Pelayin

Please do not take a taxi to go from Llanes to La Corriquera or it will cost you a couple hundred euros. That's the problem of using a guide to give advice, that you do not know the difference between "Posada de Llanes" and "Posada de Llanera". Quite close to Llanes you will find El Molín de Mingo, a real treat if you are in the mood for an outstanding "arroz con pitu de caleya" (rice with free range chicken) or some "tortos with emberzao". Good "cabrito" also. There is a conexion with Casa Marcial that you will probably find in the "crema de gamoneu" that you will be served as a huge amouse bouche. I'll let you discover the rest!!! http://www.gastroastur.net/articulo.php?id=21 (spanish) El Molin de Mingo is not up to the standards of Casa Marcial or El Corral del Indianu, but is a great place for traditional food at a lovely place. But hidden. You'll find some driving directions from Llanes to Peruyes here, but then you will have to follow the rustic traffic signs along the road (for another 5 km or more). As VSerna suggests, La Parrilla, in Ribadesella, is a truly great place for grilled fish in a tiny tavern whose decoration has not changed in the last 20 years and if you can overcome that fact and you get a reservation you may have a great "pixin" (asturian for monkfish). Driving directions from Llanes to La Parrilla in Ribadesella. Have a great time in this small land of Asturias!!! p.

Now, tell us that (s)he also extended a prescription for it and then it would really be a great country P.

Hi, tienda.com has squid ink available: http://www.tienda.com/food/pop/se-18-2.html unfortunately, I think it will not be loligo vulgaris (chipirón, calamar) but sepia officinalis (sepia) ink, but it might help. You mention that you have a recipe by José Andrés but, in case you want another, just ask. P.

I am just back from the area and my vote goes for Fortaleza do Guincho. The staff was so friendly (and this was a difference with 100 Maneiras) and the ambience so relaxed that I think it was our best meal of the year. We had the Menú d'Eté along with a very nice bottle of an Encruzado white wine. I've tried to post some pictures along with this post but have not succeeded. Sorry. The staff at 100 Maneiras was not as friendly and, while one of the starters was great (a codfish over a tomato in brunoise salad), the other was not (an impossible mix of sea scallops perfectly cooked that were overshadowed by the power of wild mushrooms). And then, the Cascais red mackerel with bivalves paste was correctly written in the menu since it only featured a small red mackerel in two tiny fillets and a huge amount of mussels paste. At 21 euros I felt it was overpriced (or under-redmackereled). The ice-creams plate was astonishingly good and a better dessert than the one at Fortaleza do Guincho. Price between both restaurants was comparable (we paid 130 euros at Guincho and 110 at 100 Maneiras with 50% of the difference due to a more expensive wine at Guincho). For a classic view of Portuguese cooking (which I have enjoyed A LOT) I suggest Beira Mar at Cascais. We had two dinners in the terrace, one with the old-time-classic hake fillets with clams rice (GREAT hake fillets, reheated rice) and another one with plain grilled sea bass. Thanks to all that provided relevant information on the "3 days on Lisbon" thread. P.

Paulo, thank you very much for such informative posts. We will be indulging in Cascais for 10 days this summer and I would appreciate if you could point some casual places to enjoy food on a budget in Cascais and Estoril. The good restaurants you pointed out would fit our needs for the high end side but we will have to balance the experiences, if you know what I mean. Also, I was surprised by your quote of 130 euros pp in Fortaleza do Guincho. In their website, there are two menus listed, one at 45 euros, the other at 60 euros. What sums up to 130 euros per person? Is there any hidden charge (more than VAT)? Thanks in advance, P.

That will depend on your time of arrival. If you arrive early (say before 9pm) I do not think you will have any problem. Telephone is 981564379 and they are closed on saturdays!!! Ask for crayfish croquettes (croquetas de marisco). Their Arzua-Ulloa cheese was great last year as a dessert (or pre-dessert if you are in that mood). P.

