Today is my soul brother´s birthday and he doesn’t like cheese. I still love him even though he doesn’t like cheese. One time I had a boss who didn’t drink coffee or alcohol. But, I really didn’t like him. I have never understood how one can live without cheese. I guess I did when I was a vegan for a few years but I didn’t know anything about life back then. My soul brother knows a lot about life and he still won’t eat cheese. Who orders a ham and cheese omelet without the cheese? My soul brother does. If it were someone else, I would definitely question this or find it extremely annoying. How do they possibly live without cheese? Did something happen to them at birth? Maybe the anti-cheese midwives delivered them. But, I would never question my soul brother. Because he has so many other redeeming qualities. Like dipping a banana in yogurt at breakfast, EVERYDAY! Wanting to always know the “plan” but then just rolling with it without question. Getting random piercings with me just because we feel like it. We have fun just walking down the street, doesn’t matter what the weather is like. We are happy with a snowfall in Philadelphia, the blazing heat in Sevilla, huddling in a cold wind storm in Madrid, or with the perfect breeze of the seashore in Southern France. He won’t eat cheese in France. But, I still love him. We have a lot of photos that document our friendship. I look at some of them and think, we were just babies! We have photos under castles, next to windmills, in plazas and in bars, lots of bars. We even have a photo together riding a camel. The funny thing is that we have a photo of one of our favourite bars in Sevilla and it is a photo of cheese. There is also one in that bar with olives. But, the one that I remember the most is with cheese. Did you eat that cheese? Why can’t I remember if you like that cheese? I am getting old. Today you have added one more trip around the sun, but you always look the same. Luna always used to say, “Alex never changes.” Don’t ever change, dear soul brother. I love you just the way you are, even if you don’t like cheese.
I have grown to love the Minho river on the northern border of Spain and Portugal. Maybe it is strange to love a river but I really don’t care about that. I also love the Genil river in Granada which runs down from the Sierra Nevada mountains and passes right next to my home. It is my sanctuary and where I find, as my Nana would say, peace of mind. My relationship with the Minho is different. Working, I have crossed it many times on the bus. I have never lost that excitement of seeing this beautiful river that naturally marks the border between Spain and Portugal. Two countries that share a very small peninsula but are so contrasting in food, culture and people. I have also crossed on foot via the historic iron bridge that was built in 1878. If you hike up into the mountains on the Portuguese side of the river you have a view of a small yet beautiful island called Ilha dos Amores that has the shape of a heart. The sunset where the Minho river flows into the Atlantic Ocean is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, along with Cadiz in Southern Spain. Enjoying a glass of vinho verde which is produced in the region while watching the sunset should be a must in life.
I had never, however, crossed the Minho river by boat. Even though it was July of the year that more pilgrims had ever completed the Camino de Santiago, we were the only two to meet the gentleman who would take us across the river that morning. Another reason I was so happy we had chosen this route. Crossing the river you have a great view of Mount Santa Trega. On this small mountain you will find an archaeological site from the Castro Culture which came about in this area during the 1st millennium BCE. They were known for their large fortified towns and settlements (oppida) across Northern and Central Portugal, Galicia, Asturias and parts of Leon.
On the other side of the Minho river you step off the boat in the town of A Guarda, now with a foot in Galicia! A town of not quite 10,000 inhabitants that is rich in history and gastronomy. Three of the yearly festivals here are centred around food. The lobster, the swordfish, and one dedicated to a sweet egg based bread with anise seed called “Rosca de Yema” which is very similar to my Nana´s easter bread. Speaking of bread, on the rural houses in this area you will find a box for bread delivery just below or next to the mailbox. Very convenient and important since the bread in Galicia is fantastic!
Considering this is a route less traveled, or at least a bit more peaceful than others, there are some great details for pilgrims along the path. We found free scallop shells, areas for resting and picnics and even a meditation garden. When we stumbled upon the lovely bar at a look out point, it couldn’t have been at a better time. Breakfast seemed miles behind us now.
