We hesitate to call ourselves “experts” of anything here at Food Republic. Much like you, we’re constantly striving to stay up to date on all things food and drink. That being said, we think we’ve got you covered pretty damn well when it comes to Spanish cuisine. From tapas to txakoli, city eat/drink guides to chef interviews, we’ve put together a comprehensive survey that explores all culinary aspects of Spain. Whether you’re planning a trip to visit your favorite Michelin-starred restaurant in Basque Country, or simply cannot get enough jamón ibérico (don’t worry, you’re not alone), use this guide to help you understand and begin mastering the Spanish kitchen.
This international food city is not only about ham
Spain’s second largest city, and capital of Catalonia, is rightfully known for its rich cultural heritage. Following a drastic transformation speared by hosting the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, Barcelona has evolved into a global city. A food city. Here's where to eat.
With El Bulli done, Spain has a new culinary pulse
After the high-profile closing of El Bulli, and with some of Barcelona’s top chefs recently decamping for Madrid, the capital city has suddenly become Spain’s new culinary epicenter. Here are the 10 restaurants every guy should know right now in Madrid.
David Navas interprets 10 classic tapas dishes
Tapas should not be complicated. They are by nature improvisational, small plates of what’s at hand, or what can be had. They’re the benchmark by which Spanish food can be judged. Here, exclusively for Food Republic, artist David Navas illustrates top 10 classic Spanish tapas.
The Spanish master speaks
Even with his famed elBulli restaurant closing at the end of the 2011 season, star chef Ferran Adrià is not slowing down. On a recent tour with author Lisa Abend to promote her new book The Sorcerer's Apprentices: A Season in the Kitchen at Ferran Adrià's elBulli, the pair (and Adrià's translator) sat down to discuss the book, elBulli and the future.
Digging for fungi outside Sescastilla, Spain
Contributing Editor Matt Rodbard has been traveling around the Somontano wine region in the northeast corner of Spain. Here’s a report from a wild truffle hunt, where he meets a very special dog named Tito.
"Fizzy" wines hard to pronounce, easy to drink
One of the things Basque Country is best known for is the light, fizzy, low-alcohol wine called txakoli (pronounced cha-koh-lee) or txakolina, depending on the label. The wines have been characterized as the ideal summer sippers, but are also perfect for this time of year.
After many visits to NYC's Tertulia, we sorta do
“I’m not even Spanish,” says a freckly Vermonter in a flat accent that hints of world travel. “But I speak the language fluently and I understand the culture very well.” Seamus Mullen knows a bit about the food, too. Food Republic talks to Mullen on the eve of the release of his book, Seamus Mullen's Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better.
Think a Catalan version of the Croque Monsieur
Barcelona’s culinary scene runs the gamut from tapas to Thai food, and its legendary nightlife necessitates sustaining bar snacks to keep the party alive until the wee hours. Enter the bikini. Named for a concert hall in Les Corts, this seductive take on ham and cheese tips its hat to France’s Croque Monsieur but is an utterly Catalan affair. We found a pretty good one here.
Miami's Sra Martinez goes beyond Manchego
Read on to find out about five Spanish ingredients to try out now, including tips on where to get it and pairing advice.
An authentic Spanish rice dish with fresh fish
This is a Valencian Spanish preparation that utilizes fish fillets and bones to make an incredibly savory rice dish that is served with an intense garlic mayonnaise. When done correctly, a slightly charred crust will form on the bottom of the pan, and this should be fought over.
Get smarter about Spain's great fortified wine
We talk a lot about loving sherry here at Food Republic. Tempted to get in on it? You might need a primer before you start. Or you might already have fallen for the fortified and sometimes oxidized wine from Spain and been burning with questions you never thought you could ask. Either way, here are 17 facts to boost your sherry smarts.
In search of old towns and modern wines in Aragon
Somontano is a rural stretch of mountains and foothills located in the northeast corner of Spain. It’s a region of great climatic contrasts, breathtaking natural beauty and some pretty spectacular wine making. But it's sort of hiding up there next to Rioja.
