diciembre 27, 2013
´Tis the cookie season

La verdad es que no he hecho muchas cookies estas navidades (mi figura no me lo permite, jejeje) sin embargo no quería que pasaran los días sin hacer al menos unas ya que los kiddos les encanta decorarlas. Como cuando estuve en Madrid compré unos cookie cutters en forma de gingerbread men, tenía en mente que esas eran las que teníamos que hacer, además debo confesar que con sólo ver la forma de los cortadores se evocaban los recuerdos y los olores tan particulares de las especies en Navidad. La receta, súper fácil y como de costumbre, los detalles en Kozinandito- Gingerbread cookies.
Así que manos a la obra, sobrinos y kiddos listos y a decorar. Ellos gozaron un montón y creo que hicieron un muy buen trabajo, no creen?
Truth be told I have not baked a lot of cookies this Christmas (my figure does not permit me, lol) but I didm´t want the days to go by without at least baking some since the kiddos love to decorate them. Ever since I was in Madrid and bought cookie cutters in the shape of gingerbread men, I had in mind that these were the ones that we had to do. I must also confess that just seeing the cutters evoke all the particular smell of Xmas spices that bring back all those special Xmas memories. The recipe, super easy and as usual, details @Kozinandito-Gingerbread cookies.
So down to business; nephews and kiddos ready to decorate. They enjoyed it a lot and I think they did a very good job, didm´t they?
diciembre 21, 2013
receta whatsappera de carne mecháa- by sex & the sity Caracas

Conversación vía Whatsapp en la cual Ariadne me explica como hacer carne mechada
Lolita: Arita, este sábado viene gente a casa y quiero hacer una arepada. Como hago carne mechada?
Ariadne: Jahaja que chévere. Me emociona q me pidas recetas jahaja. Allí voy ojalá me sepa explicar porque yo hago todo al cálculo.
Lo primero es la carne. Aquí el corte se pide carne para desmechar y es un trozo de carne de res de algo llamado falda, como de 1 kgr. Se coloca con agua en la olla de presión para que se ablande y yo le pongo un pelin de sal, una cebolla y cebollin para que el caldo (que se puede usar para sopa de cebolla o base para riaoto) quede gustoso. Cuando se enfríe (puede ser al día siguiente) se desmecha para luego guisarla.
El guiso lleva dos cebolla generosas, como 6 u 8 ajies dulces (debe ser difícil conseguirlos no?) medio pimentón rojo y yo le pongo un par de tallos de cebollín todo finamente cortado.
Lolita: Tengo un pote de pasta de ajo dulce que me trajo Karina que no he abierto, eso servirá? Ariadne: Los condimentos: adobo, salsa inglesa y salsa de soya son al ojo por ciento y se le ponen a los aliños al momento de sofreír. Voy con el orden de cocción
Ariadne: No no de vaina lleva un pelin de ajo machacado, pero el ahí dulce margariteño es el toque insustituible
Lolita: Bueno, veré en el corte ingles, sino sera mecháa murciana...
Ariadne: No se sí lo puedas cambiar por algún pimiento pequeño que sea dulzón . La idea es que quede colorida con verde naranja y rojo de los pimientos y el cebollin y la cebolla
Lolita: Estupendo!! Otro detalle, no tengo olla presión... Imagino que debo cocinar la cRne como 2 horas?
Ariadne: Si a fuego lento tapada por mas de dos horas. Bueno hasta que este blanda y es muy importante que este blanda porque al cocinarla se endurece un pelin
Lolita: Perfect!!! Ya te mandaré las pics de mi obra maestra!!!