The tortilla española in northern Spain is always fantastic but there is something about the way it is prepared in Galicia that always makes me happy. They seem to take it a step above no matter where I order it. Our plate of Iberian ham and the tortilla with onion was the best move we made that day considering we would not run into much more until dinner.
Just outside of the town of Oia we took a peek into a small chapel dedicated to San Sebastián. San Sebastián was known as the protector from plagues in Spanish history. Mass is only celebrated once a year in this chapel but it is open year round and also serves as a shelter for pilgrims during rough Atlantic storms.
If you are in a small town like Oria and hungry at a time when restaurants are closed you can always find a bar with a small snack that seems to be waiting just for you. A beer named peregrino (pilgrim) and the ham flavored ruffles that are beyond addicting will definitely keep you fueled until dinner. My first hangover cure in Granada was ruffles ham flavored chips and Fanta naranja! It’s a snack that just keeps on giving.
The pool at our hotel when we finally arrived that evening was a very welcome site due to the historically rising temperatures in Galicia. These moments always take me back to my first and second caminos when I slept in monasteries with hundreds of beds in one large room. Forgive me for my little luxuries, Saint James. The pool stood in second place after we found our perfect restaurant. The sunset over the Atlantic blessed us with its fading light as we enjoyed a bottle of Albariño wine. The camino and Albariño are closely tied together. One legend says that the monks from Cluny, France brought the Albariño grape to Galicia when doing the pilgrimage in the 12th century but other studies show that albariño seeds were also found in a salt mine from Roman times. Either way, the albariño wine goes perfectly with the local food.
Zamburiñas, are a small type of scallop in Galicia. In the world of scallops, they are by far my favorite. This simple preparation which is to lightly grill them with olive oil and maybe a bit of parsley and garlic is the way I most like to enjoy them. That night, after our zamburiñas we also had a perfectly grilled piece of turbot and a Galician steak.
The perfect end to a perfect day. We decided this might be a romantic place for a special celebration one day!
My first semester in Granada 30 years ago I had a friend with whom I would spend time speaking a mixture of Spanish and English and wandering about the streets stopping here and there for a caña and tapa or two, or ten. MariAngeles was her name, Mary of the Angels. In retrospect she was anything but an angel. She could have been named Maritraviesa* or Marimarchosa*. She loved to party and flirt and take life to the limit. MariAngeles explained to me that she was from a town unlike any other in Andalucia. Úbeda, somewhere up in the mountains of the province of Jaen. She told me that from her town you could see only olive groves for kilometres and kilometres. “Es diferente, no sé como explicarte.” Since she couldn’t find the words to explain why her town was so different than anywhere I had seen until then in Andalucia, she decided to take me there during the town’s fiestas. One thing I have learned since is that if you want to really see a town, don’t go during its fiestas. Not because you won’t have a fantastic time, but because you won’t actually SEE the town or city itself. Especially if you are a young student. The streets are filled with people drinking and dancing, the bars are packed to the gills and any type of normalcy is completely put on hold. Needless to say, Úbeda was a blur of beer, wine, copas and loud music. Besides a fat hangover, I did take back to Granada a memory of the unique architecture. Different than anything I had seen, just like Mariangeles had promised.
Fast forward 12 years and I find myself in Úbeda to give birth to my beautiful daughter. Who the heck goes to Úbeda to have a baby? Especially if you are living just outside of Madrid at the time. Well, there happens to be a small club of now 18 year olds in Granada who were all born in Úbeda. There was a short time when an amazing group of midwives ran the birthing centre at the public hospital, San Juan de la Cruz. Natural births, no actual obgyn´s unless an emergency required one. All inclusive with our public health care. Homemade food included. So, my little Luna was born with a view of olive groves from the window. Many times I have thought that I should have named her Oliva. Needless to say, Úbeda will always be a synonym to Luna.
