Februar y 5, 2015
Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Vegetables and Bacon, Cooked with Sweet Sherry Wine “Tintilla de Rota” This week we are going to cook and share with you a good recipe, very easy to make and cooked with a special local sweet sherry wine “Tintilla de Rota”. As we mentioned in our previous recipe for roast pork tenderloin, also cooked with this special sherry wine, there are two local wineries that produce these tasty and delicious Sherry wines; Bodegas El Gato and Bodegas Ferris :-) You can enjoy this special Sherry as an appetizer and also with your dessert. In this case, we have used a great Tintilla de Rota from Bodegas El Gato, a family business which is working very hard to bring the Tintilla sweet Sherry wine back where it was many years ago. It is a Sherry which was well known throughout Spain and at the International level :-) It is really delicious :-). And now, it is time to know our recipe. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, both while cooking and eating it. Delicious! by Pilar Ruiz Text/US measures collaborated w/ Glenn Ferguson You can find more of her recipes at
PREPARATION: * To start with we are going to peel the carrots and the scallions and we are going to cut them Julienne style into thin strips. Then do the same with the bacon, cutting the slices into thin strips too. * We are going to fry them lightly in a frying pan with some olive oil. First we fry the scallions, then we add the carrot and to finish with, the bacon. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and set aside. * We are going to place the opened chicken thighs on a tray, season them with salt and pepper, and then stuff them with the cooked vegetable and bacon mixture. * Wrap them and secure the edges with a toothpick so that our filling does not come out while it is being cooked. * Add some olive oil to the frying pan we used to fry the vegetables and bacon and place on Med-High heat. * We are now going to lightly flour the stuffed chicken thighs and brown them in the frying pan. Then we add the prunes, the raisins, the wine and the broth, reduce heat to Med and let it cook for 35 or 40 minutes. * Just before removing from the heat, we are going to add some minced parsley and we’re ready to serve at the table and enjoy! As our side dish we have cooked some rice, first boiled and then fried with some garlic and olive oil. Delicious!! Have a great week and it would be great if you let us know about your experience with cooking our recipes or yours. pilaraprendiendoacocinar@gmail.com.
INGREDIENTS: * 4 Chicken Thighs, deboned and butterflied (we ask our butcher to prepare them for us) * 2 Scallions or Green Onions * 2 Carrots * 2 Oz. (50 grs) Bacon, 2-3 uncooked slices * 1 Oz. (20 grs) Prunes * 1 Oz. (20 grs) Raisins * 1/2 Cup (125ml) “Tintilla de Rota” sweet Sherry wine * 1 cup (250 ml) Chicken broth * Olive oil * Parsley * Wheat Flour * Salt * Ground Black Pepper * Round Grain Rice * 1 Clove Garlic
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Februar y 5 2015
Februar y 5, 2015
“Cork-Head” Story by A.M. Ávila / Photos on left page: top photos by Vicky Miller - Stages of Cork bottom by J. Sánchez Ramírez & Rafael Palomo López - Alcalá de los Gazules - Wikipedia - on middle of spread by J.C. Cazalla Montijano - Cork extractor - Wikipedia on this page: image on bottom by Ale Paiva - freeimages.com - image on top: Cardosorp - Freeimages.com
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hen I was a child, growing up in West Texas, my Mexican grandmother would sometimes call me “cabeza de alcornoque” whenever I had done something that was especially “un-intelligent” or that did not make any sense. My knowledge of the Spanish language was not as extensive back then, so I really did not know exactly what she was referring to. I knew that “cabeza” meant “head,” but I did not know what “alcornoque” meant. Not until I arrived in Spain, many years later, did I become aware that “alcornoque” means “cork tree.” So, interestingly enough, she was calling me a “corktree-head” or “cork-head” which, I will admit, was an apt description for some of the things that I often did without thinking. Accordingly, I dedicate this article to her sweet memory and to what I have since learned about cork. Cork is an impermeable and buoyant material that is harvested from the Cork Oak tree, which naturally grows in areas of southwest Europe and northwest Africa. Once the trees are about 25 years old the cork is traditionally stripped from the trunks every nine years, with the first two harvests generally producing lower quality cork. The trees live to be about 300 years old. Cork is used in a variety of products, the most common of which is for wine stoppers. Spain and Portugal are the largest producers of cork in the world with the “Los Alcornocales” Natural Park in southern Spain being the leading region for production. The park occupies a territory spanning seventeen municipalities and 647 square miles within the provinces of Cadiz and Malaga. Cork has been produced commercially for centuries, and Spain has always played an important part in that industry. Although Portugal used to produce around 50% of the cork in the world, and Spain produced over 30%, in 2003 a large fire in Portugal destroyed much of the forests there. So now, Spain is the highest producer. Cork production is generally regarded as environmentally friendly and is considered to be a sustainable and renewable industry since the cork tree is not cut down to obtain the cork. Only the bark is stripped off of the tree during the
