Gastroanthropology

Barcelona + Bubo + Comerç, 24

When you are visiting a city as a tourist you often run the risk of making tourist mistakes. Wasting a meal on a crap restaurant or getting ripped off by a taxi driver are two things that come to mind. So it is always great when you visit a foreign city that has a friend who lives there. Continuing our hyper-Euro-tourism we spent last weekend in Barcelona, complete with local guide. Not born and bred in Barcelona, but a fellow pastry chef who is also exploring what Europe has to offer and currently stationed at Bubo in Barcelona. 

More like an edible art gallery than pastry shop, Bubo is a feast for the eyes. 

And every flavor of marshmallow you could ever want to eat...

Barcelona is probably best known for its Gaudi architecture, its location along the Mediterranean Sea, and its Catalan cuisine. Among the foodie world its no secret that Spain has not only a rich food history, but also leads in food trends and innovation. The likes of Ferran Adria and Oriol Balaguer all strut their stuff near Barcelona.

As Barcelona is right along the water and as the summer heat leaves you in a daze its clear why dinner is eaten super late and seafood tapas are king. One of our favorite Mediterranean treats - Grilled Cuttlefish.

And a our new favorite tapa...sauteed spinach with spanish bacon and chickpeas.

Two of our best meals, recommended by our local guide, came from Carles Abellan's two ventures. Chef Abellan trained under Ferran Adria for nearly a decade and we had dinner at each of his restaurants. One was informal, rustic, and just plain good. Here was the menu at TAPAS, 24 the day we were there...

And then, the following evening we had dinner at comerç, 24. I wish I could tantalize your tastebuds with pictures but I've never been successful at taking pictures of food at dimly lit restaurants. And trying to use flash never makes anything look appetizing, which is a real shame. So, I'll just share with you my meal titled the Festival Menu by the Chef. I jotted everything we ate so not to forget one bit. Most courses came with multiple different tastes.

Enjoy.

Course 1: Gold dusted macadamias. Green Olives. Vichyssoise with summer truffle. Parmesan-lemon mousse cannelloni.

Course 2: Monkfish with black sesame + squid ink paste. Tuna tartare on egg yolk with salmon caviar.

Course 3: Sardines with blood orange + microgreens + fresh wasabi + crunched caramelized nuts. Consomme with spherified egg + cheese + truffle.

Course 4: Cod with pinenut foam + sherry. Artichoke ice cream with warm cod foam + sherry reduction + toasted pinenuts.

Course 5: Duck + foie rice with crunchy corn. Black rice with cuttlefish.

Course 6: Seabass with potato, vinegar foam, caramelized onion, and garlic flowers. 

Course 7: Chicken with prawn and cauliflower puree.

Just when you thought it was done...dessert.

Course 8: Oreo cookie of black sesame cookie and whipped cream. Pineapple sable with flambeed meringue. Greek yogurt foam with puffed rice + mango + raspberry. Passionfruit and mandarin foam over mint tea puree. Chocolate mousse with sea salt + olive oil + tuile. Nougat espuma coated in chocolate with marcona almonds + coffee gelee. 

Jealous? =)

Seafood + Socca

The best part of traveling to beach towns is relaxing by the water...

And eating damn good seafood. Just a stones throw from Italy, Nice is the perfect place to execute one of Earth's most delicious combinations - seafood and pasta. Can I interest you in some clams + linguine...

 Or, fruits de mer + spaghetti?

What could be better than adding a bit of pasta? Fresh artichokes.

Like so - 

Grilled, succulent, baby octopus with artichoke, finished with a bit of fresh tomato and parsley. It's quite a problem that I only have one stomach and the metabolism I seemed to have in college has come to a screeching halt. But, you've got to make room for the local specialities and make promises to yourself that you'll do an extra few minutes on the treadmill when you return. Especially when I only have two days to enjoy what Nice has to offer.

Local to Nice is Socca - a thin, chickpea pancake cooked for a few minutes in a hot wood-fired oven. It starts as a very liquidy batter and olive oil.

It's then whisked together and pushed closer to the fire.

It puffs a little and browns. It's best tongue-burning hot right out of the wood-fired oven.

Its the ultimate Nice street food. If you're ever passing through Nice make sure you get some and its worth the wait to get a serving just out of the oven. 

