Hey everyone,
After reading a few posts talking about food I've got comida espanola on my mind. I was thinking an interesting thread would be the best meal you've had in Spain or favorite foods. I'll go first....

Best meal in Spain- (Madrid)-roasted lamb with pimientos and garlic

Favorite food-cordero al chilandron-pulpo al ajillo(roasted lamb in potato and octupus in vinegar and olive oil)

Fav Wine: Tinto Pasquera and Marques de Murrieta Tinto

Anybody else???

[This message has been edited by Jaime (edited 12-01-2000).]

I've had too many best meals to choose from, so I'll list my favorite foods:

sepia a la plancha
gambas al ajillo
champinones al ajillo
fabada
niscalos (al ajillo con perejil!)
pimientos de padron
pimientos asados with anything
pollo asado with herbs
any kind of pescado fresco
mazapan
tarta de Santiago
Spanish oranges, plums,and pears
chirimoyas

and about 200 other things I feel guilty about not listing, that I love only slightly less!
Wow, I'm getting hungry!

What??? No paella?

Paella has some sort of mystical draw for me. I don't know if it's the incredible effort that goes into harvesting saffron, and it's expense, or the ability to fuse shellfish and pescado with veggies and rice...I absolutely love paella!!!!

I haven't had a bad paella anywhere I've gone in Spain. Kind of like tortilla española, everyone seems to know how to do it right...which is ab fab with me!!!

ah, so many meals.... how's this. Ostras o Grove with an albarinyo wine followed by lubrigante (like lobster) a la plancha (with ajo of course) and some tarta de santiago to finish it off....yum!

what is tarta de santiago?

"lubrigante" ????. I guess you meant "bogavante". Or, you meant "lubricante" (lubricant). Uhm, I think lubricant is robot's favourite meal .

You know what I have been missing lately, that I thought were really gross at first? The little empanadas filled with tuna, tomato-y sauce and olives (I think). DO they only eat those in Castilla y Leon? I was shocked at how different Chilean and Argentine empanadas were...

[This message has been edited by Nicole (edited 11-28-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Nicole (edited 11-28-2000).]

La tarta de Santiago is a typical Galician almond cake topped with sugar (forming the Santiago's cross). It's quite "dense" and delicious!!

Las empanadas are originally from Galicia but they're also eaten in the rest of Spain.
The most common one in made of tuna and tomato however you can taste cod, clam, chorizo or beef empanadas also.

[This message has been edited by Castiza (edited 11-28-2000).]

Yum!

This thread looks oddly similar to the " I LOVE Spanish Food!!! " thread. ?? Oh well, you can't have too many SPAIN FOOD - related postings.

Saludos, MadridMan

I guess it is pretty simliar MadridMan but the other one was pretty focused on recipes and fabada. I was thinking of just a list of fave foods. Sorry if its repetitive.....
I also love gambas and champinones al ajillo. The mixture of olive oil, lemon, parsley and garlic is good with anything in my opinion. I love tortilla, and paella too but it has to be done right. The more ingredients in a paella the better. Pimientos are awesome when baked and marinated in vinegar, oil and garlic. There also great cure for a hangover!

I love Spanish food, and have yet to encounter an unfavorable experience. My favotite meal would have to be my last one in Spain, as my memory is freshest.

Rape, with white asparagus from Aranjuez, finished off with anis from Chinchon and a cafe cortado.

My mouth is watering and my stomach is growling from the thought of this gastronomical ecstacy.

i'm guessing this is as good a time as any to add to this list. i just now returned from treating myself to a few tapas at my favorite spanish restaurant here in san francisco.(pulpo a la gallega, patatas bravas, conejo con tomate and of course a glass of tio pepe) didn't celebrate thanksgiving this year, so this was my version. anyway, back to what we're all talking about...favorite meals in spain. ah, its so very hard to narrow this down to one. =) all were amazing.

-i touched on this one before, my splurge of a meal at el caballo rojo in cordoba. rape mozarabe and sopa de ajo con uvas under the wall of the mezquita. for someone who is an amateur historian and hopeless romantic... the thought that i was in the former capital of al-andalus and eating food based on those from the times of the caliphs was just wonderful. the added bonus; everything i ate was amazing.

