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NYT Wirecutter - "The 15 Best Gifts for People Who Love Food" - ¡Ole! Our Deluxe Tapas Sampler is a best gifts pick.

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The lastest gear to take your Al Fresco meals to the next level Elle Decor Staff XL Paella Burner - Paella equals a one-dish party. This propane-fueled grill is made in Spain.

Beyond the BBQ

<h2>For the gourmand in your life, look no further than these exclusive extra virgin olive oils from Spain, the world’s leading producer and exporter of “liquid gold”.</h2>by Isabelle Kliger&nbsp;What is the first country that springs to mind when you think of the world’s best extra virgin olive oil? If your answer was Italy, think again.Spain is the world leader when it comes to olive oil production. The country is also the world’s largest exporter and consumer of this delectable gourmet product that is sometimes referred to as liquid gold.<h2>Olive Oil Tastes Good And Is Good For You</h2>The word "oil" may not sound like something that would be particularly good for you, but it all depends on what type you are using. When it comes to olive oil, there are three grades: refined, virgin and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The latter, which is the least processed of them all, packs a heart-healthy punch due to its high concentration of antioxidants and "good" High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. EVOO also plays a crucial part in the Mediterranean diet, which is believed to be a key reason for the extended healthy life expectancy enjoyed by people in countries like Spain and Italy.Better still, great-quality EVOO is a delicious complement to a multitude of dishes. Choose the right one and it will not only elevate your cooking and enhance the flavor of your food, but also impress your dinner guests!<h2>The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil From Spain</h2>From mild, fruity Arbequinas to powerful, herbacious Picuals and complex, spicy Hojiblancas, here are eight fantastic olive oils from Spain for your favorite gourmand.<h3><a href="https://www.tienda.com/products/blue-jewel-bottle-extra-virgin-olive-oil-1490-oo-07">Blue Jewel Extra Virgin Olive Oil by 1490</a></h3>Made from 100% Hojiblanca olives grown on an ancient family estate in Córdoba in southern Spain, this premium oil by 1490 is made from olives that are cold pressed at the peak of their freshness. A fruity green oil, it is sweet and complex with flavors of apple, hay and tomato. As for the blue ceramic bottle, it is inspired by the color of the skies in the Córdoba countryside, where the rolling hills are covered with Hojiblanca olive trees. The name, 1490, refers to the year the family bought the estate, as documented in a recently recovered 500-year-old charter.<h3><a href="https://www.tienda.com/products/extra-virgin-olive-oil-mas-tarres-oo-91">Mas Tarrés Extra Virgin Olive Oil PDO Siurana</a></h3>Members of the Solé family have been making olive oil since 1824, and their experience shows in the multi-award-winning Mas Tarrés. This fruity, tasty extra virgin olive oil <a href="https://www.tienda.com/shop-by-region/cataluna">f</a>rom the hills of Catalonia is made from 100% sweet, nutty Arbequina olives. It has flavors of green apples, herbs and roasted almonds, very low acidity and not a hint of bitterness, making it the perfect complement for salads and sautéed vegetables. Mas Tarrés is packaged in appealing whiskey bottles with dark glass to safeguard the oil’s delicate flavor balance and health-promoting characteristics.<h3><a href="https://www.tienda.com/products/organic-extra-virgin-olive-oil-belvis-de-las-navas-oo-116">Belvís de Las Navas Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil</a></h3>This certified organic EVOO is made from heirloom olive varietals from centuries old olive trees harvested from the terraced hillsides near the Spanish seaside town of Marbella. This is a one-of-a-kind olive oil that blends native varieties, including some that had never been documented before the Yturbe family rediscovered them on their estate. Varietals like Hojiblanca, la Zorzaleña, la Manzanilla Aloreña or Verdial Vélez – Málaga, all of which are picked by hand and pressed to create an exceptional oil with great aromatic complexity. Try it with freshly baked bread or on a salad to maximize the flavor sensation.<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabellekliger/2024/11/26/holiday-gift-guide-2024-the-finest-spanish-olive-oils-for-a-taste-of-spain/">Read full article.</a>

Holiday Gift Guide 2024: The Finest Spanish Olive Oils For A Taste Of Spain

<h2>Saltines taken to a cracking new level, sharp cheddar wafers and spicy smoked chorizo are on the menu.</h2>By C.W. Cameron<h3>SPICY PECAN-SMOKED CHORIZO</h3>La Tienda sells more than two dozen types of chorizo-style sausage, including a sliced, spicy, pecan-smoked chorizo salami made by Texas Iberico. It’s seasoned with Spanish smoked paprika, cold-smoked over pecan wood and cured for 45 days — a recipe developed by Kevin Ouzts of the Spotted Trotter in Atlanta.

A trio of savory snacks to enjoy this fall

By <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/authors/mari-uyehara/">Mari Uyehara</a>Almost everyone claims to love food, but some people take it to the next level. Maybe they’re the type to plan a trip to Tokyo around a highly curated list of yakitori, sushi, and natural-wine spots. Or perhaps they wax poetic about cucina povera while making an incredible three-ingredient sauce with tomatoes from their own garden.Whatever the case, these are the people who deeply believe that the dining table is where life happens—and they already have their kitchen basics covered. To that end, we’ve rounded up some delicious, good-looking, and offbeat gifts sure to surprise and delight a food obsessive, from a gorgeous little yuzu tree to a serious outdoor pizza oven.Your giftee may be set with All-Clad skillets, a Dutch oven, and a Vitamix blender. But if you’re looking for more food and drink ideas, check out our favorite food gift baskets, our top picks for cocktail-themed gifts, and our best ideas for coffee lovers.<h3>Spanish snacking</h3>Take the apps off your favorite dinner-party thrower’s hands with the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/out/link/64915/206645/4/198685/?merchant=La%20Tienda">Deluxe Tapas Starter Sampler</a> from La Tienda, one of the US’s premier Spanish-food importers. It features 10 exceptional, shelf-stable noshes, with two tender logs of chorizo (including an Ibérico variety), silky fire-roasted piquillo peppers, Ines Rosales torta crisps, plump manzanilla olives stuffed with mild anchovies, and more. Our one complaint is that the company notes that it may substitute products of equal value, and we were a little bummed when candy-coated almonds came instead of the listed Rabitos Royale chocolate fig bonbons (presumably due to the meltingly hot weather at the time). Other great La Tienda samplers include the smaller and less expensive <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/out/link/64920/206650/4/198686/?merchant=La%20Tienda">Tapas Classics Gift Box</a> and the pricier, cold-packed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/out/link/64919/206649/4/198687/?merchant=La%20Tienda">Bestsellers Gift Box</a>, which offers three cheeses along with other goodies.

The 15 Best Gifts for People Who Love Food

by <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/authors/sarah-m-vazquez">Sarah M. Vazquez</a>I don’t get out to Spain often, but when I do, I always make sure to come home with something special for my kitchen. One of my favorite instances of this happened back in 2019. Growing up in a Spanish family, many of my memories revolve around two things: the music of Julio Iglesias and delicious food. My family hails from the northern region of Galicia where the dishes range from hearty dishes like caldo Gallego and asado de ternera to seafood-laden tapa plates like pulpo a feira and chipirones a la plancha (my favorite), all featuring one major thing in common: garlic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While each family varies, in my home, you’ll rarely find us cooking without garlic. While visiting friends and relatives in Galicia, I began to notice that this is not only a common theme among most Spaniards, but we even store garlic the same. How? In a specially decorated garlic jar, specifically an El Puente del Arzobispo Garlic Jar.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/el-puente-spanish-garlic-keeper-jar-review-ll-23668930?signed-in=true">Read full article…</a>

This Classic Garlic Keeper Is the One Thing I Made Sure I Brought Back from Spain

By Javier Orona, Navy Chaplain CorpsIn life's currents, some people flow with such purpose that their legacy acts as a North Star for future generations to follow. Among those individuals is Retired Navy Chaplain Donald Harris, a man whose journey from Naval Chaplaincy to cultural entrepreneurship demonstrated resilience and the strength of a human’s spirit. Harris passed away March 16, 2024, in Williamsburg, VA. Harris was committed to service and faith in the power of love. This was emphasized by over 60 years of marriage to his wife Ruth. He shaped countless lives and created bonds of understanding between nations. Harris, a native of Belmont, Massachusetts, was sitting in his high school library when he came across a college brochure. Due to a problematic childhood, he decided to move to Virginia so he could find the peace he had always been searching for.After graduating from the College of William &amp; Mary in 1957, he entered graduate school at the University of Iowa, but quickly realized it wasn’t what he wanted. He was used to attending a much smaller school and decided he would go somewhere with warmer weather. Harris enrolled in Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California, and stayed with his friend Charlie’s family. During this time, he befriended Charlie’s younger brother Christian. Harris didn’t allow himself to grow close to many people, but he ended up forming a brotherlike bond with him. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much time together as Christian developed bone cancer and died within one year. During Harris’s time with Christian, he realized that although they didn’t have much in common, they formed a strong relationship. This was something he carried on with him and utilized to build strong bonds among servicemembers in the future. In 1960, Harris entered the Coast Guard and attended Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, Virginia. Later, he was drawn to become a United States Navy Chaplain. So, in 1961, he enrolled at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. Each day, after school, he would drive to the Coast Guard Training Center to work with trainees who needed a chaplain to talk to. Harris realized early on, after discussions with recruits attending his services, that they all seemed to relate to words used through music. He began using lyrics from songs in his sermons and saw a difference in the number of recruits attending. In 1971, with the support of then Chief of Chaplains Rear Admiral Francis Garrett, Harris created the Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operation (CREDO). The program was created to address the rise of drug addiction and mental trauma among service members. Using what he had learned from his short time with Christian, Harris focused on connecting people through mutual respect and humanity. Peter Chase, a family friend who became involved with the program, says CREDO started off as a weekend full of music. He says they would speak about personal pain, social pain, and end on Sunday morning with celebratory music. “They didn’t use uniforms or identify by rank,” said Chase. “They would go by first names in an effort to eliminate fear of repercussions.” Chase says Harris was very dedicated to working with people who were trying to find themselves and helping them deal with life situations. He also says the weekends began giving people hope and helped them in some of their worst times. “The people who wanted to get out ended up staying in,” said Chase. “They started to feel happier about where they were in life and with their career.” The Navy CREDO program helps Navy personnel, and their families feel better spiritually. It helps them find hope, good relationships, grow spiritually, and strengthen morals. It does this by building trust and accepting people as they are. The program also gives them tools to become better people. They have different programs such as retreats for couples to improve their marriage and retreats for families to become closer. There are also workshops before marriage and for building personal resilience. The program has changed over time to fit the needs of Navy personnel, providing a supportive community where they can find comfort, help, and feel like they belong. With its whole-body approach, the CREDO program helps Navy members deal with hard times and increase their spiritual readiness. Ben Chase, Peter’s brother, attended seminary with Harris and says that not everyone who attended the workshops was troubled. CREDO program participants each have their own story and background and some join to find comfort and help during tough times. There are others, like Judy Neuter, one of the first female naval aviators, who found encouragement and a welcoming atmosphere in the program. Her involvement showed that the program wasn't just for people facing difficulties but also attracted people looking to grow personally and connect with others in the military. Through sharing stories and supporting each other, attendees found a community for self-reflection, development, and friendship in the program. “It was really a great social outlet at the time,” said Ben Chase. “It was a comfortable home for people within the Navy to grow and to feel valued.” As he was working on growing the program, Harris and his family were told that he was being assigned to Rota, Spain. This proved to be the perfect place for his family following an impactful, but strenuous, tenure with the CREDO program. Harris and his family were impressed by the culture in Spain and liked how friendly the people were. They admired how much Spanish families cared about each other and how important family was in their lives. Seeing this dedication had a big impact on them, and they came to value the traditions and values of their new Spanish community. Jonathan Harris, Don Harris’s son, says there are challenges with moving every couple of years, but there is also an adventurous side. “I got to see a lot of the world and meet different people,” said Jonathan Harris. “Being the son of a Navy Chaplain allowed me to meet folks from all walks of life, from petty officers to admirals, and see how my father was able to help them find a healthier, more fulfilling path.” Jonathan says that as he got older, his father grew to be more like a close friend who always supported him. He also says his father loved nothing more than sitting with friends, old or new, and chatting for hours, really getting to know each person. After leaving the Navy, Harris started an online store with his family. They all shared a passion for Spain, and his goal was to work alongside them. At the time, the Internet was becoming popular, and Spanish foods weren't readily available in the United States. So, Harris and his sons Jonathan and Tim decided to create one of the earliest online stores selling Spanish products. Apart from his work accomplishments, Harris's memory lives on through his family, who carry on his dreams. Harris's dedication to building bonds between nations did not go unnoticed. In 2012, he was awarded the Official Cross of the Order of Civil Merit by the King of Spain, recognizing his impact on promoting Spanish culture in the United States. The award recognized him for his lifelong dedication to building connections and celebrating humanity. Throughout his life, Harris dedicated himself to serving others, through his career in the Navy and through service to his community. In the Navy, he found purpose in protecting his country and fostering relationships. Through his efforts, he achieved what he had always wanted: a life spent positively impacting those around him. “When you love something, you don’t keep it to yourself,” said Chase. “You share it, and that’s what Don was about, he felt that he was healed by God and wanted others to experience it too.” Jonathan says being a Navy chaplain was more than a career for his father and that it was his life’s mission. He says it provided him with the structure and platform to reach so many people and engage with them, to build a community of love and healing. “Our father came from an abusive home and was a lonely kid, but he chose not to pass on that legacy,” said Jonathan. “Through his career as a Chaplain, especially through CREDO, he was able to share this message of forgiveness, healing, and connection with thousands of sailors and their families.”<a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/470704/thats-light-gets">Read full article…</a>

That's How the Light Gets In

<h3>In Jabugo, travelers can visit Ibérico pigs in the pasture and learn how to carve some of the world’s finest cured ham</h3>By David FarleyARACENA, Spain — “How do you like the ham?” asked Manolo Romero de la Ossa, the owner of Casas, a popular restaurant here in Andalusia.All week long around the village of Jabugo, my wife and I had been eating <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/01/19/jamon-iberico-learning-the-basics/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2">jamón Ibérico</a> de bellota, the sweet, nutty, salty and creamy product of black-hoofed, free-range pigs that consume a special diet.“It’s great,” I said. Then I mentioned just how much ham we’d been eating.“What does that matter?” Romero de la Ossa said, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. “You’re in the ham capital of Spain, even the world, and when it’s this good, you can’t stop. You eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”He was right. To mistake cured Spanish jamón (pronounced “hahm-ohn”) with the packaged, sliced ham you find at your local supermarket would be like comparing a fast-food burger to a wagyu steak, or Pabst Blue Ribbon with a Czech bottle of Pilsner Urquell. Even Italian prosciutto is not in the same league.Jamón Ibérico de bellota is a whole other beast. For about three months out of the year, Iberian pigs graze on acorns (or bellotas in Spanish), giving the jamón a rich taste that some Spaniards have likened to a drug.Jabugo is synonymous with the highest-quality jamón in Spain — and, some would argue, the world. I came here because my Spanish friends would whisper in irreverent tones when anyone uttered the phrase “jamón de Jabugo.” I felt like I was let in on some culinary secret: the best cured ham on the planet comes from a village of about 2,200 people nestled in the mountains of southern Spain.<h3>Pasture tours and jamón museums</h3>Is there such a thing as pork tourism? There is in Jabugo.The town is so ham-centric that the main square is called Plaza del Jamón, and there is an array of bronze sculptures of jamón-cutters. There are also museums dedicated to Spanish jamón in Jabugo and Aracena.Jabugo boasts a handful of jamón producers. The most famous is Cinco Jotas. The company offers<a href="https://www.cincojotas.com/visit-cinco-jotas-cellar"> several services</a> for visitors to literally get their hands dirty and have their palates dazzled. I signed up for the full experience, including a visit to the oak tree-studded pastures to hang with the hogs, a tour of the 19th-century ham-curing cellars, a lesson in how to carve jamón like a pro, and, of course, a tasting.It all gave me a much better insight into how much time and effort it takes to nurture an unparalleled product, and why it’s so expensive. A leg of black-label jamón Ibérico can<a href="https://www.cincojotas.us/shop-online/cinco-jotas-acorn-fed-100x100-iberico-bone-in-ham.html?___store=us"> cost as much as $1,700</a>. Acorns are rich in fatty acids and nutrients. You could say they are a porcine superfood.Spain has a handful of main jamón-producing regions, including Salamanca, Extremadura, the Los Pedroches Valley and Jabugo. But not all jamón Ibérico is created equal.In 2014, the Spanish government created a color-coded system to inform consumers of the percentage of the pig’s Iberian ancestry. A white label, for example, means the breed of pig is at least 50 percent Iberian; it eats mostly fodder (a random mixture of grain, hay, and vegetables); and is not free range.On the other end is black label, meaning the pig is 100 percent Iberian (or pata negra), it feeds from November to February on acorns, and is free range. There are also dozens of strict regulations about weight, size and the amount of free-range space the pigs should have, among other factors. Only 6 percent of the jamón Ibérico produced in Spain gets a black label designation.Iberian pigs have fewer offspring than other breeds, produce less meat and take longer to mature. For those reasons, many ham producers in Spain crossbreed them. Cinco Jotas only uses 100 percent Iberian pigs, making it one of the few jamón-producing companies in Spain that gets the black label designation.<h3>What makes jamón de Jabugo so special</h3>People have been curing jamón in southwestern Spain for a very long time. Even the Romans recognized the area as particularly beneficial for the task of curing pork.In A.D. 77 Roman writer Pliny the Elder<a href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D77"> wrote of Iberian pigs</a>, “There is no animal that affords a greater variety to the palate of the epicure; all the others have their own peculiar flavour, but the flesh of the hog has nearly fifty different flavours.” On Christopher Columbus’s second voyage, in 1493, his ships<a href="https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2016/12/19/inenglish/1482134474_543698.html"> were said to be loaded</a> with Ibérico pigs as they crossed the Atlantic.Until the late 19th century, ham production in Jabugo was small-scale, limited to a few small family-run slaughterhouses. It was only when a jamón-obsessed businessman, Rafael Sánchez Romero, recognized a growing demand for the high-quality ham from Jabugo that the product started to spread to cities like Seville and beyond. He<a href="https://www.jamonarium.com/en/blog/history-jabugo-ham-cinco-jotas-b197.html"> started Cinco Jotas</a> in 1879.In 1994, jamón de Jabugo got DOP status — Denominación de Origen Protegida (literally “Protected Designation of Origin”) — a European Union certification that ensures a certain product comes from a specific geographic zone. The zone in question here extends beyond Jabugo to 30 other villages in the surrounding area where the ham produced is officially “jamón de Jabugo.”“One of the most important factors in shaping the taste of jamón de Jabugo is the microclimate here,” said José Antonio Pavón, the Director General of DOP Jabugo, an the organization that maintains Jabugo’s DOP status. “We get 1,000 liters of rain here — that’s far more than any other ham-producing region in Spain.”To add to that, something called the<a href="https://www.rmets.org/metmatters/fohn-effect"> Foehn effect</a> — a meteorological term for what happens when there’s a warm, dry condition on one side of a mountain and a cold, wet condition on the other, resulting in extreme temperature change — is caused by the wind from the Atlantic Ocean hitting the high-altitude mountains in Jabugo.“The daytime temperature in summer can be at 105 degrees, and then at night it can go all the way down to 65 degrees,” said Maria Castro Bermúdez Coronel, the director of communications for Cinco Jotas. “This affects that taste, compared to other jamón-producing regions, in that the warm weather creates a strong flavor in the meat.”The pigs are slaughtered — or “sacrificed” as Spaniards prefer to say — when they’re around 22 months old. Then the back legs (called “jamón”) and front legs (called “paleta,” or shoulder) sit in salt for a few weeks (one day per kilogram).Next, they spend time in the drying process, hanging in a temperature-controlled room before being moved to a windowless cellar for a few years. The entire process can take up to five years before a leg of jamón is ready to be sliced and savored.<h3>How to get your hands on jamón Ibérico</h3>Look around your local supermarket — or pretty much any supermarket in the United States — and you likely will not find jamón Ibérico de bellota.It’s not particularly hard to find jamón serrano, the most commonly produced jamón in Spain, which is good but does not possess the “wow” factor compared to black-label jamón Ibérico de bellota. If you want it, you have to go to a specialty food shop, buy it online or, like me, come to the source.Antonio Cabrera, a sales manager at Covap, a jamón producer in Los Pedroches Valley near Córdoba, and the grandson of the company’s co-founder, said, “Italian culinary culture is so cemented in the United States, especially on the East Coast, that many people have a cultural attachment to prosciutto.”Jamón Ibérico was approved for import by the U.S. government only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/27/spain.usa">in 2005</a>, and its emergence in the United States — particularly the black-label variety — has been crawling at a Mediterranean pace. “We have some catching up to do,” he said.If you’re in Spain and you want to bring back some black-label jamón Ibérico de bellota (or other pork products, Spanish or otherwise), you might want to think twice: It’s illegal.However, there are plenty of ways to buy it online: You can go straight to the source at<a href="https://www.cincojotas.com/"> Cinco Jotas</a> or visit the websites for Spanish gourmet websites for the U.S. market, including<a href="https://www.tienda.com/"> La Tienda</a>,<a href="https://eatcampogrande.com/"> Campo Grande</a> or<a href="https://despananyc.com/"> Despaña</a>.For a 3-ounce packet of sliced black-label jamón Ibérico de bellota, expect to pay around $40. If you want to splurge and get your own leg, prices vary depending on the weight and if it’s the front leg or the heavier back leg.<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2024/04/16/spain-jamon-region-jabugo/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzEzMjQwMDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzE0NjIyMzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MTMyNDAwMDAsImp0aSI6ImMyNzk0N2JlLWNhZmQtNGM4OS1hMTIyLTBhNzM4YTg5ZWQ1OSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS90cmF2ZWwvMjAyNC8wNC8xNi9zcGFpbi1qYW1vbi1yZWdpb24tamFidWdvLyJ9.YI8Ag76a0p2CUmaembTH5pTuUWtDL1GWxEzmeOYSFok">Read full article…</a>

See How Jamón Gets Made in the Heartland of Spanish Pork

‘The Taste of Things’ with Juliette Binoche, a nonalcoholic sparkler in a magnum, holiday stollens and more food news.Florence FabricantPop a Spanish Tortilla in the MicrowaveThey’ve shrunk the Spanish tortilla. The thick frittata of potatoes and onions, a tapas bar staple typically made for multiple servings now comes in minis from Peregrino by La Tienda, in Spain. Each is about four inches wide, making for an easy side dish alongside roasted meat or poultry, as the centerpiece on an individual vegetarian plate, or for a quick breakfast. Cut them in small wedges to toothpick and serve with drinks. The tortillas are four to a box, frozen and individually wrapped, to be heated in minutes in a microwave, a pan or a regular oven.Peregrino Mini Tortilla Española, $32 for eight, <a href="https://www.tienda.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">latienda.com</a>.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/dining/the-taste-of-things-juliette-binoche.html?auth=login-google1tap&amp;login=google1tap">Read full article...</a>

