REAL MADRID FOOTBALLERS TELL YOU HOW THEY SEE MADRID

(please, pause the Ipod first)

A touristic website about Madrid has just made a film with the Real Madrid footballers telling us about this city and what they think and like about living here. Since the quality of the film is very good and perhaps some of the readers of this blog are planning to come to Madrid in short, here I leave you the video, it is 2 minutes long and you can also have it in French, Italian, German (and Spanish, of course jejeje).

It is interesting to see Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Kaká, Marcelo, Xavi Alonso and others to explain to you what to see and not to miss if you come here. I am sure they will tell you better than me! I hope it can be useful for you and you can enjoy it! 

Source:
http://www.infoesmadrid.com/

NEW AND STYLISH ANCIENT SAN MIGUEL MARKET

One of my current favourite places in Madrid to have tapas is San Miguel Market, in the centre of the city. It is one of the most ancient markets in the city and recently it has been transformed in a gourmet area, very attractive for locals and tourists.

It is located in a remarkable turn of the 20th century building which seems somewhat out of place among the stone and mortar buildings that surround it. And it is a beautiful example of iron-made architecture with a beautiful roof, columns and decoration that have been able to stand on foot. Now this ancient market has been transformed in a gourmet area.

Before it was a market there had been a church, which burnt down and was finally demolished in the times of Jose Bonaparte. Afterwards a market took place in this area. It was dedicated to fresh products, especially fish.

In 1909 the current San Miguel Market was built following the style of the markets in Paris with big glass and iron buildings. During the Civil War the market was closed but fortunately not destroyed. In 1951 it reopened selling mostly products from the areas surrounding Madrid and provided many well known restaurants with its goods like Lhardy, Casa Botin o Edelweis.

In the last year of the XXth century the activity of the market decreased and in 2003 the building was bought by a group, El Gastronomo de San Miguel, and the restructuring began. The building itself redesigned in order to maintain the historic aspects and also fulfil the needs of today.

The market is set up by means of two central mall kiosks with high tables along the place and there are 33 stands in hands of professionals that not only sell their their products, but also offer their advise to the clients. There is a flower shop, a fishmonger, a butcher, a bakery among many other stands offering all kinds of food and also kitchen utensils and even a bookstore related to cuisine. The offer is really wide: Swedish tapas, oysters, bulk fruits, cold meats, chocolates, ice creams, fresh pastas, a great variety of cheeses, handmade, organic baker’s shops, etc.

In short, it is a wonderful place to have some tapas or drink some wine or beer. A place not to be missed if you are visiting Madrid, it is really worth to step inside if you are by the Main Square (in fact, it is located just 60 meters from it). And like I was telling you in the beginning of the post, it is one of the places I love most in Madrid, really yummy!

Sources:

Spaintravelblog.com

Travellinginspain.com

Sightseeingmadrid.com

THE REAL GAZPACHO FROM SPAIN, GREAT FOR SUMMER!

Summer is nearly here and one of the tips to fight against the heat is to cook refreshing meals. In Spain one of the most popular recipes is GAZPACHO and since it has been a long time since I haven't written about Spanish food, my post today is about this meal and how you have to prepare it.

Before telling  you how to make it, just a few lines about this meal: Although originally Gazpacho was from Andalusia, nowadays is an essential food in every Spanish home at summer. It is an important exponent of Mediterranean diet, it is a source of vitamine C, A and E, carbohydrates and some minerals such as phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium or sodium. Provides a high content of vegetable fiber and antioxidants and phenolic compounds. Pufff.... really nutritive! isn't it? And it is easy to make and only takes twenty minutes.

So, here we are! Are you ready? Steady? Go!


Ingredients for 4 people:

1 Kilo tomatoes (preferable plum tomatoes)

1/2 small onion (60 grams)

2 small green pepper

1 small cucumber (the small chubby Spanish type)

1 small cup of olive oil

2 desert spoons of vinager

200 grams of bread from the day before, soaked in water

Small portions of diced tomatoes, red and green peppers, cucumber, onion and bread or croutons to sprinkle on top.

Steps:

1. Put the tomatoes, onion, pepper, cucumber, vinager, oil and bread into a liquidizer. If you want to dilute it, add a glass of water. Tip: if you want to go for a tangy garlic taste, add a small amount of fresh garlic to the mixture before liquidizing.

2. Put the mixture into a bowl, add salt and pepper and leave the gazpacho to chill for at least an hour. If you want to eat it straight away, you can put some ice cubes in to cool it down. Remember that Gazpacho is a summer dish which is meant to hydrate and cool down your body. So the colder the better.

3. Serve the gazpacho in soup bowls, with the portions of diced tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, croutons, etc. on the table, so that everyone can add them to their bowl as they prefer. Tip: you can also sprinkle diced serrano ham or hard boiled egg.

And that's all! Please, if you try it I would be very pleased to know about the results!

¡Buen provecho!