It’s the highlight of our year — and never mind any chance to get out of this country 
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Listen, I left for 9 days and look what happened.
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Sshhhhh. You’re in Spain. Don’t mind whacky US
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Please, have 2 glasses of wine! And enjoy them!
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Busy day today, trying to see all the major sights in Cordoba. Yesterday’s rain made it pretty difficult, my map got drenched, everyone seemed grumpy. But today was wonderful (if tough to get around because of all the people in town). I did end up with a wonderful croissant for breakfast that kept me going until mid afternoon, when I found myself in Casa Masal, of see through toilet fame, c/o Nyleve. I walked in and saw the glass box in the middle of the patio and knew right away. It is a Sephardic restaurant, which seemed just right. I ordered the “reinvention of falafel”. It comes with 6 pieces, 2 each of regular, spinach, and beet. Small salad in the middle and a bit of a spicy tomato sauce and a little yogurt. It was fabulous and so filling that I am writing this from my hotel room not eating anything more than the little chocolates that they set out for coffee.
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Made my way to Madrid. It’s wet, cold, pretty miserable here. I’m guessing the story from here will be fairly dull.
I checked into my hotel and then straight to the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum. Loved it before, loved it again. Then it was time for wine and tapas. Los Dolores for anchovies and I wish I had asked for boqueronies instead of just anchovies. Live and learn. Still very satisfying, if salty.
Then moved down the block to Cervezeria Cervantes, another favorite from our trip last year. Got fried cod and manchego. That cod was fantastic.
I love watching the Oscars and can’t believe I will be asleep for it this year. If you are a fun, goofy, catty Oscars watcher and see something you absolutely need to get off your chest about it, I would love to wake up to that information. It’s been bit dull the last few years but here’s to some fun craziness happening. I think we deserve it.
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You’ve inspired me about the anchovies and I have promised myself that I will give them another try when I get to Spain next week. I use them a lot in cooking but I just have not liked the taste alone. Last year near Vejer the owner of a top restaurant gifted me a plate with a beautiful specimen that she said were among the best in the world. The brand was CODESA, and that brand has several different quality levels–I believe the “limited series” in the black tin is their best…maybe you would like to bring a few cans home with you…
That fried cod looks great!!
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Oh, sorry to hear about the cold and the rain! When I lived in Madrid in the early 1980s (before the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza opened), I remember many cold days and lots of people wearing fur coats and even a few days with snowflakes in winter. I hope it gets warmer and drier before you leave!
I lived on Calle de las Huertas really close to the Prado; are you staying in that neighborhood? I loved the neighborhood then, and I gather it’s gotten livelier since I left in 1984.
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That cod looks so crispy and delicious!
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Sorry about the weather! Yes, it’s absolutely cold, rainy and miserable here and to be continued for several days, I’m afraid!
We spent a very wet day in the city yesterday, with a lovely meal with great HO friends at Quinqué (put in on your list, erica!), followed by a fantastic ballet performance at the Teatro Real of Don Quijote by the Compañía Nacional de Danza (put them on your list as they tour around the world), but we need to go back tomorrow to a Ribera del Duero wine tasting and will get soaking wet again! Rain for the entire week, I’m afraid!
Glad you enjoyed the Thyssen and your tapas in Las Letras, Lulu’s Mom. Cervantes is an old haunt of ours for draught beer and tapas.
@erica1,
The Codesa anchovies come from Laredo, Cantabria, which is across the bay from Santoña, where we have toured…
The anchovies (anchoas en salazón) that we purchase (and that you will always find in the refrigerator), albeit pricey, are always from the Cantabrian sea:
From the Basque Country: Maisor (Getaria) which is at the pier and directly below the Asador El Astillero, and Nardín (Zumaia, next door to Getaria)
and from Cantabria: Don Bocarte, El Capricho & Conservas Emilia from Santoña, Cantabria, which is one of Spain’s anchovy capitals.
There are also anchovies from the anchovy capital of Cataluna, L’Escala, but we don’t find them in our markets.
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Thank you, I will definitely look. I’m hoping to make it to a market tomorrow. I thought of you as i ordered more anchovies today.
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Yes! Staying very close! We walked that street many times during last year’s visit. Charming.
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Almost like tempura.
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Fun craziness essential these days! I’m trying to come up with some of that for my family.
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You might be able to find Anchoas Codesa Serie Oro at the El Corte Inglés, Gourmet Experience, or certainly at the ECI Gourmet Experience or Club del Gourmet or the Mercado de la Paz in Salamanca, any of those mentioned in my post above, in particular Nardín, Don Bocarte or El Capricho, but you need to look at the refrigerated section.
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Gracias, Maribel!
The Santona El Capricho: That has no connection to EL CAPRICHO, the restaurant, does it?
Look at the range of tinned anchovies from just that one company:
No relationship. We keep anchovies from El Capricho in our fridge and purchase them at ECI.
I would love to find some mojama (sp?) for my husband, who loves it. But not sure how I would get it home. Assuming it needs refrigeration.
As an aside, he watched the whole Oscars last night (which is very much not his thing) and texted about the clothes, jokes, winners, speeches for me! I had over 100 adorably goofy texts about the show this morning!
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If you make it up to the indoor Mercado de la Paz at the corner of Lagasca / Ayala, outside the market at the Ayala entrance you´ll find mojama at the Álvarez Selección stand. It´s where we purchase Ortiz tuna (bonito del norte and ventresca) and our Herpac almadraba-caught tuna.
https://www.alvarezseleccion.com/?s=mojama&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1
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Thank you so much Maribel! But does it need refrigeration? From leaving the hotel tomorrow to getting home is going to be over 20 hours. Thoughts?
