Here's a couple more tapas recipes plus a gazapacho recipe (cold Spanish tomato soup) and some recipes for sangria... GAZPACHO Makes 6 servings Ingredients: 3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), seeded and cut into chunks 1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 stalk scallion, white and green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 clove garlic (1 clove is plenty in this dish) a good drizzle extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar ½ cup tomato juice ½ tsp red pepper flakes Salt freshly ground black pepper Directions Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, scallion, and garlic in a food processor or blender and process until semi-smooth. Add the vinegar, tomato juice, pepper flakes and continue processing just until thoroughly combined with the vegetable puree. Transfer the soup to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Check the seasonings before serving. Serve in chilled bowls with a table set with condiments Condiments, etc. to have at the table for self serve: -- Tabasco sauce or similar hot sauce -- finely diced vegetable mix (Roma tomatoes, red onion, green and red peppers, celery and cucumber. -- avocado, diced -- herbed croutons -- chopped cilantro -- sour cream (or, better yet, sour cream whipped with fresh basil) -- salt and pepper ENSALADILLA RUSA Spanish Potato Salad Serves 4 Ingredients 3 medium potatoes 1 large carrot, diced ¼ cup shelled green peas 2/3 cup green beans ½ medium onion, chopped 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 4 small cocktail gherkins, sliced 2 tablespoons baby capers 12 whole anchovy-stuffed olives 1 large hard-cooked egg, sliced thin 2/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish Directions In a saucepan, cook the potatoes and carrot in lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until almost tender. Fold in the peas and beans, and cook until all the vegetables are tender. Drain the vegetables and transfer them into a serving platter. Add the onion, pepper, gherkins, baby capers, anchovy-stuffed olives, and egg slices. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. Add this mixture to the serving platter, mixing well to ensure all the ingredients are coated. Sprinkle with pepper and toss. Garnish with chopped parsley and refrigerate. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour immediately before serving to enhance the salad's flavor. ARTICHOKE RICE CAKES WITH MANCHEGO Serves 6 Ingredients 1 large globe artichoke 2 oz butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 4 oz rice 2 cups hot chicken stock 2 oz grated fresh Parmesan cheese 5 oz manchego cheese, very finely diced 3-4 tablespoon fine corn meal olive oil, for frying salt and ground black pepper fresh flat leaf parsley, to garnish Directions Remove the stalks, leaves and choke to leave just the heart of the artichoke; chop the heart finely. Melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the chopped artichoke heart, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the rice and cook for about 1 minute. Keeping the heat fairly high, gradually add the stock, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked - this should take about 20 minutes. Season well, and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Leave to cool, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of one hand, flatten slightly, and place a few pieces of diced cheese in the centre. Shape the rice around the cheese to make a small ball. Flatten slightly, and then roll in the corn meal, shaking off any excess. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 12 cakes. Shallow fry the rice cakes in hot olive oil for 4-5 minutes until they are crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, garnished with flat leaf parsley. PATATAS BRAVAS Serves 4 Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled, and cut to 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ tablespoons Spanish paprika ¼ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce ¼ teaspoon ground thyme ½ cup (4 fl. oz) Ketchup ½ cup (4 fl. oz) mayonnaise Chopped parsley, to garnish 1 cup (8 fl. oz) olive oil, for frying Directions The Brava sauce In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft. Turn off the heat, and add the paprika, Tabasco sauce, and thyme, stirring well. Transfer to a bowl and add the ketchup and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. The potatoes Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet fry the potatoes in 1 cup (8 fl. oz) olive oil until cooked through and golden-brown, stirring occasionally. (Take care when adding the potatoes to the saucepan because the oil will splatter due to the salt). Drain the potatoes on paper towels, check the seasoning, add more salt if necessary, and set it aside. Continued Getting it all together Mix the potatoes with the sauce immediately before serving to ensure that the potatoes retain their crispness. