Spanish Senses

CREMA CATALANA (Catalan cream)

webmaster — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:18:44 +0000

Crema catalana is a traditional Catalan dessert. The recipe is very easy to do and economic.

INGREDIENTS

1 litre of milk

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoonful cornstarch

1 stick cinnamon

grated rind of 1 lemon

200 gr. sugar

PREPARATION

Warm up the milk with the cinnamon and grated lemon rind. Remove from heat when it boils.

In a pot, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Pour in the milk.

Heat the mixture until thickens.

Divide the cream into terrines and leave them in the refrigerator.

Before serving, sprinkle the sugar on the cream and caramelize it.

THE SEGUIDILLA

webmaster — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:46:31 +0000

Seguidilla is a Spanish dance with a ternary rhythm which is very animated. It is accompanied by castanets and guitars.
This dance has not clear documented origins, but it became one of the main Spanish dances and got more and more theatrical, till it was named “bolero”.
The Seguidilla is a Spanish musical composition, whose origins dates back to the 15th century. Its rhythm is fast and its lyrics are lively and cutting. The topics use to be love and joy, jealousy, anger and reconciliation. It became very popular during Cervantes times and was included in many works of the 18th century Spanish theatre. It diffused through the South and the Centre of Spain, modifying and creating different varieties: sevillanas gitanas, seguidillas of Murcia and Mancha.
The seguidilla of Mancha is a genuine artistic creation of Castilla La Mancha, and even though there is not a reliable documentation of its musical structure, its lyrics was preserved .

THE MOSQUE-CATHEDRAL OF CORDOBA

webmaster — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:36:14 +0000

The Great Mosque -Aljama- of Cordoba, built during the period of Moorish occupation, is the most splendid Islamic monument in the western world. It was the third biggest mosque in the world, after that in Casablanca and in La Mecca, but its artistic importance, from the beginning of its construction, was famous both in the East and in the West.

It’s a very big Muslim mosque whose some parts was added in the Christian Times, in particular in the 16^th century when the Christian Cathedral, in a Plateresque style, was built.The Mosque of Cordoba is not only the symbol of Al-Andalus, but a fundamental monument of the Muslim West and one of the most spectacular in the world. The Mosque of Cordoba is an enormous quadrilateral with beautiful arcades. The most important parts of the building are the ancient minaret or tower, the courtyard and the room of prayer.

The Mosque of Cordoba was transformed into the Christian Cathedral in 1236, after the conquest of the city by Fernando III. It’s a building which mixes different styles as the Gothic, the Plateresque, the Renaissance and the Baroque. It is constituted by a nave and a transept, with a Latin plan. The arcades are in Gothic style, the ornamentation is in Plateresque style and the dome is in Renaissance style.

BIZCOCHO CON NATA (Sponge cake with cream)

webmaster — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:04:50 +0000

This a typical cake of Cantabria. Its main ingredient is the flour and it is not very difficult to prepare.

INGREDIENTS

250 g of cream

250 g of sugar

300 g of flour

4 eggs

1 spoonful of baking powder

Grated orange rind

PREPARATION

Whip the cream with the sugar in a bowl till to get an homogeneous cream.

Add the eggs, one by one, without stopping to whip. Add the flour with the baking powder and the grated orange rind.

After incorporating everything, pour in a greased and floured baking tin.

Put it to the oven, previously warmed at 200° and cook for one hour. When it is cooked, take it out and make it get cold.

Serve it decorated as you like.

The Palace of the Magdalena (Santander)

webmaster — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:25:51 +0000

The Royal Palace of La Magdalena is the most emblematic building of Santander, does not have a definite style, but a mixture of English and French styles with incorporation of typical elements of the highland architecture. One finds placed in the peninsula of the same name, which has an extension of 28 hectares.

Built at the beginning of the 19^th century in a charming area, the Real Palace of Magdalena had integrated with the natural landscape and had converted into the symbol of the city. Originally used as summer residence of the kings, at present it hosts the academic activities of the International University Menéndez y Pelayo.
The works started in 1909 and finished in 1911, but the interior was finished only in 1913. Between this year and 1930 the palace was used as summer residence of the Real Family.
The building has a rectangular plan, with a part which tends to the North. The monument is constituted by a basement, a ground floor, a second floor and an attic.
In the ground floor there were a pavilion for guests, bedrooms, servants’ rooms, a big terrace, a ballroom, dining rooms and a room for the audience with His Majesty.
In the second floor, you could find some bedrooms with studies and lounges, the real bedrooms and the bedrooms for the king’s personal servants as well as the king’s study.
This complex includes also the stables, created in the low part of the peninsula in 1918, because of the strong interest of the king in horse riding.

