Every cook has their go-to gadgets and tools that make life easier and more efficient (or more fun) in the kitchen.  My friend and cooking partner Cyndy and I did a quick inventory of our favorite small kitchen gadgets and tools to share with you.  No pots and large equipment on this post, just the small stuff.  Do you have favorites?  We’d love to hear (and see).  Here are a few favorites from two different home cooks, maybe you’ll see something that makes sense for your kitchen, or even better, maybe you have a better idea to share.

favorite small gadgets for kitchen

Dorothy’s Picks:

1. Cuisinart Hand Blender:  easy, quick & effective.  I use this for everything except when baking (have to pull out the big guns for that one).  I use these for making fruit butters and have tried several different makes.  The Viking hand blender was the most expensive, but it required too much effort to hold the button in for any length of time.  The Cuisinart is perfect; powerful enough, yet easy on the wrist and hands;  You can find them in most department stores or find here: Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome
2. Salt Grinders: I have gone through so many salt and pepper grinders over the years, and have come up frustrated with their lack of ability to grind different crystal sizes or grinding peppercorns unevenly.  Finally I found one that works perfectly every time on all different sizes of salt or pepper, and will grind from fine to coarse:  the OXO adjustable grinders (bought at Target);
3. Cutting board holder:  I like to work with small cutting boards that are easy to wash and store.  A mesh office file holder from Target holds my cutting boards perfectly and lets them drain after rinsing at the same time (no putting them wet inside drawers);
4. Long-handled bamboo slotted spoon:  This probably isn’t for everyone, but I frequently cook in large deep pots and love that I don’t have to get burned by steam with this long spoon.  The holes allow me to cook and stir thicker concoctions also.  I got this from a kitchen auction and don’t know where they are available.
5. Home Soda Maker: I’ve posted about my love of the Soda Stream before and it hasn’t changed.  Inexpensive, healthy, and great tasting drinks…what could be better?  Find it at Macy’s or here: Sodastream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Starter Kit
   

   more favorite kitchen smalls

6. Slotted spoons:  I’m a big fan of slotted spoons of all sizes, but my absolute favorite is this silly red Koolaid spoon, with the happy face as the slots.  The reason I like it is because it is so sturdy and the handle is straight up and down which you don’t find often.  It’s great for using a little more force, it’s indestructible, and I seem to always reach for it whether I’m making coffee, soup or whatever.
7. Silicon baster:  pretty basic, but inexpensive and I use it a lot.
8. Rolling pin:  This long slender rolling pin is one I picked up at a sale and it is so much more efficient than the shorter fatter common ones.
9. Strawberry huller:  I don’t really like a lot of specialty tools, but this little “joie” strawberry huller is really sharp with tiny serrations, and a perfectly beveled edge to quickly core strawberries, tomatoes, etc.  Found it at Kowalskis Grocery, but I’m sure it’s widely available.
   

   Faucet touch-on

10. Touch-sensitive faucet:  When we got our kitchen remodeled I wanted to try a faucet I had heard of that you could turn off and on by touch on the stem, so that you didn’t have to get your dirty (or raw-meat covered) hands on the faucet to turn it off and on.  Always seemed like you washed your hands and then got the germs right back on them when you turned the faucet back off.  It was on the expensive side for a faucet, but I do love it and it was worth the splurge.  The Delta is the only one I found when shopping around, but we have been very happy with it so far.  Here is a link: Delta 980T-SSSD-DST Pilar Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet with Touch2O Technology and Soap Dispenser, Stainless

Well those are some of my favorite little gadgets that I love and use consistently.  I didn’t include knives as I talked about them in an earlier post (knife post), but Cyndy does mention her favorite knives below.  Hope these are helpful.  We would really love to hear your favorites!

 Cyndy’s Picks:

(by Cyndy Crist)

I’m sure every cook has them – tools that they can’t imagine being without in the kitchen.  In the past few years, I’ve found myself paying particular attention to this in advance of summer vacations in rental properties whose kitchens may not provide what I have come to expect to have at the ready when I cook.  More than once, I’ve been frustrated by a simultaneous lack of a tool and of a place where I could easily pick one up (a challenge for the urban dweller who is spoiled by having ready access to just about anything).

As a result, I am now much more likely to pack a few things just to be certain I’ll have what I need, even going so far as to buy a couple of individual knife cases to keep blades and hands safe from damage.  And thinking about what I rely on and, more to the point, actually use on a regular basis has had an added benefit – it has helped me weed out of my always-crowded kitchen drawers things that I thought would be handy but which, in fact, I never use.  So, with a nod to David Letterman but, alas, none of his humor, here’s my top ten list of kitchen tools.  I’ll write a future post on slightly larger tools and equipment that I’d hate to be without for cooking, but I’m going to start small, low-tech, and basic.

