LAS FALLAS festival in Valencia

The Fallas fiesta in Valencia city – Spain, celebrates each year the last days of winter and to the arrival of springtime by burning all the old to make way for the new.  The fallas  officially begins on the 1st of March with a spectacular firework exhibition in the main square and finishes on the 19th of March.

The Fallas will start to be gradually mounted in different streets and squares throughout the city after first week of March so people can admire them. Every Falla will have a huge stand where you can eat and drink and mix with the local people and see the beautiful “Falleras” and “Falleros” (women and men dressed in their traditional costumes).

The basis of the “fiesta” are the “Fallas”, name given to each one of the gigantic monuments, criticise almost everything and anyone, these monuments are mostly mischievous and satirical caricatures usually of local personalities.

On the last day of festival (19th March) they are all burnt to the ground, ” la cremá”. Throughout these 5 days are ongoing parades, marching bands, traditional costumes, concerts, beauty pageants, bull fights, free street parties and of course, daily fireworks.

Fallas in Valencia is as amazing and unforgettable experience, it is worth to see………

Ciudad de las ciencias y de las artes,"City of Art and science", the beginning of Fallas tour

La Estación del Norte " Train Station"-katyarichkitchen

Ayuntamiento"city council building" by katyarichkitchen

Falleras - katyarichkitchen

Falleras -katyarichkitchen

Beauty Falleras - katyarichkitchen

Fallas calle Cuba - katyarichkitchen

Fallas - katyarichkitchen

local snaks

local snaks

The famous "Calle Sueca" - katyarichkitchen

"La cremá"last day of Fallas

Internet night mare connection! oh no …..again……

I live in a house between the sea and the mountains where there isn’t enough internet coverage. My dear husband Mr. J fixed the problem by getting a 5 metres USB cable, quite clever,  so our computers are connected through this cable by USB modem on the roof top of the house and then we can be connected by 3G .

What you can see in these pictures bellow is my mobile phone on the roof that I was using my bluetooth, yesterday at 6:30 am, to use the internet in  my computer inside of the house, I couldn’t  sorted the Hotspot sharing.

After few attempts, up and down the stairs I was able to get access to  the  internet again, but with slowly speed, so I have more than one thousand emails to read and I don’t have land line telephone in the house I just use my mobile and Skype to communicate, that is why I haven’t been blogging for so long.

Anyway my night mare internet connection started on Tuesday 06/04.

I have been a long time user of the Vodafone service in Spain, unlimited coverage via USB modem and my problems just started last week when I switched my computer earlier morning and then it couldn’t happen, I couldn’t access to the internet at all, as I have the same problem about one year ago I knew I would have to be patient, my headaches  just began.

Calling the Vodafone staff become a joking, I was talking with about five staffs a day, wasting my time and no solutions, I’ve been told that I’ve reached my limited coverage, untrue because I have it unlimited, I also have spent hours talking with the technical support, the problem could be the USB modem, it was just stress and wasted time.

It’s getting to the point where I was going to cancel my contract, then yesterday talking with another staff I’ve been told that I would be able to use the  internet in the same day, okay good but what about all the stress I’ve been through about the mistake of them? More calls and now I’ll  have my bill cut in the half per 6 months, even then I still have headache.

Hope no one have experiment the same unpleasant problem. The good thing is that I’m back to the blogosphere, new post soon!!!!! 🙂

The region of Valencia is known for its many rice dishes, like Paella and also Arroz al Horno (Oven-Baked Rice)…

This also traditional dish is very similar to the famous paella, one of the differences is that it can be made with different types of sausage  never with seafood and it’s baked in the oven.

It’s not to difficult to make, and the rice is so tasted and full of flavour……It makes a perfect meal for the whole family.

