Manchego Cheese and Windmills Tour (some pictures)

In Spain we have a well known saying: 'Una imagen vale más que mil palabras' (a picture is worth a thousand words), so for those people who need them, here you have some pictures of different experiences you will have with us during your 'Manchego Cheese and Windmills Tour'.


If you want to see more pictures, check out our Facebook or Pinterest!

Contact us for more information:

The Spanish Touch

1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002

Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

Manchego Cheese and Windmills Tour

Manchego cheese is one of the most famous cheeses in Spain, and within Spain by a “denominación de origen protegida” (Protected designation of origin). The cheese is made from unpasteurized sheep’s milk from the Manchega sheep.

On this tour you will visit some of the most important cheese factories in Castilla La Mancha, including the one which won best cheese of the world in 2014. Sample dishes made using the cheese and enjoy the Manchega cuisine, where lamb and game are other central elements. Here we can visit castles, the famous windmills, follow the route of Don Quixote and enjoy the beautiful landscape and picturesque towns and majestic cities that seem to come straight out of a fairy tale.

We suggest combining this route with the Saffron route, as both Manchego cheese and saffron are produced in the same region (Castilla la Mancha).

Contact us for more information:

The Spanish Touch

1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002

Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

Food tours in Spain

If what you’re really looking for is an authentic Spanish experience and a great way to get to know the culture, customs and lifestyle of the the people, one of the best ways to do it is through the cuisine. Spanish cuisine incorporates a wide range of dishes with a heavy reliance on local ingredients. We have spent a lot of time developing tours based around some of the most noteworthy examples. These tours have been designed so that you will not only discover a new world of flavors and aromas, but you will also discover the real Spain. 

Check out the different tours are waiting for you!

> Truffle Tour

> new! Mushroom Hunting Tour

> new! Olive Oil Tour

> new! Iberico Ham Tour

> new! Manchego Cheese and Windmills Tour

> new! Saffron Tour

> new! Galician Sea Food Tour

Contact us for more information:

The Spanish Touch

1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002

Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

Spanish Codfish Salad (Empedrat)

The hot days of summer have arrived and all I want to eat is salad, fruit and refreshing things like ice cream! Since ice cream was not a valid option for lunch I made a decision: today is a perfect day for a Spanish codfish salad! It is very good, it has a lot of flavor (but not fishy flavor!), it's perfect served cold and you can prepare it in 10 minutes! 

So I took some pictures to share my Spanish summer meal with you! 

Ingredients (for 2 people):

1 pepper (I used just half but it was an enormous pepper!)

1 green tomato

1 onion

1 can of white kidney beans 

4-6 oz salted cod
olive oil

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Spanish black olives

Directions:

• Place the cod in a bowl and fill it with cold water. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. That way we get rid off most of the salt. I didn't have enough time and I let it soak for a couple hours, but didn't add any salt afterwards. 

• Chop the green tomato, the pepper and the onion. 
• Shred the cod with your fingers, making sure to take off the skin and remove any remaining bone. 
• Rinse the beans. 

• Mix all the ingredients together and add the black olives, the olive oil and the vinegar. Taste it before adding any salt (if necessary)!

Buen provecho!

Check out our food tours in Spain and our Cooking Classes!

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

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End of Summer Costa Brava and Barcelona Festival Tour. September 2015.

The Spanish Touch is offering a great chance to combine the end of summer with one of Barcelona's biggest festivals: The Diada, or Catalan National Day, which is celebrated every September 11 in commemoration of the fall of the city to the invading French army in 1714. As a regional holiday packed with folklore and over 300 years of history, the celebration offers visitors a unique glimpse into the complex character of the Catalan people and their culture.

Join us on this tour and you will discover some of the most beautiful aspects of this region, including the rocky Costa Brava, the Volcanic region of La Garrotxa and the wine region of the Penedes. We will help you have an unforgettable experience as you get in touch with the culture, people and traditions of the region.

Contact us for more information:

The Spanish Touch

1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002

Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

Spanish deserts for the San Juan Festival

San Juan Pastries.
On the left: coca de llardons.
On the right: coca de crema. 

On the 23rd Spain celebrates the San Juan night and during that night and the following day it is very traditional to eat those pastries. In Catalonia we have different type of 'coques', but today we want to share with you one of the most common in every house: 'coca de llardons'.  

You only need 20 minutes to make this pastry and it is the easiest one to make. 

