Pedro’s Spanish Kitchen – Sevilla Orange Tortas

OK, so Pedro doesn’t actually MAKE these, but he did FIND these typical Spanish yummies the other day in good ol’ Reno, Nevada.  And for this blog, that’s good enough.

These delectable goodies are known as “Tortas” in Spain and at least until now, I’ve only seen these a) everywhere in Spain; b) a specialty cheese shop in Placerville, CA c) occasionally at the “Hispanic” market in town.  But thanks to a spontaneous trip to the market the other day, we now know you can buy these at… Whole Foods!  Whoo-who!

And whoo-who is right.  I feel it is not only correct of me to share this discovery, it is my moral responsibility to do so.  These Spanish “tortas” are akin to a deep-fried Mexican tortilla (not the same as a Spanish tortilla) and are generously coated with olive oil, and up until now, I had only seen them covered with sugar and anise seeds.  NOW – thanks to Whole Foods, we know that they also come covered in cinnamon sugar and…..OMG……Sevilla Orange.  YUM!

I wholeheartedly recommend you gobble up multiple packages of these Sevilla Orange tortas.  They are not only covered in olive oil (a staple of the Spanish flavor profile), sugar and orange essence, but are also sprinkled with zest of oranges from Seville!  I cannot begin to describe how yummy these are.  Sevilla Orange zest has a bite to it, which balances out the sweetness of the sugar – not really with a bitter flavor, but with a strong orange flavor.  These tortas are usually enjoyed as a breakfast snack, with coffee.  But if you are lucky enough to not to be a coffee drinker like me, you are free from the restraints of coffee-drinking rituals and can gobble these up at any time of the day and with any drink you wish!

 So if you have been to Spain and wish to re-live the flavor of the country, I suggest picking up a package of these.  Or if you haven’t been there and want to get an inkling of what you are missing and why Spain should be next on your travel list, pick up a package of these as well. Or if you could care less if you ever set foot in the country, and just want something with lots of flavor to snack on, try these as well.

I’m telling you…your craving for all things Spanish will be satisfied with a package of these Orange Tortas…if only for a minute or two.

Pura Vida, Indeed!

Beach outside of Puerto Jimenez, Osa Penninsula
Costa Rica

Well, I am back from Costa Rica and (unfortunately) all settled back in my boring routine at home. Our time in Costa Rica was nothing short of awesome, and what was especially neat about this trip is that every single day we had some kind of adventure that was just as amazing as the day before.  Two of the three locations we visited were pretty remote – one we took a rather small plane to (Puerto Jimenez) and the other was accessible by an hour and a half boat ride through the jungle (Tortuguero National Park). The other place we visited, Arenal Volcano, is set up to be more accessible (and is accordingly a little more touristy) but the experience we had at Arenal National Park felt equally as far-away and solitary as the other two.  I can’t begin to do justice to the many experiences we had if I try to fit all of them into this one blog, so I’ll leave the stories to dribble out over time, much like my experiences in Spain do.

 But for now, here’s a taste of what we experienced in Costa Rica.  And, sadly, for the last time for a while…PURA VIDA to all the magnificent Costa Ricans we had the privilege of sharing a bit of our life with.

Matapalo National Park, Osa Penninsula
Near Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Arenal National Park
La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Sunset over Tortuguero National Park