Spanish Herbs and Spices
During any holiday in Spain, you will no doubt want to get out and about to savour the wonderful cuisine of the country. With car hire in Malaga airport, you will have the freedom to explore many places, from busy beach resorts to quaint inland villages. Every part of Spain has its own regional gastronomic specialities that use ingredients that are grown and produced locally and often using closely-guarded recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.
Many of Spain’s typical dishes are flavoured with the herbs and spices that grow naturally here and many dishes are still influenced by Arabic traditions. You won’t find many strongly spiced or really hot dishes on the menu, but rather ones with a subtle and delicate undertone of carefully balanced flavours derived from the herbs and spices that have been carefully selected to enhance the flavour of the dish, rather than overpower it. Aside from sampling the cuisine, you should try to visit some of the areas where the ingredients are grown. You could visit the fields where the beautiful crocus flowers bloom in La Mancha and witness the ladies collecting the saffron, in much the same way as this traditional labour-intensive harvest has gone on for hundreds of years. Or with car hire Malaga airport you could go and see the traditional pepper and paprika production in Murcia.
Garlic is probably the best-known ingredient used in Spanish cuisine. It is used to flavour a wide range of traditional dishes. There is more than one type of garlic and the most highly regarded is the purple garlic, grown in central Spain. The Spanish like to rub their toast with garlic for a really invigorating breakfast. It is also used in traditional Spanish soups (there is even a soup made of nothing much else but garlic), paellas and, of course, in alioli, a garlic mayonnaise.
Paprika is another widely used spice in Spanish dishes. It imparts a rich, red colour to dishes and the smoked variety gives a deliciously subtle flavour to food. It is used in the manufacture of the traditional Spanish “chorizo” sausage, in the popular fried potato dish known as “patatas bravas” and also in the preservation of olives to give them a bit of a “kick”. In some areas the peppers used to make paprika are still sun-dried in the traditional way and this type of paprika is highly prized for its intense flavour.
If you decide to explore a little of inland Spain with your vehicle from car hire Malaga airport you are likely to come across convents selling traditionally baked sweet biscuits, called “mantecados” that are delicately flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Engineered Oak Flooring – A Renovators Dream for the Authentic Look
When renovating the dining room of an old Victorian town house and the wish is to keep a look of authenticity, think of using engineered oak flooring. It would be a wise decision as not only does it look the part but it is extremely practical.
The surface finish is comparable to any solid oak flooring; the credit for this is due to the fact that the finish or top surface is genuine oak wood cut to depth of between 4mm and 8mm. This layer is bonded to either one or two other layers of wood depending on the quality of the product. These other two layers are either a combination of spruce softwood with a middle layer of pine softwood or two layers of spruce softwood or in the budget panels a layer of spruce softwood.
To protect the engineered oak flooring from damage and scratches up to six layers of UV based varnish or oil are applied to the surface thus bringing out the full effect of the natural grain and wood marking. UV stands for Ultra Violet and is included in the mix to protect the flooring from the powerful rays of the sun much as we would protect our own skin against it.
Oak is one of the stronger hardwoods but because the veneer layer applied is relatively thin it needs some extra protection so excessive wear could very well damage it exposing the softwood underneath. This would mean removing the entire floor back to the damaged piece, replacing it then refitting the other sections.
Fixing the engineered oak flooring in place can be completed in several different ways. In an area like a dining room this really depends on where it is situated and how much traffic it will see. For instance if the dining room is separate to other rooms and little entertaining takes place it may be sufficient to just click each piece into place; if the dining room is an integral part of the kitchen area and the centre of all household activity then it may be better for it to be pinned and glued in place; anything between these two extremes and either gluing or pinning will suffice.
The layers of wood are bonded together giving it a strong flexible finish that is ideally suited to the dining room environment. An added benefit with the engineered version is it is designed to fit together for an even stronger, closer fit.
Because of the composition of the engineered oak flooring it does not suffer the vagaries of the weather when it expands with humidity and shrinks in drier weather. The flooring is also far more flexible thanks to the layers of softwood the oak has been bonded to.
For the new floor in the dining room renovation to be the talk of the dinner table use engineered oak flooring for the authentic look.
Types of White Wine
Grapes are grown not only to be sold as a fruit but also for wine production. Wine production is a huge business and there are various types of wine such as red, rosé or white. Wine is often drunk as an accompaniment to a meal or just as a nice relaxing drink at the end of a hard day at work. In fact wine is becoming an increasingly popular tipple among people the world over.
There are many wine producing areas around the globe and the wines made here are exported all over the world. Some of the more famous wine producing areas are California, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, South Africa and New Zealand. These areas all have perfect climates for growing wine grapes and are renowned for their delicious top quality white wine.
Within France there are a number of regions where they are particularly famous for their white wine such as Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Voignier. These regions are Burgundy, Bordeaux and Alsace. These wines are also grown in regions in California such as the Sonoma Valleys, the Central Coast and Napa Valley. Australia produces these wines too and also varieties such as Pinto Grig and Semillon. If you are looking for sparkling wine, it is produced by many countries including Italy and in other wine producing regions such as California although the only country to produce champagne is France.
White wine comes in varying degrees of taste from dry to sweet and a lot in between. If a wine is unblended it is made from only one grape and is known as a varietal wine. Varietal wines from countries such as Germany which include Reislings and occasionally Gewurztraminers can be quite sweet. Chenin Blanc can also be sweet. Some blended wines will also be sweet but this will depend on the grapes that have been used. People tend to drink sweet wines on their own or as an accompaniment to fruit or cheese.
There are many types of dry white wine and these tend to include Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and some Chenin Blancs. Most people would tend to drink dry white wine with either poultry or fish.
There are other variations of white wine which are reserved mainly as aperitifs. These include sparkling wines, champagnes or Sherries. Then there are dessert wines which are particularly sweet and which are usually enjoyed from a small liquor glass. Types of popular dessert wines include Muscat and Sauterne.
There are thousands of white wines that you can choose and it will all depend on your particular tastes. Whether you prefer sweet white wine or you would rather drink a dry white wine, there is a whole host for you to choose from. Many people have a preference for a particular type of white wine and many prefer to choose their wine depending on the region it comes from. Whatever your tastes, one thing is for sure, white wine is becoming an increasingly popular choice.