2009 Conde Nast Traveler Gift Guide

Based in Williamsburg, Virginia, La Tienda’s Spanish cheeses find their way onto many tapas plates across the U.S. Valdeón, a blue cheese, is a creamy blend of cow and goat's milk from Leon, Spain, and pairs especially well with fruit and nuts. Another cheese, beloved Arzúa-Ulloa is a light yellow, soft and rich, Galician cow’s milk cheese known for its creamy, buttery profile. In addition, Organic Farmstead Manchego by Mitica provides a more nuanced version of the cheese named for a breed of sheep. It pairs especially well with red wine. 

With the right recipes, it’s also easy to enjoy cheese-infused tapas at home. La Tienda offers recipes for Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Manchego and Sobrasada and Baby Manchego Cheese Toasts – a mouthwatering combo of spreadable chorizo, crusty bread and, of course, Manchego. Other classic Spanish tapas recipes to try at home include Manchego with Honey and Walnuts, Ham and Cheese Croquetas and Queso Frito.

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The best solid white tuna in olive oil: Conservas Ortiz

By Antara Sinha

Few foods do high-low versatility like canned tuna. You can fold a $2 tin of chunk light into a mountain of mayo for an economical lunch, or you can layer a can of sustainably caught yellowfin atop a Niçoise salad elegant enough to serve to company.

The latter fancy possibilities are largely due to the renaissance of canned tuna we’re living through. Even just a decade ago, the canned tuna aisle was dominated by a handful of brands, with inexpensive water-packed varieties taking up most of the shelf space. But Americans have woken up to the magic of tinned fish in recent years, and tuna traders have taken notice.

Wirecutter’s kitchen experts tasted nearly 40 cans of tuna, looking for the most flavorful, snackable, tuna-salad-able fish out there. And though we had to endure many sludgy tins along the way, we eventually found seven cans that we’d eagerly make staples — many of which you can find in your local grocery store at much better prices than you’d find online.

As soon as we peeled back the lid on Conservas Ortiz White Tuna in Olive Oil, revealing neatly packed pieces of rosy-pink albacore tuna, we knew we were in for a treat. This is not the tuna your elementary school cafeteria stuffed between soggy pieces of white bread — it’s a luxurious, grown-up tin that was the near-unanimous favorite among our tasters.

Suspended in cloudless, yellow olive oil, the lightly salted fillets of albacore are meaty and savory without veering into unpalatably fishy territory. Between the fattiness from the fish and the olive oil, each bite is luscious and balanced. One taster said it has “a mild briny sweetness,” while another — and not the only one — commented, “I immediately want to eat a whole can of this one.”

Between its delicate yet balanced flavor profile and its price (a 3.24-ounce can costs roughly $7), this is not the kind of tuna you bury under mayonnaise or chili crisp. Allow it to shine on a conservas platter, atop a salad, or with your favorite crackers for a simple, indulgent lunch.

Ingredients: albacore, olive oil, salt
Fishing method: pole and line

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From smoked duck to matcha bars, these tested ideas make outdoor cooking feel generous, social and celebratory

By Chaya Milchtein

Cooking is my love language, but entertaining may be the fullest expression of it. I’m the person who posts an open invitation for an impromptu barbecue, starts planning the holiday menu months in advance and sees a backyard gathering as an excellent excuse to try a new cut of meat, build an over-the-top spread or finally pull out a piece of kitchen equipment I’ve been itching to use.

I love eating while I travel, but I’m just as happy cooking at home—especially when there are friends and family to enjoy with. And while conventional wisdom says you should always cook what you know when hosting, I think that’s baloney. With a little research and preparation, a party can be the perfect opportunity to flex your culinary muscles, experiment with something new and have fun doing it.

Over the past several months, I’ve cooked, grilled, smoked, sipped and served my way through a wide range of products perfect for summer gatherings. Some made feeding a crowd easier. Others became true centerpieces or gave me a new idea for how to bring people together. What follows is not simply a list of grilling gear and impressive ingredients, but a tried and tested culinary adventure for all the parties, menus and moments you want to create.

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For something even more dramatic, La Tienda’s double-frenched racks of lamb make a hell of a centerpiece. Connect the two racks with a sewing needle and twine, shape them into a crown with the bones facing outward, then smoke the roast without stuffing it — or add fully cooked stuffing at the end.