14th century Losal Gate
My relationship with Úbeda has continued and grown since then. I am blessed to have spent many nights in the parador and to have shared this very special town with many travelers through the years. The main square named Vazquez de Molina is an architectural goldmine. Here you will find the parador which is a 16th century palace built as a private home, the Chapel of San Salvador, the Basilica of Santa Maria and the Palace of the Chains which is one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in all of Spain. Andres de Valdemira was the architect for the parador and the Palace of Chains. The architect of San Salvador, Diego de Siloé, was also responsible for the Cathedral in Granada. But, while enjoying the beauty of Renaissance in Úbeda we must not forget that the history of the town dates back to pre-Roman times and was a stronghold during the glory of Al-Andalus, the time of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula.
San Salvador Chapel and Dome San Salvador
Parador
You will also find symbols representing the Jewish people who helped this town flourish financially and socially until their expulsion in 1492. Hidden down a side street in the center of town you will find the great discovery of Úbeda, The Synagogue of Water. This is a pre-14th century synagogue that was discovered while converting the building from a hair salon to touristic apartments in 2007. They discovered the arches of the synagogue, the Women’s Gallery and the Micveh. Every year during the summer solstice the sunlight shines through a small window directly onto the Micveh. You can look this up on YouTube to experience this magic.
Mikveh
Sephardic Surnames
Hand of FátimaWater Well
Another of my favorite areas in Úbeda is San Millán, a medieval quarter on the outskirts of the town, where you will find the Alfareros or the pottery artisans. The pottery shops, museum and workshops are filled with cooking utensils, pots, pitchers for wine and water and the traditional Andalusian alcuza used to serve the olive oil, or liquid gold as we called it here. The most common colors you will find here are the glazed green and blue.
If you are a person who is moved by music you will usually have soundtracks that take you back to the different stages in your life. I can trace my soundtracks clearly from childhood up until now. One that carried me through a certain and fairly long period of my life was the music of Spanish singer/ songwriter/poet, Joaquin Sabina. Sabina was born in Úbeda, studied at the university in Granada, spent time in exile in London during the years of the dictatorship and resides in Madrid. In Úbeda you will find a bar called Taberna Calle Melancolía dedicated 100 percent to Sabina. Here you can munch on a tapa or two accompanied by a wine and Sabina´s voice which plays through every opening hour.
It is easy to get wrapped up in the beauty and history of Úbeda but one always needs to eat! Usually food and wine is the focal point of my travels so I do not want to forget one of my favorite places to tapear in this town. Located near the Plaza de Andalucia you will find a tiny placed called, “Al Fondo hay Sitio”. “There is Room in the Back”. The base of this bar´s tapas are what we call in Spain, conservas. Canned goods if you will. Nowadays the whole world is talking about tinned seafood products from both Spain and Portugal. As my friend Jorge says, the shops look almost like Disneylandia. Canned goods have always been an important food source in the world for many reasons throughout history. At this beautiful bar you will find only the best and maybe not things you would imagine. Albacore tuna, chickpeas with salt cod and spinach, piquillo peppers stuffed with foie and beef with a grape sauce, 3 different types of pork loin, white bean stew from Asturias, ox tail, or pickled partridge. Order a glass of great wine and take your pick.
There are also typical dishes from this area of Spain. One of them is called Andrajos. Andrajos date back to the Middle Ages when the people who worked out in the country used whatever that had on hand to elaborate dishes that would help them survive the cold winters in this mountainous area. They are irregular cut flat pieces of pasta made into a stew with pepper, tomato and usually rabbit. We have had them many times in Cazorla but also enjoyed them in the Parador here in Úbeda. It is a nice dish to prepare during these winter months!
Andrajos de Úbeda at the Parador
At the Parador both in Úbeda and Cazorla we have had great dishes prepared with local deer and lamb. Here are a couple plates from Úbeda and you can also read about Cazorla in my other post. Buen provecho!
There is only one thing that can really pull me out of a dark place when life gets to be a bit too much, and that is a long walk. I don’t mean a stroll along the river which I do almost daily or even a few hour hike with my dear friend Wendy. But, a considerable one that leaves me with a blister or two and that hell yeah feeling in my whole body. A couple of weeks ago my partner saw me plunging deeply after the worst few months that life could throw at me and suggested we do a hike that has been in our back pockets for a few months.
