At Cantueso we are very proud of our team who work so hard in serving the public both in the restaurant and cottages and we would like to introduce them to you.

L to R: Antonio, Ana, Eva, Cipri, Lucia, Nicky

Antonio (front of house) is well known to our visitors as he has spent several summers with us. Antonio is a mine of information about the area, spanish food, and wines, so his knowledge is put to good use helping our many overseas visitors. Other times he has his own bar in the village.

Ana (front of house) - is here for her third year with us, running things out front with Antonio. Her winning smile and efficiency makes her very popular with guests. In real life she is a music graduate waiting for a teaching job in schools.

Eva (head chef) - for several years Eva has worked at Cantueso as sous chef and this year stepped up to the head chef role. She is very passionate about using fresh local ingredients and that all dishes must be "home" cooked. Nothing is bought in, and she has introduced lots of new dishes to the menu.

Cipriano is a student assisting Eva in the kitchen for the summer. Cipri is studying at the Malaga cookery school and brightens up the kitchen with his colourful dress sense, and is keen to use his training in a practical situation.

Lucía (head of housekeeping) - was already here when we took over in 2007. She has been invaluable during our many refurbishments, and makes sure that all ten cottages and the apartment are always properly prepared for guests.

Nicky (the boss) say no more!

All the team are Periana locals and work hard to maintain our number one spot in the area. They look forward to meeting you.

On Saturday 2nd August 2014 the 12th Peaches Festival will once again be held in Periana. Unlike last year when due to economic restrictions it was held alongside the August festival, it will once again be a stand alone event.

During the day there will be the usual stalls and amusements set up along the main street with various free tastings, and a medieval market. There will also be the popular cookery competition; dishes for which should of course contain Peaches.

Later there will be an on stage Festival of Rock & Roll, with various tribute acts and then music with Dj’s until the early hours.

In previous years more than 5000 people came to the village and this year is bound to be just as lively. A stroll around the streets filled with the scent of peaches is bound to get your taste buds moving and suitable food and refreshment stalls will be available.

A little Peach History: It is thought that a resident brought the first seedling to Periana after a visit to Argentina 200 years ago and it thrived in the wonderful climate and fertile land. As the crop developed it was taken to neighbouring villages on the backs of donkeys and eventually became popular with buyers from Murcia and surrounding provinces. However it was not until the last half of the 20th century that the crop came to prominence being appreciated for its taste, aromatic scent, soft velvet skin, colour and culinary versatility and by the 70’s a good year would yield as much as 4 million kilos.

Sadly as so often happens in agriculture, the crops were affected by pests and several years of drought which led to a steady decline in production. This continued until about ten years ago when market demand encouraged growers to plant more trees and the municipality started to promote peaches once again. Hence this year is the twelth in which the village and visitors will get to party the night away.

Yogi certainly was and it seems that either he or one of his family of admirers came to Cantueso earlier today.

So I think Eliza Doolittle was mistaken as we are certainly not on the plains of Spain.

Last weekend Periana experienced the most rain for years with over 6 inches falling in a couple of days. In one period of four hours a quarter of the annual rainfall came down. More like a waterfall than rain and there was lots of damage to roads and low lying properties.

Fortunately despite the access road to Cantueso being unmade we escaped reasonably well and the main problem for the village was the blocking of the main road. As you can see from the photos there were rock falls and mudslides near the newly constructed “Mirador” which is on the left as you approach the village.

Millie our black lab has sadly passed on to doggy heaven.

She gave so much pleasure to us all and enjoyed what was for dogs, a long life (16 years). In England where she was an excellent gun dog, and here in Spain as Nicky’s constant companion, she took everything in her stride, never complained, never stopped wagging her tail, and was always eager to please.

Regular customers at Restaurante Cantueso may remember her wandering around the terrace, nose twitching, with an uncanny knack of spotting the table with fillet steak; mere entrecôte would never do. She never asked and would simply sit a few feet away, staring with those lovely brown eyes, something only the starving could resist!

Our thanks go to that wonderful vet Mario de la Torre Hernández (of Puente don Manuel) who looked after Millie and her sister Saffy for so many years, always going that extra mile to help both  animals and owners. Muchas gracias Mario

Almost two years ago one of our customers, Iain Turnbull, was taken ill during his meal and we had to take care of  him until the ambulance arrived. Fortunately one of our staff has worked with the ambulance service and was able to make him comfortable and collected background information in Spanish for when the paramedics arrived.

Since returning to the UK Iain has not been able to get back to his regular work and during his convalescence he started to paint for the first time. The painting shown above, was painted from memory and shows just how talented he is. We were thrilled to receive it and Iain jokes that it is best viewed from the floor looking up, a reference to what must have seemed like hours while he waited for the ambulance.

