Sunday 4 April 2010

Sisters, Easter and a foodie break in Madrid


So it's Easter and my sisters are over from the UK :-) There they are above in the Plaza Mayor. We've had a pretty laid-back few days, and as usual with us, our time has been entirely arranged around the places we've wanted to go to eat. On the first day we had lunch in the Mercado de San Miguel, a place which I've blogged before. We did a little 'stall crawl' here, first a bar serving small flatbreads (I think they are Basque but I don't know their name) topped with jamon and butifarra sausage, then a croquetas kiosk where we had prawn, squid (with its ink), jamon and chorizo croquettes. The next day we went to one of my old favourites for pinxtos - Txirimiri in La Latina - wild mushroom and truffle croquettes, baby fava beans with foie and a goat's cheese and tomoto confit salad - followed by a kind of chocolate fondant cake and, best of all a tarte tatin with a toffee ice-cream which was almost salty - very very good and service with a smile. Today we were thinking about having a bit of a cultural diversion (as this is Mimi's third time in Spain and she hasn't been to the Prado museum yet), but after a very late night yesterday we were fit for little other than lying in this morning... The evening started out with some dear friends of mine at Eucalipto, a cosy Cuban place at C/Argumosa 2 where they serve great South American and Caribbean cocktails and delicious tropical juices. Next was a midnight dinner at Melos - a scruffy, loud Galician stand up bar near my house where you get the creamiest, most bechamel-liquidy croquettes (these little deep fired balls of delight have played something of a starring role this Easter) and really good pimientos de padron (griddled slightly spicy baby green peppers with sea salt) plus Galician Ribeiro wine served in little white bowls. This was followed, rather embarrassingly, by dancing to Black Eyed Peas in my flat - and there is an unfortunate video documenting this event which is not going to get posted here! Tomorrow, and weather permitting, we will have a picnic in the Retiro park - we're thinking baguettes, pate, cured meats and cheeses, olives and something sweet for afters - can't wait :-)

7 comments:

Marie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Aw, you forgot Melos' zapatillas. It takes guts to eat even half one! Eucalipto is a neat place, but too narrow.

Nadya said...

Yay, I love the zapatillas! But we didn't have a table and I find them too messy to eat standing!!

leftbanker said...

In a casual search of Spanish food sites I came across your blog. You should amend your blog description to “Thinking out loud (about food) and ponderings on living abroad, food, design, food, trying to have a nice life, food, and other things I like...and food.”

When you live in Spain you either eat like a sumo wrestler or you just aren’t fitting in with the local culture. I have said that Spanish people can’t even pay their water bill or a parking ticket without having some sort of banquet involved.

A guy I would recommend: El Cocinero Fiel
He has very short videos of very good Spanish food without being a complete slave to tradition.

¡Buen Provecho!

Nadya said...

Hi Leftbanker, yes I have to admit it, I'm obsessed with food so I'm living in the right country! Thanks for the foodie link I'll check it out :-)

Steve said...

After reading about all the good food, I'm starving. Probably shouldn't have read this before lunch, right? (lol)

Re Black-eyed peas, inquiring minds want to see that video.

Nadya said...

Steve, no way am I posting the video! It's amazing how after a couple of glasses of wine I think I'm Fergie. Embarassing! lol
Nadya

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