Category Archives: friends

surprise!

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

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surprise

So this was lovely! Got a surprise Christmas care package this evening from my friends Anne & Paul in Jerez. Anne had heard my plea for mince pies a while back (a situation somewhat alleviated by my first panettone). But I am happy to have festive breakfasts until the New Year. Anyhow, as you can see there are some Walkers mince pies, what looks like it might be Anne’s famous Christmas cake wrapped in foil, a jar of homemade kumquat, vanilla and cream sherry marmalade and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S IN THE BOX. Oh, and there was also a copy of the November Decanter (with my Málaga article). Plus a pretty card and it all looks even extra festive with a background of my Mallorca wines (which I still haven’t opened – just don’t know where to start!).

Thank you Anne and Paul! What a lovely Christmas surprise. We’ll have to have a zoom drink with Tomoko over the holidays. xx

panettone!

21 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, christmas, friends

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panettone

It’s the beginning of Christmas Week and that usually means mince pies for breakfast. Usually brought by friends travelling here from the UK. Obviously that isn’t happening this year, so by happy chance my friend Bizzy gave me this lovely panettone that is made at her Italian restaurant Maccheroni & Co. And it’s the very first time I’ve ever tried panettone, so may as well start with the best. I love it. Not sweet, more like a lovely citrusy raisin bread. Can be eaten plain, toasted with butter or (hope Bizzy isn’t reading this) even made into French toast. I plan to try them all.

invoking the gods

14 Monday Dec 2020

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vermut invoke gods

Most of you have “met” my lovely friend Esteban of @vermuteriasyosoytupadre fame here on the blog. So I thought I would put this up for those of you residing in Spain who either love vermouth or would like to try some for the first time this Christmas. Esteban has invoked the wine gods with this limited edition bottling of his white and red vermouths, made from a base of sherry wines (finos and manzanillas pasadas) and his family recipe of herbs and botanicals. It would make a great Christmas present, even if it’s just for you. Contact info is in the photo below.

vermut limited

christmas magic

09 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by in christmas, friends, sevilla

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mariaMaria December 9th 2020

I mean, what are the odds? These days I am only going out about once a week, so it’s not often I run into people I know. But by some lovely chance today I happened to see Maria @tierradeconejos having lunch outside with friends at Las Teresas as I was on my way home from having tapas. I don’t think we’ve seen each other since before the pandemic. So we talked about how random it was that we would see each other, since Maria is also restricted from travelling into Sevilla and was here for a business meeting. Then we realised that we were at the very same place we had first met many years ago (Maria is one of my first ever official stalkers!), so of course I had to take a pic of her inside under the jamones. Then when I got home I looked up the photo I took of her and her friend Ania on the day we met AND IT WAS THE EXACT SAME DATE as today, December 9th, but seven years earlier in 2013. Must be Christmas Magic.   🙂

maria aniaMaria and Ania December 9th 2013

reyes

03 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by in food & drink, friends, sevilla, sherry, tapas, tapas bars, wine

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reyes

So ever since Reyes Morales joined me at Casa Román to help me celebrate my 27th Sevilla Anniversary I’ve been promising to bring her a bottle of a nice mencía rosado to try. We both have a preference for crisp white wines and rosés over reds and I discovered this rosado while looking for more economical ways to still enjoy wine while being completely broke. Anyhow, yesterday was finally the day! I showed up at Casa Morales with my chilled bottle of wine and we sat at the table Reyes had reserved for us, in front of an open window (so lots of ventilation) and she proceeded to order food for us. Well, between the two of us and Reyes’ husband Juan Carlos (who stopped by for a quick glass) the bottle didn’t last that long, so then we were on to the sherries.

I’ve known Reyes for a long time, but it’s only been in the past year or so that we’ve started connecting on a more personal level. She is truly a warm and wonderful person and we always have a great time when we get together. Well this time rosé led to sherry, which led to more sherry and eventually a penúltima down the street at Bodeguita Romero. I’m telling you, that chica is a bad influence.  😉