ekscrunchy

Maribel, Yes, I thought I recognized that name from CH! But what does this mean "Para gustos, los colored??"

I realized that I asked about RAF tomatoes in a the market and just found the notes I took. Maribel undoubtedly knows this, but they are 'supposedly" the most expensive tomatoes in the world (Although the prices did not seem that high to me; in NYC Greenmarkets heirloom tomatoes easily go for $5. a pound and they are not always great, until late summer and even then... So RAF stands for "resistant al fusarium," which means they are resistant to a type of fungus, the fusarium. They were first hybridized in France but were brought to the area near Almeria where they grew very well due to the high salt concentrations in the soils, which originated from the epochs when the Mediterranean Sea covered what is now farmland.

I enjoyed the rather small, easy to cover MUSEO NACIONAL DE ARTES DECORATIVAS, with collections of everything from textiles to glassware and pottery, to a recreation of a tiled 18th Valencian kitchen. However, the informative placards are in Spanish only so I'm not sure the museum belongs on the list for an ordinary foreign tourist, unless one has a fierce interest in the decorative arts. It's not comparable to astounding Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, but I did pass a few interesting hours there. Entrance fee is 3euro and they are closed on Mondays. Very close to The Ritz and just north of the El Prado, which I, unfortunately, did not make the time to visit on this trip. What a delightful area of the city!

https://www.cultura.gob.es/mnartesde...s/portada.html


Saturday night I had a 9pm reservation at LAKASA, about a half an hour's walk from my house in Chamberi. During my walk I was stopped by two different people who were looking for Calle Ponzano, the bustling bar and restaurant street not too far away. Although it's located on the ground floor of a modern residential complex, a cozy and welcoming feeling embraces you once you enter the fairly large, modern restaurant. Lighting is beautiful and seating is plush and comfortable. I liked this place as soon as I entered. I was seated at the end of a row of banquettes facing the vast wall of windows that overlooked a courtyard outside.

I had vacillated back and forth about dining here, or at HARAMBOURE. I might try HARAMBOURE on the next trip, but on the night I was very. happy to be here. I can't remember another restaurant where the service was so immediately welcoming and where the kitchen was so flexible in allowing you to create your orders in the sizes that you preferred.

What I mean is this:

My first course were the little "bunuelitos," little purses, stuffed with warm, melting Idiazabal Basque cheese. (see these on the menu, below; note the this is not the whole menu; it showcases just a few of the restaurants many offerings:

https://lakasa.es/the-menu-english

Twelve bunuelitos comprised a full portion but I knew that I would be hard pressed to eat anything else if I ordered so much. The lovely Venezuelan camarista (this was her last night here, as she was off to work at a restaurant on Ibiza for the season) suggested that I order only four of these little treats, which I did, so that was a quarter portion. I've rarely seen such flexibility; half an order is common in Spain but a quarter portion...I never knew I could request this!

(I groan when I think of how difficult it is to have a New York restaurant serve you a half an order and even then, this is done only in some Italian restaurants with the pasta course)

Those little "purses" were just what you'd expect from warm melty cheese, lightly fried...just smashing! 9 euro

I ought to mention, also, the amuse which was, that night at LAKASA, THE best celery dish I'd ever eaten. Who knew that ordinary celery could be transformed into such a marvelous confit???
This was a good harbinger of things to come!

LAKASA CARTA..March 2024

Confited celery, welcome dish....delicious!! Must get a recipe for this.

Bunuelitos de Queso Idiazabal..Que ricos!!!!

Rustic Guinea hen pate with toast....superb dish..look how it glistens with the fat!!

Mackerel crudo slices on top of peas from the Maresme coast

Those legendary tear-shaped peas with bits of allium



I followed these with a wonderful, coarse pate of pintada, or Guinea hen, served with a mushroom escabeche. Again I ordered a quarter-sized portion...fantastic! 12euro

Here is a photo from their site, better than mine:

https://lakasa.es/en-pate-de-campana...uinea-fowl-443

Following along during this week of peas, I took a quarter portion of GUISANTES DE LA MARESME 14euro. Rather than the jamon Iberico served at the previous two restaurants I'd visited, these peas were plated with slices of raw mackerel; I'm not wild about crudo of dark fish, so I did leave a few of the fish slices untouched but the peas, again, were glorious. once you've tried these tee-shaped beauties, I'm not sure you can ever go back to Bird's Eye! And in Spain these are sold I the market already shelled, freeing the cook of the labors task of opening the pods, which often dissuades me from buying fresh peas at home in spring.

Continuing my theme of fresh spring vegetables, I followed with a half order of artichoke brandade, again draped with that gossamer jamon Iberico (the menu calls it "Vitamin J!!") and resting atop a puree of artichoke. The artichoke was from Lodosa in Navarra, a vegetable heartland of Spain.
Perfect!

. (I passed on dessert, foolishly thinking that I would buy myself a cheesecake at Alex Cordobes, who would surely be open late on Saturday night). I was given a nice sweet treat at the end, but I can't read my handwriting--it looks like I wrote "candied turbot--easily," so I guess I was tired by then!!

