FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS PUBLISHES THIS WEEK!

 

  Pictured are albóndigas, meatballs with almond-saffron sauce, one of the tapas from Flavors of al-Andalus.

Have a look at “Tapas Party with the Flavors of al-Andalus,” a short video showing a few of the recipes from my new cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, THE CULINARY LEGACY OF SPAIN (Hippocrene Books). The book will be officially released August 12.

Tapas party with the flavors of al-Andalus       (Video by Daniel Searl)

These are tasty dishes from the traditional Spanish kitchen, some of them—like that gorgeous almond-saffron sauce with the meatballs—with a touch of the exotic. This is food that can trace its roots to al-Andalus, Moorish Spain. 

The tapas party pictured in the video illustrates a really useful section of the book, Suggested Menus. These include recipes for a Tapas Party, for Brunch, a Summer Barbecue, several Family Dinners (including one vegetarian), Sunday Lunch, a Dinner Party, and both spring and fall/winter Holiday Meals. Ideas to help you enjoy the wide selection of foods with al-Andalus flavor at your own table.

Flavors of al-Andalus, The Culinary Legacy of Spain will be released this week (August 12). When you receive your copy (see below for where to order), if you would like to tell me what you think of the book or show me a photo of you cooking from Flavors of al-Andalus, leave me a comment on the blog or tag me on Facebook (@Janet Mendel) or on Instagram (@mykitcheninspain). 

If you would like to feature Flavors of al-Andalus on your blog, Substack, Instagram page, or newspaper-magazine column, contact pgress@hippocrenebooks.com  to receive a digital review copy.

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

Albóndigas en Salsa de Almendras

Here’s the recipe from Flavors of al-Andalus for those meatballs. Most of the recipes in the book have headnotes that tell a little about their background as well as cooking and serving suggestions 

The meatballs served in Spanish tapas bars can trace their ancestry straight back to 13th century al-Andalus. Meatballs then were not so different from those of today. Cinnamon was added then, whereas today home cooks use freshly grated nutmeg. They were sauced with a tangy mixture that included vinegar—today we would use tomatoes. Almonds were ground up in the sauce or else sprinkled on top of the finished dish much like the current version. 

Meatballs now are usually made with a combination of ground veal and pork but, as Muslims and Jews did not consume pork, this recipe instead calls for lamb, beef, chicken or a combination. 

It’s customary to flour and brown the meatballs before finishing them in the sauce. But if you prefer, you can skip the flour and brown the meatballs in a hot (400ºF) oven or simply poach them in simmering water. If cooking for a crowd, the recipes for the sauce and meatballs can easily be doubled. They can be made in advance, stored separately in the refrigerator, then heated together before serving. 

For those who do not combine meat and milk, use unsweetened almond milk or stock to soak the bread. Roll the meatballs as large or small as you like. 

Makes about 30 (1 ¼ inch-) meatballs, serving 6 

For the almond sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup blanched and skinned almonds

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 slice bread, crusts removed

½ teaspoon saffron

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch ground cloves

½ cup white wine

1 ½ cups chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, garlics, and bread and fry until golden about 1 minutes. Set aside a few of the almonds to garnish the finished dish. Skim out the rest of the almonds, garlics, and bread.  Leave the oil in the skillet.

Crush the saffron in a mortar or small bowl. Add the pepper, cloves, and ¼ cup hot water. Let the saffron infuse for 10 minutes. 

Place the fried almonds, garlic, and bread in a blender. Add the wine and spices in hot water. Blend the mixture to make a smooth paste. Pour the almond mixture into the oil in the skillet. Stir in the stock and salt. Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat, stirring, until it is smooth and thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.

For the meatballs:

2 slices stale bread or 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup milk 

1 large egg

1 tablespoon olive oil + more for frying

1 clove minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch ground coriander

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley + additional for garnish

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ pounds ground lamb, beef, and/or chicken

Flour for dredging 

Place the bread in a bowl and add the milk. Allow to soak 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the egg with the oil. Add the softened bread and mash it together with the egg. Add the garlic, nutmeg, pepper, coriander, parsley, and salt. Add the meat. Use a wooden paddle, fork, or hands to mix the meat with the bread and egg. 