No Ortolans Were Hurt During the Making of This Film

<h3>These are our favorite toys, bottles, and gadgets for any wine lover.</h3>By <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/author/laura-denby">Laura Denby</a>Wine lovers are notoriously hard to shop for, as most have strong opinions about everything from regions to vintages to varietals. Finding an impressive yet useful wine gift can be challenging, but it's certainly not impossible. In fact, plenty of wine gifts out there are versatile enough to please any wine lover. To help you find the perfect present, we rounded up the best wine gifts our editors can't wait to give to their loved ones. We also spoke to leading experts in the wine industry to get their insights into the best bottles, glasses, and accessories. Whether you're looking for a hostess gift to bring to your next dinner party or an excellent bottle to celebrate a special day, there's something here for everyone.If you're unsure what kind of wine someone likes, it's best to give an all-purpose present that will please various palates. Fun glassware or a decorative decanter is a great place to start, but there are also some high-quality bottles from trusted producers that are guaranteed to impress. Whichever route you take, don't let the hefty price tag of some special occasion bottles distract you. "Price point isn't important when shopping for a wine lover," says Haley Moore, sommelier and CEO of Acquire, a San Francisco-based luxury hospitality company. "There are so many great options at a variety of price points. No matter what type of wine drinker you're shopping for, these are the best wine gifts to please any wine lover.<h3><a href="https://www.tienda.com/products/glass-porron-wine-pitcher-gl-01.html">La Tienda Spain Porrón</a></h3>2015 F&amp;W Best New Chef Jonathan Brooks of Indianapolis restaurants Milktooth and Beholder suggests bringing a porrón as a gift for the hosts of your next holiday party. Traditionally used as a decanter for Spanish wines, the porrón aerates wine as it pours through its narrow glass opening — decant wine with it during dinner, then channel the festive atmosphere of Spanish wine bars and sip wine from it directly as it pours.<a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/gifts-wine-lover">Read full article…</a>

The Best Wine Gifts of 2024, According to Editors and Wine Experts

A TASTE OF SPAINAlumni-owned La Tienda brings Spanish flavors and culture to customers throughout the U.S. and CanadaBy <a href="https://magazine.wm.edu/authors/tina-eshleman.php">Tina Eshleman</a> Photos By <a href="https://magazine.wm.edu/authors/alfred-herczeg.php">Alfred Herczeg P ’23</a>Inside an unobtrusive warehouse just west of Williamsburg is a treasure trove of Spanish delicacies. There are jars with saffron, colorful paprika tins, blocks of artisan cheese, bottles of olive oil, loaves of crusty Galician bread and — the crown jewel — jamón Ibérico, the richly flavored, dry-cured ham coveted by gourmands worldwide.This is the headquarters of La Tienda, the leading online U.S. retailer of gourmet food and cookware from Spain, owned and operated by a family of William &amp; Mary alumni.La Tienda is more than a business for Don Harris ’57, P ’91, P ’94, P ’98 and Ruth Harris P ’91, P ’94, P ’98 and their sons and daughters-in-law: Tim Harris ’91 and Amy Brown Harris ’91, M.A.Ed. ’96; Jonathan Harris ’94 and Stacey Reid Harris; and Chris Harris ’98 and Rian Harker Harris ’98. It is a platform to share Spanish food and culture, support and promote sustainable food production, and expand knowledge through engagement with W&amp;M faculty and students.Williamsburg residents and visitors might be more familiar with La Tienda Tapas Bar &amp; Market, which opened as a shop on Jamestown Road in 2010 and later expanded into a restaurant, now owned by executive chef Greg Mincher. But the online retail business came first, launching in 1996. The internet had just entered the public domain three years earlier, and businesses were still learning how to use it.The inspiration for La Tienda came from the Harris family’s deep connection to Spain, beginning when Don was stationed there as a chaplain in the Navy in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the decades since then, family members have returned to Spain whenever they could, often bringing back mementos, works of art and favorite foods.&nbsp;The family recently established a study abroad scholarship that encourages William &amp; Mary students to explore Spain's Camino de Santiago. Read more in the online exclusive article&nbsp;<a href="https://magazine.wm.edu/online-exclusives/traveling-the-way.php">"Traveling the Way."</a>After retiring from the Navy in 1988, Don served as the Episcopal chaplain for William &amp; Mary students, based at Bruton Parish Church, and Ruth worked as a music librarian at W&amp;M from 1989 to 2004. All three sons followed in Don’s footsteps to become W&amp;M alumni.In the mid 1990s, when Ruth was battling breast cancer, the family looked for a way to pull closer. Don thought about their time in Spain, where they were influenced by families’ day-to-day multigenerational interactions.“Our family has always been interconnected and supportive — we learned that from the Spaniards,” he says. “We said, ‘Why not concentrate on Spain and find something we can do together?’”Originally, La Tienda sold the kinds of Moorish style ceramic tiles and Spanish artwork that Don and Ruth had used to decorate their home in Williamsburg.“While that was fun and interesting, it quickly turned out that people were most interested in the wonderful food of Spain, which at that time was hard to find,” Tim says. “So we put up a picture of Spanish jamón and asked, ‘Who out there is interested in ordering ham from Spain?’”Lots of people, it turned out. But working through customs issues to import the ham proved to be a hurdle that took a couple of years to resolve.“While we were waiting for the ham to come in, customers started to ask for other products,” Tim says. “So we began to bring those in, and it just took off organically.”Today, La Tienda carries 800 products and fills about 150,000 orders a year, exporting goods from Valencia, Spain, to the port of Norfolk and then shipping them all over the United States and Canada by UPS. It has grown from a small family operation to one with 40 to 100 employees in Virginia, depending&nbsp;on the season, as well as two in Spain, at offices in Valencia and Zarautz.As they developed the company, the Harris family maintained ties with William &amp; Mary, hiring interns and graduates, receiving advice from Raymond A. Mason School of Business faculty members and providing case studies for business students.&nbsp;Cate Bruce-Konuah Faddis ’91, a Pi Beta Phi sorority sister of Amy Harris, currently serves on the company's board of directors.Hector Guerrero, a professor emeritus and former director of the Resident MBA Program at the business school, served on La Tienda’s board of directors from 2005 to 2015. At that time, the company was expanding its distribution network, and Guerrero worked with the Harrises on making the transition from an informal family operation to a more businesslike structure.“There had to be an organizational chart,” he says. “There had to be responsibilities for decision-making. I helped them think through the process of how to organize.”As a result, Tim took on the role of CEO, overseeing the operational and financial side of the business, while Jonathan became president and head of product development. Their younger brother, Chris, who works for the U.S. Department of State as senior political-military officer for Ukraine, provides a physical presence for the family in Spain, where his wife, Rian, is serving as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid.Several other businesses have spun off from La Tienda:&nbsp;Virginia Packing LLC, a specialty USDA packaging facility, and Costa Brava Mediterranean Foods, both in Toano; and Austin, Texas-based Texas Iberico, which produces ham from Iberico-breed pigs raised in the Texas Hill Country. The family also established the&nbsp;Harris Family Foundation, which supports local food relief efforts.&nbsp;During the pandemic, La Tienda Tapas Bar became a community kitchen that provided free meals to front-line workers. The restaurant also offered food to the community in a pay-what-you-can model and established the first Virginia outpost of World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit run by chef Jose Andres, providing thousands of meals to families living in motels and homeless shelters during the early days of the lockdown.&nbsp;In spring 2023, W&amp;M graduate business students scrutinized La Tienda’s voluminous ecommerce data as part of the master of science in business analytics (MSBA) capstone course taught by professors Rachel Chung and Guillermo Rodríguez-Abitia. The goal was to better understand clients’ behavior, with a focus on customer retention.“We learned that our best repeat customers live in the Midwest, which has allowed us to better target our marketing,” Tim says.For Stefanie Guizar Diaz ’22, M.S. ’23, one of the main takeaways from working on the project was the importance of understanding customer demographics. “I had already accepted a data analytics consulting job prior to working on the project,” she says. “Working with La Tienda reassured me that consulting is the right field for me.”<a href="https://magazine.wm.edu/issue/2023-fall/a-taste-of-spain.php">Read full article…</a>

A Taste of Spain

Harris family establishes a study abroad scholarship to encourage William &amp; Mary students to explore Spain’s Camino de SantiagoBy <a href="https://magazine.wm.edu/authors/tina-eshleman.php">Tina Eshleman</a>Walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain is a meaningful way to prepare a William &amp; Mary student for life as a global citizen. Just ask Jonathan Harris ’94, who traveled the centuries-old pilgrimage trail by foot the summer after his sophomore year at the university.During the 500-mile trek from the French-Spanish border to Santiago de Compostela, Harris experienced the landscape, culture and history of Spain in a deeply personal way. While doing so, he walked alongside a Brazilian ship’s captain and a Dutch land-rights negotiator, among others who came seeking spiritual renewal, a deeper understanding of their place in the world and a human connection away from everyday distractions.“It opened my eyes to our shared journey in life, and that people are more similar than we sometimes think,” Harris says. “On the Camino, everybody is doing the same thing. It’s not about status or position, but taking it step by step.”To make this kind of experience possible for other William &amp; Mary students, Harris’ family, including his parents and siblings, has established the Harris Family Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment. The donor group includes Don Harris ’57, P ’91, P ’94, P ’98 and Ruth Harris P ’91, P ’94, P ’98 and their sons and daughters-in-law: Tim Harris ’91 and Amy Brown Harris ’91, M.A.Ed. ’96; Jonathan Harris ’94 and Stacey Reid Harris; and Chris Harris ’98 and Rian Harker Harris ’98.Two additional donors who wish to remain anonymous partnered with the family to fund the endowment for a combined gift of $100,000. The scholarship will provide support for W&amp;M students to participate in Camino pilgrimages or, if those opportunities are not available in a given year, other study abroad opportunities in Spain.The Camino de Santiago, also known in English as the Way of St. James, comprises a network of trails that pilgrims have traveled since the ninth century to reach the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral was built at the site where, around the year 813, a hermit discovered a tomb believed to contain the remains of the Christian apostle James the Greater and two of his disciples. As recounted in the Book of Acts, James was martyred, and <a href="https://www.spainthenandnow.com/spanish-history/the-camino-de-santiago-the-story-of-st-james-the-greater">tradition holds</a> that his body was transported from the Middle East to what is now northwestern Spain, where he had spent time evangelizing.Today the pilgrimage routes continue to attract people from near and far, and interest has grown over the past 20 years. According to statistics published by the <a href="https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/statistics-2/">Oficina de Acogida al Peregrino</a> (Pilgrim’s Welcome Office), more than 437,000 made a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in 2022.“Spiritually you get something out of it because you’re out of touch with the ordinary world,” Don Harris says. “You meet strangers with similar experiences and it’s very enriching. For some people, it deepens their faith.”A Boston-area native, Don randomly picked out a William &amp; Mary catalog at his high school library in the early 1950s and was captivated by pictures of the historic Wren and Brafferton buildings. Harris’ three sons followed in his footsteps to become William &amp; Mary alumni. Tim and Jonathan run the Williamsburg-based family business, La Tienda, which Don founded in 1996 with his sons’ help. Previously, he had served as Episcopal chaplain for William &amp; Mary students, based at Bruton Parish Church, after retiring from the Navy, and Ruth Harris served as music librarian at W&amp;M from 1989 to 2004. The leading online U.S. retailer of gourmet food and cookware from Spain, La Tienda expanded with a retail shop and tapas bar in 2010.As La Tienda’s CEO, Tim is responsible for the operational and financial side of the business, while Jonathan is president and head of product development. Their younger brother, Chris, works for the U.S. Department of State and will soon move from the Republic of Georgia to Madrid, where his wife, Rian, will serve as deputy U.S. ambassador to Spain.In addition to establishing the scholarship, the Harris family encourages cross-cultural learning through their business. Because La Tienda’s employees represent at least eight different nationalities in Latin America, Asia and Europe, the company made it a priority early on to provide English literacy classes during work hours. More recently, they have added Spanish instruction for English speakers as well. La Tienda regularly employs William &amp; Mary students as interns and provides case studies for business analytics students at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business.“Williamsburg turned out to be a wonderful place for La Tienda to be based because we have so many neighbors who worked in the State Department, CIA or the military and have spent time in Spain,” Tim says. “A lot of William &amp; Mary professors have also been over there to study or travel.“That’s why we decided to open the restaurant and retail store on Jamestown Road as a way for my father, in particular, to continue to connect with people face-to-face, and share the way that the Spaniards celebrate life with their families around food — that’s his favorite part.”The family first discovered the Camino de Santiago when Don was serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy in Spain in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While there, the Harrises came to love the warmth of the Spanish people, the flavorful cuisine and the beauty of Romanesque art and architecture.Since then, family members have returned periodically. Jonathan and Stacey walked a 62-mile stretch of the Camino for their honeymoon; they recently traveled there again to share the experience with their daughters, one of whom was making a pilgrimage with a college group, just as Jonathan had done.Tim has traveled portions of the trails multiple times. While attending William &amp; Mary, he studied with George Greenia, co-founder of the university’s Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, now a professor emeritus of Hispanic studies. An authority on the Camino de Santiago. Greenia founded the W&amp;M <a href="https://www.wm.edu/sites/pilgrimage/">Institute for Pilgrimage Studies</a> and has taken undergraduates backpacking on the Camino de Santiago to conduct interdisciplinary field research. He noted <a href="https://www.wm.edu/sites/pilgrimage/news/a-pilgrims-reward.php">in a 2019 interview</a> that his students had conversed with fellow pilgrims in English and Spanish as well as in French, German, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and even Hebrew.In addition to establishing the scholarship endowment, the Harris family is providing funds through La Tienda to maintain the infrastructure in communities along the Camino de Santiago, such as installing water fountains and helping with repairs to the boarding houses or albergues where travelers stay.“We encourage the La Tienda community to support this effort along with us and maybe go over there and help out,” Tim says.The goal of the Harris Family Study Abroad Scholarship is for at least one or two William &amp; Mary students each year to have the opportunity to walk the Camino de Santiago on the W&amp;M faculty-led summer program managed by the Reves Center for International Studies. Since 2012, 117 William &amp; Mary students have participated in the Santiago de Compostela program. Faculty directors have represented Hispanic studies, theatre, sociology, chemistry and education. Typically, students spend two weeks walking from León, Spain, to Santiago de Compostela and then a few weeks in the medieval city completing their projects.The Harris scholarship ties in with the university’s commitment to study abroad experiences as a way to enhance academic excellence and prepare students for successful careers in a global economy. W&amp;M <a href="https://news.wm.edu/2022/11/29/william-mary-maintains-its-leadership-in-study-abroad-among-public-universities/">ranks fourth among public universities</a> in the nation in study-abroad programs, with almost 60% of undergraduates studying abroad before earning their degrees.By participating in the Santiago de Compostela program and other study abroad opportunities, students can fulfill the university’s COLL 300 requirement — part of the W&amp;M College Curriculum courses designed to integrate knowledge across the academic disciplines. COLL 300 programs introduce students to people and ideas outside of their familiar surroundings.“Study abroad on the Camino de Santiago hits all the right notes for a William &amp; Mary experience — interdisciplinary inquiry, experiential learning, close student-faculty collaborations and global learning,” says Ben Boone ’07, M.Ed. ’09, Ph.D. ’19, assistant dean for undergraduate education in Arts &amp; Sciences. He has led the program twice and wrote his dissertation on the Camino de Santiago and study abroad.The Harrises hope that students who walk the Camino will connect with other pilgrims and bring back stories of learning and growth to share with their family and friends, Tim says. “We believe this experience will give them a different perspective on the world and on their lives.”

Traveling the Way

<h3>If two decades of living in Spanish paprika country have taught me anything, it’s that the spice has far more potential than most people think.</h3>By Paul RichardsonYou probably think <a href="/spices-salts/saffron">saffron </a>would be the most important spice in the Spanish kitchen—but you'd be wrong: it's pimentón, smoked Spanish paprika.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pimentón is close to my heart. For 23 years, I've farmed my own organic homestead in the remote western region of Extremadura, a two-hour drive from La Vera, the area that produces the world’s most prized pimentón. Around here—and, indeed, across Spain—the little tins of Pimentón de La Vera come decorated with colorful traditional designs, and are as ubiquitous in local kitchens as their contents are permanently in use.&nbsp;Maybe you have some in your cupboard right now—Spain’s luxurious russet-red paprika.&nbsp; Taste a little on a fingertip: there’s a warmth and resonance there, an undertow of savory-sweetness from its origin as a late-summer red pepper, plus a mysterious, haunting hint of smoke.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet until a couple decades ago, few outside Spain knew what pimentón was, let alone how best to cook with it. And even now, though major brands like La Chinata and Santo Domingo are increasingly sold at supermarkets (and online at retailers like Despaña and <a href="https://www.tienda.com/">La Tienda</a>), I’d argue the spice remains somewhat misunderstood by non-Spanish cooks.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saveur.com/culture/life-in-spain-pimenton-country/">Read full article…</a>

Your Pimentón Comes From My Quiet Corner of Spain

For the bar, pantry, kitchen, and home— everything you need for expert gifting By Lucy Simon LA TIENDA GLASS PORRÓN 2015 F&amp;W Best New Chef Jonathan Brooks suggests bringing a porrón as a gift for hosts. Traditionally used as a decanter for Spanish wines, the porrón aerates wine as it pours through its narrow spout. Decant wine with it, or channel the festive atmosphere of Spanish wine bars by pouring the wine directly into your mouth. ($29, tienda.com)

The 2022 Gift Guide

For the host without the time or inclination to cook for a crowd, assembling a lavish snack spread is easier now than ever. Here’s a deep dive into the art of the snack, with pro tips for building a beautiful, gourmet board Kathleen Squires OF ALL THE pandemic food fads—from beans to bread baking—nothing laid bare our collective psyche quite like the charcuterie board. Social media was flooded with salami rivers snaking around hills of cheese and breadsticks strewn like fallen trees. We became obsessed with boards because we were, quite frankly, bored. 
 
Now, as we ease back into in-person entertaining, the no-cook, interactive snack board is the best expression of how we eat now. But this story doesn’t begin with the pandemic (though logistics play a big part). 
 
How gourmet snacking became an American obsession 
Fancy snacking has mirrored American attitudes ever since the neighborhood market became the “specialty grocer,” after World War II. Returning G.I.s visited immigrant grocers for delicacies they’d enjoyed overseas. Households relied more on prepared foods. “That’s when home entertaining became more about assembly,” said food business consultant Clark Wolf. Buying cured salmon at an appetizing store like New York’s Russ & Daughters, for example, made more economic sense than hiring a caterer. 
 
In the 1960s, as jet travel ascended, so did the number of Americans vacationing overseas, and they returned hungry for such items as European cheeses and olives. In 1966, Julia Child, co-author of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and star of the pioneering public-television cooking show “The French Chef,” graced the cover of Time magazine. The cover story chronicled America’s “concern with good eating,” citing “rapidly expanding” gourmet counters in supermarkets as the “handsomest profit earners.” 
 
Sourcing the very best 
In the same article, a Washington, D.C., market manager warned, “[If] you don’t have at least 50 assorted, high-powered imported cheeses, you’re not in business.” To understand the snack board right down to its DNA, look to the purveyors and importers who made it possible. 
 
In the early 1970s, Federal Express (later FedEx) began shipping, making once-rare foods more accessible across the country. Berkeley, Calif., earned the nickname “Gourmet Ghetto” with its proliferation of specialty markets. In New York City, Zabar’s had transformed from a humble appetizing store to one of the city’s largest groceries. And in 1977, Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca opened the gourmet shop Dean & DeLuca in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. “DeLuca set up his own import and distribution business, serving not only Dean & DeLuca but stores and restaurants throughout the country,” writes David Kamp in his book “The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation.” In waves of quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes, the Dean & DeLuca effect rippled across the U.S.—from the West Point Market in Akron, Ohio, to Napa Valley’s Oakville Grocery. 
 
In 1982 in Ann Arbor, Mich., Zingerman’s Deli opened, featuring classic Jewish foods along with prosciutto and an array of fine honeys. “It’s called specialty foods today, but in Ann Arbor what we did then was considered weird,” co-founder Ari Weinzweig said. Customers wanted weird, and small specialty stores exerted outsize influence. “As these businesses developed in the late ’70s and early ’80s, there was an adaptation of some of these trends into supermarkets,” said Rob Kaufelt, who learned the business in his family’s chain of Foodtown supermarkets and went on to build the Greenwich Village shop Murray’s Cheese into a gourmet destination. 
 
In the 1990s, the internet offered a new way to shop, and Dean & DeLuca opened stores throughout the U.S. In the new millennium, “the American farmstead movement really took off, especially for cheese and charcuterie,” noted Mr. Kaufelt. But imports remained important. “With the products of Spain, for example, the explosion of [chef] Ferran Adrià and tapas caused more U.S. chefs to use products like chorizo, marcona almonds and piquillo peppers,” said Angelica Intriago of Despaña Brand Foods, which expanded from wholesaler to retailer in 2006. “Importers started bringing them in, and consumers started trying them, too.” Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Costco plied customers with samples, a move that helped some specialty product lines grow by as much as 2000%, Supermarket News reported in 2005. 
 
In 2017, Kroger acquired Murray’s Cheese and Amazon purchased Whole Foods. Perhaps the accessibility—and competition—led Dean & DeLuca (now owned by a Thai corporation) to close most of its U.S. locations, including its SoHo flagship, in 2019. Yet specialty foods, now a $170 billion industry, continues to grow, according to the Specialty Food Association. 
 
How to build a board now 
While the pandemic put a pause on socializing, we kept on snacking, even amid rising food costs and supply-chain issues. Today, a new generation of gourmet pros is shaping the way we snack. 
 
Cheese-plate influencer and food stylist Marissa Mullen, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., offers inspiration on Instagram at @thatcheeseplate and peddles shippable ready-to-eat cheese and charcuterie boards via the website of the same name. Ms. Mullen’s book “That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life” guides readers through her Cheese by Numbers method for building a spread. Here, she lays out the basics: 
 
1. Plot your architecture. “First, choose your board. You can use a cutting board, cookie sheet or platter. If you are using spreads, jams, olives or anything ‘drippy,’ arrange appropriately sized ramekins on the board. Then arrange your cheeses, meats and produce. Fill in the gaps with crunchy items; fill your ramekins and finish with garnishes.” 
 
2. Pair amicably. ”Make sure everything makes sense together in terms of flavor. We’re meant to eat the board, it’s not just for a photo. 
 
3. Venture beyond the obvious. “Tinned fish is trending and a great element to include. Remember, you don’t have to stick to pork salami.” 
 
4. Harness pickle power. “With produce, instead of just keeping it to fresh fruits and vegetables, add depth with pickled red onions or quick-pickled cucumbers.” 
 
Brooklyn caterer and cookbook author Jenn de la Vega specializes in “mashing up experiential with visual art and food,” according to her website, Randwiches (randwich.es). Building community is central to her work, and her eye-catching grazing boards draw guests in. She advises: 
 
1. Think about a theme. “Are you presenting a particular cuisine? I’m seeing a trend toward international themes—a great way to expose yourself and others to new foods.” 
 
2. Make it user-friendly. “Make sure everything is grabbable and easily handled. Don’t put on anything that requires further sawing with a knife or is work to eat. Anything that’s too drippy or spreadable needs to be in a ramekin with the appropriate serving implement. Part of the appeal of the snack board is its ease.” 
 
3. Spread the love. “There are so many spreadable possibilities. I love including dippy things, like hummus, on snack boards.” 
 
In Washington, D.C., Dee Foulks started out creating charcuterie boards for family and friends. Now, her business Grazy Delicious delivers grazing boxes (a great option to consider for picnics), boards and tables in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. Ms. Foulks recommends: 
 
1. Keep it simple. “Remember there is a lot of prep work with cutting cheese and making salami roses and washing all the fruit. You don’t need 20 different ingredients. You’re going to have a lot left over if you do.” 
 