Oven-Baked Rice – Arroz al Horno

Oven-Baked Rice by katyarichkitchen.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 200 g pancetta, diced
• 2 blood sausage (optional) or black pudding sausage ( morcilla)
• 500 g pork ribs, cut in small cubes
• 400 g lean pork, cut in small cubes
• 2 Spanish chorizo, cut in a half (optional) – any other sausage can be used
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3-4 ripest tomatoes
• 200 g butter beans ( or potatoes, diced)
• 200 g runner beans
• 300 g  Spanish short grain rice (or medium grain rice)
• 1 level tsp saffron
• 1 tsp sweet red paprika
• 900 ml water or stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• lemon edges

Preheat the oven the oven Gas 7, 425 ˚F, 220˚C, 15 minutes before cooking.

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in, large frying pan and fry the pancetta until browned and transfer the meat to a paella pan or large ceramic dish or other large flat dish or casserole that can be used on stove top and in the oven.
2. Add the pork ribs, fry until browned and transfer to a paella pan.
3. Add 1 tbsp fo olive oil to the frying pan and fry the lean pork until browned and transfer to a paella pan.
4. Add the reminded oil and fry the Spanish chorizo for 2 minutes, transfer to the paella pan, add the morcilla (blood sausage) and fry for more 2 minutes and set aside.
5. Cut the tomatoes in a half across the width ( not stem to bottom). Great the meat side of the tomato using a coarse vegetable greater over a bowl, great close to the skin as possible ( do not great skin). Discard the tomato skin.
6. Heat the paella pan, add the tomato pulp to the meat and fry for 2 minutes, add the chopped onions and garlic and fry for more few minutes.
7. Add the rice, saffron and sweet paprika and cook for further 3 minutes.
8. Pour the water or stock, add the butter beans, season to taste and carefully transfer the pan to the oven and cook uncovered for about 50 minutes or until the liquid is completely drain out.
9. About 30 minutes before the cook is done, add the runner bean to the pan.
10. Just before serving, add the blood sausage to the pan and serve the rice with lemon edges.
    

    Spanish Oven-Baked Rice by katyarichkitchen.com

Tour in Valencia on Friday 16.. shopping for Christmas with a friend….

Valencia is an amusing city with fabulous  futuristic architecture houses and science spaces. There is a lot to see, hope you enjoy to see a bit of the city where I love to live.

Just outside of the train station….there is a Bullring ( Plaza de toros)

Beautiful, train station….( Estación del Norte)

The huge aquarium ( Oceanográfico)

The famous Valencia’s paella ( Paella Valenciana)

science of city in Valencia-Spain

science of city in Valencia by katyarichkitchen.com

Hope you all like a bit of a tour in Valencia – Spain…next week I’ll be in England for Christmas……hope I’ll be able to share some of the wonderful meals in the UK.

……have a great week….katyarich

The round the world – Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012

Telefónica from Spain

(UK) Just celebrating the round the world Volvo Ocean Race “Telefónica” from Spain –  arrived in first place on Saturday – Cape Towns/ South Africa.

The next leg it will be to Abu Dhabi…….

Congratulations……..

Telefónica – Spain

(Br) O time de Telefónica da “Round the world Volvo Ocean Race“, chegou em Primeiro lugar Sábado passado em Cape Town – Sul da África……próxima estapa será chegar em Abu Dhabi…..

Parabéns…..continuem assim……..

(Es) El equipo de Telefónica” Round the world Volvo Ocean Race”,   gana la primera etapa el último Sabado en Sur de Africa, Cape Town.

Enhorabuena....

Pechuga de pollo horneada con pimientos

Para 4 personas 

Ingredientes

• 4 pechugas de pollo sien piél, troceadas en cubitos  de aproximadamente  2.5cm
• I pimiento verde y otro rojo grandes, limpios, sin semillas, cortados en rodajas no muy gruesas
• 1 cebolla grande, cortada en rodajas no muy gruesas
• 4 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
• 2 dientes de ajo machacados
• 1 cuchara de harina de trigo
• 3 cucharadas de perejil triturado
• 1 cuchara de orégano (opcional)
• 150 ml de agua caliente con una pastilla de caldo de pollo, bien mezclada
• 300 ml de nata liquida
• la cascara de medio limón rallada
• 2 yemas batidas
• nuez moscada
• 75 g de  queso parmesano rallado
• sal y pimienta

