Wash and dry the apples. Using a small sharp knife, cut out the tough inner core and the stem, but try not to pierce all the way through to the bottom. Fill the cavity in each apple with a bit of butter and sugar, place in a shallow baking dish and bake for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm alone or with some plain un whipped cream drizzled over. Serves six.

60

The apples can also be filled with raisins soaked in brandy for a more elegant dessert.

6 baking apples (golden delicious work fine)

6 teaspoons sugar

6 teaspoons butter

Mix the egg, 4 T olive oil, milk, anisette, sugar, and baking powder. Measure out the flour and add most of it, stirring well. Add just enough flour to form a dough that is not sticky. Finish mixing with your hands, and then shape the dough with your hands into round strips about 10 to 15 cm long; form each strip into a circle by sealing the tips with a bit of water. Heat abundant oil in a frying pan and fry on med-high heat until the fritters have risen and are a nice golden colour (break the first one open to be sure it has cooked through; if it has not, reduce the heat of the oil slightly). Sprinkle with sugar and serve immediately plain with coffee or tea, or with ice cream.

60

1 egg

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons anisette liqueur

6 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

approximately ½ kg flour

olive oil for frying

First you must clean the kidneys (this step is absolutely necessary): wash and cut into pieces, removing the white parts and fat, if they have any. Steam in a steaming basket, about fifteen minutes; rinse well and throw away the steaming water. (Or, alternatively, you can cut into pieces, salt thoroughly, sat aside for about thirty minutes and then rinse and soak in fresh water for about ten minutes.) Now heat enough olive oil in a skillet to cover the bottom, add the onions and sauté for a few minutes. In the meantime, mash the garlic with some parsley, and a little bit of salt. Add the kidneys to the onions and sauté about five minutes, add the flour and the paprika and stir it a couple times, then add the mashed garlic mixture with the sherry and let cook another few minutes, just until the sauce has thickened. Serve with white rice. Makes enough for six people.

60

1 kg pork kidneys

2 medium onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 Tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

1 glass dry sherry

olive oil, parsley, salt

Cover bottom of a skillet with olive oil and sauté the onion with the bay leaf and peppercorns on high for a few minutes. Add the cuttlefish and then the tomato sauce after a few minutes; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for an hour or so until the cuttlefish is very tender when pierced with a fork. Salt to taste. Serve with white rice. Serves four to six, depending upon the size of the cuttlefish.

60

Tip: For the cuttlefish to really get tender, it should be frozen first, and then defrosted in the refrigerator overnight. Be sure to cook on low; increasing heat to speed up the cooking will only result in making the fish tougher. Often the cuttlefish for sale in the markets has already been frozen, so do ask while you are there.

1 large cuttlefish (jibia/sepia), cleaned and cut up into pieces

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large can stewed, puréed tomatoes (about 820 g tomate triturado NOT tomate frito)

1 bay leaf

10 peppercorns

olive oil

Place the oxtail pieces in a large pot with plenty of water. Push the whole cloves into the onions and add with the bay leaf, peppercorns, carrots and wine; heat on high until boiling and then lower the heat and let simmer, uncovered, three to four hours or until the meat begins to fall off the bone. Set the meat pieces on the serving dish and discard the bay leaf and cloves. Use a hand blender to purée the remaining broth and vegetables, and serve this sauce over the meat (salt to taste first). This dish is very nice accompanied with fried potatoes or sautéed mixed vegetables. Serves six as a hearty main dish.

240

2 oxtails, cut into pieces

2 onions, peeled, whole

1 bay leaf

a few peppercorns

2 whole cloves

¼ kg carrots, peeled

250 ml white wine

Place the clams in a saucepan with some salt and just enough water to cover; cook on high just until most have opened. Set aside about ¾ cup of the broth and drain off the rest, and remove the clam from the shells, leaving only some shells intact. Discard any clams that have not opened. Rinse the beans well and set aside. Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and sauté on high the onion and garlic with the bay leaf, adding the tomato after a few minutes. Now add the beans and the reserved clam broth and cook until heated through; add the clams and salt to taste before serving. A sprinkle of freshly ground pepper adds a nice touch. Serves four as a main dish.

60

2 jars precooked white haricot beans, approx. 550 g each jar (OR 250 g uncooked white beans, soaked and cooked according to package directions until tender)

2 jars precooked white haricot beans, approx. 550 g each jar

¾ kg small clams, rinsed

1 ripe tomato, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 bay leaf

olive oil

Clean the fish well, removing the head and the spine, as well as the tails and the insides. (Occasionally you will find the fish already cleaned at the market, just be sure it is fresh.) Once cleaned, place the fish in a dish and cover with vinegar. Leave, covered, in the refrigerator for at least six hours. Drain off the vinegar, then dress them with a bit of salt, olive oil, and vinegar, and the garlic and parsley. Can be served immediately with fresh crusty bread on the side, or can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days.

360

½ kg very fresh boquerones (fresh, uncured anchovies)

½ litre white wine vinegar

125 ml extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Put enough olive oil in a skillet to cover the bottom. Add the onion and sauté on med-high until it begins to become transparent; add the flour and the tomatoes and cook a few minutes, then add the wine and bay leaf and let simmer about ten minutes, covered. Add water if it becomes too dry. Then add the bonito and let simmer, uncovered, another ten to fifteen minutes or until cooked through. Salt to taste. Can be served hot or cold. Serves six.

60

about 1 ¼ kg fresh bonito or fresh tuna, skin removed and cut into thick slices

2 onions, peeled and sliced

4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon flour

125 ml white wine

1 bay leaf

olive oil

Prepare the artichokes: rip off the outer leaves, until you get to the last several inner leaves that are more tender and a lighter green. Slice off the tops of these leaves and the stem, so what you have remaining is just the innermost part of the artichoke. Cut these into quarters and toss with the lemon juice. Heat a skillet with just enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom, add the garlic and serrano ham and sauté just a few moments on med-high heat, then add the artichoke hearts. Cover and reduce the heat to medium, adding a little water, and let cook until the artichokes are tender. Check often to be sure it is not too dry; add water as needed for the artichokes to cook, until tender when pierced with a fork. Once they are tender, uncover, increase heat to high, and let the liquid evaporate (do not drain off), until there is just a little left in the pan. Salt to taste and serve immediately. Serves four to six as a first course or a light supper.

60

2 kg small, tender fresh artichokes

juice of half a lemon

150 g diced serrano ham pieces

1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

olive oil