Tales from the Squid - Part 2

Baby squid grilled with garlic and parsley, Bar Ton, Barcelona

I LOVE squid - don't you? There is something just SO good about these critters, whether baby or adult. When fresh, as you invariably get in Spain, you bite through the protein rich flesh - it shouldn't be chewy and if you find you are eating squid with a chewing gum consistency then, my friend, spit it right out! And on the table, for if the restaurant does you the disservice of serving this, you must spit-pro-quo. Hrumph!

Squid on vegetables, Bar Ton, Barcelona

Squid is plentiful in the many fishmongers here and a popular dish made in MANY ways. My favourite is the simple way:

Stir fried squid in Ven Ven, Barcelona

Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 large squid, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 clove of garlic, diced finely
1 tbsp olive oil
Some parsley chopped up
Salt and pepper
Method:
Heat the oil in a pan/wok and add the garlic and fry till beginning to turn golden
Add the squid and cook till firm, at high heat
Add salt
Remove from pan, sprinkle with pepper and then parsley and ENJOY, you lucky fu**er!

Squid in ink with Fava beans, Madrid

I love the fact that squid is versatile, tasty, healthy AND cheap! They are intelligent beings so tis a pity to eat them so I try not to think about that last fact. Forget I said that. Right now!
Hope the following photo will distract you...

Squid and Fava beans, Bardot, Barcelona

Feeling distracted? I am feeling hungry!

Tales from the Sea - Part 1

Fresh crab with eggs

A long time ago, I kind of did the famous 'Camino de Santiago' also known as Way/Path/Trail of St. James, Route of Santiago de Compostela or Road to Santiago. This is meant to be a spiritual trip and all routes ( from Spain, France and Portugal) or Pilgrim roads lead to the shrine of the Apostle St James, in the awe inspiring Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, in N.W. Spain. You can also take it as a way to commune with nature as you walk or cycle across swathes of countryside and even as a personal challenge to yourself as you venture into an unknown landscape, away from technology and creature comforts. 

Ok, so mine was not the hardcore version, rather, it was to take the train and then the plane as the trip got further west, returning each time to Barcelona to pick up the kids, go to work etc but hey, I still did the trip and stopped at many places and ate THE most divine food...

So once Santiago is reached, for those for whom it is anticlimatic, you can prolong the trip by going about 80kms more, to a place called Finisterre or Earth's end. Not a very beautiful place as such but with a beautiful harbour and some excellent restaurants, a perfect way for a foodie to end this trip...

Finisterre

..and have what I had, a seafood FEAST! For Galicia is known for its seafood and oh my! This crab was raw and fresh and the eggs just popped in your mouth.

Crab heaven

Followed by razor clams which were small and so sweet, I could have eaten another serving easy peasy.

Razor clams

Don't you just love these variegated scallops (wonderfully called 'zamburiñas' in Spanish) grilled with a garlic/ parsley oil? 

Variegated scallops

Back in Barcelona, I continue my love affair with these wonderful scallops and had some 'smoked' ones with a tomato chutney - sublime!

Smoked scallops with tomato chutney

Talking of seafood, how, I mean HOW can I forget the wonderful mussels which I ate in Brussels, not just once but many times. 

Mussels in Brussels

Please Sir, could I have some Ceviche

Mussel Ceviche, The Market, Barcelona

Ceviche, you ask? What on earth is that? Sounds like a fungus! 
Well, dear Food Pornicator (aka my favourite type of masochist), you have probably been living on a remote island off Antarctica if you haven't come across Ceviche. It is Peru's answer to sushi, the health freak's dream dish and a must-eat for any food and fish lover. I simply love it and thank my lucky, lucky stars that a few years ago, Peruvian restaurants shot to fame in Barcelona and suddenly sprouted up everywhere just like the aforementioned fungus. And even nicer, ceviche has crossed the country barrier and entered into menus of many non Peruvian restaurants in Barcelona.

So, here is a nice little non-wiki page which talks about ceviche. Basically, if you are too lazy to read all that - it is a dish with fish marinated in citric juices and any of a variety of garnishes added afterwards, made all over Latin America though there is a strong historical link to Peru. Dee-lish-us! I have tasted many different combos in many places and frankly, find it hard to pinpoint to a favourite. Can you? 

Ceviche with avocado, Coure, Barcelona

To the right, a rather Spanish version with an olive oil instead of a citric juice dressing. You really must be used to the strong virgin olive oil used to taste the upper notes of chive, parsley and snipped cress. The avocado makes this dish heavier than some of its South American counterparts but definitely adds to the health benefits ( "WHAT", you huff, salivating like a hungry beast, "Who cares about health!?")

