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All articles and ilustrations of this Blog "ALEX MEINEMA" are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Spain License.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
BIKING THROUGH THE CANYONS OF THE EBRO RIVER
Great Day
Great Bikes
Great Weather
Great Landscape
Great Company
Great Dinner in the Bodega (back home)
Great Drinks
Great Fun
GREAT!!!
Friday, June 26, 2009
LEGENDS
Like every day, once I wake up, I turn on the television to see the latest news meanwhile I do the 140 excersises I do twice a day to combat the hernias in my back and neck. Today my smooth awakening was rudely interrupted as the first thing I saw/heard was the news that MICHAEL JACKSON has died. This is very sad, he is without any doubt the most successful pop-music artist since the death of Elvis Presley.Really incredible, the spanish channel TELE5 dedicated 13 minutes at the beginning of the (30 minutes) news to this notice, I don't remember anybody else but the former Pope having received this honour.
He has shared my youth, although there are plenty of other singers and groups I prefer, I still love his music and his incredible way of dancing.
R.I.P. Michael, I hope you will be luckier upthere than the life you have lived among us. Thanks for being so generous with the weakest of our society.
Michael Jackson, Freddy Mercury, Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Jimmy Hendrix, Charlie Parker, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe... Why does an artist has to die so young to be a LEGEND?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
TWO RECIPES TO SURVIVE A HOT SUMMER – SALMOREJO & TABOULEH
In SPAIN summer can be very hot. The burning sun exhausts you and therefore you need a well-balanced proper diet.
The following recipes are among my favorites; they are both Mediterranean and very refreshing, easily digestible and contain all the necessary properties.
SALMOREJO
This is a typical recipe from Andalousia, especially from the beautiful city of CORDOBA. You can find another variety in Antequera (province of Málaga) where it is called “LA PORRA DE ANTEQUERA”. It is similar to “GAZPACHO”, that is a cold andalousian vinagre soup (that contains cucumber), but I prefer Salmorejo. According to each place you can find small variations, one of the most popular ones is the following:
Ingredients (4 persons):
• 3/4 kg. old bread
• 1/8 l. olive oil
• 1 kg. (ripe) tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt
• white wine vinagre
For finishing:
• 2 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
• fine chopped raw ham (jamón serrano)
• fresh bread to accompany and dip the salmorejo
To make: (aprox.45 min.)
Moisten the old bread the night before. Put the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and vinagre) together and use a blender during 2/3 minutes until it gets a homogeneous and thick cream, without getting liquid.
Leave the Salmorejo sufficient time in the fridge to serve it cool in a soup-dish, spread first the chopped boiled egg and then the ham in a decorative way over it with a jet of virgin oliveoil.
TABOULEH
Tabouleh is a popular dish from the middle-East, extended over most arab countries including the Maghreb. I discovered Tabouleh in a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai (U.A.E.), already quite a lot of years ago. Since then I became a fan of the Lebanese (mountain) kitchen, it’s one of my favorites. Lebanese people are very charming and cheerful, very similar to Spanish people; they love to eat and party. Other highly recommended Lebanese dishes, that make part of the so-called MEZZEH (a meal with a great number of different gastronomic specialties), are the famous hummous (pureed chickpeas, sesame paste (tahini) and lemon juice), moutabal (eggplants with sesame paste and lemon juice) and dolma (wine leaves filled with rice and herbs).
Ingredients (for 4 persons):
• 1 cup dry cous-cous or bulgur wheat (in Spain f.e. one can buy "lluvia", in a less exotic package but much cheaper and it’s the same)
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• about 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small to medium sized cucumber, chopped
• 1 chopped carrot
• chopped black olives (a small blick)
• 3 spoons olive oil
• juice of 3 lemons
• a bit of butter
• 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
• freshly ground black and white pepper (I always use it 50/50 in the pepper-mill)
• alternative: you can also add a chopped fresh green pepper
To make: (aprox.45 min.)
Boil a cup of water, once it boils, add the cous-cous or bulgur, a bit of salt and a piece of butter, quit the heat, give it some turns with a spoon and leave it covered during several minutes. It must remain dry once it’s ready.
Meanwhile combine in a large bowl the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and ground black and white pepper. Put parsley and mint in a food processor until finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, get out your chef’s knive and have at it.
Add the cous-cous and the rest of ingredients. Tabouleh can best be served cool. The flavor will improve if you let it stand for a while.
You can eat the Tabouleh also in a pita-bread.
BON APPETIT!
The following recipes are among my favorites; they are both Mediterranean and very refreshing, easily digestible and contain all the necessary properties.
SALMOREJO
This is a typical recipe from Andalousia, especially from the beautiful city of CORDOBA. You can find another variety in Antequera (province of Málaga) where it is called “LA PORRA DE ANTEQUERA”. It is similar to “GAZPACHO”, that is a cold andalousian vinagre soup (that contains cucumber), but I prefer Salmorejo. According to each place you can find small variations, one of the most popular ones is the following:
Ingredients (4 persons):
• 3/4 kg. old bread
• 1/8 l. olive oil
• 1 kg. (ripe) tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt
• white wine vinagre
For finishing:
• 2 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
• fine chopped raw ham (jamón serrano)
• fresh bread to accompany and dip the salmorejo
To make: (aprox.45 min.)
