Mmmm....What I'm really curious about is Wolf's Spanish pan. Hey, you'll have to tell us your wife's reaction to the treats you've prepared.

Chica, are you feeling any better?

I feel bad knowing the party at El Brillante is under way.

Oh! I almost forgot: STARBUCKS, STARBUCKS!!!

Pim

I´m feeling a little better PIM thanks for asking. My husband made me an Irish Coffee (we don´t have a STARBUCKS here in El Espinar) which really picked up my spirits.. Then he made me dinner.

How´s the ankle? Maybe if you had some STARBUCKS coffee, you would feel better.

The apple cinnamon bread came out very well. My wife loved it! We had pan with our dinner (lemon pepper chicken, au gratin potatoes, fresh frozen green beans from last fall's blanche & freeze, and started each meal with an orange muffin.

The orange muffins were fair, but didn't come out quite as I hoped. I may have over-baked them a bit, because the tops were a little tougher than what I like. I'll remember next time I do them to do a butter rub on the tops when they're done baking, to insure they seal and stay softer.

This morning, with our coffee, on our deck, even though the temperature is only 29 degrees out we had blueberry muffins and butter, along with cold toes and fingers... Gawd! Fortunately our coffee wasn't Starbuck's, because we needed to chip the ice away after a few minutes so we could drink from the cups. (Sneaky, hey? :p

The blueberry muffins will have to be butter sealed in the future. Just a tad dry and crusty.

Today I intend eating my mistakes -

Wolf (Whose domestication continues - )

Disregarding the coffee @ Starbucks -

We seem to have a lot of chefs (including Fernando's mom) and bakers amongst us plus more than a few able writers, photographers and graphic designers - why not create our own cook book? How to Concoct the Food You Crave When in the Wrong Country. Granted - that title is lousy - but we'll find a better one.

I'm sure Wolf would be willing to pose with apron, chef's hat and spatuala in hand for the cover.

Just think - maybe we could all have to go to Spain for research, sales promotions. etc. etc. - now any financial people out there - how can we make a few euros doing this?

Wolf's Butter Rub sounds interesting and I think Puna's book title is perfect.

I'm game for the compulsory visit to Spain!

Jo
(STARBUCKS)

Puna my mother thanks that commentary

By the way, what you said sounded interesting to me.

One of my abilities is advanced web design, and other cooking What if we open a site (or a section of MM site if he wants and have bandwidth/free space in the server) with spanish and american typical recipes?

Think of it: gazpacho, macarrones con chorizo, brownies, muffins, wafles, cinamon bread,... Who wants to help me?

If there is enough people I will do the design and I will upload it to some free server.

Mmmm, it has been long since I posted my last recipe... I'm going to do some research.

Fernando

What a great idea--an online cookbook, with contributions by MM visitors! It should probably include an easily-understandable page (in Spanish and English) with metric conversions, and maybe a glossary of unfamiliar ingredients! I LOVE to cook and am always searching for new recipes--and I really enjoy sharing my favorite ones.

Fernando, I noticed you mentioned waffles in your list of foods...I remember you said you loved those when you were in America! I wonder if there are electric waffle makers available in Spain?

Let's do it!!
Tara

I just got back from STARBUCK'S with a caramel macchiato

Fernando, I love that idea about the cookbook...I'd like some pictures go along with the recipes...don't you think. I think I have a couple of recipes...

Of course, I'm always more interested in the sweets

Wyndy

Mmmm, I have seen today another Starbucks, which is going to be opened soon in the Calle Ortega y Gasset (street) in Madrid. This makes two establishments, isn't it?

If the prices are that high, and the coffee that bad, it won't last much. I'm sure people will judge it, if it is good it will be filled of people

This Starbucks I saw is going to have seats outside the establishment, as far as I could guess...

Fernando

El Cafetel Americano

Thank god for American companies... According to this Sunday El Pais article, you can't smoke in the Starbucks here in Spain! WOOOHOO!

It says it's been open since April 12, so I guess we'll have to go check it out. It also says that they're going to try to open 25 restaurants here in Spain by 2004 and include "drive-thrus" (how American). They're going to be all owned by Starbucks and be integrated into restaurants like Vips, not franchised to locals. My wife was a little annoyed at this... I have no idea how they operate in the U.S. but it seems to me that Starbucks will take a while (if ever) to catch on here, so they'll need deep pockets to start.

The question still remains: Will the have fresh muffins?

-Russ