2. Think about the bottom line. “Including a lot of ingredients can get surprisingly expensive.” 
 
3. Add something unexpected. “Some of my favorite ingredients are: edible flowers, which always dress up a board; toasted chickpeas, which look nice on top of hummus and add texture; flavored goat cheese; pepper jelly; and infused honeys. These all take boards to another level.” 
 
In Washington, D.C., Dee Foulks started out creating charcuterie boards for family and friends. Now, her business Grazy Delicious delivers grazing boxes (a great option to consider for picnics), boards and tables in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. Ms. Foulks recommends: 
 
1. Keep it simple. “Remember there is a lot of prep work with cutting cheese and making salami roses and washing all the fruit. You don’t need 20 different ingredients. You’re going to have a lot left over if you do.” 
 
2. Think about the bottom line. “Including a lot of ingredients can get surprisingly expensive.” 
 
3. Add something unexpected. “Some of my favorite ingredients are: edible flowers, which always dress up a board; toasted chickpeas, which look nice on top of hummus and add texture; flavored goat cheese; pepper jelly; and infused honeys. These all take boards to another level.” 
 
3. Map it logically. “Place the things that go together next to one another. Make it easy for your guests to eat.” 
 
At their Santa Monica, Calif., shop Lady & Larder, sisters Sarah Simms Hendrix and Boo Simms offer American-made cheese and charcuterie as well as everything from caviar and craft beer to fresh bread and flowers. With their cheese, charcuterie and crudités boards, delivered across L.A. and nationwide through Williams Sonoma, they curate those elements into satisfying compositions following a few basic principles: 
 
1. Seasons are a great inspiration. “Always use what’s in season near you. Tell the story of the season. October, for example, should look like October on the board.” 
 
2. Serve at room temperature. “Pull your cheese and charcuterie out of the fridge an hour before you are going to enjoy them. You want to bring out all the flavor.” 
 
3. Aim for equilibrium. “Include elements of soft, hard, crunchy, salty, sweet, acid. If all of those things come together, they form a beautiful balance.” 
 
4. Waste not. “You don’t have to go to Costco and buy giant blocks of everything. A couple of ounces per person for each element is enough.” 
 
Fancy snacking through the decades 
The Specialty Food Association was founded by food makers, purveyors, importers, distributors and retailers in 1952. In 1954, the group gathered for the first Fancy Food Show, featuring 82 exhibitors, in New York City. That show is now a biannual event, drawing as many as 1,400 exhibitors per show. 
 
1950s: From Neighborhood Market To Specialty Grocer 
 
What We Ate: Crudités, relish trays, stuffed mushrooms, pigs in a blanket, stuffed cherry tomatoes, stuffed celery (aka ants on a log), salmon mousse, shrimp cocktail, pupu platters 
 
1960s: A New Age of Home Entertaining 
 
What We Ate: Pinwheel sandwiches, banana bread with cream cheese, Swedish meatballs, kiwis, French onion dip, deviled eggs, asparagus roll-up 
 
1970s: A Food Revolution and the Era of Aspic 
 
What We Ate: Pistachio-coated cheese logs, cheese balls, aspic molds, cream cheese dips, cheese-stuffed pretzels, mini quiches, cheese straws, mushroom toasts, meat toasts, smoked salmon, hummus, nachos, imported cheese 
 
1980s: Decade of Decadence 
 
What We Ate: Sun-dried tomatoes, caviar, guacamole, sushi, baked brie, artichoke dip, potato wedges, raw vegetables with ranch dip, chips and salsa 
 
1990s: The Information Era 
 
What We Ate: Salsa in every flavor, white-bean spread, Jack cheese, quesadillas, edamame, focaccia, artisan breads, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, organic foods 
 
2000s: Artisan Made 
 
What We Ate: American farmstead cheese, hummus (again), marcona almonds, chorizo, manchego, piquillo peppers, beets and goat cheese, burrata 
 
2010s: Rise of the Megamarket 
 
What We Ate: Single-origin chocolate, everything-bagel chips, chocolate-covered bacon, kale chips with yogurt dip, wasabi peas, buffalo cauliflower 
 
2020s: Age of Isolation 
 
What We Are Eating: Bean salads, tinned fish, preserved vegetables, ancient-grain crackers, dates, kelp and fish-skin snacks, lamb charcuterie 
 
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/snack-guide-charcuterie-boards-11646427675" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Your Ultimate Guide to Snack Boards, From Charcuterie to Vegan

Raised in Hill Country, the pork from Texas Iberico relies on southwest flavors, like hickory smoke and chile Florence Fabricant In 2014 a herd of black Spanish Ibérico pigs, the variety that forages on acorns, were brought to the United States with government approval. Some of them were sent to Trails End Ranch in Texas Hill Country. Now some of the pork can land on your table. Texas Iberico, a joint project of Ashly Martin, the owner of the ranch, and Tim Harris, the chief executive of La Tienda, the Williamsburg, Va., Spanish market and website founded by his family, is infusing its meats with the distinctive flavors of Texas, not Spain. In addition to dry aging, the hams are also being hickory smoked, giving them intriguing fragrance and flavor. The company also cures loins with prickly pear juice for a sweet aftertaste, seasons coppa with honey and chile, and makes cold-smoked chorizo that has more chile than pimentón in the flavor. The guanciale and bacon are excellent. Fresh meat, like baby back ribs, is also available and cooks to rich succulence.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/dining/texas-iberico-ham.html?smid=em-share" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Ibérico Ham With Texas Twang

Lorrie Baumann When Tim Harris heard that a group of Spanish businessmen were planning to export a herd of Spanish-bred pigs to the United States, his first reaction was a little outrage that the prized genetics of the swine whose meat goes into jamon Iberico were being allowed to leave Spain. Then, a few years later, when he got a call from Texas rancher Ashly Martin, who said that the venture had gone bust, and he was looking for a buyer for those Spanish pigs, his first reaction was to be a little miffed that it had taken Martin so long to find his way to La Tienda, the online retailer through which Harris imports gourmet Spanish food products into the U.S. “If you Google ‘Iberico,’ I’m one of the first names that comes up,” he said. 
Martin’s story was that he’d been a cattle rancher for the previous 14 years when he’d decided that he needed to find another line of work. “Cattle is a hard deal. I ran a lot on leased country. It’s kind of hard to make money on it. I was getting out of livestock altogether,” Martin had said. 
 
He’d passed that word around to friends and neighbors while he was looking for an alternative way to feed his family, preferably something that would keep him a part of the agriculture industry, when a friend introduced him to a group of Spaniards who were looking for a partner for a plan involving Iberico pigs for which they were looking to find an American home. “I looked it up and started looking at the breed and what the hams bring,” he said. The plan sounded like it would allow him to stay in agriculture, and he’d be able to run them on his own land rather than trying to lease enough acreage to feed a herd big enough to benefit from the economies of scale necessary to making a profit on the operation. He decided to go into business with the Spaniards and they started flying pigs to him from Spain. 
 
The swine settled in happily as American immigrants and started eating their way across Martin’s 1,500 acres in the Texas Hill Country. “Out here we have a lot of mesquite trees. There’s a lot of live oak, similar to the kind of acorns they have in Spain,” Martin said. “Pigs prefer the mesquite rather than the acorns. It’s like candy to them. They like to eat prickly pear – not just the fruit but also the thorny leaves. We’d burned off the pasture to rid it of the prickly pear thinking that I was doing the pigs a favor, but then it turned out that they like eating it. 
 
“They clean up your pasture. That was a pleasant surprise. These pigs are cleaning up under the oaks. It’s hard, stony soil, so they don’t root much. They aerate the soil a little bit. It’s good for the pasture if you rotate them.” 
 
Martin’s neighbors were snickering a little bit when they heard what Martin had going on, but he could live with that. Then the whole plan fell apart when the Spaniards backed out, leaving Martin with a 2,000 porker problem. “It turned from something exciting to something terrifying. We called everyone we knew to see what we could do with these pigs.” 
It took him about 40 calls to find a phone number for La Tienda, and Tim Harris answered the call. 
 
“Ashly reached out that they had the herd of Iberico pigs: ‘I was wondering if you wanted to work together?’ Harris picks up the story. “He had all these pigs running around, and his first plan with the Spaniards didn’t work out. 
“I heard his story. He’s a former Marine. He’s been ranching cattle for 14 years and had been having a difficult time making ends meet with Angus,” Harris said. “His neighbors thought he was crazy. Pigs are just not central to Texas cuisine – it’s a beef state. The neighbors have to spend time keeping feral pigs off their property.” 
 
At first, Harris struggled a bit with the idea that the pigs had been taken out of their native land, and he knew that some of his Spanish friends would disapprove. Then he started doing a little more research into the history of the Iberico breed, and he learned that Spaniards had been exporting pigs with those bloodlines out of their country and into the New World since the days of the Spanish Conquistadores, who’d boarded them onto ships as provisions for their voyages to the New World. The Spaniards had left breeding populations on the Canary Islands and on Bermuda and other uninhabited islands in the Caribbean so they’d be there to provision the ships on their next voyages. 
 
One of those populations of pigs dropped off by the Spanish became the ancestors of the Ossabaw Island Hogs, a free-range breed found on Ossabaw Island, off the coast of Georgia. Now listed as critically endangered by The Livestock Conservancy, these pigs have genes that suggest that they came from the Canary Islands, where the pigs probably interbred at some point with Asian pigs. According to The Livestock Conservancy, more research is needed to sort out exactly how the pigs on the Canary Islands and on Ossabaw Island are related to Spanish Iberian pigs. Since 1978, Ossabaw Island has been owned by the state of Georgia and managed as a preserve by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which has recommended that the feral swine be eradicated to protect other species resident on the island. Georgia currently licenses quota hunts for the swine on the island. 
 
The same sort of porcine migration may account for the presence of pork bones found at the bottom of a well in Jamestown, Virginia, just a short distance from where Harris set up shop as La Tienda 25 years ago. Merry A. Outlaw is the Senior Curator for the Jamestown Rediscovery Project, which is currently conducting archaeological excavations at Fort James, established in 1607 on Jamestown Island as the first permanent English settlement in the New World. These studies have revealed that pigs were the most commonly consumed domestic animal by those first settlers, she said. “These animals may have come from England or locations en route to Jamestown, such as the Canary Islands, the West Indies, or Bermuda, where the Sea Venture wrecked on its way to Virginia in 1609,” she said. “To determine the origin of the earliest pigs eaten and discarded at Jamestown, Jamestown Rediscovery is currently steering DNA and isotopic research of pig bones.” Harris is so excited about this research that he’s helping support it. 
This is a story that starts with the first settlers who arrived in Jamestown in 1607. Their route from England took them southwest off the Iberian coast, then along the African coast. The ships stopped in the Canary Islands before proceeding to the West Indies, where they stopped at a number of islands before eventually sailing up the American coastline to arrive at Jamestown Island. “The thought is that the pigs that came to Jamestown were picked up at one of these islands during the voyages,” Outlaw said. “But we don’t know.” 
Those first colonists who arrived in Jamestown proved spectacularly inept at the skills required to establish a permanent colony. They realized almost from their arrival that the Virginia Company of London, which had recruited them to establish a colony intended to generate profits and return them to England, had exaggerated the ease of the endeavor. By October, half of those who’d arrived in April were dead, and few of those remaining survived the next winter. Resupply expeditions to the colony didn’t succeed in turning the situation around, since, inasmuch as they’d expected to find an uninhabited paradise with gold on the ground, the colonists didn’t come with much in the way of useful skills, and by the fall of 1608, it was obvious in London that the colony was failing. The company raised new capital and brought in a turnaround specialist in the person of Sir Thomas Gates, who recruited his own team of potential colonists with operational skills and in June 1609 set sail for the colony in a fleet of nine ships with the Sea Venture as the flagship for George Somers, named the admiral of the fleet, and carrying Gates, who was taking up his position as the colony’s governor. 
 
The fleet followed the route taken by the earlier settlers until, within seven days of landfall, they ran into a hurricane off the coast of Bermuda. The Sea Venture was separated from the rest of the fleet and, badly damaged, limped to a landfall on the Bermuda island chain. Since the ship had been carrying some of Gates’ team of operations specialists who had actual skills and this was Bermuda rather than Gilligan’s Island, the Sea Venture’s passengers set to work building boats from the wreckage and trees they cut on the island, and within a year, they had two small ships, which they named the Patience and Deliverance, ready to sail up the coast to Jamestown. Meanwhile, the other hurricane-damaged ships in their fleet had arrived in Virginia in August 1609 after lightening their load by jettisoning most of the supplies they’d been bringing to resupply the colony. The arrival of more hungry mouths to feed rather than the supplies they were expecting was an unwelcome surprise to the colonists, who had just endured what’s still known among Virginia’s historians as the “Starving Time,” when most of them had died and the survivors had been reduced to eating the dead, which suggests that any pigs who’d come across on earlier voyages that had stopped in the Canary Islands were probably long gone. 
The next spring, the castaways on Bermuda set sail for Virginia on Patience and Deliverance, possibly with a pen of captured pigs, and landed in Virginia in May 1610, where Gates took a look around at the colony and announced that their situation was untenable and the colonists should abandon their fort and sail up to Newfoundland, where they’d catch a ride from a fishing vessel headed back to England. The colonists boarded Patience and Deliverance and set sail up the James River, where, in a coincidence that wouldn’t have passed muster with even the director of one of Steven Seagal’s later films, but is nevertheless true, the flotilla met a new resupply fleet bearing another turnaround specialist recruited by the Virginia Company after they’d gotten the word in London that Gates and his team had been lost at sea. 
 
This party was commanded by Sir Thomas West, Baron De La Warr, who’d been named the new governor of Jamestown. Since he had a year’s worth of supplies with him, he was able to convince the colonists to turn around and sail back to Jamestown, where one of the first things he did was to take a look around and suggest, probably in an English aristocrat version of the tone that Jon Taffer uses when he walks into a bar that he’s planning to rescue, that if the colonists were planning to survive in Jamestown, they might want to start by cleaning up the place. 
 
That may have been, Outlaw said, when pig bones were unceremoniously dumped into an abandoned well and then sealed up until they were excavated by the Jamestown Rediscovery Project, which has noted that the earliest archaeological contexts of the pig bones also contain bones of the Bermuda petrel, a large sea bird known to inhabit only Bermuda. “We recovered several animal bones from Bermuda and shells from the West Indies and Bermuda from that well, and also from a second well that was filled with trash a year later,” Outlaw said. “We hope to find that the pig bones from the first two wells were Bermudian pigs or Iberico pigs…. We don’t know if they were coming from the West Indies, Bermuda, the Canaries, or the Azores. Or perhaps England. We just won’t know until the completion of DNA and isotopic research.” 
 
“We know that hogs were in Jamestown in 1608 because John Smith documented them, noting that three pigs had produced 60 pigs within a very short time. They were kept on a nearby island in the James River named Hog Island. It still is Hog Island…. During the ‘Starving Time’ winter of 1609 and 1610, the hogs of Hog Island were eaten by the Indians, who were also suffering from food shortages.” 
 
“An interesting fact about Jamestown is that it is where Pocahontas married John Rolfe, the colonist who first raised tobacco in Virginia, the crop that saved the colony. It was the number-one export from Virginia until the late 1990s or so,” Outlaw added. “Tobacco grew here naturally, but it was Indian tobacco, about two or three times stronger than the South American tobacco. It’s thought that John Rolfe, who was on the Sea Venture, got the tobacco seed from Bermuda, which was abundant in Bermuda, just like the hogs.” 
 
Within a month after their first phone conversation, Martin and Harris had put together a company. They offered fresh Texas-raised Iberico pork for sale, but they couldn’t produce the pork fast enough to create a consistent supply of fresh meat, so Harris started shopping around for charcutiers who could cure the meat to make products that could even out supply with demand. He lives just down the road from Sam Edwards and Edwards Smokehouse, so he wandered over there to tell Sam about his Texas Iberico pork. “Our pigs will jump over an acorn to eat a mesquite bean. The climate in Texas is close to that in Spain, and our animals spend 100 percent of their lives outdoors. We’re certified humane by A Greener World, with no antibiotics ever. We raise them humanely, so they’re not confined. We don’t use nose rings. We don’t dock their tails. The mothers are never put in breeding crates. We think it’s the right thing to do to treat these animals well,” is part of how he pitches his pork. “Our animals are very calm. There’s very little anxiety. Our productivity is as high or higher than the Spanish herds. You can taste it in the product.” 
 
Edwards agreed to buy hams that he now brands as his Edwards Smokehouse Surryano hams. Broadbent’s in Kuttawa, Kentucky, took some of the pork to make it into country hams and bacon. Loins went to Spotted Trotter in Atlanta, which produced the Sweet Prickly Pear Lomo that won a Good Food Award this year. “Kevin [Ouzts] makes all of our cured whole muscle products,” Harris said. “We’re not trying to copy Europe. This is a great breed that comes from Spain, but the product that we’re making is American, and not only that, it’s Texan.” 
 
“Our hams are funky and salty and smoky. They’re nothing like you would produce in Spain – that was on purpose. We want to celebrate the amazing variety of American charcuterie,” he added. “So far, we’re succeeding, and that’s great. Ashly still has his ranch.” 
<a href="https://www.gourmetnews.com/the-current-issue-of-gourmet-news/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

New Charcuterie Marries Old World Tradition with Texas

June Massell One of the joys of travel has always been sampling foods from different cultures and trying new and unfamiliar ingredients, tastes, and sauces. For many, travel has included a culinary journey as part of the itinerary. 
 
While the pandemic has temporarily suspended physical travel for most of us, we can still have a culinary adventure! With a little imagination and a lot of help from entrepreneurial online food marketplaces, we can travel without a passport. No airports, no security, no long lines, and plenty of delicious authenticity and hard-to-find international ingredients. Just click, and an entire meal, or the ingredients to make one, will appear at your door. So, today we welcome the foods of the world, and experience colors and scents from all across the globe. 
 
Our world food tour begins in Spain whose chefs are world-renowned. La Tienda means store in Spanish, and tienda.com has an amazing selection of Spanish food products from all over the country. Craving Paella? They’ll send you a kit with the ingredients plus the Paella pan. Just add the fresh vegetables, chicken, or seafood. How about the famous Tortilla Española? Several varieties of this potato omelet come perfectly prepared and imported from Spain. Heat, serve, and you can almost hear the flamenco in the background. 
 
Perhaps you want to sample the artisan cheeses from the Mancha, such as the real deal Manchego made from sheep’s milk. Or, try the San Simon, a smoked cow’s milk cheese, from Galicia in the north of Spain. Add some slices of Serrano or Iberico ham to go on the cheese plate and decorate with Spanish olives (stuffed with anchovies or peppers) and almonds. If you really feel like splurging, you can order a whole Iberico de Bellota ham, which is generally recognized as the finest cured ham in the world. 
 
Imagine being at the famous seafood market in Santiago de Compostela. La Tienda can send you octopus, mussels, razor clams, cockles, sardines, and white belly tuna that come from Spain’s north Atlantic coast or the Cantabrian Sea. 
 
And if you know and love Horchata, they have that too. Not the Mexican version made from rice that is sometimes found in the United States, but the Horchata drink from Spain that comes from the chufa nut grown in the fields near Valencia. 
 
If you live near Williamsburg, Virginia, you can visit La Tienda’s restaurant and retail store. Otherwise, order online at tienda.com. They ship nationwide.

Travel Without A Passport

Sick of cooking but craving something sensational? With these Spanish seafood conservas in the cupboard, you’re covered. Benjamin Kemper AN ORDINARY aperitivo hour at the no-frills tapas bar Fide in Madrid finds patrons clinking vermouths and snacking on some of the finest seafood money can buy: pearly-white razor clams, fat Galician mussels and sweet little cockles you could balance on a pinhead, all served straight from a can. 
 
Fide’s regulars know that conservas de pescado (tinned seafood) can be downright spectacular, even better than the fresh stuff. Do you recall your first taste of a truly great wine—one that left you thinking, So this is what I’ve been missing? That’s what it’s like to discover meaty Cantabrian anchovies or buttery ventresca (albacore belly) in olive oil after a life of dollar sardines and waterlogged tuna.... 
 
 
TOP TINS -Incomparable Iberian Conservas 
 
Conservas de Cambados Zamburiñas 
The purple-shelled scallop thrives in the cool rías (estuaries) of Galicia in northwestern Spain. Its mild sweetness plays well with satiny local white wines like Godello and Ribeiro. These zamburiñas are braised in a heady tomato-wine sauce. Heat the tin’s contents and ladle over plain white rice for a zero-effort meal. $13 for 4 ounces, tienda.com 
 
Conservas de Cambados Berberechos 
Fresh cockles can be a pain: little meat and lots of sand. Not so Cambados’s berberechos al natural, which are hefty and blessedly free of grit. Enjoy straight from the fridge with only a squeeze of lemon, and be sure to save the brine: It makes killer dirty Martinis. $40 for 4 ounces, tienda.com<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/dinner-from-a-can-no-apologies-11608224974" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Dinner From a Can, No Apologies

<h3>We ordered items from national purveyors to see which would be best on your holiday table.</h3>By Kathy SaundersTapas for Two Gift Box from La Tienda, <a href="http://latienda.com/">tienda.com</a>Jeff Jensen, public information officer for the city of Treasure Island, reviewed this box from La Tienda, an online seller of traditional Spanish food and products based in Virginia. Tapas for Two was a good starter kit for enjoying some traditional Spanish fare, said Jensen. “You can arrange all these goodies in little bowls or plates or serve them on a <a href="/products/olive-wood-tasting-board-ow-24">cutting board</a> and dress them up any way you like,” he said. The gift box arrived well-packed and “secure enough that even a <a href="/products/olive-oil-potato-chips-pafritas-vg-05">bag of chips</a> arrived unbroken,” Jensen said. The box included <a href="/products/sliced-iberico-chorizo-fermin-ic-16">chorizo</a>, which Jensen described as “excellent, chewy and spicy.” He also enjoyed the <a href="/products/anchovy-stuffed-olives-peregrino-ol-03">anchovy-stuffed olives</a>, although, he said, “I drained off the brine and substituted some everyday California olive oil.” <a href="/products/marcona-almonds-peregrino-nt-01">Almonds</a> were included as well.“As I removed some of the additional shredded packing material (a dead ringer for one of Cher’s wigs from her 1998 Farewell tour) I found a <a href="/table/cazuelas">terra-cotta cazuela dish</a>, cat’s eye-shaped <a href="/products/picos-rusticos-breadsticks-peregrino-bd-02">bread sticks</a> and the real star of the gift box: a package of six, individually wrapped, <a href="/products/sweet-tortas-aceite-crisps-ines-rosales-co-06">anise-flavored Tortas de Aceite crisps</a>.” He described the biscuit crackers as sweet, flaky and aromatic. “They were just great, and a real treat if you have never had anise before or were just ‘anise-curious.’” <a href="/products/fig-bonbons-variety-gift-boxes-rabitos-royale-ct-129">Three chocolate-dipped figs</a> “had just the right amount of sweetness overkill,” he added.Jensen said he would buy this to enjoy with friends or as a gift for the holidays or any special occasion. “Add some fruit and cheese and you’ve got yourself a quick and eminently sophisticated serving of tapas,” he said.<a href="https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/food/2020/12/16/we-tasted-a-bunch-of-holiday-foods-you-can-order-online/">Read full article…</a>

We tasted a bunch of holiday foods you can order online

Your cheese board deserves a serious upgrade. Megan Murphy La Tienda, Connoisseur’s Cheese Collection. Founded in 1996, this Virginia-based retailer imports premium provisions from small and family-owned producers all across Spain. La Tienda’s Connoisseur’s Cheese Collection highlights artisan varieties from the most celebrated cheesemaking regions to delight die-hard dairy lovers. Boasting more than five pounds in total, the selection features some of owner Jonathan Harris’s favorites—from a deep, smoky cow’s milk wedge from Galicia to an aged, rosemary-infused sheep’s milk cheese from La Mancha, as well as several different ages of Manchego, Spain’s most famous cheese.<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/dining/gourmet-cheese-collections-online-buyers-guide-1234583710/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

First-Class Fromage? 8 Gourmet Cheese Collections You Can Have Delivered Right to Your Door

The Best Gourmet Gifts For Foodies Larry Olmsted Real, Awesome Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil is arguably the most important ingredient in the gourmet foodie’s pantry, healthy, delicious and the backbone of the Mediterranean diet. Yet it can be surprisingly hard to come by. As I documented in my New York Times bestseller, Real Food, Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Eating & What You Can Do About It (also a great holiday gift!), the world of olive oil has long been murky and fraudulent and there are many fakes out there. In addition, labeling requirements are very lax so you often can’t tell what kind of olives you are getting, where it is from or when it was made, so the real stuff is often old or past its prime even on the shelves of well-meaning gourmet stores. Finally, while all oil meeting the true legal standard for Extra Virgin should be very good, some are much better than others, to the point of being truly astonishing. I’m always surprised how many otherwise experienced and well-informed foodies have never had great olive oil. I’m obsessed with the stuff, use it almost daily and have two great sources... 
 