Parador in Úbeda
Last fall we had spent a night in Úbeda and met up with my dear friend Andrea for dinner that overflowed into a couple gin tonics. Andrea is not just a fantastic conversationalist but also a wealth of information about this area in Spain. At one point in the evening we got on the subject of one of my favorite Spanish authors, Antonio Machado, and the time he spent living in the neighboring town of Baeza. Andrea mentioned a path that was about to be inaugurated by the people from the towns of Úbeda and Baeza. He explained to us that …it was a hike that already existed but would now be officially recognized as the walk that Antonio Machado and the 16th century priest and mystic Saint John of the Cross did between the two towns during their separate stays in the town of Baeza. The path has always been known as the Path of Saint Anthony.
Antonio Machado was one of Spain’s greatest poets and was part of the Generation of 1898, a group of writers and philosophers that formed during the time of the Spanish American War. Machado was a native of Seville but studied in Madrid and spent time in Paris and Soria (Castilla y Leon), inspiration for his book of poetry Campos de Castilla. This is also where he met the love of his life, Leonor. Their love story ended as soon as it began when Leonor passed away at the young age of 18 after only a few years of marriage with Antonio. It is after this tragedy that Antonio, unable to obtain a teaching position in Madrid, is sent to Baeza as a French Professor. Machado expressed his lack of excitement of Baeza in letters to author and colleague Miguel de Unamuno. He killed his time and boredom walking amongst the olive trees between Baeza and Úbeda and the Sierra de Cazorla.
Poetry
A beautiful moment in the history of Spanish poetry happens in Baeza in the year 1916. A professor from the University of Granada takes a group of students to visit the monumental town of Baeza (73 miles north of Granada) and to meet his cherished friend and poet, Antonio Machado. Within this young group of students was Federico Garcia Lorca, future poet and playwright. During this visit the students had the good fortune of listening to Machado recite his both own poetry and a poem by Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. He was a close friend of Machado and had recently passed away.
That evening a magical moment happens in the old Casino when Machado repeats the poem by Darío and Lorca plays a piece by the Spanish composer, Manuel de Falla, on the piano. Not only did this moment begin a long friendship between Lorca and Machado but it also moved Lorca towards his literary vocation. Both Garcia Lorca and Machado died during the Spanish Civil War. Lorca was assassinated near Granada in 1936. Antonio Machado wrote a poem about his death titled, “The Crime was Done in Granada.” Machado died while in exile in France in 1939.
This path, which covers 8 kilometers through the olive tree groves between Úbeda and Baeza, is marked with the memories and poetry of Machado and also the story of Saint John of the Cross. San Juan de la Cruz was born into a family of Jewish converts in the province of Ávila, Castilla y León. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Salamanca and was eventually ordained as a priest. In his travels he met the Carmelite nun and mystic poet Saint Teresa of Ávila. Together they worked on the reformation of the Carmelite known as the Discalced Carmelites. Saint John of the Cross was eventually imprisoned and tortured by those who were against the reformation. In 1579 John moved to the town of Baeza where he worked as a rector for Andalusian Carmelite friars. Saint John of the Cross died in Úbeda and the public hospital, where my daughter was born, now bears his name.
Antonio Machado in front of the Casino in Baeza
Most people choose to do just one way beginning in Ubeda or Baeza but we started our walk at the Parador in Úbeda and decided to do the round trip which ended up being about 23 kilometres from the Parador in Úbeda to Baeza and back to our small hotel in Úbeda. Along this route through the olive tree groves you can also see the megalithic dolmen encinarejo, named after the encina (Holm Oak) which is one of the native trees in this area. It was dominant in this land before the massive planting of olive trees. The landscape and poetry turn this simple hike into a literary experience regardless of if you are already an admirer of Machado, or enjoying your first taste of his writing and life story.
Dad, I hope you are reading this from above. You were one of the best supporters of my blog. I miss you.
