ilexann's Profile
Willi's wine bar - outside drinks in Santa Rosa area
Yes! And it's beautiful. There's also a nice patio at Monti's (in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center). Hope the weather's good for you.
Torta de Aciete in Toronto?
I love those things, too. I think the importer is Culinary Collective (formerly known as Power-Selles) in Seattle. www.culinarycollective.com You could contact them and ask if they sell to anyone in your area. Good luck.
Widely available olive oil
If you ever come across one called Zoe, give it a shot. It comes in tins or large bottles with brightly-colored graphics in red and yellow. It's a well-balanced Spanish extra virgin blend that stands up to heat, but is not bitter. It is very reasonably priced--about $10/liter. I don't think it is carried at any of the stores you mentioned, but I've seen it in specialty retailers and even some supermarkets in most major cities.
Can somone slice my Bone In Jamon Serrano?
I don't think you should precut or freeze either, but I don't have a moldy 22 lb jamon taking up counter space in my kitchen. I'm pretty sure the mold is o.k and agree with Pincho that the best course of action is to learn to hand slice. Think of it this way---you'll develop a new skill that will put you in demand at parties.
Two other thoughts: Have you checked out Tienda.com? Here is a link on storage and slicing: http://www.tienda.com/heritage/jamonslicing.html
You might also give a call to Sabor of Spain in San Rafael. They are knowledgeable and very nice and should be able to at least give you some informed advice about the best course of action.
If you do manage to have someone debone it, the bone is fabulous for flavoring soups, stews, beans, etc.
Good luck!
Spanish Food Cookbook
1080 will be published in English later this year. If you can't hold out that long, I agree with the other posters about Janet Mendel's books. She has another book that wasn't mentioned that you might check out: My Kitchen in Spain. It's full of regional home cooking recipes from all over Spain including very thorough instructions on paella. I love The New Spanish Table, too, but in a totally different way. It gives you a great overview of what is going on in Spain today. And fulfills any foodporn lust cravings.
