Foodies....

Lets talk about some foodies...yes...i think i have mentioned before some typical foods from Barcelona....but we have tried some more...and found some new...yummie things....hmmmmm....what are they you might ask yourself...and if not...tough luck cause im gonna tell you about them anyway....first up pulpo gallego (octopus gallego style). According to the late, great cookbook author Penelope Casas in her The Foods and Wines of Spain, "a la gallego" is anything cooked with paprika and olive oil…it is wam and had some potatoes....it was yummie....and of course never forget the patatas bravas...the fried poatoes with garlic aoili and some chillie sauce.....divine....kim...drinking his sangria and me drinking my cava...actually that i will tell you about in my next blog..the difference between cava, prosecco and champagne...but let me keep that for next time....

The of course,..what do we like cold meats and cheeses....so yes....that is what kim and i tried...a platter of the cold meats as an anti-pasti......selection of the pork....and what did our selection contain..sliced Ibérico ham, sliced Ibérico sausage, sliced Ibérico cured loin of pork, sliced Ibérico salchichón and not to forget what would this cold platter be without some tomato bread....pan de tomate....first you take crispy baguette...denn you take fresh garlic and rub it on, then you take fresh tomato and rub it on, then you add some olive oil...divine..i love it...wow....

As i mentioned above we also love our cheese...manchego, this is the most popular and made from sheep's milk..Manchego is Spain's most famous cheese. Produced in La Mancha in Central Spain, true Manchego is made from 100% sheep's milk. Cheeses from Spain are commonly made from sheep's milk because most of the territory is rocky and dry-- unfriendly to cows but suitable for raising goats and sheep. The abundance of wild herbs on Central Spain's grazing lands gives Manchego a special taste and aroma. Its flavor is zesty and exuberant, while its texture is firm, but not dry. Manchego can be recognized by the zigzag pattern etched into its rind. This is created by the rippled surface of the press used in the production of the cheese. Underneath the inedible rind, the interior is ivory-colored with few small holes. Taste Manchego for the first time and you will be surprised at how long the wonderful flavor lingers on your palate. It is an experience you will be drawn back to again and again, but....i would have never said it is sheep...it doesnt have the strong taste of goat..it is a subltle taste...then therre was Tetilla a rich, creamy dairy cheese from the lush countryside of Galicia. Many think of Spanish cheeses as a sharp Manchego or other aged cheese from the sun baked interior of Spain. In fact Spain is a diverse land, with hundreds of microclimates and over 400 types of cheese. Tetilla is from Galicia, which is filled with rolling green hills punctuated with patches of granite, and many contented cows. The third cheese was Idiázabal, it hails from the Basque country in Spain. During production, the wheels were traditionally smoked over beechwood, hawthorn, or cherry for 10 days, imparting a slight smoky quality that would add depth to the rich, nutty flavor of this sheep milk cheese. Idiázabal has a firm texture, similar to Zamorano, Roncal, and Manchego. Last but not least was the soft goat cheese, i was surprised about the flavour as it was quite subtle....not over-powering...and the in between brown pieces you see Quine Paste (membrillo)

And yes...another favourite which kim and i love.....prawns cooked in sizzling oil and garlic...then again...we are garlic fanatics....this was simply delicious....yummie...just writing about it, i get hungry again...and not to forget...kim having his sangria and me having my cava..

The one ngiht kim actually tried the cava sangria...which i must admit i definitely prefer...less sweet and actually very refreshing...The red one for me is too sweet...hence i stuck with the cava...which i love cause it has many many bubbles....

The one lunch, the port agent, kim's friend maria, took us for a typical tapas lunch in barcelona...orderi the typical, most famous tapas...and they were...fried small fishes, jamon iberica, pan de tomate, hamburger patties with caramalized onions and brie cheese, fried artichokes and grilled calamari, spanish omlette (which i actually must admit i preffered the one blanca's mom cooked for me) and ham croquettes....good...but i must admit...i did miss the cheese...and i do love the patatas bravas....but it was good...the cava was excellent and kim felt that the his sangria was a little too sweet...anyway...great atmosphere and a fun filled lunch with Maria....its not always about the food....it is also about the company....

So yes...the still have not had paella...and that was the plan to have it...but believe it or not...we actually did not manage....so what does that mean...kim and i will have to return to spain and try the paella....soon...but the tapas are just so nice and small and nice to share.....and you can have so many diferent ones....hmmmm...choices, choices, choices....

 

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