Spain Day 11 Sangria

Every beach has a beach bar and every beach bar serves Sangria. Spent the day at the beach; here we are re-hydrating.

Spain Day 10 Paella Dinner

Paella is one of my favorite foods and I often make it for company. Curious to see how the Spanish Table’s recipe stacked up against a Michelin starred paella restaurant we booked an outdoor table overlooking tile roofs and flower bedecked cobblestone streets of Tossa de Mar.

The Prix fixe meal took it’s time leading up to the main event but sacrifices must be made in the name of research.

Salt Cod Fritters.

Melon and Spanish Jamon

Gazpacho

Mussels

Paella. Presented then brought to table beautifully plated.

Spanish Flan

Delicious Paella but the Spanish table is no slouch. Here’s a link to their recipe which I highly recommend. You can customize to your heart’s content.

Spain Day 9 Lessons Learned

Lesson 1:  It’s quite a lesson in foreign life when you miss the last bus then the last train then find out taxis wont transport children without a car seat.  This we learned at 1am in downtown Barcelona twenty miles from our temporary home in Mataro. 

Before you call CPS I hastily remind you that the Spanish take a siesta every day.  On this particular day our children, bodies confused by jetlag, slept for 6 hours.  We would have woken them but we were sleeping too.  Anyhoo…what to do…

 

Lesson 2:  When driving a borrowed car in a foreign land (no more buses, trains or cabs for us…see lesson one), it’s best to familiarize yourself with all the workings of the borrowed vehicle.  That way you won’t lock yourself out in a no parking zone with your youngest child pounding on the window begging to get in so she can go to sleep.

 

Lesson 3:  When driving in a foreign land it’s good to decipher the parking rules before you leave your car in a no parking zone for four hours while you go to the beach and explore an ancient castle. 

 

Lesson 4:  If you’re really, really, sorry about parking in the no parking zone tell the very nice parking cop.  He might take pity on you and reduce your 60 Euro (about 85 dollars) fine to 12 Euro.

 

Still wondering how we found our way home to Mataro in lesson one?  R went down the taxi line until he found a driver who happened to have children and their booster seats in his trunk.

Spain Day 8 Spanish Food Bainbridge Style

Today’s big adventure involved a trip to the grocery store. We’ve been eating out every night and we thought it would be fun to duplicate some of the food we’ve enjoyed in the tapas bars and put a Spanish spin on some foods from back home.

There’s enough olive oil in this meal to make your hair really shiny.

The Menu:

Starter: Aioli Potatoes

Main: Spanish Style Pork Chops and Serrano Haricots Verts

Wine Pairing: Spanish Cava Rose'

To make the Aioli

Peel and crush two garlic cloves with a mortar and pestle. Add a pinch of salt and pound until you have a garlicky paste. Add two egg yolks and beat with a hand blender (you could also whisk or do this in your blender or food processor). Add about 2/3 cup olive oil in a thin stream beating continually until it looks like yellow mayonnaise. Add lemon juice to taste (about 1 1/2 tablespoons). Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if you want. You can make this in advance and refrigerate. It gets tastier with time.

To make the Potatoes

Cut four small potatoes into similar sizes so they cook evenly. The ones I used were thin skinned so I didn’t peel them. Lightly salt. Pour enough olive oil into a skillet to cover the bottom and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough that a test slice sizzles add the rest. Cook without turning for a few minutes to develop a slightly crisp skin then do the other side the same way. They’re done when there is no resistance when pricked with a fork. Serve with toothpicks for picking and dipping.

Not your daddy’s Weber. Starting the grill was the most difficult part of the meal. But look at what it produced:

Pork chops seasoned with smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Grill as usual. (R made the chops and he’s at the beach with E and J so this is all the instruction you’re getting.)

To Make the Haricots Verts

Wash and trim beans then place in a microwave safe pan. (a glass bread pan works well). Pour about 1/3 cup water over the beans cover with plastic wrap then microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until steamed crisp tender. Chop a garlic clove and place it in a skillet, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and an ounce of chopped Serrano jamon. Cook over medium low heat. Don’t fry the garlic, merely warm it up until it smells fragrant . Increase the heat to medium and add the (drained) steamed beans and toss until covered with oil and the ham is evenly dispersed.

Dinner

Spain Day 7 Montserrat Monastery

The monastery clings to the side of the pink stone mountain of Montserrat, which means jagged mountain in Catalan.  An aerial tram whisks you to the monastery --we were awed (or terrified) and forgot to take a picture on the way up.  Home of the black virgin and one of Catalunya's most active pilgrimage sights the monastery is home to 30 monks and a world famous boy’s choir.    Monsterrat monks are famous for their honey, nuts, a variety of liquors and handmade cheeses.  We bought one of each.

Spain Day 6 Costa Brava

It’s like living in a postcard. Spent the day wandering the cobblestone streets and narrow lanes of Tossa de Mar; a must see if you visit the Costa Brava. Fishing village turned seaside resort this delightful town still retains its original charm. Having an ancient castle helps.

The castle was built in 1187 and the defense walls in the 12th and 14th centuries. It is still amazingly intact with slits for archers to defend against pirate raids, ramparts and iron holders for torches. The castle walls are eight feet thick. This is the main entrance to the Vila Vella (old town).

Spain, Day 5 Tapas

Tapas