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