Eat

We haven't eaten in restaurants much here, other than in nameless tapas places that serve pretty much the same (though delicious) fare: patatas bravas (cubes of crisp potato smothered in a piquant, creamy sauce), pinchadas (skewers of broiled or grilled tender pork), butifarra (a local sausage, always served with white beans), various tortillas (which, as many of you know, in Spain are akin to frittatas, flat omelettes), etc. Nor have I been sure what to do with all of the tantalizing ingredients to be found in the local tiendas.

A few days ago, I was perusing the stalls at the big open-air book fair on the Passeig de Gracia and came upon several excellent Spanish and Catalan cookbooks, which I snapped up for a pittance (not counting the devaluation of my home currency). So, I've been trying my hand at Spanish cookery. So far:

Saturday: a stew of lentils, chorizo (Spanish pork sausage spiced with paprika and LOTS of garlic), green peppers (the long, mild ones are cheap and plentiful here), tomatoes, garlic, onions, etc. Pronounced by Hannah to be fairly delicious.

Sunday: meatballs in a homemade tomato sauce, plus a Catalan-style spinach (the recipe called for Swiss chard, but I substituted) prepared with onions, raisins, toasted pine nuts, and cinnamon. My verdict: super delish. (I was surprised to read that cinnamon is featured in many Catalan dishes, a result of its having been a major trading port for milennia.)

If you can find it - and it's entirely possible, as it's published in San Diego - I highly recommend a cookbook titled, "Cooking Spanish," by John Newton (Thunder Bay Press, 2005). Beautiful photos, great writing, fail-proof recipes by a guy who obviously knows Spain and its cuisines.

Our apartment came furnished with a paella pan, which I intend to put to use in the very near future. One of my new cookbooks has about 20 different paella recipes (one of which contains mayonnaise - ugh!). Maybe I should sample one in a Catalan restaurant so I know what I'm aiming for - the preparation of a true paella is quite an art.