Holiday slabs and holiday flab

 
Happy New Year!!

I spent the holidays in relative peace and quiet, apart from a spontaneous three day escape to London (more on that later), and really got my bake on. Maybe it was inspiration from my recent trip to Jijona to write about turrón making, or maybe it was just a bit of nesting and nostalgia, but I could not get my thoughts out of the kitchen over the holidays and away from a desire to mingle some of the sweet flavors of my past and present. Naturally, having stuffed myself on these confections - despite not having much of a sweet tooth -, I am looking forward to a few months of healthy eating and honoring the future over the past. Read more in Recovering from Turrón de Michigan and other holiday folly on the Trans-Iberian blog from El País.

Tis the Season for Turrón

Turrón de Jijona being made in the traditional boixet at El Artesano

I confess that I personally have never really developed a taste for true Spanish turrón. I want to, I really do. In fact, every year I make E give me a bite of his to try, but to no avail. This method worked with patxaran, a somewhat bitter and sweet (but interestingly, not bittersweet) Spanish liqueur - I tasted a sip from my friend Josh's glass for years and now can't get enough of the stuff.
Of course I have never had much of a sweet tooth, and so the honeyed sweetness of turrón is too much for me. I do like it, but just have never felt the intense love that most of my adopted countrymen have for this holiday treat. I can however, appreciate the history, tradition and incredible ingredients of this classic Spanish sweet, whose origins trace back several hundred years.
This appreciation is especially true now that I've visited the town of Jijona, Alicante, a delightfully smelling town that lies at the heart of Spanish turrón.

Read more in Turrón Temptations, Tasting the Holiday All Year Long, from Spain Gourmetour Magazine on Foods From Spain.