Casa de Hualdo is an ultra-premium operation bent on making the best oils in the world, and uses state of the art agriculture and production techniques, even cooling the olives with liquid nitrogen to prevent the typically inevitable flavor loss that occurs when they a warm up during pressing. Their milling facility was award the title of Best in Spain, every bottle is filled with oil pressed no more than 6 hours after picking, which is very fast by industry standards, they pick early for maximum flavor, and as a result, the oils are magnificent. Finally, just like wine grapes, there are a lot of olive varietals, but no one knows them and most bottles don’t say what the use, while many are blends. Casa de Hualdo specializes in 100% single varietal oils, so when you get a gift pack of their four olives (Arbequina, Picual, Manzanilla, Cornicabra) you get four distinct flavors and three intensity profiles (mild, medium, robust). If you don’t want a subscription, just a gift, this is the can’t-miss way to go. Casa de Hualdo sells online, but you can sometimes find more gift assortment options from quality vendors like Spanish gourmet specialists La Tienda or Driana Foods. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2020/11/23/holiday-gift-guide-2020-the-best-gourmet-gifts-for-foodies/?sh=6a1173e52bce" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Holiday Gift Guide 2020

Amanda Gabriele There’s never been a more pressing time to indulge in comfort food. Now, we’re not here to judge, we promise. In fact, we’re here to in small ways encourage it. (We’re not saying give up on life and turn into Jabba the Hut, but indulging in things that you enjoy is important for mental health and we’re all for that.) One of the things we like to indulge in here at The Manual is one of the best meat products out there: Bacon. 
 
That mixture of fat, salt, and crunch is downright addicting, especially if you’re biting into a piece of top-notch, quality meat. If you’re looking to buy the very best bacon, we rounded up 11 succulent brands for you to try. These porcine delights are at the top of their game, so you’re getting the very best when you fry up a strip. 
 
Peregrino Ibérico de Bellota Bacon 
This melt-in-your-mouth bacon is made from acorn-fed Spanish Ibérico pork that’s hand-rubbed with salt and slow-smoked over hickory in Kentucky. Ibérico pigs roam free in the Dehesa forests of southwest Spain where they get plenty of exercise and nutrients from an antioxidant-rich acorn diet. Nutty, smoky, savory, and sweet, the bacon from Peregrino Ibérico de Bellota Bacon from La Tienda is like an adventure for your palate.<a href="https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/best-bacon/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

11 Best Bacon Brands, Reviewed

Foodies delight in Spanish wines and delicacies as online orders skyrocket. New York Times Staff When panicked shoppers began emptying supermarket shelves this spring, Brandon Schantz, a lawyer in Orange County, Calif., bypassed at least some of the lines. Instead, he went to The Spanish Table website and ordered a case of wine — whites mainly from Spain’s Catalonia and Basque regions, reds from Rioja and Castile and León — and a stockpile of conservas, artisanal canned seafood predominantly sourced from the country’s northern coast. 
 
“Spain is producing some of the most exciting and vibrant wines these days,” says Mr. Schantz, who first became enamored by Spanish culture and cuisine while studying in Madrid during the mid-aughts. And as for those flavorful tins of fish, he says, “People flock to bars around Spain that make tapas or pintxos — small plates — solely based on the seafood that they’re taking out of these cans.” 
 
According to Tanya Booth, who owns the Bay Area-based Spanish Table (there are three brick-and-mortar locations) with her husband, Andy, online sales at the beginning of the pandemic were three times what they usually see in their busiest month, December. What have been top sellers? Richly marbled jamón Ibérico cured from prized black-hoofed pigs that graze on acorns in the vast Dehesa agroforests. A broad range of intensely flavored extra virgin olive oils, such as the phenol-rich Picual and the delicate Arbequina varietals. Protected Designation of Origin Sherry vinegars. Manchego cheeses. Cookbooks. “And we sold a lot of canned seafood, stacks and stacks of it,” she says. 
 
Other online purveyors of gourmet Spanish goods, in the United States and Canada, saw similar surges. In Williamsburg, Va., La Tienda, the oldest and largest of the e-commerce retailers, watched its numbers more than triple, with new customers making up 40 percent of sales. 
 
The retailers curate their selections by seeking out artisanal Spanish producers making the most of the natural environs. “There is this little valley called Calasparra where the rice grows very slowly because the water is coming down from the mountain and it’s very cold. It absorbs several times more liquid than normal rice. So when you make paella, it’s got that much more flavor,” says La Tienda C.E.O. Tim Harris, whose family lived in Spain in the 1970s before starting the company in 1996. “The saffron we sell, it’s picked by one family from this one area of La Mancha, and all the cousins come in to harvest the crocus flowers that make saffron. We buy almost all of their production.” 
 
 
“What I love about foods from Spain is they basically take the highest-quality raw materials — the best meat, the best fish — and it’s prepared very simply,” says David Nowland, who started ordering from La Tienda when it first opened, before moving to Madrid and other parts of the world. But when he returned to the United States, La Tienda was his go-to source for products he missed from Spain, including piquillo peppers, jamón Ibérico and Serrano, and Marcona almonds. “You can find the [almonds] that are made in California,” says Mr. Nowland, who now lives in Houston, “but they don’t ever taste the same.” 
 
Now that many restaurants have reopened for takeout and outdoor dining, fans of food and wine from Spain can seek out the flavors in more elevated experiences. In August, Despaña Fine Foods & Tapas Café and Mercado Little Spain’s Spanish Diner and El Chiringuito reopened, providing open-air seating for customers craving classic dishes like tortilla de patatas and bocadillos paired with a glass of refreshing fino sherry, effervescent cava or a chilled Albariño. But Mr. Harris isn’t worried about his business. “There’s been a paradigm shift, and a lot of people who had never ordered food online before had a good experience,” he says. “Those folks are not going to go away.”<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/foods-and-wines-from-spain/staying-in-is-a-lot-easier-when-spain-does-the-catering.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Staying in Is a Lot Easier When Spain Does the Catering

An introduction to conservas, the canned seafood delicacies beloved by the Spanish and Portuguese alike, with suggestions for types to try and how best to serve them. Megan Lloyd The average American grocery store tends to be lacking in the canned seafood department. Besides shelves and shelves of tuna, one might find the odd can of clams, some salmon, some mackerel, and little else. But citizens of the Iberian peninsula—the region including Spain and Portugal—are practically swimming in canned seafood. Entire shops in Portugal and grocery aisles in Spain are dedicated to the stuff. Though fish and shellfish are eaten fresh throughout the region, canning is an often preferred method for preparing and conserving the best of their plenteous waters. In fact, the resulting range of products, called “conservas,” are considered a delicacy. 
 
The Iberians preserve seafood by first lightly steaming or frying the product and then canning it in boiling water baths, like any other canned food. But when it comes to the liquido de cobertura (the liquid added to protect the seafood from drying out), their approach is focused on highlighting flavor and texture. Squid are often preserved in their own ink or stuffed with rice and covered in different sauces. Pricey bivalves go untampered with, and are canned in a soft natural brine to mimic the sea, while the more economical mussel usually gets the escabeche treatment—a vinegary brine of garlic, paprika, and bay leaf that was used for preservation long before canning was invented. Blue fish like tuna and mackerel have a dense texture and strong flavor that holds up to oil, and potent sardines are seasoned with every permutation of oil, spice, and tomato sauce the Iberians can imagine. 
 
But why choose canned over fresh seafood? “The best conserva makers are canning fish caught literally the day before,” says Abel Álvarez, the chef and owner of the restaurant Güeyu Mar, and an adjacent small specialty cannery next door, in Spain’s northern coastal region of Asturias. “Why wouldn’t you maintain the freshness of that fish as long as possible?” This idea rings true with most conserva makers and consumers: canning is a way to capture the catch at its peak—a tinned time capsule of unparalleled flavor and nutrients. 
 
The question of conservas’ sustainability isn’t black and white, but there are definitely environmental benefits to eating seafood from a can. Responsible fishing practices vary depending on the cannery, though according to Sean Barrett, co-founder of Dock to Dish, it’s easier to trace canned seafood back to its source than it is fresh seafood because of lot numbers, dates, and locations noted in labeling. He, along with Álvarez and Rafael Viguer, owner of Central de Latas in Valencia and producer of Samare Conservas, notes that canning is a more energy-efficient alternative to storing massive seasonal catches in commercial freezers. Even when considering the environmental effects of transportation, Barrett says the carbon footprint of cans is lighter. Shipping cans of seafood on slow boats across the ocean from the Iberian peninsula is preferred to sending them on a plane (the method used for sending most fresh fish around the world) or on a truck. “When considering that 90% of the seafood consumed in the US is imported, seeking out seafood from canneries using wild and well-regulated fisheries is an alternative worth seeking out,” says Barrett. 
 
Today in the Iberian peninsula the appeal of conservas holds stronger than ever. “Spaniards care more about quality seafood than almost any other culture,” says Matt Goulding, author of author of Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Food Culture. “They know some of the best stuff goes in cans.” 
 
A popular grocery or specialty shop item, as noted above, conservas also appear on restaurant menus: In fact, some bars in Spain and Portugal serve nothing but gourmet preserved seafood. The conserva naturally weaves itself into the everyday cuisine of the region, maintaining its place as an essential pantry item for home and professional cooks. When Covid-19 hit, the Portuguese Directorate of General Health put out a 37-page gourmet guide entitled “Canned Recipes: Healthy Eating in Times of Isolation Using Canned Fish and Legumes.” The reverence, and relevance, is real. 
 
Below is a list of cans to get you started. Serving them is simple: let the conserva shine with a few other ingredients, or eat them straight from the can with crusty bread.<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/06/what-are-conservas-iberian-spanish-portuguese-canned-seafood.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Case for Conservas: A Guide to Iberian Canned Fish and Seafood

David Cohen For all things Spanish, La Tienda is tough to beat. Shop here for black squid ink, Spanish sardines in olive oil, Padrón peppers, Jamon Iberico de Bellota, roasted piquillo peppers, Manchego cheese, paella ingredients and pans and more.<a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2020/06/29/how-to-have-barbecue-high-end-charcuterie-seafood-and-more-shipped-to-your-door/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

How to have barbecue, high-end charcuterie, seafood and more shipped to your door

We love tuna, but also canned salmon and sardines, saucy mussels, and squid in ink Regan Stephens When Greg Vernick was planning to open Vernick Fish in Philadelphia last August, he knew tinned fish would make an appearance on the menu. The James Beard Award-winning chef had been a fan since a 2009 trip to Barcelona, where he dined at chef Albert Adría’s now-shuttered tapas bar, Inopia, and found an entire section of the menu dedicated to canned seafood. “My mind was blown,” he said. “It changed my appreciation for the food—it was so simple and restrained.” 
 
Nowadays, his restaurant serves Ramón Peña sardines and sourdough, a deceptively delicious and easy-to-replicate dish: grilled-to-order bread spread with a compound butter (made with garlic, tomato, chili, lemon zest, and salt) and lined with the plump, tender fish. The finishing touch is a splash of lemon juice, zest, and a little sea salt. 
 
“Unfortunately, when they think of tinned fish, a lot of people think of the tuna fish sandwich of childhood,” said the chef. “And don’t get me wrong, canned tuna and mayo makes a meal for a lot of families, and if you like it, it’s hard to screw it up. But it's become the perception of what tinned fish is, and I think we under appreciate it a little more than other regions of the world.” Besides using canned fish to throw together a simple toast, Vernick suggests it as a base for vinaigrettes, pasta sauces and marinades. 
 
While tuna might be the most popular tinned fish variety, in the past two months, the pandemic has prompted new shopping patterns and sales of many types of canned seafood are booming in the US. (Philly-based grocery co-op chain Weaver’s Way reports a 40% jump from February to March.) If you haven’t explored the world of canned fish yet, now is the time to get on board. Beyond tuna, options abound, from mackerel filets to razor clams, mussels in spiced sauce, and octopus in olive oil. They’re sustainable, long-lasting, and add a punch of umami flavor to so many dishes. 
<a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/chefs-tinned-canned-seafood-fish-ideas" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

15 Chefs Share Their Favorite Ways to Use Canned Seafood

If you think you hate canned tuna, you haven’t had the right canned tuna. Mackenzie Chung Fegan It’s no secret that we love tinned fish here at Bon Appétit. Writing an 800-word love poem to your favorite smoked trout, canned tuna, or luxury anchovies is a rite of passage for our editors, a ritual that concludes with Test Kitchen manager Gaby Melian bestowing a key to the secret conservas closet on the fortunate inductee. (I await my invitation, Gaby!) 
 
If you're not yet among the converted, now, with trips to the fish counter limited, is the time to embrace these shelf-stable small bois. Not only are they delicious, but also they're packed with omega-3s and good-for-you vitamins and minerals. Plus, as far as seafood goes, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and other little fellas are among the most sustainable options. If tinned fish really aren't your thing, we've thrown in a couple of our favorite smoked fish options too; they won't last forever, but they'll keep in your fridge longer than the fresh stuff. 
 
La Tienda 
Spain does tinned fish better than anyone (except maybe Portugal, I’m not here to start fights), and La Tienda has been importing Spanish delicacies to the U.S. since 1996.<a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/story/buy-tinned-smoked-fish-online" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Where To Buy Tinned and Cured Fish Online

It's the summer of American Wagyu ribeye over the fire and premium spiced salami on a charcuterie board. Sarah Rense A couple years back, we declared that befriending a butcher was the power move of the summer. Always sound advice. The thing is, building an interpersonal relationship with a stranger right now is about as advised as flying on an airplane without a mask and a gallon of Purell. Which is why we're amending our statement for 2020 to the following: Become familiar with a high-quality online source of mail-delivered meat. It doesn't have quite the same ring to it, we know. But if your wine bottles, rare (or not so rare) spirits, meal boxes, loose pantry ingredients, fresh seafood, supply of progressively loosening lounge clothing, and who knows what else can make their way to your front door, so can fresh (or preserved) carnivore delights. 
 
This summer in isolation need not be defined by refrigerated six-packs of hot dogs, frozen burger patties from last Memorial Day, and halfhearted attempts to grill mushrooms as if they were once bloody. The meat shortages may be coming to your supermarkets and big box warehouse club, but it won't have too much of an effect in the realm of high-end butchery, just yet. The following are 14 importers, family-run farms, and butcher shops that ship cuts of meat across the country—be it farm-raised ground beef, cured salamis, or Wagyu steaks that need just a brief turn on a skillet or grill to crisp up that beautifully marbled fat. There's not a wrong choice among them. 
 
La Tienda ("the store," for those of you who didn't graduate with five Spanish language credits) imports its meat directly from Spain, where you might say meat is best cured and preserved. Specifically, look for salty ribbons of jamón, spiced chorizo sausage, and even the entire bone-in leg of a pig from which to shave paper-thin slices of meat, just like they do at the cafés lining the twisty streets of Madrid. Do your other grocery shopping here too, where a selection of Spanish olive oils, canned fish, and goat cheese will complete your vacation on a platter.<a href="https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/food/g32587131/best-meat-delivery-services/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The 14 Best Meat Delivery Services—Because Your Grill Is Still Open

Whether for a gift or for yourself, these purveyors have the perfect fromage for you Megan Murphy La Tienda 
Since 1996, this Virginia-based retailer has been importing premium products from small and family-owned producers all across Spain. La Tienda’s collection of authentic Spanish provisions covers all bases, including an especially robust selection of cheeses—from pasture-raised sheep’s milk manchego produced in La Mancha to rich, creamy buffalo blue cheese from Catalunya. Bring the best of Spain to your doorstep with one of their artisan cheese samplers.<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/dining/gallery/online-cheese-shops-ship-nationwide-2918558/la-tienda_villajos-cheese_2/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

8 Outstanding Cheese Shops That Will Deliver to Your Door

Cooking with canned seafood isn't a compromise—it's a shortcut to flavor Antara Sinha When pickings at the fishmonger are looking sparse, you’re looking for a more sustainable seafood alternative, or you’re leaning on your pantry staples and canned goods a little heavier these days, canned seafood can be a tasty, simple, and flavor-packed ingredient to turn to. From subtly dialing up umami flavors in effortless pasta dishes, to being the star of the show in recipes like Crispy Octopus with Potatoes and Smoked Oyster Empanadas, both high-quality oil-packed specialty seafood and humble supermarket shelf staples are reliable, versatile, and delicious. 
 
The best places to stock up: If your local supermarket doesn’t have the selection you’re searching for, online stores are a reliable source to turn to. La Tienda has a large selection of specialty canned seafood. Caputo’s and Tin Can Fish also have a wide array of quality canned seafood that ships nationwide. And if you’ve cooked through these recipes and are still hungry for more canned seafood cooking inspiration, Tin Can Magic by Jessica Dennison and The Tinned Fish Cookbook by Bart van Olphen have simple, tasty recipes that celebrate and elevate the humble canned fish from an overlooked back-of-the-pantry ingredient to one that deserves center stage. 
 
A Shortcut to a Spanish-Style Dinner 
While octopus may be an intimidating ingredient, using high-quality canned octopus makes it simple and approachable. You can skip the braising and get straight to perfectly tender (not rubbery!) octopus for this quick, delicious dish. Simple ingredients—just a spritz of lemon juice, parsley, and paprika—let canned octopus shine. We recommend Ramon Pena brand canned octopus. 
 
Get the Recipe: Crispy Octopus and Potatoes<a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/best-canned-tuna-canned-seafood-recipes" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Beyond Tuna Salad, Canned Fish Is a Dinnertime Savior

Dorie Chevlen If money were no object, I’m sure most of us would choose to buy our mothers castles, islands, or their dream homes. But, of course, money is an object, and a lot of us are in the position of having, well, not so much of it. But fret not, oh cash-strapped progeny! You can still show the mom in your life that you care, without breaking the bank. Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite gifts that are available for $35 or less. 
 
1880 Alicante Turrón Candy ($15 at the time of publication) 
 
Spanish candies 
You probably know what the mom in your life turns to when she wants a sweet fix (for my own mother, it’s a rare, chocolate-dipped biscotti sold only at the T.J.Maxx in Boardman, Ohio). Yet, if you want to surprise her with something new (or if you don’t have a T.J.Maxx near you), then these elegant almond candies from Spanish food purveyor La Tienda are a great choice and come recommended by Wirecutter staff editor Winnie Yang. The whole roasted Marcona almonds are blended with Spanish orange blossom honey for a treat your mom will love—and hopefully even share. 
 
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/gifts/best-cheap-mothers-day-gifts/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The 17 Absolute Best, Wirecutter-Approved Mother’s Day Gifts Under $35

About tinned seafood Bill Addison Late last week, when I needed a fast lunch, I remembered I had a tin of mussels in pickled sauce on hand. 
 
I’d picked them up while buying wine at Tilda, the new Echo Park bar that has shifted to retail during the shutdown. (My visit became part of a story published this week on how Los Angeles wine bars have pivoted and innovated.) Next to the bottle selection, visible through a glass wall from an adjacent atrium, there were also shelves filled with a small assortment of groceries. 
 
Items included coffee from nearby Canyon roasters, large bottles of Topo Chico and canned beer, olive oil and then — aha — some tinned seafood in beautiful packaging. A few of these would be smart to have around, I thought. 
 
The mussels are from Galicia, Spain, an area famous for its seafood, packed by the Ramón Peña canning factory in a shiny black and gold box. I pulled back the tab on the round tin and savored the pop and metallic scrape while peeling off the lid. 
 
Ten plump mussels lolled in a marinade with a red-siren glow that reminded me of Sichuan chile oil. “Pickled sauce” as a translation doesn’t exactly flatter the technique of Spanish escabeche — cooked seafood cured in a mixture of olive oil, vinegar and spices that usually include mild smoked paprika. 
 
That afternoon, I had neither the time nor the energy for anything beyond eating the mussels straight from the can. Their frank, meaty deliciousness surprised me. I’d had fancy tinned seafood in restaurants before, rounded up with bread and punchy condiments, but it was a moment of grace to enjoy something that was as pleasurable as it was practical. 
 
Americans on the whole haven’t much warmed to seafood conservas, as they’re called in Spain. Plenty of us think only of Chicken of the Sea tuna when we think of tinned fish — that, or anchovies put to service as an umami blast for sauces. Generic sardines tend to linger past their expiration dates in the farthest reaches of kitchen cabinets. 
 
But good tinned seafood has become my favorite at-home quarantine meal hack. When I need something in an instant, eaten on its own, I prefer mollusks — spiced octopus in olive oil, squid in tomato sauce or in squid ink, the vinegary mussels. If I’m eating fish unadorned from the tin, I find it most compelling when it’s smoked. 
 
Sardines (or other common tinned fish like mackerel or trout) have more appeal with simple pairings. Butter a split hunk of baguette and smash the fish into the bread with a fork, then garnish with a squeeze of lemon or a few slivers of pickled onion — whatever briny, acidic addition you might have on hand. Make them the star ingredient in a salad with an intense, mustardy vinaigrette. 
 
Find conservas at Los Angeles markets like Cookbook in Echo Park and Highland Park, Pantry L.A. in Beverly Grove and Broome Street General Store in Silver Lake. Significant for these times, it’s easy to order a broader range of products from online sources. 
 
Start by glancing through the collection from Jose Gourmet, a company whose products I uniformly enjoy, on the comprehensive site of Caputo’s, a market and deli in Salt Lake City. Four-ounce tins start around $8; their boxes include evocative illustrations from Spanish and Portuguese artists. Matiz, carried by Amazon, is another reliable purveyor and usually a little cheaper; seek out its sardines packed with minced piquillo peppers. La Tienda, based in Virginia, is another reliable source. 
 
To remind myself of the options worth seeking out in the first place, I reread the tinned seafood menu descriptions from Saltie Girl in Boston. It’s a seafood bar with one of the country’s finest conserva selections: It’s where I first came to fully appreciate the genre’s breadth and subtleties. Looking forward to the day I can fly across the country and eat there again with a dear local friend. In the meantime, I’ll be at home experimenting with making sardine curry this weekend.<a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2020-04-04/tasting-notes-tinned-seafood-conservas-coronavirus-addison-tasting-notes" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

A critic’s favorite hack for a quick meal at home

Chris Black I live alone, and am looking for things to make the apartment I now spend all of my time in a little cozier. What would you suggest? Being trapped at home is brutal. Coziness can be achieved, and hopefully, help battle boredom. 
 