THE VERDIALES

webmaster — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:49:57 +0000

The Verdiales are a folk form of art of rural origins, constituted by a particular style of dance and music. They are performed by a group of musicians known as a Panda de Verdiales, who use a variety of instruments including from two to four guitars, violins, drums, tambourines and two or more cymbals. Its lyrics are very simple and cheerful and its music possesses a vibrating rhythm which represents its primitive origin. The Verdiales are certainly very old, they are believed to be the oldest surviving style of fandango and are typical of an olive-farming region of Malaga, Andalusia.
This artistic tradition has developed and has differenced into three styles according to the zone: Almoga, Montes and Comares. The first is the most spread from a geographical point of view, it has the fastest rhythm and it is characterized by the peal of its cymbals; the Montes style is considered to be the oldest and best preserved, because of its genuine and pure form; and the last one, Comares style, is surely the most rich from a musical point of view.

THE ORPHANAGE

webmaster — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:02:19 +0000

The Orphanage (El Orfanato) is a 2007 Spanish movie. It’s a thriller interpreted by Belén Rueda and directed by the debutant director Juan Antonio Bayona. This movie was chosen to represent Spain at the 80^th Annual Academy Awards.
The Orphanage centers on a woman, Laura, who purchases her beloved childhood orphanage with dreams of restoring and reopening the long abandoned facility as a home for disabled children. Once there with her husband and her son Simon, who’s disabled, Laura discovers that the new environment awakens her son’s imagination, but the ongoing fantasy games he plays quickly turn into something more disturbing. Laura tries to investigate about this building to explain this strange and terrifying happenings. But the history about her old orphanage is quite more dramatic and gruesome than she thought.

THE “REAL ALCAZAR” OF SEVILLE

webmaster — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:38:19 +0000

The Alcazar of Seville is a royal palace, originally a Moorish fort, which has been expanded several times so it embodies a series of palatial rooms and spaces in various styles and from various ages.
The Origin of the Alcazar can be situated into the era of Abd Al-Rahman III, the first Caliph of Andalucia, who decided to build his alcazar in 913. In the following centuries it suffered many transformation, and in the 12^th century, when the Almohades turned Seville into the Capital of the new Maghreb Empire, new parts were added to the original construction.
Then in 1254, Alfonso X El Sabio, gives orders to build his palace in Gothic style and in the following century Pedro I, known as “the Cruel” or “the Just”, built his Mudejar palace.
The Palace of Pedro I is considered to be the most complete example of this so-called Mudejar architecture in Spain.
This Alcazar is still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and is administered by the Patrimonio Nacional.
The visit to this enchanting monument gives you the possibility to appreciate the perfect harmony between building, nature and water. Here you can admire the Puerta del León into the Patio de la Montera; the vast galleries and halls decorated in tiles and Mudejar ceilings which lead you to the Patio de las Doncellas, which is the main courtyard and where the Hall of the Kings, the Hall of Charles V and the Hall of the Ambassadors all open to this patio. Moreover its marvelous gardens are worth a visit: moorish touches are everywhere among these tranquil pathways. Fountains, pools, lemon and orange groves, palms and hedgerows extend in all directions; a curious blend of different gardening styles (Arab, French and Renaissance style) can be admired here and you will fell in a sort of paradise on earth.

PORK CHOPS IN CIDER SAUCE

webmaster — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:09:47 +0000

This is a typical Asturian dish. The preparation is not so simple and it takes 45 minutes, but you will enjoy a very delicious meal.
Ingredients
2 onions
6 tomatoes
50 gr. of lard
1/5 dl. of cider
4 pork chops
Salt
Pepper

Preparation

Heat up the oven. Peel and cut up the onions and the tomatoes.
Heat up the lard in a clay pot. When it’s quite hot, put the chops in to brown them completely. Take them away and in the same fat, put the onions and add the tomatoes.
Spice it and let it cook some minutes. Then add the chops and the cider sauce and let it cook 30 minutes over a low heat. Serve it with potatoes cooked in their skin.

Musical traditions from Madrid: Chotis

webmaster — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:25:53 +0000

The Chotis is a traditional music and dance which originated in Scotland. It later become a French and a German tradition. It became popular in Spain in the XIX century and at first it was known as Polca Alemana. The word Chotis comes from the German word Schottisch. It gradually became a symbol of Madrid and it was largely danced in the working class neighbourhoods. It is considered the most typical dance of the city since the XIX century and it is danced in all the traditional festivals, especially during San Isidro’s Day. The Chotis is usually danced with the accompaniment of an organillo. It is danced in pairs, cheek to cheek. While dancing the woman turns around the man. Women usually wear the traditional mantón de Manila and men usually wear a hat which is called parpusa.

