Chef Michael Salmon - Join me in my Kitchen
Paella is one of the most popular dishes in Spain, and originated in the Valencia region which is on the central-eastern coast of Spain along the Mediterranean Sea. There are three well established types of Paella (and of course, many more variations), all including the basic ingredients of rice (calasparra or bomba), saffron and olive oil: Meat only, Seafood only and Mixed Paella with meat, seafood and vegetables.
Slow cooking this pork loin roast in a circulating bath of warm water “Sous Vide” produces a product that is more tender and juicy than pork cooked by traditional methods. For a quick sauce for Sous Vide items, I often turn to compound butters which are so versatile, easy to make and convenient since they can be made well in advance.
We make these Spanish meatballs as an appetizer on our Foodie trip to the Catalonia region of Spain, but it could also be served as a main course for four people. Many of the sauces in Spain feature nuts as a main ingredient and these meatballs are served in a tasty meat broth that is thickened with ground almonds.
Chocolate Mousse is a quick and easy dessert to make and will satisfy most sweet-tooth’s. Use a good quality semi-sweet dark chocolate with about 60% cocoa solids.
Tarta de Queso is a Spanish cheesecake that is very delicious and easy to make. I make a Peach and Strawberry Compote to serve with the cheesecake. The crinkled parchment paper creates a “rustic” look to the cheesecake and makes cleanup easy!
Chocolate lovers beware. Starting with a pistachio brownie crust and followed by a layer of rich chocolate ganache, chocolate ice cream and finally chocolate sauce, any chocoholic would be impressed.
La Boqueria is an amazing and inspiring market located just off from La Rambla, the main walking street in Barcelona, Spain. Every time I visit this market, I walk away with new ideas and a great appreciation for Spanish cuisine.
My roasted eggplant timbale is a recipe I feature on my Foodie trips to Sicily. It combines roasted eggplant and tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil and is quite simple to make. The completed timbales are topped with a light balsamic vinaigrette.
With asparagus season approaching, here is a salad recipe featuring grilled white and green asparagus with a poached egg, green tapenade and a tangy lemon dressing.
The combination of Pistachios and Apricots in this Torte is hard to beat. The creamy-slightly crunchy filling of ground pistachios provides a great foundation for the sweet-juicy ripe fresh Apricots. The inspiration for this dessert came from our scouting trip to Provence in the town of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in southeast France.
Join me in my kitchen as I prepare recipes from my two cookbooks, European foodie trips and explore new inspirations.
