Challenge #1 – Cocinero Part b) 1080 Recipes

Facing the problem of leaving Spain a little earlier than expected, Challenge #1 has been made all the more difficult. Not having Rafael to teach me new recipes every so often will be a real downer – more of a buzzkill than Buzz Killington…

So to continue this challenge I need to find the resources back home to push me onward to Spanish home-cooking glory.

Hence I have found a new assailant in this years Spanish Cocinero challenge: 1080 recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega.

My New Spanish Cuisine Bible

This recipe book, not only exquisitely illustrated, contains a wide range of authentic and timeless Spanish culinary treats. It also takes into account a wider range of Spanish regional styles, more-so than Rafael’s repertoire extends. This will hopefully round out my background in Spanish fare, and allow me to practice cooking without his watchful eye, loud Spanish instructions, gestures, and insults, but sadly also without his sense of humour and enjoyment of the final product. Hopefully this book will also be matched with a series of other equally useful and interesting recipes, with maybe a few guest recipes along the way.

Since my last post on this topic, I have learnt 4 new recipes:

• Spanish Migas and Orange Segments
• Pollo a Laurel
• Spanish Potato and Onion Tortilla
• Receta de Kokotxas de Merluza en Salsa Verde

These recipes will feature on the blog soon!!

And in the meantime, I have seen some fantastic videos regarding Spanish cuisine. In particular, having eaten more Foie Gras here in San Sebastian than I have in the rest of my life combined, I thought it pertinent to show this wonderful video describing not only what foie gras is, but how it can be a *shudder* sustainable venture while still considering animal rights – and still be incredibly scrumdiddlyumptios. Oh, by the way, this is Spanish Foie Gras. Hence, in the process of achieving all that it has, and by defying many of the prominent countering arguments against it’s production, it also beat the French at their own game. Win!

Enjoy the following TED video!

Will be back soon with more recipes!

~ Matt

Life Challenge #1 – Blog & Travel… Sustainability *shudder*

Sustainability… I hate the word.

As an Engineer, while it is utterly important and  necessary, I think the word has been repeated so many times that it is permanently echoing around in my skull – Tinnitus Sustainabilitus. This may or may not have been exacerbated by it also being the buzzword of my generation, thanks primarily to it’s consistent usage in reference to Global Warming. Case in point:

Logarithmic plot of Sustainability Usage vs. Time - Cartoon by Xkcd

But having had a few months to reflect on the blog and the way in which I want it’s importance to pan out in my life, I’ve realised that maybe a year of challenges in not sufficient. I do agree that an imminent deadline is proficient in making me achieve the things I’ve always said I wanted to do, but never followed up on, but long term goals may be a little more useful at shaping my mentality and perspective on life. So the sustainability (or, preferably, the long term viability) of this blog needs to also focus somewhat on challenges and goals that are more distant than the rapidly approaching New Years Eve deadline.

This little episode, possibly a little existentialistic in tone, was brought on by a blog post from a good friend of mine, Trudy. Her basic dream/plan/goal is, along with her boyfriend, another of my good friends Tom, to make their lives location-independent i.e. not  dictated by constraints such as family, vocation, possessions, and/or money.

As wonderfully holistic, passionate, and endearing people in their own right and as a couple, I only wish them the best in their pursuit! In doing so, they hope to achieve their goals by making their websites their source of income – enough so to cover the costs of living and life’s basic pleasures, and to ensure that they can work regardless of where they choose to hang their proverbial coat-rack. For more information, I suggest you scoot over to Trudy’s page, and also have a look at Tom’s page for some great travel tips and inspiration!

 

So in response, and to continue on with the theme of this blog, I propose a bit more of a long term challenge:

Life Challenge #1 -To fund my future travels through tourism ventures

This is quite open ended, and in it’s own way I kind of like that. It is more of an ethos than a goal, and I will aim to reply as often as possible with the measures I (possibly we in some cases) have pursued achieving this.

Working in a Spanish Hostel (L’Auberge Espagnole anyone??) for the past 4 months, I have enjoyed not only talking with people and doing the usual meet & greet, but giving city tours, and sharing some incredible food and drinks with numerous rounds of guests. And now that I am close to returning home *more shuddering*, the thought of not having this constant flood of interesting people, conversations, and cuisine in my life is a little hard to swallow. So I am aiming to return to Australia and work in a hostel as a part time job to continue this feeling of  being on the road – damn travel bug bit too hard. Possibly, even continue to give food & cultural tours to students or travelers new to the region. Connor & I have also flaunted with the idea of setting up a small travel agency/service, whereby we organise group travel for football teams and college/university/school groups to foreign locations. Between us, we have a great background in many of the party destinations people our age want to visit. But we will see. Maybe more on this later.

So, here’s to the first open-ended challenge and to the hopeful sustainability (eeeuuuggghhhh) of this blog, to my friends and their wonderful dreams with whom I hope to partake vicariously, and to the thought of never having to be 2 weeks away from ending a holiday ever again.