Ariadne: Bueno la cosa es más o menos así: sofríes la cebolla bien cortadita con un pelin de aceite y una cucharadita de mantequilla y el ajo machacado luego pones el cebollin finente cortado. Cuando la cebolla empiece a ponerse cristalina agregas el ají dulce y el pimentón y sazonas con adobo y las salsas a tu gusto. Cocinas a fuego lento hasta que los aliños comienzan a verse brillantes y estén blandos y agregas la carne y una taza del caldo donde hiciste la carne. Cocinas a fuego medio para que no se seque revolviendo constantemente y corriges la sal. A veces le pongo un cubito ☺️ Particularmentee gusta que quede húmeda la carne por lo que al final cocino a fuego lento y de ser necesario agrego más caldo y reviso sal. Se me olvidaba un secreto de mi mama. Le puedes poner un tomate pelado, cortado exprimido para que no se ponga ácida y agarre textura. Esto es opcional a mi siempre se me olvida y no le pongo
Glenda: Loli lo colocas en tu blog para hacerlo yo
Laura: Siii a ver si me animo d hacer arepas red pink and green pero si Debo aprender la carne mechada para hacer peluas las favoritas del gordo
Laura: Glenda Te destronaron la hermanas recuerdan unas famosas q cocinaban ya Eran viejas cuando yo era Chiquita !! Ja ja ahora Ari y Loli las chef
Ariadne: Jajajajaja
Conversation via Whatsapp in which Ariadne explains me how to prepare carne mechada (type of pulled beef)
Lolita: Arita, on Saturday I have people over and I want to make an arepada. How do I prepare carne mechada?
Ariadne : lol that´s cool. I'm excited that you ask me for the recipe lol. Here I go I hope to explain myself because I do it all by memory .
The first is the beef. Here the cut you ask for is " to pull" a part of the beef called "falda" about like 1kgr. You cook it in a pressure cooker with water to soften it and I put a tad of salt, an onion and scallions to the broth (you can use the remaining broth for an onion soup or for the basis of a rissotto) When it cools (may be the next day) you pull it apart or wick it to make the "stew".
For the stew you need two generous onions, and 6 to 8 sweet peppers (they should probably be hard to get there) a medium red pepper and I put a couple of stalks of finely chopped chives.
Lolita: I have a pot of sweet garlic paste that Karina brought me that I have not opened yet, will that do?
Ariadne : Condiments : spices, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce are to taste and you add them when sautéing. I´m telling it in the order that you cook it.
Ariadne : No no you only add a tad of crushed garlic, the sweet garlic gives it the irreplaceable margariteño touch.
Lolita: Well, I´ll see if I can find those at the Corte Inglés or else it´ll be a mecháa Murciana ...
Ariadne : I don´t know if you can add a type of sweet pepper instead?? The idea is that it is colorful with red orange and the green from the peppers and scallions and onions
Lolita: Great! Another detail, I don´t have a pressure cooker ... I guess I should cook the meat for about 2 hours?
Ariadne : simmer covered for more than two hours. Well until it´s soft and it is very important that it is tender because when you sauté it hardens a tad.
Lolita : Perfect ! I'll send you the pics of my masterpiece!
Ariadne : Well the thing is more or less like this: you sauté the onion with oil and a teaspoon of butter then add the crushed garlic then you put the finely chopped chives. When the onion starts to get crystal add the sweet pepper and peppers and season it with the spices and sauces to your liking. Simmer until it starts to look bright and it´s soft then add the meat and a cup of the broth where you cooked the meat. Cook over medium heat to prevent drying stirring constantly and check the salt. Particularly I like saucy so I cook over low heat and add more broth if needed and check the salt again. I forgot a secret from my mom. You can put a peeled tomato, chopped squeezed to prevent it from ending a bit acid and to give it texture. This is optional, I always forget and I do not put it.
Glenda: Loli post this on your blog so I can make it
Laura : Yeeees let´s see if I dare make arepas in red and pink and green but I must learn to make mechada for the peluas that are el gordo´s favourite ones.
Laura : Glenda the sisters dethroned you they remind me of the famous sister cooks that were old when I was little ! lol now the chefs Ari and Loli
Ariadne : lol
diciembre 16, 2013
Ponche Crema
Bebida singular, dulzona y que no puede faltar en las navidades venezolanas. Allá suele uno comprarla lista, aquí después de mucho buscar en blogs y en la web, decidí probar la receta de Marian. ¡Quedó maravilloso!