Finally, complement your bean with an ice cold refreshing glass of Vichy Catalan Sparkling Water. The hard-to-find sparkling mineral water from Spain has carbonic gas added to its natural state. So bubbly … it hurts!<a href="https://nymag.com/strategist/article/chris-black-cozy-home-decor-barrys-bootcamp-at-home.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Can I Make My Home Cozier While in Isolation?

You'll elevate your cooking and support smaller businesses in the process Jeff Gordinier Is it getting monotonous yet? 
 
The coronavirus pandemic, by forcing many of us into cocoon mode, is already making avid home cooks out of people who had never before attempted to boil water or toast bread. Recipes abound, and famous chefs like Massimo Bottura are offering quarantine tutorials on Instagram. But even for those of us who do have an abundance of experience at the stove, sheltering in place is reinforcing the truth in something that chefs like Bottura tell you all the time: Your cooking is only as good as your ingredients. 
 
And cooking gets pretty tedious when you keep using the same stuff for weeks on end. 
 
Maybe it’s absurdly obvious, but the mantra bears repeating. You can improve your rice and beans by using better rice and beans. You can elevate a simple dish of pasta, olive oil, and anchovies by using better pasta, olive oil, and anchovies. Stir-frying some vegetables? Premium soy sauce can make all the difference. 
 
Opting for better ingredients is not some exercise in bougie excess. From the perspective of personal edification, it’s a way to use your free time during this bizarre global stalemate to go granular and learn more about food. What makes this bean different than this other bean? What makes that olive different than the olives we ate last night? And from the standpoint of saving the world, well, making a concerted effort to stock your pantry with higher-quality ingredients can be a way to help small, independent farmers, purveyors, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs during a time when vast numbers are struggling. 
 
With that in mind, here we offer links to 12 of our favorite mail-order food sites that'll ship nationwide. 
 
La Tienda 
For a quarter of a century, this Virginia-based, family-owned company has been the go-to portal for the best products imported from Spain, from paella rice to chorizo to jamón ibérico to Marcona almonds to the exquisite canned seafoods known as conservas. You haven’t lived until you’ve snacked on the José Andrés razor clams.<a href="https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/food/a31815711/best-mail-order-food-ingredient-delivery/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

12 Mail-Order Food Sites That'll Help You Pack Your Kitchen With Interesting Ingredients

The first step to cooking in a ddukbaegi, tagine, or cazuela? Finding the right vessel and learning how to use it best. Mary-Frances Heck and Paige Grandjean&nbsp; Clay pots are beloved around the world for their ability to cook especially delicious food, concentrating flavors and retaining heat with ease. From the Moroccan tagine to the Japanese donabe, these vessels aren't just hardworking cooking gear—they can go straight from oven and stove to table while looking as beautiful as their contents taste. But cooking with clay pots requires a bit of know-how. Since they're made of, well, clay, they perform differently than metal pots and pans. Check out these quick tips on seasoning, cleaning, and cooking before you get started. Season Before First Use The following clay pots should be seasoned before first use to temper them for cooking. Donabe, Flameware, Chinese Clay Pots, and Bean Pots: Combine a 4:1 ratio of cool water and cooked white rice to fill the pot halfway. Set the pot over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer, and adjust heat to maintain a gentle bubble until the rice softens into a porridge. Turn off heat, and let stand until cool. Discard the porridge, and clean the pot (see right). Tagines: Submerge pot and lid in water overnight. Wipe dry, and rub interior with a very thin layer of neutral oil. Place lid and base separately on rack in a cold oven, and heat to 325°F. Bake 2 hours. Turn off oven, and let cool completely without opening oven door, at least 4 hours. Clean Gently Let pots cool completely before washing. To scrape off stuck-on food, soak pots briefly in lukewarm water to soften residue and use a soft sponge to remove. Do not use soap on partially glazed or unglazed pots; use only mild detergent on flameware. If bacterial growth is of concern, dry the pots in a 200°F oven for 30 minutes before storing in a cool, dry place. Heat Gradually Clay cookware is sensitive to thermal shock (except some brands of flameware and Chinese clay pots insulated with metal wire), so take great care to avoid sudden temperature changes or pots will break when heated. Never heat an empty clay pot, and do not set a cold pot over high heat; instead, heat the pots gradually after filling so the ingredients heat at the same rate as the pot. Heat water or broth before adding midway through cooking. Don’t heat clay pots directly over an electric burner, which will heat the pot too quickly and may cause thermal shock. Instead, use a diffuser, such as the Nordic Ware Heat Diffuser ($15, ?williams-sonoma.com), to soften the heat so the pot can warm gradually. Handle Lightly To avoid thermal shock and accidental breakage, use wooden—not metal—tools to stir food, and don’t tap spoons on the sides of pots or drag pots across burners. Place a double layer of kitchen linens as a stove-side landing pad for hot pots or lids rather than setting them directly on cold countertops, and use wooden or cloth trivets in lieu of metal. Source Safely If clay isn’t handled properly by the potter, the presence of heavy metals and other toxins in some clay bodies and glazes can cause lead poisoning, exposure to radiation, and a host of other health problems. Using clay from a reputable source and firing it to the appropriate temperature are key. Compliance with California Proposition 65 is currently the best measure for determining whether clay cookware and tabletop items are food-safe. Before purchasing, speak with your local potters to ensure their practices are in line with industry standards. Where to Buy a Clay Pot 1 Mixteca Bean Pot ($79, ranchogordo.com) 2 La Chamba Soup Pot (From $40, mytoque.com) 3 Classic Terra Cotta Olla Stewing Pot ($63, latienda.com) 4 Round Dutch Oven (From $80, amazon.com) 5 Dum Biryani Pot ($56 for similar, EarthenBrowns on etsy.com) 6 Mexican Lidded Cazuela (author’s) 7 Cravings by Chrissy Teigen Tagine ($40, target.com) 8 Boston Baked Bean Pot (From $25, potshopofboston.com) 9 La Chamba Casserole (From $40, amazon.com) 10 Fukkura-san Tagine-Style Donabe (From $80, toirokitchen.com) 11 Chinese Clay Pot (From $8, wokshop.com) 12 Mole Pot (author’s) 13 Orion Langdon Bean Pot (From $125, pasquals.com) 14 Kamado-san Double-Lid Donabe Rice Cooker (From $135, toirokitchen.com) 15 Chinese Clay Pot (From $8, wokshop.com) 16 Indian Clay Curry Pot (From $30, amazon.com) 17 Mexican Cazuela ($41 for similar, mexgrocer.com) 18 Indian Clay Biryani Pot (From $28, amazon.com) 19 Korean Ddukbaegi (From $6, ekitchenary.com) 20 Hakeme Classic-Style All-Purpose Donabe (From $80, toirokitchen.com) 21 Mexican Cazuela ($41 for similar, mexgrocer.com)<a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/kitchen/clay-pot-cook-season-clean-basics">Read full article...</a>

How to Get Started with Clay Pot Cooking

Think of it as oceanic charcuterie David Neimanis Whenever I bring up my love of canned fish, my friends and colleagues morph into picky children. 
 
Canned seafood has a bad reputation in the United States, and it’s not just anecdotal: On an annual basis, the average American consumes about 3.5 pounds of canned seafood, a number that’s been steadily falling over the last three decades. Meanwhile, the average Spaniard polishes off nearly three times that. 
 
I wasn’t always a canned fish lover. A friend of mine recommended sardines during one of my sporadic efforts to work out often and eat well. He raved about the health benefits, cost-effectiveness, and convenience of these protein-packed little cans. I tried them out, and, well, I liked them. I didn’t love them, but I liked them enough that they became part of my diet. 
It wasn’t until I went on a trip through Southern Europe that my love story began. 
People in Spain and Portugal love canned seafood, or conservas. I knew this prior to visiting, but I didn’t quite understand the extent to which conservas were appreciated. At a tiny tapas bar in Barcelona called Quimet & Quimet, it all began to make sense. The only options for food and drink were wine, spirits, and canned seafood. 
 
It wasn’t just sardines and anchovies, but razor clams, stuffed baby squid, mussels, and more. Each fish and mollusk was handled and plated with expert care. I was hooked. 
 
For nearly two centuries, canned seafood has been viewed as a delicacy in Southern Europe. Rather than processing low-quality fish parts (i.e., some of the canned tuna you’d find in a U.S. grocery store), artisan producers use their highest-quality yields, carefully clean the product, cook them to perfection, and preserve them at peak freshness. In these regions, conservas are often seen as a gourmet preparation that is of even higher quality than fresh seafood. It’s similar to cured meats like jamón ibérico; because of the preservation process, the end product is very different and much more valuable than fresh Iberian pork. Canned seafood is oceanic charcuterie. 
 
While many Americans associate canned food with tough times and wartime bunkers, those in Spain and Portugal see the cans as small packages of gold, and they’re often willing to pay the price. For example, a 4-ounce can of almejas, the most expensive Galician clams, can set you back nearly $80. 
 
Yes, some canned seafood is a delicacy, but most of it is more wallet-friendly. It’s also a healthy, sustainable, and convenient food choice. 
 
With high protein content and rich omega-3 fatty acids, it’s no secret that a fish-heavy diet welcomes a range of health benefits. The canned varieties, however, are nutritional powerhouses. For starters, oilier varieties of fish, such as sardines, anchovies, and mackerel, are among the highest sources of omega-3s that you’ll find at a grocery store. 
 
So you eat the bones? I get it. Many people get squeamish about eating tiny fish bones, as is to be expected when eating whole sardines. While you can buy boneless, skinless sardine filets, it’s worth noting that not only are the bones almost unnoticeable, but a single can of sardines can make up for as much as 35 percent of your daily recommended calcium intake, thanks to the little bones. 
 
It’s also worth reaching for the smaller fish because they’re on the bottom of the food chain. Unlike tuna, sardines and anchovies are low in mercury, a neurotoxin that’s particularly dangerous for children and pregnant women. Smaller fish are also more sustainable. 
 
Gavin Gibbons of the National Fisheries Institute notes that “every species has its own sustainability tale, but from mussels to tuna, canned seafood often has a very good story to tell.” 
 
“The vast majority of tuna stocks are healthy and abundant, and mussels, I mean, come on, they literally clean the environment.” 
 
Canned seafood also does not require refrigeration. This means that canned seafood can be transported and stored using much less energy than fresh or frozen products. Additionally, while the flavor may begin to degrade over time, many varieties of canned fish are considered non-perishable and can be safely stored for up to five years, reducing food waste. 
 
While the U.S. may be slow to catch on, canned fish is beginning to have a moment. The global canned seafood market is expected to grow to $36.70 billion by 2021, up from $29.75 billion in 2016. 
 
According to Jonathan Harris, owner of La Tienda, an importer of Spanish products, his company’s canned seafood sales in the United States are at an all-time high. Harris attributes this to more Americans visiting Spain, a rate that increased by 11.8 percent in 2018, in addition to an overall interest among Americans in adding healthier foods into their diets. 
 
“There are a huge amount of Americans that are now visiting Spain — Barcelona being a premier destination, and conservas is a tradition in that area,” Harris said. “Broadly, Spanish food is becoming more well-known, and people are eating more seafood in the U.S., kind of as a health thing, and they are looking for quality.” 
 
La Tienda offers a wide array of canned seafood products that can be shipped to your doorstep. Not only has Harris noticed an increase in sales of familiar items like tuna and sardines, but he’s also seen a spike in sales of angulas (baby eels) and razor clams, both of which were unpopular in the U.S. until recently. 
 
Based on the ease of shipping non-perishable cans, there are quite a few online sources for getting great products in addition to La Tienda, such as Caputo’s, Portugalia Marketplace, and even Amazon. But before rushing to make an online purchase, consider checking out a local specialty store if you have one in town. Any store that sells artisanal cheeses and other products imported from Europe will likely carry a few varieties of canned fish, and may be able to provide some insights. Even Whole Foods has a few options, from entry-level anchovies to interesting products like canned octopus or José Andrés-branded mussels and uni. 
 
When it comes to eating and serving canned fish, keep it simple. Some canned fish already comes coated in all the flavor you’ll need, including extra virgin olive oil, tomato sauce, escabeche sauce, white wine and herbs, lemon, and padron peppers. Otherwise, the seafood can be the condiment — most notably anchovies, which impart salty, umami flavors in many Italian recipes. 
 
Feel free to make fun of me for being a stereotypical millennial, but one of my favorite preparations is drained sardines or mackerel on top avocado toast with lemon, cracked black pepper, and pickled red onions. 
 
Grab a few cans and give it a try. And don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not into it right away. Even La Tienda’s Harris wasn’t always a conservas connoisseur; he went through the same transition. 
 
“It’s a conversion experience for people,” he said. “We’ve been fed such poorly prepared canned seafood that we see it as a cheap source of protein, rather than something to really savor. Once you open one of these cans, it can really open your eyes and can really change how you think. I know because it happened to me.”<a href="https://heated.medium.com/you-should-be-eating-more-canned-fish-bbf84969b063" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

You Should Be Eating More Canned Fish

Do what you can, but don't forget to eat. The Healthyish Team Go Wild With Bivalves 
Seafood can be a more climate-friendly choice than meat, but knowing what to buy can feel like a paralyzing exercise. What’s a fish lover to do? One choice you can always feel good about: Eating more bivalves like mussels and clams (not to be confused with crustaceans like shrimp and lobster, which can require a ton of resources to farm, resulting in a higher carbon footprint). When it comes to seafood, farmed clams (vongole!), mussels (escabèche!) and oysters (on the half-shell, obvs) have some of the lowest carbon emissions around. Plus, farmed bivalves can naturally improve the water quality in their environment, leaving it cleaner and better than how it was before. So the next time you’re having an existential seafood crisis, pick up a couple pounds of clams for spaghetti night and rest easy. Or hop on the trend overtaking pretty much every natural wine bar we love right now and crack open a couple of tins of high-quality canned bivalves, like these plump and vinegary mussels in escabèche sauce. Pair them with crusty bread and a chilled, crisp white wine for a classy little snack. <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/eating-for-the-climate" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Healthyish Guide to Eating for the Planet...Without Stressing Out

Amanda Gabriele Whether you eat it as a side for breakfast, pile it high on a BLT, mix it into a fat-washed cocktail or, hell, just eat it for eating’s sake (or because you’re at a buffet and there is pretty much an unlimited amount), bacon is one of life’s greatest pleasures (as evident by its prominent role in The Manual podcast and in our lives in general). 
 
That mixture of fat, salt, and crunch is downright addicting, especially if you’re biting into a piece of top-notch, quality meat. If you’re looking to buy the very best bacon, we rounded up 11 succulent brands for you to try. These porcine delights are at the top of their game, so you’re getting the very best when you fry up a strip. 
 
Then, once you’ve picked out your favorite brand of bacon (or done the democratic thing and ordered a little bit of everything), make sure to pick up this bacon cookbook so that you can really make the most of your bacon-filled life. 
 
Peregrino Ibérico de Bellota Bacon 
This melt-in-your-mouth bacon is made from acorn-fed Spanish Ibérico pork that’s hand-rubbed with salt and slow-smoked over hickory in Kentucky. Ibérico pigs roam free in the dehesa forests of southwest Spain where they get plenty of exercise and nutrients from an antioxidant-rich acorn diet. Nutty, smoky, savory and sweet, the bacon from Peregrino Ibérico de Bellota Bacon from La Tienda is like an adventure for your palate.<a href="https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/best-bacon/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Best Bacon Known to Man: 11 Tastiest Craft Brands

The new chef at Sketches of Spain in Oak Cliff shares tips for easy make-ahead bites. Tina Danze Remember when tapas first swept the country? Now Basque bites known as pinchos are trending, from Atlanta to Seattle. With Sketches of Spain opening soon in Oak Cliff, Dallas gets its first spot for eating these famous appetizers from Northern Spain. The make-ahead bites ? ranging from simple skewers to lavishly topped toasts ? are ideal for home entertaining, too. 
 
If you’ve been to Basque cities like San Sebastian, you probably recall platters full of pinchos splendidly displayed at bars. If not, you may wonder what separates pinchos from tapas. 
 
“For the most part, the difference between pinchos and what’s widely considered tapas, is that a tapa is meant to be shared, and a pincho is always an individual serving,” says Javier Garcia del Moral, co-owner of Sketches of Spain. “A lot of pinchos come on top of a slice of bread,” he adds. Even potato salad gets piled on bread slices, so there's no need for a fork. 
 
The name pincho (pintxo, in the Basque language) is derived from the verb pinchar, which means to puncture or pierce. That’s because many pinchos are skewered, some eaten in one giant bite. Heftier skewers often lay on a bread slice. Tall cocktail picks or skewers also secure multiple toppings stacked on bread or toast, like an open-faced sandwich. 
 
Many pinchos require no cooking, just assembly. One of the easiest to make is the wildly popular “Gilda,” named after Rita Hayworth’s hot and salty title character in the 1946 movie. It skewers bottled guindilla chile peppers (a mildly spicy Basque variety, pickled in wine vinegar) with anchovies and green olives. 
 
Top quality ingredients are the key to this pincho. You can buy guindilla chile peppers online at tienda.com. The peppers are used to top off a wide variety of pinchos. Another easy pincho is the txaka ? a simple salad made of imitation crab (a California roll ingredient) mounded on toast. 
 
Iñaki Beltran, Sketches of Spain’s chef who hails from San Sebastian, says that the Gilda and txaka are the most common pintxos served in Basque bars ? and homes. 
 
“There isn’t a family gathering that doesn’t have these pinchos,” he says. Although you can certainly give the txaka an upgrade with real crab, he says it’s customary to use the imitation crab, which is made of white fish (typically Alaskan pollock) and often labeled “surimi,” its Japanese name. 
 
Presentation is an important aspect of pinchos. “We eat them twice ? first with our eyes,” Beltran says. Finely chopped parsley, roasted red pepper strips, olives, and tapenade commonly dress up pinchos, he says. Heartier garnishes include boiled shrimp, hard-cooked egg and anchovies. 
 
Read on for easy pincho recipes to make for your next party. Like the pinchos served in bars, they can either start a meal or make an entire meal, depending on how many varieties you serve. 
 
For a meaty pincho, it’s hard to top Pinchos Moruños. The kebabs are usually made with pork marinated in a Moroccan-spiced paste. The length of the ingredient list ? mostly seasonings for the marinade ? belies this recipe’s ease of preparation: just marinate, skewer and briefly grill. 
 
Pincho Gilda (olive, pepper and anchovy skewers) 
8 good-quality oil-packed anchovies (such as Ortiz brand, or a bottled Italian brand) 
 
16 bottled, pickled guindilla peppers (see note) 
 
8 good-quality pitted manzanilla olives (stuffed with anchovies or pimento) 
 
Thread an anchovy onto the top half of a short skewer, piercing the anchovy through the lower end of the fillet and letting the rest dangle, for now. Thread two peppers onto the skewer. Wrap the dangling anchovy end over the peppers, piercing the anchovy near the end to secure it. Add an olive to top off the skewer. Repeat with 7 more skewers and remaining ingredients. This pincho should be eaten all in one bite. 
 
Makes 8 servings. 
 
Note: You can buy the mildly spicy guindilla peppers online at tienda.com. There is no real substitute: Other pickled chile pepper varieties are too spicy and harsh. 
 
Source: Iñaki Beltran, chef at Sketches of Spain 
 
Pinchos Moruños (Moorish Kebabs) 
2 tablespoons chopped onion 
 
4 large garlic cloves, chopped 
 
1 tablespoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika (sold in bulk at Central Market) 
 
1/2 teaspoon smoked hot Spanish paprika (sold in bulk at Central Market; or substitute 1/4 teaspoon cayenne) 
 
Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste 
 
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
 
1 teaspoon black peppercorns 
 
2 teaspoons dried thyme 
 
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
 
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
 
1 bay leaf, crumbled 
 
2 tablespoons best-quality white wine vinegar 
 
2 tablespoons dry white wine (optional) 
 
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing the skewered meat 
 
1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or tenderloin, leg of lamb, or boneless chicken thighs or breast meat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 
 
Place the onion, garlic, sweet and hot paprikas, 2 teaspoons of the salt, oregano, peppercorns, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf, vinegar, wine (if using), and olive oil in a mini food processor and process to a paste. 
 
Place the pork (or preferred meat) in a bowl and rub a little salt on it. Scrape the marinade into the bowl with the meat and toss to combine thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pork for 4 to 6 hours, tossing a few times. Let the meat come to room temperature before grilling. 
 
Soak 16 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Light the grill and preheat it to medium-high, or preheat a large ridged grill pan to medium-high over medium heat. 
 
When ready to cook, thread the meat onto the skewers and brush it with a little olive oil. Cook the meat, brushing with more oil and turning once, until it is just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. (If you are cooking lamb, don’t cook it quite so long.) Serve at once. 
 
Makes 16 appetizer servings. 
 
Source: The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen ($22.95, Workman) 
 
Pincho Matrimonio de Anchoa y Boqueron (pincho of oil-cured anchovies and marinated white anchovies) 
10 bread slices, cut diagonally from a good quality, crusty baguette (chef prefers Empire Baking Company) 
 
1 roasted, peeled and seeded red pepper, finely diced (may use bottled) to yield about 1/3 cup 
 
1 roasted, peeled green pepper (Jimmy’s sells a bottled variety), finely diced to yield about 1/3 cup 
 
10 good-quality jarred anchovy fillets in oil (such as Ortiz brand, or an Italian brand) 
 
10 marinated white anchovy fillets (sold at the deli counters of Central Market and Jimmy’s Food Store) 
 
Arrange bread slices on a platter. Top half of each slice with about 1/2 tablespoon diced red peppers, and the other half with about 1/2 tablespoon green peppers. Arrange one oil-packed anchovy and one white anchovy fillet on top of each bread slice. 
 
Makes 10 servings. 
 
Source: Iñaki Beltran, chef at Sketches of Spain 
 
Five Easy Pinchos 
Txaka (crab salad) on bread or toast 
In a mixing bowl, flake 12 ounces of imitation crab/surimi using forks. Add 2/3 cup good quality mayonnaise (such as Duke’s or Hellman’s brand). If desired, add 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion. Stir to combine (may be prepared to this point ahead of time and refrigerated). Mound the salad on 10 to 12 slices of baguette, cut on the diagonal (if not serving right away, use toasted baguette slices or crostini). Garnish with minced parsley, roasted red pepper strips, or halved kalamata olives. 
 
Source: Iñaki Beltran, chef at Sketches of Spain 
 
Cheese and Chorizo Pincho 
Cover a small baguette slice with fig jam or a slice of membrillo (quince paste, sold at Central Market or Fiesta Mart). Top with a slice of Manchego cheese and slices of Spanish chorizo. Use a skewer or cocktail pick to hold the pincho together. 
 
Jamon Serrano (cured Spanish ham) with Roasted Peppers, Egg and Shrimp 
Cut roasted and peeled red or green peppers into strips (jarred peppers are fine; red ones are widely available, green ones are sold at Jimmy’s Food Store). Top 8 baguette slices, cut on the diagonal, with pepper strips. For each pincho, fold a thinly sliced Serrano ham piece loosely ? like a ribbon ? into thirds, and place over the pepper layer (if the ham slices are too big or thick, cut them in half and just fold them over once). Follow with a slice of hard-cooked egg and a poached or boiled shrimp. Finish with a dollop of mayonnaise (mixed with a little minced herbs, if desired). Secure each tower with a skewer. You can skip the egg, shrimp and mayo, and still have a delicious pincho. 
 