Spatulas & Tongs

Kitchen Tongs.  Early in my cooking career, I recall turning my nose up at the ubiquitous tongs that somehow seemed old-fashioned.  Now I can’t imagine cooking without them. One of my favorite uses is for turning pieces of meat and chicken, a task for which tongs offer more control than a spatula and don’t cause the loss of juices that result from sticking in a fork.  I have a number of them, some that I let do double-duty as cooking and serving instruments and others that are seldom far from the stove.  My favorite, and also the most basic in my kitchen, are Edlund 9” Scalloped Locking Tongs. Their large surfaces let me pick up just about anything, and the locking function reduces the amount of space they take up in a drawer. I have some longer tongs, too, but I find the 9” fits well in my hand and is easy to maneuver.  I think if I could only choose three tools in the kitchen, these would still make the list.

Wooden or Bamboo Spatula.  I suspect most cooks have an array of wooden, and recently the more environmentally correct bamboo, spoons and other tools.  I’m no different and would guess that my count stands at something like 20, including different shapes of spoons; paddles for gnocchi, polenta, and rice; and a well-worn mallet-like potato masher.  My go-to tool from this stable, though, is a flat spatula.  I have two that I use interchangeably, one made of wood and one of bamboo. The wooden one is old enough that any claim of its maker long ago disappeared; the other is a Bambu Give It a Rest Spatula.  I love these because they offer all the benefits of wooden spoons (they won’t scratch non-stick surfaces and can be used in any kind of food) but also fit into the bottom edges and along the sides of pans in a way that round spoons don’t. And although they don’t have as fine an edge as most spatulas, they do work for removing things like scrambled eggs from a skillet.

Rubber Scraper.  Nothing works to get every last bit of batter, dressing, or sauce out of a bowl like a rubber scraper.  Again, I have a variety, and I use several regularly (for example, I have one with a long handle and narrow scraper blade that’s great in jars), but once more my favorite is one of the most basic – Rubbermaid’s 9 ½ “ white scraper.  It has enough strength to do any job but also enough flexibility to easily fit the contour of any bowl or container.  I’ve bought some pretty silicone scrapers, but they lack the flexibility that makes the Rubbermaid my go-to choice. There’s nothing fancy about this Plain Jane, but it always does the job.

Baking Tools

Whisk.  Because I cook more than I bake, I probably don’t use whisks as often as some cooks, but I do use them enough to earn them a place on my list.  I’ll sound like a broken record when I say I have a half-dozen or more in different sizes and materials (including silicone that is quite nice when I don’t want to risk scratching copper pots and pans).  Variety in sizes is helpful, since small ones are great for whisking up a small batch of vinaigrette while larger whisks can handle bigger batches of thicker batters.  I generally prefer the classic wire whisks; the one I use most is similar to the Kuhn Rikon 8” balloon wire whisk.  Meanwhile, I’m on the prowl for one of the really big balloon whisks with which I’ve seen Jacques Pepin and Laura Calder turn bowls of cream and egg whites into lovely, frothy delights in no time at all.

Cookie Spatula. The winner that has emerged from the array of spatulas and flippers in my drawer is the thinnest, a stainless steel cookie spatula that is labeled Endurance but is identical to the Ateco Stainless Steel Cookie Spatula.  I love this one because it has a very thin and flexible blade that can easily be maneuvered under pancakes and cookies.  Overall, I may use larger, traditional spatulas more often, but this one is so perfect for certain uses that it has won a special place in my culinary heart.

Grater & Slicer

Microplane. This is another indispensible tool if you frequently add finely grated citrus peel or cheese to your dishes.  I’ve never quite gotten the hang of zesters (the ones that look kind of like vegetable peelers), but microplanes are always easy to use. I have three, including a long, narrow rasp-type grater and a wider grater designed to yield larger shreds. But the one I use most is the Microplane 35002 Fine Grater. I like its large grating surface, very sturdy “build” (I never worry about how hard I’m grating something against its surface), plastic-covered edges, and comfortable handle.  Since so many dishes are improved with a teaspoon or two of finely grated lemon or orange peel, mine is often out of the drawer.

Hand-held Mandoline.  I have a “real” mandoline, but I seldom use it because my hand-held Kyocera Double-Edged Mandoline Slicer is so quick and easy to use.  It has a notched edge that fits over the edge of a bowl and helps hold it in place when I’m slicing cucumbers (for which I use it most, since my husband and I love cucumber salad) or other vegetables into a bowl.  Its super-sharp blade makes it possible to get very thin and even slices of just about anything, and since it has a double-edge, you can work vegetables back and forth across the blade cutting the time needed.   Mine didn’t come with a hand guard, as they now all seem to do, so I have to be careful not to slice off the tips of my fingers when I use it, and it’s hard to slice small edibles. But as long as I remain conscious of the need for caution, I’m fine.  To my mind, this one beats the Cuisinart for slicing.