A singular drink, on the sweet side and that is a must in Venezuelan Christmas. After much search in blogs and on the web, I decided to try Marian´s recipe. It was wonderful!
INGREDIENTES
12 yemas de huevo * 1 lata de leche condensada * 1/2 botella de ron
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12 egg yolk * 1 can condensed milk * 1/2 bottle of rum
PREPARACIÓN
Batir las yemas de huevo en la licuadora." El secreto esta en batir las yemas tanto tiempo como tus oídos aguanten el ruido que hacen… como 1/2 hora" Añadir la leche condensada y el ron, mezcla y listo!!
Yo le puse hielo y lo decoré con una ramita de yerbabuena. Le puede quedar bien la canela, el clavo de olor y hasta la vainilla.
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Beat the egg yolks in a blender. "The secret is to beat the yolks for as long as your ears can stand the noise it makes ... about 1/2 hour" Add the condensed milk and the rum stir and ready!
I put ice and decorated it with spearmint leavesYou can also add some cinnamon, cloves or vanilla.
Finos, Amontillados & Olorosos

No voy a decir que era la primera vez que me tomaba un fino… pero está bien cercano a la realidad! La verdad que quedé gratamente sorprendida con estos de las Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo que además distan, y mucho, de los que estamos acostumbrados. Ya que este vino de Jerez es de mucha crianza; de 14 a 18 años…. Esta solera le confieren un perfil de gran vino, que representa y con creces el legado de esta bodega que comienza su actividad en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX.
I will not say it was the first time I was handed a fine ... but okay close to reality! The truth was pleasantly surprised with these Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo the further distance, and lots, of which we are accustomed. Since this sherry is very nurturing, of 14 to 18 years .... This solera give it a high profile wine, and amply represented the legacy of this winery that began operating in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Fino La Panesa |
The tasting was at the Estudio de Ana, as always Freddy Salmerón, my favorite chef, delighted us with his dishes. The pairing was with four types of sherry. All from just one type of grape, the Palomino (which is not unique just to this area) What is specific is the characteristics that the native land, climate, rainfall, temperature and sunshine will contribute to this Palomino and that afterwards, thanks to the yeast and the biological ageing you can "drive" the wine to be as exquisite as the ones tasted .
Amontillado Fino El Tresillo |
The sherries smell of apple and pear and in mouth it feels like chewing chalk, this due to the quality of the soil in which the Palomino grows in the area. Since it has few organoleptic characteristics, it´s the winemakers´ job to profile it. The sherry is also fortified strengthened with alcohol - this tradition is more than 300 years old. They covered the grape juice with alcohol to protect it, alcohol is the best antiseptic there is . Once this is done, the sherry evolves in the cellar and metabolises in the barrel.
el menu… y algunos de los platos
the menu…& some of the dishes
Brioche y jamón ibérico
marinade con/ paired with Fino La Panesa
Tosta de anchoas, setas y ajo blanco
Toast with anchovy, mushroom & white garlic
Chocolate blanco y queso azul-maridado con
White chocolate & blue cheese with
Oloroso seco Villapanés
Si se atreven, la próxima vez que salgan, pidan un fino (bueno) y dense la oportunidad de descubrir su versatilidad y de enamorarse de él.
If you are up for it, next time you go out, have a sherry (a good one) and give yourself the chance to discover it´s possibilities and fall in love with it.

diciembre 04, 2013
Beaujolais nouveau et fromage!
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The third Thursday of November a singular event takes place in the wine world: Le Beaujolais Nouveau set arrivé- the Beaujolais Nouveau hits the stores. This year, to celebrate this event, La Lechera de Burdeos in Murcia (yes the same ones from where I got the cheeses for the tasting for my birthday) decided to make a cheese tasting and accompany it exclusively with this wine. As you can imagine, I could not miss it! We tasted 15 cheeses, all spectacular! I did not take a single photo, so the ones you will see in this post are "borrowed" from other websites or blogs ... I did not want to miss a single minute of the tasting and writing, tasting, drinking and taking pictures at the same time is kind of an ordeal even if I am a woman, lol.
