Food & Drink News ~ That extra cup of coffee could be good for your health

Two recent studies that have just been published on the consumption of coffee have found that it could be good for your health and even make you live a little longer. According to one study people who drank two to four cups of coffee a day had an 18% lower risk of death compared with people who did not drink coffee.

One of the studies that has recently been  published looked at individuals from 10 European countries
and the other study concentrated on individuals from all ethnic groups. The new studies shows that there is a stronger biological possibility for the relationship between coffee and longevity and found that mortality was conversely related to coffee consumption for a range of diseases including; heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, and revealed an opposite association between coffee and liver disease, suicide in men, cancer in women, digestive diseases and circulatory diseases.

Those who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had a lower risk for various causes of death than
people who did not drink coffee. Both studies separated smokers from nonsmokers, since smoking is known to reduce lifespan and is linked to various deceases. However, they found that coffee had opposite effects on mortality for smokers too. The studies showed that smoking doesn't seem to blunt the effects of coffee, ,it didn't matter whether you smoked or not. There was still a potential beneficial affect of coffee on mortality. So the consensus is enough your coffee and keep drinking it as it seems as if it is doing you some good!

Food & Drink News ~ Spanish exports under threat as drought continues to affect it�s wine and olive production

Spain�s agriculture production, particularly it�s grape and olive crops are coming under threat as around half the country is on alert of drought.The Spanish reservoirs are standing  at 56 percent, the lowest since June 1995, and the summer is only just getting started. This April was the hottest this century, and only heavy rainfall in the autumn could help.save the olive crop.

Spain  is the world's leading olive producer and provides 50% of the global supply of olive oil and 35 percent of table olives. Last year�s poor harvest throughout the Mediterranean in general reduced the world production of olive oil by 11%. Producers in the province of Ja�n in Andalucia one of the main areas for Spanish olive crops, are warning that if the shortage of rain continues, it will have serious consequences on the harvest which has suffered already due to a few dry years. As a result, olive oil prices have surged by almost a quarter this year.

The country�s wine producers are also hoping for rain, only a break in the continual dry weather could help a year that has already seen production drop of up to 50% in some regions. It is almost a certainty that the volume produced will be down, but without some cooler weather in August the period when the grapes come to maturity, the overall quality of the wine is also in danger.

Recipes ~ Ice cold Gazpacho for those hot summer days

Now that summer is upon us and the days are hotting up, why not try this traditional Andalusian gazpacho recipe for a cooling lunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients

100g stale crusty white bread, soaked in cold water for 20 mins
1kg over ripe tomatoes, diced
1 ripe red pepper and 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
150ml extra virgin olive oil
2tbsp sherry vinegar
Salt and white pepper to taste

Method

1. Mix the diced tomatoes, peppers and cucumber with the crushed garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Squeeze out the bread, tear it roughly into chunks, and add to the mixture.

2. Blend until smooth, then add the salt and vinegar to taste and stir well.

3. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled. A top tip is to take some of the mixture and freeze into ice cubes (1 per serving) and this will ensure the soup is ice cold when you serve it.

4. Serve with garnishes of your choice: Here are some suggestions, garlic oil croutons, diced black olives, hard-boiled egg, small pieces of cucumber and pepper, mint or parsley, spring onion, cubes of Spanish ham or prawns.

Food & Drink ~ The simple guide to ordering wine in Spain

It is simple to order wine in Spain if you know how, below is a quick guide to help you enjoy your wine and order precisely what you want.

Tinto ~ Red Wine
Instead of the standard Rioja, why not try Ribera del Duera wines from central Spain. They are better value and just as good.

Tinto de Verano ~ Red Wine Spritzer
Served across the country, the cold summer drink is one part red wine, one part sparkling soda or water and in some places rum is added.

Crianza ~ An Aged Wine
A red that has been aged a minimum of two years with at least six months in a barrel. (White Crianza wines must be aged for at least one year.)

Rosado ~ Rose
Most Spanish rosados are made from Garnacha grapes or sometimes Tempranillo. Rosados can be quite dark in colour and are usually dry and tangy.

Cava ~ Sparkling Wine
Cava is Spain�s most popular sparkling wine Freixenet and Codorniu are its two main producers.

Blanco ~ White Wine
A good tip when ordering white wine is to order whatever is produced locally.

