Hola, and welcome to Azahar & Co!
Spanning food, lifestyle, culture, and travel in al-Andalus, Azahar & Co. is a destination for inspiration and creativity, dedicated to the celebration of everything Azahar.*
With an accent on learning the origins (and the why) behind the dishes we eat today in Spain & Portugal, sprinkled with some inventiveness, you’re invited to savour traditional, regional foods through recipes shaped by stories and the belief that food is not only nourishment, but is also culture, the very fabric of who we are, and a love story with the ingredients, the land & the sea, and the people who cook from the heart. The power of food transcends the plate. It is our first line of defense for a healthy life and an essential component of the sustainable future of our planet. And of course, it’s one of the great pleasures in life.
Al-Andalus, or what is now most of Spain & Portugal, is a kaleidoscope of intertwined influences – an amalgam of the different people and civilizations that have passed through or settled in these lands, from the Celts, to the Romans, the Moors & Sephardic Jews, to modern day people. In a region of contrasts and colours and geographical diversity, anchored in traditions and age-old customs, the food and the artistry of the Iberian Peninsula never cease to delight and often surprise. At Azahar & Co, you’re also invited to explore the architecture, the artisans, and the design and decor of a land full of beguiling appeal and fertile imagination.
Azahar
*Azahar comes from the Arabic word for the blossom of the citrus trees. With its complex, sweet fragrance, whose migrant perfume fills the warm Spring air and envelopes you in a heady, ofalctory poem, azahar is ubiquitous throughout the Iberian Peninsula since the introduction of the orange tree to al-Andalus by the Moors.
At Azahar & Co, it’s synonymous with hope and renewal, with sunshine and cloudless blue skies, with balmy evenings kissed by moonlight and the soft, salty sea breezes of the Atlantic, with a lingering chat under the dappled light of a canopy of vines, with bougainvillea speckled, white-washed towns of the Mediterranean Coast, azulejo-tiled patios and colourful façades, with iron grilles, Moorish fortresses and Gothic cathedrals, and magical, Romanticist palaces, with dusty olive groves and the clip-clop of horse’s hooves…with vineyards and recondite mountain villages… It’s synonymous with the likes of Gaudí, Murillo, Velázquez, Picasso, Sorolla, Sánchez Perrier & Sánchez Barbudo, José Malhoa, and Columbano to name a few of Azahar & Co.’s favourites… and also with the joie-de-vivre and welcoming hospitality of Southern Europe, and the layered flavours of the Spanish & Portuguese cuisines…
As you can see, Azahar is more than just the little, white flower of the citrus tree. It’s an entire heritage.
About Debra, Storyteller & Photographer
I grew up in Chipiona, in the province of Cádiz in Southern Spain, on a farm that was situated about a kilometer from the beach and at a crossroads between the town and the piñero-pine forest, el pinar.
Like a generous handful of us locals due to the proximity with the Rota Naval Base, I am half-American, half-Spanish. My Andalusian side hails from Huelva, the western-most province of the southern region of Spain, bordering with the Algarve of Portugal. Our family ties cross the border. And on my father’s side, we come from a lineage of Central Europeans, some of whom were Ashkenazi Jews, who settled in the US.
The farm, San Nicolas, named by my Spanish grandmother, a devotee of Saint Nicholas of Bari whose saint’s day is December 6th, was our happy place. Here, we cultivated a variety of fruits and vegetables and citrus trees: orange, lemon, and mandarin. And it was here where azahar began to play an important role in my life too. Back then, my grandmother was the storyteller, telling me about the Spanish Civil War, her voyage aboard the Legazpi, life in Fernando Poo… she barely stepped into the kitchen except to eat. It was her mother – who had had a restaurant – and my mother who were the accomplished cooks. From my mom, I learned first to bake and later to cook from the heart, experimenting with flavours and ingredients, and always adding a pinch of love.
I am passionate about food, from the sourcing and sustainability to the history behind the dish, to the flavours and textures, to the plating and presentation. I am a home cook with a discerning palate, who relishes in creating dishes at home that are restaurant worthy. And I am always in the pursuit of sophisticated, epicurean meals, most especially enjoying eating at restaurants that provide a complete gastronomic experience. If I didn’t delight so much in the preparation of a meal, I could eat out every day!
My love for learning and discovering new things guides my need to travel and be a tourist in my own land. I don the glasses of innocence and curiousity to observe the details, the meanings, and the creativity of things around me. For me, nature and all artistic expression are sources of knowledge, pleasure, and happiness. And photography, which has become a form of artistic expression for me, enables me to document and share with others.
After a number of years back in the US and as an expat in various countries, I now reside in the Aljarafe, outside the city of Seville.
Language skills: I am bilingual in English-Spanish, fluent in French, still consider myself a beginner in German, and am now learning Portuguese.
Want to get in touch?
You can find Azahar & Co. on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Alternatively, you can also use the contact form below.
Thank you for visiting!