Now that I think of it, that would imply never having to use the word ‘holiday’ again either… as far as I’m concerned, that’s the definition of winning at life; good luck Trudy and Tom!!

~Matt

Plonk Tester – Part A) Shit Wine

Before commencing any proper wine lessons, and undergoing any further training, I thought it pertinent to start with a solution to an age old question:

“What do you do with a crap bottle of red wine…?” 

Waste not want not...

We have all done it. Gone to the grog-shop/bottle-o/supermarket etc, chanced a bottle of wine that maybe had a cool label, or was on sale for $4.95. Bargain. Popped that cork, prepared the glasses, poured, swirled (aiming to appear knowledgeable), good nose, lady legs down the glass – check – has alcohol. Finally, put it to your lips. Disaster ensues.

You wait it off – it’ll match the food, surely…
Nope. That hint of ash at the back of the throat won’t disappear.

Now comes the decision – is it worth wasting the $4.95 of Hungarian Dragons blood (thank you godmother Bridgey for your years of wine culture and terminology) and tip it down the drain? Or do we nail the old proverb and make Lemonade out of life’s Lemons?

Here comes predicament #2 – Sangria is only acceptable when you were planning to make everyone drink it all night – preferably accompanying Spanish food. When people hear your suggestion, all of a sudden Sangria is met with discourse and regret, in turn lowering the general opinion of an otherwise great drink! It appears a tacky second option, when in it’s own right it contains often lovely ingredients in precise measures to the liking’s of those drinking it. And even if your offer of Sangria is taken with open arms (students – waste not want not when it comes to optimising standard-drink-to-cost ratios), fresh oranges, and a range of sweet liqueurs are not always on hand to make worthwhile use of the bottle. Again, tarnishing Sangria’s status in the world of cheap fun cocktails. And the bottle still goes to waste – killing two birds with one stone in the worst kind of way… No lemonade in that proverbial outcome.

So a solution needs to be simple, require only everyday ingredients, be quick and easy to make, and obviously be widely appreciated.

Solution: KALIMOTXO          (phonetically Cal-ee-mo-cho)

Kalimotxo and Botellón

Kalimotxo is a local Basque cocktail made from Red wine and Cola, preferably Coca-Cola. It is extremely simple to make – one half red wine, one half Cola. It is usually made by chilling a 2L bottle of Coke, pouring half out into glasses for other drinks or mixes, and then refilling the bottle with a litre of red wine. Chill in the fridge, and serve over ice.

This cocktail is considered somewhat of a peasants drink in the Basque region – some bars will even refuse to serve it. However, it is a favourite of the locals as something other than beer during a Real Sociedad futbol match, or on a big night out on the town. It also suits the pre-drinking habits of the local students who pre-drink with botellóns of Kalimotxo in the streets – opting to save money by not going to bars in the hours preceding the opening of the good clubs in town at 3am.

So as ridiculous as adding coke to red wine sounds – are you game to try it???

I, personally of course, find it even better than Sangria. With the right bottle of wine, or to put it bluntly even with the wrong bottle of wine, it takes the harsher edges off of a bottle, increases the sweetness, and levels it out to suit most peoples palates. For those who don’t like overly sweet cocktails, a drier bottle of wine (for example a Shiraz or Cabernet) will produce a more pleasant outcome. For those who are watching sugar intake, the option of lowering the coke-to-wine ratio or changing to Coke Zero/Diet Coke will match all tastes and needs.

Finally, as an option for cheap drinking (students ears poke up right about… now), a $2.50 bottle of cleanskin (unlabelled) wine from Dan Murphy’s or a local winery and a bottle of coke can coerce those not accustomed to drinking fuller bodied red wines into this option of cheap drinking.

Finally – It tastes great!! In the hostel I explain the range of drinking options in town: Sidra, dry apple cider, Txakoli, a dry white wine – both of which suit the bread in most of the pintxos here. Finally you explain to them the concept of Kalimotxo – you on the one hand raving about it’s flavour and how cheap it is – only to see their returned glares and scrunched up noses, or people questioning about other potential ways to ruin a good bottle of red wine. Only to smile at them later when they have their first taste in a bar.

So don’t be a part of the ‘I told you so’ crowd, put your thoughts and apprehensions aside – even if you love red wine – and give it a try! If it’s not to taste now, I’m sure it will be when you don’t want to waste a bottle of red. And hopefully you will always have a bottle of coke in the cupboard or pantry just in case you stumble across a bottle of Dragon’s Blood.

Enjoy!

~ Matt

Challenge #7 – Live Music

Not blessed myself with a voice of an angel, the innate talent to construct uplifting melodies or the unique ability to capture the attention of a generation it is most definitely accurate to say i am not musically inclined. However, that is not to say I do not have an ardent appreciation of a wide variety of tunes and beats. Many hours hours have been spent collaborating my home music collection, discussing the credentials of different artists and thinking “i wish i could do that”.

