Category Archives: food & drink

más tapitas

17 Friday Nov 2006

Posted by in food & drink, sevilla, spain, tapas

≈ 5 Comments

fritura1.jpg

mmmmmm… fritura!

Well, one good thing about not having plans for Friday night is that basically anything can happen. Like Nog coming home after his class and inviting me out to Modesto. 🙂

Had the usual fritura (that photo is for you Teuchter) and then just had to try some of the wild mushrooms they had displayed. There were three kinds and we chose the ones that were grilled and served with bits of jamon serrano and grilled peppers. There was also some wild asparagus on offer but we were too stuffed to have anything more.

Nice thing about Modesto is that they also get seasonal stuff in – a few months ago it was fresh artichokes (heaven!). So it isn’t always just the usual menu, which is quite good in itself. It’s a rather pricey restaurant, especially if you sit out on the terrace, but Nog and I tend to eat standing at the bar next to the open kitchen – and the prices there are considerably cheaper there (for the same food).

Also, we like hanging out with the bar guys and chatting with the chef, Sebastian. So sweet … when the wild mushrooms were weighed and then handed to the kitchen I waved to Sebastian and said ‘those are ours!’ and I heard him say to his helper ‘esto es para familia’. f_blush.gif

Anyhow, it was a lovely evening and afterwards we had a leisurely stroll home through the barrio. And now I am off to bed … shall leave you with a few Modesto photos (5-19).

Buenas noches! f_sleepy.gif

a matter of timing

17 Tuesday Oct 2006

Posted by in food & drink, life stuff, rants

≈ 33 Comments

timer.jpg

I sooooooooooooo need one of these!

And I can’t find one anywhere. Well, I can find either a 3€ or 25€ version, but nothing in between. Nothing just like that basic good ol’ kitchen timer like I used to have.

I bought the 3€ version out of desperation awhile ago – it was in the shape of a lemon. I bought it because the only other options were a tomato or a green pepper. And of course it stopped working after about two weeks.

Meanwhile, it’s all your fault I need this timer! 😉 I can’t recall the amount of meals that have been burnt and totally ruined as a result of me ‘putting something on the stove’ and then sitting down in front of the computer ‘for just a minute’ and then forgetting all about it until I could either see or smell smoke!

I used to have a timer exactly like the one in the pic and it lasted for years and years and years and maybe cost $5. But it was one of the many things that got left behind when I moved to England from Toronto. Like my egg piercer – think I could find one in Spain? A friend visiting from TO finally brought one over for me. And I would have asked for a timer too, but I didn’t have a computer then.

Anyhow, not a very focussed rant here. Can’t tell if it’s really about not being able to find a basic kitchen timer in Sevilla or the fact that I need one because I keep burning meals from losing track of time on the computer. Probably a bit of both.

And so Nog didn’t end up getting pasta with lunch today – had to improvise with some quick-to-make garlic toast thingys. And now there is a lovely stainless steel pot in the sink with burnt pasta welded to it. Ah well, never mind. Apparently worse things happen at sea . . .

food shopping

29 Friday Sep 2006

Posted by in food & drink, life stuff, sevilla

≈ 36 Comments

shoppingcart.jpg Nog and I love food shopping!

And for a household that just has the two of us in it, we seem to do a lot of it.

Usually every two weeks or so we do a ‘big shop’ at a supermarket that delivers to the house. Very handy as we live on the third floor (fourth floor US & Cdn) without a lift. So we prefer big burly guys lugging up all the heavy stuff for us.

In between the big shopping expeditions we visit the fabulous markets here or small local fruit & veg shops for fresh produce and especially fish, which is much fresher and cheaper than at the supermarket.

But there is something very pleasant and satisfying about shopping for food. And at times like now (just after a ‘big supermarket’ thang) our fridge and cupboards are stuffed full of amazing things to eat. So when it comes time to decide what to have for lunch we often feel a bit overwhelmed by choice options.

So, is it just us or do other people enjoy this too?

easy open?

28 Thursday Sep 2006

Posted by in food & drink, life stuff, rants

≈ 21 Comments

easy-open.jpg Yeah sure . . .

Why is it that so many of these new ‘easy open’ products end up being anything but?

To be fair, the round flip top tins do tend to open quite easily, but rectangular tins usually get stuck at about the 2/3 open point so you end up having to dig out the sardines (or whatever) with a fork while you risk having your thumb sliced open by the sharp edge of the partially opened lid.

But the worst offenders have to be the tear-off tetrabrick packages which usually end up with a small fountain of juice, etc landing all of the kitchen work surface (and often on oneself). And that is only if it can be torn open – usually scissors are required.

Then there are the ‘easy open and re-sealable’ cellophane packets of pasta. Ha! These seem to have been sealed with superglue so that when you gently pull the top open the cellophane rips half-way down the packet and meanwhile the ‘re-seal’ sticky tabs immediately lose all stickyness and so even if you managed to get the thing open without destroying the packet a clothespeg is required to seal it up again.

I know it’s a silly rant, but it’s the blatant ‘false promise’ by these marketing guys that mostly annoys me. Like, who are they trying to kid? f_cross.gif

a perfect day

22 Friday Sep 2006

Posted by in food & drink, life stuff, musings, sevilla

≈ 8 Comments

perfect.JPG Isn’t it great when they just happen?

And it wasn’t any big thing in particular that made today feel so perfect. Just how it all ended up fitting together.

Got up at the usual time, Nog made coffee and fed the cats and then I made brekky before he went off to teach his one class of the day (I’d have normally had a class too but my student is out of town). On Fridays we usually only have morning classes.

While Nog was away I pottered around here and made more progress on organizing the bookshelves! Also managed to put away the dreaded mountain of laundry (eep!).

When Nog got back we decided to go out to the viveros to get some new plants for our balconies and also for the bathroom, but when we got there (hefty 45 minute walk) it turned out there was nothing there we wanted. But then I remembered this little tapa bar my friend Agustín has been telling me about for ages that isn’t far away from the viveros, so we decided to check it out (as it was about 2pm and we were HUNGRY).

And wow! Fabulous food. Crap ‘ambientation’ but who cares? The staff were very friendly and the food was totally f_drool.gif. We’ll definitely be going back.

Since we had our little shopping cart with us (to carry plants and soil home) we decided it would be a good time to get our shopping done for the anniversary – mostly having to do with stocking up on f_bubbly1.gif and a few other treats. So we did that and then came home, feeling quite good for all the walking we’d done.

Then I decided to dye my hair (deep chestnut) and we did a few chores.

I had a doctor’s appointment at 7.30pm so around 6 we went out again to run some errands, pick up my passport photos 🙄 and then spent some time at a bookshop.

After the doc’s we came home and made a nice meal and … oh, I dunno. It was like everything we did today just happily slid into the next thing and all of it was quite pleasant. Just a day totally working out. And also totally enjoying each other’s company, having lots of laughs and chats. We had so much fun just doing ordinary stuff and it was lovely.

Oh, and the weater was also perfect.Not too hot, bright and sunny and very comfortable for walking.

Off to shower now … 😉