Rioja ~ Spain�s most famous Wine
This wine region produces medium-bodied reds that feature Tempranillo grapes. There are also Rioja whites, but the region is mostly famous for it�s red wine.

Reserva and Gran Reserva
Reserva red wine has spent a minimum of one year in oak and two years in a bottle,  while Gran Reserva has spent two years in oak and three years in a bottle. Gran Reserva is more expensive as it has been aged for longer.

Food & Drink News ~ Spanish wines were the star at this year�s Vinexpo

The biannual event of Vinexpo was held in the French city of Bordeaux last week, it is one of the world�s leading wine fairs. Over 40 countries attended and this year�s guest nation was Spain. There were around 2,300 producers in attendance, with 100 of them being from Spanish wineries.

The link between wine and gastronomy in Spain is highly important and unbelievably more so than in France. For this reason Spain sent a team of 12 chefs, led by the two top chefs Ferran Adri� and Jos� Andr�s, to prepare dishes to accompany the wine tastings.

Spain, now exports more wine than any other country and has seen an increase of 43% in it�s exports in the last 5 years. Despite this it is only third in terms of earnings, this is due to selling more wine at wholesale. Spain produces some great wines, but it doesn�t produce enough wine that sells at good prices. To improve the country needs to do more to promote the many different types of wines it produces and not just the regions of Castilla-La Mancha and Rioja.

Recipe ~ Spanish flatbread for La Noche de San Juan

With the night of San Juan (23rd June) fast approaching, here is a quick recipe for Coca de recapte or Spanish flatbread, which is a traditional food eaten on San Juan.  La Noche de San Juan is the magical night of bonfires on the beach, where the Spanish celebrate the start of summer. They gather on the beach with family and friends making a bonfire, eating and drinking, jumping over the fire to bring them luck for the coming year and then run into the sea at midnight to wash away evil spirits. It is a night to experience so why not try this recipe to take to the beach party and join in with the tradition.
 

Flat bread with eggplant, red peppers and sardines

For the Dough
500 gr plain flour
pinch of salt
30 gr fresh yeast
250 ml tepid water
60 ml Spanish extra virgin olive oil

For the Topping
2 red peppers
3 eggplants
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 tomatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
1 tin of sardines in olive oil, drained

Preparation

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, to this add yeast and water and then work the ingredients together. Flour a large board liberally to avoid sticking, and place the dough onto it. Knead well for about 20 minutes in order to activate the yeast in the flour. Then leave the kneaded dough in a warm place to rise for about 3 hours.

When risen add the olive oil and work the dough again. Leave to rest for another 30 minutes. During this time prepare the topping (you can use any toppings that you like) Preheat oven to 180�C/350�F. Arrange the red peppers and eggplant on an oiled baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until soft. When ready, remove from the oven and leave covered for 20 minutes, before slicing into strips.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface, the consistency should be stretchy and elastic. Roll out quite thinly to about the shape of a baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and trim off any excess. Place the onion slices, diced tomatoes, eggplant and red pepper strips on top. Drizzle with more olive oil and bake in the oven at the same temperature for around 20 minutes then arrange the sardines on top and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Casa Col�n Gastrobar ~ The place to meet and be seen in Fuengirola

Casa Col�n was one of the fist restaurants we tried when we first moved to Spain many years ago and in fact the place where we met most of our Spanish friends. It truly is one of the places in Fuengirola to be seen and a great spot to watch the bustle of the pretty and vibrant square of Plaza de los Chinorros. For this reason it does get very busy and getting a table can be a challenge at certain times. But be patient, enjoy a drink at the bar and ask any of the very helpful staff and they will soon get a table organised for you.

"...Red tuna tataki just perfect for a hot summers day"

We have tried many things on the varied menu over the years, from their interesting tapas to some
of their more indulgent dishes. Two of our favourites are the Red tuna tataki with tomatoes and avocado, just perfect for a hot summers day. The other is the Black noodles with prawns and mushroom cocktail, which is just as pleasing on the eye as it is on the palate. They also have an excellent selection of wines, cavas and premium brand beers.

At a Glance
Price Range: From �15 per head
Dress Code: Casual
Ambiance: Casual/Family Friendly

Casa Col�n Gastrobar
C/Tronc�n n� 2
La Plaza de Los Chinorros, Fuengirola, M�laga, 29640
Opening Hours: 12.00 - 23.30
Tel: 629 575 417
Find Them: Google Maps
More at: www.casacolon.com

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