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www.afportland.org |
First things first, let's talk about the wine. The Beaujolais Nouveau (in French new or young ) is a pink-purplish red wine made with the variety gamay noir a jus blanc, simply known as gamay. They should come solely from that area and be picked by hand. This wine is made by carbonic maceration, where the whole bean is fermented with its skin and without squeezing it; resulting in a fruity flavour and in which the bitter tannins are not extracted. It is a jovial wine, that does not last long, about 5 months, no more and one that should not be served very cold since bitterness can come out and it may even disturb the palate.
Nuestra cata de Beaujolais et fromage fue con un Albert Bichot. Debo confesar que no lo conocía dado que el que normalmente llega (o llegaba) a Caracas es el de Georges Duboeuf. Sin embargo estaba divino!! Una referencia más que agregar a mi lista de wines.
Our Beaujolais et fromage tasting was with an Albert Bichot. I must confess I did not know it. The Beaujolais that normally comes (or came ) to Caracas is the Georges Duboeuf . Nonetheless it was divine! Another reference to add to my wine list.
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https://www.facebook.com/lalecheradeburdeos |
Now it's time to talk about the cheeses. In the hands of the sommelier Ma Elena Escolar, we tasted 15 cheeses, all divine. Some had already been through my palate others had not. Here is the list and a few curious facts I jotted down at the tasting …. and from my Manual del Gourmet del Queso by B. Engelmann y P. Holler.
1.- Camembert de Normandía
Queso de leche de vaca cruda con moho camemberti. Se empaqueta en unas características cajas de madera y si se hace con leche pasteurizada no puede llevar la distinción AOC Apellation d´Origine Contrôlée (DOC Denominación de Origen Controlada)
Cheese made of raw cow milk & camemberti mold. It is packaged in characteristic wood boxes and if it is made with pasteurized milk it can not bear the distinction AOC Apellation d´Origine Contrôlée (denomination of origin)
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www.traveler.es |
Queso de cabra tipo fermier o artesanal. Rectangular y con corteza o manto de penicillium-
Goat cheese of the fermier or artisan type. It´s rectangular and has a penicillium coat or mantle-
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www.xavier.fr |
Queso de cabra, aunque según dicta la tradición debe elaborarse con leche de dos cabras y una vaca. Se le denomina fermier o artesanal y los productores y afinadores han solicitado la AOC. Va muy bien con un Beaujolais y en mis notas coloqué "estupendo"
Goat cheese, but has tradition that dictates it must be made from the milk of two goats and a cow. It is called fermier or artisan and producers and refiners have requested AOC. It goes very well with a Beaujolais and I wrote down in my notes "Superb"
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www.fromagerie-tourrette.com |
Queso de cabra. Tiene un palito de madera en el centro que va de punta a punta. Es para denotar que es artesanal. Tiene un sabor suave y cuanto mas curado esté, mas sabor a nuez y ligero aroma a seta tendrá.
Goat cheese. It has a wooden stick in the center that goes from end to end. It is to denote that it is handmade. It has a mild flavor and the more aged the more nutty and light scent of mushroom it will have.
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www.commoms.wikimedia.org |
Queso de leche de vaca, similar a la Torta del Casar de España y es un queso que dura poco- de noviembre a enero, luego ya no está en su punto.
Cow´s milk cheese, similar to the Torta del Casar from Spain and it´s a cheese that doesn´t last long-from November to January, then it is not optimal.
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www.nuestrosquesos.blogspot.com |
Queso de vaca con ceniza. Es de pasta blanda, como no se desgrasa, el carbón absorbe el exceso de suero.
Cow cheese with ash. It is creamy, and since it is note degreased, the ashes absorb the excess of whey.
