Dinner at Toro

Though my summer semester abroad in Spain is a distant memory, it is still one of my fondest. Young, traveling alone, unable to speak the language, I was immersed in a culture so different from my own. My house mother, knowing my homesickness at first, made meals of comfort foods - chicken croquettes, pressed jamon y queso sandwiches, egg and potato tortilla. These lovingly prepared meals were the first foreign foods I had every experienced in their native country. I tried everything my house mother cooked. I was never a shy eater in the first place (my mother's voice always resonating in my ear, "try it, you might just like it") and so I devoured everything put in front of me (including the hamburguesa con queso she made for the 4th of July). After a few days in my new surroundings I discovered tapas bars. I was in love.

Ever since, my search for authentic Spanish food has taken me far and wide. We even make paella and other Spanish style tapas at home from time to time. Because of this, I knew there was one place in Boston that I needed to try: Toro.

Knowing that Toro has a reputation to be very busy, we arrived on the early side for dinner. There weren't an seats directly at the bar, but we were able to find some on the side rail facing the street. This ended up being a great spot, because as it became busy, people were crowded around the patrons sitting at the bar. We, on the other hand, had plenty of space. And, while space isn't necessarily a given at a traditional tapas bar, I knew we would be at the Toro for a while and thus needed a little elbow room while we sampled and tasted.

We started the evening with tequila cocktails, some pimentos and an order of tuna belly while we looked over the menu.

pimientos

ventresca

Because of the reputation of the kitchen staff at Toro, I wanted to indulge in some of my favorites (white anchovies, serrano) while also trying some new flavor combinations (ceviche and cod).

For the next round of tapas, we decided to go with a wine. As soon as I saw that a txakolina was offered, I knew that's what we were getting. This effervescent white wine hails from the north of Spain. Traditionally, the wine is poured into the glass from 2-3 feet away. This allows the flavors to be released. It's a flavorful wine and is meant to be sipped while enjoying tapas - a perfect choice. 

ulacia txakolina

datiles con jamon

boquerones

jamon serrano

ceviche

razor clams

cod

Our food was flavorful and beautifully presented. I love the portion sizes of tapas, and these were no exception. Enough to share and enough to make you feel like you had a good taste of something without getting too full. I also think we did well ordering, because as a compulsive over-order-er, I tend to think that because the plates are small and inexpensive, that I need 17 of them. This was enough dinner for two adults, we ate and drank over the course of 3 hours.

For dessert we split an order of churros and each enjoyed a glass of house Tempranillo. There was a bit too much sugar and cinnamon on the churros for my taste, but they were a wonderful way to end the meal.

I had a wonderful experience at Toro. The restaurant served up the flavors I have known to love in a chic and modern environment, muy bueno!

JoJo Loves You Giveaway

The earrings that go with everything.

I was first introduced to the Bling earrings from Jo Jo Loves You, by local Boston Designer Josie Hewitt, by some friends of mine, and my collection has been rapidly growing since. I wear them to work, dressed up, dressed down, on special occasions and sometimes on a run. They are my go-to earrings for any occasion.

me, wearing my black blings at the Bean in Chicago, 2010

Because I love these earrings so much, I am giving a pair away to one lucky reader. The color I chose to giveaway is called Green Sheen, and I think it's a fantastic color for any season!

 (source)

(source)

To win the earrings please comment on this post, telling me what your favorite accessory is.

For an extra entry, you can do any of the following: 

~Follow @UpwithOlives on Twitter

~Tweet: I want to win the @jojolovesblings giveaway hosted by @UpwithOlives 

Like Straight Up with Olives on Facebook

(please come back and comment, letting me know if you did any of the above for your extra chance to win!)

Giveaway will end Monday, September 26, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

Good luck!

Ultimate Margarita

To me, the ultimate margarita consists of good tequila, lime juice, salt and ice. Simple and satisfying. For my at-home recipe I add Cointreau, a sweet orange liquor, and a thin slice of jalapeño for a bit more flavor.