With a glass of Manzanilla and the bread charge, my bill was 60.50. (next time in Jerez I need to educate myself about vinos generosos, as I am pretty ignorant about all the varieties..)
(Vinos generosos refers to fortified wines of Andalucia)

Needless to say, Alex Cordobes was shut tight by the time I walked back there; I don't know what I was thinking, going to a bakery so late!!
In fact, I don't know why I kept passing up on all the tempting dessert possibilities offered to me after every meal...

But one thing I did know for sure; I would be getting up early the next day, Sunday, and fast-walking over to c/Velasquez, 60 before breakfast to nab a slice of that elusive cheesecake!!

I would recommend LAKASA very highly. There are almost certainly English speakers on the wait staff and the menu has English translations. The welcome is so warm and kind and the menu is varied, with dishes that would suit almost all tastes. Prices are very fair and again, I was impressed with their flexibility on sizing. For all I know, the is not unusual, but I had not encountered it before that evening. They are famous among locals for their beef Wellington, served only on Fridays and Saturdays for lunch on advance request. I really cannot imagine anyone not liking this restaurant. They take online bookings and you MUSt reserve ahead; this last is true of all of the places in which I ate on this, and my last, trip to Madrid.

ekscrunchy

The next morning, Sunday, I could imagine the open mouths of some of the hotel staff when they saw me zoom out of the hotel just before 10am, before eating breakfast!
But aI was on mission: For cheesecake. And not for just any cheesecake. My goal was to sample the cheesecake of Alex Cordobes, who seems to have risen to the position of Madrid's cheesecake maven in the past couple of years. I'd read so much about this cheesecake, and already seen the impossibly long lines outside the bakery, thart I knew my trip to Madrid, or t least the food part, would not be complete without a sample. For the past few days I had been debating between the lemon, the dulce de leche, and the Belgian chocolate versions but by the time I made the walk to the bakery, I had narrowed it down to either the lemon or the dulce de leche.

Happily, there were only about 10 people ahead of me by the time I reached the entrance to the shop. People were walking out with bags looked to be filled with about 5 big boxes of cake...but for the smallest size cake, you cannot order in advance. If you've placed an order, you are ushered into the store faster than the poor folks like me who had neglected to do so, or who were after just an individual portion.

After about 10 minutes I was ushered inside what looked like a designer jewelry boutique....sleek and contemporary. I still hadn't made cup my mind on the flavors so I don't know why I asked the young woman behind the counter for her opinion. What was she going to say..that one is better than the other? Silly! I ended up choosing the lighter, lemon cheesecake (14euro for the smallest size, which could feed four people, I think, or certainly two with sweet teeth! The cake is packed beautifully in a round wood box emblazoned with AC..I'd don't think I ever saw a cake packaged so handsomely and then nestled into a smart black handled bag.

I whisked the cake back to the hotel and stashed it, per the staff's instructions, in the mini bar for later consumption.

Then on to breakfast!



Queue for cheesecake, Calle Velasquez, #6

Nestling a small lemon cheesecake into its box..14 euro for the smallest portion; I neglected to take a photo of the cake but it was excellent! Smoother and more runny than a NYC cheesecake and a lot more delicate. With a fantastic butter-laden crust that reminded me of a graham cracker crust in the US.




I'm not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I so wanted to sample the Spanish RioFrio caviar that I had purchased a tin to enjoy in my hotel room. So between the caviar, the cheesecake, and the heavily laden plates of jamon, chorizo, and cheeses that the breakfast staff would also bring to my room daily if I hadn't finished the treats on my plate, I had a pretty good stock of edibles inside Room #35, and planned to have a little party for myself that afternoon.

That Sunday I walked around the neighborhood admiring the architecture of Salamanca and making a small stop at Zara on Serrano. I LOVE Zara! Is there a better place to buy sharp-looking and pretty well-made women's clothing at a better price. (Ok, never mind that the black blazer I had bought to keep myself warm in Cordoba turned out to have only false pockets, but still, at the price I paid it looks pretty good).

I had bought some earrings at the Zara in Cordoba but it turned out that they were broken, so I went to the big Madrid store, expecting to wait on a long line for a replacement or refund. NO! My payment was refunded to my card after only about 3 minutes of wait time living me free to wander around, and also to stop in at another favorite for mid-range clothing, COS, nearby and close to the MERCADO DE LA PAZ. I didn't buy much; I already had my clothes from Zara in Cordoba and my new handbag, so I was set.

Rest of the afternoon passed relaxing and making a halfhearted attempt to arrange my purchases so that they could be either boxed up and shipped home from the hotel, or arranged to use every available centimeter of my two checked bags. I may have mentioned that last year the hotel helped me (they did all the work) in bubble wrapping and boxing all of my food items so I did not have to schlep them on the plane, I did the same thing this year and it certainly saves a lot of back strain and anxiety at the airport.

The RioFrio caviar was, of course, out of this world, and the tin stretched for a good two afternoons, being very mindful not to be greedy with the portions. And of course the cheesecake was superb, but next time I will try the Dulce de Leche, as the lemon was very light. I never was able to finish even the individual portion much to the delight of my bellboy, Frank, from Venezuela, a man as lovely as they come, who was thrilled when I handed him the rest of the cheesecake, and a nice amount of jawonn Iberico that I was afraid to bring b ack to the US with me. (not after my run in at JFK with the sniffy beagle and the lamb sandwich from Malaga a few years ago.)

mdn

Wow! Now I regret not trying the cheesecake AFTER having been to the store. I thought I needed to save room for lunch and then thought about how many pounds I’d likely gained during my trip…. As that famous poet, William Blake, once said “you never know what’s enough until you know what’s more than enough.”

