Yum! October 2005

Welcome to the Canadian Living Test Kitchen bulletin board. This is our space to write about the foodie world -- stories we are working on, tasty new food products and must-have utensils that spark our imagination. We'll report new cooking tricks (and occasionally lessons learned) that come from the day-to-day testing and developing of recipes you find in the magazine. And, as we discover the hottest new restaurants, chefs and gourmet and farmer's markets, you'll be among the first to know.

Oct. 31 Foodie diary: Tapas treats
Recently, the Canadian Living Test Kitchen treated staff from Free the Children to a night of Spanish tapas, with such dishes as Clams in Garlic and White Wine and Manchego Chorizo Puffs (see "On Tapas of the World" in our October 2005 issue).

We are all also cheese lovers, so some our favourite Spanish cheeses were served with the tapas along with walnut bread and Port-braised figs. If you are thinking of throwing a tapas party (or just want to try something different), here are a few Spanish cheeses (or quesos) worth seeking out:

Majorero: This goat's milk cheese from Spain's Canary Islands is tangy, sweet and mild with a nutty aftertaste. Try it with quince paste.

Manchego: Spain's most famous hard ewe's-milk cheese from the cattle-raising region of La Mancha is tangy, full flavoured and slightly grainy. For nibbling, buy the cruda, but a cheaper grade works just fine for chorizo puffs.

Valdeén: This is a mild, blue, rich and creamy cow's milk (or goat and cow) cheese that is aged in caves along Spain's Cantabrian Sea and wrapped in chestnut (or sycamore) leaves. It looks great on the cheese board and is especially good with organic honey and ripe pears.

And check out our Roasted Garlic Tapas recipe.