Here hs is, the Patron Saint of Illora - constructed in 2010!
Monday, 26 October 2015
Coffee and Colours
Looks like they have recently had a menu change in this bar - different food and drink options and prices
Friday, 9 October 2015
The Origins of Tapas In Andalucia
Step out of the Andalusian sunshine. Just follow the crowds through
this little doorway, into the cool interior of a typical bodega or wine
bar. Multi-coloured tiles line the walls while clay-tiled floors shine
with the patina of years of footsteps. Barrels of wine are stacked
behind the bar. From wooden beams hang whole hams and links of sausages,
ropes of garlic and peppers.
What really draws you in are the aromas wafting from the kitchen, as plate after plate of food is placed on the bar.
These plates of food are tapas, the best introduction to authentic Andalusian food. Tapas are small portions of foods, both hot and cold, served in bars, bodegas and tascas to accompany a copa of fino-- dry Spanish Sherry--or draught beer. You can enjoy tapas in most bars before the lunch hour (in Spain this is very late--tapas at 1 pm, lunch at 2 pm or after), and again before dinner (8-9 pm, with dinner later yet).
Tapas were invented in Andalusia. The word means "cover." In Andalusian wine-making regions, a saucer is customarily placed to cover a glass of wine in order to keep the little fruit flies from swarming in. A tidbit of food placed on the dish helped attract clients to the wine bar, so the cook--usually the owner's wife--would out-do herself to make more and better ones.
Here's a tantalizing taste of some of the dishes--hot and cold-- you might find in a tapa bar in southern Spain.
Certainly the superb ham, both serrano , which just means mountain-cured, and the pricey iberico , produced from special Andalusian pigs which grow sweet on acorns. This salt-cured ham is served raw, very thinly sliced. It makes a marvellous combination with fino sherry.
And, of course, Andalucian Olives They can be the famed Seville olives, sweet, meaty manzanillas ; or gordales , the size of small plums; or home-cured ones, slightly bitter, flavoured with herbs and garlic, or olives stuffed with anchovy. A tapa of mixed olives might include fat caper-berries too.
Amongst cold dishes on the tapa bar are a variety of salads, some wonderfully exotic.
Andalusia is famous for its fish and shellfish and a tapa bar is a great place to sample the array. Fried fish, from tiny fresh anchovies (boquerones) and rings of tender squid (calamares) to chunks of fresh hake and batter-dipped prawns are enticing, in deed. Look for cazon en adobo, fish marinated before frying, and boquerones in vinagre, marinated raw fish. The selection of shellfish will astound you--clams and razorshells, mussels, prawns ranging in size from the tiny to the jumbo; crab, lobster, and more.
Then comes a variety of hot dishes. Some are cooked to order- prawns pil pil sizzled with garlic and oil; garlicky grilled pork loin--while others are dished out of a bubbling stew-pot. You can savour meatballs in almond sauce, sautied mushrooms, chicken fried al ajillo, with garlic; lamb stew; broad beans with ham; piquant tripe, spicy snails, and, of course, tortilla, a thick round potato omelette. Crisp-fried fritters and croquettes are other great tapas of Andalusia, which produces the world's finest olive oil.
Article on Spanish Tapas by Award Winning Food writer Janet Mendel, author of several books about Spanish cooking,
What really draws you in are the aromas wafting from the kitchen, as plate after plate of food is placed on the bar.
These plates of food are tapas, the best introduction to authentic Andalusian food. Tapas are small portions of foods, both hot and cold, served in bars, bodegas and tascas to accompany a copa of fino-- dry Spanish Sherry--or draught beer. You can enjoy tapas in most bars before the lunch hour (in Spain this is very late--tapas at 1 pm, lunch at 2 pm or after), and again before dinner (8-9 pm, with dinner later yet).
Tapas were invented in Andalusia. The word means "cover." In Andalusian wine-making regions, a saucer is customarily placed to cover a glass of wine in order to keep the little fruit flies from swarming in. A tidbit of food placed on the dish helped attract clients to the wine bar, so the cook--usually the owner's wife--would out-do herself to make more and better ones.
Here's a tantalizing taste of some of the dishes--hot and cold-- you might find in a tapa bar in southern Spain.
Certainly the superb ham, both serrano , which just means mountain-cured, and the pricey iberico , produced from special Andalusian pigs which grow sweet on acorns. This salt-cured ham is served raw, very thinly sliced. It makes a marvellous combination with fino sherry.
And, of course, Andalucian Olives They can be the famed Seville olives, sweet, meaty manzanillas ; or gordales , the size of small plums; or home-cured ones, slightly bitter, flavoured with herbs and garlic, or olives stuffed with anchovy. A tapa of mixed olives might include fat caper-berries too.
Amongst cold dishes on the tapa bar are a variety of salads, some wonderfully exotic.
Andalusia is famous for its fish and shellfish and a tapa bar is a great place to sample the array. Fried fish, from tiny fresh anchovies (boquerones) and rings of tender squid (calamares) to chunks of fresh hake and batter-dipped prawns are enticing, in deed. Look for cazon en adobo, fish marinated before frying, and boquerones in vinagre, marinated raw fish. The selection of shellfish will astound you--clams and razorshells, mussels, prawns ranging in size from the tiny to the jumbo; crab, lobster, and more.
