Cooking, eating, and drinking around the world

The cacao bean is native to South and Central America. The Maya culture in Guatemala consumed the cacao (ka´kau) as a drink using a mealing stone to grind the beans to a powder form and mixing it with spices. Cacao was considered the "food of the Gods" and they believed it provided them with health benefits and vitality.  In addition to that, they also consumed it for its aphrodisiac qualities.  Later on, the cacao was also used as currency when trading.

Antigua Guatemala is a wonderful city full of places were you can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and stock up on chocolate bars, truffles, and my favorite chocolate covered coffee beans. 

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During one of my visits I decided to take a truffle workshop at one of the many local artisan chocolate shops (ChocoMuseo).  This was a fun experience, I had no idea how hard it is to temper chocolate and to make the perfect round truffles that you see displayed on all the chocolate stores. 

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Truffles recipe (Soon will be published)

Visiting this place is pure indulgence!  La Rioja is a province in the north of Spain famous  for their red wines.  Not only are their wines recognized around the world, but also the gastronomy in this area is amazing.

My favorite time to visit is in the fall, the multi-colored scenery is impressive. In my experience, the best way to visit this area is to rent a car and locate yourself in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja and then organize your daily trips from there. 

Choosing which wineries to visit can be quite overwhelming, there are around 600 wineries to choose from. I really enjoyed the less commercial tours, although some of the bigger ones can offer quite the experience too. 

One of my favorite is the famous family owned winery Muga, this winery is impressive and their wines are a delight. They offer a tour that includes a visit to their winery plus an introductory course in wine tasting were you can try five of their most famous wines including the Muga Reserva Selección Especial.  Another fabulous options is the Bodega Goméz Cruzado, which was one of the first wineries in Haro.  This is a boutique style winery, more artisanal which allows you for a more intimate experience.  I visited for my birthday and booked the private premium tasting which included a variety of their more exclusive wines plus a tasting of ham, cheese and olive oil from the region.

In Logroño you can find a great selection of places to eat, the food and wine experience here is spectacular. Just stroll down Calle Laurel and go from bar to bar and take a glass of wine and a pintxo (a small aperitif that consists of a slice of bread with some ingredients on top that are pierced with a toothpick).  By the time you get to the end of the street you will be full and would have had one of your best food and wine experiences.  Having these small tastings in each bar gives you the opportunity to try the different combinations of pintxos and pair them with some of the best wines this region has to offer.  Some bars have their own specialized pintxos, and they can vary from very simple Iberian ham to very elaborated like sirloin with foie.

“When in Rome do as the Romans” and this applies perfectly to the Italian tradition of the aperitivo, which I recommend you adopt while visiting Italy. 

Today the tradition of the aperitif is taken after work or on the weekends as a prelude to dinner.  This is a moment to relax in good company and have a drink accompanied by a variety of delicious bites like olives, cheese, crisps, and small pieces of focaccia or pizza.

It is no wonder why many of the aperitif brands come from Italy, including the famous Martini, Campari, and the Aperol.

Personally I love the Aperol Spritz or just Spritz, which is a refreshing cocktail made with Aperol, prosecco, soda water and served with a slice of orange.

To try this delicious drink go to: 

https://lilianafoodandtrav.wixsite.com/website/post/aperol-spritz