Congratulations to Carmen

Carmen Muñoz our talented chef was awarded second prize in the Concurso Gastrónomico during the recent “Day of the Peach” festival in Periana.

During the week Carmen had been serving up several specials at Cantueso, using local peaches of course, and at the last minute on Saturday after Lunch service had finished she decided to enter the culinary competition which was to be judged at 8 o’clock. This gave her less than three hours, and she set to work creating a wonderful Tarta de Melocotón y Chocolate (Peach and Chocolate Gateaux). It consisted of a multi-layered chocolate sponge filled with peach and fresh ginger marmalade. This hotly contested competition received over forty entries from all over the area and Carmen received two hundred Euros as her prize.

Unfortunately in her haste she didn’t have time to take a photo and had to be back at the restaurant to run the evening service, so we can only assume the five judges liked what they saw and tasted. So much so, that when at midnight Carmen collected her certificate and prize all that remained of the entry was a clean plate!

Felicidades Carmen!

Or so said that famous moaner Michael Winner in his column in the Sunday Times last week. He went on to say the reason was because they thought the view was enough, and then continued in familiar style to slag off Min Jiang the restaurant on top of The Royal Garden Hotel in London.

We cannot comment on the London restaurant but we certainly don't agree with his tar them all approach. We add below a photo taken a month ago at Restaurante Cantueso just so that Mr Winner might see what a good restaurant view really looks like. Pity he cannot visit Periana and sample some of Carmen's cooking as he might then agree that there are always exceptions to any rant :)

Summer Menu and Drinks at Restaurante Cantueso.

We have just introduced our summer à la carte menu and will again also be offering some special seasonal drinks in addition to our usual wine list.

Carmen our chef has created a new summer menu combining some old favourites with new seasonal dishes and intends to offer a daily special starter, main course, and dessert. She has also revised our popular six-course tasting menu.

And of course it wouldn't be summer without a few special drinks. Pimm's of course, and now that Sherry is a trendy drink again, we will try to tempt you with the likes of Rebujito a cocktail of chilled dry sherry mixed with soda or Seven-up: an ideal thirst quencher for the weary traveller and typically popular at Spanish ferias.

Sherry known in Spain as Jerez, has of course been popular in Britain for centuries and in the main it was British families such as Sandeman, Osborne and Byass that in the 18th century cornered the market producing a high octane wine (typically 15-20%) which is fortified with brandy. It can only legally be described as sherry if it is produced in the “sherry triangle” of southern Andalucía.

In the past sherry has been known as a drink for weddings or funerals and of course Christmas wouldn't be the same if aunty didn't have a glass or two of Bristol Cream, but now there has been a strong revival with wine lovers discovering the likes of manzanillas, finos, palo cortados, amontillados, and olorosos. A different taste for every occasion and every meal. Maybe in the past you have tried Pedro Ximenez poured over ice cream, or a crisp well-chilled fino with olives or tapas. Fino and manzanilla are perfect accompaniments to Spanish food and soups of many styles. The two can be used interchangeably in cooking and are well suited to steaming mussels and other shellfish, or as an ingredient in soups.

No matter whether you enjoy sherry in food or by the glass there are many varieties to delight your palate and we hope to see you soon relaxing in Periana with a glass of fino or maybe two :)

Footnote:

The Pimm's we, and most bars use, is Pimm's No 1 Cup, and those of us with good memories may remember seeing other numbers in years gone by.

There were six Pimm's products, all of which are fruit cups but only Cups No 1, 3 and 6 are still available at present. The essential difference among them is the base alcohol used to produce them:

Pimm's No. 1 Cup is based on gin and can be served both on ice or in cocktails.

Pimm's No. 2 Cup was based on Scotch Whisky. Currently phased out.

Pimm's No. 3 Cup is based on brandy. Phased out, but a version infused with spices and orange peel marketed as Pimm's Winter Cup is now seasonally available.

Pimm's No. 4 Cup was based on rum. Currently phased out.

Pimm's No. 5 Cup was based on rye whisky. Currently phased out.

Pimm's No. 6 Cup is based on vodka. It is still produced, but in small quantities.

Not many years ago people going on holiday wanted peace and quiet declaring that they didn't want the intrusion of TV, however times change and we have found that nowadays satellite TV with plenty of channels is a must and at Cantueso we provide English and Spanish TV and Radio in all cottages.

Three years ago, as the world moved on, we provided Wi Fi access around the restaurant for the use of visitors. This has proved popular but now with the increase in usage particularly from the ubiquitous I Phone we have had to created Wi Fi hotspots around each cottage. The aim is to allow guests Internet access from the comfort of their holiday home. It is still available on the restaurant terrace and free to all customers.

