The Only Drink You Need for Summer in Spain

Horchata can be found throughout the world made with different ingredients. The one that the Spanish enjoy is made from the Chufa or Tigernut. They have known about this nut for more than 3,000 years. The origin is from Central and Northern Africa and it is said that the nut was brought to Spain in the 8^th century by the Arabs, who used the nut to make horchata for special occasions. Now, the nut flourishes in Southern and Eastern Spain as well as Northern Morocco. It is planted in April and May and harvested in November.

Horchata is most common in the Comunidad Valenciana. Before refrigeration was common, horchata was made in the mountains surrounding Valencia and stored in snow to keep it cold as it was brought down to sell in the city. Now a days, you can find horchata in almost every bar, and even in carts specifically selling the drink on the street. It is the perfect summer drink because it is cold and refreshing. It comes in liquid form, or my favorite, icy form. Horchata is traditionally pared with a sweet, tube shaped pastry called a Farton which is usually dunked into the drink before being eaten. Many of Spain’s Chufas are grown in a town called Alboraya near Valencia. Here you can spend a day on a Horchata tour learning about how the nut is farmed and even take a class on how to make the drink before trying some of the freshest horchata de chufa in all of Spain.



Horchata is a surprisingly healthy drink. Since it is made with nuts, it has a lot of protein. It also has a high content of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, complex carbohydrates and vitamins E and C. Many people who are lactose intolerant use horchata as a substitute for milk.



Even if you are not planning a trip to Spain anytime soon you can make horchata at home. Believe it or not it is very easy! All you need is some tigernuts, water, sugar, a cinnamon stick and lemon zest. It takes some time for the flavors to blend together but it is well worth the wait! Order some here if you aren’t in Spain.



There are many places in Valencia to get authentic homemade horchata. My favorite just happens to be the oldest in the city. Horchateria Santa Catalina is just off the Plaza de la Reina near the Santa Catalina Church. The shop is inside an old house that says it has “more than 200 years of tradition.” Inside you can see some beautiful architecture and great examples of ceramic tiles that are traditional in Valencia. Oh, and the horchata is pretty good too!



You can hear me read a shorter version of this post and learn some other cool things about Valencia on The Spain Uncovered Podcast.

Recipe: Roasted Baby Artichokes

I am very lucky to live in a place that has so much agriculture. On the train ride to work I can see fields of all sorts of vegetables. One of the cheapest things here are artichokes. At the vegetable stand I go to you can get a kilo for just over 1 euro! So, usually about once a week here we have artichokes in some form.

Last time I was at the stand, I tried to pick out the smallest artichokes I could find because I wanted to try roasting them which is something new for me. Now, it is officially my favorite way! Paired with a homemade hollandaise or alioli it is a great side dish.

Just out of the oven! I couldn't wait to try one, they smelled so good!

Ingredients:
6 small artichokes
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbs fresh rosemary
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit or about 200 Celsius.
2. Fill a large bowl with water and the lemon juice and set aside. While you are preparing the artichokes, put them in this bowl so they don’t turn brown.
3. Cut the stem leaving about 1/4 inch to the base of the artichoke.
4. Take off the outer, harder leaves. stop once the leaves become thin and easily bendable.
5. With a vegetable peeler, peel what is left of the stem and any remaining pieces of the leaves that you removed.
6. Cut the tops of the artichokes off. Even though these are the soft leaves, they still have a pointy tip that you do not want to eat.
7. Cut the artichokes in half.
8. drain the water, and pat dry the artichokes.
9. mince the garlic and the rosemary together and add it to a large bowl with the olive oil.
10. Toss the artichokes together with the garlic, rosemary, olive oil and red pepper flakes if you are using them.
11. Put the artichokes on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper, making sure they are not touching. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top of the artichokes.
12. Cook for 20 minutes or until the artichokes are golden brown and the leaves have started to separate from each other.

Recipe: Can-Free Pumpkin Puree

Thanksgiving season is one of the most difficult times for an American abroad. Traditional foods that are easy to find and inexpensive back home are non existent or very expensive abroad. I have been lucky enough to make Thanksgiving work all three years I’ve been in Spain (here is the story about my first year).

Pumpkin is one of my favorite foods to use during this time of the year. I love making pumpkin breads, sweets, soups and pies of course! The problem with this in Spain, is that canned pumpkin doesn’t exist. However, pumpkin puree is INCREDIBLY easy to make.

This year, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a real pumpkin! But, this recipe (and all recipes calling for pumpkin puree) can be made with butternut squash. In fact, most canned pumpkin brands are actually made from butternut squash!