Thanks to all your tips re Galicia vs Valencia. Galicia it will be in a rental car and I’ll save Valencia for November.

Finally, in an old book I have called Culinaria Spain, I found this passage intriguing: “Tuna from the Andalusian Atlantic coast was a much sought catch and an extremely lucrative business even in Phoenician, Roman, and Arab times. At the time of the Arabs, men in watchtowers (atalayas) announced the arrival of large shoals of tuna so that the fishermen knew in which direction they should lay out the nets.

The ships sailed toward the shoals, confronted them, and formed an almadraba, a tuna trap, with the nets.

The fish got caught in the mesh and they were then easily able to be killed with poles. Back on land the fish were cut up, salted, and transported to the markets in wooden barrels.

Today the Spanish fishing fleet operates throughout the world. Tuna, which is processed in Andalusia, often comes from distant seas.

The Spaniards most value the long-fin tuna (lat.

Thunnus alalunga). They call it atún blanco or even bonito del norte. It is fished off the Cantabrian coast in summer and can weigh more than 22 pounds (10 kilograms). Its pale flesh is almost white, moist, firm, and full of favor. The filleted abdominal flesh (ventrecha, or in the Basque country mendreska) is considered a particular delicacy.

The yellow-fin tuna (lat. Thunnus albacares), called atún claro or rabil in Spain, is mainly caught in tropical seas, frequently off Ecuador. It is significantly larger and heavier than the long-fin tuna. Its flesh is usually a pink color and not as aromatic, firm, and moist as that of the long-fin tuna.

The blue-fin tuna (lat. Thunnus thynnus) is called simply atún in Spain. It is found mainly in the Pacific and other tropical oceans and can weigh up to an amazing 44 pounds (20 kilograms). The reddish Alesh is very oily and less muscular than that of other varieties of tuna. It is nowhere near on a par with the long-fin or even the yellow-fin tuna as regards flavor, tenderness, and moistness. The flesh of the blue-fin tuna is usually used to make mojama or it is sold in chunks in cans.” Fighting words.

I can guess as to what the Japanese think, but would love your thoughts after your pilgrimage to the Costa de La Luz!

ekscrunchy

MDN..You wrote a fascinating post!!! When will you be in Galicia exactly?

I ADORE the Blake quote!!! Never read it before.

I'll share that there's a lot to be said for assembling some foods and lounging around the hotel and sampling.....

About the tuna, some of the info you posted conflicts with what I thought, but I'd love to read Maribels' comments. For me, when buying tuna conservas, there are two prime types: The bonito del Norte from Cantabria (Ortiz and other brands) and the "red tuna" from Cadiz which I always thought was bluefin. (Gadira and many other brands)..

For me, the bonito del Norte, is tinned in longer lengths and is more silky, or pliant, than the "red" tuna from Andalucia. That tends to be canned in chunks, rather than (I think the word is trancias, or lengths). The red tuna is a dark pink and the Cantabrian is a paler color, what in the old days we used to call "flesh) color if you know your Crayola crayon colors! Nowadays I'll call it "dusky pink. I like the Bonito del Norte better, I think, in my own salads...

I've tried the atun Clara (not ventresca) in round cans and in glass jars, from Ortiz, from the North but it's big chunks and drier than the silky ventresca. It would be fine on top of salad greens but once you've had the ventresca you are spoiled for life.... Even the ventresca from the atun Clara is just not as nice. I wonder if it would be good if we added some anchovy oil to the dressing...

I've read some recipes that advise using the olive oil from the tuna cans in your dressing..do you all do that, or do you drain the cans/jars and use clean olive oil??

I NEVER assumed the red/bluefin (I thought that these were the same thing) had been caught far from Spain....the labels, I think, say "product of Spain," so does that not mean that they were caught there? I don't know for sure. So the last part of the post is very confusing to me. It contradicts what I thought I knew, but then, I've never paid enough attention to those Latin names....

I hope Maribel weighs in here!!!
Thanks so much for posting all that!!!

And here are some photos from my in-hotel eating:



Spanish caviar from RioFrio, Andalucia. I bought this at MANTEQUERIA BRAVO but it's sold in el Corte Ingles and gourmet food shops....notice the size of the silvery-dark-gray eggs. Pure personal indulgence to the n th degree! Something I could never do when I was younger.

I treated myself to the caviar, and dipped into the tin two or three times until the can was bare. With the cava so freely dispensed by the hotel. I saved the tin!!