And thank you to my fall group who turned into a family and has inspired me to keep writing.
We really don’t need to leave our neighbourhood for great tapas. We have “La Noticia” which is always the perfect choice when we want to keep it local. I will write about them one day soon! But, when we are downtown we always go to “Los Diamantes”. I have been having tapas at Los Diamantes since I moved to Granada. Thirty years ago there was only one location on Calle Navas and the people would overflow into the back and side alleys with beers and small plates in hand. They would close when they ran out of fresh fish. Now, there are seven locations in Granada and in a small adjoining town. They are all equally delicious and will never fail to serve up the best fried fish and other delicacies.
One of my favourites is the half tomato and half “cogollos” salad. Perfectly seasoned with olive oil and salt (more salt, more beer ordered) and the baby lettuce hearts are also topped with crispy fried garlic. Fantastic! It reminds me of the escarole and pomegranate salad I prepare every fall.
The other day we decided to order the grilled tuna to cut down on our fried food intake. The simple grilled tuna is served along with some “pimientos de padrón” which helped kill some my longing for Galicia. We say, ¨pimientos de padrón, unos pican, otros no.¨ Some are spicy and some are not. The padrón peppers were supposedly brought from South America to Galicia by Franciscan monks. The monks began to harvest these peppers at their monastery in the Hebrón, a neighbourhood in the town of Padrón in Galicia. Since 1978 there is a yearly festival dedicated to the pepper and its farmers.
Remember that when you visit Los Diamantes you can survive on tapas alone. With each drink you will be served one of their specialties of fried shrimp, eggplant, anchovies, marinated dogfish or their special rice. But, it is fun to order something extra to share with your group of friends. Belly up to the bar and enjoy the nonstop entertainment and interaction between the servers and customers.
If I could turn back time I would love to see the look on my face when two amazing people invited me to lunch at the 3 Michelin Star Arzak in San Sebastián. Even better, the look on their faces when my original response was a no. I must have had some type of momentary mental lapses or something of the like. Good thing I quickly came to my senses and accepted their extremely generous invitation.
Chinese Bread with AjiEar of Blue Corn
Sunflower Shot with CodSardine with Absinthe
Juan Mari Arzak celebrated his 80th birthday on July 31st, 2022. I still can’t believe that just a few months ago I was actually standing in the kitchen of his restaurant. Arzak became the co-innovator of New Basque Cuisine after taking over his family’s business. In 1897 his grandparents opened a wine shop and tavern from the same building where Arzak stands now and his parents turned the tavern into a local restaurant. He earned his first Michelin star in 1972, when I was just barely a 1 year old. I don’t think you can talk about the Basque Country or Basque Cuisine without thinking of Juan Mari Arzak. He learned how to cook from his mother who would take him to the market to select the very best products. This is the prime principal of Basque cuisine. Juan Mari then spread his love of cooking to his daughter Elena, who now co-runs the kitchen at Arzak. It’s also nice to mention that 80 percent of the team at the restaurant are women.
Eating at Arzak felt like being in someone’s home. The atmosphere is relaxed and humble. It also felt like a dream come true, because it was exactly that for me. When Juan Mari showed up in the dining room I was completely star struck. Luckily, my extremely generous hosts shared the feeling with me or they were just kind enough to not make me feel like a total food nerd.
Monkfish in Basque WhiskeyLamb with Orzo
We had the degustation menu with the wine pairing. It was like a finely tuned symphony of traditional Basque cuisine seasoned with the heart and soul of Elena and Juan Mari Arak. I really could not think of a better way to spend an afternoon in San Sebastián. We relished in every course while enjoying great conversation and laughter.
EnigmaChocolate RuinsClose up of Ruins
Just in case I wasn’t at my highest nerd level from meeting Arzak, one of the desserts was a medley of chocolate columns and ruins, a history dork’s dream!
