Category Archives: Supperclub

May28

World Sherry Day !

Posted on by
Standard

It was with pleasure that I took part in World Sherry Day, a celebration to display the wonderful world of sherry and the versatility of the superb sherry wines on offer.

Fortunately living in Spain I can and do frequently partake in a ‘copita’ or two, but many people often think of Sherry as the pre-lunch quaff on Sunday with their granny, well yes I did this too from a very young age, perhaps therein lies the problem ;), but there is a sherry for every dish and occasion and I was proud to showcase this at La Rosilla.

The date was perfect too for my Supper club to re-open for the summer, a celebration all round.

Like normal I was living on the edge, as this years unpredictable weather was giving me the run around.  As I prepped busily on Sunday morning, making everything ship shape, I did so in thick cloud and dodging rain drops…but I held out and went for it, guests arrived sensibly with shawls and jackets and with a very gung ho supportive spirit.

Quarter deck cocktails, warmed everyone’s souls with canapes of  Hazelnut & parmesan stuffed mushrooms, and cheese puffs with cheery toms & caper-berries.  We all shared our sherry stories, and I gave a talk on the diversity of sherry, it’s origins , production and aging process, before everyone sat on the terrace ready for their feast and tastings.

Lunch was served and we enjoyed, crisp dry pale gold  Fino & Manzanilla,  Amber rich and warm Amontillado & Oloroso, and finished with  dessert and decadent luscious PX .

World Sherry Day La Rosilla supperclub

As the sherry flowed the sun put his hat on, to end a special Sunday afternoon on the terrace.

 

Dec18

The Next Big Thing !

Posted on by
Standard

The Next Big Thing is a huge round-robin initiative of writers, bloggers, authors and journalists who share what they are embarking on next. The format is a set of questions, which can be varied depending on whether the current baton-holder is an author of books, or an online blogger.

I was passed the baton by Tamara Essex a new friend of mine, who I met after reading her wonderful blog ‘A foot in two Camps’ based around her life spread between rural England and rural Andalucia.  When I  first read Tamaras blog posts about my local town Colmenar in the montes of Malaga, they had me chuckling to myself.  I think it is great to see & read another fellows perspective on our life here, albeit if she is a ‘Townie’ 😉

So this is me @lynzinthesun, blogger, recipe writer, cookery & culture class giver,  local book club  & ‘ Views from the hills‘ ladies group founder . Phew, no wonder my life is manic !

I will be passing the baton on to two great virtual friends of mine, who have kept me inspired, supported & amused with their tales from their corners Andalucia & who I very much hope to meet in the flesh in 2013 !

Here are my questions & answers ;

What is the working title of your project? I blog at La Rosilla lifestyle & food , writings and tales of our family life, in our rural Finca on a mountain in Andalucia. I like to think of it as a harmony between food & nature.

Where did the idea come from?

I started writing a personal diary from the day we left Blighty ,lock, stock & barrel.  Many friends said ‘Lynz you should write a book’ but I thought they are two a penny now.  Although Driving over lemons &  A parrot in a pepper tree had inspired & whet my appetite  to take the plunge into a new life , I wasn’t sure our roller-coaster of a Spanish life would fit into a book, so I took to blogging instead.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your blog?

Life on a mountain in Spain, experiences, memory moments & food, glorious food.

How long do you spend writing posts for your blog?

I seem to be forever online, researching, tweeting but actually writing I think probably 2 hours a week.  I enjoy the time, it makes me reflect on what we’ve done as a family, and also makes me grateful of what we have achieved or experienced.  I try to keep my blog as positive as possible, and at times when things get too much, I can loose myself in writing.

To what book would you compare your blog?

Not sure about a book ; for my children it would be ‘Swallows & Amazons’, the tales I write about them, and the wonderful things they get up to on the mountain, sure give them a life of adventure.  For me, probably a T.V series ‘The good life’ I live a life of cross between Margot & Barbara , we’ve done the pigs, allotment, self sufficiency, but I do like a glass of bubbles in my hand 😉

Who or what inspires you to write?

