Saracen

On the backside of town, an archeological dig has been started.  Two areas are being uncovered; one consists of the ruins of two Roman bakeries and a silo with the remains of grain still in it.  Looking at the ruins, I can just imagine the taste of the fresh, oven-baked bread.  Too bad I can’t eat the wheat likely used in the breads they made.

Banana Bread made with saracen & barley flour

Most people who can’t eat wheat are celiacs; they can’t eat anything that contains gluten.  Me?  I’m just intolerant to wheat but I pick up many tricks from celiac recipes and, now, Saracen is a regular part of my diet.

Saracen, also known as Buckwheat, has a long history.  Saracen pollen has been discovered in 4000 year old acheological digs in Asia.  In the 19^th and 20^th centuries, it was the poor man’s wheat in both the US and in Europe until wheat flour became affordable for the average household.  Note that Saracen is not a cereal, as is flour, but rather a psuedocereal and not related to wheat at all.

In Europe, Saracen is mostly associated with Breton crepes and gallettes.  In the US, it provokes images of homemade southern breakfasts pancakes on a cold winter’s morning. 

Although still a common ingredient in Breton cuisine, Saracen is mostly considered a specialty foodstuff and not used in day-to-day cooking.  Now, it has re-invented itself as a gluten-free option for celiacs; it’s nutty flavor enhancing sweet breads, crepes and pancakes.

Saracen (Buckwheat) Banana Bread recipe

Dry Ingredients

1 ¼ cups Saracen (Buckwheat) flour

½ cups white corn flour

2/3 cups sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

Liquid Ingredients

¼ cups melted butter

1 egg

Other Ingredients

2 over-ripe bananas

1 cup brown sugar

Mix the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients then mash the over-ripe bananas into the mix.

Pour the ½ the mix into a greased loaf pan and pour a ½ a cup of brown sugar over the mix.  Finish pouring the rest of the mix in and cover the top with the rest of the brown sugar.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes at medium heat.


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The A-3, The Hottest Amusement Park in Madrid

Why isn’t the A-3 a toll road? It is more than a means of getting from Madrid to Valencia; it is an amusement park. So why not charge an entrance fee? .


Driving down the A-3 this morning, I saw the electronic billboards flash warnings about a speed limit control campaign. I started chuckling as I drove past the third one without having seen a single speed limit sign.

Aside from the Clowns who typed out the message that morning for the electronic billboards, there are Roller Coasters, Merry-Go-Rounds and Bumper Cars. I can enjoy the park every morning if I like. The provincial government is missing out on a big revenue source.

Where to find the rides:
Roller coasters. All the off ramps from the highway which branch off again to other highways, towns or re-enter the main highway. What makes these roller coasters so thrilling is that the exit sign for the town or highway you are looking for will likely be posted on the off-ramp after the exit and not before. My favorite? Try exiting onto the M-45 and try to make it to the M-50.

Merry-Go-Rounds. All the round-a-bouts leading to and from the highway are so skillfully planned you can get motion sick from the ride. Small signs are posted at each of the round-a-bout exits with short messages such as “Madrid, M30, M40, Valencia” and “Santa Eugenia, Centro Comercial, M-40”. Wait, wasn’t the M-40 mentioned twice? And which way are the other two highways, the M-45 & M-50? Let’s drive around again. My favorite? Exit 11 and, then, try to find IKEA.

Bumper cars. This is one of the best rides on the entire A-3. I like it mostly because of the adrenalin factor. Bumper cars are played on the entrance and exit ramps. What typically happens is that an exit sign (with an arrow) indicates that your exit is the next one. It is hung over a lane with a dotted white line, obviously an exit lane. But - NO - it is the end of an entry lane! Bump the car to the left to get back in the travel lane quickly before your lane ends. My favorite? Exit 6 driving towards Valencia.

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