In Valencia, along with the Flamenco, paella is king, all things citrus, fish and sea food galore. You get the idea, this is a land with plentiful options, and the resulting combinations increase exponentially. Given the bounty that exists due to its location, Valencian cuisine can be said to focus on vegetables and the...
When in Spain, nibble as the Spanish do – that’s my motto. I figure the locals are in the know and I’ve never been proven wrong, my theory has only been validated. Turrón (Spanish), torró (if you are in Barcelona), or torrone (Italian), also know is nougat is a candy mostly made of honey,...
Actually each of these cities has multiple food markets, but these three markets were in a class of their own. What also made the visit interesting is that while the focus was on food, each setup was different as was the vibe of the place, satisfying different needs for different cities. Barcelona – La...
Chocolate and churros. Churros and chocolate. I have to say I was a bit ambivalent about the combination, All that changed when I lanted in Madrid, and was told to visit a tiny shop (San Gines) that focused only on chocolate and churros. That ambivalence went out the window, as San Gines is an institution,...
Until recently, if you said “horchata” I would have responded with “Mexico!” Now, I am not so sure, having sampled the horchata of Spain, which country’s name I’d blurt out. While there are some similarites, sweet frothy drink, the differences are readily apparent. Besides, these two countries do not have the monopoly on this...
Asking for food recommendations for a trip to Spain, I knew would open up a can of worms. Everyone has an opinion that seems to counter the prevailing idea of the previous ‘expert” on topics such as favorite tapas joints or paella experiences. However, I was surprised to see one universal thread through everyone’s...
Adding saffron to a dish is like having cashmere in a blended wool sweater, it immediately ups the desirability factor and puts it in the favorite rotation. There is something about this herb that elevates a dish to something special. I have friends from various saffron producing regions who claim that theirs is the...
With a trip to Spain looming in our future it seemed only right that I give some thought to the beverages that we might find. Sherry is to Spain what Port is to Portugal, so just what is it with these fortified wines? What is a fortified wine? A fortified wine is made when...
We are off to Spain, so the food research commenced without fail. One of the first dishes I am anxious to discover in its native land is paella. I’ve loved paella ever since my first bite, and while researching potential destinations, Valencia, Spain was on this list when I discovered this area was the...
My love for capers slowly creeped up on me, a lot I imagine like those relationships where the couple start out as friends, and then realize they have something more in common, and soon amore. What are they? Capers are the unripened green flower buds of the Capparis spinosa (close kin to the cabbage...