3 version ceviche, Tanta, Barcelona

I happen to live in the Amazing restaurant neighbourhood of Barcelona. Serendipity? Karma? Whatever, Thank You, Food God; Hallowed be thy name. There is an excellent though rather pricey Peruvian restaurant that opened a few years ago, which serves a variety of this yummy dish. At the top left you have the Hot, the Nikkei (with tamarind that gives it a deep orange colour) and the Classic - OMG, amazing!

You might be wondering what that thick juice, in which the fish comes swimming is. It is called, amusingly enough, 'Leche de tigre' or Tiger Milk! Yowzha! And no, no tiger was involved or milked - Ouch! Herewith, a recipe for Leche de Tigre which can be a drink on its own:

Ceviche, Ceviche 103, Barcelona

Serves 6
Ingredients:
60 gms of lemon juice, 
60 gms of lime juice, 
60 gms of hake, skinless and boneless,
20 gms of peeled shrimp, 
60 gms of fish stock, 
12-15 gms of celery, 
25 gms of onion,
7 gms of salt, 
25 gms of crushed ice, 
8 gms of hot chili peppers,
3 grams of fresh cilantro/coriander.
Method:
In a mixer/food processor, whizz the first 5 ingredients. Adjust the fish stock to balance the acidity. 
Peel the celery to remove the filaments and chop it. 
Peel the onion and cut it 
Add both the ingredients into the mixer. 
Finally add salt and ice. Whizz until it becomes a smooth cream.
The ice is added to balance the acidity, to prevent the citric acids from transforming the fish and, to maintain the cold temperature at which you are to serve the dish.
Finally, add the chilli and coriander leaves and whizz again, briefly. 
Pour into a covered container and reserve in the refrigerator until time to serve over the marinated fish.

Ceviche in a random and humble Peruvian

And here is a nice and easy ceviche recipe, just what you were waiting for. I personally wouldn't add the olives but hey ho- you decide. 

A few years ago, arriving in Florence on a Sunday at 3pm and hungry as hell, a boyfriend of mine and I ventured out to eat after having settled into our hotel. And lo and behold, a Peruvian restaurant was just there, where we wanted it and open for custom! Of the week we were in Florence, we ate there 3 times, the food was that good and copious. 

Ceviche at Totos

You remember how I told you that ceviche has crossed the country barrier and moved into menus of non Peruvian restaurants? Take 'Totos' - an Italian restaurant and, what do I see when I go there, late one evening, to dine? Yes, a ceviche! And a dee-LISH-us one at that...






And last but not the least, ceviche, Japanese style! With marinated red onions, chives, salmon and sea bass. Dee-light-ful!

Ceviche, Nanayo, Barcelona

RIP Le Baignore

Menu on the wall

For many, many years, after watching a movie, a very good friend of mine and I would walk down from the cinema theatre and have a bite and a drink, in a place a convenient stone's throw away. This bar changed owners 3 times while I was a customer, over about 10-12 years but the theme remained more or less the same - a selection of lovely wines and little plates of food, just the perfect way to discuss a movie and end an evening.

Rillete and wine

My friend moved away but I continued the ritual for many years after. I took other friends, boyfriends, potential boyfriends....made friends with the bargirls. Then last year, they closed this classy jewel down and a rather garish sandwich place has taken over.

So I just want to say goodbye to my after-cine place, where I drank many a glass of wine, ate many a dish of rilletes or ham, had so many wonderful discussions and laughs. I haven't had the heart to look for a new place where a girl can have a glass of wonderful soothing wine after hours...who knows if I will ever find one. Goodbye, La Baignore, RIP

Angry eggs!

I just LOVE the name of this dish - did the angry birds come first or the angry eggs?

Angry eggs at La Flauta, Barcelona

In Spanish, this dish is called 'Huevos cabreados' (Angry eggs) or 'Huevos Estrellados' (Crashed eggs) - my Tapas post of 29th January refers to it. It is made from two of the cheapest and most available ingredients - eggs and potatoes. Sounds like a simple dish, huh? Well, it is! And, oh so good when you want something easy to cook and comforting to eat. But it is very rare that in a bar or restaurant, you should get it made just right! Trust me- I tried. Many places re-fry the potatoes or cut them into large chunks and you end up with a greasy mess that is quite hard on the palate and stomach. Ugh!

