Not sure if it's been posted before, but check out this new PBS show with Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Claudia Bassols. It's a culinary tour of Spain. It's been on for a few weeks now and I am obsessed. I've NEVER been to Spain but now have the urge to take a road trip through Spain. What an experience they are having! I am jealous -- I have bits and pieces of their experience in other countries, which I'll always, always treasure because they are my own BUT I really can't help feeling a little jealous

Also, has anyone eaten at Inopia in Barcelona? Is it really as good as it looks on TV???

The general consensus, for what I’ve heard, is that if they hadn't talked so much about themselves the program would have been a lot better. But hey, it’s celebs doing what they do best and they did have a good time.

Ha ha! You are right but I don't think they can help themselves!

In any case, they have succeeded, in that, I am dying to fit Spain into my next trip to Europe!

Hi Craisin yes we had a thread goiing here for a whle. There are pluses and minuses of the show as Robert said but all of us Spain-a-holics agree that it is a good to see more of Spain. The last episode I saw looked fantastic. Gwenny can pass on all the meats/carnes I'll take her portions

I had to change the channel after 10 minutes. Could not stand it!

It didn't appeal to me at all.

The concept was great, the egos got the best of it. Some sights were great; overall: D-.

I guess for me I am just a lot less demanding on this show only because it's about Spain. I will say Claudia seems liks a good sport.
As for the egos, I take it all with a grain of salt. I also watch the show with Jose Andres.

I also love the shows of José Andrés featuring the cuisine of Galicia. Across northern Spain the Cuisine changes dramatically from País Vasco (Bilbao) thru Cantabria and Asturias where you may choose between Cocido de Liebana and the Favada Asturiana. One needs a siesta after either of those. As one enters Galicia, in the Rias Altas regions the wines are white and they just get better as you go south to Rias Bajas & Pontevedra, where the Albariño Grape grows in the Miño Valley.
Been there; done that!

I would have liked it better if they had ditched Gwyneth Paltrow on the side of the road somewhere.

Gweneth and Mario didn't seem to hit it off. There was a bit a tension and some moments of akward silences here and there. Mario is such so pretentious and I hate the way he knocks the French. Other than that the show is interesting and if you have been to Spain before, its nice to see some of the scenery.

I found it interesting!

But I would agree that Gwyneth seems to be a load!

and Bittman must have won the coin toss! He gets to wander around with Claudia......Yummy!

The storyline for the series goes something like this:

Three egos, a hot chick, and two brand-new Mercedeses travel from (origin) to (destination). Show cooking, culture as incidental to the story line. Play Willie Nelson guitar solo of "On the Road Again" several times. Repeat as necessary.

It's a lot better of a travel show than a food show, especially in HD. Just watch it on mute. ;-)

Darn that premature postulation*. Now I have to reply to my own post to continue.


Anyway, since I'm going to Spain on Saturday (!!!), I did buy the cookbook, mostly to give me an idea of the food. The cookbook is a cross between a cookbook and a tourbook, but with idiotic sidebars of snippets of sarcastic dialogue from the show thrown in. That said, I would like to try and make some of the recipes that they made in Toledo and Galicia. Speaking of which: is the Galician recipe of Caldo Gallego the same thing as the Portuguese Caldo Verde?


* pronounced with a long "o" and not to be confused with a word that means assumption, hypothesis, etc.

The crew must have had a terrible time wedging Mario in and out of the Mercedes SL.

I watch it just to see Gwynyth Paltrow eat! I'm sure she goes home for the weekends and eats tree bark and drinks 'blueberry dirt' to cleanse.

I can't imagine why they would pick a vegetarian that listens to Coldplay for a show about food.

The Spanish woman, Claudia Bassols, is the only one who consistently has something worthwhile to offer about the foods of Spain. The other three seem way too thrilled with their own "celebrity", and try to be soooooo worldly. I really love Paltrows comments on her new experiences, "wow, this is amazing".

Some of the same places have been aired on the Tony Bordain show.
Like the guy who makes his own charcoal. He was on that too.

I would like to see some small family run place on there someday.

Guys, at least all of them seem very appreciative of Spain in general.
I admit to being jelous Gweneth gets to jet back & forth to be with her kids then return to the food tour.

I just wish Mario would spend some of his firtune on a long pair of pants and some real shoes.