Chorizo and Pickled Onion Pincho 
Skewer a 3/4-inch slice of Spanish chorizo sausage (sold at Central Market) with a rinsed pickled onion and square of fresh red bell pepper. 
 
Texas Pickled Okra Pincho 
For a Texas take on the Gilda, thread a stuffed green olive, a pickled okra spear, and an oil-packed anchovy fillet onto a skewer.<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/food/cooking/2019/12/24/8-recipes-for-spanish-pinchos-that-make-the-perfect-casual-party/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

8 recipes for Spanish pinchos that make the perfect casual party

Make Your Own Paella Shivani Vora Nothing says a party like a big dish of paella, and this kit has all the ingredients needed to make the Spanish staple including rice, handpicked saffron, smoked paprika, roasted Piquillo peppers and a traditional steel pan.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/guides/gifts/2019-holiday-gift-guide" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

2019 Holiday Gift Guide

Oh, and did we mention they’re all $100 and under? The Bob Appétit Staff For the person with a favorite type of olive, thanks for asking - You can ever have too many little bowls, and these terra cotta cazuelas are the perfect thing for laying out marinated olives, dips, and other snacky things. You’ll find them all over Spain, holding everything from Marcona almonds to piping hot shrimp in garlic-chile oil, which is one more reason to love them. <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/gift-guide-under-100" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

30 Gifts for People Who Love Food, Picked By People Who Love Food

What can you give to the guru of festive gathering? Judy Cowling Can't afford the gift of gold? Then how about a bottle of precious Princesa de Minaya Saffron, D.O. La Mancha for $17.95, or Rabitos Royale Dark Chocolate Fig Bonbons, 16 pieces for $26.95. Uncommon treasures are east to find here.<a href="http://enewspaper.dailypress.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=df4cbcf2-eefc-4fd2-9faa-63c6e268fe85" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

A Holiday Offering for the Host with the Most

Wall Street Journal Staff We asked specialty food purveyors around the U.S. to name the European products they flatly refuse to live without. 
 
1. Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano Riserva “There is NOT a substitute for this aged cow’s milk cheese from Italy.” —Valerie Gurdal, co-owner, Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge, Mass., and Formaggio Kitchen South End, Boston ($34 for a pound, formaggiokitchen.com) 
 
2. Espinaler Razor Clams “As fancy Galician tinned bivalves go they are reasonably priced. The flavor is like a fresh gust of sea air and the texture is so satisfying on the tooth.” —Matt Caputo, CEO, Caputo’s Market & Deli, Salt Lake City, Utah ($11 for a 4-ounce tin, caputos.com) 
 
3. San Simón Smoked Cheese “It greets you with a deep, smoky aroma that reminds me of the tiny stone villages I’ve visited in northern Spain. The pale-yellow interior is buttery and mild, with a delicate smokiness and ochre rind provided by smoldering birch wood.” —Jonathan Harris, co-owner, La Tienda, Williamsburg, Va. ($23 for 1.1 pounds, tienda.com) 
 
4. Ibérico de Bellota Ham “Without Ibérico de Bellota, charcuterie boards across America would look like Oscar Mayer Lunchables. These tariffs will significantly affect restaurants and our business.” —Brett Ottolenghi, owner, Artisanal Foods, Las Vegas (From $20 for 2 ounces, artisanalfoods.com) 
 
5. Spaghettoni Faella “Why doesn’t anybody talk about the old tariffs? Do you know that we pay 23% of duties on pasta imported from Italy? That’s why Italian pasta is so expensive in the U.S. Artisanal good pasta made in Italy with 100% Italian wheats, this is the European food I would never do without, no matter its price!” —Beatrice Ughi, president, Gustiamo, Bronx, N.Y. ($8 for 1.1 pound, gustiamo.com)

5 Edible Imports Still Worth the Cost—Even With the New Tariffs

Melissa Quinn For Justin Drury, there is nothing that compares to Dutch-made cheese. 
 
It's not as if he has a golden tongue but more that in the Netherlands, people have been making cheese for 1,600 years. It's the history and the climate, the grass the cows eat, and the breed of the animal. Drury, whose mother is Dutch-born, said that combination makes it taste different than American-made products. 
 
Drury was raised eating imported Dutch Gouda, and he has taken the food of his youth and turned it into a business: Spicy Mo's, a Los Angeles-based company he co-founded in 2014 that specializes in handcrafted cheese spreads and, specifically, smoked Gouda. 
 
Spicy Mo's imports their cheese from Europe but does all the mixing and blending of locally sourced ingredients for their spreads in Los Angeles. The products don't include fillers like mayonnaise and cream cheese, instead relying primarily on imported cheeses. 
 
And for Drury, that process is why he believes new tariffs the Trump administration is set to impose on goods from the European Union will be "devastating" for his business. Drury is hoping to find a way to offset the cost of the tariffs to protect customers, including by working with Spicy Mo's ingredient supplier in Europe, importer, distributor, product manufacturer, and retailer to see if they all can absorb a bit of the added costs. But it's unclear whether that will take hold, as it requires cooperation from the entire supply chain. 
 
"I'm the business guy," he said. "If I could find a domestic replacement, by all means, I'd be 100% about it. We've done blind taste tests with our family, friends, clients. It's just not the same. I don't think there is a domestic replacement, and that's why it hurts so bad." 
 
Drury is one of more than 2,000 business owners, consumers, and cheesemongers who raised concerns with the Trump administration over its tariffs targeting the EU. 
 
The duties stem from a long-running dispute between the United States and the 28-country EU over large aircraft subsidies. 
 
The World Trade Organization ruled this month that the EU was providing illegal subsidies to Airbus, a competitor to Chicago-based Boeing, and gave the go-ahead for the U.S. to impose countermeasures in response. 
 
As a result, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced it would slap 10% levies on new aircraft from the EU and 25% tariffs on various cheeses, olive oil, liqueurs and cordials, wine, Irish and Scotch whiskey, and apparel. 
 
The majority of the tariffs will hit goods shipped to the U.S. from France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as they're the central countries responsible for the subsidies to France-based Airbus, according to the Trump administration. 
 
For the makers of distilled spirits, in particular, the levies are the latest penalties to hit the industry, as the EU already slapped American whiskeys with 25% retaliatory tariffs last year in response to the Trump administration's duties on steel and aluminum. 
 
The tit-for-tat tariffs led to a 21% drop in whiskey exports, according to the Distilled Spirits Council, and the distilled spirits industry fears the hits will continue. 
 
A separate, parallel case before the World Trade Organization involving the U.S. and Boeing is still pending, and EU leaders have suggested they could impose fresh tariffs on American rum, vodka, and brandy. 
 
"The picture-perfect example of the benefits of free trade is what has transpired with the distilled spirits industry across the United States and the EU over the last 24 years, where there's been great growth for Europe and the United States," Chris Swonger, president of the Distilled Spirits Council, said. "These two trade disputes not related to our industry are having a direct impact on an industry that has done great as a result of free trade. That's frustrating and unfortunate." 
 
An analysis conducted by the Distilled Spirits Council found the retaliatory levies on single malt Scotch whisky, single malt Irish whiskey, liqueurs and cordials, and wine could affect roughly $2.5 billion in imports and negatively affect up to 8,000 jobs ranging from farmers, bartenders, truckers, and servers working in the hospitality industry. 
 
"These are going to be extraordinary costs that our member companies are going to have to determine how to grapple with," Swonger said. "There's probably going to be an impact on overall price of the product in some form. There's likely going to be a reduction in imports and exports back and forth." 
 
The 25% tax on cheeses, olives, olive oil, and pork products has La Tienda, a company based in Williamsburg, Virginia, that sells Spanish food and wine, concerned it will have to raise its prices. 
 
But doing so "is not great for our customers and not great for our partners in Spain," said Jonathan Harris, a co-owner. 
 
Hiking prices also won't cover the full added cost of the tariffs, so the family-owned company is expecting to take a hit in its margins as it absorbs some of the cost increases. 
 
Harris started La Tienda in 1996 before word spread about gourmet food from Spain and runs the business with his father and brother. The company specializes in e-commerce and is gearing up for the busy holiday season when many customers send gourmet food as gifts. 
 
The timing of the levies, which are set to take effect Oct. 18, has put La Tienda in a time crunch, as it sends out a print catalog featuring products that will now have a tax rate of 25%. 
 
"We have to decide are we going to raise those prices and deal with the customer complaints, or do we absorb the whole increase?" Harris said. 
 
The holiday season is the prime selling season for the alcohol industry, too, and Swonger said the latest round of tariffs are likely to be felt more acutely by American consumers as they make purchases for the holidays. 
 
"There's no better gift than buying a friend a great bottle of distilled spirits, whether it's scotch or their favorite liqueur or cordial," he said. "We're very concerned and alarmed about the timing." 
 
Many in the specialty foods industry had been watching the ongoing dispute between the EU and the U.S., and expected tariffs would be the chosen method of retaliation, especially given President Trump's penchant for using the levies against other countries. 
 
But what has them flummoxed is the decision to rope the specialty food and beverage industries into a dispute over aircraft. 
 
"Most of the businesses both in Spain and Europe and the U.S. that are involved are family-owned, small businesses that have nothing to do with this trade battle," Harris said.<a href=" https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/casualties-of-us-eu-aircraft-trade-dispute-tariffs-on-cheese-wine-scotch" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Casualties of US-EU aircraft trade dispute: Tariffs on cheese, wine, scotch

Readers offer their suggestions, questions, corrections Bill St. John • Yes, it is often difficult to know the personality of the extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) inside the bottle and behind the label. Until all EVOO producers add tastings notes to their labels, you’ll need to educate yourself. Sometimes a welcoming retailer will provide help, but that skill is rare. I’d encourage more cooks to utilize the vast resources of the internet; it’s all out there, a few keystrokes away. 
 
• We aren’t lucky, as are so many Portuguese or Spanish, to live and eat where freshly caught anchovies or sardines are sold or preserved. Our tinned versions, of anchovies especially, vary considerably in style, taste, and cost. Oil- and vinegar-based differ greatly, as do those packed in salt. It is likewise with capers. Good reading and self-education at tienda.com.<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/10/02/get-cooking-catching-up-on-culinary-queries/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Get Cooking: Catching up on culinary queries

Daniel Gritzer Traditional paella is cooked in a huge pan over a massive fire. The even heat provided by that fire helps to offset the steel pan's inherently poor conduction. When cooking paella on the stovetop, however, your heat source is limited to your burner size. The first step: Give up on paella for a crowd and make small batches for fewer people instead. 
 
The most obvious pan to use is a traditional paella pan, and indeed you can, but it helps to understand its construction. Traditional paella pans are made from thin sheets of steel. Steel is a particularly bad conductor of heat, which is why stainless steel pans almost always have some kind of conductive core, like the aluminum sandwiched inside the steel exterior of a tri-ply pan. A paella pan's doesn't have a conductive core, so it heats unevenly due to the steel's poor conduction. That doesn't matter when you have a large and even source of heat underneath the pan, as one does when making paella the traditional way over a live fire, but on a stovetop burner it can be a problem.<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/09/the-secret-to-stovetop-paella-go-small.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Secret to Stovetop Paella: Go Small

Daniel Gritzer Paella is traditionally cooked in massive pans over live fires. When you try to make it indoors on the stovetop, some adjustments are necessary. In particular, you need to limit the pan size relative to the burner to avoid extreme hot spots and uneven cooking. This recipe accounts for that.<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2019/09/stovetop-paella-mixta-for-four-with-pork-chicken-and-shrimp.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Stovetop Paella Mixta for Four With Pork, Chicken, and Shrimp Recipe

From must-have wine accessories to over-the-top experiences, wine lovers will love these gifts. Lyndsey Matthews La Tienda Porrón Wine Pitcher - Every wine lover should have one of these wine pitchers from Spain. For tamer dinner parties, you can use it as a decanter. But if you want to kick it up a notch, use it like the Spanish traditionally do and pour wine from its spout directly into your mouth. <a href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/gifts-for-wine-lovers?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=121319%20SolarEclipse2020&utm_term=Daily%20Wander%20Newsletter" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

15 Gifts for the Wine Lover in Your Life

Daniel Gritzer This famed seafood-and-meat paella may not be traditional, but it's a favorite of diners all over the world for good reason. The grill makes it possible to cook a one big enough for a crowd at home. 
 
Paella mixta, which combines seafood and meat, is, as any Spaniard will tell you, not a traditional type of paella. But it is enjoyed throughout the world, and it is indisputably delicious. On top of saffron, smoked paprika, and other deeply flavorful ingredients, this version includes smoky, porky Spanish chorizo, which is another no-no among traditionalists (and which is also quite delicious). This version makes a paella big enough for a crowd, and it uses a grill for the even bed of heat needed to accomplish that in such a large, wide pan. 
 
Please note that it's imperative you follow all the doneness cues in this recipe; the times are rough estimates since the actual timing of each step will vary heavily depending on the heat of your grill. This means that if your meat browns in a fraction of the stated time, you must move on to the next step and not adhere to the estimated time; if it takes longer, you must allow it to proceed beyond the estimated time (or boost the heat of your grill).<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com//recipes/2019/07/grilled-paella-mixta-mixed-paella-with-chicken-and-seafood.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Grilled Paella Mixta (Mixed Paella With Chicken and Seafood) Recipe

Daniel Gritzer One of Spain's most iconic dishes, a large paella for a crowd can be difficult to make at home. The solution is to cook it on the grill instead. Here's how to do it right. 
 
<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/07/how-to-make-paella-on-grill.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Fire Up the Grill for a Backyard Paella Party

Daniel Gritzer Classic Spanish paella is cooked in huge pans over a live wood fire. This chicken-and-pork version mimics that process on a backyard grill, perfect for a festive party or cookout.<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2019/07/grilled-chicken-and-pork-paella.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Grilled Chicken and Pork Paella Recipe

Daniel Gritzer This nutty and fruity Spanish sauce is best when you make it your own. You can serve your romesco sauce a million different ways: with roasted meats or grilled fish, with cooked or raw vegetables, on sandwiches, in soups, you name it. 
<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2019/06/romesco-sauce-recipe.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Romesco Sauce Recipe

Daniel Gritzer Romesco is a bold Spanish sauce that's delicious and incredibly versatile, as good on roasted meats as it is on raw vegetables. Here's how to get closer to the original flavor of the sauce than many English-language recipes will allow. 
 
Most people who know romesco know that it contains pepper, but many mistakenly think that pepper is a roasted red bell pepper. It's not. The pepper used for romesco is a dried one, either the ñora pepper or, according to some sources, the choricero pepper. 
 
Of course, those Spanish pepper varieties aren't easy to get here, which is why the bell pepper became a popular substitute. Roasting a bell pepper does add some of the darker notes that the dried peppers offer, and romesco sauces made with bell peppers can taste good. But anyone who knows what the original sauce, made with those dried peppers, tastes like, knows that bell pepper doesn't really play the part well enough. A better route is to use some kind of dried pepper. 
 
You can buy ñora peppers at Spanish specialty stores, or online at sites like La Tienda. I think it's worth it. The ñoras add a depth that the red bell pepper simply can't. They taste molasses-y, but without a strong sweetness, and there's a bitterness that cuts through everything else. It's a complex flavor that brings the romesco fully into focus.<a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/06/how-to-make-romesco-sauce.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

How to Make Romesco Sauce the Catalonian Way

Sheryl Julian PRIEGO DE CORDOBA, Spain — If you’re under the impression that a potato chip is a common snack that is crisp and delicious, no matter what brand you buy, then you haven’t tasted chips from San Nicasio, a tiny factory in this Andalucian mountain town in the south of Spain. 
 
These are hand-crafted chips, fried in the extra-virgin olive oil of the region. They are extraordinarily crunchy and not too salty; every chip is perfect and you can actually taste the aromatic oil in which they’re fried. San Nicasio are the chips offered at more than 25 restaurants operated by Spanish-born Michelin-starred chef Jose Andres, who co-brands with the company. It has won the Brussels-based Monde Selection Gold Award 12 times since 2008, and the chips are in such demand that they’re also shipped to Japan, China, Russia, Australia, Dubai, Kuwait, and Western Europe. The Telegraph newspaper in Great Britain listed the chips as one of the 50 foods to try before you die. Brits have dubbed artisan chips like these “posh crisps.” 
 
Priego de Cordoba is halfway between Cordoba and Granada. San Nicasio founder Rafael del Rosal Lopez explains through translator Tim Murray-Walker, who owns the neighboring Casa Olea inn, that Andres discovered the chip company partly because Rosal Lopez’s product is Spanish and partly because the recipe is so simple. The process, except for the packaging, is fundamentally low-tech. “In the end it was quite easy,” says Rosal Lopez. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but you get found.” 
 
The original little crisps have the same ingredients other chips do — potatoes, oil, and salt — and nothing else. But those three things are the best money can buy and the method is thoroughly thought out to turn them into incredibly appealing chips. 
 
They are made with local, floury Agria potatoes that are not genetically modified and come into the factory still covered with dirt. Extra-virgin olive oil is sourced from an award-winning cooperative mill, Almazaras de la Subbetica, which is stamped with the Priego de Cordoba Protected Designation of Origin. Olives for the oil are pressed just down the road, so there’s no transportation or unnecessary long storage. The pink salt sprinkled sparingly on the hot chips as they emerge from the fryer comes from the Himalayas. Rosal Lopez thinks that a little goes a long way; he doesn’t want his chips to be too salty. 
 
Rosal Lopez, 47, and his wife, Mari Carmen Osuna Granados, 44, began here in 1998 with a churros stand. They sold the doughnut-like fried loops for a year until Rosal Lopez got the idea to add potato chips to the kiosk in the afternoons. Two years later, there was enough demand to build a little factory, then the couple moved a decade later to another facility. When that became too small after a few years, they started building a third one in 2013. 
 
The financial crisis hit in the middle of construction; the couple owed the builders money and their bank wasn’t giving any out. The couple was sinking financially. Finally, the bank said that if they could come up with some of the money, the bank would kick in the rest. A client abroad bailed out the little company, but the plan backfired. “The bank went back on their word,” says Rosal Lopez. After much hand-wringing, the situation was resolved when two friends and the local olive oil cooperative loaned him the funds to continue building. 
 
At the time, the couple had three young children and a 98-year-old grandmother and sick mother, who were both living with them. “It was a financial nightmare,” says Rosal Lopez. He found himself up at 3 a.m. every night worrying about the outcome. 
 
He still keeps those hours, except there’s a factory here and he goes in before dawn to sort potatoes, removing any green spots by hand, so the crew that arrives early — his wife and two others — can begin work. “I’ve done 2,000 kilos by the time everyone comes in,” he says. 
 
In the one-story factory, where there is plenty of space to expand, there is no smell of frying oil as you approach the building, nor any odor at all on the factory floor. That’s due to the low temperature Rosal Lopez is heating the oil (about 269 degrees Fahrenheit, which is far lower than other commercial chip factories). The entrepreneur explains that he doesn’t want his chips to have acrylamide — a chemical found in potatoes fried at high temperatures — and he does what he can to decrease that, like lowering the frying temperature and never refrigerating potatoes. 
 
A water machine scrubs the potatoes using centrifugal force, another peels them, and Rosal Lopez goes through them by hand to remove any eyes on the spuds. Then they’re put into a slicing machine and tipped into the oil. 
 
The frying temperature is so low that Rosal Lopez dips his finger into the vat to show that it’s not hot enough to burn him. He stirs the chips with the paddle end of something that looks like an oar. They’re floating in a giant mesh strainer inside the vat. “Low temperature makes it more labor intensive,” he says. The potatoes can stick together and have to be moved constantly. They’re in the oil for two minutes. 
 
The strainer lifts automatically, drains excess oil back into the pot for a few seconds, then tips the chips onto a short conveyor belt, where they chug along while someone removes any that are too brown or not good-looking. They’re salted and packaged in triple-layer bags; all the oxygen in the packages is removed and food nitrogen is injected into them to keep the chips fresh. Chips are weighed before and after they go into the bags. Any whose weight is light are removed. 
 
Rosal Lopez takes a bag off the conveyor belt and asks me to stand on it. The puffy little bag doesn’t budge. You can practically stomp on these chips and the bags won’t pop open. “I have put them under water and no water can get through,” he says. That kind of packaging costs more money, which is why the chips are priced higher (San Nicasio Jose Andres chips in a 6.7-ounce bag are $7.95; six 1.4 ounce bags are $14.95 on www.tienda.com.) 
 
San Nicasio recycles everything. Dirt shaken off the potatoes and their peels go into local fertilizer; rejected potatoes are sent to local animals; used olive oil is shipped out to be repurposed; water from the machines is captured for another use. All rainwater from the drain pipes is used to irrigate the factory’s gardens. “This commitment to extensive recycling is expensive,” says Rosal Lopez. 
 
In addition to the original flavor with Himalayan pink salt, which comes in pink bags, Rosal Lopez has introduced black pepper, which fills the mouth with a little heat; Pimenton de la Vera, the traditional Spanish smoked paprika, which is so appealing on the crisp bites; and truffle flower, made with dehydrated Italian fungi, which lends a very subtle, earthy taste to the chips. 
 
Rosal Lopez hasn’t had a vacation in 20 years, so his oldest child, who is 16 now, has never been on holiday. All of his income goes back into the business. 
 
“I like a challenge,” he says. “Like a lot of people, I’m always going to the next step. In the back of my mind the whole American dream thing is in there. Could I do this with other products? In the States, take oil from here, potatoes from the States, same salt. We could create the same quality of product. We could do it anywhere. China — you name it.” 
 
The entrepreneur who began with a little kiosk knows the allure of a perfect snack. San Nicasio potato chips, www.sannicasio.es 
 
Sheryl Julian can be reached at sheryl.julian@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @sheryljulian. 
 
 
<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2019/06/10/tiny-factory-southern-spain-fries-potato-chips-award-winning-olive-oil-for-chef-jose-andres/u8TRfL17rPm0vBAcO1OBAO/story.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

A Tiny Factory in Southern Spain Fries Potato Chips in Award-Winning Olive Oil for Chef Jose Andrés

Exotic, tasty, nutritious - tinned seafood is seriously celebrated around here. Below, some reasons to crave this special assortment. Lucy N. Casale

Morsels: Lured In

This wide, shallow pan does make for the best paella but there are alternatives Jennifer Anderson Chances are you've seen a paella pan-the wide, shallow cooking vessel used to make the Spanish rice-and-meat (or seafood) dish of the same name. But have you ever cooked paella in one? If you're thinking of taking the plunge and getting a paella pan of your own, here's what's you need to know. 
 
First and foremost, it's important to note that paella is the definitive dish of the Valencia region of Spain, and the pan defines the dish-literally. "Paella" is a Valencian word derived from the Latin term for "pan." Paella pans are wide and shallow to create maximum surface area, allowing liquid to evaporate and to form as much crispy golden crust (socarrat) on the bottom as possible. "Paella is not just a dish, it's a way of life in Valencia; everything revolves around the paella pan … around rice culture … It's 10 or 12 ingredients transformed through fire into a really beautiful and cohesive dish," declares Matt Goulding, author of the IACP Award-winning book "Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture." 
 
Carbon, Stainless, or Enameled Steel? Deciding What Kind of Paella Pan to Buy 
Paella pans are constructed from a variety of materials. How do you choose the right one? Carbon steel paella pans are traditionally used across Valencia, the heart of paella country. They are affordable, lightweight, and conduct heat very efficiently. Carbon steel does require some seasoning and maintenance between uses, so be sure to follow the instructions that come with your pan. 
 