Tortilla de patatas--from breakfast array at Hotel Orfila. I think I'd like it a touch more runny... Such a great dish to make at home..easy, nd it keeps for days and can be eaten at room temperature....I like a salad on the side, or a heap of sliced sautéed red peppers

I take my small slice of tortilla with a helping of migas, a signature dish of breadcrumbs and pork, from Extremadura. I made my own variation of migas at home, with garbanzos and chorizo....it's a favorite!! (fresh cheese at the back of the plate)

My typical breakfast sampling....queso fresco eat the top (I brought home a nice chunk of this unpasteurized "fresh" cheese (El Gazul) from Andalucia).....I'm savoring some every day but the piece is growing alarmingly small by now....surprisingly, it's still fine to eat....also on the plate are, sort of counterclockwise: Membrillo, a goat cheese, Manchego, picos (bread snacks) lomo Iberico, smoked trout (eat with buttered black bread) and in the center and under the trout, chorizo and jamon Iberico de Bellota.... I wish this could be my daily breakfast at home!!

Staff brings unfinished plate to my room, with lovely bread sticks....snack on during siesta hours....the plates always seem to be bare before dinnertime. Note red silk tassel on door knob...used to request privacy, instead of a printed cardboard door hanging.

Closeup of little in-room snacks, on Portuguese porcelain; good heavy utensils.....no wonder I never ate lunch out!!

Adelaidean

This is all so fascinating.
On peas, I love fresh peas but they’re often already too old when sold here. But when I eat them fresh from my father’s vegetable patch…tiny and sweet, so yum. I had no idea of the different types.

Thank you for such an interesting read.

Tim_and_Jenni

I love good places and cuisine

ekscrunchy

Adelaiden: Thank you veery much for commenting! I agree bout the peas at home! Certainly from the supermarkets, where they Are sold shelled but in plastic bags so who knows when they were picked!!! (I'm in the US). Your Dad has a veg patch--so lucky!!! When my Dad grew tomatoes, I became so spoiled and until I went to Spain, I never tasted any that came close to the ones he grew! I don't know why even in the Greenmarkets, in season, I can't find any that came close to his in flavor... Well there's no problem with that in Spain!!!

In general, whoever I come home from Spain, it takes me a few weeks to get used to the food back here at home....nothing seems as interesting, as well prepared, or as tasty!



My relaxing final Sunday in Spain culminated with dinner at LA BIEN APARECIDA. As many here have mentioned, the choice of restaurants for Sunday dinner in Madrid, as throughout Spain, is very limited and travelers focused on food should keep this in mind when planning their visits. (Many restaurants re also closed on Mondays). Before you make your dining list, be sure to take this into account so you will not risk disappointment.

LA BIEN APARECIDA, stands amidst a clutch of upscale, fashionable eateries concentrated along Calle Jorge Juan. I suppose this stretch might be a Mecca for "influencers," or as Maribel put it, the "Telva set," named for readers of a certain magazine aimed toward readers who are, or consider themselves to be, the super chic of the City. I'd walked along this short street before, late at night, and had noticed the designer-bedecked crowds lingering inside the sidewalk terraces, but I never would have considered eating in any of them before.
If you know New York, think of Le Goulue and Le Bilboquet, and Orsay on the Upper East Side, but with a younger crowd. (I've never dined at any of those places so I could be off-base about this, but that's the impression I got when walking along Jorge Juan at night).

So, with most of my choices shuttered, Maribel suggested LA BIEN APARECIDA, and I was curious about this address, since I'd never dined anyplace in Madrid that seemed to fit that category of restaurant. Again, I could be all wrong here, so take these comments with a grain of salt.

The restaurant is near Plaza Colon. And even though it was closed on Sundays, I should mention a lovely small shop, Frinsa, also near Plaza Colon, on Calle Goya, specializing in conservas from Portugal..you know, those tins, papered with those exquisite illustrated wrappers.... If you are heading anywhere nearby, and you love food, you should stop in to Frinsa, on Calle Goya. Looking at these wrappers, which you've seen if you've been food shopping in Portugal, is like lingering over drawings in a museum. I've saved some but my plans to mount them in a frame have not yet come to fruition. But they certainly would look beautiful! (I did stop in to Frinsa on another day and I bought a few tins of tuna, sardines, and various fish pates). They also offer a small selection of Portuguese wines. Recommended!

https://www.frinsa.es/tienda-gourmet/frinsa-madrid/

I found Plaa Colon to be fascinating as well....well worth a visit when the stone installations related to Colombus' visit to the New World, are illuminated at night....I've tried, and failed, to find out much information about these works but I did spend about an hour wandering within the Plaza late one night last year.


You can imagine, from the way this report is unfolding, that I get distracted when walking around the city when unplanned stops crop up so often, abolishing the idea of making any firm plans.



FRINSA, handsome shop for Portuguese fish products; lovely staff. Stop just to linger over the glorious designs on the wrappers of the tins!!

Portuguese sardines and mackerel at FRINSA

ROUND TINS OF PATE: TUNA AND MACKEREL....these are much less pricey than the conservas of pure fish, and I think they make great gifts, taking up minimal space in luggage.

ekscrunchy

LA BIEN APARECIDA


I was ushered upstairs to the handsome contemporary dining room, beautifully illuminated and spacious. The ample space between the tables was very welcome, and contributed to the quiet of the room. I was seated at a nice table next to the window but I immediately asked to have either the window opened, or the a/c turned up, and it was blazing hot in there!! The server complied and the temperature dropped a bit, although it still felt a tad too warm for me.