I never take for granted my view or breathtaking location I live in , day to  day happenings inspire me to write.  Nature, plants, the weather, fiestas, traditions & lifes happenings – Just this morning, on a December day crisp & bright the bees are buzzing and busy collecting honey from our Passifloras & the Cooker repair man is busy in the kitchen doing the necessary to ensure the La Rosilla kitchen stays open at the vital time – Real life !

La Rosilla Terrace Dining

What is on your agenda in the next month or two?

My eldest daughter arrives home tomorrow for Christmas, so we will be together as a family – Can’t wait.  I’ll be cooking away, for guests and clients, busy with my Christmas orders for Buche Noel & shortbread .  As the New Year arrives, keeping warm is always high on the agenda, it gets cold up in these hills…I am planning new dates for my cookery & culture days & supperclub events.

What is your dream of a next big thing?

My Next Big Thing, is work in progress, I am slowly writing, compiling & planning my own cook book, which will be a compilation of recipes from family, friends and guests to La Rosilla. Favourite dishes, full of traditions & tales, from all over the world – the title ‘DELISH’ .

Well I need to get baking, so I’ll pass my baton on to two wonderful ladies;

Carole Byrne who writes a great blog Further south of Granada .  Carol keeps me entertained with her tales of even higher up rural Spanish life than me, way up in the Alpujarras.

Ann Larson is an extraordinarily busy lady, who writes about her life in Yunquera on her Olive farm, here she grows all her own vegetables, herbs & olives, which she uses to make the most beautiful natural products called Lujos.  Both ladies like me experience, all areas of Spanish life, warts and all.

So from my NEXT BIG THING to yours – Buen Provecho 🙂

 

 

 

 

Sep23

Last Supper

Posted on by
Standard

My ´Supperclub´has had a balmy summer, travelling to venues and houses of others, but ´Supper on the terrace´where it all began, some three summers ago , holds a strong place in my heart, albeit harder work, not only cooking all day, but my house has to be ship-shape, and the family have to be in Bristol fashion.

As the nights are drawing in, I decided that I would have to have my ´Last Supper´of the season, under the stars, and grapevine, whilst I could still guarantee warm temperatures and no rain.

With my No1 daughter back in Blighty now to study, she is normally my right hand girl, my steadier of nerves , and my entertainer, it was time to rope in my OH who at dinner parties is Host extroidinaire, never an empty glass, and often many a guests found on the sofa the next morn, but at ´Supperclub´front of house is not his forte.  No 1 son was also bribed to pitch in  but  he conveniently broke his big toe at school that afternoon.

Never a dull moment at La Rosilla.

So with a full house booked, prepping began in earnest, tables were laid, cutlery polished, candles lit, jazz tunes on, mojitos were mixed, and guests arrived.

Mountain living in Spain, allows me to use the most wonderful produce, that surprisingly many local eateries don´t celebrate.   Catering also for regular Vegans and veggies, who find the local approach of patatas cooked in pork fat with pork cooked in every conceivable manner the main choice on a menu – lets me offer them a welcome taste bud change, and also gets my creative mind going.

Supper on the Terrace

So what was ´The last supper ´.?

I scoured my overloaded recipe book-case, picking out old favourites, comfort food, dishes packed full of life & flavour, Ottolenghi´s Caramelised Endive & Serrano ham, Cranks´Broad Bean Pilaf & braised carrots with cumin, garlic & saffron to name a few.  Home baked rosemary and walnut rolls were served with a satisfying soup of butternut squash & almonds picked from my trees, and dessert was a sorbet of fresh picked figs  & port (the last off my tree 😦 ) , with a dark chocolate twirl.

Caramelised Endive & Serrano

Light faded, the moon shone, wine flowed and chatter got jovial,

I joined my guests with ´one for the road´and my OH was chief pot washer….well he could have done front of house ; !!

So as the season comes to an end, and the temperature drops, it has to drop soon surely ? I look forward to welcoming guests ´around the Kitchen Table´ for Autumn feasts and winter banquets.

As always La Rosilla – Unique & delicious