But have you ever thought of combining different gin & tonics with your food? Chef Marc Fosh and his team at Misa Braseria in Palma has done just that and present a series of gin & tonic evenings during February and March in Palma de Mallorca.

Here is the menu Marc Fosh has to offer:

Starter
Duck rillette and apricot – lavender compote paired with Finsbury Dry Gin & Fever Tree Tonic

Main Courses
Salmon ravioli with fennel & lemon beurre blanc paired with Martin Miller’s Gin & Six O’ Clock tonic

Beef cheeks served with polenta and rosemary-basil jus paired with Spanish Gin, Gin Mare & 1724 Tonic

Dessert
Chocolate & orange mousse with cinnamon ice cream and confit ginger paired with G’ Vine & Fentimans Tonic

This event will be taking place on the following dates:

Wednesday February 1, 2012
Wednesday February 22, 2012 and
Wednesday, March 21, 2012

starts at 20.30 hours
Price: €38 per person

One evening just before Christmas, I went to meet Joan Marc Garcias Amer, a Mallorcan Chef I had already heard a lot about, at his newly opened restaurant in Inca.

Joan Marc is well known for being a creative Chef who is at once very true to the local produce available on the island; he supports the slow food movement and gained a brilliant reputation whilst working at 3|65 Restaurant in Pollensa.

He always knew he would eventually open his own establishment, so when one became available on the square in Inca he grew up on and played on as a child, he jumped at the opportunity.

Joan Marc has the support of a loving family and together they have refurbished the restaurant following a very natural and welcoming design. Key features are the real tree trunks which line the walls from floor to ceiling, and which make you feel at one with the trees in the centre of the square, and the handmade menus which have been made by a traditional basket weaver.

The menu changes according to the season and the produce available. Specialties include authentic Mallorcan dishes which have been recreated with Joan Marc’s personal touch and with home-grown produce from the family’s vegetable garden.

We think Inca was in need of a restaurant like Joan Marc, and we are sure you will agree that’s it’s worth a visit.

The Three Kings are round the corner and if you are planning to celebrate the Spanish way, you will want to give your loved ones some special gifts. Here’s a great idea from Llum de Sal in Ses Salines, Mallorca.

Llum de Sal has new products for 2011-2012: Flor de Aceite (with extra virgin olive oil). In four flavours: Natural, Lemon, Rosemary and Pebre (Paprika). For sale at Bodega Llum de Sal in Ses Salines and now in Santanyi, as well as other outlets across the island. Please call 971 649 773 for more info.

Don’t forget the Llum de Sal Bodega next time you are in the area of Ses Salines, it is a great place to stop for a coffee or drink as well as stocking up on all your festive gifts!

From December 2011 till mid-February 2012: El Pato Restaurant at the Clubhouse of Golf Son Vida offers a Menu of 3 courses – choose between 2 starters and 2 main courses at €20 with one drink (wine, beer, water) and 8% VAT included.

Interesting offer for Golfers: during these months the Club offers green fee, buggy and menu for €60. To book please call 971 798 759

Overlooking the golf course, El Pato offers a warm welcome and the fine international cuisine by Swiss chef Pius Schnider.

Here’s a video of one of our visits to the winery in Binissalem:

Mallorcan Turrón

Like all the significant festivities of the annual calendar, Christmas in Mallorca has its own important gastronomic traditions. Christmas has been developing and changing in Mallorca over the years, but when it comes to food some very strong customs are still prevalent and are passed on from parents to children.

Christmas Eve is a very significant evening in Mallorca, just as in the rest of Spain. The custom is to go to Church at midnight for what is known as the ‘Cockerel’s Mass’ to bring in the day of the birth of Christ. On the way home from the service it is traditional to have a hot chocolate and some Mallorcan ensaimadas.

Lunch on Christmas Day is a gastronomic feast; the meal starts with a ‘Sopa de Navidad’ or ‘Christmas Soup’, which consists of turkey broth with pasta, liver and boiled eggs in it; next is boiled turkey with vegetables and then a roast pork with crackling and ‘patató’ or roast new potatoes. For dessert, a tray of different ‘turrón’ is prepared. Turrón is a sweet traditionally based on almonds and comes in many different varieties, but the typical Mallorcan turrón is a thin version with almond paste in between sheets of rice paper or ‘neulas’. The turrón can be accompanied by a ‘Coca de Nadal’ or Christmas cake which is similar to the coca de patata which is so typical of the village of Valldemossa, but is bigger and has aniseed in it. Almonds, and indeed all dried fruits have a very prominent role throughout all the Christmas season, both in the form of ‘turrón’ and marzipan as on their own. Mallorca Fruits is a local producer of turrón made using only locally grown almonds. The meal is usually accompanied by a good wine and a glass of cava.

As they say in Mallorca,
Bon Profit y Bones Festes!

It’s that time of year, and if you haven’t already planned your Christmas celebrations, then below is a link to a list of menus for you to have a look at. (The Spanish list is even longer)

If you want to get a head start on New Year’s and Three Kings, then you’ll also find a selection on SkyBlue Mallorca. See the link below.

We hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Until the next time, as they say in Mallorca,

Molts d’Anys!

Christmas & New Year Menus

Celebrate the festive season in style with a gala Christmas party in the beautiful Castle of Son Vida, Castillo Hotel Son Vida.

This hotel and its restaurant ‘Es Castell’ is well known on the island for its fabulous food and hospitality. We have eaten there ourselves and the cuisine is really fantastic.

On Friday 16th December the hotel is inviting you and your group of friends or work colleagues to come to the castle to celebrate with a gala buffet from 19.30 to 23.0o with live music, including wine, beer and soft drinks and then dance the night away from 23:00!

And all this for only 49€ per person!

Still haven’t organised an office Christmas celebration?

Why not do something different this year?

Millesimée Palma may be just the option you are looking for. They are offering a whole range of new ‘group activities’ which you can book as a fun and original way to celebrate Christmas with your colleagues, friends or even as a family.

Learn how to make cocktails, taste top Cava and Champagnes or learn how to match the best ‘vino tinto’ with your favourite dishes.

Millesimee will help you arrange a Christmas ‘do’ you will not forget!