Saturday, March 21, 2026

MULTI-LINGUAL TONGUE

 

Sliced tongue in a tomato-Sherry sauce.

 What’s great about cooking a whole beef tongue is its versatility—a multi-lingual meat, so to speak. Tongue makes a great filling for Mexican tacos or for a deli-style sandwich. Give it a tangy caper sauce or a sweet-sour raisin sauce. Add thinly sliced tongue to an Asian noodle bowl. Serve tongue hot or cold. Freeze part of it for another day. Oh, and don’t forget to use the flavorful cooking broth to make the best vegetable soup ever. 


Tongue is a popular food in traditional Spanish home cooking. It might be served in a tomato sauce spiked with Sherry or, Andalusian style, in a sauce of crushed almonds (that recipe is here).

This meat requires long cooking, anywhere from 1 ½ to 3 hours (cut cooking time in half with a pressure cooker or Instant Pot), but it is effortless. The result is exceedingly tender meat (small children love it because it’s so easy to chew), pleasantly beefy in flavor, and ever-so moist. 

Capers add a tangy taste to the sauce.

Potatoes cooked with the tongue can be served alongside.

To cook tongue
Para preparar la lengua

Whole tongue has no bones, no cartilage, no sinews. The meat is encased in a thick skin. Once cooked, while still hot, the skin is easy to remove—just slit it and peel it off. Once the skin is removed, the tongue can be sliced and refrigerated in some of the cooking liquid. Or leave it whole and slice when ready to use. Carrots and potatoes, if desired, can be cooked with the tongue and served with the finished dish. 

1 beef tongue (2-3 pounds)
Salt
Water
1 tablespoon vinegar
Black peppercorns
1 stalk celery
1 onion, quartered
1 leek, sliced
1 or more carrots, peeled
Bunch of parsley
2 bay leaves
Potatoes, peeled (optional)

After cooking, save the flavorful broth.
Wash the tongue in running water. (If the tongue still has blood adhering to it, soak it in salt water for 30 minutes and rinse again.) 

Put the tongue in a large pot with enough water to cover it, 10-12 cups. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, the vinegar, celery, onion, leek, carrot, parsley and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook the tongue, turning it once or twice, until tender when pierced with a knife, 1 ½- 2½  hours. If desired, add potatoes during last 30 minutes of cooking.
Sliced tongue.



Remove the tongue from the pot, reserving the broth. When the tongue is cool enough to handle but still warm, slit the skin and peel it off. Slice all or part of the tongue. Add some of the cooking liquid to the sliced tongue and refrigerate until ready to use. Strain the cooking liquid. Save this broth for making sauce or soup. (I like to save the peppercorns too; they add a piquant touch to sauce.)



Honey-Mustard Sauce
Salsa de Miel y Mostaza

Serve this easy sauce with hot or cold sliced tongue.

Makes ¼ cup of sauce to accompany 12 slices of tongue. 

1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped scallions
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Stir the honey and mustard together in a small jar. Add the vinegar, salt, pepper, scallions, and parsley. Add the oil, cap the jar, and shake until the sauce is emulsified. Shake again before serving. 

Tongue with Tomato-Sherry Sauce
Lengua con Salsa de Tomate y Vino Jerez

Spanish cooks often add an extra dimension by flouring and frying the slices of tongue before adding them to the sauce. Or, you can just add the cooked tongue directly to the sauce and reheat. 

Dry Sherry gives the tomato sauce extra flavor. A similar recipe from Galicia (northwest Spain) calls for aguardiente—fire water—a clear grape brandy, instead of Sherry. Reheat the tongue in the sauce and serve hot. Boiled potatoes are good alongside.

Serves 4.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cloves chopped garlic
¼ cup dry Sherry
3-4 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
½ cup tongue cooking broth + more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed thyme
12 (¾-inch) slices cooked tongue
    Flour for dredging (optional)
    1 beaten egg (optional)
    Olive oil for frying (optional)
Capers 
Chopped parsley to serve

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat and sautĂ© the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until softened, 5 minutes. Add the Sherry, raise the heat, and cook off the alcohol. Add the tomatoes and fry until somewhat reduced. Add the broth, salt, and thyme. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. 

Add cooked tongue to the sauce and simmer.


Scrape the tomato sauce into food processor or blender and process to make a partially-smooth sauce (a few chunks of vegetables are fine). Return the sauce to the pan. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the tongue cooking broth.

    OptionalIf you wish to fry the tongue, dredge     the sliced tongue in flour, dip in beaten egg, and     fry the slices quickly in hot oil. Drain and add to     the sauce.

Add the slices of tongue to the sauce and simmer until meat is thoroughly heated. Add capers to taste. Serve the tongue and sauce sprinkled with parsley.