Besides that minor issue, the room felt cosseting and the service was spot on, although the atmosphere there felt less personal than other restaurants I'd visited that week which had a more intimate feeling (LAKASA sits between the two poles) The dining room was about half filled when I arrived for my 9:30 booking, but there was an outdoor terrace that was well populated and where I'd bet would make a great place to sit and be able to watch the passersby. You could while away an afternoon sitting on that sidewalk terrace and I imagine the people watching would be good. There are some very upscale shops in that immediate area--I even spotted Ralph Lauren--so I guess this would be a favorite spot for the "ladies who lunch" to break from shopping. My fellow diners that night appeared to be a mix of foreigners who lived in Madrid, and Spaniards, with one large family group of English speakers who looked to be celebrating an occasion..


The meal began beautifully, with a round glossy white sphere that opened to reveal a delicious mixture of bonito with tomato..this was delicious and was offered as a complimentary entrante.
I don't think the tuna had been stuffed inside the a cooked eggwhite because there were no visible seams, so how could you remove the yolk and introduce the stuffing without breaking the sphere??? This remains a mystery and I wish I had asked the server. (In fact, I may have asked him but I neglected to jot down his answer!). Anyway, it was really great, and great looking!!


Alongside this mystery dish was some good black bread and a dish of most excellent olives. Again, I'm sorry not to have asked about the olives because I've taken a fancy to them in recent years but I need to learn much more about the different varieties and, also, the best source for olives in Madrid. (I know a few Southern European varieties, but may knowledge is limited to the few eating olives that I've tried and liked very much. (For example I love the small black Taggiasca olives from Liguria, the tiny Luques from France, and the giant green Cerignola from Puglia, but that's about the extent of my olive knowledge and I know almost nothing about olives from Spain, except in the context of their oil.

Does anyone know of a class about Spanish olives that I might take in Madrid, so I could educate myself about them?? I think that would be tremendous fun!!

I limited my dinner to two dishes after that, since I had devoured all of those cheeses, jamones, chorizo....not to mention the sumptuous RioFrio caviar--in my room during the afternoon. I did manage to save most of the Alex Cordobes cheesecake for after dinner, though.

My first plate was a pair of astoundingly great Flores de Alcachofa, hearts of artichoke, their petals fanned out over the plate and perched atop a scrumptious potato puree. I took a half order but I regretted not ordering the full portion--that's how much I loved them. 14 euro. Outstanding!!!

I had some difficulty choosing my second course (the menu contains many, and varied, options) and eventually decided on a half order of "wet" rice with clams, arroz meloso con almejas. 17.50

A round, deep dish appeared before me, with the mound of rice set on top of an unusual bright green, razor thin and shiny disc of a material I could not identify. It looked a little like a pliable plastic. I was not sure if this was edible, or it was a visual embellishment. Surprisingly, the waiter told me that this was a concoction made from green pepper that had been manipulated to this form and texture. It looked pretty, as a color contrast to the golden rice, but I could not detect much flavor and the texture felt a little slimy. The rice, studded with medium sized clams, was tasty, but in the end it just seemed like a mound of cooked rice, imbued with the delicious flavor of the clams. I'm embarrassingly unfamiliar with the rice dishes of Spain so I'm not sure even what category this dish would fall into. Overall it was good, but not good enough to wow me in any way.

Along with the bill, I was "invited" to what the bill notes as "petit fours," but sadly, I have absolutely no memory of these., although I do remember the glass of Pedro Jimenez (sweet dessert wine from Jerez) with which enjoyed with my starter, even thought this, I believe, is usually taken after the meal. I love it!

The bill came to 41.60 with taxes. I'd put this high on the list of restaurants to visit on a Sunday, but I'm not sure I'd return on any other day.....I do think, though, that my opinion might have been vastly different had I substituted the rice for a different dish that would have been more to my taste. Like the lechazo, for example!!!!

Here is the menu:

https://restaurantelabienaparecida.com/carta/
LA BIEN APARECIDA....at an address of "good appearance!" Most appropriate!

Black bread and delicious olives in the foreground, with that lovely tuna/tomato mix inside white concoction reminiscent of a cooked egg white....a dish to which diners are "invited," as the menu notes.

The entire dish, minus a tiny taste of the outside...thinking back on this, I'm not even sure that it was an eggwhite at all..

Open with your fork and a delicious surprise reveals itself...sort of a loose amalgam of tuna and tomato...beautiful to look at, and lovely to eat!

Flattened Flor de Alcachofa..note the bits of char from roasting....among the best artichokes of my trip...wondrous!!!! I'll just stare at the photo a bit longer!!

The pair of artichokes (media racion)...before I devoured every last bit and wiped my plate clean...oh, my!!!



Arroz Meloso con Almejas at LA BIEN APARECIDA, served over a green disc created from green pepper

Closeup of the rice grains, imbued with the juice from the clams

\"Loose' Rice with clams, on top of disc of green pepper




Rice with clams, with the uneaten portion of the mysterious green pepper disc....LA BIEN APARECIDA





I took a leisurely walk back to my hotel near midnight. Among the many fabulous attributes of Madrid is that one (even solo women) can walk anywhere in the Centro (and probably beyond) at any time of day or night and feel totally safe. (The same was true for me in Cordoba, and in any other Spanish city that I remember). Is this true also in Barcelona?