Precalentar  el horno a 200˚C

1. En una sartén calentar 2 cucharas de aceite de oliva, añadir los pimentones, freír por 5 minutos, retirar de la sartén y reservar, añadir la cebolla en rodajas y el ajo y freír por mas 5 minutos, retirarlos de la sartén y reservar.
2. En la misma sartén añadir mas 2 cucharas de aceite, la pechuga troceada y freír por mas 5 minutos, incorporar la harina y continuar friendo por mas 2 minutos, verter el caldo de pollo, el perejil, sal, pimienta y el orégano, llevar a ebullición y retirar del fuego.
3. En una cazuela incorporar una camada de cebolla, otra de pimientos, otra de pollo, intercalar acabando con una camada de pimientos.
4. Batir la nata liquida con las yemas, limón, nuez moscada y repartir por encima de las pechugas, espolvorear queso parmesano rallado y gratinar por aproximadamente 30 minutos o hasta que se quede dorado.

Tarta de espárragos y queso Brie

Para 4-6 personas

Ingredientes

• 1 lámina de masa de hojaldre
• 450 gr de espárragos frescos
• 2 huevos grandes y una yema
• 225 ml nata líquida
• cebollinos fresco
• 150g de queso brie
• sal y pimienta
• 1/2 de pastilla de caldo vegetal desmenuzada

Vas a necesitar de un molde de tarta rectangular de 33 cm

Precalentar el horno 190 C

1. En un molde de tarta, forrar con  papel sulfurizado, añadir la lámina de hojaldre, pinchar el fondo de la masa con un tenedor, muchas veces, cubrir con papel aluminio, añadir algunos frijoles para que la masa no crezca y hornear por 10 minutos.Retirar del horno, retirar los frijoles y el papel aluminio, volver al horno por mas 5 minutos. Retirar  la masa.
2. Limpiar los esparrágos, quitar la raíz que es la parte blanca.
3. Disponer espárragos alternados sobre la pasta y distribuir el queso brie cortados en daditos.
4. En un bol, mezclar los huevos, la yema, la nata líquida, 1/2 pastilla de caldo vegetal, sal, pimienta, batir todo muy bien y añadir un poco de cebollino troceado.
5. Verter la mezcla sobre los espárragos.
6. Introducir en el horno por 20 minutos o hasta que esté dorado.
7. Retirar del horno, dejar enfriar y decorar con cebollinos.

Ensalada de cuscús

Ingredientes  para 4 personas

• 150g de cuscús (sémola de trigo duro)
• 1/2 pastilla de caldo de pollo o vegetal diluyéndola en 200 ml de agua caliente
• 2 longaniza o salchicha o (salchicha campo frío con pimienta)
• 1/2 mango
• 1/2 cebolla blanca
• 1 apio
• 3 ramitos de menta fresca
• Rucola o berros
• 10 tomates cereza
• Queso  Masdan, Cheddar
• Aceite de oliva extra virgen
• Zumo de 1 limón
• Sal y pimienta

Preparación

1.  En un cuenco colocar el cuscús con el caldo de pollo o vegetal con un chorrito de aceite de oliva.
2. Remueve y deje reposar por 10 minutos, después con la ayuda de un tenedor separar bien los granos de cuscús.
3.  Cortar a longaniza  o salchicha en cubos y en una sartén  antiadherente sofreír  por 4 minutos o hasta que esté un poquito dorada y  secarlas con papel toalla.
4.  Cortar los tomates cereza por la mitad y el mango, el apio y la cebolla y el queso en daditos pequeños y la menta bien picada.
5.  Se mezclan en una ensaladera  el cuscús, la longaniza , los tomates, la cebolla, el apio , el mango y la menta .
6.  Se exprime el zumo del limón e se mezcla con el aceite, se rectifica de sal y pimienta .
7.  Se sirve fría adornada con hojas de rucola o berros.