Tag Archive for: Serrano ham

A Taste for Travel? Try this Serrano Ham and Cheese Sandwich

 

Food and travel go hand-in-hand. You simply cannot visit a place without tasting at least some of its cuisine. Fortunately, even when you are not traveling you can still experience some of that cuisine at home.

For example, if you are thinking about Spain then you might enjoy a little snack to enhance those memories, such as the recipe for this open-faced Spanish style sandwich. It is simple to make. The ingredients are premium Serrano ham, a choice of Brie, Camembert, or a soft cheese from Spain, a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, and some slightly toasted bread, such as sliced sourdough.

Simply toast the bread, add a bit of cheese, lay a piece of Serano ham across it, and lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Enjoy with your beverage of choice, such as a glass of Rioja, or even a California Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Find Serrano ham online at the Spanish Table, and olive oil from Wild Groves.

 

2 Things You have to Eat in Barcelona

Barcelona is a great place to visit. It is a wonderful city, and most people love it. And even if they don’t love it, they still like it quite a bit more than other places.

Of course there is great food and great drink in this town on the edge of the Mediterranean in northern Spain. The selections range from seafood, cheese, rice, and wine, to beer, cocktails, meats, and breads.

This means that you have a lot of options on the menu to enjoy. But we say that when you are in Barcelona, unless you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you must always have these two dishes at least once.

Patatas Bravas

The first is a delicious serving of patatas bravas, a local potato diced dish in a red sauce. Most people look at it and think it might be quite hot and spicy, but when eaten they realize that it is actually quite flavorful and savory, as the basic ingredients are olive oil, red pepper, paprika, chili, and vinegar.

Patatas bravas are one of the traditional tapas of the Catalan region.

The Cone of Meat (Cono Mixto)

The other item is what we like to call, the Cone of Meat. Often it is composed different of meats, but it can also include a mix of seafood such fried fish or calamari as well. The basic concept is that it is a paper cone filled with slices and dices of a selection of tasty morsels. If it’s made of meat then this could be a combination of sliced sausages, Serrano ham, manchego cheese, or chorizo.

It could be anything really, even just a mix of local artisan cheeses. It’s essentially a cone of mixed delights: “cono mixto” (aka cono de mini fuets, cono de jamon y queso, etc.). In addition, what bumps this particular dish up to a higher level of desire is that it is mobile friendly.  The choice is up to you. You can either stroll the streets or markets while munching on this, or sit at a table and enjoy it with a delicious glass of red vino or a taste of cava.

Ah, Barcelona!