Spread a shallow pan with flour. Shape the meat into 1¼-inch balls. If the meat seems sticky, coat hands lightly with oil. Drop the meatballs as they are made into the flour. When all the balls are shaped, shake the pan to roll the meatballs in the flour, coating them on all sides.

Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the meatballs and dry until they are browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, adding additional oil as needed. The meatballs do not need to thoroughly cook as they will finish cooking in the sauce. Remove them as they are browned. 

Reheat the almond sauce and add the browned meatballs. Cook until they are hot and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, published by Hippocrene Books, is available from your favorite bookseller. For more about what’s in the book, see Meatballs with Backstory. Read advance reviews at Advance Praise for Flavors of al-Andalus. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover.

 Order on IndiePubs

***

Order on amazon

Amazon:   -6% $37.44  List Price: $39.95

Order on amazon.es

Amazon.es €37.12

Amazon España ships September 25

CHILLING OUT

 

Cold and sweet: horchata-mango ice cream.

August. Are you keeping cool? Getting your full ration of gazpacho? How about ice cream? I’ve got an ice cream recipe that’s a little different—made with a Spanish drink called horchata instead of with dairy milk or cream.

Horchata is a sweet, milky, icy drink famous in València, but found all over Spain. Horchata in Spain is made with chufas, tiger nuts, also called earth-nuts. Chufas are not actually nuts, but the tubers of a kind of sedge (Cyperus esculentus), a plant introduced to the València region by the Moors. 

Chufas/tiger nuts

Chufas grow underground. After digging, the tubers are washed then dried. The desiccated nuts, a little larger than almonds, are hard and dark brown. They taste like a combination of almonds and coconut. To make horchata, the chufas are first rehydrated by soaking in water. They are then mixed with fresh water, finely ground, and forced through a fine sieve. Mixed with sugar and flavored with lemon and cinnamon, the extract becomes horchata.    

The word horchata (Catalan orxata or orxata de xufas) derives from the Latin hordeata, a drink made of crushed barley. Over the centuries the drink was adapted, made variously with tiger nuts, almonds (the French “orgeat”), or rice (as in Mexico). 

Horchata is best from a horchatería, especially in València, where the drink is freshly made. But you can buy prepared horchata in cartons in almost any supermarket in Spain. In the US, you can order horchata online from Spanish import stores, such as Tienda.com. 

I seldom buy horchata because it’s loaded with sugar. But this year I discovered a version made with edulcorantes, artificial sweeteners, so I gave it a try. Served very cold, it is very refreshing on a hot afternoon. 

Horchata, either with sugar or sweetener, makes an excellent base for lactose-free ice cream. I'm thinking it would also be good in a piña colada, substituting horchata for the coconut cream and mango juice for the pineapple juice.

No ice cream maker necessary, the horchata-mango mixture is still-frozen, then whipped. This scooped version is somewhat grainy with ice crystals. The cream in the small cups, below, has added rum and Greek yogurt and is somewhat creamier and not as icy.

After beating smooth, the cream can be frozen in individual cups. Easier because you can soften only as many as you plan to serve.

Frozen fruit horchata hits the spot on a hot afternoon in August.

Tiger Nut Ice Cream

Helado de Horchata

My ice cream contains mango puree. Any pureed fruit (1 ½ cups)  could be used—strawberries, peaches, figs-- If the fruit puree is very tart you may wish to add sugar or sweetener to the already-sweetened horchata. Cornstarch adds creaminess to the frozen horchata but does require cooking then cooling. Adding alcohol keeps the ice cream from freezing hard (although 1 tablespoon makes little difference). Adding cream or Greek yogurt makes a richer cream—although it is no longer lactose-free. 

Use an ice cream freezer if you have one. Otherwise, remove the partially frozen cream from the freezer and whip it smooth before returning to freeze hard. 

You could substitute almond milk, either sweetened or unsweetened (add sugar to taste) or a combination of almond milk and (canned) sweetened cream of coconut.

Serves 4 to 6.

2 cups horchata

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 slice lemon

1 ½ pounds mangos (to make 1 ½ cups pulp)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sugar or sweetener (optional)

1 tablespoon dark rum or oloroso Sherry (optional)

½ cup heavy cream or Greek yogurt (optional)

Place ½ cup of the horchata in a small bowl. Stir the cornstarch into it until smooth. Place the remaining 1 ½ cups horchata in a saucepan with the slice of lemon. Heat the horchata-lemon until it begins to steam. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute. Skim out and discard the lemon slice. Let the horchata cool 10 minutes.

