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Pumpkin coca, coca de calabaza, Mama Ía blog

Coca de calabaza, Pumpkin coca —and fiestas de Moros y Cristianos in Onteniente

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Pumpkin coca, coca de calabaza, Mama Ía blogWhile searching on my blog, I realized that I don’t have any post about the most important festival in Onteniente, my hometown, las Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos, the Moors and Christians Festival! Many recipes can be related to this post, so it was hard to choose, but I decided on coca de calabaza, pumpkin coca, a sweet torta popular in my region, la Vall d’Albaida and la Sierra de Mariola.

Moros y Cristianos de Onteniente, Mama Ía blogMoros y Cristianos de Onteniente, Mama Ía blogCoca de calabaza is a pretty simple coca, it includes only a few ingredients. It is eaten by itself, like a morning snack or an afternoon merienda, but I also like to eat it as a light lunch —never mind the sugar in it, the pumpkin (more…)

Orange and almond cake, Mama Ía blog

ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE FOR MAMA Ía BLOG 10TH BIRTHDAY!

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Orange and almond cake, Mama Ía blogOranges and almonds for a celebratory post: Mama Ía is 10 years old!

You may have noticed I haven’t posted in a while, and there’s a good explanation for it. But I didn’t want to wait any longer, because Mama Ía blog is having a big anniversary: 10 years since the first post! I still find it hard to believe. And I wanted to celebrate with orange and almond cake, a recipe that pays homage to some of the products grown in my hometown of Onteniente.

Natacha, Mama Ía blogFort Wayne, Mama Ía blog

The orange and almond cake is absolutely delicious, and like most of my recipes (I won’t get tired of repeating this), easy to make. I love it with my coffee in the morning for breakfast, and it’s perfect for afternoon tea or for a snack between meals. It is gluten-free, another added advantage for the gluten intolerant amongst you.

To accompany this post, (more…)

Tarta de Santiago, Mama ía blog

Tarta de Santiago, and El Camino

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Tarta de Santiago, Mama ía blogThe origin of tarta de Santiago, or rather, why the famous Spanish almond tart is named after the apostle Saint James, patron saint of Spain, is unknown. But for centuries, the cake has been adorned with the cross of the knights of Saint James in confectioners sugar, and visitors to the city of Santiago de Compostela, where the apostle is believed to be buried, buy it as a souvenir of their visit to the pilgrims’ city, or arrival through the Camino de Santiago, the Way of Saint James.

Monte do Gozo, where pilgrims get the first view of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Camino de Santiago, Mama ía blog (more…)

Piquillo pepper and chickpea soup with rice, Mama ía

Piquillo Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Rice —eating light after Christmas

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Piquillo pepper and chickpea soup with rice, Mama íaToday is the day that marks the end of Christmas in North America, at least for Christians: it is the feast of the Epiphany, when we celebrate the adoration of the Three Kings, the Three Wise Men, to baby Jesus at Bethlehem (click on this link, to read or hear a children’s story I wrote for Highlights for Children magazine a few years ago, where (more…)