Jerez de la Frontera has become famous throughout the world for its sweet wines named after that beautiful town, which the British pronounce as "sherry". It is called "de la Frontera" because it once stood on the frontier between the Moorish and the Christian realms. Jerez is also famous, throughout the world, for its fine horses and brilliant singers and dancers of flamenco.
The town is a mixture of old and new. It is well worth a visit to this beautiful Spanish town. Every time I visit Spain with my partner we make a journey into Jerez. She loves to shop in the many clothing shops which sell modern designs whilst I sit outside one of the many cafes sipping my coffee or sherry and just people watch.
The distinctive wine in Jerez has been exported for centuries. it was even praised by that great British writer Shakespeare (Bard). It is distinctive because the strong Spanish sun gives the grapes high sugar content. British import merchants have been involved in the wine trade here for centuries, producing and shipping a fortified wine known as sherry. Famous names of these dynasties can be seen here over the doors of the bodegas; Sandeman, John Harvey, Domecq, Gonzalez Byass. You have no doubt heard these names, however it is very surreal looking at the bodegas that actually make the sherry.
The Spanish word bodega means "cellar", but its generic meaning is” wine manufacturer". You can take a guided tour of the many Jerez bodegas. Some of the companies such as Gonzalez Byass, Pedro Domecq and Sandeman – British winemakers have been active here for centuries, which is why many of the names have an Anglo-Saxon ring to them – provided guided tours of the cellars on weekdays, followed by sampling of the various types of wine produced.
You can read all about the wines of Jerez in an articles published by the Andalucia magazine called Jerez wines written by the travel writer by Denyse Lamprière. Simon Zolan has also written an introductory text for us. It is great to actually visit the places written by the above and taste the goods!
But Jerez is also world famous for its magnificent dancing horses, which you can see at the Real Escuela Andaluza de Arte Equestre – the Royal Andalucia School of Equestrian Art, at Avenida de Abrantes (Tel: +34 956 311111). On Thursday mornings there is a spectacular display of dressage. Definitely one to watch for the young and old alike!
The town has a markedly aristocratic flavour with wide streets and squares. The 11th century Moorish fortress, or Alcazaba, has been partially restored. Of special interest is its church, originally built by the Arabs as a mosque. The Sacristy of the Cathedral del Salvador is home to a lovely painting by Zurbarán, The Sleeping Girl.
Jerez celebrates its famous Horse Fair at the beginning of May each year. This is a Fiesta that you should pull out all the stops to attend. Like all Spanish fiestas it is full of colour and gaiety. Plus plenty of sangria, beer and excellent Spanish cuisine. Jerez is also famous for its long-standing flamenco tradition, making it an excellent place to witness this extraordinary art. The Centro Andaluz de Flamenco (Tel: +34 956 349265) is housed in the Palacio de Penmartín, which stands on the Plaza de San Juan, No. 1.
Hasta llego
Pablo
www.casa-hibisca.com/jerez.html
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Friday, December 01, 2006
To follow on from my earlier recipe for Paella I have now put together the recipe for Gazpacho soup. A favourite of mine when the very hot weather arrives in Spain. I hope you enjoy making and eating the soup.
GAZPACHO SOUP It is difficult to give you definite weights or quantities for this recipe, you generally just gauge it yourself through trial and error. Lots of red, ripe tomatoes Cucumber (with the part that attaches it to the plant removed: it is far to bitter) Anaheim peppers (or any green pepper which is not sweet) Old, hard bread (the favourite for gazpacho is extra sour dough, but others will do too)
o Garlico Red vinegaro Olive oilo Salto
Water There are as many recipes for gazpacho as families are in Spain. It is one of those receipts that are passed down through the family. This is the one I have learned from my Spanish neighbour. She is an elderly lady with plenty of patience and understanding at my command of the Spanish language.
As a rule, you want more tomatoes in the gazpacho than anything else. A nice looking gazpacho should have a pretty orange-red colour. Therefore, add the ingredients according to this principle. First, cut the vegetables in pieces that your blender can manage. You do not need to peel the cucumber or the tomatoes or remove the seeds. This gives it plenty of body. Cut some bread and soak it in water. Add it to the blender. Add the olive oil, salt, vinegar and water. Turn the power on until everything blends "homogeneously". Take a spoonful and taste it. At this point you can decide what is missing, what is in excess, etc. You can experiment with the recipe: some people like the gazpacho very thick, so they add a lot of bread, while some others like it very liquidly, and they add more water instead, or less bread.
