Food starts with the freshest most flavorful ingredients at a neighborhood market. I will miss buying my produce here:
Mercado on Calle Feria |
I will miss the fact that I always go to the same produce stand and the fruit sellers are so friendly, and I will miss chatting with the old ladies while I wait my turn. People are so easy-going and amiable here in Spain!
And I will miss the quality and prices of the produce. I’ve eaten some of the freshest and most flavorful foods here in Spain. There’s a reason Spanish cooking is so simple–when you have such fresh ingredients–and AMAZING olive oil–you don’t need anything more. Fruits and vegetables are still seasonal here, which gives you a greater appreciation of each item, and means they are even more flavorful. It’s all about the simplicity.
Just look at all the olive oil! Good stuff! |
My favorite dishes here are: tortillitas de bacalao (salt cod cakes), salmorejo, solomillo al whisky (pork in a garlic whisky sauce), tortilla, paella negra, boquerones (fried fresh anchovies), carrillada (pork cheek), coquinas (cockles), caracoles (snails)….nevermind, I love all the food here, no point in making a list!
Here’s a recipe for salmorejo, which is like gazpacho, but way better. It is a dish from Córdoba:
Put the following ingredients in a blender and blend until very creamy. The key to salmorejo is not under-blending and getting the right balance between bread and tomatoes. It should be quite thick if you got the bread/tomato ratio right.
1 kilo of tomatoes chopped in big chunks
1 large bread bun (bollo) soaked in water (day old bread is best)
salt
1/4 cup or so of good quality olive oil
1 garlic clove
a dash or so of sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
My kitchen counter at lunchtime today 🙂 |
Chill and serve topped with bits of iberian ham, hard boiled egg, and a drizzle of olive oil.
I guess I will have to make up for the lack of amazing olive oil by putting excessive amounts of green chile on everything I eat 🙂 And my first stop will be a breakfast burrito here:
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