Ingredients:

500 gr. puff pastry crust

250 gr. pork rinds

1 egg

Pine nuts

Sugar

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to about 425º F (220ºC). 
• Start with a thick layer of puff pastry pie crust like they sell in the supermarkets. Remove it from the fridge to bring it up to closer to room temperature. 
• chop up the pork rinds in the blender. How finely you chop the pork rinds is a question of personal taste.  
• Next pour out a healthy portion of the chopped pork rinds over the pie crust. Don't worry about whether or not it's evenly distributed, as later we are going to flatten it all with the rolling pin. 
• Now add a second layer of puff pastry crust and more pork rinds on top. 
• Fold the pastry crust and pork rinds in half. repeat as many times as necessary until you've got a good mix of puff pastry crust and pork rinds. Then using the rolling pin and a little bit of flour, roll the crust until it's about 2cm (about 1") thick. 
• Beat the egg and the paste the coca with the beaten egg. Don't be shy with the egg! 
• Add a generous portion of pine nuts on top. 
• And to add the finishing touch, pour a healthy measure of sugar on top of the coca (remember, up to this point the coca has no sweet flavors, and it is, after all, a dessert). So it's better to err on the side of too much rather than too little when it comes to adding the sugar, at least for the first few times. 
• Put the coca on the bottom rack of the oven at 425º for 3 minutes, then immediately drop the temperature to 350 and let it cook for 12 to 15 minutes more. 

Buen provecho!

Check out our food tours in Spain and our Cooking Classes!

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

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Simple and delicious: bread with garlic, tomato and olive oil (pà amb tomàquet)

This is super easy to prepare. It's perfect for one of those dinners where you don't feel like cooking or don't have enough time. Pà amb tomàquet (literally translated as bread with tomato) is a common dinner for many people in Catalunya, Spain. And they eat it with cheese, ham and other cold cuts or even a Spanish omelette (tortilla de patatas). 

Buy some good bread. 

We bught the traditional 'pà de pagès' 

(a rustic bread from Catalunya). 

Toast it!

Spread some garlic on it. 

Spread some tomato. We pureed some tomatos but

you can just spread the tomato on the bread. 

Now the olive oil. 

Add some salt and the bread is ready to be enjoyed!

Check out our food tours in Spain and our Cooking Classes!

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

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San Juan Festival 2015

Yesterday Spain celebrated the San Juan Festival, a fiesta where people welcome summer by eating fish and traditional pastries (next to the beach if possible), fireworks, bonfires, friends and music all night long!

We took some pictures you can see on our Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSpanishTouch

And Estrella Damm, one of the beer brands of Barcelona, made this cute video and we wanted to share it with you:

Rituals, màgia, llum, color, amics i Estrella. La nit més curta és també la més intensa. Viu-la #mediterràniament! https://t.co/Smdci0ERDI

— Estrella Damm Cat (@EstrellaDammCat) June 23, 2015

The International Rose Festival of Barcelona 2015

This is one of our favorites for this year's competition

Our previous post was about our new Day Tour in the Pedralbes neighborhood of Barcelona. And today we spent the afternoon in one of their gardens to go to the '15th Barcelona International New Roses Competition'. Professionals from around the world bring their best roses to compete for the first prize called 'Barcelona'. The winning rose takes its place among the previous winners in the rose garden of Cervantes Park.

People painting or just enjoying the roses, people voting for the best rose, an orquestra playing, floral art presentations, a demonstration on how to cook with roses ... the competition is the perfect place to have a very enjoyable day.

Check out more pictures on our facebook page.

When are you coming to Spain?

Contact us for more information:

The Spanish Touch

1580 E. Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002

Toll free: 1-888-480-0013
E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

One of the most astonishing traditions during 'Semana Santa' in Spain

I can only imagine the pain one can suffer being an 'empalao' during the Via Crucis in Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz). An 'empalao' is a person who carries approximately  a 60 kg (about a 130 pounds) wooden post plus 60 m of a thick rope (covering the upper body and binding the arms to the wood to support the weight and ankle chains on their feet. 12 people carry that weight for 2 hours through the town barefoot in a complete and respectful silence where the only noise is the clanking of the ankle chains against the ground. Faith and a promise are the motivation that keeps them coming back year after year.

