for us, a chicken and dumpling stew which we enjoyed with our biscuits, scones and muffins on the terrace. It was such an enjoyable and informative morning, and we were in awe of Elaine’s organisational and teaching skills. She had a tremendous amount of patience with such an unruly class and we are so grateful to her for her time and generosity.
Hailed as the “best steak” in the world by Forbes Magazine Casa Julián de Tolosa is an essential carnivorous experience to savour on the Capital’s gastronomic map as I discovered in the Cava Baja branch.
The restaurant owes its origins to a local fruit shop owner from Tolosa, Julián Rivas, who in 1954, decided to replace the sandwich preparation area of his shop with an open barbecue following some tips from a friend who had recently returned from Argentina. After much experimentation Rivas invented the inclined rod grill which is still used in many top quality Basque steak houses or asadores today and set the trend of creating theatre in his restaurant by placing the grill in amongst the diners. In the early years Rivas invited many a doctor and surgeon to his restaurant to discuss the best butchery techniques! On Rivas’ retirement the Gorrotxategi family took over the restaurant and opened two further branches in Madrid.
Now, whilst this is predominantly a steak restaurant Casa Julián is also home to the legendary red Tolosa beans from its native Guipúzcoa in the Basque country. These are gently stewed with lots of piggy offerings such as morcilla or blood sausage and served piping hot with spicy pickled peppers known as guindillas.
The Gorrotxategi brothers source top quality beef from 6- 7 year old calves that have been hung for an average of 25 days and display the quality hallmark of natural marbling of fat. The steaks are brought up to room temperature before being sealed on a very hot brick grill, salted profusely and served up red rare. The exterior is lightly charred and like any good steak that has been properly sealed at the beginning of the cooking process, the juices don’t run out onto the plate when it is served. They are locked into the juicy meat and best enjoyed with their signature smoky red roasted pimientos de piquillo.
If Moo Moos are not your thing, there is also delicious stewed hake or monkfish to choose from, in addition to plenty of vegetables.
I also recommend a starter of wild boletus mushrooms sprinkled with parsley oil that you can dip into a brilliant orange free-range egg yolk to prime your taste buds for the main bovine attraction to follow.
The fanfare of traditional homemade Spanish puddings are sorely tempting and include firm favourites such as Grandma’s rice pudding with cinnamon and lemon zest, Cava and lemon sorbet and Tejas and Cigarillos which are similar to brandy snaps, the cigarillo version going one step further in the indulgent calorific quota by being coated in dark chocolate. Those wishing continue down a savoury path will be impressed by the Roncal Pyrenees cheese on offer from Navarra.
The wine list is varied and offers plenty of choice to accompany our four-legged furry friends.
With valet parking available diners can have a quick wander around the charming traditional barrio of La Latina before herding off home.
Finally, it occurs to me that cows have quite a lot in common with children …..
Q: What did the mommy cow say to the baby cow?
A: It’s pasture bedtime
Q: Why don’t cows remember things you tell them?
A: Because everything goes in one ear and out the udder.
Q: What do cows do in their spare time?
A: Listen to moooosic.
See what I mean?
Casa Julián de Tolosa, Madrid – open every day for lunch and dinner except Sunday night
With Valentine´s Day fast approaching I´m thinking now´s the time to buy a typical yet very original sweet treat for the loved one in our life. So how about some of Confitería Rialto´s typical chocolate-coated almond biscuits or “moscovitas”. Naturally this, more truthfully, would be a veiled present to ourselves but they are so delicious you will still earn yourself plenty of love points with this gastro gift.
Originally from Asturias, the reason behind their so-called Russian connection has been lost over the four generations of family master confectioners. Fortunately for you, you will not have to travel as far as Moscow to enjoy them as they are sold in Madrid at Calle Nuñez de Balboa, 86 and at thirty four other coffee and cake shops in and around the capital. Should you be visiting Oviedo in Asturias the master shop is in Calle San Francisco.
These wafer thin crunchy biscuits or Moscovitas are crafted one by one from Marcona almonds from Eastern Spain, some cream, a smattering of flour and sugar to make a paste which, when hardened are covered with milk chocolate with a spatula. The result is an exquisite crunchy explosion that is so addictive I have been known to devour a full bag of 150g (about 15 biscuits) during one episode of The Crown.
