The Ice-Cream world tour: Lisbon

We recently went on a weekend trip to Lisbon. It was the boy's birthday too. Just as we were walking one of Lisbon's steep streets, after we played at a small park we found the perfect place to celebrate: Gelato Mú.

Its decoration is simple, clean and pretty in white, light green and natural wood. It is long enough to fit our stroller (several actually, as another family came after us) and you can peek at their small kitchen / factory to see how they actually make the ice-cream. They only use fruits that are in season. They use a  process of ice-cream making in which the ice-cream sits a whole night to make the flavours just more intense and guarantee the perfect texture.

 I had a strawberry milkshake, we also tested chocolate (we are classic, I guess) and we had to have the tiramisu as well.

I wish we could have stayed to try all their flavours. You will find them at Campo Martires da Patria 50 in Lisbon very close to Jardim do Campo Santana. 

Highly recommended! 

Our Bapao recipe

It's been so long since I posted a recipe, but this one I had to share. They are one of the husband's favorite foods and I don't want to forget the recipe (given to me by my mother in law).

Bapaos (Bakpau or Bah-Pau) are small, round steamed breads filled with meat or chicken. Their origin is Chinese, through Indonesian cuisine they became popular also in The Netherlands. They are often eaten with sweet chilli sauce or ketchup, though this is not common practice in China. The name probably comes from the Chinese pao (包) that means bread.

Ingredients

1 kg. flour
14 gr (2x 7gr. packages) dried yeast
lukewarm water
1 tbsp sugar
a pinch of salt

400 gr. minced meat
1 onion
spices (seasoned salt, pepper, herbs)
Oyster sauce

Wax paper

What to do
Mix the flour with the yeast and sugar. Add lukewarm water to form the dough (first about 500 ml) then keep adding until you reach the correct consistency: meaning it does not stick to your hands and you can form balls. 

 Let the dough rise, about 1 hour, depending on room temperature.

In the meantime, cook the filling. Here you can get creative as you can use pretty much any filling you want, from what I read some people even do sweet bapaos. We sautéed the onion until it became transparent, added the meat and seasoned it with salt, pepper, herbs and oyster sauce.

Once the dough has risen make little flat disks, fill them with a small amount of meat and close them to form balls. Then attach a small piece of wax paper to make sure they do not open while being steamed.

Arrange the bapaos in a steamer pan and let them cook. It took about 15 minutes for us.
And voilà you are ready to enjoy! These warm little buns are a success with old and young, if my 3 year old will eat them you can be sure they are delicious.

Truchas los alcatraces (Ocuilan)

The other day the boy's family took us to a hidden gem of a restaurant, to be found in Ocuilan (Carretera Cuernavaca Ocuilan - Estado de México).

It is a family-owned business, specialized in trout dishes. I do not normally eat fish, unless I know where it is coming from and the conditions in which the fish is raised and or caught. Here, they grow the trout in their own ponds, amidst the beautiful natural landscape of Morelos.

Families, young and old will enjoy this place, with its playgrounds, forest, and above all, delicious food. You can enjoy typical Mexican 'antojitos' (snacks, though the word literally means 'little cravings') such as sopes, quesadillas de huitlacoche, flor de calabaza, rajas, etc... and most importantly steamed or fried trout, with or without garlic (my favorite: ''al mojo de ajo"), dipped in different Mexican salsas and so on.

The tortillas, sopes, quesadillas an other treats made with corn masa (dough) are all cooked following the most traditional manner, on a stone kitchen.

We were impressed by the delicious food, beautiful place, hospitality and good service, so I thought I'd write them a short note over here. If you are ever in the Cuernavaca area, be sure to visit.

Mi AIG llegó de Valencia (con horchata!)

 El viernes en la tarde mi esposo tomó el día libre, así es que yo aproveché para dormir un poco más (hemos tenido más de un par de noches difíciles). En cuanto la bebé decidió dormir, me fui yo también derechita a los brazos de Morfeo.

Entre sueños escuché el timbre y me pareció que Mark abría la puerta y firmaba por la recepción de un paquete.

