Wine of The week: Chryseia 2011 one of the best in the world...

It was really easy to choose the main actor for this section return. Chryseia 2011 was, not only, considered the world 3rd best wine of 2014 by the prestigious Wine Spectator as it was our company in last Christmas lunch...

A project that began in November 1998 when the Symington family proposed Bruno Prats a partnership to produce a top wine and that in its tenth harvest, the 2011, turns out to be recognized with 97 points by Wine Spectator.

A wine made from Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, is a perfect example of Portuguese Douro Valley elegant wines, with good acidity and great body. A wine to keep carefully stored and taste the evolution over the years ...

Photo of the week: Lord of the rings?!

You may be thinking on Lord of the rings when you first saw this photo, but this photo is from the first comercial-scale in the world to apply central tower receiver and molten salt heat storage technology and is located in Fuentes de Andalucía, Spain.

Arepas, Caribean flavours...

This week a very special recipe: the first published by a reader of this blog. I had the opportunity to enjoy the company of Irma and, not less important, to taste this marvelous Arepas she prepared us...

You will need:

Pre cooked corn flour (Harina Pan is the more used brand)

water

salt

The preparation of Arepas is very simple, usually we don`t measure the ingredients, but a trick will be to use the same amount of water and flour.

Start by placing a cup of water into a bowl. Add a bit of salt and a cup of flour. Start kneading till it is consistent and without lumps. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands. If it continues to stick, add a little bit more flour to achieve the perfect texture. When the dough is ready, make balls and mold it to the shape of pancakes, thicker or thinner depending on your taste.

Using a non-stick frying pan in medium temperature, cook it till it is golden on both sides and turn it frequently in order to avoid that it burns. 

Serve immediately and ideally open them in half and fill with whatever you prefer: cheese, ham, pepperoni, meet, chicken... Whatever you fill it with it will be delicious!

Castellano

La preparación de la arepa es muy sencilla, por lo general los ingredientes se colocan a ojo pero, se puede dar alguna aproximación de las cantidades. 

Los ingredientes que se necesitan son:

-          Harina de Maíz pre cocida (Harina Pan es la marca que se suele utilizar)

-          Agua

-          Sal

PREPARACIÓN:

Para 2-4 arepas (depende del tamaño)

Primero se coloca en un bol una taza de agua. Se coloca sal al gusto y se agrega una taza de harina. La medida siempre va a ser por cada taza de agua que se ponga, una taza de harina. Se comienza a amasar la masa de manera que quede consistente y sin grumos. La mejor forma de saber que la masa está lista es que no se pegue en las manos. Si esto sucedes hay que agregar un poco más de harina hasta que se consiga la textura perfecta. Una vez se tenga lista la masa se hacen bolas y se comienzan a aplastar con las manos de manera que se ponga la masa con la forma de una torta, redonda y del grosor que el comensal prefiera, puede ser más delgada o más gruesa.

Una vez que se tengan listas, se colocan en el sartén a fuego medio y se van dando vueltas cada cierto tiempo hasta que se doren por ambos lados. Se sirven y lo ideal es abrirlas por la mitad y rellenarla con lo que nos provoque: queso, jamón, chorizo, carne, pollo. Con lo que sea son exquisitas!

Photo of The Week: Winter

The photo of this week was shot five years ago on Fuente Dé, an amazing place to walk around in Spanish National Park Picos da Europa.

Recipe of the week: Spinach Soup

This week's recipe has a very special meaning to me. Like many children, during my childhood, I simply hated spinach so, it was one of soups that traumatized me and I disliked most. Years later I prepared it for the beginning of january detox...

You will need (for 4 people):
1 large onion or 2 medium onions
1 garlic clove
1 leek
2 carrots
1/2 courgette
2 medium potatoes
vegetable stock or water as needed
1 bunch of spinach
salt & pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

In a pan with a splash of olive oil, sauté the chopped garlic and onion and then add the remaining vegetables cut into cubes. Add water till it almost covers the vegetables or, as in my case I'd just make a vegetable stock, replace the water by vegetable stock. This will enhance the flavour of your soup and bring it to another level. Season with salt and let it cook. Grind well, put it again on the heat and add the previously washed spinach leaves. Let it boil for about five minutes and grind it well.