Here is a simple recipe: 
Serves 2
Ingredients: 

• 250 gms of potatoes
• 2 eggs
• Paprika/ red chilli (latter only for the brave)
• Salt
• Method: 
• Make straw potatoes with a mandolin
• Fry them in plenty of oil till cooked
• While the potatoes are draining on a paper napkin, start frying your eggs
• Place the potatoes on a plate with the eggs on top.
• Add salt and a generous sprinkling of paprika/chilli
• With a knife and fork, roughly chop your eggs and mix with the potatoes
• Enjoy with some crunchy bread, a salad and a glass of your favourite wine!
• 
  
• 
  

The Monster Cabbage!

I like to get my weekly organic veg in a pre-ordered box - you decide the weight and they put in whatever is in season and deliver it to your home. It is like Christmas every week. I find that one gets so used to buying the same things in a supermarket, that a veggie box, with its sometimes surprising selection, makes you go beyond your comfort zone and try products you would normally never buy. This is how I discovered fennel.

Alas, my normal supplier has just recently retired (WHY? You look so hale and hearty Mr Manuel! What'll you do at home except get bored and bother your wife. C'monnnnn!) so I found myself looking for a new one. After a lot of searching, I found one. The website was easy to use and, the size of the boxes/price ratio good so, I hastened to order.

After a few days, it arrived. What was my shock when I found a MONSTER Savoy nestled cosily atop other veg and taking up HALF the space of the box next to an enormous Romaine - which is all show and no substance so not a problem. Unlike a Savoy which, if used instead of iron cannonballs, would probably breach a castle wall or two. 

I had ordered an 8 kilo box. Guess how much this monster weighed? A whopping 3,2 kilos! Now, who in their right mind lands such a ginormous brassica on an unwary customer? You could set up your own natural gas station with one of these babies and fuel a small state! 

Have ditched the seller in an email of stern tone but can't ditch the brassica so have been feverishly thinking of recipes and finally decided to alter the amazing Portuguese kale soup called 'Caldo Verde' ( recipe for which is herewith).

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small chunk of butter

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 a leek, finely chopped

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

3 rashers of bacon/2 inch piece of chorizo, finely

chopped 

1/2 Savoy cabbage, shredded

1 ltr hot chicken stock

Garnish (optional):

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 an onion, finely sliced

1 rasher bacon

Method:

To make the soup, heat the olive oil and butter in a stock pot over a medium heat.

Add the garlic, leek and celery and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chopped bacon and brown

Add the cabbage and fry, stirring regularly, for 2-3 minutes, until soft.

Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Use a hand-blender to liquidise the soup and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To make the garnish, in a small frying pan, slowly cook the onion in olive oil till transparent. Add the bacon and cook on low heat till the bacon is brown and crunchy. Drain on a paper towel

To serve the soup, pour it into a warm bowl and add some garnish on top! Voilá

DEE-LIH-SHUS! The best bit is the crunchy bacon entangled with the caramelized onions, seetting off the slightly sweet flavour of the soup oh, so well.

Unfortunately, that was just a quarter of my monster and made enough soup for 4. It seems that the planet is going to heat up much faster in the next week or so, as I go through this veg. Flatulence won't be a by word but an 'in' and then, very soon, an 'out' word. Sigh! 

Cabbage soup

Luckily, cabbage, especially monster cabbage, has a long shelf life so, 10 days after reception, I decided to make the South Indian - Keralite - side dish called 'Thoran'. I got the recipe off here. Easy recipe and you end up with a moist and delicious dish which does NOT smell of old socks. 

Kerala cabbage 'thoran'

Paella, Please!

As far as I can make out, many countries have a rice and meat/chicken/animal protein dish. You have the Indian 'biryani', the Italian 'risotto', the Chinese broadly generic 'fried rice' etc. The Spanish have 'paella', which is the name of the shallow, 2-handled pan it is made in. It is a dish originally from Valencia but has become an almost national dish in Spain and after 'Tapas' and 'Sangría', is probably the 3rd most recognisable Spanish word among tourists!
Am I right, am I right or am I right? 

Lobster paella at 'La Mar Salada', Barcelona

As long as you have the right rice - Bomba or Calasparra' which is a medium grained rice which is quite starchy, you can add pretty much anything you want and call it a 'paella' ( I hope my puritan Spanish friends are not reading this) - with certain sense though- you most definitely CANNOT add raisins, cheese or herbs ( except parsley) and get away with it. The above has got to be one of the most delicious paellas I have eaten recently, rich, with huge chunks of a lobster which was cooked and cracked just right and the freshest seafood - clams, mussels and squid rings. It was heavenly to sit down and take time to eat this dish for you can be well certain that it will be the last dish of the day - I couldn't eat dinner. Make sure you have this as a lunch dish for it is deceptively heavy. 

