pedro

Gods of seafood, I implore your help. In the NY forum, a thread about Alain Ducasse at the Essex House showed a picture which clearly resembles a carabinero: ADNY and carabinero. According to Davidson's Mediterranean seafood, carabinero and gamba roja are the same specie, Aristeus antennatus . However, other sources hold the view that carabinero are Plesiopanaeus edwardsianus. Opinions, please?

As the name of the book suggest, it only covers Mediterranean seafood so no mention on other source for carabineros is made. However, North Sea Fish shows an area which goes from the coasts of Northwestern Africa to the Straits of Dover in the Atlantic Ocean. That said, I've yet to find a place in Spain where they're served without referring to a Mediterranean provenance. Note: I've found some sources that state that carabinero and gamba roja actually are different species. I've started a thread in the Spain & Portugal forum to try to clarify the issue: Carabinero vs Gamba roja

I'd say mar i muntanya dishes appear earlier than the fifties. At least they appear in Pla's Quadern gris, which reflects a period covering the late 10s to the late 20s of the twentieth century. Certainly, Pla's Llagosta i pollastre (chicken and lobster, one of the most famous mar i muntanya combinations) was published in 1952. My guess is that in the fifties this tradition experimented a recovery once the horrifying consequences of the Civil War (1936 - 1939) to food started to mitigate, at least in the upper echelons of Spanish society.

That Spanish Prawn is Aristeus antennatus, referred in Spanish as carabinero or gamba roja, crevette rouge in French and risso in Italian. (according to Davidson's "Mediterranean Seafood", Prospect Books)

Were I to know what exactly sunchokes are, so would I. (yes, yes, I read the thing about Jerusalem, sunflowers and bulbs. But that makes the whole thing more intriguing)

Wasn't Ducasse who said that "I don't create dishes, I create restaurants"? His track of successful and recognized by the critics restaurants in France fully supports that statement. I would concur with the position of Ducasse being the most adecuate person to stablish a new top of the top restaurant in a new location and make it work. With that of the world's preeminent chef...

I'm afraid that DNA tests have proven that myth wrong, John. But I'm not quite sure if the myth involved PX or actually albariño, probably the white grape variety with the greatest potential in Spain for making good white wine. Which Josep Puig's wine are you referring to? Sounds a bit odd to me a dry wine made from PX other than Sherries and the like.

What made you think that I'm among them, Jesus? Now seriously, this guy has written some of the most comprehensive articles available on Andalusian generosos wines, including a great one on PX: Barquin on PX (in Spanish) The article includes at the end a more than complete list of wines classified in three tiers according to their quality. Prices in Spain (in €) are also provided. Enjoy it!

You had a great meal indeed, Simon! Your description of the dishes brings me vivid memories of my meals at Can Fabes and makes me wanting to return there. Can Rafols produces some of the best white wines in the country. Believe me when I say that making good white wine is not an easy task in Spain due to many reasons . Their Chenin Blanc Vinya La Calma is one of my favorite wines. Just a minor correction, the actual name in Catalonian for tomato is tomaquet. Two of the best dishes I've ever had. The caviar con tocino immediately catched my eye the first time I saw the menu at Can Fabes. The combination seemed then counter-intuitive to me. The sensation dramatically changed with the first bite. The puree with the mantequilla is as light as a puree can get while being a puree. This is when we switched wines, where Juan Carlos chose a suave Valenciso 1998 Rioja. Bad new for you, Simon. I'm afraid that non-mediterranean espardenyes (sea cucumbers) have little in common with what you've tasted.

Simon, I'm curious to know which dishes you chose. Has game started to arrive to Can Fabes?

Simon, good luck with your next steps in your career. We'll follow your progress with deep interest and sympathy. May I ask if you're considering to stay in Spain ? If so, any particular area that appeals to you?

Thanks for the answer. I know it must be difficult for you to define your style. Since you wrote about seasonal products in your region, which are right now in season? which would be available in winter? Another style related question that comes to my mind is your view about long tasting menus compared to the more common (thought is becoming rarer in Spain) approach around starter, main dish, dessert.

