I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the sweet red peppers of Spain! Then I started seeing these beauties in every vegetable market and grocery store I visited around Salamanca, where I'm living this fall. Sweet red peppers are called 'Pimientos' in Spanish and I'm learning that they are a very important ingredient in every Spanish kitchen, restaurant, and tapas bar. How to Use Sweet Red Peppers - 3 Ways The natural sweetness of Spanish pimientos - sweet red peppers - brings bright flavors to all kinds of things. Here are a few examples: Wash, cut into strips and dip into … [Read more...] about Sweet Red Peppers and 3 Ways to Enjoy Them
10 Ways to Season Your Food with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I find a bottle of extra virgin olive oil on nearly every cafe and restaurant table I visit in Spain - which is what I expected from the world's largest producer! What I didn't expect was that just about everything I eat these days, except for ice cream, tastes better when I season it with EVOO. It's a perfect time of year to get excited about using more EVOO because the 2019 harvest of olives and production of oil is about to begin in Mediterranean countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and others. November, December, and January is the time to shake the olives down from … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Season Your Food with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Seedless Tangerines are ‘Mandarinas’ in Spain
The vitamin C in tangerine-mandarinas will help you stay well and their amazingly sweet flavor will keep them on your grocery list, week-after-week. If you're searching for the rockstars of the citrus world then tangerine-mandarinas are it. For a decade or longer, the demand for a kid-sized, seedless, tangy and sweet fruit has grown and grown. While living in Salamanca, Spain this fall, I've already started to buy seedless tangerine-mandarinas from grocery stores, the Central Market, and small shops that specialize in selling fresh fruits and vegetables. They are in nearly every shopper's bag … [Read more...] about Seedless Tangerines are ‘Mandarinas’ in Spain
A Grocery Store Tour Goes Virtual!
The grocery store is a powerful place to learn about nutrition so bring consumers along virtually as a great starting point. 5 Ways to Connect Consumers to their Grocery Store on a Virtual Tour Introduce a few big-picture learning messages before getting into specifics Talk through real aisles of the store as an orientation Show real foods and/or packages of foods as demos Mention an easy recipe you like to make as a way to highlight specific foods Give tips to save time & money along with your nutrition-themed topic 5 Foods to Show Consumers on a … [Read more...] about A Grocery Store Tour Goes Virtual!
Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
If you think seriously about flavor, there are certain food pairs that work together in perfect harmony. For example, tomatoes and basil. There are many Mediterranean recipes that combine tomatoes with basil - and, almost always there's some extra virgin olive oil included, too. Here's an easy-to-make soup that works all year round, hot or cold. Out of fresh tomato season (fall, winter, spring,) use canned tomatoes for the best results and dried basil. In fresh tomato season (summer) get the best flavor by using both canned tomatoes and fresh ones, along with a big handful of fresh basil … [Read more...] about Simple Ingredients Make Great Flavors in Tomato and Basil Soup
Canned Seafood is a Delicious Mediterranean Choice
If you're a fan of Mediterranean style nutrition then why not become a fan of canned fish and shellfish, too? During my 4-month stay in Spain (pre-COVID19) last fall, something I learned was to eat more fish. I took every opportunity to purchase fresh fish at the Central Market in Salamanca or at one of the walkable grocery stores, and I ordered fish or squid (my favorite!) at a tapas bar or a lunch restaurant. There were many memorable meals and fish was often on my plate. When making a meal in our apartment I liked the canned fish option as an easy, tasty, light supper. My go-to was to … [Read more...] about Canned Seafood is a Delicious Mediterranean Choice