harvest. In spite of this, the tree continues to live and grow. According to the Word Wildlife Fund, “Cork oak landscapes are one of the best examples of balanced conser vation and development anywhere in the world. They also play a key role in ecological processes such as water retention, soil conser vation, and carbon storage. The cork forest is a vital ecosystem that plays a crucial role in halting desertification and not only provides a home to numerous endangered species, but also provides a richly diverse habitat to flora and fauna.” The cork industry is a near-perfect example of renewable production. Cork Oaks are normally found in scattered stands of indigenous growth, and, accordingly, they require no soil preparation, irrigation, pesticides, or herbicides. Harvesting is accomplished almost entirely by hand with only the occasional use of power equipment. The manufacturing process, which includes washing, drying, and cutting, does not require a widespread use of chemicals. The industry employs an estimated 100,000 people throughout the Mediterranean region. Although the majority is employed in harvesting and production, the cork industry also employs thousands involved in associated industries. Generally speaking, cork is extracted only from early May to late August, when the cork can be separated from the tree without causing permanent damage. In Andalusia, however, cork is only allowed to be removed from the trees between June 15th and August 15th in order to protect the trees. Stripping cork is a delicate operation that is performed manually with traditional tools and methods. In spite of periodic attempts, there has been no mechanized or automated process that can substitute traditional harvesting techniquesWhen the tree reaches 25–30 years of age and about 24in in circumference, the cork can be removed for the first time. However, this first harvest almost always produces poor quality or "male" cork (corcho bornizo or corcho virgen). Bark from initial harvests can be used to make flooring, shoes, insulation and other industrial products. Subsequent extractions usually occur at intervals of 9 years, though it can take up to 13 for the cork to reach an acceptable size. If the product is of high quality it is known as "gentle" cork (that is, only if it is from the second harvest: corcho segundero), and normally it is used to make stoppers for wine and champagne bottles. . The persons that specialize in removing the cork in Spain must undergo a two-year training course before being allowed to work on the trees. They are known as extractors. They use a very sharp axe to make two types of cuts on the tree: one horizontal cut around the plant, called a crown or necklace, at a height of about 2-3 times the circumference of the tree, and several vertical cuts called rulers or openings. This is the most delicate phase of the work because the extractor
must be careful to not damage the underlying layer of the bark which allows for its regeneration. The process is temporarily debilitating for the tree but the outer bark quickly regenerates and the tree will continue to flourish. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that regular harvesting generally improves the tree´s health and vigor. It is the wine business, however, that really drives the cork industry and has been the focus of the most attention. Cork's elasticity combined with its near-impermeability makes it suitable as a material for bottle stoppers, especially for wine bottles. Wine corks can be made of either a single piece of cork, or composed of granular particles, as in champagne corks. Natural cork closures are used for about 80% of the 20 billion bottles of wine that are produced world-wide each year.After a decline in use as wine-stoppers due to the increase in the use of cheaper synthetic alternatives, cork winestoppers are making a comeback and currently represent approximately 60% of wine-stoppers today. Natural cork stoppers are considered to be a superior alternative to other types of wine closures, such as plastic stoppers or screw caps, because they allow oxygen to interact with wine for proper aging, and are best suited for wines purchased with the intent to age. Virtually every "great" wine produced in the past two centuries has been finished with natural cork.The reason for this tradition is largely due to the physical properties that protect a bottled wine under a variety of storage conditions.Wines finished with natural cork undergo a predictable process of aging that will result in softened tannins, added complexity to the wine, and the creation of bottle bouquet. Cork is used in a wide variety of other ways including, for example, to provide airtight fittings in musical instruments; as components for shoes; as bricks for the outer walls of houses; in spacecraft heat shields; in the paper pick-up mechanisms in printers; as part of laminated construction materials; in the friction lining for a transmission clutch; in automotive interiors; to make watch bands and faces; for use as thermal insulation for houses; and to make bulletin boards, floor tiles, wall tiles, fishing rod handles, and floats. So, there you have it – all that I have learned about cork! Not bad for a “cork-head,” I would say. Although, I´m not sure what my “abuela” would say.
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Februar y 5 2015
The view from CView V & V Cleaning Services V & V Home Management provides professional, reliable and affordable home cleaning services. They make getting a cleaner for your home, easy, safe, and quick. And you know you have the back up of an established cleaning agency that provides tens of thousands of hours of cleaning to hundreds of
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Mexican Night at The Shamrock Bar & Eatery Friday February 6th The Shamrock is offering a Mexican night. Tacos, chile con carne, quesadillas chimichanga, mole ribs, margaritas, Mexican beers & more! Check out Shamrock's Facebook page for more details.
