On this snowy slushy day (will winter never end??) I am experimenting with adding an Animoto video I made with my photos from Galicia--and recalling my time there. Click on: Why I love Galicia and see if it works...My visit to Santiago de Compostela was dream-filled, with drenching rain, ghost stories, mystical flaming drinks, and.... so much more. Memories of those "pimientos de Padron"--small roasted green peppers that are sharp and hot, washed down with a glass of the cold Albarino wine...Afternoons, drinking little cups of thick hot chocolate--served with warm sugared churros. One morning, I remember hot strong espresso and a slice of the city's signature Tarta de Santiago (almond cake). Displayed in every patisserie window in the city, the cake is one of those simple perfections-- its cross of St. James stenciled in powdered sugar on top. Besides buying the cake at the patisseries, go to the city's convents. Compostela's Benedictine and Dominican nuns are renowned bakers--they also sell the Tarta de Santiago plus delicious cookies--true sweet blessings.
Pictured below is the Monasterio de Benedictinas San Pelayo de Ante Altares in Santiago de Compostela where I bought the Tarta de Santiago and also a box of yummy cookies. The nuns sell their baked goods from behind the iron bars you see here. They do not allow photos of themselves. You ring a bell on the wall nearby and one of the nuns comes to the "window" and opens it. Then they bring out what you order, you pay, and they spin the boxes of goods slowly out to you on the revolving wooden lazy-susan that slips under the iron grates. Very ingenious--and definitely worth seeking out both for the experience AND the delicious sweets.
Autumn brings many exciting sweets to the table. It is, of course, the season of candy corn. And as any good Minnesota mom knows, it is also the time to make up a mixture of candy corn and peanuts. When a handful of this sweet and salty mixture goes into the mouth and is chewed together, it tastes like the Salted Nut Roll candy bar. (The recipe is basically: mix one jar of dry roasted salted peanuts with one bag of candy corn. If you like more peanuts or more candy corn, adjust accordingly.) I thought everyone knew about this sweet October delicacy. But when I discovered that there are some folks (mostly of the East Coast persuasion) who said they had not heard of the treat, much less the Salted Nut Roll, it gave me pause. Could it really be? So to those who already know, you can skip this part. And to those who do need explanation: the Salted Nut Roll is a sweet nougat center covered in caramel, then in peanuts, and made by Pearson's, a small candy company in St. Paul. They also make the famous Nut Goodie candy bar (I guess they're into nuts). And yes, this is the candy bar that Garrison Keillor has promoted and made famous. Years ago, I had the fun opportunity to tour Pearson's candy factory when I was on an assignment. (The factory is not open to the public.) This is one of the tiny candy companies we need to support--and I am happy to promote their sweet goods.