My husband is quite silly and decided to try to balance them on top of his Russian-bought fur hat.
Not to be outdone by his puerile behaviour I tried to compete and I’m now wondering if I shouldn’t be patenting this original design before selling it onto famous milliner*, Philip Treacy.
Which brings me on to an amusing diversion. In 1994, my grandmother decided that my brother should be a model (without any prior consultation with him on the matter) and as she had some tenuous connections with the fashion industry she arranged a little soirée at her house to which she invited some Model Scouts** and a Vogue editor amongst other couture bods. Feeling rather overwhelmed by this sudden alien invasion in my grandmother’s sitting room I attempted to strike up conversation with the rather unassuming shy chap standing next to me who was the only one wearing a shabby sweatshirt, jeans and trainers, long before sports shoes were in vogue. He explained he was a milliner* so I conjured up pictures of him in some cramped damp East London workshop working his fingers to the bone on felt hats and in a bid to keep the flagging conversation going I casually asked where he sold his hats, to which he replied in a lilting Irish accent “Well, some go to Harrods, others to Harvey Nichols and a few one-offs go to Madonna, Naomi Campbell and the Queen direct….” No prizes for guessing who he was! So perhaps it was befitting of me to be wearing a sumptuous headpiece after all while watching The Queen. As for my brother, he has had a happy TV career behind the camera as opposed to in front of it!
In the heart of Madrid’s fashionable Chamberí district life lies a gem of a restaurant called Bacira. The cuisine is Mediterranean fused with Asian influences and the 3 chefs have an impressive culinary CV behind them, having worked together at a former well-known Peruvian-Japanese restaurant in Madrid, Nikkei 225.
Bacira exudes a calming uplifting atmosphere with its simple pale green and white décor and our delicious exotic variations of the classic Pisco Sour cocktail raised our expectations of exciting food to come. We were not disappointed. A lot of the dishes can be ordered in full or half portion sizes to share which provides a great opportunity and/or excuse to sample the majority of the menu!
Starters include elegantly-prepared classics such as Ceviche de Corvina (Seabass Ceviche), Tiradito of Bass “a la bilbaína” which is a red pepper and garlic sauce that hails from Bilbao. Other starters we enjoyed included Flambéed Scallop Nigiris Tobiko (flying fish roe) with Peruvian Yellow Ají Chilli Pepper and Prawn Carpaccio. The wine list is extremely well-priced and includes several welcome options from outside Spain.
For our mains we tucked in heartily to Bacalao asado con romescu, calçot y espuma de alioli y ají panca (Baked Cod with Romesco almond and garlic sauce, scallions and garlic mayonnaise foam with Panca Chilli) and Carrillera de Ternera al Curry Verde (Braised beef cheek Green curry) which were all delicious examples of well-balanced flavour pairings. Never one to miss an opportunity for madrileño specialities, my husband added Curried Callos (Tripe!) to the order just for fun which brought a lasting smile to his lips.
We ended off this exciting fusion experience with a Hendricks Gin Sorbet and a mouth-watering chocolate, raspberry and pink peppercorn concoction. The highly knowledgeable and attentive service together with the carefully considered fusion pairings have put Bacira firmly on our “To Return To” list.
There are so many hidden gems of restaurants here in Madrid. One of our favourites that we like to go is called LaKasa which is a great choice for those occasions when you’re looking for something special.
It is a modern restaurant with a warm welcoming atmosphere and you’ll need to make a reservation. The service is excellent. If you need help deciding what to choose the waiter will help you. You will never be disappointed in the choices on offer. The presentation of each dish is always surprising. LaKasa serves meats and fish platters with international touches. Starting off with appetizers: croquetas, clams, and mussels. They have a variety of dishes for anybody’s hungry taste buds. I’m a fish eater, so I choose fish. My husband and father in law are meat eaters and the tártar de gamo picante (venison tartar), veal or duck have been a few of their favourite dishes.
To finish off the meal we like to have the cheese platter and their delicious desserts.
Whenever we leave a restaurant we always give a rating of no repeat or repeat.
This is definitely a REPEAT!
Open Tuesday to Fridays from 9.00 a 24.00 Saturdays 12:00 a 24:00
Plaza Descubridor Diego de Ordás, 1 Madrid 28003 Teléfonos 915.338.715 y 626.933.081 – info@lakasa.es
When you make reservations ask for the nearest parking garage.