readytofly's Profile

10 May 2004

If the party takes place in warm weather and in the evening, you will probably want to
be able to impress yet not have to spend hours in the kitchen; preferring instead to
spend more time on yourself and your appearance for this important event.
First course - Served cold - 20 mins
Get some good quality spaghetti, freshly made if possible.
5 medium tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Good quality virgin (lol) olive oil, 1st pressing if possible.
Fresh black pepper and mill.
Black olives (not tinned)
Cook spaghetti "al dente" in boiling water and some salt
Fill a saucepan with some water and bring to the boil.
Turn off the fire and inmerse the tomatoes in the water,
leave for a couple of minutes or so and then pricking them
with a fork take them out and peel them. Then chop them very fine.
Finely chop some basil and then if the olives are pitted chop them into
small fine rings, if not pitted it requires a little more effort but they can be
cut into small pieces off the stone.
In a large serving bowl mix the tomatoes, chopped basil and olives, add
a small amount of salt ensuring all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
start putting spaghetti in the bowl and continue now to mix everything
slowing adding more spaghetti, this way you obtain a better mix.
Finally you must add the olive oil, quantity depends on taste, although
generally speaking the spagetthi should only have just a very fine
covering of oil with no large residue at the bottom of the bowl.
If you are fond of hot food, get from a good delicattesen some small
red & dry pepperoni (not the sausage, but the chili-pepper) and crush
it well in a mortar then cautiously spread it over the mixture. Use fresh
black pepper if pepperoni are not to your taste.
Second course with sidedish 1 hour
Go to a good quality Fishmonger and order some fresh tuna steaks
ensuring that they do not give you just cuts but proper round steaks
cut across the fish. As mentioned you may need to order them in advance.
Mange-tout or stringless green beans
Champignons (small and hard mushrooms usually in tins)
Fresh Parsley and garlic (1 clove per steak approx)
Salt and olive oil (as above)
Some cooking white wine 2/3 small glasses
Crush the garlic well in the mortar with some roughly chopped parsley
and coarse sea salt until mixture almost a paste, then spread over the tuna steaks
and let them season for 20/30 minutes. When ready light a cooking plate/grill
if you have one or a good wide frying pan spreding a thin coating of olive
oil. Remove as much garlic/parsley seasoning from steaks and put aside
then cook each steak individually ensuring one side is well cooked before
turning over. Place steaks in a serving platter.
Warm a lightweight but deep frying pan and again put just a covering of
olive oil when hot throw the paste immediately followed by the greens
and champignons, add some salt and stir fry them turning them in the
air (if you know how), after a couple of minutes and while pan and
contents very hot throw some white wine in small quantities allowing
the contents to get the flavour and liquid to evaporate, thus avoiding
a mushy mixture. The greens/champignons shoul be coocked overall
no more than 3 minutes, so this cooking process has to be quick.
Place contents around tuna steaks in the serving platter.
If you don't like the above combination you can replace it with anything
else you like such as sauted diced potatoes, etc. Another alternative
way is to cook the tuna in a tomato, onion, garlic and white wine sauce
seasoned with herbs.
Get some good quality white whole asparagus normally sold in glass jars
in this country (4 or 5 per serving) and some Italian or Spanish Red Pimentos
in Brine 2 tins/jars will do.
Place the asparagus in another serving platter and cut the pimentos in
decorative strips which will then be placed over and across the asparagus.
Get some quality mayonnaise and your favourite mustard and mix 1/2 teaspoon
of mustard to 6 soup spoons of mayonnaise. Season asparagus to taste
when serving at table.

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5 Mar 2004

Well if nobody shows any interest, you can always try and visit
some of these places while in Madrid.
Buena suerte
Kisses"
C/. Pino, 16 - Vigo - TelÃ©fono: 630 25 05 43
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Acuarela"
C/ PÂº de la Chopera, 9 - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 473 40 18
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Atrevete"
C/. Gomez d Arteche, 40 - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 508 58 69
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Cupido Pub Privado"
C/. Mariano Vela, 25 - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 500 24 61 - 600 27 71 69
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Deseo"
C/ Plza. Doctor Laguna, 11 - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 504 04 26
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Duos"
C/ Villamanin, 48 - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 479 96 06
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Elle Et Lui"
C/. JosÃ© del Prado y Palacios, 5 - semisÃ³tano - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 328 45 76 - 91 437 77 56
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Encuentros"
C/ Vicente Caballero, 14 - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 504 35 21 - 91 504 21 06
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Fantasia"
C/ Valdetorres del Jarama, 6 (Posterior) - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 381 33 72
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Garden Prive"
C/Agastia, 115 - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 515 53 57
EspaÃ±a - Madrid
"Momentos"
C/. Dr. Esquerdo, 43 m (esq. PeÃ±ascales, 1) - Madrid - TelÃ©fono: 91 574 31 57 - 91 504 21 06
EspaÃ±a - Madrid

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