Hi Janice, Casa Marcelo is great. We are spending a few days at La Toja next week and I will have to find some way to convince my wife for a trip to Santiago Now seriously, there is a very small tavern in Santiago called "La Bodeguilla de San Roque" where they make comfort food from Galice and they do have a great winelist at reasonable prices. Guitián, Emilio Rojo... served in Riedel glasses. Great place if you are a wine lover. Located at Rua San Roque, 10 minutes walking from Plaza del Obradoiro. P.

Eric, the book I referenced includes recipes from a group of women in charge of the restaurants´ kitchens in Asturias. The only exception being the recipe in the preface by one of the coordinators of the text (José Antonio Fidalgo). It is available at Casa del Libro Best, P.

Well, that's what I thought at the end of the lunch after several ummm, ahhhh and de puta madre (in spanish originally) comments during the lunch When I started cooking fabada (not so long ago) I took one book as a reference and followed the recipe. It came out well and I have not felt the need to do more research. The book is: El Libro de las Guisanderas de Asturias Editor: Club de Guisanderas de Asturias Coordinator: María Palacio and José Antonio Fidalgo No ISBN (!) but a "Depósito Legal": AS/3492-99 And the recipe for fabada is in the preface to the book by José Antonio Fidalgo. The book calls for saffron at the end of the cooking. Best, P.

Sam, I am sorry to read that the longaniza de Avilés and the Virrey we had at Casa Tataguyo did not mark you as the fabada . Anyway I am enclosing my recipe for fabada, one that has proved by Americans without too much hassle First of all, you will have to soak the white beans (see http://www.tienda.com/food/pop/be-01.html for this beans in the U.S.) the night before, and keep soaked until next morning. Discard that water, and put the white beans in a deep and wide casserole (I use a WMF inox). Add cold water a couple of inches above the white beans and bring slowly to a gentle boil. Some unsoluble proteins from the white beans will end floating on top. Remove two or three times over a 30 minutes time. Add more COLD water if needed (not likely if you used the right amount of water from the start and the boil is gentle). Now, cut the lacon (this is like ham, but arm instead of leg of the pig) into pieces of about 1 inch (like cubes 1x1x1 inch or so), puncture each horizo and each blood sausage 5 or 6 times (so they do not explode when cooking) with a toothpick and cut also the panceta (bacon) in cubes like the ham. Clean all the meats a bit under the tap water and add to the casserole. Keep the cooking slow and NEVER (I SAID NEVER) remove with a spoon, fork or any other instrument. Just shake a bit the casserole to avoid sticking. You do not want the beans to break. The chorizo and the morcilla will start to release fat, which you will have to decide whether to remove or not. I usually remove a bit for the sake of my veins, but it is up to you. Eventually, you will need to add COLD water two or three times. And keep the water an inch over the white beans in the bottom of the casserole. All the process should take about 2-3 hours. Let the dish cold for one hour (so that it thickens), then reheat gently, cut the chorizo and the blood sausage in 3-4 pieces each and take them back to the casserole. Serve. Some people like to eat the white beans and the juice first, and all the meats as a second course. I prefer to cut all the meats into tiny pieces and mix with the white beans, eating as a single course. Some people takes out a bit of the juice (soup?), toasts a bit of saffron, and add it to the juice, which is then added back to the casserole, but I do not think it is really necessary.

Want it or not, the Michelin Guide is the standard to rate restaurants, and the most appreciated by such an international audience as eGullet has. To a restaurant, being awarded a Michelin Star means A LOT, in terms of publicity (free advertising) and attraction of new customers. Yesterday's news in TVE1 included an interview with Carme Ruscalleda for getting the third star. On the other hand, being included in other guides, even with good scores, means much, much less. I only know of one person that uses Gourmetour and none that use Guía Campsa (which surprisingly lists the new AC Hotel in Gijón as "close to the city center", when it is as out of the city as it can be (it is actually close to the industrial area, and not to the city and there is not even a pavement to do a walk, but a road). Go figure. About Paladares, I dined three times there, one of them was a great experience and the other two were quite uninspiring. To me, Paladares was not at the same level than L'Alezna or El Corral del Indiano. And I do not think the kitchen improved with the star acknowledgement as you say. Should it? I thought that the process is a) you make it well and b) they award you a star and not the opposite. Best, P.