Knives

Knives.  I’m not going to try to reduce my list to just one knife, but that’s not really cheating, since I’m using my last three slots for three different knives (with one little cheat of a fourth knife that isn’t essential, but that I really like).  To my way of thinking, every cook needs three knives at a minimum: a serrated bread knife, a chef’s knife, and a paring knife.  I’m particularly fond of Wusthof knives, so they get pride of place on this list.

I still regularly use the Wusthof Classic 8” bread knife we got as a wedding gift 25 years ago; it’s a great size and always works well.  I love bread knives because they can slice delicate Angel food cakes as well as crusty loaves of artisan bread. My favorite chef-type knife is the Wusthof Gourmet 7-Inch Hollow-Cut Santoku Knife. It’s easy to handle and I like the size, shape, and weight of the blade, as well as its overall balance.  I’m not sure why, but more often than not, I reach for this one when I might otherwise grab a traditional chef’s knife.

On a smaller scale, my go-to paring knife is a bright green Kuhn Rikon 4” Paring Knife with Sheath that fits my hand nicely and stays very sharp.  As well as being a work horse, it’s color makes me smile, and there’s nothing wrong with satisfying more than one of my senses!  My “extra credit” knife is the Deglon 8” Tomato Knife with Wood Handle. Although it doesn’t do anything that a well-sharpened chef’s knife can’t do, I find its smaller size and toothed edge very effective when slicing tomatoes for a BLT, salad, or pasta dish.  I could cook without it, but I’m glad I don’t have to!

And that’s my list – a pretty basic set of tools that get used over and over again and never let me down.  Most are very affordable and, with a little care, they’ll probably all last as long as I do.  What more could I ask for?

Reconstructed Spanish Garbanzo Bean & Spinach Soup

While on a recent trip to Spain to spend time with our study-abroad daughter, we had the joy of eating some really memorable dishes.  I came home with a mission to recreate some of our favorites while the taste memories are still intact.  This soup was one of my husband’s favorites, and since the weather has been cool and rainy lately, I thought I’d start with this one.

The soup (or stew) we had in Burgos was actually made with fish, but I substituted chorizo sausage for more robustness (is that a word?), and added an orange zest/parsley garnish for brightness.  It was really very good.  Not exactly what we had in Burgos, but there were lots of sighs and requests for more from my husband.  He is fairly stoic with the praise, so I’ve learned how many sighs and guttural sounds equals a score of ten.  This soup got a nine.  Perfect for a rainy spring day.

Reconstructed Spanish Garbanzo Bean & Spinach Soup

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 lb. chorizo sausage (removed from casings)
• 1 med. red onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp thyme leaves (fresh if possible)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed
• 2 26-oz packages chicken stock (be sure and get stock, not chicken broth)
• 2 bunches fresh spinach (or greens)
• Italian parsley and fresh grated orange zest for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in dutch oven (if you don’t have dutch oven, use iron skillet for browning meat and vegetables and then transfer to large stock pot).  Add chorizo and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until browned.
2. Push chorizo to side and add more olive oil if needed and cook onion, carrot, celery over med-low heat for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender but not brown.
3. Stir in garlic, thyme, pepper flakes and paprika and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Add tomato paste and cook until slightly thickened (about 1 minute)
5. Add garbanzo beans and stock
6. Combine well and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce to low and cook, covered about 45 minutes.
7. Add chopped, drained spinach leaves to pot and cover.  Cook over med-low heat until spinach is soft (about 5 minutes
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste (chorizo is salty so be careful).
9. Garnish with parsley and orange zest and serve warm with some good hearty bread.

Cheers!

One section of outdoor spice shop in Alcaceria

Our last full day in Granada was spent shopping and visiting sites that entailed the daily routines of our daughter’s 3-month study abroad life.  After a lunch at Senora’s where we had the best gazpacho I’ve ever had, our daughter went back to her classes and Cris and I went back to the Alcaceria to find spices, scarves and other presents.

We walked the city all day observing, taking pictures and shopping.

Price of tomatoes; varieties were all red and robust

Some lessons and observations of our final days:

• While the cities are clean and the food is great, it seems “everyone” smokes in Spain.  Cris was quite amazed when the 20-something girl with rings in her nose started rolling her own Lucky Strikes (something he hadn’t seen since way back in Eastern Oregon).  Smoking seemed to be pretty ubiquitous throughout Spain.
• 3 Euros is way-y too much for a bowl of gazpacho, even if it is great gazpacho.  The Senora (and locals) eat this regularly in the hot summer days and good tomatoes are pretty consistently available at a reasonable price.  I have reconstructed her gazpacho back at home and will post recipes later.
• 

  Passionate art in Churches of Granada

  It is a perfectly normal morning occurrence for a truck loaded with individual LP gas tanks to double park on the street, honk, and holler up to residents’  balconies to see if they want gas that day;