Paella in Chiringuito d'Escribá, Barcelona

Funnily enough, in many Spanish restaurants and bars, you will find that they serve 'paella' mainly on a Thursday. Why? Who knows the real reason and there are many theories. Probably the most valid reason could be that owners tried to get rid of any leftover meat/veg/fish on the day before they gave supply orders, which is usually on a Friday.  

You can see the flat and rather large pan (dependant on number of orders - minimum 2) on the right. This photo is taken of a 'paella' eaten in a place which consistently serves some amazing paellas - I have been several times over the past 10-12 years and have never once eaten a 'paella' which I thought was dry or tasteless - too often the case :-(

Paella in Platja d'Aro

Here is yet another 'paella' I ate in a seaside restaurant in Platja d'Aro and my, was it good, washed down with lots of thirst quenching 'Cava' (Catalan champagne). Can you think of a better marriage than a cold 'Cava' and 'Paella'? Try it, you won't regret it :-)

Homemade Paella

And finally, how could I resist? The most amazing home-made paella! it is quite time consuming to make so choose a Sunday. We made the broth with ground crab, fish bones....pfffffff, let me see if I can find the recipe to add here. 

Spiralizer tales

Spiralizer!

After having put on 5 kilos last year ( I wonder why?), I decided that singlehood and weight gain just don't go together and looked into ways to combat the girth. And mysteriously, the universe conspired and I saw an article on my twitter feed, on 'Voodles'. Voo-what? 'Voodles' - Vegetable noodles - how neat is that name? These are basically the low and slow carb alternative to pasta, as they are made entirely of fresh veg like carrots, zucchini, beetroot etc. Not convinced? Let's do some numbers:

100 gms of wholewheat, cooked pasta is roughly  94 calories
100 gms of white, cooked pasta is roughly 176 calories !!!
100 gms of courgette/carrots is about 54 calories

But, can we be realistic? WHO eats 100 gms of cooked pasta btw? A toddler! Most people eat about 200 gms ( I eat less of wholewheat coz it's pretty yucky) so just in a bowl of pasta, without sauce, you are putting in about 342 calories! That's a lot! Now take voodles, you can eat 3 times that of voodles for less than half the calories at 162 calories!!!! Added benefit of eating more veg than you have ever eaten before. And subsequent toilet.. ahem cough cough...

Freshly made zucchini voodles

The article did a comparative on all the different machines to make voodles and where to buy this machine - turns out that Amazon has the monopoly! I was so taken in and my body looked so fluffed out that I looked at all the models and after deciding that mine wasn't a commercial kitchen where I would need to make 10 kilos of the stuff ( The oo la la fancy schmancy machine that stands on its own and looks like a cross between a guillotine and an MRI scanner) and neither was I going to ruin my wrists by hand twisting 200 gms of voodles in a painful hour, I decided on the wonder you see at the top. BRILLIANT. Easy to use once you get the hang of it, with 4 settings which go from a simple chop to julienne to voodle plus easy to wash and store - I LOVE it. Plus you also get a bowl where you can store any extra voodles, with lid. 


-How long does it take to make voodles?
Once you have washed and or peeled your veg, make sure one end is flat, skewer it in the machine and crank! Barely 5 mins!
-What do you do with the Voodles once made?
You can stir fry them for a minute or steam them for 3 minutes or just use them raw, instead of pasta
-Is it like real pasta?
Of course not, dumbass! BUT they almost mimic the real thing and you can add any sauce you like, like with real pasta
-But I love pasta
I bet you like the bloating and heaviness too? 
-Sulk, whine, sulk
Hey, this is a great way to catch up on your veg portions too plus unblock your system with all the extra fibre :-)

Tomatoey Seitan on voodles

A tiny jewel in the Gothic

You sometimes come across tiny and, usually quite old places, which continue a tradition of serving a handful of things but all of a superlative quality. La Plata bar in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona is one such place. You can practically see their whole menu in the photos above. They serve Catalan sausage or 'butifarra' on bread, anchovy on bread, an onion and tomato salad ( Warning: Do NOT expect to attract members of the opposite sex with onion breath) and, the loveliest of hot, battered sardines. And that is it! You can ask for a flagon of wine to accompany your meal and pretend you are  in the 1950's and sit back and relax and take in the atmosphere of a hidden Spanish jewel. Long may it last.

The tiny La Plata