Spanish Nights Are Something Special Reply
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
The 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
In 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 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
In 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
“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
Often 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!”
If 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