Peel the mangos and discard pits. Cut the flesh into chunks and place in a blender or food processor with the lemon juice. Blend until pureed. Add the cooled horchata and blend until smooth. Taste the mixture and add sugar or sweetener if desired. 

Place the mango-horchata mixture in a bowl (preferably metal for faster freezing) and cover with plastic film pressed onto the surface. Chill. Place the bowl in the freezer until partially frozen, 2 to 4 hours. 

Beat the mixture again (blender or food processor) until smooth. If desired beat in rum and cream. Return the bowl to freezer to freeze solid. (For an even smoother ice cream, remove it before frozen hard and beat again until smooth.) Or, if preferred, pour the cream into 6 (1/2-cup) glasses, place them on a tray and freeze.

Soften the ice cream before scooping.  

More about horchata and chufas here (and another summertime cooler, leche merengada).

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, published by Hippocrene Books, is now available from your favorite bookseller. For more about what’s in the book, see Meatballs with Backstory. See advance reviews at Advance Praise for Flavors of al-Andalus. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover.

 Order on IndiePubs

***

Amazon:    -18% $32.66  List Price: $39.95

Order on amazon

I’M PLEASED TO PRESENT—

 

The book is in my kitchen in Spain!

After a year of cooking and picture-taking and almost as long in researching, writing, and editing, I would like to present, ta-da!—my new cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. 

Here are 120 recipes, all with accompanying photographs. This is the cooking of Spain today, foods you might find in a tapas bar, at a village fiesta, or on the table in a pueblo home. They are dishes that trace their roots to the cooking of Moorish Spain, the medieval Spain of 711 to 1492. 

Dave Emery, a subscriber to this blog, pre-ordered Flavors of al-Andalus from IndiePubs and was the first to receive his copy. 

(See below for where to order Flavors of al-Andalus.) 

My family in Atlanta received their copy of Flavors of al-Andalus. Here's my grandson Nico Searl and Juana Rodriguez, his other grandmother, with the book. 

Jorge Nieto, Nico's abuelo, wrote to me that the photo of marinated olives looked so good he wanted to reach in and eat them!

                 ***        ***        ***

If you would like to feature Flavors of al-Andalus on your blog, Substack, Instagram page, or newspaper-magazine column, contact pgress@hippocrenebooks.com  to receive a digital review copy.

Here’s a page spread from the chapter Fish and Shellfish with a recipe for fish in adobo marinade. It's a great summer dish. Use fresh oregano if you have it.

Fried Bites of Marinated Fish

Pescado en Adobo

Adobo is a mixture of spices and vinegar used to marinate fish or meat. Before the days of refrigeration, both adobo and escabeche were used to conserve foods. Now, they are about adding flavor. Adobo foods are marinated before cooking; escabeche foods are cooked, then marinated. 

This is a popular tapa throughout Andalusia, often made with cazón, dogfish, a kind of shark, which is perked up nicely with a tangy, adobo marinade. Any solid-fleshed fish such as monkfish could be substituted. 

 

Makes about 45 pieces

2 pounds fillets of shark, monkfish or swordfish

3 tablespoons olive oil + more for frying

5 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 cloves chopped garlic

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of saffron threads, crushed

1 teaspoon crumbled dry oregano

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

Flour for dredging fish  

Cut the fish into 1 ½-inch cubes, discarding any skin and bone. Put the cubes in a non-reactive container.

Mix together the oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, saffron, oregano, pepper, salt, and 1 tablespoon of water. Pour over the fish and mix well. Marinate for at least 6 hours and up 48 hours.

Drain the fish well, dredge it in flour, shake off the excess and fry the pieces a few at a time in hot oil (360ºF) until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen towels and serve hot.

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, published by Hippocrene Books, is now available from your favorite bookseller. For more about what’s in the book, see Meatballs with Backstory. See advance reviews at Advance Praise for Flavors of al-Andalus. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover.

 Order on IndiePubs

***

Amazon:    -18% $32.66  List Price: $39.95

order on amazon

***   ***   ***

"This is a fascinating book about history but not stuck in time. Janet is a time traveler, telling us stories about the past but always making them relevant, bringing the world of al-Andalus—a region very close to my heart—to our kitchens today."

--Chef José Andrés