The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)

Pickled green nasturtium seeds are much used in place of capers, for the Spaniards consider the nasturtium, flowers, leaves, stems and seeds, indispensable ingredients in several dishes. GRILLED RASHERS OF PORK (Lonjas de Cerdo Esparrilladas) 1 pound lean pork Olive oil Salt and pepper Chestnut and red bean puree Cut pork as thin as breakfast bacon. Season with salt and pepper and rub on each side with olive oil. Grill under a quick flame 15 minutes, then arrange on a plate in the form of a crown a thick puree of chestnuts and red beans in the center holding up the pork rashers. The puree must be as thick as mashed potatoes. ORENSE CURATES HAM (Jamon del Cura de Sacra de Orense) 1 ham 3 onions, sliced Sour grass or sorrel Herb bouquet % cup coriander seeds Granulated sugar 3 carrots, sliced Parsley 1 parsnip, sliced 1 tablespoon flour 2 tablespoons sherry Put ham in a large pot with a wisp of sour grass, coriander seeds, carrots, parsnip, onion and herb bouquet, and cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 3 or 4 hours, or until tender. Wash skin in hot water, but do not remove it, for the Spanish cook says "the skin of the ham is the bottle that holds the perfume within." Rub skin generously with sugar and brown in the oven. The Spanish cook uses a red hot Pala or salamander to melt the sugar into the skin and brown it to a golden crust. Serve on platter in a nest of parsley and ornament shank bone with a paper rosette. Make sauce by browning flour in 1 tablespoon fat skimmed from the cooking liquor. Gradually stir in 1 cup strained liquor, add sherry and serve. A hot spinach pie usually accompanies baked ham. This is simply minced cooked spinach, well seasoned, covered with a pie crust and baked. If the occasion is a fiesta, there will be purees of apples and chestnuts; and gelatines cut in fancy forms, sugared, and dipped in chocolate. Throughout the province of Orense ham is at its best, the hog's fare being almost exclusively the big rich chestnuts of the region. Other fine hams come from Aviles, Jabuco, Montachez, Trevelez, and Villalba. ROAST KID (Cabrito Asado) 4 pounds young goat meat i teaspoon thyme i cup vinegar i bay leaf, crushed 2 onions, minced i teaspoon salt i garlic clove, minced l/2 pound salt pork Marinate the meat for several hours in a pickle made with a mixture of all the ingredients except the salt pork. After 5 hours remove the meat from the pickle, cut the salt pork in thin shreds and lard the meat well with it. Then envelop meat in well-oiled paper bag and put it in the oven to bake. After 54 hour turn it over. Take it out of the paper to brown well, and serve in its own juices. CHICKEN SPANISH STYLE (Polio a la Espahol) 1 young chicken 2 ground peppercorns 1 slice salt pork 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon flour 6 or 8 boiled potatoes 2 cups tomato juice 1 cup green peas Joint the chicken and dice the salt pork. Fry the pork in a saucepan and brown the chicken in the fat. Stir in the flour and add the tomato juice. Add pepper and salt and sufficient boiling water to just cover the chicken. Cover closely and let cook until tender. Cook potatoes and peas separately and add to the cooked chicken. Let all heat together for 5 minutes with the cover off, then serve. CHICKEN WITH RICE (Arroz con Polio)