butterfly

Buenas tardes José-- I live in Madrid now--but I arrived in DC the same year that you did and lived there for a decade and, so, have followed your rising star closely. Jaleo was a home away from home for us. And now we watch you from half-way around the world a few afternoons a week cooking away. Congratulations on all that you have accomplished. A few questions: About 13 years ago, a cousin (a banker) took us to Jaleo for the first time. He told us that your restaurant had the power to spark a revolution that would turn the whole neighborhood around (and also encouraged us--young and poor as we were--to find a way to invest in the neighborhood. How I wish we had!) How did you choose this first, rather risky, location? (And what was there before?) Did you have a sense that you were creating something bigger than just one restaurant? Did you ever dream of how the cultural seed you planted would blossom? And one last question: I know that you have been very committed to the wonderful organization, DC Central Kitchen. Do you have other plans--along the lines of Adria's Alicia Foundation, for example--to bring your experience and research to an even broader community?

Here in Madrid the traditional todos los santos treats are huesos de santo and buñuelos de viento. I like the simpler, creamy and less-sweet buñuelos. The ones filled with cabello de ángel and sweet potato are too sweet for me. And I try to hold out a bit longer for mazapán--if I were to start now with the huesos, there would be no stopping me until after three kings day...

My favorite bakery for this kind of thing is El Horno de San Onofre/La Santiaguesa (c/San Onofre, 3 and c/Mayor, 73).

It's about 40 minutes from Bilbao. Here's a map from Bilbao from the Campsa site: http://www.guiacampsa.com/bienvenidoalinfi...adio=15000#ruta

Now that's not an ugly version! I had a nice version recently at the marisquería on Narvaez near the Retiro (not the famous Rafa, but the more modest one that specializes in Percebes (near the Ibiza metro stop)--can anyone help me out with the name? I always forget to write it down. They also have good seafood empanadas.).

Okay, I'll admit it... now even I feel a bit squeamish. Too much visual detail!

I don't know how they do it, but the fish guys here can just pull out the little ink sack intact and stick it in a little bag for you. They seem to grab on to the tentacles and give them a yank away from the head so that all of the innards come out in one go. Then they separate out the sack without breaking it. So it can be done, but it probably takes a lot of practice....

Reviving an old thread... I thought I'd nominate another tasca ilustrada that I haven't seen mentioned here: Nunc est bibendum Cava Alta, 13 91 366 52 10 Like most of these other places, they also have a good menu del día.

Ha, that's funny that some people might be put off a little ink (but then think nothing of making gravy out of blood and drippings). Chipirones en su tinta one of the weekly staples at my son's elementary school lunch program here in Madrid.... I've never made them myself, but I do know that, here in Spain, tinta de calamar (squid ink) is readily available in little packets. It's handy for adding to rice or other dishes.

I also know Betanzos! Apart from the famous tortillas, the modest pulpería there serves the best pulpo that we found in this area. Also of (gastronomic?) interest are the pig sculptures on/in the town church.

With this weather, it's no wonder we're thinking about helado... Giangrossi has opened another branch in Madrid, on Cava Baja, dangerously close to where I live. They offer a five scoop sampler... I'm working my through their extensive list. My current favorites: sabayón, yogur con miel y nueces, dulce de leche casero... As a regular contribution, I'd love to know what good things fellow foreros are finding at the market. But that probably belongs on a new thread...

Chorizo is not the term used to describe all different types of sausages--this would be embutido. There are many types of sausage that are not chorizo: fuet, salchichón, salchichas, morcilla, butifarra, sobrasada... Most chorizo does has pimentón, but not all. Chorizo blanco doesn't have pimentón... Also, longaniza often does have pimentón (sometimes it is like a longer chorizo, other times it is completely different--like the longaniza in parts of Asturias). In fact, the word chorizo long predates the presence of peppers in Spain, which I'm sure accounts for the fact that there is such variety. That, and the fact that Spain is a very geographically and culturally diverse country.

To be honest, there's no telling what you might get if it were labeled "spanish-style chorizo," since there is no one ubersausage here in Spain... I'm sure that it's good, regardless. If I were making chorizo a la sidra, I would go for one that was not dry-cured, however. Here are some different kinds of chorizo that I saw at a stall in the market by my apartment today--this is just a a little meat counter and just those items explicitly called "chorizo", each with a few different varieties--there are many, many other kinds of sausages: chorizo ahumado asturiano chorizo ibérico criollo chorizo ibérico fresco chorizo de pueblo (?--never tried this one...) chorizo fresco dulce chorizo fresco picante chorizo curado dulce chorizo curado picante chorizo fresco de pincho chorizo criollo chorizo pamplona (a.k.a. chistorra) chorizo de jabalí

The catch-all term is embutido. I can't say for sure why the word chorizo encompasses chorizo fresco, chorizo curado, and chorizo ahumado... As a linguist, I'd be tempted to look a the etimology of the word, which evolved from the Latin salsicĭum (as did salchicha, salchichón, saucisson, sausage...). What I do know is that the word chorizo is used across regions for many different products.