There we go: If you are visiting Luarca, you can't miss the truly wonderful "empanada de merluza" at "El Sport", probably the only good restaurant in the village. C/ Rivero 9, 985641078. Rest of the food is not great but the "empanada" is worth a visit. If you plan to visit Cabo Peñas, there is a very traditional restaurant called "Casa Maravilla" where they specialize in good fish. Great octopus with vegetables. Do not expect great service but food is nice. Ferrero s/n (Cabo Peñas) 985878046 Traditional food from Asturias in El Llar de Viri, in San Román de Candamo, the restaurant being just in front of the train ¿station? 985828022. Do not miss their wonderful "pote de castañas", a traditional stew of chestnuts. Yum. Great desserts also. Modern cooking in the outside of Avilés at "Koldo Miranda", a restaurant that will earn the first Michelin star soon if Koldo keeps the pace. What a wonderful place and what a great food. Their smoked anchovies are orgasmic. It is located in La Cruz de Illas, 985511446. Also in Avilés, and if you want to try a "sidrería" I can only recommend "La Cofradía del Puerto" in Avda. de Lugo. Do not forget to ask for their wonderful "rabas de calamar de potera fritas en sartén". Best fried squid I have had!!!. And what a great wine list for a "sidrería". They even have a petit producteur Champagne such as Gimmonet from Cuis If you are staying close to Cangas del Narcea, Restaurante Blanco is the choice. 985810316. As western as it can be when it comes to Asturias, you can find Palacio de Peñalba in Figueras del Mar. 985636166 Cabrales is as far to western Asturias as it can be, but Bada Herrero is the best producer year after year. If you are visiting El Llar de Viri, I suggest arranging a visit to "La Peral" where there is only one producer of this soft paste blue cheese. It is quite industrial but I really like the cheese. And you usually can have a taste at El Llar de Viri. Shall you want to share a table with a couple of young academics from Asturias, just send a private message and we can arrange something. Best, pelayin

Hi, I think you are not right when saying that most potato chips in Spain are fried in olive oil. While I cannot speak for the produce of "churrerías", so typical in Madrid, I believe that about 90% of the industrial brands of potato chips sold in Spain are not fried in olive oil. Actually, Lays faced a problem some time ago (january 2003) when they announced their "Mediterráneas" line of Lays potato chips with olive oil as a sales point. As a competitor pointed out, the chips were fried in other oil and olive oil (2% of the final product) was used to enhance the flavor. The product was retired and Lays introduced the current line of chips, which I love BTW. P.

Two different and traditional ways to serve codfish are "bacalao a la vizcaina" and "bacalao al pil pil". "Salsa Vizcaína is built with several ingredients, including a special sort of red pepper called "pimiento choricero" AND very probably CURED HAM, which should be taking into account for those that do not want to eat pork. Preparation "al pil pil" is done with the codfish gelatine, olive oil (in which garlic cloves and chilli peppers have been fried). At Plaza Nueva de Bilbao there are plenty of places to enjoy pintxos, of which Victor Montes is supposed to be one of the best. I feel very comfortable at a very small tavern called "Plaza Nueva" as the square name. "puerco" is not very used in Spain. Substitute it by "cerdo" and you will do fine. "sin carne de cerdo" then. Charcuterías is the name of the shop where be Spaniards buy our sausages et al. "sin embutidos" would be a better approach. Best, P.

Thanks Bux, as you may know, most of the produce of Cabrales (and surroundings) is still done by shepherds that stay with the cattle in the mountains for most part of the year. And, thus, they eat fresh grass. Best, P.