It is one thing to be at home in front of the fire, sitting up late into the morning as the soothing lullabies of Josh Pyke float around you and a completely different experience to hear the music live (Yes, Josh Pyke was my first live gig). Words cannot quite do justice to the rare feeling of watching a talented musician creating unquestionable acoustic beauty, and loving every single minute of it.

In fact, some of my fondest teenage memories of ‘nights out’ have been those where the local high-school band has covered some of my favourite artists, or i’ve happened to stumble across a live mic. night at an establishment i had no idea existed. Music festivals progress to a whole other level entirely; set upon set of individuals sharing their skills and passion, dancing and singing with your mates and finding time to indulge in the odd cheeky beverage all contribute to ensure a truly memorable occasion. In fact, last year’s attendance at Groovin’ the Moo with young Mr. Orman in toe and other great pal’s was one of 2011 absolute highlights. Attending The Jezabels’ concert the night before my final year med. exam last year was queried by many of my peers, but for me it provided the perfect motivation and inspiration to study hard beforehand so i could really enjoy my night, the old reward for good behaviour trick. Listening to Adalita and Jake Stone (Bluejuice) perform their interpretations of Nick Cave classics at The Forum late last year was a brilliant way to signal the end to the academic year and the beginning of summer dedicated to my Andean odyssey. Just a few examples of the great experience which live music can provide.

Whether it be a concert, gig, jam, recital, sideshow, rockfest, festival, gala, feista, carnival or anything else remotely related to a live tune, i simply cannot get enough. So, what’s my problem ? Well, in previous years, differing restrictions varying from family, sport, academia and other commitments have restricted my ability to fully experience the live music scene. This year will be different, and, living in Melbourne, the cultural capital of Australia, what better place to launch my attempt at becoming a fully fledged music whore. I’m challenging myself to experience more.

Challenge #7 – Live Music

With St Kilda Music Festival lined up for this Sunday, Future Music Festival tickets secured and GTM to be purchased next tuesday, the year is starting well.

On first appearance it seemed that Mattyo would be MIA for GTM No. 2, but since his recent shenanigans in which he declared sexual affections towards the daughter of famous Spanish dignitary became public  knowledge he is now facing immediate exile, hence the resultant earlier departure date to Australia resulting in an increased likelihood of him being a late inclusion.

If you have any recommendations of live acts and gigs worth checking out, both locally and internationally (i may put them on the bucket list) i would love to hear them. And if i know Matt, he will most certainly take up the challange to expand his already vast music knowledge and join me on as many as my music ventures as he can (or as finances allow).

~ Connor

Challenge #6 – Tough Mudderfudders

Upon hearing us facing the challenge of a marathon by the end of the year, a group of our mates, led through the recommendations of Ryan Agnew, have suggested we man up and do something a little more adventurous than just running. We told them to bring it. Bitches.

Hence a new challenge has been passed onto us, and we believe it to be a heap of fun and worthy of any year long fitness challenge!

Challenge #6 – To complete a Tough Mudder’s Challenge

For us, the event will take place north of Sydney in mid-September, perfect timing for a fitness test in between the half and full marathons. It involves not only running a 12mile (20km) course, but scaling walls, traversing rope bridges, wading through mud pools, scampering up half-pipes, more mud, ice water, jumps, underwater tunnels, and even electric shocks and fire.

Wow. Believe it or not, this sounds way more appetising to us than the thought of plodding 42.1km, but hey, that’s a separate challenge.

Here is a promo video of the race:

In preparation for the contest, we must aim to cross-train our bodies to withstand not only the 20km of running, but the variety of challenges along the way. To say that we will do push-ups and sit-ups alone is a laugh, and we will document our training efforts as we go along. Maybe even with photos of the effects. God knows the beer challenge is adding to our (Matt’s) pot-bellies already.

Also a pre-requisite is a team name and costume. And, as a formality on the day, there is a Mohawk competition that we will steadily grow luxurious locks for in order to look our most ridiculous on the day. We are even thinking of buying and wearing a GoPro camera on the day to capture footage of the entire race, and hope to publish a time lag video of the entire event. Fingers crossed!

And to save money, we need 6-10 people on our team. SO, because he suggested it so readily, and a few other mates jumped on the bandwagon, we now have a crew of young strong gents on our side including Ryan, and we aim to push eachother to the brink of our training capabilities, and then help eachother get through the entire race on the day.

Wish us, and our compadres the best of luck. Bring it.

~ Connor & Matt

Experience #3 – Snow Day

It’s snowing in San Sebastian. All the way down to beach level.

I am beyond excitement. In fact, I may just go for a surf while it’s snowing, just for shits and giggles…

And for those who cannot be here to see it…

 

Playa de la Concha y Mt Igeldo 2/2/2012

 

This is why I love San Sebastian!

~Matt