Use the tongue cooking liquid to make a flavorful vegetable soup.




Happening tomorrow!
You still have time to sign-up for my presentation, "Al-Andalus: The Enduring Influence of Islamic Culture on Spanish Cuisine," an online event, Sunday, March 22, sponsored by the Culinary Historians of New York. It will take place at 2 pm EDT (New York); 7 pm CET (Spain). Here's the link to register for the Zoom event: EventBrite.com ($12.51 for non-members).





 
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.












Saturday, March 14, 2026

ONLINE EVENT: THE STORY OF MOORISH INFLUENCE ON SPANISH COOKING

Al-Andalus:

The Enduring Influence of Islamic Culture on Spanish Cuisine

Online event sponsored by the Culinary Historians of New York

Sunday, Mar 22 from 2 pm EDT (US); 7 pm CET (Spain)

Janet Mendel, author of Flavors of Al-Andalus , from her kitchen in Andalusia, will tell the story of Moorish influence on Spanish cooking.                                                                                                                                                                  Muslims first invaded the Iberian peninsula in 711 CE, crossing the narrow straits from North Africa and taking over most of what would become the country of Spain. The newly conquered land was called al-Andalus and at one time covered almost the entire Iberian peninsula. For nearly 800 years, Muslim, Sephardic-Jewish, and Mozárabe-Christian communities lived together, in proximity, sometimes at war but often in friendly cooperation, shopping at the same markets, trading commodities, and sharing each other’s holidays and festive foods. This interweaving of cultures embedded the foodways of al-Andalus deeply in Spanish life.
Janet Mendel, journalist and author of several cookbooks, including the new Flavors of Al-Andalus: The Culinary Legacy of Spain (Hippocrene, 2025), will join us by Zoom from her kitchen in Andalusia to tell the story of Moorish influence on Spanish cooking. Using examples from contemporary recipes such as meatballs in almond-saffron sauce, gazpacho with oranges, and eggplant timbale, she will trace the heritage of ingredients and techniques to foods served in Islamic Spain (711–1492).
To register for the March 22 presentation on Zoom, go to this ticketing site.

 
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.



Saturday, March 7, 2026

ROE, ROE, ROE YOUR BOAT

Ben came home from surfing on the Atlantic coast with a lovely two-pound fish, a baila, spotted sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). The fish vendor at the market had removed the lobes of roe and bagged them separately. Ben cooked the whole fish with potatoes panadera (that recipe is here) to which he added sliced zucchini, broccoli florets, and, his special touch, slivers of chile. I contemplated the roe.
 

The roes (huevas) from most saltwater fish and shellfish are edible. In Spain, the most common roe consumed fresh are those from hake (merluza) and choco (cuttlefish). If roe is loosened from its sac and processed with salt, it can be called “caviar” only if it comes from sturgeon, according to the FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN). Other roes, from salmon, trout, lumpfish, ling cod,  similarly processed, are “substitutes of caviar.”  

Roe is delicate, grainy.

Use fresh fish roe raw in sushi. It also can be poached and served cold with aliño, dressing, or floured and fried.

The roe of this bass was very mild in taste and, in mouthfeel, was both delicate and grainy, with a slight crunch. 


Here is the way roe is served in tapa bars in Cádiz and Málaga. The cooked roe can also be cut into smaller pieces and mixed with the tomato-pepper dressing.
 

Fish roe is poached, sliced and dressed with a chopped tomato-pepper aliño.


Fish Roe with Chopped Dressing
Huevas de Pescado con Aliño

To prevent the membranes enclosing the roe from splitting during cooking, wrap the lobes in plastic wrap. Poach them in simmering water. 

Serves 2 to 4.

Lobes of fish roe.
6-8 ounces fish roe (2 lobes)
Salt
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
½ cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped green olives (optional) 
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Shredded lettuce
Hard-boiled egg
Flaky salt

Use scissors to separate the lobes of fish roe but do not remove the membrane encasing them. Wash gently in cold water. Pat dry and salt the roe lightly. Wrap each lobe in plastic wrap, folding in the ends so water doesn’t get inside the wrap. Place them in a pan, cover with hot water, and place the pan on medium-high heat until the water boils. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook the roe 15 minutes. Remove the roe and let them cool, still wrapped. 

Combine the green and red peppers, scallions, tomatoes, and olives, if using. Add the vinegar, oil and salt and mix well. 

Unwrap the packets of roe. Slice them crosswise about ½ inch thick. Add freshly chopped parsley to the pepper-tomato salad. Place shredded lettuce on a serving platter or 2 to 4 individual plates. Place sliced roe on the lettuce. Garnish with quartered egg. Sprinkle all with flaky salt and drizzle with additional oil.