Yes, they are made with pork. There's a whole spectrum of different types of pork sausage from dry-cured, semi-cured, smoked, raw... If you go to any sausage store/stall, they will have several different varieties of chorizo fresco (raw). Also other uncured sausages: morcilla, butifarra, longaniza, salchichas.

There are so many different kinds of Spanish chorizo--many of which do need to be cooked. The kind that I use for chorizo a la sidra is the smoked asturiano version. It's a very simple dish, but you must use a light, dry cider.

They really don't look at all like chickpeas... more like a denser ordinary button mushroom. But the flavor and texture is entirely something else. I come from a family of avid mushroom hunters and we found this mushroom in the US, but it didn't taste nearly as good as the ones that I have had in Spain... perhaps it was a slightly different variety. They come around the same time as morels (when the dogwoods bloom). I believe the season will be ending soon here in Spain, right?

A few other questions: Which shops/food stalls have the best selection of iberico in Madrid (or other towns)? The spots that I go to generally have two or three options. Is there a place that offers a wider selection (something comparable to Jamonísmo in Barcelona). Also, are there any producers that offer tastings or tours that are worth noting? Thanks!

Victor--Thanks for the reminder about the Teruel D.O.

Thank you so much Pedro and Saborosa. That's a very useful search engine on the Ministry's site. They give very specific information on the requirements and criteria for the D.O. From what I can tell, the geographical areas designated in the D.O.P. seem to be more extended, while those with Denominación Específica seem more localized. But they all seem to have equally stringent dietary, genetic, and processing guidelines. I'd be interested in learning more about how the D.O.s are granted and regulated.

When I last checked, the following were the D.O. for jamón ibérico: Dehesa de Extremadura Guijuelo Jamón de Huelva (a.k.a. Jabugo) Jamón de Teruel Jamón de Trévelez As I remember, there were a few others that had applied for D.O. (Córdoba perhaps?). Did any other regions end up obtaining the denomination? If not, is there any schedule for this or any way to check which areas have applied and are under review? Also, what other ibérico producing areas or specific producers outside of the D.O. are worth noting? Thanks!

If you go back to the original thread (which was bifurcated), you will see that I was never stating that all American ingredients are substandard to Spanish ingredients. Only that--in the context of reproducing certain Spanish dishes like fabada--there are often not good raw materials available in the US to do so. Jose Andrés asserted otherwise, but as I said, I don't quite agree.

> Possibly José Andrés is too much into sushi these days to spend much time musing on such obvious facts... And he has a vested interest in convincing the patrons of his tapas bars that they are getting a reasonable facsimile of what they would find in Spain (I'm thinking of his restaurant, Jaleo, not his other ventures). Which is true to some extent, because he does a good job working with the materials available and avoids dishes that would produce inferior results. And, instead of specializing, he presents a very broad range of dishes from all over Spain--something that appeals much more to an American clientele than it would to a Spanish one. He basically has the task of creating a full service restaurant from a type of cuisine--tapas--that would span a whole street or neighborhood here in Spain. A restaurant that only serves jamón or only serves simply prepared cordero lechal wouldn't interest an American clientele. They have different expectations and entirely different eating habits. But, no, I insist that even the best pork (and lamb and eggs..) available in the US is not of the same quality as what you would find in Spain. The diet of the animals is completely different. The climate is different. And in the case of ibérico, the breed is different. I feel quite sure that anyone doing a blind taste test of the best pork available in the US and a cut of iberico (talking about the meat, not the jamón) would choose the ibérico every time. Same goes for all of the other derivatives: salchichón, lomo, chorizo, and of course jamón. I don't think it is just a romantic notion that most food is best in its natural habitat. I think this is a physical reality, particularly in a country like Spain that has adapted over the span of millenia so well to challenging geographic, cultural, and climatic conditions.

> Real Café Bernabeu I walked by the stadium the other day and saw this place. It was the first time in my life that I have felt drawn to enter a sports venue voluntarily. Thanks for the update.

Note from the host: This discussion started in the Fabada thread. I think the issues discussed deserve their own thread I really like José Andrés' restaurants in DC--and respect him as a chef--but I don't quite agree. I think the pork products (and fish and shellfish) available in the US are quite inferior to what is so easily available here. The best items from Spain are not imported. It is possible to source decent alternatives for some items, but you will have to look hard at small suppliers and pay quite a premium. All the more reason to come for a visit...