En efecto, cuando desperté estaba ahí una enorme caja de cartón y al ver que había sido enviada desde España (de Valencia, en concreto), supe que sí, que era mi AIG (Amigo Invisible Gastronómico). Muchas gracias Adi, de Dulce y Azucarado.

En ese momento teníamos que salir, pero yo muerta de la curiosidad me fui con todo y caja y aproveche para ir abriendo el paquete en el coche. Fue muy divertido porque Adi empacó todo muy bien.

Como ir destapando una serie de muñecas rusas, dentro de la caja de cartón había un paquete azul en una bolsa de plástico, y dentro del paquete azul una caja de flores rosas y lilas, también envuelta en plástico.  Luego ya, dentro de la caja de flores, los regalitos,  envueltos individualmente!

Cada regalito fue elegido con mucho cuidado, y de verdad que Adi acertó en todo:

-un paquete de concentrado para prepara horchata de chufa
-una latita metálica de búhos llena de mazapán casero de almendras. Estaba delicioso, tanto, que no ha salido en las fotos, nos lo comimos rapidísimo.
-un molde de silicón para formar flores y guías en fondant
-unos moldecitos, también de silicón para cupcakes en forma de tacitas de té.
-un libro de decoración de tartas en fondant.
-auténtica chufa de Valencia
-una carta muy linda donde me enteró de pequeños detalles como que Adi y su esposo comparten la casa con un gato y dos hurones y que colaboran con la sociedad protectora de animales. Además de que también les encanta viajar y cocinar.

Muchísimas gracias por todo, de verdad que me ha hecho mucha ilusión. Me tendré que apurar a preparar auténtica horchata (me recuerda tanto mis días por Barcelona) y algún que otro postre, me has dado la idea de probar un flan con sabor a horchata. Digo que me tendré que apurar porque mi esposo es un goloso y es capaz de tomarse el jarabe tal cual.

A mí me ha tocado enviar un paquete hasta Tenerife, a Cristian del blog Arandabuesa. Si tienen curiosidad de ver lo que he enviado, aquí está su entrada.

De nuevo muchas, muchas gracias a Jess (de Decogalletas) por organizar el intercambio, es genial poder participar cada año en estas iniciativas que demuestran que esto del internet no es un lugar de aislamiento antisocial, sino todo, todo lo contrario.

Molletes and hot chocolate

 Today I am over at Craftie Mum, the blog of Catarina, a portuguese writer, translator and expat in The Hague who writes about fun activities and things to do with children .

I a sharing a recipe for Molletes, a classic Mexican breakfast or dinner snack, made out of bread, refried beans, cheese and pico-de-gallo salsa.

Head over there for the recipe!

Ice-Cream World Tour: Fanielje in Leidschendam

 I have been wanting to write this post for about a year, but we hadn't had the chance to come back to the source. Last year, the winter lasted very, very long. A good friend of mine had come to visit us last April, specifically to bike along the tulip fields. However, even if it was already mid-April, except for some dandelions here and there, no flowers were in bloom. So, instead of taking the tulip route (Bollenstreek) as we had planned, we took the bikes and went from Zoetermeer to Leidschendam, stopping in the old center for pancakes and ice-cream. For some weird reason we didn't have the camera with us at the moment, but I did not forget that ice-cream and we were determined to go back. That first time I tasted their orange ice-cream and it was glory, no artificial flavours. It was like licking a soft, fresh, real orange.

Anyhow, we have been blessed with glorious summer days, which for us mean only one thing: ice-cream. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the best ice-cream I've tasted in The Netherlands, maybe in other countries too. It is the real-deal. Perfect, creamy, natural. This time we tasted strawberry, tiramisu, lemon and cookies. They were all delicious. I can not wait to come back for more. The center of Leidschendam is very pretty too, if you are ever in the area you shouldn't miss a visit to Fanielje (Sluisplein 6, Leidschendam).