After our first two desserts our server asked if we wanted to go down into the kitchen to have a photo with Juan Mari!! IN THE KITCHEN!! I had tears in my eyes, I have to admit, when I met him. He looked me straight in the eyes and said to me, “Contigo me iría al final del mundo”. I would go to the end of the earth with you. Our server was taken aback and said, “I have never heard him say that to anyone”. It was definitely love at first sight. A moment I will never forget and will always be truly grateful for, thanks to my wonderful hosts who quickly became friends.
Indescribable chocolatesCoffee with Brandy
I do regret not taking a photo with Elena because she is a true star. Maybe I will run into her in the market or walking through the streets of Donsoti one day. Here is a photo of the menu in English. Thank you from the bottom of my food nerd heart to my lovely hosts!
Last August we had a 50th birthday celebration for one of my dearest friends in Granada. It was very special on many levels. We celebrated her 50 years on earth and also celebrated being together for the first time in so long! Darn Covid . My close friends, Javier and Charo, made the trip from Reus in Catalunya to be here for the occasion! Javier greeted me with his huge smile and hug as always and he also held two bottles of golden Vermouth in his hands! He had brought the best of the best. Vermouth from the town of Reus, where this beverage was introduced by the Italians in the 19th century. Reus is only two hours south of Barcelona and at one point it held at least 30 Vermouth distilleries. With time, the beverage began to spread further into Spain and has become an important aperitif in many cities and towns.
When we feel like enjoying a vermouth here in Granada, we have a few places that we head to immediately. Our favourite is Bar Albergue. It is a classic in the center of Granada, just perfectly located outside of the main tourist area. I went to this bar for the first time over 26 years ago as an innocent and probably clueless student. At the time, in my mind, vermouth was an ingredient in the many martinis that I served working in restaurants and bars in the US. Who knew that I would learn to enjoy vermouth as an aperitif in so many different bars and cities?
Frituta `Mixta with shrimp, anchovies, calamar, hake, and marinated dogfish
Many people go the Bar Albergue for the vermouth and their fried salt cod. Bacalao frito. As I’ve written before, my Italian Nana would use the word bacalao when she joked about giving us a “spanking”. I’m going to give you a “bacalao” she would laughingly say as we imagined a huge dried fish in her hand. In Granada, neither of these words are a laughing matter. We take our vermouth and fried cod very seriously and in Bar Albergue you can enjoy the best. Luis is always behind the bar ready to serve you. Each tapa here is different. You might be served fried hake or fried cod, fresh fried anchovies, or “callos”, a traditional tripe stew. They also serve some of the best “fritura mixtas” in Granada just in case the tapas aren’t enough for you!
Fun fact. The word vermouth comes from the German word wermut which means wormwood, the important ingredient that gives vermouth its bitterness. Salud!
Before the pandemic I had started my own little tradition of taking early morning walks in all the cities where I sleep. I love the peace and the silence at this time of day. Each city has a unique feel when it is empty, and it takes on a different personality. A few weeks ago I went for a long walk through the empty streets of Bilbao. There was hardly a soul on the street and none of the bars or cafeterias were open yet. It was so pleasant that I walked for much longer than I had planned.
Memorial near the Doña Casilda Park
As I walked that morning I was bombarded with different memories from my countless visits to this city. My thoughts included nights out with friends in the Casco Antiguo, walking to the Guggenheim for dinner with my groups, getting a cast put on my leg in the local hospital, drinking Txakoli with colleagues and sharing my love for this part of Spain with so many people.
La Puerta de los Honorables……… in honor of the socialist, Ramón Rubial
I have been blessed to travel with many people who have touched my heart in different ways. Many have repeated tours with me or have come back to visit. We communicate through email and I receive holiday cards from them by snail mail. Several have become close friends and I think of them often. Throughout the pandemic so many of these people went beyond what it means to be caring and generous and it brought me to tears on occasions. I have thought about my guests and prayed that they have were healthy and safe throughout the past two years and I get worried when I don’t hear from them.