Some people get crazy adding garlic, while some others hate it. It is purely your choice and taste. Remember it is easier to add extra! Gazpacho can be served at room temperature. However, as it is a typical summer dish, it is usually served cold. In some places this is so true that they even throw ice cubes in it when ready to eat. As with many other dishes, when you save gazpacho from one day to the other, it tends to improve in flavour.
Hasta llego
Pablo
www.spanishcuisinetoday.com
GAZPACHO SOUP It is difficult to give you definite weights or quantities for this recipe, you generally just gauge it yourself through trial and error. Lots of red, ripe tomatoes Cucumber (with the part that attaches it to the plant removed: it is far to bitter) Anaheim peppers (or any green pepper which is not sweet) Old, hard bread (the favourite for gazpacho is extra sour dough, but others will do too)
o Garlico Red vinegaro Olive oilo Salto
Water There are as many recipes for gazpacho as families are in Spain. It is one of those receipts that are passed down through the family. This is the one I have learned from my Spanish neighbour. She is an elderly lady with plenty of patience and understanding at my command of the Spanish language.
As a rule, you want more tomatoes in the gazpacho than anything else. A nice looking gazpacho should have a pretty orange-red colour. Therefore, add the ingredients according to this principle. First, cut the vegetables in pieces that your blender can manage. You do not need to peel the cucumber or the tomatoes or remove the seeds. This gives it plenty of body. Cut some bread and soak it in water. Add it to the blender. Add the olive oil, salt, vinegar and water. Turn the power on until everything blends "homogeneously". Take a spoonful and taste it. At this point you can decide what is missing, what is in excess, etc. You can experiment with the recipe: some people like the gazpacho very thick, so they add a lot of bread, while some others like it very liquidly, and they add more water instead, or less bread.
Some people get crazy adding garlic, while some others hate it. It is purely your choice and taste. Remember it is easier to add extra! Gazpacho can be served at room temperature. However, as it is a typical summer dish, it is usually served cold. In some places this is so true that they even throw ice cubes in it when ready to eat. As with many other dishes, when you save gazpacho from one day to the other, it tends to improve in flavour.
Hasta llego
Pablo
www.spanishcuisinetoday.com
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Cooking The Spanish Way
When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points. Bored of cooking every day the same meals, the same recipes, and want to try something different and exotic?
You can choose any culture, any country you want and you will find specific traditional food for each and every one of them. But there is something different about the way the Spanish cook, they just make food enjoying it and this is what matters and offers such tasty results.
First of all you have to know Spanish people like to eat a lot of eggs. But they never, or almost never, eat boiled eggs like we do. The traditional egg preparation method is to scramble them and fry them, obtaining a delicious omlette with potatoes and lots of onions added in the frying pan. The Spanish tortilla, as it is called is an exceptional and nutritional way to feed your family for lunch.
The more authentic information about spanish cooking you know, the more likely people are to consider you a spanish cooking expert. Read on for even more spanishcooking facts that you can share.
Another wonderful dish is the paella. The paella means that you will pretty much throw in the frying pan everything you have in your fridge. Everything that goes of course! The base for the paella is usually obtained out of boiled chicken wings of legs and to it we will add vegetables assorted to our taste. It is important that we fry everything together in olive oil for a better taste. We can even add fruits in the pan and after everything is done, just a minute before turning off the fire, we pour in the pan an assorted natural juice or liqueur or wine, whatever we want as long as we think we will like it. And the result will be an absolutely extraordinary dish made to fit our every taste and desire.
Spanish deserts are often a dream, but they can be rather difficult to prepare and they usually contain lots of calories. Spanish cooking in generally is for people that really have time to spend in the kitchen and enjoy doing it. Most Spanish dishes take a log time to complete and a regular Spanish meal can require up to 3 or even 4 dishes to serve.If you are willing to try but don’t really have that much time on your hand them you can just go to a Spanish restaurant near you an d see for a change how Spanish people eat. But if you experience weight problems you must be careful on how much you eat, Spanish food can be addictive and it contains many calories to give you lots of benefic energy.
When word gets around about your command of spanish cooking facts, others who need to know about spanish cooking will start to actively seek you out.
www.spanishcuisinetoday.com
When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points. Bored of cooking every day the same meals, the same recipes, and want to try something different and exotic?
You can choose any culture, any country you want and you will find specific traditional food for each and every one of them. But there is something different about the way the Spanish cook, they just make food enjoying it and this is what matters and offers such tasty results.
First of all you have to know Spanish people like to eat a lot of eggs. But they never, or almost never, eat boiled eggs like we do. The traditional egg preparation method is to scramble them and fry them, obtaining a delicious omlette with potatoes and lots of onions added in the frying pan. The Spanish tortilla, as it is called is an exceptional and nutritional way to feed your family for lunch.