Then comes a variety of hot dishes. Some are cooked to order- prawns pil pil sizzled with garlic and oil; garlicky grilled pork loin--while others are dished out of a bubbling stew-pot. You can savour meatballs in almond sauce, sautied mushrooms, chicken fried al ajillo, with garlic; lamb stew; broad beans with ham; piquant tripe, spicy snails, and, of course, tortilla, a thick round potato omelette. Crisp-fried fritters and croquettes are other great tapas of Andalusia, which produces the world's finest olive oil.
Article on Spanish Tapas by Award Winning Food writer Janet Mendel, author of several books about Spanish cooking,
Thursday, 8 October 2015
Coffee and Colours Bar at the Illora Feria
Many of the village bars will host a stall at the Feria this weekend
Here are some of their Feria advertisements!!
Renowned for offering a great choice of cocktails...not to be missed!
COFFEE AND COLOURS
CAFE LATINO
PUB BOLERO
AVENIDA DE TAPAS
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
Illora Feria October 2015
Friday 9th October, sees the commencement of the Animal Fair in town.
Real Feria de Ganado
Real Feria de Ganado
The street lights are already installed on the high street, and everyone is praying for warm, sunny weather. There will be much drinking, dancing, and merriment, as is expected at the Feria, which runs until Monday..
Friday, 18 September 2015
Fiesta Dia de San Rogelio
16th September saw the people of Illora celebrating the Day of St Rogelio, the Patron Saint of the town.
Local bakers provided special "tarts" made with a logo of St Rogelio
picked out in icing sugar, which were sold for €5 each, with a stall set
up in front of the church, along with a bar which is usual at these
type of fiesta celebrations.
Flowers were presented to the statue of St Rogelio in the church, and his statue was paraded through the street on the evening, to the sound of fireworks.
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
25 Ways to Know You've Become Culturally Spanish
See how many of these apply to YOU!
1. You have dinner after 10pm.
2. You can’t say goodbye without exclaiming “VENGA!”
3. Tortilla de patatas and pan con tomato is a perfect meal for any occasion.
4. You know that “Sangria” and “tinto de veranos” are the liquid fuel of champions.
5. You start complaining about days without clear sunshine.
6. Ordering tapas instead of a meal at the restaurant becomes natural.
7. Sandals replace your daily shoes.
8. Lunch time begins after 2pm, because evenings start to get longer.
9. You pick up abandoned furniture off the street for your flat.
10. Your speed of walking decreases.
11. Queuing at the supermarket without chafing at the salesperson becomes normal.
12. You start complaining (“Que frio”), when temperature drops under 25 degrees.
13. You kiss people’s cheeks, when you meet them the first time.
14. On your messages you sometimes write “jajaja” instead of “hahaha”.
15. Your personal space turns into public one.
16. Every sentence you speak in Spanish contains at least one of these words: “bueno”, “coño, “vale”, “venga”, “es que”…
17. You know that after 2pm there’s no point in going shopping, so you plan it for the evening.
18. If you plan to meet with a friend at half past 4, that’s a general point of reference where punctuality is neither expected or adhered to.
19. You think adding lemonade, fanta or even coke to red wine is perfectly acceptable.
20. There’s no way you can eat any meal without having a “café con leche” or “cortado” afterwards.
21. You use public places like your own terrace.
22. You forget to say please (por favor) or thanks (gracias) when you order a drink at the bar – you implied it in your tone of voice, right?
23. You drink several coffees a day, especially in the morning.
24. You have no problem bringing your small kids to festivals past midnight.
25. You’ve mastered the art of partying until 8am.
1. You have dinner after 10pm.
2. You can’t say goodbye without exclaiming “VENGA!”
3. Tortilla de patatas and pan con tomato is a perfect meal for any occasion.
4. You know that “Sangria” and “tinto de veranos” are the liquid fuel of champions.
5. You start complaining about days without clear sunshine.
6. Ordering tapas instead of a meal at the restaurant becomes natural.
7. Sandals replace your daily shoes.
8. Lunch time begins after 2pm, because evenings start to get longer.
9. You pick up abandoned furniture off the street for your flat.
10. Your speed of walking decreases.
11. Queuing at the supermarket without chafing at the salesperson becomes normal.
12. You start complaining (“Que frio”), when temperature drops under 25 degrees.
13. You kiss people’s cheeks, when you meet them the first time.
14. On your messages you sometimes write “jajaja” instead of “hahaha”.
15. Your personal space turns into public one.
16. Every sentence you speak in Spanish contains at least one of these words: “bueno”, “coño, “vale”, “venga”, “es que”…
17. You know that after 2pm there’s no point in going shopping, so you plan it for the evening.
18. If you plan to meet with a friend at half past 4, that’s a general point of reference where punctuality is neither expected or adhered to.
19. You think adding lemonade, fanta or even coke to red wine is perfectly acceptable.
20. There’s no way you can eat any meal without having a “café con leche” or “cortado” afterwards.
21. You use public places like your own terrace.
22. You forget to say please (por favor) or thanks (gracias) when you order a drink at the bar – you implied it in your tone of voice, right?
23. You drink several coffees a day, especially in the morning.
24. You have no problem bringing your small kids to festivals past midnight.
25. You’ve mastered the art of partying until 8am.
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