Looking Forward to Lunches!

Look what I stumbled upon in Macy's today! Actually it was the lucky find of Megnan and we picked up a couple to take our lunches in style to school.  I won't have time to return to the house for lunch and have no desire to buy school food, so these will come in quite handy!

Best part is, it is a neat freak like me's dream - separated sections for different foods, different levels, a separated container for dressing so salad doesn't become soggy, two levels for yogurt or cereal so those too do not become soggy over time.  So much excitement from the food section :) I will have to show you later on how I put them to use!

7 Layer Bars for Christmas

Coconut has to be one of my new favorite foods and so of course I had to make something with coconut for our Christmas party as well as the little holiday gifts my mom was giving.   In Europe, I happened to indulge myself in a few too many gelato experiences.   Every time seemed to be about "the experience," and I didn't want to miss out on a single thing.  So, moving on, I happened to subconsciously order dark chocolate and coconut every time.   So, why not make something for the holidays with those two flavors?

This is a SUPER easy recipe and is quite a crowd pleaser.

7 Layers of Pure Bliss
Total Time: ~40
Servings: ~36 (depends on how you cut the bars)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate depending on your preference)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (or substitute other nuts)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C for all those metric lovers)
2. Place butter in a 13x9" pan and melt it in the oven.  Swirl around to coat bottom and sides as it melts

Instead of using a food processor or even placing the crackers in a bag to crush them, I simply placed a few sheets in a bowl and used a avocado masher to do the job.

Worked out pretty well if you ask me. Less mess, less clean up.

 3. Spread crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Layer chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts over crumbs.  Pour condensed milk over nuts. Sprinkle coconut over last layer (condensed milk)

Three more ingredients: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans (my substitution for walnuts because that is all we had in the house)

4. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let it cool

Tip: Before you cut the bars, let them cool out of the oven, then place them in the freezer to allow the ingredients to harden.  Otherwise, the condensed milk will help create a mush pit out of your beautiful bars.

There was a sweet crumb taste (very buttery of course) along with an interesting and intriguing mix of chocolate and butterscotch.  I know this seems very self-explanatory especially if you just look at the ingredients, but it's worth a test for the full effect.  I loved these bars room temperature or even better, FROZEN.  I tend to enjoy my desserts on the frozen side :)

Spreading Christmas Cheer

This year we were lucky enough to host a Christmas Open House.  I was so thrilled to see all our friends and family during the holidays and also after being away for so long.  We tried to keep the food simple, yet tasty and while there may be thousands of recipes and holiday menus available online, here is a quick look at what we did.

My Spanish contribution included two types of turron, classic holiday treats served during Christmas time in Barcelona.  The brown turron is similar to a sort of chalky peanut butter fudge.  The second turron that is similar to a chocolate bar and really does taste like a thick, gourmet Crunch bar.  It there was a competition, it would blow Crunch out of the water.  Finally, the cookies were given to my by my Catalan host-mom back in Barcelona and are also served for the Christmas season.  They too can be a little chalky, but delicious to sample nonetheless.

I say "chalky" not to turn you away from sampling it.  It really is tasty and unique, but I think without eggs, it leaves a dry taste in your mouth.  So a good reason to pair it with a great holiday drink.

Baked Brie...DELISH
Place pie crust in pie dish, jam of your choice underneath and on top of brie, sprinkle nuts of your choice over, fold pie crust and bake

Honey Baked Ham, Bristol Farm's meat platter ("basket"), fruit basket, the fixings

7 Layer Bar & Two types of Spanish Turron (straight from Barcelona!)

Possibly some suggestions for the impending holiday parties, Christmas Eve and even New Years.  So have a very Merry Christmas!

The Counter Culture

While living in Barcelona for almost four months, there were certain foods I began to crave.  Soon included hamburgers and onion rings.  Of course I seemed only fitting to pick one up when I got home.  Thankfully in California we have more options than I can possibly imagine - the all so favorite In 'n Out, Islands, Tommy's, Johnny Rockets, Ruby's, the Habit, etc.  But what I was craving was the Counter.

If you have ever heard of the COUNTER, you will know what I am talking about.  It is not the normal diner style burger joint, instead they call it the "Counter Culture." Instead of normal menus, they have clipboards with the different levels of the burger, each with a wide selection of additions or substitutions.  You simply check the box of the type of meal you want and the waiters will have it ready in no time.

Burger or bowl? Regular lettuce or mixed greens? What type of bun? Normal, wheat, English muffin, pretzel bread?  Classic beef, turkey, chicken or veggie patty?  Toppings?  So many to choose from: grilled onions, tomatoes, pineapple, eggs, coleslaw, cranberries.  Gourmet toppings such as bacon, cheeses galore, and finally every type of sauce imaginable.  Each burger comes with a choice of 4 toppings and 1 cheese, but ordering over that isn't too pricey, so let your dream burger come true.

Then every few weeks or months, they create a "Market Selection" suggestion list.  This has different buns, toppings, and sauces that are a little out of the ordinary.  Example from last night: bison burger, smoked gouda, artichokes, garlic-petso aioli sauce, and a holiday-themed eggnog milkshake.

If you are unsure where to begin, they also have some classic combinations, however these can't always be substituted.  Moving onto the sides, have you ever had sweet potato fries? Ah, delicious and hey, sweet potatoes have some good health benefits to them.  Ok, maybe not in the fry form, but they sure are tasty.  Not sure if you want regular, sweet potato fries, or onion strings? Order the "50-50" for a combination of two types.

I usually have a set burger order, but decided to try some different things.  Why not?