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm. TORTILLA OR SPANISH OMELETTE (neither name is what you think it is) Serves 4 Ingredients ½ pint olive oil 5 medium baking potatoes, peeled, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt ½ medium yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 5 large eggs Salt Directions Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Keep the potato slices separated so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oil in the skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half set. Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelet away from the hand holding the plate (so as not to burn your hand with any escaping oil). Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and slide the omelet back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set. Allow the omelet to cool, and then cut it into wedges. Season it with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste (optional). Serve warm or at room temperature. Basic Sangria Recipe Makes 4 glasses Ingredients 3 ¼ cups dry red wine 1 tablespoon sugar Juice of 1 large orange Juice of 1 large lemon 1 large orange, sliced thin crosswise 1 large lemon, sliced thin crosswise 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks 1 cup club soda Directions Combine all the ingredients except for the club soda in a large punch bowl or serving pitcher, mixing well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the club soda for added fizz. Ladle into cups with ice cubes. White Sangria Makes 8 glasses Ingredients Apple juice, for ice cubes 1 ¼ cups water 1 small bunch fresh mint ½ cup sugar 3 sticks cinnamon 3 ¼ cups dry white wine 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 2 small pears, cut into chunks 2 medium oranges, sliced crosswise 2 small lemons, sliced crosswise 3 cups sparkling apple cider Mint leaves, to garnish (optional) Directions To make the apple juice ice cubes, pour the apple juice into two ice trays and freeze until the sangría is ready to serve. Combine the water, mint leaves, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, remove and discard the mint and cinnamon sticks. Transfer the remaining mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the wine, peaches, pears, and the orange and lemon slices to the serving bowl. Mix well, and refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the sparkling apple cider and the apple juice ice cubes. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, if desired. Peach and Orange Sangria Makes 6 glasses Ingredients 3 ¼ cups dry white wine 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup Triple Sec 1/3 cup peach-flavored brandy 2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced 2 medium oranges, sliced thin and crosswise 1 cup sparkling orange soda 1 cup ginger ale Directions In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients except the orange soda and ginger ale and mix well. Refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving, mix in the orange soda and ginger ale. Serve over Ice. * Lemons and cherries may be added too, for an additional splash of color. Fruity Sangria Makes 18 glasses Ingredients 8 cups dry red wine 8 cups apple juice 1 small grapefruit, cut into eights 1 medium orange, sliced thin crosswise 1 medium lemon, sliced thin crosswise , seeded 1 small pear, diced 1 medium apple, diced Directions Combine the wine, apple juice, and grapefruit pieces in a large pitcher. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. The following day, add the orange and lemon slices to the wine. Refrigerate for a further 3 hours. Add the pear and apple to the mixture, then allow to stand for a further 1 hour to absorb the flavor fully. Mix well and serve over ice. Joe

Steaks we grill in summer, often with a simple marinade. In winter I use steaks for swiss steak type recipes. My favorite roast recipe is below. It is really, really good, but not extremely health-conscious! Sometimes I make minor changes such as using canola instead of lard to brown the roast. But, don't omit the bacon. Venison can dry out very easily and the bacon helps to keep it nice and moist. VENISON ROAST WITH BACON AND SOUR CREAM GRAVY Venison roast (2-3 pounds) lemon salt and pepper garlic powder flour lard or beef suet 1/2 Cup red wine 1/2 Cup beef broth 4 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce 3 bay leaves 1/4 teaspoon celery salt 1/4 onion, chopped small Bacon 2 Tablespoons flour 2 Tablespoons butter 1 Cup sour cream 1. Rub roast with lemon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roll roast in flour. 2. Melt a couple tablespoons lard or render some beef suet in a heavy pan. Sear the roast on all sides in the hot grease. 3. Combine the red wine, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, celery salt, and onion in a roasting pan. 4. Wrap the seared roast with bacon strips, use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place. 5. Place the roast in the roasting pan, cover, and bake in a preheated oven at 325°F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Baste occassionally with drippings. Cook uncovered last 30 minutes to brown roast. 6. Mix 2 tablespoons flour with 2 tablespoons melted butter in warm pan until flour is mixed in well. 7. Add sour cream to butter and flour, stirring until all ingredients are mixed smoothly. 8. Add 1-2 cups of the drippings to the sour cream, mix well. Serve roast with gravy.