Maribel

Wow, eks, I´ve been AWOL for the weekend (getaway to Pamplona/Soria) and need to catch up!

Your question: "Para gustos...los colores" or "Para gustos Dios hizo los colores" or "Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito", means each person has his/her own taste, and taste is entirely relative. "To each his own".
Or....one person loves NOOR and another just doesn't, for whatever reason.
For example, I have a great friend who was disappointed with Elcano, another poster on HO whom I trust who didn't enjoy Etxebarri, another who didn't enjoy Azurmendi, and we had a not so stellar lunch at Arzak, while most others love it.

About Raf tomatoes, I buy them daily at my local supermarket, and they're just not that expensive....at all!

About the different varieties of olives:
This morning at the Parador de Soria we were presented with 2 different types, of course, both from the Jaén province....arbequina (my favorite, softer and smoother) and picual (with a sharper taste). Then there's hojiblanca, not too strong or too soft. Too bad at the Paradors, during covid, they eliminated the tiny bottles of olive oils on the table that you could take home with you.

If you want a primer about the different varieties, on your next trip, staying at the Orfila, take a short walk to LA COMUNAL, at Mejía Lequerica in the Salesas neighborhood (not far from the URSO), where we purchase our olive oils. There you´ll find the very best from all over the country, and the owner will explain the differences to you. Our favorite, actually is Abbae Queiles from Navarra, which we can always find there (although we brought a stash back with us this weekend). This superb olive oil is made from arbequina olives. At Hacienda de Queiles in southern Navarra you can visit.
Of course the Jaén province has many haciendas open to oleoturismo. Oleoturismo is quite in vogue these days, along with enoturismo.

https://lacomunal.es/tienda-en-madrid/

https://www.haciendaqueiles.com

Yes, "luxury restaurant row", Jorge Juan, is THE street where the movers and shakers of Madrid dine, and each restaurant has elegant, glass enclosed heated outdoor terraces with chairs draped with fancy blankets where one can watch the fashion scene. Aristocrats, royalty, fashionistas, influencers, Titans of industry dine there, and they take their families to lunch on Saturdays and Sundays, the maids' days off. It's quite the show. El Paraguas is one of the most cher on this street. I recently saw the Marquesa de Griñón, Tamara Falcó, (Julio Iglesias's "step daughter" of sorts) dining there.
We actually do go to La Máquina and Lobito de Mar (a Dani García restaurant) for pre lunch wines at the bar plus complimentary aperitivos (refilled at la Máquina) or a small seafood treat (beautiful crustaceans) on Saturdays before lunch. It's quite the people watching spectacle.

I'll return later to weigh in on the blue fin question.

The almadraba season on the Costa de la Luz starts very soon, sooner than usual, due to global warming. The nets are ready.
It traditionally started after the first full moon in May, but no more. Last year the bluefin started appearing between the 15th and 20th of April, the year before between the 20th and 25 and the year before during the first week in May.

danon

Like everyone here, I have enjoyed the thread. Interesting and informative. And fun .
Thank you eks and Maribel.

The French said it “À chacun son goût “ , I like “ sobre gustos no hay nada escrito” even more.
My choice of restaurants is more in the La Catapa range , but I enjoy walking and people watching around JJ in the evening.
Madrid is such a great city !

Maribel

I'll bet you´re really looking forward to your May trip, danon!! Here´s wishing you a wonderful, wonderful time, to another Madrid lover!!!

tonyee

Atlantic blue fin tuna are definitely not from the Pacific. Some were spotted off the coast of Dorset in southern uk recently, They predate the large shoals of Mackerel that arrive off the coast in April. Can be up to 10 foot long.

Maribel

A little bit more about ¨tear peas¨ or guisantes lágrima:

The season is so short because they thrive in humidity and salinity and mild temperatures, but their greatest enemies are the southern winds, hail and heat, so the finest are grown close to the coast where temps are mild.

They’re harvested always before sunrise. Some call these coastal tea peas, the “dew of the dawn” (el rocío del alba). They’re harvested in the “tear” stage, about 5 millimeters in size, when the fruit of the pod has a “tear’ shape, not round but more flat or oval, and importantly, not yet mature, before their sugar turns to starch. So harvesters must know the exact, perfect moment to collect them so that the flavor is sweet and intense.

Some declare that Berasategui is the chef who baptized them with their name. He was the first Basque chef to introduce them to his menu and upon receiving his first order, he exclaimed: “But they look exactly like tears”.

They’re planted between October and November, in the season known as the little summer of San Martín.

There´s even a Basque brotherhood, a “Cofradía del Guisante Lágrima”.

Chefs serve them in many different versions. At La Catapa they’re prepared in a lukewarm ham broth with a carabinero (scarlet prawn), topped with an egg yolk. Paniego at Echaurren serves them with a potato purée and a touch of vanilla. At Nerua the chef poaches them with a warm broth of apple, celery and white tea.

But ekscrunchy, although they are associated primarily with the Basque Country, they’re also produced in Navarra (around Tudela at the farm of Floren Domenzáin) and in Galicia, on the A Coruña coast, they’re produced at La Finca de los Cuervos in Teo. The chef of Culler de Pau puts them on his menu in season.