• Food can be absolutely dripping in olive oil and the Spanish people are proud to tell you that the dish has “no fat”;
• You must talk in a sing-song voice when describing a list of items or a series of things;
• According to some of the Granada folks, the new President was trying to “fix Spain” after only 3 weeks in power.  Part of this fixing now required people to pay one euro for their prescription drugs and requiring them to pay bus fare after 5 stops.  They didn’t seem to mind the President, just didn’t think he could fix Spain very quickly or easily.
• 

  Human statue in Granada's Alcaceria

  Do not ever engage with, or look a gypsy in the eye when they are talking to you or you will be given the hard sell at a minimum, and be man-handled and pick-pocketed at a maximum;

• You can double park anywhere in Spain, for as long as your battery can support the emergency flashers;

• Parents easily, and without intent, embarrass their kids no matter what country you are in.

Tesla at her "service project" in outskirts of Granada

On our last day in Spain, Tesla took us to see the University where she is studying and then to a lower income area of Granada where she is doing a service project with children in a program similar to the U.S.’s  Headstart program.  The study abroad program in Granada was such a memorable, and perhaps life-changing, experience for Tesla.  If you are a college student, or have a college student, I highly recommend that you try and take advantage of the college’s study abroad program.

Food enjoyed in Jaen on our last day:

We had our last Spanish meal at a lovely restaurant that was owned by a previous matador, Vicente.  The walls were covered with signed photos of celebrity matadors and we watched bull-fighting on the big TV screen as we ate (we chose to eat in the tapas (less formal) part of the restaurant so we could watch the bullfighting.  The meal was fantastic and bullfighting on TV was about as close as I really wanted to get to that activity.  Vicente had stories to tell and seemed really interesting, but we had left our translator back in Granada and were now on our own with smiles and hand-signals.  Our meal was:

• Appetizer of olives, bread and this wonderful dip made with what we thought were garbanzo beans, but they may have been pigeon peas (?), scallions, tomatoes, garlic, etc.;
• Lomo (pork loin) in a sweet and sour sauce with parsnips and vegetables;
• Creamed spinach with balsamic vinegar and egg;
• Morcilla (Cris)

Cris and I at Cafe Vicente in Jaen

After saying goodbye to Vicente the old matador, we headed out to the airport in Madrid to make our way back home.  Goodby to Spain and the sweet memories.  I think we may just have to return someday and visit the western parts of Spain and the cities we didn’t get to.  I’m an ardent admirer now, that’s for sure.

Typical village in Sierra Nevada's

Today was an excursion into the beautiful villages nestled in the Sierra Nevada’s, as well as an up-close and personal look into the  daily life of the Andalusian people within these villages.  My daughter’s Senora (the “mom” she lives with in Granada during her study-abroad program) grew up in a small village in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Senora decided we should go visit her village, and while we were there we should visit her brother, her cousins, her nieces, her sister-in-laws and perhaps some of the neighbors.   You don’t really go against what Senora says, and lucky for us we didn’t even try.  It was one of the best days of our trip and we got to know a part of Spain that would have been elusive to us at best.

Village in Sierra Nevada

The mountains were beautiful, at times reminding us strongly of the Oregon Coast or the Columbia Gorge (without the water).  I don’t know much about the geology of the region, but based on the type of rock and gorges I would say there was some serious tectonics going on at some point in time.  The villages were regularly spaced pockets of white.  There wasn’t much flat land, so they must have been located in areas that received some water.  All of the homes and buildings were bright white, inside and out, and the inside of the homes were tiled and hard surfaces.  I assume this was to regulate heat in the summer, but it also gave everything a very clean feel.

Naturally carbonated spring water of the Sierra Nevada's

On our steep way up the mountains to the higher villages (where the cousins lived), we made several stops along the way.  Senora came prepared with bags of empty bottles so we could gather some of the healthy, renowned carbonated spring water flowing out of the mountain at an area where five springs come together.

Local vendor selling honey, marmalades, bee pollen, etc.

Taking advantage of a flat area where people would stop on their way to the villages were some local vendors selling their wares.  I bought some bee pollen and green tomato marmalade from one, and then had a lengthy conversation with a very earthy Spanish guy about the medicinal qualities of his “hemp” products.  He was quite a salesman, even though I understood very little of what he was saying.  My conversation with him was eventually cut off by a very nervous daughter and her senora.  He did flash me the peace sign for a picture however, and gave me a slip of paper that served as his “card”.

Hemp vendor in Sierra Nevada's

Local vendor selling hemp products

Daily work in the streets of Trevelez

On to Trevelez for lunch and wine and Jamon tastings.  Trevelez seems to be one of the premier Jamon regions in Andalusia and it was clearly a village whose identity was focused on the Jamon.

Typical store and offerings in Trevelez

By this time of our trip we were getting a little burnt out on Jamon and were pleasantly surprised to taste the quality of the wine and see some of the rugs and pottery which were also a significant part of the village’s economy.