-fritura de pescado and espinacas con garbanzos in sevilla. it was a tiny little place near the guadalquivir. had this just before i headed to el arenal for my first experience with flamenco in spain.

-i would say the first two nights in madrid. tortilla, jamon, champinones al ajillo, gambas a la plancha at casa de abuelo and empanadas de bacalao. i agree with you nicole on the difference between empanadas in spain as opposed from those of argentina.

-my last has already been mentioned. its a mildly funny story while i was in toledo. i believe its under the title of cheap eats from some time ago. if anyone seriously is interested or inherently bored, do a search and enjoy the read.

Antonio, it is, of course, LUBIGANTE, not lubricante (unless it is really oily?!??!!), and if you don't know what it is you have never been to La Corunya! Es una especie de langosta.

albondigas
serranito-un bocadillito con lomo, jamon serrano y pimiento. mmm mmmm!

mama's and abuela's food... I MISS IT!!!!

anyone ever had a pig-kidney sandwich?? i'm not going to say it was the best snack i've ever had, but it was a pretty darn good sandwich... i though it was mushrooms at first, but then my friend told me... it was good!

best food = i don't know, but i like it all.

try these:
1. cocido (con jamon serrano, cordero, gallina...) a stew made with three good meats, garbanzos, cauliflower, garlic, laurel, etc... then take out the broth and boil fideos (little tiny pastas) for a small soup before the rest of the meal...

2. ajo (comida de guerra - wartime food they ate in la mancha during the civil war) take the grease/fat (yes, lard) from a previously cooked meat, add a ton of garlic, red or white wine, olive oil, and flour (old left-over bread that is dry and crunchy)... cook it really hot in a pan until it's a thick paste, spread on bread and eat until full! excellent! it's the type of meal that you and your friends all eat from the same pan, dipping your bread in it...

3. pisto manchego - sweet red bell peppers and tomatos that are fire-roasted and then fried in olive oil... cut the pepper into wide, long strands before frying...

4. pipirana - albacore tuna, onion, garlic, salt and olive oil all mixed together and then you eat it with a big chunk of bread..

5. galeones (i'll explain later..)

[my edit]
ps> oh man! how could i not mention fabada asturiana!!?!?!?!?!!! i think that has to be my fave!

[This message has been edited by real_megia (edited 11-30-2000).]

[This message has been edited by real_megia (edited 11-30-2000).]

Damn, I'm getting hungry

Any gazpacho-addicts out there?

yuck

Yummm on gazpacho. Never did try to make it, tho, simple as it sounds!

i would count myself as one castiza. i certainly love its various forms. those being gazpacho andaluz, salmorejo, and ajo blanco con uvas(a personal fav.) its amazing how simple and wonderful the concept is. i make it whenever i can find good quality ingredients.

[This message has been edited by nicholeye (edited 12-01-2000).]

I love gazpacho!! The more garlic the better. I heard that gazpacho was invented in el campo by the farm workers that needed an energizing, nutricious meal on the go. Anyone else heard this??

mmm, gazpacho on a nice, hot, sunny, Sevilla afternoon-washed down with a glass of Cruzcampo-now what is better than that!? rgf, next summer you must make some. It's so easy and it's nice to have in the fridge on a hot day, either to drink or have in a bowl.

hi everyone! I am putting some information on my class webpage about Food from Spain and I would like to link to some authentic recipes and most especially to some good information on Spanish cuisine in general, ie. history of Spanish cuisine, the changes throughout the years, and Modern Spanish cuisine. Any ideas would be very appreciated!

