May 2, 2022

Cod with asparagus and preserved lemons—and Valencia’s Maritime Holy Week

Natacha Sanz Caballero Fish, Events & Travel Lent and Holy Week, mediterranean diet, seafood, Semana Santa, Semana Santa Marinera, Spanish traditions, Valencia

The recipe I’m sharing today, cod with asparagus and preserved lemons, is very appropriate for this time of year. Cod is a kind of fish long associated with Lent in Spain. Lent is now over, and you may not know that even though Easter Sunday has passed as well, we are still in the Easter season, which will last until the feast of the Pentecost, the Sunday about fifty days later.

Iglesia de Santa María del Mar, St Mary of the Sea Church, Valencia

What you may know is that we are also in the season of asparagus, one of the first spring time vegetables, so cod with asparagus should be on the menu.

By now you also know that cod is (more…)

January 4, 2022

Roscón de Reyes, Kings Cake for the feast of the Epiphany

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets Christmas, Epiphany, Spanish traditions, Three Kings Day

After a few years of very good intentions, finally 2022 sees the recipe for roscón de Reyes, Kings cake, on the blog. Not that I haven’t been making it! But I am not a great planner of the recipes that I will post on Mama Ía blog and the Christmas hustle and bustle always caught up with me.

Kings Melchior, Gaspar and Baltazar at the January 5 Three Kings Parade in Alcoy (Alicante, Spain)

Nativity scene at the Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago

That always seems to be the case. I do have some method and loose plan of what I will post on the blog. However, more often than not, I will cook or bake something that (more…)

Spanish nougat mousse, Mousse de turrón, Mama ía

January 17, 2017

Spanish Nougat Mousse, Mousse de Turrón —or the Spanish habit of conservation

Natacha Sanz Caballero Desserts and Sweets almonds, Christmas, honey, Navidad, nougat, nougat candy, Spanish Christmas, Spanish desserts, Spanish nougat, Spanish traditions, torrone, turrón

It happens every year around Christmas time: I buy too much turrón, Spanish nougat. And every year I tell myself that next year I won’t buy as much, but invariably, I do it again. Not that I don’t buy many other Christmas sweets, and make them, too, of course. But turrón is closest to my heart. I talked about Christmas nostalgia in other (more…)