Las Sirgueras – dedicated to the women who worked along the Nervión Estuary
In Spring 2016 I had a mini group within one of my groups. During the welcome dinner in Lisbon they came up and asked me to guess which of the six of them were blood related. From that moment on we had a permanent connection. On one of our free nights in Bilbao they invited me to dinner at one of the Michelin star restaurants, Extanobe. Unforgettable doesn’t even begin to describe that evening filled with laughter, friendship, storytelling and amazing food. There are some guests that seem to emotionally adopt you and you are connected for life.
Statue of John Adams, Gran Via de Lopez de Haro
After each tour is over I receive many emails from my guests. This email is from one of those amazing people who I shared dinner with in Bilbao.
Margaret, None of us will ever forget you. Nancy and I had been to Spain four times to Spain before that trip. Yet you took a wonderful trip and made it the trip against which we we measure not just trips to spain but all others. So to us, you are unforgettable. We all hope to see you, your husband, and beautiful daughter someday in San Antonio. Nancy says she gets hungry every time she reads one of your stories. Con abrazos,Al and Nancy Karam P.S. I still remember the first words I said to you, “I already don’t like you because you live in Granada and I don’t!”
Plaza Moyua
On my birthday last week I received a message that Al had passed away. My heart broke in two as I took myself back to the memories of his kind smile, laughter and all of the stories that he shared with me. We had a special connection.
“Margaret, here’s a little thing you may find interesting. We first arrived in the evening in Granada on our first trip to Spain summer 1994, our 25 anniversary . Since it was our anniversary, we had a room in the Hotel Alhambra…uh…what was the working class Leb. boy doing in this hotel? Since we were just relaxing we went to the grounds and started walking around for about an hour or so. There was hardly a soul there. We later learned that the place was closed and how were we able to sneak in? No sneaking, just walk into, I think, the Fatima gate. Ah… to be young and unknowing.” Al Karam
A small miracle occurred in the month of July! I actually had the opportunity to organise and accompany a group throughout Andalucia. It is hard to explain how good it felt to plan visits and excursions to the places I love. Calling my local guides (friends) to let them know I would need them for a visit was absolutely the best! I am so grateful for this opportunity after all of this time “off” the road.
View of the Mosque/Cathedral from the Roman Bridge in Cordoba, Guadalquivir River
One of my favourite parts of traveling with others is sharing the local foods. Gastronomical history is my passion. Through this history we learn about the people and their lives and customs. I love receiving emails from guests who have travelled with me that contain photos of the dishes they learned about while we traveled together. They get to relive beautiful experiences by preparing these dishes at home!
My colleague and I went to lunch in Córdoba the other day. I took her to one of my favorite places, Casa Rubio. I always have a hard time deciding on a place to eat in Cordoba because there are so many amazing bats and restaurants.
Casa Rubio………it was full later on.
Córdoba is known for salmorejo! You can read about it in the attached biog posts above. I love salmorejo and I prepare it a lot at home. But, when I’m in Córdoba I have to order MAZAMORRA, especially if I am with someone who has never tasted it before.
Mazamorra at Casa Rubio
Long before the tomato arrived to Europe, people were preparing dishes that involved the mashing or creaming of many products, like almonds and bread. The word mazamorra either comes from Arabic or the Greek “mâza” just like in the word mazapán (marzipan). Amasar in Castilian Spanish means to mash or to knead. Different types of mazamorra are also prepared in different South and Central American countries. It can be a salty dish, dessert or a drink depending on the country. The mazamorra cordobesa is completely different from these. In Córdoba, it is a cold cream served with bread or sesame breadsticks. It is simply prepared with almonds, olive oil, salt, and garlic. There are also different variations. More than likely this dish dates back to the Roman times when a dish was made using bread. It is a cousin to “ajo blanco”, “porra” and “salmorejo”. Please read about these in the attached posts above.
The preparation at Casa Rubio is perfect. It is very light in garlic (although I prefer it with more), and it is garnished with almonds, apples, and raisins. The texture is smooth as silk.
Córdoba was very quiet but it was nice to see some people traveling again. I am so grateful that I was able to be on the road for a few days! We need to stay safe and take care of each other to keep moving forward.
MOONINSPAIN 