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ROTA
XIV Sea Urchin Fest 12:00, Sunday, 8 February “Las Canteras” Square Organized by: Peña Cadista “El Camaleón” Tour the Bay by Sail Boat This two hour trip leaves at midday and sunset. Price is 15€ per person with a minimum of 4 persons and a maximum of 5 Information and reservations, Tourism Office, tel 956 846345 Workshop : Robotic Experience LEGO Education Winter Timetable: From October to June. Tuesday and Thursday For childrens between 5 and 14 years old. Price: 15€ Telephone: 678 709 124 – 605 036 910 – 956 40 02 00. / optimus@optimusmotion.com / www.roboticaeducativaoptimus.es Guided tours of the Luna castle Saturdays and Sundays at 13:00 and 19:00, prior reservation needed (call 956 84 63 45 or email turismo@aytorota.es) Flea Market Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Central Market. To get a table, you must sign up previously in the bar in the Central Market. Flea Market Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Calle Sargento Céspedes, Chorillo Beach Oil Painting Workshop Date: From November to June Timetable: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6.00 pm. to 8.15 pm. Place: Headquarters of the Association “Base Natural y Cultural de Rota”. Registration and information:At the headquarters of the Association “Base Natural y Cultural de Rota”, situated in Santiago Guillén Moreno Avenue 13, 2º, (Virgen del Mar).Telephone 666 907 935 (workshop) y 658 840 689 (oil painting workshop) or e-mail:basenaturalyculturalderota@gmail. com Teacher: Marieta Kirwan..
JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA
XIX FESTIVAL DE FLAMENCO In March from Saturday the 1st to Saturday the 7th. Villamarta Theater. Info:Tel 956 14 96 86. www.teatrovillamarta.es Flea Market on Sundays at Alameda Vieja s/n from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dramatized visits to the Alcázar Every Sunday at 12:00. Learn some of the history of Jerez and get to know some of the important historical persons. Visit last approximately one hour. Tickets: 1,80€; children under 14 free. Archaeological Museum Plaza del Mercado,W s/n. C.P. 11.408 956 14 95 60 museoarq@aytojerez.es
PUERTO DE SANTA MARIA
Exposition of Paintings, Photography and Illustrations in ZEC creative spaces Ends Saturday, 28 February ZEC Espacio Creativo - C/ Larga, 83 Showing the works of artists Francisco Jiménez - José Manuel Verde - Eva Díaz The appearance of advertising in this newspaper does not constitute endorsement of products or services by the Department of Defense, U.S. Navy, U.S. Naval Station Rota, Spain or its publisher. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation
or any other non-merit factor of the purchases, user, or patron." If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. All ads in this insert are paidfor advertisements in compliance with contract N68171-13-C-6001 between Karen Lucas Johnson and the U.S. Navy.
Juan Miguel Selma - Marta Sordo Metropolitan Park Los Toruños Various activities: bike tours, train tours, nature photography, kayaking & more. More info at: www.parquedelabahia.es parquedelabahia@juntadeandalucia.es San Marcos Castle Plaza del Alfonso X .Free guided tours on Tuesdays 11:30 (English) -12:30 -13:30 h. With reservation (627 569 335) servicios.turisticos@caballero.es, de Wed.to Fridays: 10:00 -12:00h.Thurs. and Sat.-10:30 -11:30h (English). 12:30- 13:30 6€ adults and 3€ children
Photo of S. Marcos castle by Emilio del Prado
Guided Tour, Path of the Senses This 4 and ½ hour tour explores the origins of the Sherry wines of El Puerto and it´s progress from the vine to the barrel. Oenologists meet you, after a short bus trip, at a vineyard in the countryside and explain how the vineyard operates, later at the bodega a wine tasting accompanied by tapas and an explanation of the elaboration process, this last taking place in the famous Caballero bodega. ww Reservations: 649 882 288 - 956 853 960, www.rutadelossentidos.com - eventos@bahiamedia.net Guided tour and wine sampling concentrating on Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Cream, Moscatel Soleado y Pedro Ximénez Price: 6€ per person Information and reservations: 956 852 852 / 659 755 701 Web: www.gutierrez-colosia.com Email: info@gutierrez-colosia.com
SANLUCAR DE BARRAMEDA
River Navigation Route 'Sanlúcar- River Guadalquivir-Doñana'. Ship “Real Fernando” Center of atention and museum “Fábrica de Hielo” (The Ice Factory). Office “Buque Real Fernando”. www.visitasdonana.com Information, seat reservation and pick-up of tickets 30 minutes before the boarding. Reservation required. Please call 956 36 38 13. / E-mail: info@visitasdonana.com Length of the trip: 3 hours and 30 minutes. Prices: Normal fee: 17’27 €. Retired and students: 12’09 €. Children from 5 to 12 years old: 8’64 €. Jeep Tour. Doñana Travel Agency. San Juan Street, number 20. 956362540 956362541 E-mail: viajesdonana@hotmail.com Please book in advance. Price: 40 € per person. Charter Boat Sailing trips, mini cruises, fishing ..Info. reservations 673476272 f.romeropesca@hotmail.com
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