citrus

Lemon marmalade, Mama Ía blog

Lemon marmalade, Spain eating habits and la merienda

Lemon marmalade, Mama Ía blogCitrus marmalades are my favorite ones and since I already featured the recipe for orange marmalade  (one of the blog’s most visited posts!), today is the turn for lemon marmalade.

If you like very sweet marmalades, I have to warn you, this one may not be the one for you. It is citrusy, therefore, more tangy, but obviously, also sweet – otherwise it wouldn’t be a marmalade, right?

Lemon marmalade, Mama Ía blog

Lemons, Mama Ía blogAnd with this recipe, it’s time to address the beloved and most idiosyncratic meal in the Spanish culture: la merienda.

I could translate la merienda to something like the afternoon snack, the (more…)

Mandarina stuffed salmon with thyme, Mama Ía blog

Mandarina stuffed Salmon with Thyme, and the countdown to Spring

Mandarina stuffed salmon, Mama Ía blog

It is safe to say that we can start counting down to spring. It’s just over two weeks away! And while the winter hasn’t been one of the coldest ones we remember in this part of the world, I am very much looking forward to the warmer temperatures, to walks outdoors and to the first flowers blooming in our garden.

Mandarinas, Mama Ía blogMiami, Mama Ía blogAt the same time, I am still enjoying orange season —and winter is orange season. The recipe I’m sharing today, mandarina stuffed salmon with thyme, takes (more…)

Lavender lemonade, Mama ía blog

Lavender Lemonade, and the Vegetable Garden

Lavender lemonade, Mama ía blogWith the higher temperatures, which seem to have come now to stay, lemonade is my drink of choice. I like to make mine, because I can control the amount of sugar I add. And I particularly like lavender lemonade, because lavender is one of my favorite aromas, and I like lemon on just about everything, so putting the two together seems very logical to me. The lavender comes from my garden; the lemons —I wish.

Vegetable garden, Mama ía blog (more…)

Lemon ice cream, Mama ía

Lemon Ice Cream, The Most Refreshing Taste of Summer

Lemon Ice Cream, Mama íaIf there’s a dessert that prominently features in our menu during our summers in Spain, it is my sister Susana’s lemon ice cream. She makes an amazing one, everyone’s favorite, and for the most part, with lemons from the property. I’ve talked about El Taroncheral before (click here), the place that probably holds (more…)

Lemon Tart

Velvety Lemon Tart, Remembering the Place that Saw me Grow

Lemon TartI grew up surrounded by orange trees. Almost literally! The name of the place was El Taroncheral, and the property, an expansive orange tree grove that included a large stucco dwelling and a circular basin where rain and well water for irrigation were collected. Eventually, three houses where built: I grew up in one of the houses.

Taroncheral, by the way, (more…)