As in all of my soups, serve it with grinded pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Photo of the week: The first Shot...

If you are asking yourself about today's post title, the first of 2015, the first after a long break, was this my first photo of the year?
It was not the first of the year but one of my first ever, and I would even say the reason of my passion for photography. With this photo I won my first camera, my Nikon E4300 which followed me almost everywhere for about 5 years...

This was the perfect reason to remember the last year of this blog and to thank you all for the energy that, with each like, each comment, each visit, give me strengh to continue this project and step by step make it grow up...

• One year that fdgoodlife was read in 93 different countries and visited by 2600 readers.
• One year that we ended with:
• 202 likes on Facebook
• 205 followers on Twitter
• 181 followers on Instagram

For 2015 I hope to be able to write more regularly and that toguether we are able to continue to raise this project...

THANK YOU!!!

Recipe of The week: Onion soup, perfect to raise you temperature...

After almost a couple of months we are back with an excellent recipe for this freezing days, at least here in Madrid: an onion soup. This time a version that I've picked from Portuguese Chef. Henrique Sá Pessoa program secret ingredient. (Please click here to read the other version we've published a couple of years ago)

You will need (for 3 persons):

3 onions

1L of Chicken Stock (Click here to see our homemade recipe)

a generous knob of butter

1 bay leaf 

olive oil

2 spoons of flour

salt & pepper

thyme

6 bread slices

Gruyere cheese 

Start by slicing the onions as thin as you can, (this will make all the difference on your soup final result), then, in a pan with a splash of olive oil, add a generous knob of butter and a bay leaf. When the butter is melted add the onions and let it cook. This is the second most important step, the best cooked the onions better soup you will obtain. Add a bit of thyme and season it with salt and pepper, being careful with the salt as you will add chicken stock.

Add two spoons of flour and stir it well. Add part of the chicken stock and mix it well. Add the rest of the stock and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile put in a tray 6 bread slices, add a drizzle of olive oil to avoid it to dry and cover with a slice of Gruyere cheese. take it to the oven at 200ºC for about 5 minutes.

Serve it as it is shown on the picture and enjoy it!

Belcanto, a meal in Chef Jose Avillez Lab

Belcanto - Suckling pig revisited credits Paulo Barata

In the week that this restaurant was recognized with the second Michelin star, the return of the Restaurant of the week could not have another protagonist: Belcanto, much more than a restaurant, a box of sensory experiences that made me travel through a world of different textures, aromas and flavors that I had never lived before ...

Since I was a little kid I lived the ilusion of christmas, the family celebration, food and gifts... The story of this post begins precisely on last Christmas Eve, when I received a postcard with one that was "The Gift," a dinner at Belcanto, the lab of Chef José Avillez, a Portuguese chef I really admire among other things by the way it treats many of ingredients of Portuguese traditional gastronomy and gives them an innovative twist putting our cuisine in the panorama of international haute cuisine.

Last January 18, just a couple of hours before our reservation anxiety started to rise, my extremely high expectations started to cause me a real fear of disappointment.  Yes, was completely wrong and I had no idea of what was about to happen .. .

As it was the first time I visited the restaurant and we wanted to taste the classics. This was not only because I wanted to taste the dishes that have been kept in the menu from season to season but also because what I've mentioned earlier, the connection to the flavors and products typical Portuguese cuisine, as can be the sea bass, shellfish and piglet.

Our experience started with several amuse-bouches from which I would like to highlight two: the trilogy of false olives that made me think of the times of José Avillez in the kitchens of El Bulli: A black olive tempura, explosive olive and a spectacular inverted Dry Martini, instead of the usual gin soaked with olive, this time we had the olive juice with a gin bubble in the middle and the other which made travel to my childhood to a chocolate called Ferrero Rocher, in this case made of foie gras with a butter cover with a gold leaf.

The garden of the goose that laid the golden eggs started the menu, an egg cooked at low temperature covered with a gold leaf, crispy bread and mushrooms. A fantastic game of textures and flavors that have radically changed my expectations of having a great meal and took me to the field of sensory experiences, that kind of life experiences will always remain in our memory.

