Soooooo my sister is coming to town.
With my natural hospitality tinged by a pinch of sibling rivalry, it means that I need to bring my A-game … without it seeming like I’m bringing my A-game.
I have to pull off flavorful and different, while exuding simplicity and ease.
Spain may be the key. I’ve already started a big vat of Sangria for the weekend, so I might as well carry through. While many cutting edge gastronauts are Spanish, there really are so many accessible and yummy Spanish eats that won’t freak out the average eater.
Nothing is cleaner, fresher and more disarmingly simple than a true gazpacho: a real garden-to-kitchen creation that allows for personal interpretation.
If you’ve had a lackluster paella, then you probably poo-poo the dish. But don’t punish your gut, punish the cook. Great paella just takes focus and seriously fresh ingredients.
Keeping a couple tins of ventresca on hand always pays off. When people arrive and we start milling around, filling glasses and making introductions, I can just slip a little on a plate with some roasted red peppers, capers, cornichons, crusty toasted bread, serrano ham, idiazabal and voila: instant tapas.
Score one for the fat sister.
Sangria, roughly.
Here’s what I do: take a 3L jug of cheap dry red wine. Pour it all out into a non-reactive bowl (plastic or glass). I throw in about 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup Cointreau, and 1 cup of brandy. Then I slice all manner of fruit: oranges (squeeze them in), granny smith apples, carambola, grapes, plums, apricots,a peach maybe. Throw them in and stir everything about so that the sugar is dissolved. Stick it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, better if you can leave it overnight.
If you’ve done it on the short, you can leave the fruit. If you’ve let it sit for 8 or more hours, scrap the old fruit and add a few fresh new slices. For pretty pretty: cut blood oranges, halved grapes and slices carambola.
Serve over ice.
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