Turkish Dreams, Turkish Dips

In the heat of the summer I secretly wish for cold winter days, sweaters and hot apple cider by the fireplace. It seems so much more romantic than the reality of multiple layers, thick boots, slushy snow, and frost bitten noses. In the freeze of the winter I vocally wish for the hot summer days, bikinis and frozen tropical drinks by the beach. Last year when I first moved to Europe and it began to thaw I took a trip to Istanbul, Turkey to speed summer's arrival. I'll have to do something similar this year.

Turkey is a little ahead of the European curve in its approach to summer and I was able to walk around in a summery dress and gold sandals in April, soaking up the sun, and exploring a new city. Well new to me, absolutely not new to the world. One perfect day started with a walk across the Bosphorous...

Losing ourselves in a spice market...

Following a road lined with sweet treats and fresh squeezed fruit juices to Topkapi Palace...

High ceilings, tiled walls, and huge windows. A perfect place for a little break from the hot Mediterranean sun.

With the powers of food I'm back in Turkey with these two dips - White Cheese + Almond Dip and Warmed Hummus.

WHITE CHEESE + ALMOND DIP

• 150 g white cheese (feta), about 1 c loosely crumbled
• 1 c strained greek yogurt (Fage brand easily found in the US and Europe comes pre-strained and is absolutely delicious) 
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 c chicken stock, room temp (vegetarian stock or water OK)
• 1 c shredded cucumber (about 1/2 large english cucumber)  
• 1 tsp salt (for cucumber)
• 1/2 c almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped 
• 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped or torn 
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

METHOD

Grate cucumber and place in a strainer. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt over top and mix by hand. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Squeeze cucumber to remove excess liquid.

Mix together yogurt and crumbled white cheese (white cheese is to Turkey, as feta is to Greece). Add olive oil (I used a delicious cold-press olive oil) and chicken stock. Stir in the squeezed cucumber. At this point check the consistency of the dip, adding more chicken stock if its too thick for you. Add chopped almonds, parsley, and pepper. Taste - as white cheese or feta is brined you probably don't need extra salt in this dip, but add some if needed. Sprinkle a few almonds on top as garnish.  

Serve with toasted breads, pita, and/or crudite. If not eaten right away liquid may separate from the dip, just stir together again before serving. 

WARMED HUMMUS

At one dinner in Turkey we ordered hummus. It had been warmed in the oven and it was the first time I had warm hummus - delicious. This is my hummus recipe and can be served cool or at room temperature, but I recommend putting it in an oven-safe dish and warming it before serving. I used dried chickpeas that I soaked (for nearly 48 hours!) and then boiled for about 30 minutes. I've been trying to use less canned beans, but chickpeas seem to take a really long time so I may go back to the canned. 

• 250 g dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked OR, 2 cans chickpeas/ garbanzos, drained
• 5 large cloves of roasted garlic (see tip below) OR, 1 raw clove
• 2 Tbs tahini 
• 1/4 c chicken stock, room temp (vegetable stock or water OK)  
• 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 Tbs curry powder 
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1 small handful flat leaf parsley 
• juice of 1 lime, use 2 if your limes are dry  
• salt to taste  

 

METHOD

Use a blender or food processor. Start by processing chickpeas, garlic, tahini and chicken stock. Add olive oil. Combine. Add more liquid (if your not using canned chickpeas you will probably need more liquid). Blend to the consistency of your liking - I like my hummus chunky with bits of chickpea, but it is also nice to have it very smooth and creamy. Add curry powder, cayenne, black pepper, parsley, and lime juice. Mix till combined. Add salt to taste - you may not need it. Put in oven safe dish and warm for 7 minutes in a 350F/ 180C oven. Sprinkle a little more cayenne and olive oil just out of the oven and serve with toasted breads, pita, and/or crudite.

   
Tips - Roasted Garlic - Slice the very top off a whole head of garlic. Sprinkle liberally with olive oil. Wrap in foil and place in a hot oven 375F/ 190C for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. When cooled, squeeze the bottom of the garlic head - the cloves should pop out. These are quite mild once roasted so you can use liberally. I often spread this plain on toasted bread with a little olive oil and salt.