Domecq, Gonzázlez-Byass, Osborne are all excellent wineries that beside their exceptional top notch wines produce very good PX at more than reasonable prices.

Thanks very much for giving us the chance to know more about you and your cooking. I'd like to know how would you define your style. The question about the daily menuquestion about the daily menu gives me an idea of some of its defining characteristics, but perhaps you could offer some more detail.

Sorry for the late answer, vmilor. I've talked to Iñaki Camba, the chef of Arce (see Becada in Arce) and asked him about the question at hand. He warned me that it could be a bit early for becada (named sorda in the Basque Country) but that probably Zuberoa and Arzak, among the top ones, and Rekondo in another level, could have becada and know how to handle it. Good luck.

Pretty much the same menu today, perhaps a lighter one, pretty much the same results. A more barroque version of morcilla de Burgos in terms of seasoning than I'm used to, which added some nice complexity. The picadillo was properly seasoned, minced a bit coarser than in other versions where what you get is almost what it's used to fill chorizo with. I saw too late that they had mollejas (sweetbreads), so those will have to wait for the next visit. The lamb is the best I've had in Madrid, with no hints of that wooliness that more often than not you find when having lamb. Thanks for the tip, Víctor.

In Rogelio's last digest, there's a link to Caius Apicius's article about the not that good mushroom season we're having this year. He's right, after a promising start with amanita cesarea available at quite a handful of restaurants, the situation became stagnant. Let's see if the rains we had last week followed by the very warm temperatures we've enjoyed since Thursday give place to an improvement in the mushroom scene (even temporarily). Perhaps too wishful thinking on my part?

Indeed Hoffman is well respected! And we'll certainly appreciate your comments on how the course develops.

Is Second Empire still around? I had a pretty decent meal there years ago. Not my favorite type of restaurant though.

It is. In México. Now seriously, chef Abraham García gets inspiration from many sources. I'd say that among the major ones, Spain's cooking aside, you'll find México, Japan and Morocco.

I had the fortune to interview Santi at length last summer, largely thanks to vserna's help. I expect the results of the interview to make TDG once its redesign to offer enhaced capabilities and tighter integration with the forums has been completed. Santi believes that "based on how we manipulate a product, we're stating something". So, for someone who says that "I don’t use any product that is not natural, which hasn’t been elaborated by me. Well, excepting products like sugar or butter, but I control what I serve. I don’t work with manufactured products that come with ingredients I don’t know, with preservatives and stabilizers. We start from a product in its purest state and what I like to do with this product in its purest state is to adapt it to my preferences and adapt it to enable it to transmit pleasure, without betraying what in essence is the product. ", I really doubt that frozen shrimp is seen as an acceptable compromise. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the rest of the interview . It was a unique opportunity to talk at large with Santi, I confess.

I'd like to remind everyone what Bux have said previously on the thread: Víctor has already dettached himself from the debate and I expect everyone else will act accordingly to hosts's directions. Asola's post, which reflects an existing position in some sectors of Spain, is left here since we don't want to convey with its removal that we favor a given political orientation from the site. Subsequent posts which insist to depart the discussion from food will be removed. Thanks for your cooperation.

There are four different Denominaciones de Origen (D.O.) for jamón ibérico: - Dehesa de Extremadura - Guijuelo - Jamón de Huelva (which includes Jabugo) and the most recent one, in Córdoba: - Los Pedroches Every D.O. has its own regulation about what it's required to use its label.

John, the room you dined in is actually the Espai Coch. Usually, this is where Santi offers an entry version of his dishes in the form of a fix-price menu. It's obvious to realize that you had the three star experience, from tablecloth and silverware to food, though. The menu you had only has in common with what I had there in July the tomato with basil and mascarpone. And the kid, one of Santi's classic, is probably the best roasted kid I've ever had. Regarding the GI problems you experienced, do you think it could be a matter of accumulation of feasts?

Not that I like very much the subject of this thread, but here go the original links to El Mundo mentioned by The Guardian: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/10/14/e...1097748228.html http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/10/15/e...1097832515.html http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/10/14/e...1097755986.html http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/10/15/e...1097792427.html