The Streets, the Land, Bucolic Decay –Jamie Rea’s Portfolio Reply

Jamie ReaJamie Rea (Shropshire, U.K.)  first came to Spain on his own the summer he was 17. He stayed with his aunty in Granada and became enthralled with the Spanish lifestyle. This fascination led him to frequent Spanish bars in London, where he met his future wife. Today he’s 39 and lives with that girl and their three children an hour’s drive north of Madrid where he works as the director of an international commercial real-estate company. Jamie devotes his after-work time to photography. (After photography he does mountain bikes and antique British cars in that order.) More…

Spanish Nights Are Something Special Reply

Spanish nightlife
Spain loves the night. The country enchants millions of  visitors from all over the world in large part because of its rich and varied nightlife.  People from northern climes, where they roll up the streets at nine, are stunned to see that a “night out” in Spain can end with   “churros con chocolate” in an early-opening breakfast bar. You can enjoy Spanish nights from simple strolls through lively streets to formal galas in elegant settings. More…

Mike Randolph Discovers There’s Folks for Everything Reply

Mike Randolph SpainThe Spanish say, “Hay gente para todo.” “There’s folks for everything.” Hispano-Canadian photojournalist, Mike Randolph, confirmed that old saying on a recent trip to Cataluña to cover a “castellers” competition. What’s “castellers?” Hint: It comes from “castell,” “castle.” But you have to see it to believe it. Lucky for us Mike made a smashing video of the event and he’s generously given us access to it.  Mike’s story is interesting in itself. He was born in Cádiz, raised in Toronto and returned to Spain as an adult. He’s one of an elite handful of journalists capable of producing outstanding text and images indistinctly. See more of his work here and here. More…

After Watching These Last Two Iberico Ham Videos You’ll Be an Expert! Reply

Iberico hamIn these second two iberico ham videos we learn how the world’s finest ham is salted and cured and, best of all, how to slice it. It’s got bones down the middle, you see, and you have to work around them skilfully. And it needs to be sliced super thin–for which there is a special knife–so as to achieve maximum surface area. This paper-thin slicing enhances and extends the incomparable taste experience. The curing process is an industrial variation of the way jamón serrano has been prepared in Spain since time immemorial. Crisp mountain air with its unique micro-flora still intervenes in the process. Shall we have a look at it? More…

Try Paul Read’s Video Zen from Spain Reply

Paul Read LojaPaul Read is a Renaissance man but his Renaissance is Chinese. He’s a Londoner and a Tai Chi master who transported himself to Spain. He tried the Med coast and the big city and finally opted for a house in the middle of Loja, a medium-sized provincial town in Granada. From there he observes–both on the street and on the Web–teaches, writes, produces videos, organizes his fellow guiris, and does his best to live a human life on this planet. This is his video, entitled “Observando,” “Observing.” (We admire anyone who can slip his dog so artfully into a video!) More…

Creating Spanish Cuisine Ambassadors Reply

Chef Jordi CruzIn the context of the International Madrid Fusion Gastronomy Summit ICEX, the Spanish export agency, presented the fifth edition of its Young Chefs Culinary Scholarship in Spain. Fifteen young chefs from 13 different countries have come here to learn about Spanish cuisine and products with the objective of returning to their countries of origin and becoming Spanish gastronomy ambassadors. Their kitchen training is directly in 28 restaurants of  Spanish chefs like Ramón Freixa, Juan Mari Arzak and Pepe Solla. More…

The Astonishing Gastronomy of Euskadi Reply

Basque chefs“Euskadi,” “Basque Country” in the Basque language, is a small region (7,234 square kilometers, substantially smaller than either Connecticut or the island of Crete) in Spain’s northwest corner. It has its own character, language, customs and, incidentally, 15 Michelin-starred restaurants. With a bevy of world-class cooks like Martín Berasategui, Juan Mari Arzac or Pedro Subijana, it’s easy to understand why, in recent years, Euskadi has become a place of pilgrimage for people interested in extraordinary dining, whether in bucolic farmhouse restaurants in their deep-green hills or in great gastronomic emporiums. This is a region whose cooks have brilliantly rescued it from post-industrial oblivion. More…

The Lowdown on Spain’s Coveted Black-Legged Pig 2

iberico hamOften when Spanish people want to describe something that’s super fine they call it “pata negra,” “black leg.” Therein lies a story. There are two versions of Spain’s renowned “jamón serrano,” or “mountain ham,” salt cured traditionally in villages at high altitudes with crisp temperatures and mountain air.

The first is what we’ll call standard jamón serrano made from normal white pigs. This can be an excellent ham and it’s what you’ll usually find in tapas bars around the country. More…

A Visit to Barcelona’s Boquería Market 1

You Can Also Eat There–Talk about “Market Fresh!”

cigalasIf the main food market is the place you like to stop first  in every new city you visit, you have a treat in store for you in Barcelona. Located in the middle of La Rambla pedestrian boulevard with its flower and bird stalls, and opposite the evocative Barrio Gótico restaurant quarter, the 19th-century Boquería Market (Mercado de San Josep) is one of Europe’s largest and most colorful. More…

Fascinated by Spanish Guitar Music? Reply

Spanish guitar construction

Are you fascinated by Spanish guitar music? Does your record collection (most of which you can no longer listen to) include well-loved records by Andrés Segovia, Sabicas or Paco de Lucía? Do you miss them? Do not despair. Just turn off your cell phone, put your feet up and enjoy this 44-video YouTube playlist of Spanish guitar music, both traditional and contemporary.” More…