Gazpacho served at the White House

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, a ferocious advocate of healthy eating and living, delighted her guests this past weekend with some gazpacho prepared by Spanish chef Jose Andres during the luncheon that she hosted for the spouses of the Group of Eight leaders. It's gazpacho slowly making its way into the American way of living? Judge for yourself...http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/12638299-418/story.html

First Lady Michelle Obama, from right, Hitomi Noda, wife of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, and Valerie Trierweiler, partner of French President Francois Hollande, listen to the White House curator during a tour with spouses of the G-8 leaders at the White House in Washington Saturday, May 19, 2012.

"Light" Andalusian Gazpacho (a la Beatriz Taillefer)

This past Saturday our dear friends Beatriz Taillefer and Eduardo Guille celebrated a beautiful wedding in Malaga, Spain and we soooo wished we could have been there.  About 17 years ago our dear friend and artist extraordinaire, Beatriz, came to visit us from Malaga and shared with me what I call a light Andalusian gazpacho recipe.  Malaga is on the southern coast of Spain, in Andalusia.  This coast, also known as the Costa del Sol, is the land of the sun, of joyful and easy going people, and is well known in the world for its touristy beaches like Marbella, Estepona, Torremolinos and Fuengirola, amongst others. To me this region is the epitome of easy living, laughter, sunny days and incredibly healthy and refreshing food. Having been with my husband many times to Malaga on visits to Beatriz and her family, the Taillefers, I can now say that the gazpacho that we have enjoyed at their home and their childrens' homes was one of my favorites. So today, I will share with you the recipe that Beatriz shared with me so many years ago; even if it's a slight variation from the traditional Andalusian recipe:

Ingredients for a "light" Andalusian Gazpacho:

• About 2 lbs of very ripe plum tomatoes, washed and cut (skinned will be optional)
• About 1 cup of cucumbers, washed and partially peeled (you may peel them completely but the belief is that by leaving some skin, they will be easier to digest)
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves 
• About 1 to 1 1/2 cups of ice cold water (this depends on how you want the consistency)
• Salt to taste (I put about 3/4 tsp to 1 tsp)
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

In a blender at full speed blend all ingredients until desired consistency.  Refrigerate immediately and let it cool in a glass pitcher for at least 4 hours before serving. Enjoy it on a glass, or as a first course in a bowl. You may always garnish with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions or even croutons. Cheers!

Do you have any favorite gazpacho recipes? Share them with us.

You can see my friend's Beatriz Taillefer's portfolio at www.beatriztaillefer.artelista.com/en/ and Eduardo Guille's portfolio at www.eduardoguille.artelista.com/en/

Bea and Eduardo in their civil ceremony last week in Malaga

Gazpacho Tip: How to wash tomatoes

Does the temperature of the water we use to wash our tomatoes matter? I used to not think so.  However,  as I have learned in the last few months, water temperature matters. The wash water should be several degrees warmer than the pulp temperature of the tomatoes to avoid drawing water and disease organisms in the tomato. Therefore, if your tomato is at room temperature (which is the case in most instances) the water you use to wash them should be lukewarm. Rubbing the tomato under running water will be better than just letting the water run over them. And another thing, do not soak the tomatoes.  Under more than one foot of water they will float right up to the surface. If the water is colder than the tomato it will be absorbed into the fruit and so will any microorganisms that could have been on its surface from the store, from the farm etc...

To read more about safely handling produce and vegetables visit this USDA brochure at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/pdf/best_practices.pdf  made for school cafeteria personnel. Look at page 4 for a chart on handling different fruits and veggies.

Gazpacho as a post training recovery drink? Why not?

My husband, during one of his trips to Spain, cycling in the mountains of Madrid

An avid cyclist and gazpacho drinker, my husband has been drinking gazpacho for years after his arduous 50 mile cycling rides. He walks into our kitchen at 10:30 in the morning with the typical post ride look of contentedness and exhaustion.  He immediately opens the refrigerator door, grabs the glass pitcher full of gazpacho, pours himself a huge glass, and drinks it.  Growing up in Spain, I never thought of gazpacho as a recovery drink. When I think of gazpacho, I see it more as a snack that you drink in between meals,  as "the meal" instead of a salad or as a first course before a meal. Why have gazpacho instead of your typical recovery drink?  I did a bit of research on the subject and this is what I found out:

• First, gazpacho contains Lycopene -- a vital anti-oxidant that helps in the fight against cancerous cell formation as well as other kinds of health complications and diseases. It takes as little as 540 milliliters of liquid tomato product to get the full benefits of Lycopene (about a daily glass of gazpacho).
• Second, gazpacho is a great source of carotenoids, folate, copper, vitamin B-6 and manganese. The latter is involved in wound healing and the formation of bone and cartilage. You can read more at the LiveStrong website:http://www.livestrong.com/article/546499-gazpacho-soup-benefits/#ixzz1tZhc5J6u. 
• Thirdly,  the salt (preferably sea salt) contained in the gazpacho aids the replacement of  the electrolytes lost during exercise. Electrolytes are minerals, primarily salts, which exist in your blood and which carry electrical impulses (such as muscle contractions) between cells. They are important to bodily processes that involve your heart, nerves and muscles.  
• Finally, an 8 oz glass of gazpacho has only about 90 calories, yet it's loaded with all the aforementioned vitamins and minerals. Thus, it has a small caloric content, yet it packs a big punch.

Next time, before grabbing a bottle of your favorite post workout drink think of grabbing a glass of, why not? Gazpacho!

Gazpacho going mainstream in the US: iPhone commercial

It's about time!! Gazpacho is finally here! Apple's newest iPhone commercial features actor Samuel Jackson instructing Siri to remind him to put gazpacho on ice. Way to go Apple! You guys know how to spot and feature the latest and coolest trends!

Calling all purists: Gazpacho is from Spain, Mexican salsa is from Mexico

Picture of my gazpacho taken by my friend Yamarashi

Do you consider yourself a purist when it comes to food? If you do let's get some things straight: Gazpacho originated in Spain hundreds of years ago. It does not look like Mexican salsa or Pico de Gallo and it does not contain Tabasco.  Gazpacho's consistency may vary depending upon the method used to prepare this dish. My mother used a two step process: She blended all vegetables together and then she used a food mill to remove all seeds and skin.  The result: A smooth, creamy and silky gazpacho. In other instances, tomatoes were peeled and seeded and then blended with all the remaining vegetables. The goal was always to achieve a smooth consistency. In years past it was difficult since it was made by hand.  Today in Spain, the smoothest gazpachos are created with the help of a wonderful food processor, Thermomix.  The outcome: no resemblance to Mexican Salsa.  By the way, no cilantro either.