Category Archives: gastronomy

balbuena y huertas

07 Thursday Sep 2023

Posted by in food & drink, gastronomy, instagram, restaurants, sevilla

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balbuena huertas (1)

Not my usual Wednesday! José Luis Pastrana, chef at brand new Balbuena y Huertas in the soon to be opened Cavalta Boutique Hotel (5 Star GL), got in touch on Instagram to ask if I would like to try their tasting menu. And so after the usual clarification that I don’t accept invitations in exchange for publicity (fine by José Luis, he said he preferred it that way) I asked pal Fiona Flores if she wanted to join me. Lately we’ve become quite a good team when it comes to visiting new restaurants, hotels, etc.

The meal, as you can see below, was quite spectacular and lunch lasted until almost 6 pm, after which we were given a tour of the hotel, which is set to open in a couple of weeks. The six-course tasting menu is actually very good value at 38€ (53€ with wine pairing). The meat course was swapped with tuna for pescatarian Fiona and were given a few cocktails too, with and without alcohol. It was a fabulous experience and so I am happy to do a review for them soon on my website. Have a look…

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better together

18 Tuesday Jul 2023

Posted by in andalucia, gastronomy

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meeting july 17 (2)Julio, me, Lola, María, Ignacio & Baptiste

Yesterday my new Academy and my new Association got together and it was fabulous. I say “my” but of course in the sense of proudly belonging to both now. This is teamwork at its finest. All of us working towards common shared goals without personal interests getting in the way, other than that I think for most of us the goals also feel personal as we have lived them for so long.

Anyhow, for years I’ve felt so alone doing this, being a one-woman (non-Spanish) Spanish gastronomy ambassador however I could, but now… I got these guys! And it’s great. Just sitting around a table, talking about ideas, sharing opinions – and not always agreeing but that’s okay. That’s called debate and a time to learn something. The Academy and Association overlap in many ways, though we also have separate goals, but we are very complimentary and it really is better together.

Can’t wait to see what happens next. Watch this space!

los gastro guías

03 Monday Jul 2023

Posted by in andalucia, gastronomy

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gastro guias

Well this has been going on since February, but it’s only this past week we’ve gone PUBLIC. Say hola to the Asociación de Guás Gastronómicos de Andalucía! That’s me, Lola, María and Baptiste. What are we up to? Well, much of that remains to be seen but our plan is to promote and protect gastronomy guides as specialists in their field, as well as offer training and activities. Still early days, but here we are!

TWITTER:  @andgastroguias

INSTAGRAM: @andaluciagastroguias

FACEBOOK: @andaluciagastroguias

asturias – cocina de paisaje

30 Friday Jun 2023

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asturias (1)

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…

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happy day!

20 Tuesday Jun 2023

Posted by in gastronomy, sevilla, tourism

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academica (2)

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!