Another recipe with fish roe: Squid Stuffed with Hake Roe, Sanlucar Style




FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 
The Culinary Legacy of Spain

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    


 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.



Saturday, February 28, 2026

DO YOU DO BACALAO?

 

Salt cod (bacalao)

Bacalao (salt cod) must be part of the Spanish DNA. In medieval times, unless you lived less than a 24-hour mule ride from the coast, you probably never tasted fresh fish. Salt cod  and other salt fish were the only seafood available to you. 


"According to tax records in the city of Barcelona, 1,800,000 kippered sardines were sold in a single day, February 8, 1434, the first day of Lent." (That’s the introduction to the fish chapter in my newest cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, which also has lots of recipes for fresh fish!)


What’s amazing is that, even now, with fabulous fresh seafood everywhere in Spain, bacalao continues to be a favored ingredient. 

Nevertheless, salt cod is not to everyone’s taste. In the recipe for Salt Cod Dip in the cookbook, I suggest the alternative of using canned tuna. Here's how that worked out.


I made the Salt Cod Dip recipe using canned tuna in place of cod. Here it is served as a first course accompanied by marinated cauliflower and crispy garlic toasts.

Leftover tuna dip is spread on bread with cheese and pan-grilled with olive oil to make a very tasty tuna melt, 


Salt Cod Dip
Ajo Bacalao

The recipe that appears in FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS is made with salt cod. 


Cod is unknown in Mediterranean waters. But, thanks to seafaring Basques, who fished the cod banks off Newfoundland as early as the 9th century, cod in its salted, dried form has been ubiquitous in Spanish cooking from medieval times to the present. 

This recipe with cod, bread, and olive oil makes a garlicky, creamy dip or schmear that might remind you of brandade or Greek taromosalata. This version comes from the Axarquía region east of Málaga and is a specialty of Semana Santa, Holy Week, when salt cod dishes are traditional.

In bygone times, the dish was made in a lebrillo, a large clay bowl, or with a wooden mortar, the ingredients mashed together with a pestle. Nowadays, a food processor makes quick work of it. It’s a good recipe to make when you have scraps of salt cod left from cutting up a whole fish for another recipe. 

As prepared in present times, a big spoonful of pimentĂłn is added to the dip, giving it a nice ruddy color. PimentĂłn would not have been available in Moorish times, so, if you like, include a mashed carrot or two to add color to the mix.

The resulting thick spread can be slathered on bread or toasts for a satisfying snack, spread on crisp crackers as a canapĂ© or dipped with breadsticks. Serve it as a luncheon entrĂ©e with artichokes, quartered hard-boiled egg and lettuce. 

Unless you obtain cod that is already desalted, you will need to start preparations a day or two before making the dip, as the cod needs to soak in water to remove salt and soften the flesh. Small pieces need only 12 hours soaking. If you have a thick, loin cut of bacalao, it may need as long as 48 hours to soften and lose excess salt. Salt cod needs very little cooking on gentle heat. 

If salt cod is not your thing, you could make the recipe substituting canned tuna. Skip the steps for soaking and cooking the salt cod. Use a little water or stock to soak the bread.

8 ounces dry salt cod or 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna, drained
2 cloves garlic
1 or 2 cooked carrots (optional)
2 ½ cups diced day-old bread (5 ounces)
1 cup cod cooking liquid
Pinch of ground cloves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Olives and hard-boiled eggs to garnish (optional) 
Bread, toast, breadsticks or crackers to serve

Wash the cod and cut it into 1-inch pieces, discarding any skin and bones. Place the cod in a bowl. Cover with cold water. Refrigerate, covered, 12 hours, changing the water twice. 

Drain and rinse the pieces of cod. Place them in a pan and cover with 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a simmer (bubbling gently) and cook 1 minute. Drain, saving the cod cooking liquid. When the cod is cool, flake it with the fingers. Reserve the cod and the cooking liquid.

Finely chop the garlic and carrot, if using, in a food processor. Add the bread and ½ cup of the reserved cod cooking liquid. Let it set 5 minutes to soften the bread. Process until the bread is a smooth paste, adding additional cooking liquid, as needed. Season with cloves and pepper. With the processor running, slowly add the oil. Process until the oil is completely absorbed and the mixture is very smooth. Add the lemon juice to make a smooth, thick cream. 

Add the flaked cod and pulse the mixture to combine the cod. The cod does not have to be completely pureed. Taste and add salt if necessary.  

Cover and refrigerate the cod until serving time or up to 3 days. Garnish with olives and sliced egg, if desired. Serve with bread, toasts, breadsticks or crackers.


More recipes with salt cod (bacalao):










FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 
The Culinary Legacy of Spain

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    


 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.