Many people are surprised at how complicated Internet connections can be in Spain and ours is no exception. The signal is received from a nearby mountain and bounces onto three more peaks before going down to a ground station in Malaga and then by cable to Madrid. Normally all works well but in thundestorms we can experience "drop outs."

Most visitors to the Costa del Sol will have a vague idea that there was a Moorish presence in Spain at some time in the past, and are attracted to tourist destinations such as Cordoba and Granada which have some of the most stunning Moorish architecture to be seen anywhere in Europe.  The Alhambra Palace in Granada is in fact the most visited tourist attraction in Spain.

As we will see later there was much more to the Moorish invasion than just architecture and anyone travelling the roads around Periana some fifty years ago would have noticed the remaining sugar plantations started by the Moors over one thousand years before, and which until the middle of the last century was a valuable part of the local economy.  Plantations were established all along the Costa del Sol and as far inland as Periana, further inland the temperatures were too low and there was insufficient water supplies.  There were several sugar mills along the coast notably in Motril and Torre del Mar, but today all that is left of the latter is a chimney.  This refinery was for many years owned by the Larios family (of gin fame) and they were able to make not only sugar but also rum and honey.  We at Restaurante Cantueso still use Caña de Miel (Cane Honey) and find it popular on such dishes as aubergines in batter.

When sugar was first available in Spain it was in fact a luxury item and only consumed by the well off.  It became so important that a special sugar tax was levied and for centuries it provided vital revenue for the Kingdom of Granada.

Originally the canes produced around Periana were carried on mules but in later years transported to the mill via the little narrow gauge railway described in a previous blog.  In the centuries following its introduction into Spain explorers who visited Madeira and later the Caribbean found even better climates for sugar cane and (forgive the pun) they were sowing the seeds of their own industry's destruction.  Then with the introduction of sugar beet, the urban development of land linked to tourism, and increased cultivation costs the end of Spanish production became a reality.

Historical Note:

In 711 AD, a tribe of newly converted Muslims from North Africa crossed the straits of Gibraltar and invaded Spain.  Known as The Moors, they went on to build a rich and powerful society.

Its capital, Cordoba, was the largest and most civilised city in Europe, with hospitals, over 30 libraries and a public infrastructure years ahead of anything in Northern Europe at the time.

Amongst the many things that were introduced to Europe by Muslims at this time were: a huge body of classical Greek texts that had been lost to the rest of Europe for centuries (kick-starting the Renaissance); mathematics and the "arabic"numbers we use today; advanced astronomy and medical practices; fine dining; the concept of romantic love; paper; deodorant; and even sugar cane.  Scholars from all over Europe went to Cordoba to study and help with the translation of forgotten Greek texts.

Much of this rediscovered mathematical knowledge was put to good use in buildings such as the Alhambra Palace and the Great Mosque of Cordoba, where the beautiful elevations we see today were based upon ratios used before in the building of Greek temples. In particular the formula: one to the square root of two was used.  This is the ratio which gives balance and symmetry to rectangular elevations.  A modern example of this ratio is A4 paper which when folded in half retains the original length to width proportions.  And for motor enthusiasts just observe the Rolls Royce radiator grille of the original models, it too has these classical proportions.

The occupation didn't create the rigid, fundamentalist Islam of some people's imaginations, but a progressive, sensitive and intellectually curious culture.  But when the society collapsed, Spain was fanatically re-Christianised; almost every trace of seven centuries of Islamic rule was ruthlessly removed.

With little resistance the Moors occupied and ruled most of the Iberian peninsular including today's Portugal and even as far North as Poitier in France.  This area was called Al Andalus (The land of the vandals).  Gradually after some seven hundred years the northern tribes, which were Catholic, moved South re- capturing the land until only the province of Granada was left.

In 1490 the King and Queen of Spain were able to re-take Granada and this marked the start of the Spanish Inquisition and the forced conversion of the remaining Moors to Catholicism.  Eventually due to many Muslims secretly worshipping Islam, they were finally expelled having to leave the country without any possessions. More than a quarter of a million left most going to North Africa.

See also our posting about Banos de Vilo the Moorish sulphur baths close to Cantueso.

Imagine the scene, a Thomas the Tank Engine locomotive and rolling stock that would have looked at home in an American western, rolling through the hills of Periana surrounded by billowing white clouds of steam.  In the last century this was a common sight as there was a narrow gauge railway linking Vélez Málaga, Periana and Ventas de Zafarraya.  It surprises visitors to Cantueso that the unmade road as you approach the complex is in fact the old railway track.

