SPRING 2005 ETHNIC COOKING NOTES
Spanish Cooking
History
Prehistory
Phoenicians
Romans & Greeks
Moorish Empire: Very cosmopolitan center of science and philosophy. Agricultural developments in both techniques and new foods--artichokes, eggplants, lemons, sugar, rice, durum wheat and fruits.
Christian Occupation: Prevalence of pork in dishes to prove conversion to random Inquisitions. Flight of Persians to New World and (especially Jews) to Morocco. Influx of cash and new crops---tomatoes, peppers hot and sweet, potatoes, beans. Not corn, especially, besides for animal fodder.
Illustrative Foods
- Pan Spanish Bread
- Lightly salted (maybe because of prevalence of very salty ham), dense crumb
- Calamares en su Tinta
- Ensalada de Zanahoria
- Garbanzo a la Catalana
- Garbanzo Marinata
- Gazpacho
- Migas
- Gypsy Stewpot
- Paella
- Pisto Manchego
- Queso Manchego con Membrillo
- Romescu
- Tortilla Espanola (not to be confused with Mexican tortillas)
Ingredient Stuff
Huge variety of cheeses, seafood, game, vegetables. Not lots of spices or herbs- saffron, garlic, paprika, black pepper, flatleaf parsley. Vestiges from Medieval Era: cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, some mint.
Technique Stuff
- Extracting saffron and other concentrated flavorings
- Sofrito: Flavoring base from gently fried/sweated onions, garlic, peppers (red and green) and sometimes tomatoes. Sometimes ham or bacon as well.
Spanish Recipes More in Mushroom Cookbook and Chickpea Cookbook.
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