Belcanto - The garden of the goose that laid the golden eggs
Credits Nuno Correia

Followed by the dip in the sea, the name says it all, a perfect cocktail of products, textures and flavours that I can only describe as pure sea... This was the dish that most impacted me, as it made travel several years ago to my biology and zoology classes where we visited the beach Avencas in the outskirts of Lisbon (in Parede, Portugal).

Belcanto - Dip in the sea
Credits Nuno Correia

To end the main courses the reinvention of a typical Portuguese dish, Suckling pig revisited  with fried potatoes orange and salad. amazingly executed, with an extremely crispy skin of the sukling pig, which is achieved by a long cooking at low temperatures.

As a dessert the Mandarin a complex and refreshing dessert, which for me was clearly the least positive aspect of this meal.

Belcanto - Mandarin
credits Paulo Barata

More than negative opinion, as an opportunity for improvement It would be also important to have a wine pairing menu for this tasting menu of classics, as it already exists for the others.

If you are a frequent reader of this blog you have noticed that for the first time the photos were not shot by me, I confess that I was taken over by the emotions and left the mobile phone and notepad aside... so this whole post is based on memories of this magnificent experience that I lived there 11 months ago ...

Where?

Address: Largo de São Carlos, 10

Lisbon, Portugal

Telephone: +351213420607

web: http://belcanto.pt/EN/

How much?

See the tasting menus and prices on the web page.

2 islands, 1 photo and so much to imagine...

The photo of this week comes from a very special and magic place "lost" in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean: The Horta Marina in Faial Island, Azores.
With Pico Island as wallpaper this is the perfect place to loose yourself across the sailors' paintings increase in this unique connection point between Americas and Europe... 

Thanks again Pacheco for the excellent organization!

The cod that never fails!

This recipe is a classic at our home... I've shared today's recipe in many occasions with friends (parties/dinners/new year's eve). As many of the recipes I used, today's recipe is  my mom's receipe of codfish with cream, a cooker that deserve all the michelin stars

You will need: (for 4/6 people, for more o less portions just keep the proportions...)

- 400 g of codfish (soaked and shredded)

- 3 onions

- 1/2 L of béchamel sauce

- 250 ml of cream

- Extra virgin Olive oil q.b.

- Garlic q.b.

- Breadcrumbs 

- potato sticks

Start by putting a pan with water in the heat till it boil, add the codfish, and when it starts to boil again take it out from the heat, throw the water away and reserve. In a pan with a splash of olive oil sauté the chopped onions with garlic till it is completely cooked. Then, in medium heat, put the codfish in a pan, add the potatoes and, without stopping to stir it let it cook for 5/7 minutes. Take it off the heat and mix it with the béchamel sauce, the cream, and season with salt and pepper. Put the moisture on a pirex with butter and, before putting it in the oven, cover with a thin layer of breadcrumbs. 

put it on the oven, preheated at 180 ºC, and leave it until the bread is crispy. We normally put it to leave 5 minutes with the oven, then 5 with the grill.

Before the oven you could freeze it for another time! The best tip of this receipe is to do it with a lot of love and affection, the only way I know how to cook...

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Wine of the Week: Camins del Priorat 2012

Despite its simplicity, Camins del Priorat is a  fresh and soft red wine from the  interesting the Spanish region of Priorat. In the nose is very interesting and I would even say funny...

This was the perfect ending to an totally unexpected afternoon and evening of laughs, talks and fun with friends...

My first time in African soil

One year after my first time in Africa all that colours, flavours, aromas, landscapes still remain as I had just come back yesterday...

The easiest and quickest Hot sauce!

Last week I was asked to prepare a simple recipe to help one of our readers start cooking at home. So the recipe of this week is the easiest chili sauce, even easier than buy it!

You will need:
Hot pepper, (depending on your taste you can choose softer or hotter)
Whiskey 
Extra virgin olive oil

In a jar, add the chopped hot pepper, and add 1/2 of whiskey and 1/2 of extra virgin olive oil, and that's it!