La navidad en una caja (llegó mi AIG)

 This post will be in Spanish (sorry about that). Yesterday afternoon I was thrilled to receive my swap from the AIG (gastronomic secret santa), which I told you about here.
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Ayer en la tarde, mientras leía y me daba cuenta que el invierno ya está aquí (el árbol que veo desde la ventana ya perdió todas sus hojas y cada vez tenemos menos luz), tocaron el timbre. Era un chico de TNT (correos) con una enorme caja verde que venía desde Barcelona! A mí nombre! Sólo podía ser de mi Amigo Invisible Gastronómico. Tenía ganas  de abrir el paquete de inmediato, pero decidí esperar a que llegará mi esposo.

Muchísimas gracias a Laura y Carmen, del blog 'Chocolate, Aceite y Sal'. Se trata de un blog escrito por una madre y su hija,y está lleno de recetas que me muero por probar, empezando por esta tarta normanda de manzanas, perfecta para estos días grises. Le han atinado perfecto porque Mark y yo somos un par de golosos. A ambos nos decían cookie monster de pequeños, no por nada.

Fue abrir la caja y recordar la Navidad en España: estaba llena de polvorones, mantecados, almendras confitadas, hojaldrinas, rosquillas, barquillos de chocolate negro y blanco y un auténtico turrón de chocolate Suchard. Este último me recuerda mucho el primer año que estuve en Barcelona de intercambio... con el anuncio de aquella niña que se come todo el turrón antes de que llegue Papa Noel. Y hasta la fecha me acuerdo de la clásica cancioncita pegajosa que Mark tuvo el gusto de escucharme cantar anoche: "En estas navidades, turrón de chocolate, en estas navidades turrón de Suchard".

 De inmediato nos comimos unos cuantos mantecados y otros polvorones, pero optamos por guardar la caja junto con los adornos navideños para disfrutar durante las fiestas de fin de año (a ver si es cierto que duran hasta Nochebuena).

Además nos han mandado unas esferas de madera, unos corazones de tela para decorar el arbolito hechos por Laura y un molde de silicón para hacer mini-tartaletas. Que ilusión! Igualmente aprovecho para agradecer a  Jess de 'Decogalletas' por organizar el intercambio. Enviar y recibir correo es una de esas cosas 'simples' que pueden alegrar cualquier día. A mí me tocó enviarle a Patricia de 'The Yellow Kitchen', haciendo click aqui, si tienen curiosidad, pueden ver los detalles que yo mandé.

Day of the dead

 Last Saturday, November 2, Mexico honoured the souls of those who have left us with the Day of the Dead celebrations. It is one of those holidays that perfectly blends Prehispanic traditions with those that were brought from the old continent. Scholars trace back the origins of this tradition to an Aztec festival honoring the goddess Mictecacihuatl, queen of the underworld (Mictlan) who watches over the bones of the dead. The arrival of the monarch butterflies to Mexico, on their migration all the way from Canada, coincides with the celebration and the indigenous believed these orange-and-black insects were the souls of the dead coming back for the festival. People visit cemeteries, light candles and prepare colorful altars (ofrendas) which often include the favorite foods and drinks of those being honoured, as they are believed to come back and enjoy all these treats. Salt, sugar skulls and cempazochitl flowers should not be missing in the offerings, as well as mementos, music, grains and sometimes a cross.

On this day, 'pan de muerto' (bread of the dead?) is enjoyed as well, with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate. The ball on top represents the skull, and the branches by the sides represent bones, as well as the 4 cardinal points so that the death ones do not lose their way on their trip through the underworld.  This year I was really craving it, so I decided to take the plunge and make it at home. I based myself on this recipe, however I modified it lightly by infusing the milk with orange blossom flower (flor de azahar). The gray, rainy weather was perfect for staying at home and waiting for the dough to rise twice. As with everything, I find waiting is the hardest part of the process.

What you'll need 
70 gr. butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup lukewarm water
dried orange blossoms (if you manage to find them)
3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, slighly beaten
the zest of 1 orange 

For the glaze
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp. sugar
zest of 1 orange
sugar, for sprinkling

What to do
In a small saucepan, put the milk and the butter together with the dried orange blossoms. Let infuse and mix until the butter is fully melted and the aroma of the flowers has been released. Set aside and add the lukewarm water.

