Once again, after Christmas - I know it's a long time since Christmas, but you'll understand why we're so late - Spain Recipes Express comes back to our subscriptors. And we have great news!

10,000... and growing

First of all, we've just reached 10,000 subscriptors! Yes, this e-mail you're reading will be seen by 9,999 other people apart from you! Perhaps you don't realize, but nowadays it's quite a large number, with all these spam-killer filters on your e-mail, with all these people trying to steal your e-mail address to inundate you with useless information... We've got 10,000 subscriptors - and growing! All we can say is thanks!

How come we've reached this far? Is there a secret, a trick, or what? Well, in our modest opinion, it's just a mixture of passion for what we do and method. Yes, method! Success doesn't come by chance! We keep looking for new recipes, new products, and more information on Spanish recipes and culture, and we deliver them to you. But we use a 'secret weapon', our method. Our method is called Site Sell.

Site Sell is both a comprehensive method - it tells you what to do - as well as a full web-hosting system - it handles all these technical aspects for you. It has been created by Dr. Ken Evoy, a successful net marketer that has achieved a great success with his techniques.

Ken Evoy is the founder of SiteSell Inc. SiteSell.com is an international provider of a proprietary small business Web hosting platform called Site Build It! (SBI!). Evoy is also the author of a series of widely-acclaimed "best on the Net" e-commerce books and courses. Due to his efforts, the SiteSell brand is highly-respected by top influential Internet business personalities around the world.

A successful entrepreneur, Evoy has invented over 23 products that have sold internationally, generating 100's of millions of dollars in revenues for various companies. He also developed several software products including one for the stock market sector.

Ken Evoy is a physician who formerly taught and practiced emergency medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Evoy brands his business philosophy as "e-commerce for the rest of us" (i.e., quality accessible tools at affordable prices). He feels strongly that every small business can be empowered to use the Internet to leverage their income-building potential -- whether it is to build an e-business, grow an existing offline business, or create secondary income streams.

SiteSell.com is the real key to our success! If you have a passion, something you love to talk about, a hobby, and you are thinking of profiting from it... Be sure to check SiteSell.com. It won't disappoint you! Plus, they have a great affiliate program, that can even help you to make a living out of it! Check it out!

Our new Tapas Site

Perhaps many of you already know, but just in case, we're pleased to announce the launch of our new Tapas Recipes Site! Due to the incredible success of our Tapas Recipes, we've decided to create an spin-off from our main Spain-Recipes.com site, dedicated only to Tapas. This site - tapas-recipes.com - is already live and running - that's why we haven't been able to prepare a newsletter for more than two months - and will be the central point for our Tapas-related resources, including recipes, a restaurant directory, and much more that will come in the short future.

The only thing that this site will not have is its own newsletter. From now on, this newsletter will keep you informed on what's new on both sites: Spain-Recipes.com as well as tapas-recipes.com, so stay tuned and be ready to discover the best from Spanish Food culture!

If you're curious on what this new site has to offer, here comes some samplers of it:

• What are tapas?: Tapas, montaditos, pinchos (pintxos in Basque), banderillas, raciones, cazuelitas, pulguitas - all are variations on the same theme: small servings of food eaten before a meal. While today Spaniards rarely have to explain the nature of Tapas to visitors, the meaning of the term has taken on outside Spain doesn't convey the full sense of the ritual that is such an important part of our daily existence.
• Salt Cod Fritters with Allioli: Bacalao - salt cod - is one of the great Spanish delights, adding flavor to bland ingredients such as potatoes. If you are unfamiliar with it, then this is a delightful way to try it out. Bitesize fish cakes, dipped into rich, creamy, garlicky allioli, are irresistible as a tapas dish or appetizer.
• Artichoke rice cakes with manchego cheese: These unusual little croquetas contain artichoke in the rice mixture, and they break open to reveal a melting cheese centre. Manchego is made from sheep's milk and has a tart flavor that goes wonderfully with the delicate taste of the rice cakes.
• Prawn Croquettes (Croquetas de gambas): Croquetas are ubiquitous in Spain, although they most likely originate from the French 'croquettes'. Their beauty lies in the bechamel base which is then mixed with your particular ingredient of choice to give it a characteristic flavor. The possibilities are almost endless - here we have used prawns.

There's much more content waiting for you! Just be sure to check it out!

New Products Available

As you know, we have been partnering with La Tienda for quite a long time. La Tienda is the leading provider for Spanish Products in the US, offering the best selection of authentic Spanish Food products. Since our last newsletter, some great products have been added, so, take a minute to check them out, and discover some little treasures of Spanish Kitchens!

• 'Bonito del Norte' Tuna in Olive Oil by Serrats: Select Serrats Bonito del Norte is among the finest in the country. Spaniards consider this fish the finest of the tuna family, especially when caught by individual line, in the Bay of Biscay. The bonito is hauled aboard by fishermen and immediately cleaned and prepared in order to preserve its firm texture and fresh flavor. This generous sized jar is perfect when you are preparing for a group of hungry people. I find one jar provides bocadillo sandwiches for at least six adults. Every time you open a jar to prepare tapas, a tuna salad, sandwiches or creamed tuna for the family you will be reminded once more how extraordinarily sweet and light line-caught bonito is -- a far cry from the water packed tuna you get at the supermarket.
• Berenjena Embuchada - Tender Pickled Baby Eggplants: Berenjenas are tiny stuffed pickled aubergines (baby egg plants) which are enjoyed just as they are right out of the bottle. They are an intriguing snack or tapa, and proudly displayed by the very best tapas bars in Barcelona, Madrid and all over Spain. Berenjenas have been part of the traditional cuisine of La Mancha for over one thousand years. Commonly used as an appetizer, starter or in salads, it is ideal as a complement to any great Mediterranean dish. It is an emblematic product that is directly identified with the land of La Mancha. Prepared following an old Arab formulas, it is available throughout central Spain at fairs and taverns.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar in Wood Rack: This beautifully presented olive oil and vinegar combination is perfect for your kitchen or table top. Mas Portell extra virgin olive oil comes from hand-picked and carefully selected Arbequina Olives. This exquisite single fruity oil is from the first cold pressing, naturally decanted and then filtered to moderation to obtain an exceptional Extra Virgin Olive Oil. MAS PORTELL Balsamic vinegar is created using the finest essences from genuine sources cultivated and processed in the region of Modena, Italy. The secret of this fine vinegar has been passed down generation after generation by the people from Modena region.
• Premium Alubias Tolosana Beans - The Famous Beans of Tolosa: Alubias de Tolosa is a classic bean which is central to the Basque cuisine. They are a distinct purple color with white spots. We have imported these prized beans from El Maragato, --the premiere source of gourmet quality beans in Spain. They require a 24-hour soaking before you can use them. One of their favorite applications is in a hot dish (potage) made by combining about a pound of Alubias de Tolosa (after being soaked) with a whole onion, green pepper, a clove of garlic, a couple of tablespoons of Extra Virgin olive oil, bacon / fat back, a ham bone, chorizo, black sausage / morcilla and sweet paprika from Murcia.
• El Puntido - Tempranillo - 2002: “Rich, plush, alluring. This big red delivers plenty of ripe fruit framed by lavish oak and full tannins, but remains balanced and expressive. The flavors range from plum and black currant to coffee and toast, with notes of mineral and tobacco. Powerful yet fresh. Drink now through 2012. 300 cases imported. 92 points.”- The Wine Spectator

Jordi Vallés