beef stew over mashed potatoes

My mom introduced me to this Cooking Light recipe last month: it's a delicious beef stew, and instead of adding the potatoes to the stew, the stew is served over creamy and slightly smokey mashed potatoes (I added in a bit of Maldon smoked sea salt). The grassfed stew beef is from Willow Hill Farm (my mom said it's the leanest beef she's ever seen) and you can find the recipe for the stew here.

Stuffed Cupcakes for my Valentine

This year, I made some cupcakes inspired by these, except I made them more Valentine's Day friendly by adding CHOCOLATE!

I stuffed devil's food cupcakes with strawberries, and frosted them with vanilla buttercream.









































A new outlook on chocolate-covered strawberries. =)

Cosmen & Keiless' New Location!

Madrid-based bakery and bread shop Cosmen & Keiless recently opened the doors of their second location (c/ Príncipe de Vergara, 15).

Here are some shots from the new shop:













































Check out their flagship store here in English, or here in Spanish.

Pizzería Cervantes (Madrid)

Located on Calle de León, 8, Pizzería Cervantes serves up a delicious selection of salads, pastas, risottos, meats, savory crepes, and of course, pizza pies! Almost all of the items cost less than 10,00€.

In the foreground, my Pizza Rúcola (tomato, arugula, parmesan and olive oil) and in the background, Nat's Pizza Cervantes (tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, roasted red peppers, ham, olives, and oregano -- but Nat got it sin anchoas).

La Nicoletta (Madrid)

Nat and I had lunch one day at La Nicoletta (C/ Orense, 4). It was the fourth or fifth time we had eaten there so we already had a favorite.

We started off with the insalate florentina (mixed lettuce, emmenthaler, edam and ricotta cheeses, walnuts and cherry tomatoes, all dressed with sherry and honey vinaigrette). Delicious!











For our main dishes, we both ordered pasta. At La Nicoletta, you can choose from a list of more than 20 pastas (dry, fresh, or filled) and more than 15 sauces (including amatriciana, carbonara, vongole, provenzal, and pesto).

I ordered orecchiete and Nat ordered gnocchetti di patate, and we both ordered salsa salmone (salmon sauce).

Apple Pie Overseas

A few days after New Year's (in Madrid), Kay had Nat and I over for her mother-in-law's famous meatballs and gravy.

Kay made an apple pie for dessert, and it was the perfect bit of American cuisine to make us feel at home. The apples were perfectly cooked and the crust was delightfully crispy with cinnamon & sugar.

The Spanish make a dessert (called tarta de manzana) similar to our good ol' fashioned apple pie, but it's not quite the same.

Mughul (Madrid)

After discovering that Siam (c/ San Bernadino, 6 -- Metro: Plaza de España) had the same menu as Bangkok (c/ Bordadores, 15 -- Metro: Sol or Ópera‎), we set out to look for some different flavors. We decided on Mughul, an Indian restaurant only a few doors down (c/ San Bernadino, 10).









I ordered shrimp korma, and the combination of sweet and savory was perfect! Nat got chicken vindaloo curry (spicy!), and of course, we ordered rice and a selection of breads. We washed it all down with slightly sweet mango lassis.

Bangkok!

Over break, Natty and I had dinner one night at Bangkok in Madrid (c/ Bordadores, 15 -- Metro: Sol or Ópera‎). (Side note: One night, we decided to visit Siam (c/ San Bernadino, 6 -- Metro: Plaza de España), only to find out that it has the EXACT same menu as Bangkok. Just go to the one closest to where you are!) We'd been to Bangkok a couple of times before (see this post for more info on Bangkok and other Asian food in Madrid).

This time, Natty got the old stand-by:












... sweet pad thai with roasted peanuts.













I got noodles Siam.

And finally, a dream was realized...

















...mango with sticky rice!!!
I've been ordering this for YEARS (including a few tries at Bangkok) and NO ONE has ever served me it. They're either "out" of mangoes or they are "not in season". Finally, I got to taste the dessert that has been a mystery for so long! It was well worth the wait. =)

In addition, Bangkok is one of those Asian restaurants that has taken on a Spanish tradition by offering a menu-of-the-day: their's is Full-screen11,50€.

Restaurante Taj

In my recent post about Pep Restaurante (Barcelona), I expressed that my favorite part of Spanish cuisine is the menu-of-the-day. In addition to the places that serve traditional Spanish fare, those that serve international fare have jumped on the bandwagon.

For example, you can even find Asian restaurants that offer a menu-of-the-day.

Restaurante Taj (C/ Cruz, 13 -- Metro Sol or Sevilla) offers more than 40 Indian delicacies, including a set menu-of-the-day for only 11,95€ (Monday-Friday). They also do "take-away" orders, which is Madrid-speak for "take-out".

Your menu of the day will include:

A first course (for example, a few bites of chicken tandoori and a spiced croquette-type patty)

--all the first courses arrive with a trinity of delicious sauces--














A main dish (for example, chicken tikka masala)














+ naan bread, a beverage, and coffee or dessert