Vineria San Telmo, Seville

I love Spain! The weather, the country, the people and of course the foods! I share the love for the country with my better half, FF.  Although we do try to visit places and countries we haven't been to before, we don't really mind coming back to this country again and again.

Last December,  when weather in Germany drastically drops below zero, we found ourselves boarding the plane to Andalusia, the south of Spain, with the bitter cold of Germany hot on our heels. We fled hoping for a warm, sunny welcome.

Alas, we were met by strong gush of wind and pouring rain. For 3 days, the sun was swallowed by thick clouds,  only to sneak quick peek  before hiding  and getting us all drench up again in the unforgiving rain. It was depressing. 

So we stayed indoors, most of the time. Literally going in one tapas bar and restaurant to the other. Eating our way through the streets of Seville certainly lifted our drowning spirits. 

This particular restaurant made our stay in Seville enjoyable and forgot the sloppy weather . With thousands of competition in the city, this relatively new establishment  was able to garner a place among the solid rank of well visited places in Seville. The delicious foods, fabulous wines, cool ambiance and friendly staff made us come back here 4 nights in a row.  

  Vineria San Telmo gives classic  Andalusian dishes a modern and innovative twist. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals in this place. Here are just few of the treats they offer. 

Housemade Chicken Liver Pate with Tomatoe Jam and Melted Castuera Cheese with Caramelised Onions.

Homemade Foie Gras M Cuit with Vanilla Oil and Caramelised Peanuts.

Squid Ink Spagetti with Garlic, Pesto  and Grilled Scallops

Grilled Beef Carpacio Rolls filled with Brie and served with Mango Chutney and Candied Angel Hair squash

Argentinian Beef Fillet with Sweet Mustard Sauce

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Basil and Tarragon, served with Couscous

Grilled Foie Gras with Apple Compote

Crispy Prawn in Panco with Soy Mayonnaise  served with Zucchini

Stewed Oxtail in Crispy Filo Pastry. My favourite dish!

Pan Fried Octopus with Garlic and Onion

Salmon Tatami with Leeks

The wife of the owner of Vineria San Telmo is a pastry chef and owns her own bakeshop, so we were told. Her creations are displayed in a cart  beside the door for everyone to ogle . We were blown away the each of the sweet treat we've tried. 

The cloud of Meringues on top of the tangy Lemon  Pie is a delight to the palate. 

 Seriously addictive !

FF on the other hand, loved this apple pie served with ice cream.

The Cheesecake is not overly sweet and was served with berry sauce. So yummy!

Finally, one of the best flans I had. So silky, no eggy after taste and simply delicious!

If you happen to be in Seville and wants to try some delicious, modern day tapas, check this place out! You won't regret it.

Address: Paseo de Catalina de Ribera, 4, 41004 Sevilla, Spain

Phone: +34 954 41 06 00

Menu: vineriasantelmo.com

Hours: 

Wednesday	1PM–12AM
Thursday	1PM–12AM
Friday	1PM–12AM
Saturday	1PM–12AM
Sunday	1PM–12AM
Monday	1PM–12AM
Tuesday	1PM–12AM

Oven baked Lechon Belly

Nothing excites a Filipino party goer more than seeing a lechon on the table. The king of  a buffet throne, the crowned jewel and the Belle of the ball . It's  the epitome of the Philippines' festivities . 

The whole roasted pig, glistering in its own fat with the aromatic steam seeping between the crackling skin , watering mouths, wowing eyes and promising heart -clogging goodness  .

 Now that Christmas is at our doorstep and everyone feeling all jovial and festive, pictures of it is all over the Internet , ever present in many ,many celebrations and parties. As a matter of fact, every December , my hometown even celebrates a food Festival dedicated to this Filipino specialty.

Behold! The Lechon Festival!

I feel home sick and left out just by looking at it and  grease- stained smiles of those who had it. Since I can't possibly order a whole pig and my oven in nowhere near big enough to accommodate a whole swine, I decided to make a smaller but never the less just as delicious version using just the pork's belly. 

It was my first time making  Lechon at home and I was pleasantly surprise that it turned out so good. The skin was so crispy , it stayed crunchy  the next day! The best part is, it tasted of home. This is going to be a very merry Christmas after all. 

Just listen to this crackling sound. It's almost as good as listening to Christmas carols.

Triple Chocolate Brownie

I once came across a rather heated discussion about how Brownies ought to be.  Crumbly or Chewy?  It's astonishing how passionate  some people can get when it comes to their food. 

It reminds me of how Jamie Oliver almost  started civil war in Spain after adding chorizo to his  Paella and tweeting about it.  Fortunately for me, being a mere mortal/unknown blogger, I do not fear being the receiving end of somebody's wrath  for bastardising a national dish. (^_^)

So back to the Brownie question. Crumbly or chewy? To compromise,  my friends , is the key to good foods and world peace. Why settle for one gustatory gratification when you can have both? Take this brownie recipe for example, the sides and top is both crumbly and crisp, yet once sliced, it is a gooey, fudgey and chewy. The best of both worlds.

Ingredients:

250 g dark chocolate

200 g butter

50 g coconut oil

3 eggs

200 g brown sugar

50 g white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

130 g flour

30 g cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

150g  of your favourite, chocolate chip 

 Whisk together eggs, white and brown sugar and vanilla until well combined

 Put a heat-proof bowl over a pot of steaming water. Melt butter, coconut oil and chocolate together. Once chocolate mixture is smooth and lump-free, take bowl from the heat. Rest for 5 minutes.

 Whisk egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.

 Sift flour, cocoa and salt and fold into the chocolate mixture .

 Add in the chocolate chips. Stir! Stir!Stir!

Bake in a preheated oven ( 180°C) for 20 minutes.
Allow to set for about 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Best eating warm as it is or with a scoop of your favourite ice cream and sauce. Yum!