Roasted Bass and Xató Recipe

After spending the day in Sitges (http://thespanishtouch.blogspot.com.es/2015/03/sitges-day-trip-part-i.html), we decided the best way to celebrate our day trip was to make a Sitges-style meal at home. As Sitges is a beach town, the dish was inspired by the sea but the star of the show is the 'xató', a Sitges specialty: an almond based sauce that can go with salads (as we choose to do) or fish.

The first stop: the fish market! It is always fun to buy fish at the market. Our choice was 'llobarro' (sea bass). And the recipe is Roasted Sea Bass.

Ingredients for 2 people:

2 cleaned Sea Bass.
1 Lemon.
4 medium potatoes.
1 large onion.
1 cup white wine.
Parsley, pepper and salt to taste.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF (180º celsius). While the oven is heating up, prepare an oven tray with a coating of olive oil. Peel and slice the potatoes and layer them on the tray. Salt and pepper potatoes. Slice the onion and put it on top of the potatoes. Bake the potatoes and onion for 10 minutes. 
• Once the potatoes and onion are ready, rinse the fish and put it on top of the potatoes. Stuff the fish with sliced lemon and season it with pepper, salt and parsley. Add the wine. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. There should be a layer of juice at the bottom of the tray. If you see the fish looks too dry, you can pour some water on top. 

While we wait those 20 minutes for the fish to be ready, we can prepare the Xató for our salad.

Ingredients:

100 gr. roasted almonds.
60 gr. roasted hazelnuts.
2 anchovies.
2 cloves of garlic.
1 nyora (a type of dried red pepper).
Half a chilli pepper.
2 or 3 dry bread slices (or toasted).
Oil, salt and vinegar.

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients using a morter and pestle. Add the oil and vinegar until you achieve the right consistency.

Check out our food tours in Spain and our Cooking Classes!

The Spanish Touch

Toll free (US): 1-888-480-0013
Spanish office phone: (+34) 616-103-536

E-mail: info@thespanishtouch.com

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Sitges Day Trip - Part I

Half an hour south of Barcelona is the charming seaside town of Sitges, not only known for its beach and shopping area, but also for its Horror Film Festival and its Carnaval celebration. But its more than that too.

We got to Sitges just after lunch time on a mild, breezy Saturday. The first thing we did was wander down to the beach, where we saw the statues of Modernista painters Santiago Rusiñol and Ramon Casas. Behind us, standing proudly above the beach was Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla Church. On the stairs leading up to the church we stopped to admire the mermaid statue overlooking the rocky coast.

Once we got up to the top, we strolled around the old town, taking a walk past the museums and the town hall and into the maze of streets packed with boutique shops and the delectable smells of the tapas restaurants.

Finally we made our way along the Passeig Maritim, the seaside promenade which stretched all the way down the coast until we reached the "hippie fair", a series of stalls set up on the promenade itself selling an array of clothes, jewelry and accessories.

Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla Church

Sitges Mermaid

Streets in the old city

Streets in the old city

Hippy fair on the promenade

Northern Spain Tour

Here you have an example of one of the tours we have done for one of our clients a few years back. 

JUNE 14 - VIELHA (PYRENEES) AND MONTSERRAT MOUNTAIN

Breakfast at hotel. Morning trip to Vielha. Stop along the way in Montserrat Mountain. Night in Vielha Parador.

JUNE 15 - VALL D'ARAN (PYRENEES) AND SAN SEBASTIAN

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy the morning in the spectacular Vall D'aran. In the afternoon drive to San Sebastian. Night in Hondarribia Parador.

JUNE 16 - SAN SEBASTIAN AND BILBAO

Breakfast at hotel. A morning visit to San Sebastian, one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, on the Bay of Biscay. After a traditional "tapas" lunch, drive over to Bilbao for a half-day day visit to Bilbao, including the Guggenheim Museum. Night in Hondarribia Parador.

JUNE 17 - SAN SEBASTIAN

Breakfast at hotel. Day at leisure in San Sebastian. Night in Hondarribia Parador.

JUNE 18 - OVIEDO AND ALTAMIRA CAVES

Breakfast at hotel. Morning transfer to Limpias Parador. Afternoon visit to Altamira Caves. Farewell dinner.Night in Limpias Parador.

JUNE 19

Transfer to Bilbao airport for return flight to the USA. 

Day Trip to Andorra

Andorra is one of those places whose mere mention evokes images of a lost mountain country tucked away somewhere time forgot. And for centuries that was probably the most accurate assessment. But in the days of easy transportation, it has become as well known for tax-free shopping as it has for the array of ski resorts and spectacular mountain views that it offers visitors.