Moisten the old bread the night before. Put the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and vinagre) together and use a blender during 2/3 minutes until it gets a homogeneous and thick cream, without getting liquid.
Leave the Salmorejo sufficient time in the fridge to serve it cool in a soup-dish, spread first the chopped boiled egg and then the ham in a decorative way over it with a jet of virgin oliveoil.
TABOULEH
Tabouleh is a popular dish from the middle-East, extended over most arab countries including the Maghreb. I discovered Tabouleh in a Lebanese restaurant in Dubai (U.A.E.), already quite a lot of years ago. Since then I became a fan of the Lebanese (mountain) kitchen, it’s one of my favorites. Lebanese people are very charming and cheerful, very similar to Spanish people; they love to eat and party. Other highly recommended Lebanese dishes, that make part of the so-called MEZZEH (a meal with a great number of different gastronomic specialties), are the famous hummous (pureed chickpeas, sesame paste (tahini) and lemon juice), moutabal (eggplants with sesame paste and lemon juice) and dolma (wine leaves filled with rice and herbs).
Ingredients (for 4 persons):
• 1 cup dry cous-cous or bulgur wheat (in Spain f.e. one can buy "lluvia", in a less exotic package but much cheaper and it’s the same)
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• about 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small to medium sized cucumber, chopped
• 1 chopped carrot
• chopped black olives (a small blick)
• 3 spoons olive oil
• juice of 3 lemons
• a bit of butter
• 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
• freshly ground black and white pepper (I always use it 50/50 in the pepper-mill)
• alternative: you can also add a chopped fresh green pepper
To make: (aprox.45 min.)
Boil a cup of water, once it boils, add the cous-cous or bulgur, a bit of salt and a piece of butter, quit the heat, give it some turns with a spoon and leave it covered during several minutes. It must remain dry once it’s ready.
Meanwhile combine in a large bowl the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and ground black and white pepper. Put parsley and mint in a food processor until finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, get out your chef’s knive and have at it.
Add the cous-cous and the rest of ingredients. Tabouleh can best be served cool. The flavor will improve if you let it stand for a while.
You can eat the Tabouleh also in a pita-bread.
BON APPETIT!
Monday, June 8, 2009
THANKS FOR ALL, BOBBY!
BOBBY HAARMS 08-03-1934 - 06-06-2009 †
Last friday night, BOBBY HAARMS has deceased at the age of 75.
Bobby is one of the most important icons of my favorite football club A.F.C. AJAX (Amsterdam - Holland).
He was born on the Middenweg in Amsterdam in 1934, in front of the then being constructed DE MEER Stadium. At the age of thirteen his dream became truth and he became member of AJAX, playing his first match on september 28 1952 against the S.C.Heracles. After his players' carreer, Bobby became assistant trainer of AJAX from 1967 until 2000, with just a small gap from 1981 until 1986. Haarms was especially active with the recuperation of injured players who nicknamed him, once recovered after a voyage through hell "THE GOOD EXECUTIONER", due to his human character but hard methods. It was a man in the shadow of stars and trainer, but who has always done an indispensable job.
Bobby Haarms is one of the most beloved people of AJAX's over 100 years history by the clubs' supporters.
He is the only person who has been sitting in the dug-out during all finals AJAX played during the years he was active in the club (not to forget SJAKIE WOLFS, the material carer, who started in 1975).
With Bobby Haarms a part of Amsterdam has died.
R.I.P.
LOVE FOR THE COLORS OF A CLUB CANNOT BETTER BE SUMMED UP IN TWO WORDS: "BOBBY HAARMS"
© AM-2009
Last friday night, BOBBY HAARMS has deceased at the age of 75.
Bobby is one of the most important icons of my favorite football club A.F.C. AJAX (Amsterdam - Holland).
He was born on the Middenweg in Amsterdam in 1934, in front of the then being constructed DE MEER Stadium. At the age of thirteen his dream became truth and he became member of AJAX, playing his first match on september 28 1952 against the S.C.Heracles. After his players' carreer, Bobby became assistant trainer of AJAX from 1967 until 2000, with just a small gap from 1981 until 1986. Haarms was especially active with the recuperation of injured players who nicknamed him, once recovered after a voyage through hell "THE GOOD EXECUTIONER", due to his human character but hard methods. It was a man in the shadow of stars and trainer, but who has always done an indispensable job.
Bobby Haarms is one of the most beloved people of AJAX's over 100 years history by the clubs' supporters.He is the only person who has been sitting in the dug-out during all finals AJAX played during the years he was active in the club (not to forget SJAKIE WOLFS, the material carer, who started in 1975).
With Bobby Haarms a part of Amsterdam has died.
R.I.P.
LOVE FOR THE COLORS OF A CLUB CANNOT BETTER BE SUMMED UP IN TWO WORDS: "BOBBY HAARMS"
© AM-2009
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