Lunch was interesting.  For most of the trip I had been looking for some offerings of gazpacho in the restaurants, but I understand now that it is usually not on the menu during the colder months of winter and spring.  So, when we found a restaurant in Trevelez that was offering gazpacho I was ready to jump on it.  Well…..Senora had another thought about that when she saw how much they were going to charge for it.  Two euros per glass!  This was a “barbaridad” (barbarity?)  to senora because she could make  5 liters for 2 euros.  And make it she did, the very next day for our lunch (it was great and I will include a recipe later).

Morcilla, other sausages, Jamon, Potatoes & Egg (Protein anyone?)

As far as that restaurant went however, we were out of there.  We ate at a great place that Senora took us to and tried:

• Cris had the blood pudding, or blood sausage again.  He found it quite different from the one he had earlier in the trip, more moist with a taste of some wine in it.
• Tesla and I had fried vegetables;
• We all shared a wonderful ceramic carafe of wine;
• Natilla for dessert (becoming one of my favorite desserts)

Fried Vegetables for Tesla and I

Well fed, we started back up the steep roads of the Sierra Nevada’s to Senora’s villages in the Alpujarra.  Had we realized how much food every visit to every relative would entail, we would have skipped lunch altogether.  The Spanish people don’t really take it well if you don’t eat and drink the food they offer you, and by the end of the day we were so full of hospitality we were about to burst!

The visits with the relatives in their own homes, in their own villages, drinking wine from their own vineyards was right up there with the best parts of our trip.

Lowering the house keys for a visit in Alpujarra

At the Senora’s brother’s house, we were greeted outside with a key on a long string dropped down to us from the balcony.  We did a lot of nodding and smiling as they enthusiastically talked our ears off, we had blackberry drinks and grapes, and we left with presents of squash seeds and some mysterious seeds that will ward off mosquitos.  Perfect.

At the cousins’ house and village we had the best red wine I have in a long time.  They bottle and sell the Rose from their vineyard, but the “tinto” wine is just for themselves (and guests).

More visits, more “conversations”, and more food with a variety of relatives before we headed back down the mountain to Granada, where Senora fixed us dinner back at the house.  My God, these people eat a lot.

Senora, her brother and sister-in-law on visit to Alpujarra

It’s interesting because my daughter has actually lost weight since she has lived with Senora, even though she eats well and often.  It’s all about how much she has to walk.  She averages walking about 2 hours a day because she walks to school, walks to events, walks to shopping, and essentially walks all the time.  Remember the book “French Women Don’t Get Fat”?  I think the whole premise is around this walking the Europeans do within their villages and cities.  The parking and narrowness of the streets in Spain certainly makes driving everywhere a lot less attractive, and a lot less efficient than just walking.

Senora, Tesla and Cris: Carbonated Spring Water in Sierra Nevada's

"Christ of the Judgement" float, depicting sentencing of Jesus

It has been Holy Week in Spain since we arrived and today (Sunday, April 8th) marks the end of a series of “procesions” happening daily in the villages and cities throughout Spain.  Seville, in the Andalusia province, seems to be the epicenter of the Easter processions, but as we cannot make it there on Sunday, we will watch several processions in Granada where my daughter is living.  *note:  if you call these processions “parades” many of the Spanish people will not understand you.

"Christ of the Judgement" float showing acting out of sentencing

While they celebrate the passion of the final events surrounding Jesus Christ’s life (especially the betrayal, the crucifixion, and the resurrection), it is not a light, frivolous type of parade celebration, but rather a respectful, somber remembering.  The raucous, lighter celebration in Seville comes later, at the end of April.  This is know as the April Fair and is apparently a very merry celebration with plenty of eating and drinking revelry.

Float of the Virgin Mary

The processions start at the churches and end at the church, and there is usually only one float per procession.  The float itself is artistically intricate and is comprised of pieces of artwork that reside in the church itself all year long.

Men carrying float of Virgin Mary on backs

One of the astounding things to me is the floats are carried on the backs of people (men), all adding to the pain and suffering that surrounds the Easter events.  The men bear the floats on their head and necks and carry the floats in 20-minutes shifts.  The floats can weigh up to 2 tons, and it is said that some men carry the float until they collapse.

Penitentes getting ready for Procesion

The hooded penitents, talked about in an earlier post, lead the procession, swinging incense and setting the serious tone.  The penitents are often followed by a band with beating drums or wailing singers… introducing the float.  The finale on Sunday is typically a float of the Virgin Mary, representing the hope of resurrection.

Alhambra from the top of the Albaycin

After the processions and lunch back at Senora’s house, we took the cab up to the Albaycin to view the Alhambra.  The Alhambra is noted in all the travel books as a sight not to miss, and I’m sure it is spectacular.  Based on our own individual interests and time constraints, we chose to view the Alhambra from afar (the top of the Albaycin) and not take a tour of the inside.

