Welcome back at Spain Recipes' Newsletter!

This month has been quite a busy one... Again, we've been working to gather new, relevant information on Spain, focusing specially on articles on Spain...

When you check our new articles, please pay special attention to the first one, regarding what has been called Get Quick Rich Scams. You are likely to be receiving many offers like these, and if you ever have the temptation to try it, please - and I mean it - please read this article first... It will surely save you a lot of money and disappointment (once again, I know it's a bit off-topic, but I believe I must tell you before they catch you!)

We know that summertime is probably the best season to enjoy the benefits of a REAL spanish experience, so we've worked very hard to deliver you tons an tons of new ideas related to spanish culture and gastronomy...

I'm not going to take any more time, just keep on reading and enjoy your spanish experience!

New articles added

There are thousands of different things to do in Spain, either in summertime or in any other season. We've selected a couple of them and collected quite a lot of information for you to get the most of your stay in Spain. Check them out and discover what's out and about in Spain!

• Get Rich Quick Scams Revealed: I know this one is a bit off-topic, but I regard it as 'Public Service'... Don't let yourself be fooled by these schemes... If you're thinking of getting an extra income, please read this article first! I must say it's a true story (it actually happened to me!), so, once again, please do not miss it...
• Andalusia Recipes: Andalusia, the region of Seville, Cordova and Granada, has a very special gastronomy. Maybe its most famous recipes are Gazpachos, but there are a lot more recipes to be discovered there... Check them out at this article!
• Mediterranean Diet: The Mediterranean diet constitutes a great example of the evolution of nutritional habits in countries such as ours. Until not long ago, the dietary traditions of the European countries on the Mediterranean coast were not exactly prestigious.
• Nature, history and sun on the beaches of Huelva: Long, fully equipped beaches of fine, golden sand, surrounded by pine trees and steeped in history. That is the coast of Huelva, where you can enjoy the sun and sea as well as discovering one of the most important wildlife reserves in all of Europe: the Doñana National Park.
• The Canary Islands: Europe's sunshine: Less than a four-hour flight from the main European capitals, the crystalline waters, the heavenly white sand beaches, and the year-round spring temperatures of the “Fortunate Islands” await you. You can enjoy all this and more any time of the year, where everything is especially designed for your pleasure. Forget the cold and come to the Canaries: we will be waiting with open arms.
• A common sense guide to olive oil: Everything you wanted to know on olive oil, and you never dared to ask! Find it out here!
• Olive oil - reading the label: What can you learn by reading the label of an olive oil bottle? Find it all here!
• How healthy is olive oil?: Extra virgin olive oil is a natural juice full of flavor and aroma, with high vitamin A, D, K and E content. It has an anti-oxidant effect on the human body cells - 80% of extra virgin olive oil works as a protection against cholesterol, while it stimulates bone growth, and calcium absorption... Did you know? There is more here!
• The ugly truth behind italian olive oil: It's a bit old article from the NY Times, but it's still valid... Don't let yourself be fooled by these fancy bottles... Discover one of Italy's best-kept secrets, by clicking here!

New recipes

As summer is already finishing (that means no more diet!!), and kids are going back to school (that means you'll have to motivate them somehow)... It's time to discover new dessert recipes! We've worked specially in this section, and we these are our latest additions:

• Tocinillo de cielo: Created in the early years of the last century, when wineries from Jerez de la frontera donated the leftover egg yolks of the clarification (the egg whites are used to clarify the wine) to the nuns. These, with divine success, mixed them with syrup and they treated to the bath Maria, thus was born tocinillo de cielo... God blesses them!
• Tarta de Santiago (St. James' Cake): A traditional cake from northern Spain. The tarta is dense and rich in flavor and is well-known in Santiago, Spain as a delectable treat used to lure passers-by into restaurants or cafés.
• Orange cake: Orange cake is a typical dessert recipe from Valencia, where the best oranges are produced. Orange cake is very easy to prepare, and will become an instant success when you offer it to your family or guests!
• Ensaimada: A Majorcan favorite, ensaimadas are warm, yeast-based cakes fashioned into round, coiled shapes. Although delicious, these cakes are time-consuming to prepare, because the dough must be allowed to rise several times.

Work in progress...

At Spain Recipes, we don't stop working to deliver you the best from Spanish culture & gastronomy. Currently, we're working on a complete revamp of our Spanish Ingredients section.

This month, we've added the following new sub-sections:

• Spanish Spices:Spanish recipes are not specially spicy or hot, but some of them make extensive use of spices like paprika or black pepper... There is no way an spanish recipe will keep its original taste without using the right spices... So take no risk! Pick your choice and make a success!
• Spanish Paprika (pimentón): Spanish paprika is a natural condiment, intense red in colour, with a strong flavour and aroma, which is obtained from grinding red peppers.
• Spanish Saffron: Saffron is a deeply rooted condiment, both economically and culturally, in Castile-La Mancha. It should not be considered just another agricultural product, rather part of the historic and cultural patrimony of the region that must be protected and preserved. It has enjoyed a Protected Denomination of Origin since 17 March 2001.
• Spanish Olive Oil: Olive oil is extracted from olives, the fruit of the olive tree which, together with wheat and vines, makes up the triad of Mediterranean plants. Olive oil is coming into its own in America. I liken it to what happened forty years ago when wine became a regular part of our cuisine.
• Chorizo and Sausages: Every household in Spain has at least one or two of the hundreds of varieties of delicious chorizo sausages. The origins of this spicy sausage are quite old. There is documentation of the Roman praises of this product. The ingredients used to make it are lean pork, pork fat, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic. oregano and thyme. Of note in the production process is that it is cured in a natural environment and it is smoked with oak wood for 25 days, which gives it a characteristic and rich flavour. It is presented in a horseshoe shape ('sarta'), each unit tied to another with a single string. It may be consumed naturally, fried or in stews.

The ingredients directory will keep growing, with more spanish products... In september! However, believe this new approach will serve you better, but we would like to hear your opinion on this, so comments are welcome at webmaster@spain-recipes.com

Enjoy!

Jordi Vallés