I'm very into Spain right now. I think it might be the fact that Asian cuisines are a little old for me (I grew up on them!), Mexican is everywhere here in LA, and Mediterranean is all over the Food Network. But Spain? Somewhere a little less travelled, it seems.

Gambas al Ajillo, garlic shrimp, is a classic tapa served in bars around Spain to accompany drinks. I've combined a few recipes after doing some research, adding quite a bit more lemon and wine, and changing the cooking process from sauteing to poaching, but the idea is the same. The shrimp are served at the bar (or in your living room), room temperature, chased with lots of sangria.

Sarah's Spanish-style Garlic Lemon Shrimp

In a large bowl, combine zest from 1 lemon, 1/2 c. fresh lemon juice, 2 cloves finely minced garlic, 1/4 c. dry white wine (from Spain would be the best), 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced, and about 2 sprigs finely chopped fresh parsley.

Rinse, de-vein, and peel about 2 lb. large shrimp. You can take the tails off, but I left them on as "handles."

Poach peeled shrimp in simmering water for about 1 minute, until they are opaque. Remove from water, and immediately place into the bowl with the sauce. Toss to coat the hot shrimp, cover, and let stand at room temperature until they are ready to serve, or in the refrigerator if you are making it ahead. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. I also served toasted, thinly sliced baguette.

Previous Trips to Spain:
Estofado Catalan - Beef stew from Catalonia
Patatas Bravas - Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce

One of the best ways I know how to learn about a culture is to cook the food. I learned a little more about Spain ths past weekend by slow cooking estofado catalan, as well as a whole table full of tapas-like dishes to go with sangria. One of the things I made was patatas bravas, or potatoes served with a tomato sauce. It's kind of like French fries and ketchup, but a million times better.

When we were little, my sisters and I used to eat Dinty Moore Beef Stew all the time. We would pour the stuff over steamed white rice and mix in some Korean hot pepper paste, goh-choo-jahng. We're grown up now, so we know better. Skip the the goh-choo jahng and mix in some chopped kimchee.

Really, though, the stuff is absolutely horrible. Canned beef stew, that is. But real beef stew, slow-cooked until the meat is as soft as room temperature butter and the vegetables have practically melted into a caramel mess in the sauce, is incredible. Estofado Catalan is a beef stew with its origins in the Catalonia region of Spain. It's often made with meaty, fatty shortribs, but for the New-Year's-resolutions-conscious guests at my dinner party, I used a slightly leaner cut of beef. It's okay, though, since long, slow cooking takes care of what could potentially be tough.