A good breakfast is one of the nicest things in the world. That’s why I want to share a little treat I’ve been enjoying for breakfast lately.
Tortas. I keep a stash of them in my pantry. To me, they’re just right because they’re just the right amount of sweet. Tortas are so easy and simple to enjoy and simple is so often the best. My favorites are these with Seville oranges from Spain.
I asked a question this morning at The Empty Nest Mom’s Facebook page about where you’d be eating if you were eating breakfast on the Spanish Steps. First clue – you wouldn’t be in Spain. Why then are the Spanish Steps referred to as “Spanish?” They’re 138 steps where peeps like to hang out.
But these tortas? They ARE from Spain. Delicate. Crispy. A little bit of sweet orange flavor. I enjoy them in the morning with a homemade cappucinno, taking just a few minutes to picture a morning in Spain with pleasant weather, fine beaches, leisure activities, great food, and warm people.
Henry Marquez, a retired teacher and journalist from Denver (my neck of the woods) who now owns a small vineyard in the south of Spain, says, “What I like about Spain can’t be defined in tangible terms. It’s the ambience and the atmosphere. It’s the only country in the world where people enter a restaurant and wish total strangers, ‘Buen provecho,” which means “bon appetit.” Spaniards are friendly, outgoing and they really know how to live.” I’ve never been to Spain except in my wandering thoughts as I break off pieces of these yummy Tortas.
I find them at the Commissary on the Air Force Base, at Whole Foods and at Vitamin Cottage. They come 6 in a package – are about 5 inches in diameter and are about $3.50 for a package. I was in Park City, Utah recently and found chocolate Tortas at a Whole Foods there. I paired them with some mild Snow Frisk goat cheese:
and topped it with a dollop of sour cherry spread from Croatia (again – Whole Foods).
Can’t tell you how good the subtle chocolate, mild Snow Frisk cheese and sour cherry was together. And the cappucinno? I make ‘em myself with the Vail Blend of Allegro coffee. Vail as in Colorado. As in my home state.
How do you enjoy and savor a quick but satisfying breakfast? Try these tortas if you get a chance. Notice where your food comes from. You can take a little sensation filled trip around the globe without leaving your breakfat table. Really – is there anything nicer?
I clearly need to check out Whole Foods.
oh yeah!
I am becoming more diverse thanks to you Barb and I am enjoying it. I’ll start looking where my food comes from. Maybe it will slow my eating down and make it more enjoyable (being a hairdresser on a time schedule I have developed a slam it down your throat and chew as little a possible style of eating and hope no one is watching).
Oh believe me – I have those days and those meals too. But it IS nice, when we can, to be mindful of where our food comes from, experiment a little with what we eat, and inhale a moment of grace before diving in. I’m glad I may be expanding your palate.
Beautifully presented here, Barb! I don’t have Whole Foods near me but do have Trader Joe’s and love to try different, interesting things I find there. Tortas–I know tortas as a mexican sandwich kind of thing…a roll with refried beans, carnitas, onions, cheese, lettuce, etc. So I learned something from your posting. Spain is somewhere I’d love to visit–adding it to my bucket list now.
Lina recently posted..Bored in a Hotel Room
Thanks Lina. Tortas, in Spanish, means a cake – according to my DIL from Chile. Like “torte” in French. But I know the mexican sandwich kind of thing you speak of. Yum. My daughter just went to Spain this summer and said the food there can’t be beat. That’s enough to put it on my bucket list. I’m gonna need a bigger bucket.
I’ve never heard of tortas before, but they sure sound delicious!
April recently posted..Like A Step Back In Time
They are!
Looks really yummy. The cheese and sour cherry are calling my name!!!
I think I hear ‘em. Tara….Tara…
You have broadened my horizons once again! That shot with the sour cherry jam looks divine!
May recently posted..Mama Said There’d be Days Like This
Divine is the right word May!