I heard the kitchen. All prepared in Aspense restaurant Alfonso Mira, responsible for the opening of the “Menjars de la Terra” INFORMATION conference, arguably the most important gastronomic event in the province of Alicante. The restaurants are coming and the machines are kicking in. As Alfonso and Teo Mira’s mother Marina put it, it was all “very lovingly” coordinated. Now they run the family business. Everyone is in their place, Alfonso is in the kitchen, Teo is in the living room. And others feel at home, enjoying their meal and the moment. It’s about tradition, innovation and a firm commitment to Alicante and local produce, as this historic gathering is more than just cooking. “Thirty years later, these conferences are returning to take the pulse of our gastronomy, to show region by region, to show us how the city has developed and innovated, without leaving a single corner of the state of Alicante,” explains Tomás Mayoral. INFORMATION .
The quality on which Alicante’s cuisines are rooted, the respect for the traditional cuisine and the avant-garde and innovation demanded by today’s palates are “covered” in every detail of Alfonso Mira Restaurant.
And it all started with the welcome cocktail he opened his mouth in the gardens. Alicante gastronomy is a spectacle for the senses as it is far from just the act of eating. The texture of “PDO Granada Mollar de Elche eggplant with pomegranate, chickpea and anchovy hummus”, the color of “PGI Jijona tuna and avocado tartare with nougat” or the aroma of “pericana”. The five senses are the sense of smell, which is dominated by the “rabbit and snail rice” or the vine where the main course “gazpacho aspense” is cooked.
When Carlos Mazón, president of the Alicante City Council, arrived, he asked Teo Mira if there would be any surprises on the menu. The manager of the restaurant told him about “balls with porto sauce and seasonal mushrooms”. Praising how they played with the PDOs from Alicante at Alfonso Mira, the president said, “You have to try this!” makes the comment. “We rely on the capacity of our province in terms of food and beverage. If we all consumed 5% more produce than the state of Alicante, we would help create 50,000 jobs. We are here to tell you how good things are done in Alicante, this is Menjars de la Terra. We are a province of gastronomic quality”, confirms Mazón.
poplar kitchen
Located in the heart of Valle de las Uvas, Aspense gastronomy became yesterday’s hero on a few special occasions for the municipality as its patisserie continues to be recognized. In fact, just a few days ago, pastry chef Raúl Asencio was awarded the Silver Medal at the International Best Innovation Panettone Championship in Italy. “Hospitality and gastronomy, hallmarks of the people of Aspen, is what we want to show with Menjars de la Terra, offering the best we have. It is a great honor that these days begin here,” said Antonio Puerto, the mayor of Aspe.
Actually the dessert was a PDO Vinalopó Bagged Table Grape panettone with caramelized cream and ice cream. «It is a star product of the Province and has a lot of gastronomic versatility in desserts, first courses, starters. Chefs will make the most of it. It is essential for producers, the agricultural sector, marketers to take over the restoration and include products of different quality in their menus. I can’t imagine a better or more important event to do this and give it visibility, in this case grapes, but also wines, nougat, pomegranate…”, explains Beatriz Rocamora, Chair of the Protected Naming Regulatory Board. Origin Uva Embolsada del Vinalopó.
Effort, dedication and knowledge. The Mira brothers conquered more than just the palate on this first day of Menjars. “It’s hard to separate work from family and private life, but I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” says Teo. His restaurant is the story of the fulfillment of a dream based on hard work, sacrifice and above all lots of love. “Because without love, food doesn’t taste the same,” says Marina, the chief who embarked on this adventure with her husband. He stopped cooking rice at home so that up to six people could enter the restaurant’s kitchen and prepare paella for 40 people. First Castillo del Río, then La Vid, and then what it is today: Alfonso Mira. A gastronomic temple where the days of “Menjars de la Terra” began in front of a hundred people.
Mermaid Today
Today comes a unique proposal from La Sirena (Petrer). Mari Carmen Vélez is ready. «It seems to me a very successful way of promoting gastronomy and products in our region. What better way to taste them in different ways and together! », says the chief. It’s clear that fruit isn’t just a dessert, so we recommend some ‘Baby squid sautéed with Vinalopó grapes’, in addition to our “classic ‘hake salad’ and ‘arroz a banda con shrimp’. They adapt to their sweetness and juiciness and contrast with other flavors: earthy. , sea, sweet, spicy…». For Vélez, attending these conferences «brings us fond memories of moments from previous editions and people we met. It is also a way to attract potential new customers and offer something new to existing ones.” I heard about cooking, today Petrer.
Foreword Open Day at Bocopa
The first of the events held in parallel with the conference was a guided visit to Bodegas Bocopa, where a large group of participants toured its large and modern facilities, learned about the production processes explained by the cellar technicians, and tasted two dishes. It is one of the famous wines.