Our Blog!
Speaking with you about Spanish food and drink, recipes, lifestyle and travel
Paella Kit – the perfect antidote to grey winter days
Ah – memories of long sunlit days, not a cloud to be seen. Dodging from shady spot to shady spot in the early afternoon, and feeling the heat still rising from the pavements in the late evening as you eat outside. Just like Scotland – not! The world being...
Olive oil and health benefits
We have written at some length about olive oil before, however that piece was about what it was and the difference its composition and origins made in terms of flavour and quality. Olive oil has been regarded as something of a super food for some years ever...
Can a bottle of wine dive? The extraordinary submerged Spanish wines
A Spanish farmer´s tradition On the olden times, it was a tradition in the Spanish farms to leave the wine bottles on the farm´s well so the liquid would be nice and cold for the thirsty farmers who worked under the sun. But some bottles would be left behind and...
Las Delicias Deli
Now nearing our second anniversary as a Spanish Deli in Edinburgh Do you have exquisite memories of eating at the side of the Alameda de Hercules on a hot September evening and discovering that in Seville, a tomato salad is something to be treasured rather than...
How to host the perfect tapas and wine night
Want to know how to add the perfect Spanish flavour to your homecooked food? Katie Georgeson, Brand Manager at kitchen appliance manufacturers Stoves, has these tips for hosting a traditional wine and tapas night — with a modern twist. Tapas is an excellent...
Asturian Fabada recipe, and a bit of Asturian beans literacy
Asturian fabada is one of the most famous Spanish dishes, but as many traditional Spanish recipes, some times it is difficult to find one that is faithful to the tradition. The recipe that I´m bringing to you this week comes from 'The Wee Honey Bee', the cook that...
14 Murcian Tapas that you can make at home
Spanish food is known for being fairly straight-forward and simple while delicious and terribly tasty. One of the most characteristic Spanish dishes you can find is tapas, which are very often served in bars as a side dish/appetiser to go with drinks (in some...
Visiting Spain in summer? Follow these tips to avoid ruining your holidays
Are you going to Spain on holidays? Lucky you! Perhaps you have read a lot about Spain before making your final decision, and probably you read even more after, just to make you sure that you don´t miss anything. However, there are some details that are rarely...
St James Cake (Tarta de Santiago), A Traditional Spanish Cake Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free
20m + 25m baking. Serves 10. St James Cake (Tarta de Santiago in Spanish) is one of the best-known traditional Spanish cakes. Basically made with almonds, eggs and sugar, it is a really easy recipe to make when you know how to do it properly. My first try at home was...
The home-barista: how to make the perfect cup of coffee with a moka coffee maker
There is an easy way to have a great coffee at home: using capsule coffee machines. They fast, easy to use, and the result is quite good. But they are also quite expensive for a conventional packed coffee, you can not use speciality coffees, and they generate more...
The Paella Recipe (by Omar Allibhoy)
50-60m. Serves 6. Paella is one of the most famous dishes in Spain. It brings friends and family together, and it is present in most festive occasions, as Sunday roast dinner is present in the UK. Its origin is in Valencia, and Valencians are proud to preserve...
The 3 basic techniques to cook Spanish rice
Rice is one of the basic ingredients in many Spanish dishes, from the most sophisticated Valencian paellas to the plain, easy Cuban Rice - white rice with tomato sauce and fried eggs, that is one students favourite. But Spanish rice is a bit different from other rice,...
Understanding Spanish Ham Classification (all you really need to know)
Cured ham is one of the most beloved in Spain, and along with olive oil and wine, one of the most exported and more difficult to understand for those that are not Spanish (and even for many Spaniards), but a look to the following infographic can help you to understand...
Murcia: an undiscovered Mediterranean gem
Whenever people hear about Spain, the first thing that usually comes to their minds is the Mediterranean side, but especially the coast of Valencia (Benidorm, Alicante…). There’s, however, a less known area, only 45-minute drive away from Alicante, that offers...
Recipe: Crema Catalana. An easy-to-make dessert full of history and taste
Serves 6. Vegetarian. Gluten Free. Crema Catalana, is a typical custard dessert from Catalonia, often confused with the French crème brûlée because they look very similar. However, while crème brûlée is more popular, crema Catalana is more ancient. We can find the...
Crema catalana, creme brulee and other vainilla cream desserts – Here is how do you tell the difference
Silky smooth, sweet, rich custards are a sensual way to end a nice meal without being too heavy. Dessert custards all share something in common: a glossy, silken texture and lavish flavour. They are also gluten-free. The difference between...
5 facts you might not know (but you should) about organic food
If you care about your health, you should pay attention to what you eat. Eating is a great pleasure, but it is also the way on which we incorporate external elements to our bodies. And with a rising concern about the impact that diet has on our bodies, most people...
7 Tips For Recognizing Real Extra Virgin Olive Oil
When it comes to purchasing real Extra Virgin Olive Oil it is difficult to know if the product you are purchasing is what the label promises, or it is just any low-quality oil sold to an expensive price. What is worse, many of the tricks and tips to recognize real...
Chickpea stew with spinach: a healthy recipe that will help you with Spring fatigue
Serves 4. On the past week, I wrote about the five Mediterranean foods that help you to deal with spring fatigue. This week I would like to introduce an easy recipe that includes two of those ingredients (pulses and vegetables) and is packed with vitamins, minerals...
5 Mediterranean foods to make you feel better in Spring
During the winter, our body runs low in hormones such as serotonin (the stress buster and happiness booster) due to shorter daylight hours and dopamine (the motivation hormone) due to decreased physical activity. There is also an increase in cortisol (the...
Our gift for you in our first anniversary
Once Upon a Time... One year ago, the 3rd April, I opened the shop to the customers for the first time. Karen was working a long shift, and she (and all our family) was checking WhatsApp every five minutes waiting for news about how was I doing on our...
The ultimate guide to enjoy tapas in Spain
Are you travelling to Spain on holidays? If you wish to have some tapas in a truly Spanish way during your trip, here you have some advice from a Spaniard with more than 30 years of experience! But... what are tapas? The word "tapa" translates as "cover" or "lid", and...
Cod with saffron and prawns, a Spanish Easter recipe
Serves 2 | 30 minutes | Difficulty: Easy. According to the Catholic traditions, meat represents the body of Christ crucified, and eating meat during Lent and Easter was considered gross, unrespectful and even a sin. However, Spaniards have always loved eating well,...
The Window Wanderland
Are you in Edinburgh or close to Edinburgh? If so, we would like to invite you to The Window Wanderland, a magical evening that will be run join in Great Junction Street, on Saturday 17th March between 6 pm and 9 pm. Co-ordinated by Quay Community Improvements, The...
Everything about Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)
When it comes to cooking, paprika is one of the most versatile spices in the rack, and also the one that more questions bring to our minds. Hungary and Spain are the two heartlands of paprika. Paprika or pimentón are two different words for the same spice: grounded...
