Papaya & Galician Goat Cheese Salad

Vi en Instagram una ensalada de papaya del Restaurante Serrano que se me hacía la boca agua. Aquí ves el plato adaptado para también incluir pera, melon, pasas y nueces. Servido con un vino rosado y pan recién horneado. Madre mía, sentí como una reina.

I saw on Instagram a papaya salad at Restaurante Serrano that made my mouth water. Here you see the plate also including pear, melon, raisins and walnuts. Served with a fine rosé and fresh baked bread. Oh my, felt like a queen.

http://www.restauranteserrano.es/

Astorga Tastes Like Chocolate

On February 14th, Valentine's Day, a year ago Astorga inaugurated it's new Chocolate Museo. The Museo del Chocolate celebrated this month with Weekends in February, in which every Saturday it's provided a different aspect of the Chocolate Tradition with Tours, Talks and Tasting.

1954 El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote De La Mancha, Colección de 80 cromos, de unas ilustraciones realizadas entre 1928-1934 por Albert José Segelles.

1954 Don Quixote of the Mancha, one of a collection of 80 collectable prints made between 1928-1934 by Albert José Segelles.

La imprenta astorgana, surgió en el siglo XVI fue revolucionaria para que se difundiera la imagen chocolate de Astorga al mundo. El resultado fue que una industria entera de dibujantes y litógrafos se desarrollara durante largo tiempo y con magníficos diseños. Figuran en la colección del Museo de Chocolate de Astorga impresiones de membretes, tarjetas de visita, cromos, carteles y envolturas para el chocolates.

The printing press that appeared in the XVI century in Astorga was revolutionary in that it spread the chocolate image of Astorga to the world.  The result was an entire industry of draftsmen/graphic designers and lithographers that developed magnificent designs over a long period of time. Letterheads, business cards, trading cards, posters and wrappers for chocolates are included in the Chocolate Museum of Astorga collection.

Piedras litográficas y planchas de cinc relacionadas exclusivamente con la elaboración del chocolate.

Paladares Expertos Eligen el Chocolate Santocildes Entre sus Favoritos

Historian Manuel Álvarez in the Program below talks about Astorga's chocolate. One of the most interesting points for me was to learn why Astorga and not some other place in Europe. He says that there were two main reasons. One, Astorga became the Diocese of the region in the 1800s, a center of religious and thus, social activity and secondly, the climate, being both dry and cold. perfect for the storage and preservation of this delicious product.

La Chocoleta de Magín, Programa nº4, entrevista a Mañuel Álvarez, historiador que nos cuenta sobre el chocolate de Astorga.

So Give Me Avocados

We attended a modest, but very well-attended luncheon benefit to fight hunger and help those in need around the world in numerous other projects such as AIDS relief, schools and educational funds and more. As I meditated on the issue of feeding the world I couldn't help but think how many mouths could be fed by feeding the grain to people instead of using it to fatten up cattle, pigs and fowl for just a fraction of those on this earth.

It's not usual to see a slam poet of this age pound out a message like this. I couldn't have said it better.

In the age in which we’re living,
There is ever more misgiving 

Over what is done to those who cannot speak. 

I was deaf to all their pain, 

So I knew not any shame, 

At eating 

For Three bodies 

A week. 

So give me avocados . . . 

Then I wondered if a child 

Could take a creature from the wild, 

Cut off its legs, then its skin, and its head? 

So we pay for hidden slaughter, 

While we teach our sons and daughters, 

Our habit 

Of eating the dead. 

So I’m O.K with avocados . . . 

And I’ll eat tofu burgers  

You can even give me black bean curd. 

But don’t give me no bread, 

If it’s wrapping the dead - 

The remains 

Of the body, of no bird. 

And how soon we’ve lost sight, 

Of how all said it’s right, 

For humans, as slaves, to be bred. 

For the animals it’s worse, 

We rend them thrice cursed: 

Take their children, 

Steal their milk 

And eat their dead .

It can be captives in a boat, 

It can be those without a vote, 

Do we ever see the evil of the day? 

For every piece of flesh we buy, 

We pay to breed the next to die, 

For as long 

As we look the other way. 

While it’s humans who need feeding 

The animals we’re breeding, 

Outnumber every human six to one 

Many children hardly eat 

Because their food has fed your meat 

While the blame For this shame 

You pass on!

 

But choice, you say, is your right 

That you can eat just as you like, 

And it’s merely an opinion that I voice. 

But your choice, - it kills so many; 

This opinion, not any. 

And your victims – 

You give them any choice? 

So there’s more to avocados...

And eating tofu burgers, 

Than minimizing illness – and your girth! 

No less than Einstein did resolve, 

From eating flesh we must evolve, 

Or mankind, he said, 

May not survive on earth! 

NO RAPPING THE DEAD ©.M. E.W. King. July 2006 & Apr 2009.

Palacio de Canedo

Such a romantic place. No wonder this couple chose it for their special day.  

21.2.2016 - One of the reasons I so love having a small English academy is that I get to meet so many interesting people, especially young people just embarking on new careers and life journeys. Alfonso Gonzálo Díaz-Palacio, in just the short time I've known him has created several short films, one which is a favourite, The Rocking Chair, La Mecedora, and a number of photography projects. Here is a sample of his special perspective, the wedding of Bruno and Laura at the Palacio de Canedo.

Alfonso: "Casi 6 meses después de la boda entre Bruno y Laura, os dejo un vídeo resumen del trabajo que me encargaron. Fue un día genial entre los viñedos del Palacio de Canedo. ¡Espero que os guste!"
www.sitofon.com

ASTORKa

Cena De San Valentín

A dinner to celebrate love and all the good that God has done in our lives.
Cenamos juntos para celebrar el amor y todo lo bueno que ha hecho el Señor en nuestras vidas.

http://www.ieponferrada.com/

Carnaval 2016

Astorga didn’t let the rain and icy winds dampen its Carnaval Spirit 2016. Photos courtesy of Astorga Comunidad. Astorga no permitió que la lluvia y viento helado les mojara el ánimo de su Espiritu Carnavalero 2016.