Chicken patty on mixed greens, artichokes, sweet BBQ sauce, pineapple, coleslaw, tomato and smoked gouda. Might have also added some more sauce (BBQ and ranch from the fries).

The Classic Sliders: 4 mini cheeseburgers with cheddar cheese and onions on little brioche rolls.

A cheeseburger with avocado, cheese and lettuce on an English muffin. 

Here's the "50-50" with regular fries for the padre and then onion strings for us gals.  My favorite!

It's every picky and gourmet eater's dream, so try something new and different and join the Counter Culture!

http://www.thecounterburger.com/

Barcelona's Champaneria

A neat place to eat in Barcelona is the Champaneria.  My friend, Allee, first recommended it to me before I started this study abroad adventure, but sadly it has taken me over three months to make it there.  This hole-in-the-wall shop is located at Reina Christina, 7 off of Port Vell (Barceloneta).  If you don't know where to go, it can be very difficult to find.  It is hidden between a few shops on a side street, but is well worth the search.

Cava is the Spanish equivalent to champagne.  This sparkling wine used to be called Spanish champagne, however due to EU law it is no longer allowed to be called this because champagne has Protected Geographical Status. Basically because the grapes aren't grown in the Champagne region of France, the French demanded that everyone else change the name.  However, in many areas it is still called champán or champaña in Spanish or xampany in Catalan.  Now, in the United States, we are required to change the name to sparkling wine.  Hm, that should be interesting.

Anyways, I had heard this was an excellent and cheap place to eat, so Liz and I decided to check it out. Inside is a large bar where sandwiches, jamon, cheese, and cava are sold.  Most people order their meals and stand around to eat, so it can get very crowded easily and quickly.  If you are able to stake out a space to rest your food and glasses, it makes for a more relaxing outing.  Otherwise, watch your bags and glasses because you will be pushed around as people attempt to walk back and forth through the store.

Each of us ordered a cheeseburger sandwich and shared a selection of cavas. I had debated the chorizo sandwich, but instead made the order less complicated and went for the American classic.  For only 5€, you are able to get two bocadillos and a bottle of cava.  There are many different types of cava and you are able to choose a cup or a bottle.  From white to rose, sweet, dry, and more.  Depending on the type, glasses can cost between 0,70€ to 0,90€.  Great for sharing with people and very filling. Make sure to add this to your list if travel to Barcelona!

Matt, Mike, Sam, Liz, and Nuria

Celebrating Halloween Spanish Style

Spain doesn't exactly celebrate Halloween in the sense that Americans do. It isn't a Spanish holiday, but it is becoming more prevalent. Instead, Spaniards like to celebrate All Saints Day (November 1st) and the Dia de los Difuntos, or in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos on the 2nd of November.

A traditional treat is the panellet and are located all over Barcelona and Spain. We were at the Mercat de Santa Caterina and decided to see what all the fuss was about. Generally they are made of chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Panellets come in different shapes, sizes, and are decorated with different toppings. Most are round, made from marzipan (almonds and sugar) and the most popular are covered in pine nuts.

Liz and I split four (all quite small) and attempted to decide which ones were our favorite. One in particular had a more flavorful taste, probably that of coffee, and yet another had a sweet kick, the extra sugar coating the marzipan. I could relate the flavor and texture to a very doughy sugar cookie. Most patisserias tend to sell them for high prices, but we lucked out with four panellets for 2.55 euro.

In Spain, the theory is to feast on the 31st and 1st of November so that on the 2nd, the day of the dead, their stomachs will be completely full and will not have room for the bad spirits to enter. Similar I guess to our “Fat Tuesday” during the Easter season.

Orange, sugar, coffee, and coconut

Certainly another way to celebrate the fall. What is your favorite fall tradition?

Oh the Selection of Sandwiches

Ever tried to find the "hole-in-the-wall" places that everyone talks or raves about? Well, it usually is just that. A hole in the wall or in this case, a store below the sidewalk, out of eye view.

I had heard about everyone getting these delicious 1 Euro sandwiches and sometimes a 1 Euro beer and turns out, I had been walking straight past the place in question for the past three weeks. It is known as Cerveceria 100 Montaditos and is located off Ronda Sant Pere in Barcelona. The menu consists of over 100 choices, broken into three four categories of gourmet heaven. The first tier is the basic selection of cheese, salami, sausage (chorizo), or even chocolate. With each consecutive level, the ingredients and breads become more complex and gourmet. The menu also includes a selection of 4-5 salads, all that look divine and are reasonably priced.

I went with my friends Bonnie and Liz on a Wednesday, which happens to also be the day when ALL the sandwiches are 1 Euro. My lunch sandwiches included a spicy chorizo sandwich, a kebab/chicken, and a chocolate con leche. Two, from the tier 1 sandwiches arrived on a tiny baguette and the third was on a more artisian roll. The chocolate or pan con chocolate con leche was very reminiscent of a s'more - basically a couple blocks of chocolate on a semi-warm baguette. I have had more than enough s'mores in my life time between camping and Girl Scouts, so it wasn't exactly my favorite sandwich. Next on my list is the BBQ sandwich with BBQ sauce, chicken, cheddar cheese and grilled onions. Very American.

Chorizo, Kebab/Chicken, Chocolate con Leche

Not the greatest angles, but a glimpse of the meal

With each meal comes a small handful of potato chips. There is also the option to purchase french fries, which appeared more like Pomme Frites, the skinnier fried potato, or even a Spanish version of chips, salsa, and guacamole. I am curious to see how their guacamole differs from that of California, so I may have to test it out sometime.

I have included the link, but sadly it is all in Spanish and might include a little Catalan. But it is fun to check out the site nonetheless. It is well worth standing in line for a selection of sandwiches and nothing can beat their prices!