Madre's Birthday

Mom's birthday is this Tuesday, March 20, but she wanted to celebrate over the weekend while Michael was still home for spring break. She got lucky this year and we all got together not once, but twice to celebrate.

Mom has been a bit nostalgic lately that a year ago now, we were preparing to go visit Liz in Spain. So on Friday night, we had a Spanish meal to bring back some good memories. To start off we had some classic tapas: olives (aceitunas) and a good Spanish cheese with crusty bread. We also had our favorite drink from Spain, Tinto Verano (summer wine), which is Rioja wine mixed with Lemon Fanta (we use Sunkist Lemonade) and a squeeze of lime. Sipping this drink brings us right back to our favorite cafe in Toledo. For dinner, I made Paella, a dish we ate almost daily in Spain. Paella is a rice dish made with various combinations of vegetables, seafood and meat. The dish is typically flavored (and colored) with saffron, which just happens to be the world's most expensive spice. The version I made included shrimp and chicken sausage, and used paprika and tumeric in place of the saffron. It turned out wonderfully and Mom loved it.

Mom had also mentioned that she would enjoy a brunch, so on Sunday, that's exactly what she got. Joe (Liz's boyfriend) and Rick joined us for the occasion, so we had a full crew. There was a brunch menu I had been wanting to try from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine and this turned out to be my opportunity. The menu consisted of Egg Strata, Roasted Potatoes, Tomatoes with Basil Vinaigrette and Pecan Shortbread. The strata, the vinaigrette and the shortbread could all be prepared the night before, so all I had to do on Sunday was chop some potatoes and an onion and get those and the strata in the oven. While those baked, I could slice tomatoes and get everything ready. Mom likes to have champagne on her birthday, so we also made Mimosas.

The Pecan Shortbread turned out really good and it was so easy to make. Begin by preheating the oven to 350º and lining a square baking pan with foil. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of pecan halves until finely ground and then pour pecans into another bowl. To food processor, add 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 stick cold unsalted butter (cut into pieces) and 1/4 tsp salt. Pulse until moist clumps form, then add ground pecans and pulse until combined. Pour mixture into lined pan and press down with your fingers. With a floured fork, poke shortbread every 1/2 inch or so. Bake for 30-35, until light golden brown. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then pull out of pan using foil. Cut into 15-18 bars with serrated knife. Store in airtight container. Yum!

Mom doesn't really cook, so I think two good meals with her children was really the best gift I could give her. All the food turned out so good, and she was able to take home leftovers from both meals. Happy Birthday Mom!!!