30 Friday Jun 2023
Posted in gastronomy
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This week I was invited to Asturias – Cocina de Paisaje, a moveable feast sponsored by Turismo Asturias and held at the Escuela de Hostelería de Sevilla to promote the gastronomy of Asturias by bringing it to various parts of Spain. Three ambassador chefs provided all the deliciousness and we also enjoyed regional cider and wine.
Chef Luis Albetero Martínez – Casa Fermín
Chef Xune Andrade – Monte
Chef and Guisandera Ramona Menéndez – Casa Belarmino
The menu below…
20 Tuesday Jun 2023
Posted in gastronomy, sevilla, tourism
Apparently June 20th is the happiest day of the year. Why? Who the fuck knows. But it turns out it has been a VERY HAPPY day for me as today it was confirmed that I am now officially a member of the Academía Sevillana de Gastronomía y Turismo. And I mean, wow. This has been a long time coming because they don’t let just anybody in and it has been a PROCESS (I think it only took three years??). I am also extra pleased because I am the first non-Spanish member, so to be recognised and accepted in this way means a lot to me. Let’s see what happens next!
19 Friday May 2023
Posted in culture, gastronomy, seasons, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars
We’re about mid-way through snail season. Yes, there are bars that serve them year round but those are grown in greenhouses. These are yer proper free-range wild snails! And as you can see there are two types. The tiny caracoles and the larger plumper cabrillas. They are also prepared differently. Cabrillas are cooked in a fairly standard tomato-based cuminy sauce, but with caracoles it’s all about the broth. Every bar has their own broth recipe and they really are quite distinct. Some are garlicky, others feature various herbs, some are quite peppery, and they are often served in a small glass so that once you manage to spoon and slurp out all the caracoles you can finish by drinking the broth. As you can imagine, a bit messy to eat (especially the cabrillas) because, although you are given a toothpick to dig the little buggers out of their shells, you still have to pick them up. BUT the best way to eat them, especially the smaller caracoles, is just to pick one up, and slurp it out broth and all.
16 Thursday Mar 2023
Posted in andalucia, gastronomy, restaurants, sevilla
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The Andalucia Academy of Gastronomy & Tourism held its annual awards this week at the Hotel Alfonso XIII, hosted by Academy president Iván Llanza and broadcaster Pepe da Rosa. It was a pleasure to celebrate the award presentation with friends and colleagues in the sector and later enjoy local dishes and wines at the reception in the beautiful orange blossom scented courtyard. Congratulations to all the winners.
15 Wednesday Feb 2023
Posted in birthdays, gastronomy, restaurants, sevilla, wine
Don’t ask. Perhaps because of all the sad stress of this week with Loki, or maybe for no reason at all, when I met up with Lucy to try out a new cheese bar (new to me, been here as long as I have – since 1993) we then ended up back at Jaylu to try the amazing jamón selection I’d missed when I was there on my birthday lunch with Peter. Then Lucy said, as she is wont to do, LET’S HAVE SOME FIZZ. Well, I don’t know what I was thinking so when I asked the barman which Cava they had by the glass he told me a couple of names and then I asked if he had any Corpinnat and he said Yes! Recaredo! Well, said I, let’s have that one! You serve it by the glass?? He said not usually but that he’d happily open a bottle for us and we could drink as many, or as few, glasses as we wanted. Ha. Too easy. And no, I didn’t ask the price. He left the bottle in a bucket next to us and said we could help ourselves. I think we all know what happened next.
Anyhoodle… who cares? It was Wednesday after all and Lucy and I realised that this was just a continuation of our Birthday Week. Plus we had a fabulous time hanging out at the bar and chatting with everyone. Much more convivial than sitting in the posh dining room, though that was also lovely when I did it in January. But I think I’ve found my favourite spot at Jaylu. Fabulous place.
casa azahar 