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup flour with the salt, yeast and sugar. Add the (strained) milk infusion and mix well (taking care that it is not too hot when you mix it in). Then, add the eggs and orange zest and mix until well incorporated. Continue adding the rest of the flour, in 1/2 cup increments until the dough is soft. It will be sticky at the beginning, but keep going. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it's soft and elastic. You can do this on the stand mixer as well, using the hook attachment. You will know it's ready when the dough does not stick to your hands (or to the bowl of the stand mixer). Play with the dough a bit more, just to be sure. Put the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size. Our house was too cold yesterday, so I put the oven on at 180ºC only for 3 min. and I let the dough rise in the warm oven.

 Once the dough has properly risen, punch it in the middle and knead it a bit. Then form a ball, divide it in two parts, 3/4 for the main part and 1/4 for the decorations. (Or you can make a bigger bread, and a smaller bread like I did). With the biggest part, form a ball, as smooth and round as you can. Then, make the decorations: long snakes to form bones and a smaller ball for the skull. This post has a lot of photos of the process.  Arrange your bread on a tray, lined with baking paper and let rise for another hour or so.

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. When the bread is ready to go in the oven, very carefully paint it with the beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the glaze by mixing the orange juice, sugar and orange zest and letting it boil for 2-3 minutes.

Take the bread out of the oven, and brush the glaze on top. Let it cool down a bit before enjoying.

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If you are in the Netherlands and would like to see an altar, you can visit a traditional ofrenda at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Plantage Muidergracht 14) until December 6. This altar was was raised in honour of all the women that have been victims of feminicide in Mexico in the last years. 

Homemade corn tortillas

This recipe goes for Sadie, who the other day asked for a recipe for corn -tortillas. I thought it would be fun to show pictures of the (rather simple) process. This, of course will be a shortcut, meaning it's based on ready-made corn flour like Maseca or harina P.A.N (which is the only one I was able to find at the local supermarket). Traditionally though, the corn kernels are nixtamalized,  that is, soaked in a solution of lime (calcium hydroxide) and water to remove their skins; increasing the bioavailability of nutrients like niacin. The grains are then ground into maize dough (masa).The ready-to-use flours have already undergone this process.

Detail of the Codex Mendoza's folio 60rshowing a mexica mother teaching her 13-year-old daughter to make tortillas

Anyhow, to make the dough, simply follow the instructions in the package which can vary per brand: usually 2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water + 2 cups flour + a bit of salt. You should mix everything and knead the dough just a bit. Voilà. You are ready to work with it.

A cast-iron tortilla press can be very useful  but it is not 100% necessary. We have been wanting to bring one from Mexico for at least 4 years, but every time our baggage is overweight so we haven't had the chance. In short, you don't need one.

What you need is: a large, plastic bag which you will cut into 2 large circles, something like a wooden cutting board with a handle (to press your tortillas) and a skillet (or, ideally a traditional comal, which you probably don't have if you are not in Mexico).

The process is quite simple really: make little balls of dough, put them in the middle of the two plastic circles (otherwise the dough will stick everywhere), press evenly with your cutting board (or alternative heavy surface), and carefully put them on a hot skillet. You should cook them on both sides, turning them every now and then. Normally you know they are ready when they start making a bubble in the middle, but you will see.

As for the dough, you know it is good when while pressing the masa balls you get almost perfectly round tortillas, instead of getting uneven, crooked edges that tend to rip apart. If such is the case, just add a little bit more water to the dough (or to the ball itself) until you can form your tortillas. You can also make gorditas, which are thicker and smaller in diameter and are meant to be open through the middle and filled (with beans, cheese, meat, lettuce, sauce, sour cream, cheese) or sopes, which are similar except the toppings go on top.

*If you are in the Netherlands, you can find Maseca at Tjin's Toko in Amsterdam (Eerste van der Helststraat 64) or at Kelly's Expat shop in The Hague (Zoutmanstraat 22A), or P.A.N at pretty much any supermarket.