Esperanza writes: We all know that Iberia ia a Peninsula (i.e., almost sutrounded by water), it surprises me that fish gets only a brief mention in posts on this topic. I had the best grilled swordfish (pez espada) I have ever eaten in a small restaurant in Vigo (Pontevedra, Galicia). Cocina Galega isn't very heavy on sauces. They probably do more a la plancha than most other regions of Spain. I also dined on pez espada con patatas bravas at another small restaurant on Avda Bajamar in el Puerto de Santa Maria (Cadiz). The pez espada in Vigo was a cross-cut, almost 2.5 cm thick and 15 cm acros; in el Puerto it looked like a diagonal cut: less than 1 cm thick but about 25 cm across. Both were served in a light sauce of oil & garlic. Merluza (hake) is prepared in many different ways depending on the region (a la Vizcaina, a la Galega, etc.) and, as someone mentioned earlier, cola de Rape is excellent. You wouldn't believe the latter if you went to a fish market to buy one: the expression on its face is frightening.

I also love Paella, Gambas de cualquier manera (i.e., a la plancha, al ajillo, o en Ensaladilla Rusa), Majillones en escabeche, chiperrones fritos, Chanquetes fritas y sardinas)!

When in Spain I eat a lot of fish & seafood. But I also like regional favorites like Cochinillo asado or Chuletas (de Cordero) or even filete de ternera. My wife's aunt used to prepare pollo a la buena mujer, a sort of chicken fricassee similar to something I ate in Morocco. I like Fabada Asturiana and Cocido Lebaniega (identical except for the type of beans used: The Fabada uses expensive Fava beans and the Cocido is made with the less elegant Garbanzo beans). Either of those dishes makes me feel like I have eaten a 'brick.'

Then there's Cocido Madrileño: Another excellent dish for a cold winter day.

Even though two of the Euskadi provinces in Spain (Guipuzcoa & Vizcaya) are on the coast the Basque cuisine seems to be more meat-oriented. I haven't had a seafood dinner in the Basque region but I have enjoyed some excellent pork and lamb dishes.
P.D.
Esperanza:
My wife makes Croquetas de Bacalao that are 'to die for!'

Hi Esperanza.
Here is an article in Spanish about the history of our cuisine, I think you can read Spanish, don't you?:
http://www.afuegolento.com/noticias/88/firmas/agazquez/3443/

'Pulpo' in Melide nam nam
and 'Sepia a la plancha' with Mahou @Lago, Madrid

I totally adore boquerones en vinagre! The first time I had one was on a potato chip as a little tapa with a beer. Of course I then had to order a lot more beers to get a lot more boquerones! (Thank god for the raciones.) Another time, for my birthday my friend's mother made me fresh batch of boquerones--I pretty much just ate them and almost skipped out on the cake. Anyone else addicted to these little guys???

Gazpacho Andaluz en Sevilla, followed by Patatas ali-oli and an ensalada mixta.

and of course, un tinto con limon (fanta limon)

Winston

I prefer the vinager boquerones over the fried ones, but the best way to enjoy them will be by watching them get crushed by Real Valladolid on April 13. Pucela should eat up the team from Malaga. The last match between them was scoreless, so I expect that the valient team in purple to be quite hungry.

A favourite dish? Wow, what a difficult question! . So many come to mind!...., right now, I can't wait to taste the 'cocido madrileño' that my new English boyfriend has promised to make on Sunday! . Besides, it's the best dish for this kind of weather!

I've personally never made a 'cocido' yet, but I sometimes prepare another very simple but tasty recipe with chickpeas, spinach, raisins and 'piñones'(sorry don't know the word for them).

aren't they pine nuts? yes, garbanzos with anything! there is a reason they are also called los gabrielles!

Has anybody tried "Lubina a la sal"? My absolute fav. (Other fish dishes I really enjoy include "Merluza a la vasca" and "Bacalao con tomate").

In second place, by a narrow margin "Arroz a banda" and "Arroz negro" (other variants I enjoy are "Arroz caldoso con setas y foie" and "Arroz con bogavante").

In third place, "coredero asado", preferably in Aranda de Duero itself and washed up with a good "Huerta Monasterio" Ribera. Side dishes for the meal: "Niscalos con picadillo" and "Setas de cardo con mollejas".

In fourth place, "Judias Pintas"... far better than "fabada" for me.

I think I need a snack.

Miguelito,
Thanks for posting such an interesting article. I really enjoyed reading about the history of some of the dishes eaten through the years in Spain. I also went to some of the links provided there and found some other good sites. gracias... Esperanza