 I prefer like this as it stays less greasy and more aromathic but, as an alternative, you can also add 1/3 of whiskey and 2/3 of extra virgin olive oil...

I guess this will be a great year ...

Wine is much more than just a drink, it is a way of sharing and socialize, I would even dare to say it is a way of living. This is one of the explanations of the election of this wine for a very special moment: my birthday lunch...

This wine made from Antão Vaz, Arinto and Verdelho Grapes, had the perfect intensity and harmony to go with the John Dory fillets with roe panada from Dona Bia Restaurant.

Because I guess (Palpite) this will be a great year 

Note: Palpite means guess in Portuguese...

Photo of the week: Vineyards

The photo of the week is dedicated to all those women and men who dedicate their lives to taking care of the vineyards along the whole year, to those who take part on the tough harvest process worldwide and to those who put all their knowledge to create wines with soul, to all, Thank you very much!
Last but not least some special words to a great friend Pedro Jerónimo who is dedicating all his mind, body and soul to bring up a project with history the Vinho da Ordem.  

Recipe of the week: Boletus mushroom Risotto

Last friday I was with some stomach problems so I only had white rice for lunch and dinner. Despite what you may think this was not a really big effort, why? because I really love rice!!! So the recipe of this week had to be a rice dish...

You will need: (4 pax)

300 g of Carnoli rice

200 g Boletus (the original recipe of José Avillez he uses Portobello mushrooms)

1 dl White wine 

1 tablespoon of chopped onion

1 coffe spoon of chopped garlic

1 coffe spoon of chopped parsley

hot Chicken stock as needed

50 g of butter

Freshly grated parmesan

Parmesan slivers 

Basil leaves 

Extra virgin Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Cut the boletus in not very thin slices. Sauté the boletus in a non-stick frying pan with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, a bit more of olive oil and then the chopped garlic. Season with a little more salt and add the chopped parsley, stir it well and reserve.

In a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, fry the onion in low heat without letting it brown. As soon as the onion is translucent, add the rice, mix it well with the olive oil and refresh with the white wine. Let it evaporate and add a little of the hot chicken stock and when the rice absorbs the stock add a little more.

The most important tip is to keep stirring constantly, Repeat the operation of adding a little of the hot chicken stock until the rice is cooked.

After aprox. 12 minutes, add the mushrooms and continue the previous cooking process till the rice is cooked.

When the risotto is ready add the butter and the greated parmesan, stir well and cover for 30 seconds

Serve it immediately with some Parmesan slivers and basil leaves.

* Recipe from Chef José Avillez book Cantinho do Avillez

Wine of The week: Audrey Et Christian Binner Riesling 2011 Vignoble de Katzenthal

This wine was a very interesting introduction to the Vins D'Alsace. An Excellent surprise on our visit to Lakasa de Cesar Martin in Madrid.

Photo of the Week: City of Arts and Science, Valencia

The photo of this week comes from Valencia, Spain.

Recipe of the week: Gooseneck Barnacle 100% sea flavour!

Specially in Madrid, autumn decided to arrive earlier this year and forced us to anticipate the end of the beach season... To compensate this trauma, this week I decided to share a recipe that allows you to feel the sea during the whole year, Gooseneck Barnacles are 100% pure sea flavour and aroma and one of the best ways to feel the summer during the rest of the year...

You will just need:

- Gooseneck barnacles

- sea water or water and salt 

This may be the easiest and the quickest recipe I've ever shared on this blog. If you cannot use sea water add 70 gr of salt per liter of water and heat till it starts boiling. At the same time, wash very well the Gooseneck Barnacles, taking out the rocks, algae and sand. Put the seafood in the boiling water and let it cook till it starts to boil again. you may serve it immediately or serve it cold, depending on your personal taste.

Wine of The week, Cepa 21 2009

If you asked me to define the wine of this week in one word I would imediately say Elegance. This is a very well balanced wine or, instead I should say harmony, between the fruit the barrel and the alcohol. This is undoubtedly a must taste in the Ribera del Duero Region (more info at http://www.cepa21.com/en/wine/cepa-21-2009).

Thanks Miguel!