Saturday, February 21, 2026

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE SPANISH COOKIE

What is it about tortas de aceite? Everyone who tries these crispy cookies—or are they pastries?—is hooked. They are hand-made pastry discs very lightly flecked with aniseeds and sesame. Although they somewhat resemble "pie-crust cookies," these are made with olive oil and are leavened with a touch of yeast. 


In the US, you can order tortas de aceite from La Tienda, importers of Spanish products (2 packets of 6 cookies each for $19.00). Or you can make them yourself.  
Tortas de aceite are crispy pastry cookies with aniseed and sesame.


A COOKIE FOR EVERY MOOD

February, 2018

Tortas de aceite are the “little black dress” of cookies, because you can dress them up or down. Wear your pearls, sip cava and heap the crisp crackers with caviar. Or, get cozy in your jammies and spread them with peanut butter and jelly. Serve them for breakfast with coffee or tea, for dessert with cheese and fruit compotes, or, accompanied by a mellow muscatel wine, on a rainy afternoon with classical guitar music playing.

These tortas can be sweet or savory. Serve them with fruit, cheese, nuts and a mellow, medium-dry muscatel wine or sweet Sherry.
Tortas de aceite are round, olive oil flat breads/cookies/crackers. There are actually two versions with the same name, one a soft, sweet bun, and this one, a crisp, wafer-like cookie. The crispy ones have attained gourmet status, tortas de aceite Ines Rosales® from Sevilla. The “legĂ­timas y acreditadas” tortas are slightly sweet and contain both sesame and aniseed. 


Tortas are studded with sesame and aniseed. This version has toasted almonds too.

Serve tortas alongside fruit compote (this is apple-raisin-cinnamon). Or heap the fruit right on the torta for a quickie "pie." Go ahead and add a dollop of ice cream. The tortas are equally good with springtime strawberries.

Goat cheese and crispy tortas, a perfect pairing.

Crispy Olive Oil Cookies/Crackers
Tortas de Aceite

Use bread flour or all-purpose flour for the dough. You will not need to flour the board for kneading this dough or for rolling out the tortas, as the oil keeps the dough from sticking. 

The cookies are not overly sweet, with only a coating of sugar on the top. Make them sweeter with a honey glaze, made by boiling 1/3 cup honey with 2 tablespoons water for 6 minutes, then brushing it on the tortas when they come out of the oven. For savory crackers, omit the sugar and top the rolled tortas with flaky salt.

The olive oil is “infused” with lemon zest, aniseed and sesame. Heat the oil on a low fire—don’t allow the seeds to fry. Discard the lemon zest. Let the oil cool slightly before adding the yeast to it. The water for dissolving the yeast should be very warm, not hot (105ÂşF/ 40ÂşC).

Makes 12 (4-inch) cookies.

Warm water (105ÂşF/ 40ÂşC), ¼  + ¼ cups
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6-inch strip of lemon zest
1 tablespoon aniseed
2 tablespoons sesame seed
2 cups bread flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup finely chopped toasted almonds
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
Salt flakes (optional)


Place ¼ cup very warm water in a small bowl. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir to combine. Allow the yeast to proof 10 minutes, until it bubbles.

Place the oil in a small pan with the lemon zest, aniseed and sesame seed. Heat on low heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Skim out and discard the strip of lemon zest.

Place the warm oil and seeds in a bowl. Add ¼ cup of warm water and the yeast mixture.

Combine the flour, salt and almonds. Beat them into the oil-yeast mixture in the bowl. When the dough is too stiff to mix, turn it out on a board. Knead the dough until very smooth and stretchy, 5 minutes. Gather the dough into a ball.

Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl, turning it to coat both sides. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450ÂşF/ 230ÂşC. Line two or more baking sheets with baking parchment.

Roll balls of dough out very thinly. No flour needed on the board, as oil keeps the dough from sticking.

Sprinkle with sugar.
Punch down the dough and gather it into a ball. Divide the dough into 12 golf ball-size balls (about 1 ¼ ounce each). Roll or pat the balls as thinly as possible into 4-inch (approx.) circles. Place them on baking sheets.

For sweet cookies, sprinkle the tops of the tortas with 2 tablespoons sugar, pressing it lightly into the dough. For savory crackers, omit sugar and sprinkle tops with salt flakes.

Bake the tortas (in two or three batches) until they are browned on the edges, about 8 minutes. Cool them on a rack.

Store the tortas in a tightly covered container. 
The recipe for tortas de aceite also appears in my newest cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, a collection of 120 recipes that have roots in Moorish Spain. (See below for where to order.)

***   ***   ***
These are another type of torta de aceite:


Or, tortas de mantecaCrispy Lard Cookies




FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 
The Culinary Legacy of Spain

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    


 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.