I Promised You Food

Last week I promised to tell you a bit about the food that I've eaten here. So, here goes.

The spanish tortilla vs the french tortilla

On my second full day here, I was treated to the Spanish tortilla, which, along with paella, is what Spain's known for. Now, we all know what a tortilla is, right? So imagine my confusion when I was served what appeared to me to be an omelet with potatoes. Yep. That's right. On this side of the Atlantic, tortilla = omelet.

Friends of my family will tell you that we're fond of the omelet, so I couldn't be happier with this particular Spanish staple.

For the curious, Spanish tortillas are really thick, whereas french tortillas are thin omelets (I only ever had them with ham in them, and always as a part of a sandwich. And of course, when I was told that we were going to have tortillas francés for dinner, I thought, "crepes?")

La cena de los pobres

According to my host mom, this was a staple in poor families in the years after the Spanish Civil War. French fries, fried eggs, sausage, all mixed up in tomato sauce. Sounds bizarre. Tastes delicious.

Arroz negro

A rice dish. A seafood dish. Not something I've ever had before.

Calamari cooked up in a bid ol' pot with garlic and onions and olive oil. Add some tomatoes sauce. Add tinta de calamar (squid ink) and let simmer for a while. Toss in several hand fulls of rice.

Delish chicken sandwiches 

This sandwich consists of chicken, thinly sliced, sautéed with olive oil and herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, and hard boiled eggs. I will make this all of the time, for the rest of my life.