I use a lot of dehydrated produce in a lot of recipes. Like last night there was dehydrated corn, kale, and wild chives in the potato and ham chowder. A few nights ago I made stuffed shells, and the tomato sauce had a heap of dehydrated quartered tomatoes and dehydrated sliced mushrooms in it. I always have dehydrated celery and carrots in the house so I have the stuff on hand for mire poix for whenever I need it without having to use up my fresh produce. When onions go on sale for super cheap, I run a few days worth or minced onions and usually have a few quarts in the pantry- right now I've run myself down to the last couple handfuls in the pantry to prep up for restocking onions soon. Herbs of course too, we use heaps of fresh and dried herbs around here. I do up tomatoes sliced, quartered, or halved depending on the kind and size. They get powdered up for instant tomato sauces and pastes, and left in bigger pieces to stew up in soups, stews, and sauces. Summer squashes get grated and dried up- used in all sorts of stuff like soups, casseroles, stews, or even rehydrated for zucchini breads. Winter squashes get cooked, pureed, and dehydrated on jelly sheets till crispy dry- then made into squash flour for baking- it is wonderful in quick breads and hearty breads- you simply replace some of the flour with squash flour. Actually you can make flour out of pretty much any pleasing combination of produce- add veggie kick to any breads, or make tasty veggie crackers. Sometimes I'll grate winter squash raw and it can get added into soups, stews, or sprinkled on pizza like cheese. I do this with sweet potatoes too- we love garlic, spinach, sweet potato, and mushroom pizzas with either white or tomato sauce. Dried and minced/powdered, you can make your own seasoning mixes, dip and dressing mixes, dry vegetable broth mix, and more. For recipes that use the green beans, try looking for it under "leather britches" recipes. Leather britches is what the old timers called the green beans they would hang on strings to dry out and eat up during the winter. I use them mostly in soups and stews, and a couple casseroles. Peppers can be dried up- I tend to do them either in rings, halved, or quartered depending on the size, but I never leave them whole. They are great for additions to all sorts of foods, or ground up into spice powders. If you have a smoker, you can smoke them before drying them too :)

We are all triangles, lol. Such an interesting observation about the internet and forums. I know eyes probably roll at most of my posts, but someone somewhere might use my non-recipe jumble way of cooking or use a hint since we cut out most sugars and salts a long time ago. Mentioning pharmacists Barb...i've done the same. I wandered into a pharmacist in the city....seems to be one on every NYC block...two young girls behind the counter, young meaning younger, probably early thirties. This was a couple years ago, but i decided to ask about a possible urinary tract infection and we ended up chatting for 20 minutes. They were so helpful and suggested a non-invasive over the counter thing to try first before seeing my primary care as i just had no time...they were a fantastic wealth of information. And made me promise to seek doctor help if it was not solved in a few days. Researching on our own is just good knowledge to have along with your primary care office. We really are responsible for our own basic needs at home and to eat as healthy as we can. It is difficult to start making changes to a dish that is so familiar but i feel pretty shitty after eating comfort food. DH made red-eye gravy, scratch biscuits, the day after a party. With leftovers after i made a de-salted roasted ham NewYears day...we ate tiny portions and it was a treat, then felt crappy all day. We just don't eat that way anymore. (it was delish going in!) Not had tuna casserole since my my mother made it when i was a kid. Loaded with wasted calories. Lots of ways to replace that with vegetables and still be creamy and filling. I've been making a no-mayo nicoise tuna salad for years. Even better, With your prep bowls...6 or 8 soup bowls near your chopping block...chop a half red onion, or white, a half red pepper, a couple ribs of celery, some green onion...pull some peas, limas, spinach, out of the freezer,,,,(i buy the bags over the rectangle cube boxes from the freezer section). Any good veg choices you like...) in the bags you can just take a handful, then wrap it back up with a rubber band. A veg in each bowl, the frozen as well and they start to thaw a bit. Some olives if you like them, capers if you have them. A half a chopped apple and some lemon zest with a 1/4 juice...grate a couple cups of cauliflower. Or chop. Even chopped mushrooms. Saute your onions and celery, grated carrot, garlic...whatever you want and place in the bottom of a casserole, add all other veg and layer with tuna and cooked rice pasta or regular egg noodles but use a 1/4 portion. Just replace all that pasta with 3/4 veg. Cauliflower is such a great pasta/rice replacement. We use non-fat greek yogurt mixed with cottage cheese, feta, or a slice of goat cheese...we like all of those and usually have them on hand. I use a bit of water but skim milk is a good choice for some moisture. And egg stirred in is good but not necessary. I always have citrus ice cubes frozen with some herbs. a couple of those on top...cover and bake...then cover off near the end of oven cooking to get a nice bubbly light brown top. Browning a bit adds flavor. Packed with lots of veggie you can eat a bit more. The rest of the fresh chopped veg and apple/lemon/herb, olives etc goes into a fresh tuna salad for the next day or two. Cucumber and avocado is super on that salad. You then have a crisper drawer of leftover veg not cut up for another few meals at the end of the week. Half a red pepper, half and onion, etc. My veggie lasagna and Shipwreck pie, both are 75% veg and keep winning cooking contests. Because they are baked casserole dishes they have all the elements of comfort food without the high starches and empty calories though very filling and comforting...and we don't feel shitty the next day.