02 Tuesday Oct 2018
Posted in articles, food & drink, gastronomy, sevilla, tapas, tapas bars
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So excited to see my Weekender Seville article for Olive Magazine published! Click on pic to biggify it. This is print only, but hoping to get my own copy soon.
29 Saturday Sep 2018
Posted in food & drink, gastronomy, retail therapy, sevilla
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The other day I “discovered” Ultramarinos Alonso. I thought their display of beans was wonderful, so I asked the owner if I could take some photos. Then this lovely gent – obviously a regular customer – said, “with me or without me?”. And so of course I said, “Both!” 
Apparently Ultramarinos Alonso has been around since 1935, though moved to its current location in calle San Luís in 2004. Now run by the grandson of the original owner (both called Alonso) they also have an active social media presence (which is how I heard about them) and an impressive online shop, in both Spanish and English. I wonder what the original Alonso would make of it.
28 Friday Sep 2018
Yesterday (September 27th) was World Tourism Day, and to mark the occassion Prodetur (Turismo Sevilla Provincia) held a Gala event, Sabores de Sevilla, at the Diputación de Sevilla, with speeches and a live music show, followed by catered food and drink showcasing various products from the province of Sevilla. A big (air-conditioned!) marquee had been erected in the main courtyard for the event.
Local and global publicity for the food industry in the province of Sevilla, and the work of local government and other groups in promoting food tourism, was the main point of the evening, and this part of Spain really does have a wonderful range of high quality food products. It’s not just the ham, or other Iberico pork products, or even the famous oranges, there’s olives and cheeses, rice, the world’s best tomatoes, and a wine industry that has improved a lot since I first moved here.
Live entertainment was provided by Pastora Soler, a very popular singer in these parts, who performed the Spanish entry in the 2012 Eurovision song contest. She is also taking part in an international video campaign promoting the food and wine of Sevilla. Although I had heard of her, I wasn’t familiar with her performances, which turned out to be essentially modern/pop, but strongly influenced by the local flamenco tradition, and all sung with a big, passionate voice. Very enjoyable, and she received a standing ovation at the end of her set.
15 Saturday Sep 2018
Posted in food & drink, gastronomy, restaurants, sevilla
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WARNING: Look away now vegetarians!
Some people think that meat-eaters should have to either hunt their own food or watch animals being slaughtered in order to pass some sort of “carnivore test”. I am not one of these people. But while I am normally not squeamish about eating meat, I have to admit that I wouldn’t really enjoy tucking into this guy’s crispy roasted face, even though I am sure it is delicious. How about you?
30 Thursday Aug 2018
Posted in food & drink, friends, gastronomy, getaways
On my second night in San Sebastián was taken out by Gabriella’s lovely colleague and “right hand” Katharine from Tenedor Tours. Katharine and I have “known” each other by email for awhile now, so it was nice to put a face to the name, but really especially nice to be in her company for the evening.
I was taken to bars I hadn’t previously been to with Gabriella, and the surprise dish of the night was the pork snout salad. We had a great time, talking about food and wine, and some of the history of San Sebastián and the Basque Country… but also about pets, hair, back problems and WHATEVER. You know, just like on the best food tours ;). Hoping that Katharine will visit Sevilla soon so I can return the favour.
casa azahar 