Harpist at the Albaycin

The Albaycin area itself was such a throwback to the 70′s for Cris and I.  It seemed to be a utopian mecca of hippies enjoying themselves in the same way they did back in our own college days in Eugene, Oregon.

The first person we came across was the harpist with dreadlocks, and as the smell of marijuana increased, so did the number of dogs and smiling hippies (not to be confused with hipsters).  The similarities of the Albaycin to Eugene in the 70′s were remarkable: juggling, marijuana, lots of dogs, long hair (though dreadlocks had not come in at that time), love/peace/community, and the need of hot showers.

The things we noticed that had changed were: the dogs did not have scarves on their necks, there weren’t as many nursing moms and babies, and there were a lot more tatoos.  Ah, love that some things remain the same even in the new world of technology.

Walls around Avila

Avila was our starting place this morning, with Toledo in mind as the place we would spend most of the day, then ending up back in Granada at my daughter’s study abroad home (with her “other mom” as she calls her).

Avila, encircled by medieval walls

Avila, a national landmark,  is an ancient city completely encircled by perfectly preserved medieval walls.  Unfortunately we missed the treat of eating the Yemas.  Yemas are pastries made by the local nuns that are likened to soft-boiled egg yolks that have been cooled and sugared.  Sounds like something I could get in to….next time I guess.

Tesla & Cris with Cervantes (Don Quixote)

Most of our day was spent in Toledo, and it is a day we will never forget!  Cris’s shirt has permanent sweat stains, and we’re talking that cold sweat that comes from unmitigated fear.  Seeing Spain by car allowed us to set our own schedule and get into places the buses would not go, but in Toledo we got sucked into a maze of very narrow, steep, cobblestone streets where no car should ever go.  Add to that the gawkers and tourists in the streets and you have the perfect storm of  “what not to do while in Spain”.  This is one of those times when we should have read our touring book, where it noted: “…streets barely wide enough for a man and his donkey, let alone an automobile.”  It was a nightmare of a maze and it took us forever to get out of it.  We were definitely ready for a few bottles of that touted Spanish sherry when we got out!

Food enjoyed in Toledo:

vino de Jerez finos

We ate at one of the more expensive places listed in the travel books we had with us, Asador Adolfo, and while it was good, it didn’t live up to the words in the book.

• The Spanish sherry, vino de Jerez, we had heard so much about was wonderful; we had finos, the dry one;
• Tesla had a squid dish that was really good
• I provided the laughs by hoarding the dessert and scowling if their forks came near it (and it wasn’t even mine – it came with Cris’s meal…oh well).  I’m not sure what it was, but it was great!  Some sort of layered tiramisu-type dish.

Squid at Adolfos in Toledo

Dessert at Adolfos

Lessons Learned:

• Spanish women can walk on cobblestone and everywhere else with stiletto heels;  tennis shoes with crew socks and capris are a true “tell” that you’re a tourist, probably American.
• Spain is very aware of water and energy use.  You order water in restaurants if you want it, there are signs in every hotel asking you not to let the water run, lights in many areas are timed or motion-sensitive, very few dryers in residences, you pay 2 cents at the grocery store if you want a plastic bag, and there are many, many smart cars on the road.
• If you visit Toledo by car, park your car, get out and walk!!!  Even smart cars will have trouble driving in these streets.

Bay of Biscay to Segovia to Madrid

Jamon Sampling Setup in Santander

We got up early to do some shopping and sightseeing in Santander and Santilliano del Mar along the northern coast (or Bay of Biscay).  Shopping was focused around food and wine, and we visited many of the gourmet deli shops.  Most of them offered samples of quality olive oils, cheeses, wines and, of course, Jamon.  The sampling set-up for the Jamon was efficient, but looked a little barbaric if you are not a meat-eater.

Shopping in Santander

We bought some wonderful olive oil, a box of membrillo and some balsamic vinegar.  We asked everywhere about the ability to bring Jamon Seranno back on the plane, as the customs booklet was not very clear on the requirements.  Everyone had a different opinion.  We decided to try to bring back only a vacuum-packed chorizo package rather than an expensive type of Jamon.  Fortunately we went this route because even the vacuum-packed meat was taken from us in customs.  They said a man came through last week with some expensive Jamon, which they confiscated, and then they fined him $300.00 on top of that for not declaring it on his customs sheet.  I told the customs officials it was not clear on their website what was allowed and they got rather defensive, pulled out their customs booklet, started to read it…..and then just stopped and moved us on.  Hm-m-m.

