Showing posts with label Rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rice. Show all posts

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Barcelona is Del-iiii-cious!

Barcelona is an amazing historical city! It is pretty easy to move around it even if you haven't been there before thanks to their touristic buses! There's a lot to see here -from monuments, beaches, parks, ancient churches and all the beloved work of Antoni Gaudi, you cant' but fall in love with the city! 

Better yet, the food is not to be missed! Barcelona is famous for many: Tapas, Paella, Churros, Sangria, and the list goes on and on so I couldn't but have "me" some, right?

Tapas Tapas, yum yum!
Tapas are small snacks given when ordering a drink in a bar, in our case it was given with wine Sangria (as opposed to champagne Sangria). As you can see in the photo, any kind of food -seriously- can be served on a delicious baguette as a form of a snack or appetizer served either with or before your meal/drink! In some restaurants, they are offered for free (so we've heard) but in the resto we visited, we ordered them - you just can't visit Spain without having yourself some good Tapas! With any round of drinks, tapas are usually presented, even if it's just a small tapa. They can be served both hot or cold, depending on the type of food served on your tapa.
My 2 favorites were Tortilla de patatas (potato omellete) made from potatoes and eggs served on a white baguette with onions, spinach and cheese as well as the Gambas al ajillo (shrimps) served cold with some creamy garlic bed, yum!

Seafood paella, all the seafood you can have
Paella is another seriously good meal you have to taste when in Spain, after all it's the Spanish daily dish! There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella (paella Valenciana), seafood paella (paella de marisco) and mixed paella (paella mixta), along with other types of course.
Valencian paella consists of white rice, green veggies, meat (could be chicken, duck or rabbit) with snails and beans, while seafood paella has no veggies, beans, meats, snails, but instead some an exquisite bouquet of seafood! As for the paella mixta,it's actually free styler with a combination of meats, veggies, seafood and beans! 
What makes the rice yellowish is the addition of saffron to the dish.Some olive oil could go into this dish as well so yes, peeps, it is super delicious!

Churros with molten chocolate
Churros are the Spanish desserts, their version of doughnuts! These are delicious, although I would have to say: the fact that they are deep fried pastries = unhealthy refined sugars! You can even dip them in hot molten chocolate, like how I tasted mine! We bought ours while walking back from the annual Fiesta de Gracia, but they can also be dipped/eaten on the side with cafe latte! So when in Spain, have a taste of their famous Churros, but in moderation, of course!

Zesty Sangria with freshly cut fruit
Last but least, we had some Sangria!
Sangria is a wine punch served everywhere you go in Spain! There are many types of Sangria and lots of ingredients can go in this famous drink: white wine, ginger ale, 7 up, amaretto, etc. But it is usually made of:
  • Red wine, although there are some Sangria's made from champagne - the wine version tastes much better!
  • A small amount of brandy
  • Chopped fruit, like oranges, lemons, apples, cherries, strawberries, grapes, pineapple or - the best part - whatever fresh fruit you feel like!
  • With some orange juice or honey, sugar or syrup as a sweetener
Fruitful, colorful Mercat
Either way, when in Spain, have yourself some good time, the beach is amazing, the churches are majestic, the monuments are historical and Gaudi's work is not-to-be missed! Bicycle around the city, enjoy some seriously Del-iii-cious food and make sure to pass by the colorful public market in Barcelona: La Boqueria Mercat!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Black Rice - Intriguing?

We've all heard of white rice and brown rice but what about Black rice?

This rice is originally from Asia yet not really black but more of a deep purplish color, giving a dark shade. It has been commonly used as a condiments or as decoration for meals and desserts.
Black rice is rich in iron and fiber, but what is more important is its richness with antioxidants that fight free radicals, helping your body stay young, healthy and disease free! According to a study presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), “one spoonful of black rice bran contains more antioxidants than a spoonful of blueberries." And knowing that blueberries has been the talk of antioxidant-interest communities, this is quite the break through! "Black rice offers more fibers and vitamin E antioxidants, but less sugar than blueberries.” I love it already!

Here are some more facts about black rice brought from Blackrice.com
  • One serving of Black rice (1/4 c.) provides 1.5 g of fat, 2 g of fiber and 34 g of carbohydrate and 160 calories.
  • Black rice takes slightly longer time to cook than white rice and needs two cups of water of each cup of rice. It will take around 25-30 minutes to completely cook.
  • Most grocery stores do not yet carry black rice, but you may find it at an Asian market. It can also be ordered online.
  • Black rice is used in a number of products ranging from flour, black rice chocolate, noodles, tea, milk and soaps and skin creams.
  • In ancient times, black rice was considered a rare commodity and only reserved for royalty, in fact even stealing a handful of black rice was punishable by death.