The good news is that they’re very good for you! They’re very rich in minerals such as iron, potassium, vitamin B12, vitamin C and calcium, are loaded with antioxidants and are quite low in calories.

danon

Muy amable , Maribel.
Thank very much.🇪🇸

ekscrunchy

Maribel you are an astounding wealth of information!
I suppose I will have missed the peas by mid-May, in Galicia.

Those names for the peas: La Perla Verde, El Rocio del Alba (the might be a good name for my beach house near Zahara!)--they are so beautiful! Like the peas themselves.

I wonder if I'd dare to cook them at home....do any home cooks buy a portion for dinner, do you think? (I once bought a small amount of Japanese beef from a wonderful, minuscule Japanese butcher on Great Jones Street, downtown Manhattan...they gave me intricate instructions on how to cook it and, indeed, it did come out perfectly, but I was a little anxious about messing up. It's a good place for food-loving visitors to NY to know about, provided there is kitchen access.

Well I've gone far off track, again, so I will close with my final dinner in Madrid, at SACHA, a favorite of chef's and food-centric locals as well as some tourists.

SACHA, MADRID

I will admit that, while the (only online) reservation process is straightforward. I threw myself into a tizzy about it. I'd done a few sample bookings, and figured out the date and the time that the tables would open up for my date. When I did these "trial runs," I confirmed the t almost as soon as the seats opened up, they were booked.. I'd missed my chance last year so made sure to be ready to log on and book the minute I was able. (I see that my calendar has emblazoned "book Sacha!" on the designated date.)

So, I secured a reservation and, because of the location in the far north off the city (Maribel, is still still called the "Centro??") in Chamartin, I skipped the walk of about an hour, and took a taxi that brought me north along Castellana and to the restaurant's address at Calle Juan de Mendoza. Only once I stepped down and the taxi drove away, I realized that I had no idea where I was..there was no sign for Sacha, and no number on Calle Juan de Mendoza that corresponded to the address I had. I walked back and forth, frustrated and a little anxious since I was already a few minutes late. When I called the restaurant, they explained that to reach them I had to walk down a small alley to the "Zona Ajardinada," the "garden zone, behind the American barbecue restaurant!!! Walking along this little alley and finding the door felt almost like reaching a secret lair!

The restaurant is glowing and lively, almost reminiscent of a small Parisian bistro. The welcome was very warm, but although I saw the chef bustling in and out of the kitchen and even said hello once he passed my table, he did not appear to make contact with any guests that I noticed. (I'm just making an observation here; I was not eager to have a conversation, of course!)
But the staff were lovely; I was waited on by an experienced female server who seemed to have all the time in the world to explain the carta and answer my few questions. There is a short menu of dishes that are always on offer, but the bulk of the dishes change daily, and are listed on a separate sheet of brown paper.

INTERMISSION

Maribel

Not many home cooks will pay those exorbitant prices to prepare the tear peas at home. That said, Petramora does sell them in small jars online when available. See them here--
https://petramora.com/products/guisa...grima-de-costa

I believe the tear peas from the Maresme are still available, since my favorite professional food critic had them recently on top of asparagus ice cream at Citrus del Tancat de Codorniú.
And it IS the season for the wonderful Navarran fresh asparagus, which we enjoyed this past weekend in Pamplona.

Maribel

eks,
You asked about the other rice temples (arroz en paella):
Here's the list I keep in my quest to hit many of them up someday. I'll drive miles for a really authentic arroz en paella, doesn't have to be necessarily a paella valenciana.

Casa Carmela in Valencia Ciudad——the best says “Dabiz” Muñoz
Llisa Negra by Quique Dacosta in Valencia Ciudad
Ca’Pepico in Alquería de Roca (Valencia)
Arrocería Maribel in El Palmar (Valencia)
El Rebost in Sueca (Valencia)
Las Bairetas in Chiva (Valencia)
Rioja and Levante in Benissanó (Valencia)
Cachito in Elche (Alicante)
Casa Elías in Xinorlet-Monover (Alicante)
La Sirena in Petrer (Alicante)
La Taberna del Gourmet (Alicante Ciudad)—individual seco, meloso or caldoso
Casa Jaime in Peñíscola (Castellón)

There’s a big international paella competition in the Valencian town of Sueca every September
Participants come from all over the globe to prepare their paellas over an open flame of orange wood.
My husband, during Madrid Fusion at the Comunitat Valenciana stand, was invited to participate in an interactive “show cooking” with the organizer/paella master of this event. Husband was “in charge” of browning the chicken and rabbit. He still reminds me that I failed to take a video!

If you’ve seen the Valencia episode of José Andrés & Family in Spain, the daughters practiced their paella skills outside of town (don’t remember where) before entering the contest in Valencia during Fallas. This was my favorite episode.

Maribel

If you love pulses, the Frutas Mariacarmen inside the Mercado la Paz has a wonderful selection of beans, which we used to take back to Seattle with us.
Alubias de Tolosa, garbanzos Fuentesauco, lentejas, fabes from Asturias, verdinas, judiones de La Granja or from El Barco de Avila, lentejas, etc. And of course, they also sell the Raf tomatoes, very reasonably priced. It's a beautiful, photogenic market stand, of which my husband has a gazillion photos (me, none).

ekscrunchy

Maribel thank you so much for the Valencia recs; I think I might paste this onto that thread, so I can find it before I go.