On to Burgos:

Morcilla in window of shop

Gothic Cathedral in Burgos

Food enjoyed in Burgos:

Garbanzo Bean Soup in Burgos

We stopped for lunch in a small (two-table plus bar) restaurant on the Plaza de Santa Maria by the elaborate Cathedral de Santa Maria in Burgos.  The family running this restaurant was having soup from a big cauldron.  It was not on the menu but it looked good, with garbanzo beans, greens, Bacalao and eggs.  We asked if we could have some of that stew/soup and they were delighted to serve us family style.  Tesla didn’t feel well so she wasn’t eating as much as the restaurant family thought she should and they started to worry that she didn’t like the soup.  When they found out her stomach hurt, the home remedies started coming out quickly.  She was served some great mint tea for her stomach and given a lot of advice.  Advice flowed freely at this restaurant…between the family, to the customers, and anyone else that happened to be within earshot (see lessons learned below).

They ended our meal with a french toast type of dessert that was also served family style with them.  I think we became part of their American family by liking their food, asking questions, and having a sick child.  It was a great meal!

 Lessons Learned on this leg of trip:

Finally a "to go" coffee from McDonalds - "Large"

• Coffee comes in small, strong units, even when ordered as “Americano” and even when ordered from McDonalds.  Cris had a hard time with this and although he loved the Jamon, he was happy to get back to his large mug of weak American coffee.
• Most restaurants are family owned and the smaller ones will  often treat you like family; we started quite an animated, argument amongst the family members and customers in Burgos when we asked if we could bring Jamon back to the states on the plane.  Mom, dad, grandpa, the aunts and all the customers got into a debate on what was the correct answer and what their “friends’ experiences were.  They completely forgot about us during the heated debate and the question never did get answered.
• Mint tea will be offered if you don’t eat their food enthusiastically.  Vinegar and oil will be rubbed around your nose if you are stuffed up.

Wine country in La Rioja Province

After driving through the wine country of La Rioja Alta yesterday, we decided we needed to come back and tour one of the 17  Bodegas that offered tours.

We were able to get into a tour of the Bodegas Muga, which was the perfect winery experience even though the tour was completely in Spanish (thankful again for our own personal tour guide Tesla).

The main varietal of grape in the red wines of La Rioja is Tempranillo, with Garnacha and several other varietals used in varying proportions.

Process for achieving flavors from oak barrels

Making the Oak Barrels where Rioja wines are aged

Bodegas Muga was very proud of their hand-crafted oak barrels, made on site from American and French oak (available Spanish oak is apparently too thin for their process).

Aging Rioja wines in Oak Barrels

They are also very proud of their lengthy aging process, where the wine is aged anywhere from 6 to 18 months in wooden vats, then 18-36 months in oak barrels, and finally 12-36 months in the bottle.

Bodegas Muga after tasting tour

In preparation for the trip to Spain, I, of course, had to try a number of Spanish Rioja wines available in the states.  All that I tried were consistently good and also a great value.

Zuchinni with Mushroom Sauce and Langostini

Onward into Basque Country and the Northern Coast at Santander, with a stop for lunch in Vitoria.  The Mesa in Vitoria is where Tesla had one of her favorite dishes of:

•  zucchini with Langostini in Mushroom Sauce;
• Cris had his Langostini with Spinach and Eggs (and I think Jamon)
• I was starving for something without Jamon in it so I had Salted Artichokes.  I’m pretty sure they slipped some Jamon in there also though.  It seems like a dish without Jamon is a dish without salt; it is in everything.  It’s great but there is a time where you just want fruits and veggies.

Salted Artichokes

After lunch we drove into Santander and spent the evening walking the city.  Beautiful area and one that we’ll spend more time in tomorrow morning.  Maybe even a little shopping!

Penitents in Procession during Holy Week

Penitents during Holy Week

Panaderia in Bilbao with Chocolate Penitents

We happened to be visiting Spain during Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter.  Holy week is all about the “passion” of the events around Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and his resurrection.  Every town had a daily afternoon  “procesion” , where the churches bring out dramatic Passion floats displaying Christ in some stage of passion (more on this in a later post).  Before these floats appear however, lines of  hooded “penitents” march somberly down the streets.  The penitents (penitentes) are somewhat disturbing, their faces masked with pointed hooded robes that elicit feelings of the Ku Klux Klan.  They are different organizations (or clubs – think Elks Lodge) that are anonymously paying their penance in public, and they apparently have worn these hoods long before the Klan existed.  Still…  anonymous figures with pointy hoods, swinging incense, and accompanied by beating drums are a little on the disturbing side for me.  Figures of the penitents are everywhere; made into key chains, figurines, and even chocolate (as shown in the window of this panaderia in Bilbao).