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www.tximitxurricocina.blogspot.com |
Ambos son de vaca, de color rosa y con la corteza lavada. Esto les confiere un sabor potente y los mantiene blandos, también una salinidad que al comerte la corteza pareciera que tuviera arena-
Both are made of cow milk, are pinkish on the outside and with a washed rind. This gives them a strong flavor and keeps them soft, also a salinity and if you eat the rind it is sort of gritty.
fr.wikipedia.org |
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www.boulaur.org |
Queso de leche de vaca cruda que presenta una raya de ceniza en el medio. Originalmente se trataba de una capa de ceniza de madera que le colocaban al queso elaborado en la mañana para así evitar los insectos. Por la noche limpiaban la ceniza y terminaban de rellenar el molde de queso fresco.
Raw cow milk cheese that has a streak of ash in the middle. Originally it was a layer of ash wood that was placed in the cheese that was made in the morning to avoid insects. At night the ash was cleaned and they finished filling the mold with cheese.
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www.fromagerie-beillevaire.com |
Queso de pasta dura y de leche de vaca cruda. Este queso es conocido como "el rey de los quesos de montaña" Puede llegar a pesar 55kg y se elabora con unos 735 lts de leche (como 30 vacas)
Hard raw cow milk cheese. This cheese is known as "the king of the mountain cheeses" Can weigh up to 55kg and is made from a 735 liters of milk (about 30 cows)
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cosasmolonas.wordpress.com |
Queso de leche de vaca que se obtiene prensandolo varias veces. Para comerlo vieux como el nuestro debe haberse madurado 6 meses. Al principio la corteza es gris y a medida que va madurando se vuelve amarilla o naranja marrón. Se dice que este queso era muy apreciado por los romanos. Es considerado el queso mas viejo de Francia y quizá el mas antiguo del mundo también.
Este también tenía una nota de estupendo!
Cow's milk cheese obtained by repeatedly pressing it. To eat it vieux, like ours, it must have matured for 6 months. At first the rind is gray and as it matures it becomes yellow or orange brown. It is said that this cheese was much appreciated by the Romans. It is considered to be the oldest cheese in France and perhaps the oldest in the world too.
This one also had a superb! rating in my notes.
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home.scarlet.be |
También es de leche de vaca. Es de pasta semi rígida con pocos y pequeños agujeros. Su sabor es suave y delicado.
Also made of cows milk. It is semi rigid with a few small holes. Its flavor is mild and delicate.
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www.alpesgourmet.com |
Se realiza con leche de vaca cruda siguiendo y complicado proceso artesanal. Se lava con agua salada y se mantiene en una bodega húmeda. Después de un mes se lava de nuevo con una mezcla de agua de lluvia y aguardiente de uva dos o tres veces a la semana.
It is made with raw cow milk following a complicated craft process. It´s washed with salt water and kept in a humid warehouse. After a month it is washed again with a mixture of rain water and grape brandy two to three times per week.
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francegourmet.com.au |
Se elabora en los altos pastos de Termignon, un pueblecito en los Alpes saboyardos. Hay unas cinco vaquerías que hacen este queso y normalmente los quesos están vendidos antes de abandonar la bodega de maduración.
It is made in Termignon a village in the Savoyard Alps. There are about five dairies that make this cheese and they are usually sold before leaving the ageing cellar.
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http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleu_de_Termignon |
Otro de leche de vaca, éstas pastan a 600-1600mt de altitud y a la leche cruda se le añaden cuajo y cultivos de hongo, tras el secado se retiran del molde y con una aguja se le abren canales para que se desarrollo el moho. Es de sabor picante y complejo y generalmente se raspa con una cuchara.
Another cow's milk cheese, that graze at an altitude of 600-1600mt. They add fungus cultures to the raw milk and rennet and, after drying it they remove it from the mold and with a needle they open channels for the mold to develop. It is spicy and has a complex flavor and is usually scraped with a spoon.
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