Category Archives: food & drink

a day in jerez

04 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by in andalucia, food & drink, getaways, sherry

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Sometimes the best plans are the ones that are barely planned at all. I had started thinking about last year’s Birthday Month, when I took a short getaway trip each week of January to celebrate my big 6-OH birthday on the 7th (one day is never enough 😉 ). Anyhow, it seemed a bit much to celebrate 61 in the same way – but wait until I turn 65! – and yet I still wanted to do something special. So I decided that taking a day trip each week this month would be a fun thing to do. Then I realized that I was already in the middle of the first week and still hadn’t planned the first day trip!

Then by chance I got a “follow” on Instagram from Bodegas Fernandez Gao, an up and coming winery in Jerez I’d been interested in learning more about and, although I knew they still weren’t offering tours, I asked if I could pop by for a visit – and they said yes! So that sealed it. I decided to go to Jerez for the day. And of course I immediately got in touch with my friend Tomoko to see if she wanted to meet up. It turned out that there was already a little party planned at one of my favourite bodegas and I ended up getting an invite. But after our visit to Fernandez Gao we decided to stop off at Las Bandarillas for a quick lunch before heading over to Urium.

I can’t remember the number of impromptu fiestas I’ve stumbled upon at Bodegas Urium. At this point that place really feels like my second home in Jerez. This time expat pals Paul & Anne had arranged a little “sherry and Christmas cake” thing at the bodega, that ended up growing… and eventually included me and Peter.

It was a fabulous bodega party, with everyone (I think maybe 25 of us?) all standing around a long food-laden wooden table with sherry glasses in hand, all talking, all catching up. Some people I met for the first time, but it was mostly meeting up with old friends. Afterwards Paul, Ann and Tomoko joined us in the center of town for a “penúlitima” before we had to catch our train home. A perfect day out.

shortest shelf life ever

22 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in casa azahar, food & drink, home, homecooking

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I absolutely adore roasted piquillo peppers and use them in all kinds of dishes, even just tossed into salads. I usually use a different (superior) brand to this, but as these come pre-sliced (and are way cheaper) they also serve their purpose. Anyhow, I went to make a quick tomato sauce the other day and was about to add some of these when I thought to look at the use-by date, since I had been away in Málaga and actually couldn’t remember when I’d opened this jar. Well, the expiry date was about a year away but then something else caught my eye… in small print on the back label it said that once opened the peppers must be kept refridgerated. No problem there. But then it said “for a maximum of 48 hours”. Whaaat??

I’ve been eating these things for years and I am quite sure I have used them even after having been in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or even longer. The only time I wisely decide not to use them is when I see they’ve gone all furry (obvs). But they seem to last a long time, and fellow foodie pal Lynsey @larosillacomida tells me that as long as they are still under the brine in the jar then they are fine. Which these were. And they hadn’t gone furry. But I still ended up tossing them. Dammit.

But honestly… 48 hours??? I’ve never heard of any preserved food spoiling IN THE FRIDGE after such a short time. What is the point of preserving them if you have to eat the whole damn jar once it’s been opened? This can’t be right.

manic monday

04 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by in christmas, food & drink, friends, sevilla, spain, tapas, tapas bars

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The last time Ania @ania_marchlik and I got together for lunch was far too long ago, so on the eve of her heading home to Poland for the holidays, we decided to meet up for what ended up being quite an exquisite tapeo. I checked my “to do” list of places I needed to update for Sevilla Tapas and thought it had also been too long since I’d been to Cañabota. Turned out Ania had never been there, but had always wanted to go, so I got in touch with the owner Juanlu to see if there was any way to squeeze us in and, although fully booked, he found us a “hueco” before another booking for us to have lunch.

It was actually perfect timing, and we didn’t feel rushed in the slightest. The food was even better than I remembered it, perhaps in part because Juanlu is now focusing on a strictly seasonal menu. Check it out…

Afterwards we took a walk over to La Azotea on calle Zaragoza for dessert and (of course) a penúlitima. Somehow we always end up at one Azotea or another. And somehow “dessert” ended up including some crispy filo filled with cheese and prawns, and a plate of jamón, along with Ania’s choice, the lovely orange cream you can see up there. Anyhow, it was a great afternoon and my first “Christmas lunch” of the season. Looking forward to a few more, and also meeting up with Ania in Málaga when she is briefly back in Spain.

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love my life

23 Thursday Nov 2017

Posted by in food & drink, friends, gastronomy, sevilla, sherry, spain

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Today was a “day off”, which mostly means I had no scheduled tours or tastings (though there is always plenty of other work to do on the computer). But then I was invited to an event at a posh hotel (which shall remain nameless) so I decided to forego a cosy evening of Netflixing at home with the cats to check it out – mostly as a chance to meet up with a couple of friends I hadn’t seen in awhile. On the way to the hotel we passed by Enrique Becerra and through the window I saw Enrique sitting at the cash desk, so I waved and blew him a kiss (and got one back).

And so when the posh hotel thing turned out to be a dud, it just made sense to go back to Enrique Becerra for a snack on the way home. And wow, I’m so glad I did.

First of all, as soon as Enrique saw me he said “I’m so glad you came back!” because he wanted to invite me to his new book launch next week – as you can see, it is all about wines from Jerez and Sanlúcar. And then he ended up signing his last copy (well, until next week) and giving it to me. It says “To Shawn, Sevillana by adoption and by vocation. With much love…” Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Then, while we were having a light snack, Reyes and Juan Carlos from Casa Morales walked in and… seriously… we’re talking family-run traditional tapas bar royalty, seeing the three of them sitting together at the bar. So I got over my usual camera-shyness to get a pic taken with them.

On the way home I thought about how lucky I am to know all of these people, and to be recognised by them as a peer, and as someone they both like and respect. Because I honestly love them all, all these wonderful people I work with, interact with, every day, who are all so passionate about what they do, and who are so generous about sharing their passion and their friendship. Lucky me!