SACHA (continued)



Now please do not take this as a criticism, but I think that SACHA was the only restaurant that I visited during these three weeks where diners (or t least this diner) received neither a complimentary "welcome" dish, nor a small shot of liqueur after the meal. I did not think about it at the time of the meal, so only a comment, nothing more.

I'm also going to bring up another subject there since I just took a look at my bill from the restaurant. I think (judging from the reviews on the "typical" review sites) that many visitors to Spain are unaware of the charge for bread, or what we in the US might call a "cover charge"; sometimes this is listed as "pan y picos," or "pan y cubiertos," bread and utensils, but I believe that every Spanish restaurant has some kind of cover charge when you sit down at a table. I'm always amazed at the complaints I read on those sites about this charge..educate yourself, for goodness sakes!

The reason I bring this up is because I just noticed that SACHA charges 5 euro per person cover/bread. I think this MIGHT be on the high side, but not sure...I just hope (not talking about SACHA here) that people understand that they are NOT being ripped off! That's the way it is in Spain, and also in Italy and for all I know, throughout Europe and beyond.

To the dinner: I decided to concentrate on the "specials," or the dishes listed on the daily changing carta.

The bread arrived first and included three types including a focaccia-type bread made with olive oil, and a stack of ASTOUNDING crispy flatbread which reminded me of Sardinian bread. Sure enough, the server confirmed that this was Pane Carasau and let me say here and now that munching on those beauties was THE best bread experience I had had all month. I can only imagine that they baked them there, because, although you can buy these online, from Sardinia, these things were just the ultimate snack, as fresh as could be and certainly not from a box......bring a dip and you could have a meal!!! (Maybe Sardinia should be in my future). Remember that it's not a stretch from Spain to Sardinia if you know your history.

I hadn't had many salads in Spain this time, so when I saw a salad of corujas on the menu, I jumped. Corujas are a delicate seasonal green from the mountains, also known as Pamplina,, and apparently much prized. The server described it as similar to watercress but it was much lighter and less bitter, and with a light lemony dressing and a tad too many large flakes of salt....I will be on the lookout for this next spring, as I think the season is fairly fleeting (I had a half order...7.80 euro; I could have eaten more).

If you can read Spanish, this article speaks of a restaurant in the same area where diners reserve their coruja salads in advance! I looked up the restaurant, HEVIA, and it looks as if it might be worth trying....especially when I, or you, find myself in that northern area of the city. I'd love to read what Maribel thinks!!


https://www.elmundo.es/metropoli/gas...c408b4617.html


So I was very happy, moving along but unfortunately, I chose poorly for my second dish. I love artichokes, as it probably apparent here, but the menu did say "fried artichokes," and they were exactly that, a large mound of perfectly fried, very thinly sliced artichokes that I was instructed to eat with my fingers... So I have no right to have been disappointed, except that they really suffered from a lack of salt. I'm a big salt fan, so maybe others would have been happy, but I needed more salt, and maybe a touch of lemon and, foolishly, did not ask for these. So, most unusually, I did not finish my portion.

This was the problem: I had neglected to ask for, or read about, some of the restaurant's prime dishes. I know now that I missed out on some fantastic bone marrow, but I learned this only after speaking with someone who knew the restaurant and told me that this was among the dishes to order. (Both Tuetano asado and Villagodio al tuetano, which I believe is a chuleta with bone marrow) were on the daily carta). Next time!

My last dish was a winner, and worth the trip to SACHA:

The most exquisite baby lamb chops (chuletitas) with roasted garlic scapes!! I had not seen garlic scapes (ajetes, from the word for garlic, ajo) in Spain and these were divine. I have to try roasting them with some char at home, because we see them a lot at the Greenmarkets in springtime.
Together with the little chops.....I was in heaven. I'm pretty much salivating as I write this!

My bill, including the cover and a glass of Godello and water, totaled 56.50, which I thought very fair.

So while I might have ordered differently, I am just about certain that I will return to SACHA next time, so I can try out some other dishes....and I won't get lost getting down from the taxi next year!!!


Facade of SACHA, at the end of a narrow pedestrian walkway.

View of SACHA from my table, with wine lists on table and bowl with three types of bread in rear

Astoundingly great, crispy pane carasau. at top of photo..impossible to stop eating

Dining room at SACHA..you can see its quite small; my fellow diners appeared to be well-dressed locals but there was one other table of foreigners

ekscrunchy

Carta of that day

This was a separate carta, of dishes that are usually available

Ensalada de corujas

Fried artichokes

Fried artichoke close-up..so pretty

Astoundingly great little lamb chops, topped with roasted garlic scapes and accompanied by chips of potato and an arugula-type green

Second view of those chuletitas..I could not get enough!!

When I look at these photos again, I know that SACHA will be on my list for next year!


After dinner, the restaurant called a taxi for me and,, as I wrote up above, I got to talking about various neighborhoods in the city and asked about El Visa, which I had read was a very upscale enclave of private houses. Happily, the driver gave me a little tour of the area....that's a favorite activity for me in a city I don't know well...just driving around and peering at various neighborhoods. Very interesting, and I know now that this area, Chamartin, is one I need to explore when I return to Madrid