Spain's favorite pastimes

Top Three, of which I share none:

1) Smoking. Everywhere possible. I regularly came back to my room without having patronized a smoking bar or restaurant, and still smelled like I'd been bar-hopping in the mid 90s.

2) Ham. It's everywhere. On a rather silly wine show on the plane on the way back, Andrea Robinson mentioned in her Madrid visit that there are apparently over 400 varieities of ham in Spain. Yuck. Tapas in bars often seemed to be a slice of ham with some cheese on top of ham, garnished with ham.

2a) Footnote to my badmouthing Andrea Robinson: she *is* a Master Sommelier, and she was the first female master sommelier in the US. Oh, and her newly developed "you only need one wine glass" glasses, called "The One" , bear a very strong resemblance to the red wine glasses we have. From Costco. That cost $14 for eight, not $49.95 for four. But to continue my random digression, her show is amusing, except that it's really more about travel and eating and being lovey-dovey with her somewhat oafish husband John, and kind of not about wine. And she ooohhhs and aaahhhhs about every dish that is brought out to her, and loves every one, as well as every wine. Apparently she never gets even an average dish or bottle, or they just edit that crap out. In any case, she never really gives details about any of the wine she's drinking, beyond a couple adjectives, and some moaning.

3) Public nose-picking. Aggressive public nose picking. Like, not trying to just subtly clear up one that is really bothering you, but sticking your index finger way up your nostril and tunneling. Diggin' for gold. I'm not alone in this observation. Just google it, and check out quotes like this:

Though marvelously dressed, Spanish men often accompany their wardrobe with a finger in their nose. There is something about the climate or allergens in Spain that makes mucous glands run on overdrive. After about a week of being here, I understand the need for Madrileños to probe their nostrils in search of a green gooey reward. I take a more refined approach to my menacing mucus and blow my nose often, yet the snot never seems to stop. Even mucous glands cannot resist the vigor and vitality of Spain.

"The nose picking here is continuous," said 22-year-old Palo Alto student Cristina Mireles."I suppose the people here must have really dry boogers or enjoy it (nose picking) as a hobby."

Okay, now I really have to get some other stuff done, like send in my passport for renewal.

How to get cheap green onions in Barcelona

1) Go to the market, and ask nicely for them.
2) Be mystified when the woman cuts off the top parts, but the green onions are enormous, so there is still plenty of stuff left.
3) Ignore the sign on top of them: it's wrong.
4) Don't speak or comprehend adequate Spanish, so when the woman rattles off the price too quickly and you give her forty euro cents too little, she is too frustrated with your crappy Spanish to bother, and just tells you it's okay.
5) Proceed to the ripe avocado table, and buy one for 27 euro cents.

A nice flight, lovely hostal: Hostal Campi, a nice three hour nap, some good walking around, an amazing museum: Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona (MHCB). More of same for tomorrow (well, probably not another flight.)

Barcelona: Absurdly cheap wine. Amazing crowds. Lots of energy.

It's nice to be challenged to use my Spanish. I really wish I spoke more.

Okay: time for picnic dinner in the room.

Dinner party!

Briefly alluded to in the last post: a dinner party for seven people, with six courses, and 2.5 hours to cook = eek! I can only blame myself. What J and I started discussing as having soup and bread for three out of town friends, I turned in to a monster while reading cookbooks and shopping.

The menu:

• vegetarian chili: black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, tomatoes, sauteed onions, garlic, sauteed zucchini, red wine (all organic except the wine!)
  
• pumpkin soup pureed
  
• spicy Thai peanut noodles: whole wheat spaghetti noodles, peanut butter, carrots, scallions, pan-seared tofu (all organic)
  
• sourdough bread, with dipping options: apple balsamic vinegar, fig balsamic, cherry balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, chili pepper oil
  
• stuffed baby bella mushrooms, with garlic, sauteed in a balsamic reduction and then baked
  
• spinach salad roasted red and yellow peppers, grapefruit, tomatoes, avocado (all organic)
  
• wine: three reds, a white, and a rose
  
• beer: Sweetwater IPA
  

All in all, despite my frantic cooking, it was a success. I didn't have time or mental energy to take pictures of everything, but here are a few images:

Onions. (Duh.)



Onions and carrots. (Duh.)




Zucchini, post-slicing, for the chili.




Onions, carrots, and zucchini being sauteed for the chili.




Vegetarian chili, early in the process.




Mushrooms after being wiped clean.




Mushrooms being prepped. (Stems in the bowl form a lot of the stuffing material.)




The mushroom stem and garlic mix for the stuffed mushrooms.




Post glazing, pre-stuffing, pre-baking baby bellas.




Sauteed tofu, before being pitched into the spicy Thai peanut noodles.




The balsamic assortment and some freshly polished wine glasses.




The stove isn't tilted toward the back, no matter how it looks.