You have other options, too. Stainless steel paella pans are heavy-duty and do not require any special upkeep. They are more expensive than carbon steel pans but they are very durable and should last you a lifetime. Last but not least, you can purchase an enameled steel iteration. Affordable, lighter than stainless, and easy to clean, enameled steel pans are even dishwasher safe.<a href="https://www.marthastewart.com/1538063/paella-pan-guide" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

What Is a Paella Pan? (And Do I Really Need One?)

Smoky Spanish sausage lends rich flavor to the broth—and a vital link to tradition in a West Virginia community. These recipes make the most of ingredients that have sustained generations in the Mountain State Mike Costello THIS IS JUST LIKE religion to me. That’s how I think about it,” Jim Golden said, sitting on his tin-roofed porch overlooking the Buckhannon River in north-central West Virginia. It was early December and Mr. Golden, a retired restaurateur and firearms salesman, was kicking off an annual early-winter rite: the two-day process of making the Spanish blood sausage morcilla. He tied on a black apron, opened a can of lager and took a sip. Then he began feeding slabs of lily-white pork fat through a 1970s-era Cuisinart grinder. 
 
His recipe, scribbled in red ink and pinned to his refrigerator with a “Proud to be Spanish” magnet, remains mostly true to the one that crossed the Atlantic with his grandparents over a century ago. They were among a wave of families that arrived in this part of West Virginia from Spain’s Asturias region in the early 20th century. Settled near zinc-smelting plants around Clarksburg, Anmoore and Spelter, they routinely made old-world sausages as a community, curing them in backyard smokehouses. 
 
“I never thought about not doing it, because you just grow up with it,” said Mr. Golden. But in recent decades, as West Virginia’s population has declined overall and many of the descendants of those Spanish families have left the Mountain State, protecting that culinary heritage has become a priority. Now in his 70s, Mr. Golden has assumed the role of mentor to preserve both the process of making morcilla and the symbolism in each smoky link. He doesn’t sell the sausages he makes; this is a product meant to be shared with family, neighbors and friends. 
 
His nephew John Pierson stood beside him controlling the grinder’s power switch as they turned rigid blocks of pork fat into coarsely ground morsels that piled up in a big steel pan. “It gives me gratification in my heart and mind and soul to know there’s somebody else who cares about it, and they’re going to pass it on,” Mr. Golden said. As they worked the two men traded stories about other sausage makers in the family, including Mr. Golden’s grandmother, Effegiña Alonso, and his great-aunt, whom he calls Tía Maria. 
 
Dark burgundy in color, bold and complex in flavor, morcilla is used by the family almost exclusively in soups and stews, most notably a hearty kale soup with white beans, potatoes and a generous hit of paprika. “It’s the quintessential wintertime food,” Mr. Pierson said of the dish, which he grew up eating with thick-crusted white bread. 
 
Morcilla gets its delicate texture and much of its flavor from its main ingredient: freshly harvested beef or pork blood. Unlike the pork shoulders and haunches used to make chorizo or longaniza, fresh blood can’t be procured on a whim at a grocery-store meat counter; morcilla production must be carefully coordinated with nearby farmers. 
 
This time, the task of procuring the blood fell to Mr. Pierson. He headed to the mountaintop farm of Seth Lucas, a young homesteader who had prepared a yearling bull for field slaughter. A compassionate farmer who adheres to a waste-free ethos, Mr. Lucas talked about the honor of contributing “the very substance that gives the animal life” to a tradition so important to Mr. Pierson’s family and the area’s Spanish-American community. The farmer felled the bull with a clean headshot from his .22 caliber rifle and quickly severed the animal’s jugular. Holding a wooden spoon and a bright-blue collection bucket, Mr. Pierson knelt beside the bull and stirred rapidly as a gush of deep crimson swirled into the vessel. 
 
Later that day on Mr. Golden’s porch, the nearly two gallons of blood Mr. Pierson collected were combined with the ground pork fat, 50 pounds of chopped onions, coarse salt, spices and fresh parsley, then hand-stuffed into natural casings and tied off into short links. Boiled until firm and chilled overnight, the sausages went into the smoker the next morning. 
 
Mr. Golden insisted there are no hard rules for cooking rustic food like the kale and morcilla soup his family has adapted over the years. With a traditional recipe in hand, cooks “tweak it to their own taste,” he said. Ingredients like crisp apples, turnips, potatoes and hearty greens can swap in and out depending on what’s in the garden or root cellar. But in the soups of Spanish origin found in this part of Appalachia, sausage is the cornerstone. 
 
Home cooks who don’t happen to know a sausage maker can find morcilla at local butchers, at many supermarkets or from online sources such as La Tienda, tienda.com. If you haven’t cooked with this sausage before, you’ll be surprised what a long simmer in broth will do. The morcilla is a real workhorse ingredient, partially melting into the pot as it cooks, releasing smoke and spice as it lends body to a soup or stew. 
 
Still, spending time with the people who make this food, you get stories and layers of meaning no trip to the store can match. At the end of the process, Mr. Pierson lifted wooden dowels draped with finished sausages out of the primitive smoker and looked to his uncle for approval. “They’re beautiful,” Mr. Golden said. “I’m happy with this mess. I really am.” 
 
Asturian Kale and Morcilla Soup 
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours SERVES: 4 
 
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced 
 
4 cups water 
 
4 tablespoons paprika 
 
3 cloves garlic, chopped 
 
½ pound or 3 small links smoked morcilla, sliced into rounds 
 
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
 
1 cup chicken stock 
 
2 cups cooked white beans 
 
3 cups chopped kale 
 
4 tablespoons olive oil 
 
1. In a medium stock pot, combine potatoes and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Add paprika, garlic, half the morcilla and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer 1 hour. 
 
2. Add beans, chicken stock and remaining morcilla. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes-1 hour. (A longer simmer will bring out more flavor.) 
 
3. Add kale and continue to simmer, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Salt to taste. 
 
 
Caldo Gallego (Galician White Bean Soup) 
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours SERVES: 4 
 
4 tablespoons olive oil 
 
1 medium onion, diced 
 
4 cloves garlic 
 
2 turnips, peeled and diced 
 
2 small-to-medium links Spanish chorizo, cut in ¼-inch slices 
 
3 cups chicken stock 
 
1 cup water 
 
3 cups chopped turnip greens, mustard greens or kale 
 
2 cups cooked white beans 
 
1 cup chopped fresh parsley 
 
1 teaspoon paprika 
 
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
 
1. In a stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté onions and garlic until soft, about 4 minutes. Add turnips, chorizo, stock and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. 
 
2. Add greens, beans, parsley, paprika and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer 30 minutes more. Salt to taste and garnish with remaining olive oil. 
 
 
Fabada (Asturian White Bean Stew With Morcilla, Chorizo and Apples) 
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours SERVES: 4 
 
4 cups chicken stock 
 
3 cups cooked white beans such as great northern or cannelini 
 
1 cup crushed tomatoes 
 
2 small links of smoked morcilla, sliced into rounds 
 
2 small to medium links of smoked Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4 inch slices 
 
4 slices smoked bacon, chopped 
 
1 medium onion, chopped 
 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
 
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced 
 
2 firm medium apples, such as Gala, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, diced 
 
1 teaspoon paprika 
 
½ teaspoon nutmeg 
 
1 bay leaf 
 
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
 
4 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish 
 
1. In a stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Sauté bacon, onions and half the apples until onions are slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. 
 
2. Add chorizo, morcilla, bay leaf, nutmeg, salt and garlic, and stir to combine. Continue to sauté until bacon starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes to an hour. 
 
3. Add beans and remaining apples. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes more. Remove bay leaf and season with salt to taste.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-makes-this-soup-so-good-11553018497" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

What Makes This Soup So Good?

From online butcher shops to Spanish ham hawkers, here are four places to get the good stuff delivered. Mantry Staff La Tienda - 
 
With over 800 items, ranging from jamon to chorizo, La Tienda is a Spanish food lover’s haven. The Spanish Ham sections will have you drooling.<a href="https://mantry.com/blogs/manual/4-of-the-best-places-to-buy-meat-online-in-america" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

4 Of The Best Places To Buy Meat Online in America

We’re very on board with our senior food editor’s current obsessions. Andy Baraghani It’s the post-holidays part of winter—that time of the year when it’s less about going out and more about staying in. The things I have on rotation right now are all about bringing me comfort, whether it’s my current favorite record for afternoons on the couch, a face mask to restore my skin from the cold weather, or a bright and bracing lemon dressing to wake me up when it’s only 4 p.m. and already dark. 
 
I’m obsessed with these little cazuelas I bought during a trip to Barcelona several years ago. I use them for marinated olives (plus a small one for the pits), dips, and other snacky things.<a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/andy-baraghani-masks-and-mortars" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Andy Baraghani Is Living For Masks and Mortars Right Now

Portuguese sardines in olive oil with piquillo peppers? Oh Santa, you shouldn’t have! Alex Beggs Excuse me, is that a candy cane? No, no, no. That will not do. Some of us need stocking stuffers that appeal to flavors we actually love and crave: sardines, smoked oysters, the salty sea air. Just imagine waking up on Christmas morning to a stocking so heavy with aluminum tins that you can barely lift it. Portuguese sardines in olive oil with piquillo peppers? Oh Santa, you shouldn’t have! I mean. You should. This year, give the gift of tinned fish with our handy guide to the best possible options available online right now (but if there are any importers reading this, please make more tinned delicacies available to the U.S. market!). And hey, you don’t even have to wrap them, the packaging’s so good. Hereeee fishy fishy. 
 
Conservas de Cambados 
We run into these gourmet Spanish beauties at some of our favorite wine bars and tinned fish-eterias and would looove to run into them in a holiday scenario. In a stocking, gifted by a secret Santa—whatever it takes to get our hands on some swanky squids. 
 
Buy it: Conservas de Cambados squids in olive oil, $15 on Amazon or $58/case of 4 from La Tienda<a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/tinned-fish-stocking-stuffers" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Stockings Are Meant to Be Stuffed with Tinned Fish

Crystal Shi Rabitos Royale bonbons are made from dried Spanish figs stuffed with ganache and dipped in chocolate. The Trio gift collection comes with three versions: a dark chocolate shell and brandy ganache filling; a milk chocolate shell and salted caramel ganache filling; and a white chocolate shell and strawberry ganache filling. $21.95 for nine pieces (three of each flavor), $37.95 for 18 (six of each flavor). Available at Tienda.com.<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/a-holiday-gift-guide-for-food-lovers_2722823.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

A Holiday Gift Guide for Food Lovers

Season’s Eatings: What six chefs are sending their family and friends this year. Melanie Hansche and Nina Friend La Tienda Tapas Party Gift Box - 
Make like chef Josiah Citrin (Melisse and Charcoal, Los Angeles) and head to La Tienda for all kinds of edible Spanish gifts. “You can get sampler packages of jamón, Spanish cheeses, olive oils, wines—anything and everything for your food-loving friends,” he says. ($115; tienda.com)<a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/gifts/holiday-gift-guide-2018?utm_campaign=foodandwine_foodandwine&utm_term=AB6CFD0E-ECD2-11E8-A358-87BBC28169F1&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=link&xid=soc_" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Food & Wine Holiday Gift Guide 2018

Not your average chicken of the sea Mary Scott Hardaway The Stems & Skins crew wants you to forgo the pigs in a blanket and sad artichoke dip this year. 
 
If you've stopped by Stems and Skins in Park Circle, you know that they know how to elevate seafood from a can into a light, satisfying, and unique bite. But if you thought that that kind of experience was limited to hip wine bars, you'd be wrong. 
 
Here are a few tips from S&S co-owners Justin Croxall and Matt Tunstall for an at-home holiday happy hour spread that will have your out of town guests saying, "incroyable!" 
 
1. Invest in high quality tinned seafood (think spicy sardine pate, yellowfin tuna belly, trout in escabeche.) Celebrity chef Jose Andres developed a brilliant line of tinned seafoods which we serve and sell at Stems & Skins. 
2. Hit up your local bakery for fresh bread. We prefer thinly sliced baguette from EVO but another French loaf would also work well. 
3. For brightness in both presentation and flavor, prepare a simple salad of arugula dressed in lemon vinaigrette (fresh lemon juice plus extra virgin olive oil). 
4. Fill a small bowl with flaky seas salt (we use Bulls Bay Sea Salt) and another small vessel with butter. Look for a small-batch churned butter (like Banner Butter) for exceptional flavor and texture. 
5. Instruct your guests to take a piece of baguette, spread butter on it, add seafood and sea salt and top with a little arugula. Wash it all down with a salty, crisp, coastal white wine.<a href="https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/Eat/archives/2018/11/15/stems-and-skins-shares-tips-for-how-to-celebrate-the-holidays-with-tinned-seafood" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Stems & Skins shares tips for how to celebrate the holidays ... with tinned seafood

Presenting Esquire Entertains: Our guide to going all out for your next big party, with cool decor, good eats, and sage advice to make it an unforgettable night. Esquire Editors Parties are a lot like the coming apocalypse: Your chances of surviving depend on what you’ve got stocked in the bunker. The finest blowouts happen on the fly, when friends wander in and genial minutes turn into feverish hours and the spirit of impromptu celebration gradually disrobes and dismantles the home that you worked so hard to make tidy. Ideally, as a social being, you should always be prepared for just such an insta-bash. And if you happen to have on hand all of the items we list here, the sudden arrival of revelers shouldn’t faze you in the slightest. 
 
When you’re serving food at a party, your mission is simple: Get the best. Welcome remarks along the lines of “Wow, where did you get these olives?” and “This is the best chorizo I’ve ever tasted!” do not happen by accident. Snacks don’t have to be glamorous, but going the extra mile for quality is worth the effort. Stocking your pantry, your fridge, and your freezer with premium items—Calvisius caviar from Italy, bars of Compartés chocolate and tubs of McConnell’s ice cream and loaves of Manresa bread from California, charcuterie from Pittsburgh pork savant Justin Severino’s new Salty Pork Bits, olives and almonds from La Tienda, etc.—will make you look like the smart and generous host you strive to be. (These items can all be shipped to you.) In a moment you have a meal, and in a matter of minutes everyone’s partying like it’s the end of the world. Here are some of our favorites. —Jeff Gordinier 
 
<a href="https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a23695287/winter-hosting-tips-food-decor-best-party/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

This Winter, Throw the Kind of Party Your Friends Would Hate to Miss

Get gourmet food delivered right to your door Brett Moore Spanish cuisine is very hot right now and for good reason - it's delicious! La Tienda, a family-owned business in Virginia, carries hundreds of fine foods from artisanal and small family firms in Spain. Ibérico Ham, Serrano Ham, Chorizo & sausages, Olive Oils, Artisan Spanish cheeses, Chocolates & other sweets, Seafood, Spices, and other fantastic foods can be found at La Tienda.<a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/gourmet-specialty-food-shops-1666059" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The 14 Best Specialty Food Stores to Buy From in 2018

The Nice List Lucy M. Casale Pop this lid for an instant cocktail party bite: Octopus in Olive Oil by Ramón Peña TIENDA.COM

Morsels in the Kitchen

Shivani Vora Practical or luxe, quirky or classic, these gifts will send just the right message to the people you are oh-so grateful for this year. Sort by interest or price, or browse until you've checked everyone off your list (and maybe discovered a few gifts for you, too!). 
 
Olive Oil Taster 
$15 
I cannot travel without this T.S.A.-friendly extra-virgin olive oil taster set from the Spanish chef Jose Andres. The oils are cold pressed in Spain, and a drizzle makes anything I order taste better, whether it’s a salad or an omelet. 
 
 
An Eye-Catching Wine Server 
$26 
Made in Spain from recycled hand-blown glass, this “porron,” as it’s traditionally called, comes with a cork and is a creative way to serve wine at your next party. It’s popular throughout Spain.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/guides/gifts/2018-holiday-gift-guide" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

2018 Holiday Gift Guide

From online butcher shops to Spanish ham hawkers, here are four places to get the good stuff delivered Mantry Staff 3. La Tienda 
With over 800 items, ranging from jamon to chorizo, La Tienda is a Spanish food lover’s haven. The Spanish Ham sections will have you drooling.<a href="https://medium.com/@mantry/4-awesome-sources-for-mail-order-meat-95baf5dd9278" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

4 Awesome Sources for Mail-Order Meat

This Spanish ham is some of the best that money can buy. Jackie Bryant To the untrained eye and palate, a ham is just a ham—usually, one entire pig leg or shoulder, sliced into short, rectangular, paper-thin sheets. But with so many types of ham on the market, it can be difficult to know which is the best and why. When it comes to Spanish ham, knowledge is power.&nbsp; So if you're looking to buy some of the best jamón, or Spanish ham, that money can buy, make sure you know what you're looking for.&nbsp; The different categories of jamón Understanding the distinctions among the different kinds of Spanish ham is a good starting point, as each type is carefully designated by law. Jamón Serrano is made from white pigs—usually Landrace or Duroc breeds, which have white hooves and are typically raised indoors and fed a mix of grains. The product is less fatty than Ibérico. Jamón Ibérico is made from farm-raised, usually crossbred Ibérico pigs that are raised indoors and fed hay. Jamón Ibérico Cebo de Campo is the next level above that and is made from crossbred free-range Ibérico pigs that are fed a mixture of acorns and hay. Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, finally, is the premier level—the type that has inspired cult-like following—that is made from free-range, black-hued and footed Ibérico pigs that subsist solely on acorns. Why acorns? The dehesas, or meadows, of western Spain serve a variety of economic and environmental purposes. The Holm and cork oak trees provide high-quality wood that is exported for the global wine industry (as well as for other purposes), and is the ideal canopy for the region’s flora and fauna. The acorns that come from the trees also happen to be the perfect food for free-range pigs: each pig can eat about 10 kilos of acorns a day and the result, after a long curing period of two to four years, creates a nutty, rich-tasting product that is high in monosaturated fat, high in oleic acid and low in saturated fat.&nbsp; What to Look For When possible, opt for hand-sliced over machine-sliced jamón, because master carvers slice in a way that properly distributes fat among the entire piece—something that cannot be replicated by a machine. Also, only buy ham that's been vacuum sealed. But there's more to it, of course. One thing to notice is that there are three colors, which range from bright red in the more well-cured areas, to pink, says Teresa de la Cierva, Member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy &amp; Vice-president of the Gastronomy Academy of Madrid. “White marbled fat deposits a sheen when the meat is exposed to room temperature and small white “crystals” denote low salinity and gradual, slow curing. Hints of pink shown in the muscle fiber indicate prolonged curing, along with the purity of the breed.” Then, there are the different cuts, many of which are not known outside of Spain. An Ibérico ham leg has four distinctive parts to it: the punta, babilla, maza and jarrete. Each has its own distinctive aroma, flavor and texture and, in southern and western Spain, can be paired with a different kind of Sherry, depending on whether it’s sweeter or drier, fatty or more fibrous. “The meat in the top third of the ham, the maza, is soft, juicy and unctuous. It melts in your hands,” de la Cierva says. “The babilla, or contramaza, which is near the bottom of the ham and jarrete, which comes from a small area next to the ankle, feature a more fibrous and firm-bodied consistency which increases the chewing time and enjoyment.” The jarrete is the rarest cut of all—it takes a significantly skilled carver to be able to extract it from around the bone. The hard-to-reach punta, at the tip of the ham, is a bit sweeter and significantly more marbled. Where to Buy It The most premium brand from Spain, Cinco Jotas (5J), is also one of the main exporters of cured ham around the world and sells to the United States via its online shop. But specialty shops around the country, like Despaña in New York City, carry Jamón Iberico too, as do other online stores, like Virginia-based La Tienda, or even on Amazon.<a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/news/jamon-iberico-where-buy">Read full article...</a>

How to Buy Jamón Ibérico: What to Look for and Where to Get It

Melissa Kravitz Sick of Father's Day gift lists that assume dad only knows how to grill? For kitchen-proficient dads, skip or supplement the go-to grill-related gift and treat him to something he can use in the kitchen for many months to come. Here are a few last-minute ideas (all available ASAP online!) to stock dad's pantry in a snazzy way and encourage his kitchen hobby, which, well, really benefits everyone. 
 
Traditional Paella Kit 
Meal kits have become everyday items at this point, so skip the obvious subscription box and give dad a fun kit he can use to whip up a special feast (even on a weeknight!). Imported from Spain, this kit includes all the nonperishable ingredients (veggies and seafood can be added) a home cook needs to make an authentic paella, and the steel pan can be reused to make Paella night an annual, or weekly, event! $88, Tienda.com 
 
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissakravitz/2018/06/14/fathers-day-gifts-for-dads-who-love-to-cook/#79bba5593612" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Father's Day Gifts For Dads Who Love To Cook

Here's your guide to navigating the types of chorizo, learning how to cook with it, and enjoying spicy and delicious sausage. Kristi Kellogg & Kerry Acker What is chorizo? It's sausage. And it's delicious. Just about everyone loves chorizo (right?), but navigating the different types of chorizo, and figuring out how and when to use which types of chorizo, is a whole 'nother story. Here, ten things to know about chorizo. 
 
1. It's Made of Pork 
Chorizo is a highly seasoned chopped or ground pork sausage used in Spanish and Mexican cuisine. Mexican chorizo is made with fresh (raw, uncooked) pork, while the Spanish version is usually smoked. 
 
2. It's Spicy 
Mexican chorizo is typically seasoned with vinegar and chile peppers, while Spanish chorizo is made with garlic and pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika, either sweet or hot), which gives it its deep brick-red color and smoky flavor. (Authentic Spanish, deeply smoky and tangy chorizo is a revelation—but there's also nothing like a spicy, beautifully greasy-in-the-best-way chorizo taco.) 
 
3. Chorizo is Available Both Fully-Cooked and Semicured 
In the United States, Spanish chorizo is available in two different forms: fully cooked and dry (to be sliced like salami/pepperoni), and fully cooked and soft (semicured). La Tienda sells both versions (in hot and mild varieties). 
 
4. Mexican and Spanish Chorizo Aren't Interchangeable 
Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo impart very different flavors—and behave differently—so they aren't interchangeable in recipes, people. According to culinary expert Anya von Bremzen's New Spanish Table, "While you shouldn't substitute fresh chorizo for semi-cured, dry chorizo can be used in its place if this all you can locate." 
 
5. Think Beyond Chorizo and Eggs 
Chorizo has made a name for itself at the breakfast table with chorizo and eggs—chorizo, however, can be used in a variety of dishes. It can be served as an hors d'ouvres with Manchego and olives. You can crisp chorizo and toss it into salads, particularly spinach. Or, simply warm it and mix it with any pasta "sauced" with kale, dried chile flakes and olives for a hearty dinner. You can also think of it as a seasoning: Render the paprika-and-garlic-rich fat and it can flavor anything from braised green beans to seared cod to dull cannellini. 
 
Check out some of our favorite ways to cook chorizo that showcase the sausage's versatility: 
 
Chorizo Bolognese with Buffalo Mozzarella 
Brussels Sprout Leaves with Chorizo and Toasted Almonds 
Cornbread, Chorizo, Cherry and Pecan Stuffing 
Charred Octopus Taco with Harissa, Chorizo Crushed Potatoes, and Picked Ramps 
Chorizo Lemon Butter 
Grilled Chorizo, Goat Cheese and Watercress Pita Pizzas 
Chorizo and Scrambled Eggs Breakfast Tacos 
One-Pot Chicken and Chorizo 
Calzones with Chorizo and Kale 
Sheet-Pan Paella with Chorizo, Mussels and Shrimp 
 
6. Remove the Outer Wrapper Before Cooking With Chorizo 
If you're new to cooking with chorizo, this tip will come in handy: You're supposed to remove the casing before cooking. 
 
