Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I Didn't Cook

After my great triumph in the kitchen Saturday, I felt it was important to step aside and once again give Jerry the chance to demonstrate his culinary skills.  What he prepared for dinner last night was exceptional — perhaps not as exceptional as my freshly microwaved Twinings Earl Grey tea from the bag, but then everything is relative.

MODERN ART.
CREMA DE GARBANZOS CON JAMON CRUJIENTE.

Dinner was Garbanzo Cream with Ham Cracklings (chickpea puree soup).  It was drizzled with freshly made paprika oil (heated olive oil infused with smoked sweet Spanish paprika), which smelled incredible and tasted even better. The recipe came from the pages (82–84) of the amazing cookbook, "The New Spanish Table," and can be easily adapted for vegetarian tastes (so easily that even I can figure it out... I think).

23 comments:

  1. I'm gonna look for that book. That soup looks amazing!

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  2. Hello Mitch:
    As your caption says, this dish looks more like an example of contemporary art rather than a soup!! We are sure that it must have tasted delicious. Of course, it would be heresy here to use Spanish paprika......only Hungarian to be allowed through the kitchen door!!!

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  3. Bob:
    Jerry has been using this book since early in the year (after our first visit here). There has not been one single disappointment. I definitely recommend it. (More importantly, Jerry definitely recommends it.) And the soup was incredible.

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  4. J&L:
    I had no idea about Hungarian paprika (just looked it up on Wikipedia). So, alright, I SUPPOSE you can substitute.

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  5. I am putting this book on my Christmas wish list.

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  6. Nubian:
    You will love it. Jerry enjoys the cooking and I enjoy the eating (well, Jerry enjoys the eating too).

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  7. Tell me, have you had "churros con chocolate" yet?
    It is a treat.

    saludos,
    raulito

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  8. Raulito:
    We have had them once, but I don't think we had them right yet. They tasted great, but the churros were greasy and we had no idea how to eat them with the chocolate that looked simply like slightly thick hot chocolate (cocoa). A taxista told us the best place to get them and I still want to walk over there, but I think we need an expert with us to make sure we do it right next time. Care to join us?

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  9. That looks very tasty! Just ordered the book from The Book Depository in the UK [you get a discount on most titles and no shipping costs, something we Dutch like too] ;o)

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  10. Spanish smoked paprika is terrific! I have a supply from Paris (the only place I've found it so far) and use it all the time. Of course, I have some Hungarian hot paprika as well. Both are great, but different.

    Was the soup made with fresh garbanzos or garbanzo flour?

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  11. Walt the Fourth:
    Jerry used jarred garbanzos.

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  12. Peter:
    You will not be disappointed. Thanks for the info about The Book Depository. Hadn't heard of that.

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  13. I first saw a 'work of art'....a ceramic piece! Then as I read, I could see that it WAS a 'work of art'! Everyone should have a 'Jerry'! lol

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  14. Jim:
    I am grateful every day to have "the" Jerry! (I'm thinking of turning that crema de garbanzos photo into an actual piece of wall art.)

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  15. I love the Spanish pimenton. I make a variation on paella from a recipe given me by a gay Cuban-American blogger that is wonderful; it's heavily perfumed with the paprika. I also use a lot of Moroccan spice combinations in tagines and other dishes. I never had any food in Spain that I didn't like.

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  16. Will:
    I'm really glad Jerry likes to cook, because I have been enjoying all these new dishes. And I also really love Spanish food. Never knew.

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  17. We want Jerry, we want Jerry....as the chant was heard over the warm Spanish nights!

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  18. My partner made turkey burgers while we watched the Huskers beat Penn State. She made guacamole to put on them. I thought this was a huge big deal.

    I don't know what I'd do if either of us could cook.

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  19. Maria:
    She MADE turkey burgers and then MADE quacamole? She is way out of my league.

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  20. I can only imagine how good that tasted. If I lived in Spain I would do almost nothing but eat.
    +followed

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  21. Elliot:
    Thanks for visiting. Doing nothing but eat is very easy to do here.

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  22. Mitch, just wanted to let you know that your latest post, Churches, is not enabling me, at any rate, to make comments.....I can't get into the post fully either. Just sayin'!

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