Spanish Supperclub - Guest chef Julia Jorge

On the 2nd July we have a guest's mother who is visiting from Spain who will be cooking for the supperclub. I was hoping to advertise this to the normal mailing list but in fact it seems that everyone in the UK that ever tasted her cooking has booked it up in advance! So this seems like a great way to raise money for charity :-) She's excited about cooking it and we're excited about eating it.

So... we're open to suggestions if anyone has a visiting mum that would like to give it a go!

This is what Pablo wrote about his mum's visit:

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Making the most of my parents’ visit to London, I asked my mum, whose name is Julia, whether she would like to be a guest chef in a supper club for a night. Although she is going to be in London just for five days, she accepted with pleasure…so we all (including me, that am missing it long time ago) will be enjoying a real typical Spanish meal this coming 2nd July. Don’t miss it out!

Many of Spanish dishes have their origins in the old times. Ancient recipes were transferred from parents to children, being preserved as traditional and authentic as they were.

This combined with high quality and natural ingredients give Spanish cuisine its well-deserved worldwide reputation. Historically, its region in the country has developed its own set of dishes and culinary style depending on the availability of those ingredients. Spanish ham and cured meats are typical in the South; meat meals and good wine in the North; fish in the West coast, and vegetables and rice in the East,…wonderful everywhere!

One common thing to all is seafood. Being surrounded by water, seafood in Spain is excellent in almost all parts of the country. The other common thing is the taste for the well-known Tapas. Spaniards like sharing, and these small portions of food to share fit perfectly into the character and culture of the people.

My family comes from Villarreal, a small town close to Valencia, in the Eastern coast of Spain. Our region is mostly known as for being the origin of oranges and Paella,...and yes, both are delicious there!

Orange trees are everywhere in the Valencian region, just next to highways and main roads outside the cities. Sweet and delicious, they are a must in any Valencian household.

Paella originated in Valencia when the Muslims occupied the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century. It is said that, at the end of the week, their people put the leftovers from the whole week in a big pan, add rise and cooked it altogether, being this the origin of the current Paella, while establishing the custom of eating rice in Spain.

Valencia soil is also good for growing rice and other vegetables. In the surrounding of the Albufera (saltwater lagoon) in Valencia, people have grown and produce short-grain white rice for centuries, helping in the consolidation of Paella as the most representative dish of, not only the region, but the whole country.

Coming from a humble family in the 1950’s in Villarreal, my mum was raised under the old-fashion manners of those times, when women of the future were taught to be a good housewife, like her mums were. Nowadays, along with the progress of the country, she is a modern and active woman, running her own business but keeping her house care skills intact,…among which there is her taste for cooking!

My mum, Julia, will be delighting us with several Tapas to share as starters, two mains (Valencian Paella and fish casserole), and dessert.

The menu is as follows:

Spanish Tapas (Starters):

1. Pastixets de peix: Traditional pastry filled with tomatoes, tuna and egg.

2. Tortilla de patata: Spanish potatoes omelette.

3. Croquetas de carne: Meat croquettes.

4. Pimientos de Padrón: Roasted Padron green peppers.

5. Jamón, chorizo y queso: Spanish Iberico Ham, Chorizo and Manchego cheese.

6. Pan con tomate y ajoaceite: Bread with tomato and garlic sauce.

7. Montadito de longanizas con ajoaceite: Canape with Spanish sausages and garlic sauce.

Main Courses:

1. Valencian Paella: short-grain white rice, chicken, rabbit, pork, butter beans, green peas, red pepper, tomato, saffron, garlic, salt, olive oil and water.

2. Zarzuela de rape: Traditional monkfish casserole garnished with seafood and tomato sauce.

Desserts:

1. Flan.

2. Coca de manzana: Spanish apple pie.