Ultimate Margarita
serves 2

Ingredients
4 oz high quality silver or white tequila
2 1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed from 5-6 limes
2 thin slices jalapeño
kosher salt, for rimming the glasses
ice
optional: squeeze of agave nectar

Instructions
Rim glasses. Fill shaker with ice. Add tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and jalapeño slices. Shake thoroughly, then pour into salt-rimmed glasses.

Enjoy!

Citrus and Garlic Marinated Olives

This recipe is one of the best to make (no cooking required!) and these olives are a perfect snack, addition to an antipasti platter, or appetizer at a cocktail party.

Citrus and Garlic Marinated Olives

serves: enough for a party

Ingredients

3 c cracked green olives

3 c pitted green olives

1 c kalamata olives

1/2 c caper berries

3 lemons

1 orange

9 cloves garlic (6 whole, 3 crushed)*

2 quart seal-able jar

olive oil

crushed red pepper, rosemary (optional)

Instructions

Strain olives and caper berries into a colander and rinse thoroughly with water. Soak olives and capers in a bowl of cool water for 10 mins. Meanwhile, peal 9 cloves of garlic. Crush 3 of the cloves and set aside. Thinly slice citrus fruits, saving 1/2 of one of the lemons for juicing. 

Strain olives and capers.

In a 2 quart jar, layer olives, capers, garlic (and spices, if you are using them) and fruit slices alternatively until the jar is almost full. Juice the remaining 1/2 lemon and pour juice into the jar . Fill the jar with olive oil, to the top.

The olives last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator for 25-30 mins before serving. 

*use more or less garlic, depending on your taste. I love garlic, and 9 cloves seems to be the perfect amount for me.

Oysters

I used to be a line cook. It was one of my favorite, and hardest, jobs to date. I learned about food preparation, time management, how not to cut myself while multi-tasking with a knife in my hand, how to use a cherry tomato as a weapon and, most importantly for the sake of this post, how to shuck and oyster. I can happily say that all of these skills are still with me today, many years later.

We picked up a 50 PEI oysters while up in Maine on vacation and enjoyed almost every single one. Buying oysters wholesale or retail means you can get them cheap. They usually sell for around $1/piece while in restaurants they are usually around $2-3.00/piece. Eating oysters at a restaurant is expensive, and while buying them and shucking them means you save yourself some money, you do need to put a little - or a lot - of effort in.

Shucking oysters is easy. I know a lot of people are intimidated by it, but it's a lot easier than it sounds and it gets easier with practice. Plus, I saved around $100 (plus tax and gratuity!) by doing this myself. And, it also ensured that I had the freshest oysters I could get.

We enjoyed the oysters with a bottle of 2010 Bonnet-Huteau Muscadet that I picked up from my favorite wine shop, Central Bottle. I told the sales assistant that I wanted a wine to compliment the oysters - and they delivered. The crisp wine was a wonderful accompaniment.

How to Shuck an Oyster

Remember to keep the oysters cold at all times and to use an oyster knife for the best results. Shucking oysters can be quite messy, so I recommend doing it outside - at least until you get the hang of it.

1. clean the oysters with a brush, removing all dirt, and rinse with cold water. this step is one of the most important, because as you shuck the oyster and run the knife along the shell, you will avoid bringing dirt or sand into the oyster

2. wrap oyster with a towel, to protect your hand*, and place firmly on a steady surface

3. find the hinge of the oyster. here, you will be able to insert the tip of your knife

4. insert the tip of your knife into the hinge and slowly add pressure while twisting the knife slowly from side to side (this is the way I do it, everyone is different)

5. be gentle, but firm and try to pop the shells apart. sometimes the area where you have pointed your knife will start to crumble and fall apart. try moving your knife over to a new section, or cleaning the area and starting again

6. once the two shells have separated, slowly run your knife down the middle**

7. cut the oyster free by sliding your knife under the oyster to cut the muscle that keeps it attached to its shell, while managing to keep the juices in the bottom shell

8. slurp the oyster and enjoy! I prefer freshly squeezed lemon or hot sauce on my oysters.

*some people use a glove or oven mit during this step. the more protection for your hand, the better. getting a oyster knife through your palm is not fun
**another reason to thoroughly clean your oysters, if there is any surface dirt, you will bring it into the oyster during this step
*** don't mind my hair in the above photo