Vineyards around Haro

Some Lessons Learned in the rural part of central Spain:

• The country-side of Spain seems to be covered with either olive groves or vineyards (more olive groves overall).  Something we questioned as we drove along was “Where were all the pig farms?”  For a place that seems to idolize the Jamon, we couldn’t see any pigs or pig farms.  One butcher explained to us that the pigs are essentially treated as an annual crop, harvested every year, then cured, keeping only a brood stock for next years harvest.  Those Iberian pigs who grow up in the forests on an acorn-fed diet must be in areas we didn’t see.
• In Alagon (it seems only in Alagon), it is typical for groups of older men to eat lunch together, order a bottle of wine, and commence to add sparkling water to it.  Called fizzy wine.  We didn’t ever find out if this was to get a fizzy taste or to make the wine go further.  Every table in the restaurant (except ours) did it however.
• People in Spain take their meals nice and slow.  If you want to leave and get going, don’t expect a waiter to bring your bill around just because your plates and glasses are empty.  You must ask (la cuenta por favor) for the bill, and even then, don’t expect anything to happen quickly.  I liked relaxing during meals, but spending the whole afternoon at the table was something that went against my grain…places to go, people to see you know.

Plantains, eggs & tomato rice in Albagon

Food enjoyed at Hotel Los Angeles in Alagon:

Creamy Spinach and Garlic with Egg

Meatballs & Mushroom Sauce

Pears poached in Red Wine

We stayed in Bilbao for the evening, but decided to go back to Haro in the morning for a wine tour of one of the Bodegas.  See tomorrow’s post for the “Bodega Tour”.  M-m-m-m

Taking Jamon seriously

I’ve mentioned before how much the Spanish people love their Jamon.  This photo to the right was taken in one of the hotel lobbies.  Look at the number of security cameras surrounding this Teurel Jamon!  And there were even more than is shown, but I couldn’t fit them into the camera frame.  They take their Jamon seriously here in Spain.

Octopus in Mercado Central

After spending most of our third day in Spain in the coastal city of Valencia, we headed inland away from the heavily touristed beach areas and into some very rural country.

Probably the biggest disappointment of the trip is that the Mercado Central in Valencia closed before we had a chance to really see much of it.  The Mercado Central is a huge, fabulous “Farmers’ Market” and is housed in one of the most splendid examples of secular Gothic architecture in Spain (from the 1920s).  Beautiful building with stained glass windows and vendors selling everything you could possibly imagine from the earth and the sea.  I thought the St. Paul Farmers’ Market was fairly comprehensive, but these locals have the world of food at their fingertips every day.  Here’s a few of the vendors we could get photos of before they closed up:

varieties of olives and capers - Mercado Central

Popular Variety of Tomato in Spain

Sardines at Mercado Central - Valencia

Some things we learned during our travels to the inland part of Spain included:

Pruned Grapes waiting for Summer

• Although Spain currently has a 20% unemployment rate, it is not noticeable from all outward appearances.  Cris was noting that a similar unemployment rate in the US was during the Depression and the photos burned in my mind of the Depression included long ration lines and people hanging out idle on the streets in run down cars, ragged clothing and dirty.  When I asked a relative of my daughter’s senora about this he said it was because the extended family units were so strong that they take in and take care of the ones out of work.  He said it would be “impossible” that a brother would not support a sibling out of work.  All I know is there was no visible signs of human suffering in anywhere we traveled and we went into rural areas, mountain villages, and tourist areas.
• Spain has the highest production of olives in the world, but Italy has a hold on the processing and distribution of olive oil, and apparently it is due to the control of a few families.
• It seems every small hill or knob in the inland areas has a castle of some size atop it, and all are in some stage of disrepair.

Some food we enjoyed on our third day:

lunch menu in Valencia at Mercado Central

Lunch was in Valencia on the Plaza del Mercado.  It was so good and so relaxing that we stayed too long and hence missed out on time in the Farmers’ Market (see above).   The menu is typically laid out so that you choose one of a variety of dishes in each of 3 categories (appetizer, main dish, and dessert).  Between the three of us we covered a lot of this menu, sharing of course.

Merluza a la Plancha

Carmelized Flan

"Retains the Earth" on menu in Teurel

After walking and sightseeing in Valencia (visited the Oceaneagraphic), we headed to Teurel for dinner.  We were now in the heart of rural central Spain where food from the farms rather than the sea was prevalent.  We had a little more trouble communicating here, as the regional accents are different and we are getting close to Basque country where the language can be completely different.  Our restaurant in Teurel offered such things as Morro on the menu, translated to pig snout in English.  Maybe next time.  We did decide to try what translated to “Retains the Earth”, even though we weren’t sure what we were going to get.  Everything that came was great and I’m sure the “Nose” would have been good also if we had been that adventuresome.  Here’s what we did try:

"Retains the Earth"

•  Cod with Peppers
• Retains the Earth (pork cuts)
• Sardines and Cheese
• White Asparagus and Jamon
• Green Salad with Goat Cheese and Nuts
• Some great Wine

Salad with Goat Cheese and Nuts

Left Teurel in good spirits and arrived at our hotel in Zaragosa at 1:00 am and hit the beds, small though they were.