The more authentic information about spanish cooking you know, the more likely people are to consider you a spanish cooking expert. Read on for even more spanishcooking facts that you can share.
Another wonderful dish is the paella. The paella means that you will pretty much throw in the frying pan everything you have in your fridge. Everything that goes of course! The base for the paella is usually obtained out of boiled chicken wings of legs and to it we will add vegetables assorted to our taste. It is important that we fry everything together in olive oil for a better taste. We can even add fruits in the pan and after everything is done, just a minute before turning off the fire, we pour in the pan an assorted natural juice or liqueur or wine, whatever we want as long as we think we will like it. And the result will be an absolutely extraordinary dish made to fit our every taste and desire.
Spanish deserts are often a dream, but they can be rather difficult to prepare and they usually contain lots of calories. Spanish cooking in generally is for people that really have time to spend in the kitchen and enjoy doing it. Most Spanish dishes take a log time to complete and a regular Spanish meal can require up to 3 or even 4 dishes to serve.If you are willing to try but don’t really have that much time on your hand them you can just go to a Spanish restaurant near you an d see for a change how Spanish people eat. But if you experience weight problems you must be careful on how much you eat, Spanish food can be addictive and it contains many calories to give you lots of benefic energy.
When word gets around about your command of spanish cooking facts, others who need to know about spanish cooking will start to actively seek you out.
www.spanishcuisinetoday.com
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Opening Your Spanish Bank Account
When you have decided that you need a Spanish Bank Account then there are a number of things that you must carry out.
If you are visiting Spain for an extended period then it would be advisable to open a bank account. The process is very straight forward if you do your homework before entering the bank. You must first choose your bank. There are a number of different banks ranging from local to national. If you intend to tour a large part of Spain then pick a national bank.
If you are moving to Spain to retire, buying a holiday home or setting up a business then you will definitely need to open a Spanish Bank Account. In all the above cases you will need to produce your ID (passport) and money to active your account. There is no set cash limit to open an account.
You will be issued with a visa electron card and a cheque book just like a UK bank. When you make a purchase with the visa electron card you will have to show some ID. Generally a passport or driving licence (new type) will suffice. Please remember if you pay by cheque it will be on the understanding that you have sufficient funds in your account. DO NOT bounce a cheque as this is deemed to be a criminal offence.
Whilst in the UK I manage my account via the internet and telephone if required. The bank also sends me a statement of account once a month. Just like my UK bank. The only difference being that they charged me for the postage. I can also transfer money between my accounts for a fee no two banks charge the same fee. Plus my Spanish bank also has a currency exchange service if I need it.
My local bank does not have anyone that speaks English however I have a number that I can ring and speak to someone who does! This person is placed in the banks Headquarters during Spanish Bank working hours. I just say (Hola habla usted inglese) Hello do you speak English? They generally replay No and ask you to wait one moment. The person who speaks English then comes on the line and deals with your request/problem. Very easy and efficient!
I hope this information has been of help and will get you through the setting up procedure.
www.spanishbankaccount.com
When you have decided that you need a Spanish Bank Account then there are a number of things that you must carry out.
If you are visiting Spain for an extended period then it would be advisable to open a bank account. The process is very straight forward if you do your homework before entering the bank. You must first choose your bank. There are a number of different banks ranging from local to national. If you intend to tour a large part of Spain then pick a national bank.
If you are moving to Spain to retire, buying a holiday home or setting up a business then you will definitely need to open a Spanish Bank Account. In all the above cases you will need to produce your ID (passport) and money to active your account. There is no set cash limit to open an account.
You will be issued with a visa electron card and a cheque book just like a UK bank. When you make a purchase with the visa electron card you will have to show some ID. Generally a passport or driving licence (new type) will suffice. Please remember if you pay by cheque it will be on the understanding that you have sufficient funds in your account. DO NOT bounce a cheque as this is deemed to be a criminal offence.
Whilst in the UK I manage my account via the internet and telephone if required. The bank also sends me a statement of account once a month. Just like my UK bank. The only difference being that they charged me for the postage. I can also transfer money between my accounts for a fee no two banks charge the same fee. Plus my Spanish bank also has a currency exchange service if I need it.
My local bank does not have anyone that speaks English however I have a number that I can ring and speak to someone who does! This person is placed in the banks Headquarters during Spanish Bank working hours. I just say (Hola habla usted inglese) Hello do you speak English? They generally replay No and ask you to wait one moment. The person who speaks English then comes on the line and deals with your request/problem. Very easy and efficient!
I hope this information has been of help and will get you through the setting up procedure.
www.spanishbankaccount.com
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