PX, Morenita (cream), Marques de Rodil (Palo Cortado), La Panesa (Fino especial). All from Bodega Emilio Hidalgo, Jerez de la Frontera.

I’m sure that many of you, when you hear the word “sherry”, start thinking about a nasty, sweet wine your grandmother or another old lady of your childhood was drinking. But sherry is a lot more than that, and it is a shame, that it is so “uncool” to drink. A friend and sherry expert even suggests, that it marketing-wise would be smart to change the name “sherry” to something else to prevent people’s prejudice before trying this wonderful wine from Southern Spain. But now, finally, sherry is getting more and more attention. Sherry bars are popping up in many cities all over the world and wine experts praise sherry very highly. Sherry is made in the Cadiz province, in the área between Jerez de la Frontera, San Lucar de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa María, where it is a wine making tradition that goes back 3000 years. There are many kinds of sherries; a wide range from really, really sweet to ultra-dry.

My favourites are the dry ones. The dry sherries are perfect with fish, sea food, cured ham and any kinds of food prepared in the deep fryer, where it freshens up and cleans your palette.  My new favourite pairing is sushi & sherry, which is quite lucky, since the new food market in Vejer has a sushi take-away and sherry bar just opposite each other….:-)

My first “sherry-crush” was on an old fino…. “La Panesa – fino especial”. It is a dry sherry with a lot of volume and a nutty flavour from the winery Bodega Emilio Hidalgo. This small family bodega dates back to mid 1800. It is a family with a great traditions and passion for their trade and offers many beautiful wines amongst others an exquisite sweet sherry, Morenita, which is a mix of Oloroso and Pedro Jimenez. http://www.hidalgo.com/

Are you not familiar with the world of sherries, but would like to know more, I can recommend this video, which explains about the wine making, the different types of sherries, pairing and more in only 9,5 minutes:

You should make it one of the things you have to try out in 2015. If you are not planning on visiting the Spanish sherry area, then go to your local wine shop and ask for advice. I’m sure that you will find that these old women weren’t that wrong after all;-)

Photo: Lykke Rump

Photo: Marcel Dykiert

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Sun Tzu.

New kids on the block… (Ours are the blonde ones;-))

Integration has always meant a lot for us and to succeed the minimum requirement is to learn the language. We have also chosen to send the kids to a public school, instead of an international school. All the children from our village take the school bus up to Vejer, which means that our children, go to school with the same children, as they play with after school hours. This has meant a lot for the integration in the local community and we have so far been happy with their schools, even though it is very different from the Danish school system. Besides going to the local school, they also have after school activities. But the main reason for a good integration has been our neighbours. They have been overwhelmingly welcoming towards us and that goes for the Spanish people in general.  They are very open towards foreigners, definitely an example other nationalities can learn from.

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The other day I was in the garden hanging up clothes to dry. Two boys passed by on their bikes. One of them is here from the village, the other on visit. Passing the garden, without being able to see me because of the garden wall, the local boy said: “David lives in that house…” after a pause ”.. – his parents are foreigners.” It made me so happy. I know that our kids are accepted as equals to their Spanish friends, but still, that sentence just made my day and assured me that the integration is going well.

Photo: Lykke Rump

This weekend we had, amongst other salads, a version of the classic Waldorf salad. Many guests praised it, which makes me want to reveal our recipe to you. I am normally not that keen on the classic Waldorf salad, because I find it too rich. Too much mayonnaise…

But this version is lighter and great to enjoy as a salad by itself or as a side salad to a meat dish, traditionally game, which also is in season right now. But really, it could be any kind of meat or poultry dish.

Serves 4:

1 lemon

1 big apple, quite acid

4 -5 celery stalks

150 grams of grapes

50-75 grams of walnuts

2-3 spoonful’s of Greek yogurt

Additionally 1 spoonful of mayonnaise

1 spoonful sugar

Grate half of the lemon and put the zest in a bowl with the juice.

Cut the apple in ½ cm cubes and put them in the bowl. Let the cubes soak well in the juice, to not oxidize.

Lightly peal the celery and slice them in approx. 3mm slices. Fill a small pot with water and put it to boil, add a pinch of salt and throw in the celery. Let them boil for two minutes and then cool them off in cold water (ice cubes). When cold, take them out and pat dry. Mix them with the apples.

Put the walnut in a hot oven for a few minutes to intensify their taste and make them crunchier. Crush them lightly on a chopping board with the side of a big kitchen knife.

Half the grapes and deseed them. Add them to the bowl together with the walnuts.

Then add the yogurt, sugar and if you like it a bit richer, the mayonnaise. Season it with salt and pepper and put it in the fridge for half an hour before serving. Taste again if it needs more salt and pepper, maybe a few drops of lemon or a little bit more sugar. And now it is ready to serve…

The Spanish language is wonderful. I am so happy that I finally am getting the hang of it. But I must say it is a language that can surprise one.

For example; did you know, that the word “esposa” means “wife“.

But if you now say the same word in plural “esposas”, just added “s”, it means “wives” or “HANDCUFFS“!!!

Honestly???!!! I kid you not!