My pumpkin

Ingredients:

1 pie pumpkin* or butternut squash
*Normal carving pumpkins (the big ones) are not good for this, you should look for the small ones that come with a sticker saying pie pumpkin or sweet pumpkin.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius
• Cut the pumpkin or squash in half
• Clean out the seeds and pulp (Save the seeds to roast if you want!)
• Put the Pumpkin or Squash skin side up on the baking sheet
• Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size. It is done with the meat can easily be smashed with a fork
• Scoop out the meat and throw away the skins

The puree can be kept in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a month.

All clean and ready for the oven

Now you are ready to use your homemade puree for whatever recipe you want! See, so much easier than using the can! Stay tuned for a Pumpkin Pie recipe!

All finished and smelling delicious!

Nice and squishy. Ready for any recipe!

Charles Schwab Bank: Easiest way to use USD abroad

One of the main worries about becoming a first time expat is how to use/transfer your dollars to use in Europe.

One of the ways many people have talked about is having a paypal.com account with your American bank and a paypal.es account with your Spanish account. To have this work you need to have a separate email address with both accounts. Personally, I think this is too much work. Maybe it’s best to save this option for when you are going home for good and need an easy way to send euros to the US.



For me, my preferred method for using my USDs abroad is with the Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking account. Long name, I know.  Schwab is actually a stock broker service so when you call to set up your account you need to make sure you ask to talk to the bank part and not the brokers. When you do set up your account they will make a brokerage account, because it’s required, but you don’t have to use it unless you want to get into the stock market.

(I think here is a good place to put that I don’t work for Schwab and didn't get paid to write this, I’m just a very happy customer)

Lets go over the reasons why Charles Schwab is awesome:

• No international fees!
• They refund all ATM fees at the end of each month, national and international.
• You can link accounts to other US banks. This makes transferring money back and forth really easy!
• No minimum balance requirements
• No fees to open or maintain your account, and even better. No hidden fees!
• AMAZING customer service. Seriously. Amazing. 24 hours a day, basically no waiting to talk to a live person and you don’t get transferred around a lot. The people are always very knowledgeable, helpful and most importantly nice! **
• Easy set up of the account and not a lot of wait time to receive your card. Also, for a $15 fee that can expedite the card.
• International calling number! I had to call from Spain and they emailed me a Spanish number to use which connected to someone in the US. Also, you can call them collect from outside the US.

There are probably many more reasons, but that’s about the basics of it. If anyone else has had experiences with Schwab (good and bad) please leave a comment!
Here is what you will need to set up your account:

1. Application
2. Social security number
3. Drivers license number

That’s it!

Here is the number to call to set up your account or for questions: 800-540-6718

Other numbers for future reference:
24 hour help line: 1-800-435-4000
International collect number: 1-317-596-4501
International direct dial number (Spain): 900-96-1285 (call from a land line phone)

**During the 2012 Olympics I ended up buying a fake ticket that cost me over $700. Schwab was able to get all my money back in just a few weeks! Super helpful! They gave me updates every few days on the progress

Recipe: Walnut Pesto

I recently just returned from my third trip to Italy (Stay tuned for posts about that!) I love living in Spain, but if I had the chance to live it Italy I would take it in a heartbeat. I love everything about Italian culture. The people, the architecture, the art and of course the food!

When I was 16 I started working as a hostess at an Italian restaurant called Mama Roma. I was lucky enough to have a boss who was willing to let me start working back of house almost immediately. I wanted to be a chef for the longest time so I was incredibly happy for the opportunity. I learned so much there and was really sad when I had to quit to go to college.

Me checking a pizza at Mama Roma

The summer between my freshman and sophomore year in college I started as a prep cook at the now defunct Grazio Italian Bar and Grill. I worked under an amazingly talented chef, that, unfortunately, the owners refused to use his talents. Never the less I learned a ton from him.

So as you can see, Italian food has been a part of my life for A LONG time. I love cooking it at home for friends and family.

My all time favorite herb is basil and whenever I have enough from one of my plants I jump at the opportunity to make some pesto.

Most pesto recipes use pine nuts. But, these are expensive, and lately are becoming increasingly hard to find nuts not grown in China in the US. So, using walnuts is a great alternative.

Here is my simple recipe for Walnut Pesto:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Place the basil leaves, olive oil, walnuts, and garlic in a emersion blender or food processer and mix until well blended.
• add parmesan cheese and continue blending until everything is well mixed.
• At this point, you can add more olive oil to achieve the consistency you want. Also add salt and pepper to your liking.

That’s it! Super easy right? No need to buy a 4 dollar bottle anymore! Enjoy this pesto with pasta and chicken or just on a piece of toast with some fresh tomatoes.

Delicious!