7. Chorizo Lasts 1-2 Weeks 
Wondering how long your chorizo will be good for? It lasts two weeks in the refrigerator. Once you slice it, however, it is only good for another week. 
 
8. Chorizo is Not a Health Food 
Delicious as it is, chorizo is a high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium food. It is low-carb, though—and it fits into a ketogenic diet. 
 
9. Chorizo Originated in Catalonia 
Scholars believe that chorizo likely originated in Catalonia. In addition to Mexican and Spanish cooking, chorizo is also used regularly in Portuguese, Puerta Rican, Panamanian, South American, and Filipino cooking 
 
10. It's So Good There's a Vegan Version 
The taste of the spicy pork sausage is so desirable, vegans came up with their own meat-free version called Soyrizo.<a href="https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/what-is-chorizo-and-how-to-use-the-spicy-sausage-article" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

What is Chorizo? 10 Things You Need to Know About The Spicy Sausage

Break Out the Chiles and Limes and Give Your Next Cookout a Twist. Food Network Magazine Staff The Goods: Terra Cotta Cazuela, $18; tienda.com

A Southwestern Burger Bar

Oil Around the World Owen Dugan Ego Sum Toro de Osborne Intense 
$23 for 500ml, www.tienda.com 
 
Spain - If you've been to Spain, you'll recognize the bull on this metal bottle; it's the billboard of the Osborne wine and liquor company. Today, they've branched out into emblematic gourmet products as well, including a range of oils. Two of the oils come from a family-run farm dating to the nineteenth century in Castilla-La Mancha. One is labeled Suave, or "subtle", and is predictably mild. The one labeled intense is a master class in the meaning of "fruity" in oil; it's nice and round, with a banana character. The finish is pleasantly bitter, but not peppery.

Things We Like

Take a Trip to Italy, Japan and 35 more with these international eats, sweets and sips. No hotel reservation needed! Mike Garten, Rebecca Jurkevich & Cate Geiger Kalus Shop the World: With just a few clicks, you can have everything you need to create authentic international dishes. 
 
Spain: Discover fine products produced by family-owned businesses in Spain. 
 
Sherry Vinegar: Spain's star condiment provides a deeper, more complex flavor than other vinegars.

Eat Your Way Around the World

Wine Enthusiast Staff Father’s Day is quickly approaching and every year we find ourselves scouring the shelves for the perfect gift to get dad. We’ve dug through some of our favorite wine, spirits and food gifts of the past year to put together an easy list of Father’s Day gift ideas. From whiskey barrel pens to reclaimed cork cufflinks, you’ll find the perfect present to say thank you to dad. Let’s get celebrating! 
 
Red Wine Infused Cheese<a href="https://www.winemag.com/fathers-day-gift-guide-2018/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

2018 FATHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE

Put a little spring in your step with Rach's fresh new faves. Christina Izzo “Paul Virant is a terrific chef. His greater Chicago restaurants Vie and Vistro should definitely be on your list. Paul also has a company, Jar Sessions, which makes preserved vegetables that taste amazingly fresh, like a garden in a jar.” 
 
"José Andrés is not only one of the most amazingly compassionate people around—his work for the people of Puerto Rico is so inspiring—but he’s also one of the greatest living chefs on Planet Earth. José Andrés Extra Virgin Olive Oil Potato Chips are the best. I eat them with crème fraîche and caviar. I love you, blini, and someday I’m sure you’ll come back. But until then, these chips are everything.” $7 for 6.7 ounces, tienda.com 
 
<a href="https://www.rachaelraymag.com/whats-new/5-things-rachael-ray-is-loving-right-now-floral-boots-veggie-tartare-and-more" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

5 Things Rachael Ray is Loving Right Now: Floral Boots, Veggie Tartare, and More

Herald Staff You have a little less than a week, people. But thanks to speedy shipping and nearby stores, that’s plenty of time to get your loved one something special for Valentine’s Day. Whether your S.O. craves fashion, food, baubles or bubbly, we have a few fab finds to make your shopping easier. 
 
Iberico ham gift box 
 
$175, cincojotas.us, latienda.com 
 
Give your foodie the gift of flavorful love with melt-in-your-mouth jamon from Cinco Jotas. They’ll get six sleeves of sliced, corn-fed, 100 percent Iberico ham, a set of bamboo tongs to dine with and a bamboo cutting board.<a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/lifestyle/style_fashion/2018/02/gifts_that_will_make_your_loved_ones_smile" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Gifts that will make your loved ones smile

Here are America’s Tastiest Artisanal Brands Amanda Gabriele Whether you eat a side of it for breakfast or pile it high on a BLT, bacon is one of life’s greatest pleasures (as evident by its prominent role in our podcast). That mixture of salt, fat, and crunch is downright addicting, especially if you’re biting into a piece of top-notch, quality meat. If you’re looking to buy the very best bacon, we rounded up seven succulent brands for you to try. These porky delights are at the top of their game, so you’re getting the very best when you fry up a strip. 
 
This melt-in-your-mouth bacon is made from acorn-fed Spanish Ibérico pork that’s hand-rubbed with salt and slow smoked over hickory in Kentucky. Ibérico pigs roam free in the dehasa forests of southwest Spain where they get plenty of exercise and nutrients from the antioxidant-rich acorn diet. Nutty, smoky, savory and sweet, this bacon is like an adventure for your palate.<a href="https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/best-bacon/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Best Bacon Known to Man

So many tasty ways to welcome 2018! Victoria Spencer How is the team going to see out the old year and ring in the new? Why with plenty of good things to eat and drink of course! 
 
A tapas bar is where Lindsay Strand and friends will be seeing the New Year. She studied in Barcelona, and has a soft spot for Spanish food "and its festive, communal tradition of sharing and eating." Of course "there will be pitchers of sangria and a midnight toast of cava or maybe Spanish sidra (cider) straight from the porrón!" And to eat, "a mixture of hot and room-temperature bites like ham-and-cheese croquettes, pan con tomate, tortilla española, gambas al ajillo, and stuffed piquillo peppers. Then paella to share." 
 
<a href="https://www.marthastewart.com/1524474/how-our-food-editors-are-ringing-new-year" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

How Our Food Editors Are Ringing in the New Year

The Latinas in your life will love these 14 holiday gifts. Frances Sola-Santiago This is the ultimate hostess gift. Treat your BFF or prima with a curated selection of José Andrés Foods essentials straight from Spain. The basket includes a bottle of Arbequina extra virgin oil, breadsticks, and a bottle of sherry vinegar. 
 
<a href="http://people.com/chica/14-holiday-gifts-ideas-the-latinas-in-your-life-will-love/jos-andrs-foods-gift-basket-83-tienda-com/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

14 Holiday Gifts Ideas the Latinas in Your Life Will Love

Campos-Duffy's Christmas Breakfast Fox & Friends Staff Rachel Campos-Duffy explains how she prepares some family favorites.<a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/5685147532001/?playlist_id=930909787001#sp=show-clips" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Cooking with 'Friends'

Clara Meyer What all moms need most is to be pampered and taken care of … just the way they did for us for all those years. Here are some of our favorites for our well-deserved mothers. 
 
Aroma's vanilla and orange flavored olive oils will be perfect for a girls' night out or when her kids come home with their new significant other and she needs a quick and elegant dipping sauce.<a href="http://fashionweekonline.com/gift-guide-mom" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Gift Guide for Mom

Laurel House Whether it’s a gift for your BF, BFF, or your Baby (no really, your child), the two keys are: Communication and Thought. 
 
The #1 holiday gift mistake made is lack of communication. 
 
The #2 holiday gift mistake made is lack of thought. 
 
Communication: 
 
How important are the holidays to your partner? How have they historically spent them? Ask questions and tell stories about what the holidays mean to eachother. What your favorite holiday memories are. How do you spend the holidays? Not only are you learning more about your partner, about their family, friends, traditions, and values, but you are also learning their preferences when it comes to gifts- both giving and receiving. Talking about the holidays can be very revealing. 
 
Thought: 
 
More than anything else, your gift should be thoughtful. As you are talking about the holidays, you can even ask what their favorite gifts are that they have received over the years. Again, you are collecting information. Do they value experiential gifts, the gifts of time, or a certain type of present? This doesn’t mean that you need to ask: “What do you want for the holidays?” But if you listen you will be able to come up with at least a preferred style, and from there you can select something that has the highest chances of them loving. 
 
So what do you give? Here are ideas to give your BF, BFF, and your Baby. 
 
Love his Stomach- LaTienda Paella and Churros AND Chocolate 
 
Date nights aren’t just about going out, sitting across the table in a busy restaurant and attempting to have a romantic conversation while ignoring the regular interruptions from the server. Do you know what’s intensely better- both as a shared experience and an opportunity to deepen and expand your relationship? Staying in and cooking together! Shared experiences and working towards a common goal are shown to bond couples. Make that common goal to prepare paella for dinner, then churros and chocolate for dessert and you have perfected the date night. Not to mention that LaTienda Mini Paella is sexy to make and the Churros and Chocolate are sexy to eat. Enjoy! <a href="http://www.sheknows.com/community/love/33-holiday-gifts-give-your-bf-bff-your-baby" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

33 Holiday Gifts to Give Your Bf, Bff, and Your Baby

FlavorfulWorld Staff If you’ve hung with us around holiday season at any point in the past, then you know by now that we love to share gifting ideas. Maybe this is because we know that it’s a hapless, helpless, terrible feeling to want to give someone something special for the holiday, but have no idea what that something special should be. Or maybe it’s because we just like collecting cool merchandise onto one page for your perusal and potential purchase. Either way, have at these food and drink-related gift ideas we hope will help to make the season bright for those you love. 
 
For the Home Cook Who Hasn’t Yet Delivered on That Promise of Paella 
 
Mini Paella Kit with Pan in Gift Box by Peregrino 
 
Many of us know someone who has long desired to dabble in a particular cuisine, but hasn’t yet gotten around to it. If that cuisine is Spanish and the dish is paella, then here is the opportunity to have a go at it. This gift set from popular online Spanish culinary market La Tienda comes with a paella pan and 5 ingredients for a finished meal that will serve two people. Enjoy it with a good bottle of wine, and this gift could mark the first step on a lifelong journey of good cooking in a new way. 
 
Get it: La Tienda 
 
<a href="https://flavorfulworld.com/2017/12/08/your-flavorfulworld-com-2017-holiday-gift-guide-cometh-part-1/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Your FlavorfulWorld.com 2017 Holiday Gift Guide Cometh (Part 1)

Dining Traveler Staff The holidays are upon us and the shopping list is on! One thing that makes people happy is food. It doesn’t matter how many material things someone has, something that is food and drink related always makes a person smile. On that note, I created a foodie gift guide for that food lover in your life. 
 
If you love all things Spain like I do, you will love La Tienda. La Tienda (the shop) is an online shop featuring all the things we love from the Iberian Peninsula. Things I am adding to the list: Paella Kit for Two, Mediterranean Blue Terra Cotta Cazuelas, and Glass Porron Wine Pitcher. 
 
<a href="https://diningtraveler.com/2017/12/dining-traveler-foodie-gift-guide.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Dining Traveler Foodie Gift Guide

Martha Stewart Living Staff Whether you're looking for something edible, practical, or both, we've got you covered. Everything here is under $50, and most cost much less. 
 
Fig Bonbons 
Figs are infused with dark chocolate and brandy then dipped in more dark chocolate in these treats by Spanish maker Rabitos Royale. Each bonbon is individually wrapped so you can tuck one into the toe of a stocking, or if you're feeling generous, a box of three. 
 
 
 
$20.95 for 3 boxes, tienda.com 
 
 
<a href="https://www.marthastewart.com/1508400/best-food-gifts-stocking-stuffers-under-50?slide=4091038" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

25 Food Gifts Under $50 That Make Perfect Stocking Stuffers

Allie Albanese The holiday season is hands down my favorite time of the year. Not only because it means I get to blast Christmas music nonstop for a whole month or overindulge in bottles of bubbly and sausage balls or adorn every visible space in my apartment with sparkly lights and glittery decorations, it means I get the license to buy as many presents as I want to! Gift giving makes me happy, and I love the challenge of finding the perfect presents for the special people in my life. I take this task seriously and refuse to settle for anything less than the unique and unexpected, especially for the wine lovers in my life. 
 
Yes, a bottle of wine is always a safe and easy go to, but where’s the fun in that?! I like to get a little more creative during the holidays, and luckily there are loads of fun wine-themed items to choose from. So if you have any wine connoisseurs on your list to buy for this year, look no further. From silly to sophisticated, here are 15 gift ideas to please both the naughty and the nice. 
 
ITEM: La Tienda Wine Porrón 
 
PRICE: $24.95 
 
No party is complete without a good party trick, and a glass porrón can provide just the thing! A fun and festive way to serve wine or sangria, porróns are famous throughout Spain and often used for pouring wine directly into your mouth – just tilt the porrón so that a stream of wine flows out of its long, thin spout and goes straight down the hatch! (This takes some skill, though. Just ask my friend Camille about the time we tried doing this at a Spanish bar on the Lower East Side and ended up with red wine all over our faces and in our hair…) Made from hand-blown recycled glass and complete with a cork, this porrón is an excellent idea for the home entertainers in your life.<a href="https://communitytable.parade.com/625600/allieandmeluncorked/2017-holiday-guide-best-15-gifts-for-wine-lovers/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

2017 Holiday Guide: Best 15 Gifts for Wine Lovers 

Tracey Ceurvels Not sure what to get those friends or family members who love a great meal, appreciate a bottle of wine and prefer artisanal chocolate over store bought? I’ve been on the hunt for some swoon-worthy and fun gifts and discovered quite a few gems for you to give your favorite food lover and drink lover. While some gifts some are local to NYC most can be ordered online. 
 
For the Home Cook & Baker 
Who doesn’t appreciate an exceptional olive oil? These Basilippo Olive Oils, which launched in October, are available on LaTienda.com. Hand crafted from olive trees just outside Seville, Spain, the Basilippo team cares intensely about their land, heritage and the olive oil they produce. All olives are pressed on-site hours after harvest and filled into beautiful packaging by hand.<a href="https://newyorkcity.kitchen/food-lovers-holiday-gift-guide/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Food & Drink Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide

Wine Everything Wine Enthusiast Staff Finding the perfect present can stump even the most thoughtful. But it’s the holidays, and your December to-do list needn’t be daunting—we’ve already done the work for you! We’ve gathered up the best picks across a range of prices and interests, so there’s the perfect gift for every personality on your “nice” list. 
 
Be they a lover of wine, whiskey, cooking, eating, brewing, reading or all of the above, these are the products that won’t disappoint this holiday season. Consider it our gift to you. 
 
Red Wine Infused Chese 
Made in La Mancha, Spain, this gift marries two of life’s greatest things: wine and cheese. Each artisan wheel is made by the Alvarez Valera family, who infuses red wine with fresh goat and sheep milk early in the cheese making process. 
 
<a href="https://www.winemag.com/holiday-gift-guide/gifts-for-wine-lovers/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Wine Enthusiast 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Curious Cuisiniere Staff Our collection of unique cooking gifts from around the world is sure to give you the perfect gift ideas for cooks on your list who like to try new things in the kitchen! 
 
GIFT IDEAS FOR THE TRAVEL LOVING COOK 
We love giving gifts, but sometimes it can be tricky to find just the perfect one. You know. The perfect gift that’s unique, but will still be used. The one that shows you thought about what they like, and throws in a creative twist. That’s why we’ve put together this collection of some of our favorite cooking-related gifts from around the world. These are perfect gifts for someone who loves experimenting in the kitchen and enjoys bringing unique flavors to the table.. Know someone who loves a particular cuisine? Give them a gift that encourages them to try making some of their favorite dishes at home! Get ready for a Holiday shopping spree around the world! Hopefully you find that perfect gift! 
 
SPAIN – PAELLA PAN 
Paella, the ultimate Spanish rice dish, is meant to be cooked in a wide, shallow pan, to maximize the crispy rice at the bottom of the dish. A pan of paella is meant to be shared, so it’s the perfect gift for someone who loves to host unique parties! 
 
<a href="https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/gifts-for-travel-loving-cooks/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

10 UNIQUE GIFTS FOR THE TRAVEL LOVING COOK

Our favorite gifts for all of the chocolate lovers on your list. Rabitos Chocolate Dipped Figs These rich and chewy chocolate-dipped figs are an F&amp;W Test Kitchen favorite. The dried figs have an almost caramel-like bite beneath the brandy and dark chocolate ganache. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/holidays-events/best-chocolate-gifts#rabitos-royale-dark-chocolate-fig-chocolate-gifts">Read full article...</a>

Best Chocolate Gifts for the Holidays

Aly Walansky Tis' the season! 
 
Holiday gift giving season is extremely stressful. We spend so much time planning and shopping that by the time we get someone a gift, we're kind of annoyed at them for all the effort we've wasted on a gift they probably don't even want. Especially if the gift they give us is pretty lame in return. 
 
But ultimately, holidays aren't about what we'll get in return or even what we get another person — it's the thought that counts. 
 
And if you are looking to really show that you were thinking about the person and get what they are into, the best Christmas gift ideas are those with a personal touch. Want to score some serious brownie points this holiday season? We've brought you the best holiday gift guide of 2017 to help you out. 
 
These items are sure to be unique things no one else gifted, and you know they will actually want to hold onto. 
 
La Tienda Spanish Pantry Basics Gift Box 
 
Cooking Spanish cuisine has never been more approachable. This attractive gift box is filled with seven staple items that evoke the distinct flavors of Spain, including intensely smoked pimenton de La Vera paprika, rich and crunchy Marcona almonds, wood-fire roasted piquillo peppers, sweet-tart membrillo quince preserve, solera aged sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. 
 
 
<a href="https://www.yourtango.com/2017307472/best-holiday-gift-guide-2017-gifts-women-men-kids-and-even-yourself" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide 2017: 60+ Gifts For Women, Men, Pets, And Even... Yourself!

Amanda Gabriele We all have that one person in our life—or many, if you’re lucky—who loves to eat more than anything. These people appreciate just about everything you put in front of them, whether it’s a simple roasted chicken, super fancy tasting menu, or a plate of $2 dumplings you can only find in the depths of Chinatown. We love these friends because they expose us to new cuisines and experiences, encouraging us to open our minds and our taste buds. So this holiday season, treat your favorite chowhound to one of these stellar gifts, and give him or her something new to chew for once with The Manual’s food lover’s gift guide. 
 
La Tienda Spanish Pantry Basics Gift Box 
We always turn to La Tienda when it’s time to stock our pantry with Spanish goodies like chorizo or cecina, a jamon-style cured smoked beef. Lovers of the cuisine will go gaga for this gift box, which includes all the basics to kick off a feast. The collection includes La Mancha saffron, intensely smoky pimentón de La Vera paprika, Marcona almonds, wood-fire roasted piquillo peppers, sweet-tart membrillo quince preserve, solera-aged sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. 
 
 
<a href="https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/food-lovers-gift-guide/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Food Lover’s Gift Guide

Aly Walansky We know we're supposed to show our appreciation to our hosts, but it can be tricky to choose the right gifts for each situation. We got etiquette experts to explain the rules. 
 
Consider a Spanish Pantry Basics Gift Box, a gift box filled with staple items that evoke the distinct flavors of Spain, including intensely smoked pimenton de La Vera paprika, Marcona almonds, roasted piquillo peppers, membrillo quince preserve, solera aged sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. 
 
<a href="https://www.rd.com/culture/hostess-gifts-for-every-occasion/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Ultimate Guide to the Right Hostess Gifts for Every Occasion

Wine Everything Wine Enthusiast Staff Behold! This year’s end-all list of the best-of-the-best wine gifts. From gorgeous glassware that’s guaranteed to impress, expert corkscrews and pour-saving caps to books that will help teach everything that happens from grape to glass and an innovative new way to decant a bottle instantly, these items represent the most impressive and most coveted wine-centric gear on the market. 
 
Trust us, we’re actually the authority on this. 
 
Red Wine Infused Cheese 
Made in La Mancha, Spain, this gift marries two of life’s greatest things: wine and cheese. Each artisan wheel is made by the Alvarez Valera family, who infuses red wine with fresh goat and sheep milk early in the cheese making process.<a href="https://www.winemag.com/holiday-gift-guide/gifts-for-wine-lovers/" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Ashley Mason When you go to a wine bar and order some plates to snack on, you might not realize it, but most of those tasty snacks come in a can or jar. Those tasty, tangy piquillo peppers smeared over toast? Canned. Briny sardines covered in shaved radish? Canned, too. Whether they’re tinned or preserved in small glass jars, these shelf-stable foods bring flavor to your meals at a moment’s notice. And it’s all just one yank of a pull tab, or twist of a jar, away. Shop online and you can stockpile a case of tuna-stuffed peppers or spiced beets for more refined snacking. 
 
Ortiz Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With White Tuna 
The delicate Spanish peppers are fire-roasted before being stuffed with fatty Spanish tuna. Its gently smoked flesh levels up any cheese-and-cracker game. Swap the Ritz for a toasted, sliced baguette and look at you making tapas. 
 
Matiz Gallego Sardines in Olive Oil 
Take a tip from all the best tapas places in New York and start snacking on tinned fish. These mild sardines hail from Galicia, Spain, an area renowned for its seafood, and their purveyor packs these little guys when they’re at their freshest. Try them on an open-faced sandwich with lots of butter. 
 
La Tienda Peregrino Brand Anchovy Stuffed Olives 
This salty, umami-rich snack raises the question: Why haven’t we been eating olives stuffed all along? The buttery, extra-large Manzanilla olives are an ideal vessel for carrying bites of mild white Spanish anchovies into your mouth. 
 
<a href="http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-canned-jarred-foods-snacks.html" target="_blank">Read full article...</a>

The Best Snacks Come in Cans and Jars

Food &amp; Wine Staff Want to know how to cook like a chef? First you have to shop like one. José Andrés gives us his 10 essentials for your home pantry. "To me, there is nothing better than that moment when paper-thin slices of sweet, nutty Ibérico ham melt on your tongue," he told Food &amp; Wine.&nbsp; Jamón Ibérico “I can’t get enough jamón and I have three favorites that are available in the US—Cinco Jotas (from $35), Covap (from $25) and Fermín (from $10)—all from southwestern Spain. That region has lots of delicious acorns to fatten up the pigs.” All from latienda.com. Sherry Vinegar “Vinegar from Jerez, like Vinagre de Jerez El Majuelo (which you can sometimes find online), is so complex and bold. It’s a key ingredient in my gazpacho. Cepa Vieja sherry vinegar by Vinagres de Yema ($26; latienda.com) is another to seek out.” Canned Seafood “Spain’s most delicious conservas come from the Galician coast, close to where I grew up. Razor clams, mussels, octopus, sardines and more are preserved right on the coast to keep the beautiful taste of the ocean. My wife knows this about me: I only bring out the best tins when my close friends are visiting!” Ramón Peña, from $15; Los Peperetes from José Andrés Foods, from $20; both from latienda.com.&nbsp; Piparras “Packed in vinegar with a tangy, sharp flavor, these long and thin peppers are traditional to the Basque region. Their brightness will light up your taste buds.” El Navarrico, $15; latienda.com. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/spanish-pantry-staples#sherry-vinegar">Read full article...</a>

Taste, Amplified: José Andrés' Spanish Pantry Staples

Ease Vacation Envy by filling your home with enviable pieces inspired by celebrities far-flung travels Sarah Bruning

Beyond the BBQ

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