Goya immortalized the madrileños dancing Chotis in several paintings which are part of Prado Museum collection.

Goya in Bordeaux

webmaster — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:47:51 +0000

Goya in Bordeaux is a 1999 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura. It deals with the last years of Francisco Goya’s life in Bordeaux. Goya is deaf and ill and he is in voluntary exile in Bordeaux, protesting against the oppressive rules of Ferdinand VII. He lives with his young wife Leocadia and their daughter Rosario. Goya suffers from strange visions and nightmares. He continues to paint at night. While his young daughter cares for him, Goya reflects on his tumultuous career. He relives key times in his life, particularly his passionate love affair with the Duchess of Alba, his discovery of how he wanted to paint, provided by VelÃ¡zquez’s work, and his lifelong celebration of art and imagination.

It is a fascinating and evocative study of one of the best artist ever and it gives a wonderful portrait of Goya in his last days. The film also provides some interesting information about the historical and political setting.

MuÃ±eira

webmaster — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:56:27 +0000

Muñeira is a typical Galician dance. Muñeira refers to the word molino (muiño in the Galician language) that means mill. Muñeira was originally danced inside and outside the mills, to pass the time during the grinding.
Its origin is not clear, but it was danced during the XV century. Someone said that Muñeira dates back to the Celts, although there is no evidence. Muñeira has not changes during the centuries and it became one the most traditional expressions of Galician folklore.
Muñeira is usually danced and sung with the accompaniment of bagpipes and drums. You can dance Muñeira in pair but it can also be a circle dance opened to a variable number of dancers.
There are different kinds of Muñeira and they owe their names to the places where they are danced. Muñeira de Chantada probably is the most famous one.
In Galicia you can see lots of groups performing this traditional dance during local celebrations or festivities.

Rice, potatoes and cod

webmaster — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:16:50 +0000

This a typical dish of Extremadura. It is very easy to cook but it is really delicious.

Ingredients

1/2 kg rice
1/2 kg potatoes
1/2 kg cod
2 tomatoes
1 onion
garlic
salt
oil

Chop onion, garlic and tomatoes and fry them in oil. Peel and cut the potatoes. Add rice and potatoes to the lightly fried onion, garlic and tomatoes. Add three cups of water and let it boil for some minutes. Add cod and let it boil for about 10/15 minutes.

Tesis

webmaster — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:50:57 +0000

Tesis is a 1996 Spanish film directed by Alejandro AmenÃ¡bar. Angela (Ana Torrent) is a film student at the University of Madrid. She is doing a research for her thesis about audio-visual violence. Her professor (Miguel Picazo) helps her to find some material. She finds him dead while he is watching a videotape. Angela discovers that it is a snuff film where a missing girl of the university is killed. Angela thinks that there is a an illegal traffic of violent films where you can see real murders. She wants to investigate and a chilling adventure begins.
Tesis is the first great work of Alejandro AmenÃ¡bar, one of the best Spanish director. It is an exciting and fascinating film, full of suspense and it won seven Goya prize in 1997.

The city walls of Ãvila

webmaster — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:26:02 +0000

Ãvila is a lovely city in the community of Castilla y León. It is known for its great medieval defensive wall. It surrounds the old city and it is its most emblematic and spectacular monument. It is 2.500 metres long, it has 87 towers and 9 gates.
It was built in 1090. Casandro and FlorÃn de Piruenga were in charge of the project. Throughout the centuries, it had a defensive function, but it also had a social function. Inside the city walls there was the civilization, while poor people and peasants lived outside.
Its nine gateways are also called arches and the greatest one is the Puerta del Alcazar. It has two spectacular towers joined by a bridge. This is a unique example in whole Europe.
Some buildings and churches, such as the cathedral, are integrated in the city walls. The cathedral was built between 1160 and 1180, when the city walls were still a work in progress.
The city walls of Ãvila are the best example of fortification in Europe and it is the second defensive wall in the world after the Great Wall of China.
You can visit the city walls of Ãvila, following a path of 1.400 metres. You can climb the wall from three gateways, Casa de las CarnicerÃas, Puerta del AlcÃ¡zar and Arco del Carmen.
Ãvila was declared World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1985.