And here it began….my gastronomical adventure in Spain……

At first in the kitchens of Fugon Del Pan De Queso and Bristol Bar, headed by my generous host, Chef Jennifer Cole.

With more than 17 years of gastronomical experience in regional Spanish cuisine (cocina Vasca y Catalana) as well as Italian and French national cuisines, Chef Cole has received the recognition of “best female chef in Madrid”.(www.eurostarshotels.com/)

Her excellence and talent comes out clearly in her creative plating and thoughtful flavor parings……

This is where most Spanish meals begin…..Usually at the stands full of aromatic herbs, overflowing with colorful vegetables and fresh exotic fruits.

A likely next stop would be the butchers, where the fresh meat you just chose gets fabricated right in front of you and where you might pick some cold cuts for the evenings tapas of sausages: fuet, salsichion, merguez….and of course some thin slices of the countries prized Hamon Iberico.

Seafood might not be on tonight’s menu, but stop by the many pescado stands just so you can visually enjoy the plethora of mejeiones, langoustines, crabineros, little neck clams and fresh bacalao…..Even if this happens to be one of the smaller markets you will still find an amazing variety of fresh fish and seafood…….Spain is famous for it and Madrid has the second largest fresh seafood market in the world (after Tokyo).

And for dessert, if sweet melon and slightly tart berries will not do, you would inevitably have to stop by the corner bakery for a just made lemon tart….and don’t forget to pick out a thick crusted, still warm loaf of bread…you will need it for dipping in the salsa tonight!

On my last visit to Spain I met a very pleasent woman and a great home cook by the name of Nieves. Nieves is from a little village just outside of Madrid called Alcala de Henaves whos citizens pride themself on making the best paellas in all of Spain. I’ve tryed many diffrent versions of paella and have made some good efforts myself but I have to admit: Nieves’ paella was a delisious and memorable experience!

It had  a lot to do with the fact that it was cooked at home and with a lot of love…..and probably something to do with the shrimp still having their heads, and that only the dark chicken meat was used, and the newspapers for covering were all about soccer…..

And here it is! Paella by Nieves:

5 chicken thighs cut in half
1 small onion cut in large pieces
300 grams calamari
300-500 grams shrimp (peeled except for a few)
300 grams chirlas (small clams, left in water for
awhile so they lose the sand)
2 1/2 cups rice
3 teeth of garlic, diced fine
2 or 3 tomatoes peeled (or from a can)


Place chicken, calamari (cut in slices) and onion (cut
in large pieces) in a pot with a good amount of olive
oil and salt. Cook on low heat, mix occasionally.
When calamari can be cut easily with a fork, it’s done
(approx. 25 minutes). Remove chicken and calamari and
set aside for later, remove onion from pot and throw
away, keep the liquid in the pot.

Dice garlic in very small pieces, put in pan with
enough oil to cover the pan entirely, put on high
heat. After a minute, add tomato cut in medium
pieces, let the tomato soften until it can all be
smushed down with a fork. Add the clams, mix
everything around until all of the clams open. Add
shrimp, mix everything till shrimp are a bit cooked.
Add rice and 1-2 tbsp. salt, mix for a few minutes
till rice is sauteed. Add calamari.

Add ~7 cups of water to liquid from chicken and
calamari, add saffron and bring to a boil. Add most
(but not all) of the water to the rice. Bring to a
boil and put on high heat, mixing occasionally and
tasting to see if it needs more salt. After 10-15
minutes, add chicken and push it towards the bottom of
the pan. Do not mix the paella anymore, but
occassionally push the rice from the middle of the pan
towards the sides, shake the paella dish and change
its position over the heat. Add more water as the
water in the pan evaporates, the oil will go towards
the edge of the dish, with a spoon put some of it back
towards the center. When the water is consumed, taste
the rice to see if its ready, if its not add more
water.

When its ready, remove from the heat. Cover with a
clean towel, then cover with newspaper. Let rest for a bit…..and enjoy!

pileshka supa, quail egg, smoked red papprica

12 oz NY Strip, noir essence, peruvian purple potato, spinach

piking duck, cilantro, hoisin sauce, arrugula

ahi tuna, sesame seeds, fennel

Roasted Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil

My gastronomical curiosity and love for travel is taking me to various kitchens in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Stay tuned for new recipes, wine suggestions, cooking techniques and fun images from the land of the Serrano…..

Baby octopus, pickled dikon radish, radicchio

Cooking suggestion: to tenderize octopus first scrub well with coarse salt, rinse off, submerge in cold water and bring to a simmer, simmer for approximately 1.5 hours. If you submerge the octopus in boiling water it shocks the meat and makes it rubbery.