Nearly two years ago, the Epicurious food and dining website declared that Barcelona had, in its words, jumped the shark. Long known as a culinary leader for its regional chefs’ efforts at the forefront of the tapas movement and more widely acclaimed for advances in molecular gastronomy, the city and wider region had lost their creative juice, slowing under over-indulgence and over-exposure. However, as the New Year arrives and the region struggles to figure out a path forward without the aid of its flagship of culinary innovation, Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli, the local menu is showing new signs of life with a return to traditional staples – delicious simplicity. Though, this being Catalonia, … [Read more...] about Catalan cuisine faces the future by returning to its roots
spanish chefs
A half-baked theory on the great croissant controversy
I have to admit, when it comes to the recent debate about the state of Spanish croissants, I’ve come to the table rather late. The furore itself was sparked by a blog post by food writer Mikel López Iturriaga in early February, in which he attacked his country’s version of the croissant on several fronts: from its outrageous size and criminally stale dough, to that utterly redundant glaze that so many bakers apply. By the end of his article, the croissant was, so to speak, toast. “All these examples of baked, varnished paste which thousands of Spaniards consume for breakfast each day do not deserve to be called croissants,” he thundered. It’s a harmless enough issue to tackle, you … [Read more...] about A half-baked theory on the great croissant controversy
Paella
The iconic dish of Spain. The food version of flamenco. And, like flamenco, there are as many styles as there are people to make it. Home-cooked, anyone will tell you is always the best, though exactly what should go in and what should stay out is the source of dinner-table discussions everywhere. The main variety is familiar to nearly everyone - and a few fast-food versions have been put on restaurant menus in recent years, to the disgust of true aficionados - though there are several notable variations on the theme, including: Paella Negra: blackened with squid ink for effect and flavour. Paella Fideus: No rice, but small curly pasta (fideus) used in its place. Paella Ciega (Blind … [Read more...] about Paella