We headed up from Barcelona on Saturday morning, taking advantage of a beautiful, if cold winter's day. The drive takes a little under 3 hours, and takes you through some of Catalonia's most scenic country. The farm land slowly turns into mountain scenery, and the snow-capped Pyrenees draw ever closer until finally you are driving past the whitened hill sides and gurgling streams of the mountains themselves.

The city center of Andorra la Vella itself is divided into two basic sections: the shopping area and the old town. When we arrived we took to the shopping side first. Even though this part of town is built up and designed for visitors (after all, the entire country of Andorra has the population of a mid-sized town), there were little touches that showed the character of the town. 

After a delicious lunch of the local heaty chickpea-based stew and a nice lamb roast, we spent some time exploring the old city, its winding streets and traditional Pyrenees stone houses before heading back to Barcelona in time to catch a magnificent sunset over the mountains as we said goodbye to Andorra one last time. 

Ciudad Real - Don Quixote, Wine and More

Less than an hour south of Madrid on the AVE high speed train lies the city of Ciudad Real, founded by King Alfonso X in the thirteenth century. It's name, which has been changed several times throughout the ages, means Royal City, can be traced back to the year 1420, when King Juan II of Castille awarded the town official status as a city. The city was originally a walled city, just like its more famous neighbor to the North, Toledo, and two sections of the original wall still stand, with the Puerta de Toledo is especially noteworthy. The town also invites the visitor to explore another side of Spanish history with its tribute to the Spanish literary master Miguel de Cervantes. A visit to the Quixote Museum is well worth a visit for any literary enthusiast, and just for fun check out the Clock in the Main Square, with figures from Don Quixote that accompany the chiming of the bells. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a great time to visit, and offers a great alternative to the often-uncomfortable-packed festivals in Sevilla and Malaga. And lest we forget the wine, Ciudad Real is in the heart of Valdepeñas wine country, so take the opportunity to hit a couple of local wineries!

Calçots Season - a Catalan culinary treat!

This is the time of year the Catalans have been waiting for: it's Calçots season!! Maybe when I tell you first that a calçot is a vegetable kind of like an onion, only longer, you'll start thinking: these Catalans have got to be nuts to eat something like that. And you might be right, but the charm of this typical dish is the salsa which accompanies it (romesco) and the festive atmosphere in which it takes place.

Calçots constitute a single-dish meal and are cooked on a grill, if possible in the open air and with family and/or friends. Calçots originated in Tarragona, specifically from the region of Valls. The best calçots are those that you buy at the market and then cook immediately at the barbaque. But if you don't feel like cooking, you can go to a Masia or a restaurant in the country where they will prepare them for you in traditional style.



Eating calçots is a unique experience that we recommend to everyone who has the chance to visit Catalunya during this season. For more information on this culinary treasure, or to enjoy a calcotada on your upcoming trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch and we'll be glad to help.  

How to turn your vacation into an unforgettable experience

For many travelers these days, taking a trip is about making memories, discovering cultures and unique experiences. And Spain fits perfectly with that description. Imagine taking a boat ride along the hidden coves of the Costa Brava, or getting an aerial view of Barcelona in a private jet, or taking a hot balloon ride over the volcanic region of La Garrotxa. We will be exploring some of these options over the next few weeks, but don't hesitate to ask, from the traditional bullfights in Madrid and flamenco classes in Andalusia,  Spain offers you the chance to make your vacation unforgettable, and The Spanish Touch is here to help.

A Visit to Barcelona should always be a unique experience

 When Bob and Bonnie first contact us for for their time in Barcelona, one of the things that they made it clear that a "cookie cutter" tour was not for them. This, of course, is perfect for us, as we don't do canned tours, and all of our tours are designed around the group's specific requests. As two people who had never been to Barcelona, one of the days had to be a Barcelona overview. There are probably hundreds of companies who provide these services in Barcelona, so in order to make sure our clients are satisfied, The Spanish Touch always tries to make the city visit more of an exploration than a guided tour. We want to explain how and why, but we want to make sure you're questions are getting answered, not answer the questions we think you might have had. And Bob and Bonnie had some questions. As a well-traveled couple who have seen their fair share of old buildings, making Barcelona's history and culture come alive was definitely a priority. The tour of the old city took us through the old streets of Barcelona, around legends and churches and the Temple remains, and, because if you've never seen it you should, Sagrada Familia.