In about 1905 just after Málaga had installed electric trams and the need for more sophisticated transport increased, The Suburban Railway Company was set up, funded with 4 million Pesetas from the Bank of Antwerp in Belgium.  The company received various concessions to build and run lines from Málaga and along the coast.  The grand scheme envisaged a network linking Málaga with cities such as Granada, Seville, Almeria and Gibraltar.  The line from Málaga to Vélez was routed close to the sea and is said to have been a wonderfully scenic journey which, after Almayate, continued through agricultural scenery dominated by sugar cane.  Like the railway we have sadly lost the sugar cane plantations, more of which we will write in a future blog.

The Vélez to Periana line was started in 1911 and opened in 1914 less than two months before the outbreak of the First World War.  Work was halted and the line was only completed in 1921.  The line which was 31 km long had a planned extension from Zafarraya to Alhama but due to the poor economic climate was never built.

From almost any part of Periana and the surrounding hills you look down on the spectacular scene of Lake Viñuela a man-made reservoir containing 170 million cubic meters of water and covering 700 hectares of land.  Obviously the content varies with rainfall and since the very low levels of 2009 the reservoir has built up much better reserves.  An interesting graph of current and past levels can be seen here.

The reservoir was originally muted in the 19th century but only became a viable scheme in the 1980's and was achieved by damming the River Guaro.  This river and its many tributaries fill the reservoir and it provides potable water and irrigation for many hectares of arable land around the lake.  Fortunately before the flooding of the valley, excavations of various Neolithic and old Roman sites were undertaken and many of the artefacts found can be seen in Málaga museum.

The lake takes its name from the nearby village of La Viñuela which overlooks the valley.  It was originally a sleepy hamlet on one of the many routes up from the coast heading towards Granada, and provided a watering stop for the thirsty muleteers.  The old bar is still open and nowadays serves local workers and tourists.

No this is not a sequel to the best selling book by Chris Stewart, Driving over Lemons but our way of drawing attention to the odd times we live in.

Around us at Cantueso this autumn we have the sight of grapes withering on the vine, figs rotting on the floor underneath the trees and yes pomegranates on the side of the road.  Food for free but nobody seems bothered.  Just look too at the Spanish supermarkets that sell Israeli oranges and imported lemons from the Americas and yet they grow well here.  Yes, we know that fruit is not always in season, but with the all year round varieties of lemon grown in Spain, there can be no excuse. It is even more strange to find that buying blueberries in Spain is difficult but if you buy them in the UK, the country of origin on the pack is Spain.  Maybe it is our fault as consumers and we really should only buy things in season.

The fruit Hand Grenade

A Pomegranate is of course called Granada in Spanish and the city that takes its name from the fruit also has it as part of the city's coat of arms.  In Spanish it is also the word for a grenade, and when you see the ripe fruit bursting open, packed with hundreds of tiny red seeds it is easy to see why.

In the lanes and byways around Cantueso here in Periana there are many bushes growing wild and at this time of year spilling their fruit onto the roadside. Take a walk and enjoy.

In recent years much has been written about the health giving properties of the fruit, no doubt in part, promoted by the fruit juice manufacturers but there seems to be a consensus that it really is one of the “super fruits.”

Some of the claims:

One pomegranate contains tons of nutrition… and best of all, it’s low in calories.  In just one pomegranate fruit there is around 100 calories and only about 25g of sugar. But that’s only the beginning of the nutrition pomegranate provides:a great source of potassium

more antioxidants compared to other juices and even wine!

vitamin B and Vitamin C

great source of fibre

helps prevent heart disease

keeps your immune system in top notch conditions

prevents build-up of material in your arteries

There are many drinks and even foods that are made with the pomegranate and it is now becoming more commercialized and can be found in supermarkets in a variety of forms.  The most popular is pomegranate juice but there are also pomegranate jellies, pomegranate wine, and even pomegranate salad dressing.

Unfortunately the commercial growth of Pomegranates has been largely left to America (after the Spanish introduced it) and Africa.  However for those of us that live around Periana it is easy to grow as the climate is ideal, and you could expect a crop after about four years.  If you are a visitor or can't wait, just be nice to your neighbours!

We are often asked what Cantueso means and there are two explanations. Firstly it is the name given to Spanish or French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) as shown in our picture. This is magnified and the real size is very similar to a normal lavender. It is common in Mediterranean countries and can become troublesome as it grows fast in the wild.

The second explanation is that Cantueso is a liquor made in the Spanish province of Alicante. It is obtained from the distillation of Thyme flowers, and is typically 25% to 35% alcohol and very sweet. It is normally taken after meals as a stomach tonic.

And for lovers of honey the Cantueso lavender makes a great treat.

Unless you are of a certain age or a fan of Tony Hancock my feeble attempt at a joke will have passed you by, so we will start again.

What's the Weather like in Periana?