When you're not throwing tomatoes, rub 'em on bread
I'd like to go back to the basics and really appreciate those ripe, juicy summer vegetable-fruits (debate!) One of the simplest and most beautiful ways to enjoy hot weather tomatoes is more basic than fresh tomato sauce or even caprese — it's pa amb tomàquet. All about tomato-bread after the jump.
Are you feeling lucky? Do you like to burn?
Regional specialties in Galicia include pulpo gallego (boiled octopus drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with paprika) and percebes (tall, black barnacles harvested at great peril along the Costa da Morte). But no food from the region is as well-known and revered as the Pimiento de Padrón.
Eggs and potatoes get close in this classic dish
One of Spain's favorite dishes is home fries fried into an omelet. Not to be confused with their Mexican corn-based cousins, Spanish tortilla is a thick, hearty dish served for breakfast, lunch or dinner (at like, 11PM). It's a go-to recipe where tapas are concerned, and for good reason.
New York's ICC debuts a new Spanish curriculum
I went to an outstanding lunch at the International Culinary Center yesterday to celebrate the announcement of a new Spanish Culinary Arts curriculum debuting in February. The dean is José Andrés, that great Spanish culinary ambassador running restaurants in Miami, Las Vegas and Washington D.C.
Go beyond paella with this illustrated guide
Spanish cuisine has matured remarkably in the United States in the past decade. The variety of fish and seafood still featured daily in markets in Spain has inspired many dishes that are just as iconic as paella for natives of its various regions. Here are six Spanish seafood dishes to look for.
A Spanish dish gets taken for a Japanese detour
My teaching trips to Spain have inspired this combination of Spanish chorizo and shrimp takikomi gohan. I often make a double batch and freeze some for a quick and satisfying lunch. In this recipe, I use wholesome brown rice, but this dish is also very good with polished white rice.
Spain has an odd love affair with gin and tonics
Certain drinks are irrevocably associated with certain cities or countries. The Singapore Sling and Manhattan are obvious. Cuba has its Daiquiri, Puerto Rico the Piña Colada. Dublin's drink is Guinness, Rio has the caipirinha, and for the best Gin and Tonic, you would naturally look towards... Spain? Read on.
Lavinia in Madrid makes tasting wines easy
Located in Central Madrid’s upscale Recoletos neighborhood, amidst Hermes and Chanel boutiques, you’d hardly expect for Lavinia to be a great prêt-a-porter wine experience. Yet depending on what brings you to the shop-cum-bar-cum-lunch eatery, this split-level spot may be one of the best gateways to Spanish wine anywhere in the world.
A trip to Barcelona and the Basque region
Every three months I get to travel to the Basque country in Spain and personally curate the selection of chefs from Bizkaia (the name of the region that encompasses Bilbao and the surrounding area) for Bar Basque. These chefs are invited through a quarterly visiting chefs program I created with the Basque government.
Make this your go-to summer wine and cheese pairing
Pairing food and wine usually works best when the items are from the same region or culture. So why is it that this French white is so good with a slice of Manchego, the sheep's milk cheese from Spain? Read on.
.jpg "Make these portable empanadas for the apple pie-eater on the go.")
That's English for "Empanadas de Manzana"
My parents' house in El Paso had four fruit trees in the backyard—apple, apricot, peach and membrillo (quince). Mi mama sat for hours peeling piles of apples and then she would make warm apple pies and empanadas. I have simplified the recipe to avoid cooking the apples first, and they come out just as tasty as mama’s.
A Rioja winemaker obsesses over forgotten grapes
The first time I saw David Sampedro, I didn’t recognize him. I stood waiting for my interview with him for 10 minutes, not thinking that the only other man in the driveway—mid-30s, cargo shorts and skater shoes, his hair in the kind of faux-hawk popular with Spanish footballers—could be an accomplished Rioja winemaker.
José Andrés' restaurant inside a restaurant
Some of the best restaurants in the world are hidden. Hidden restaurants can transform a normal night out into an unforgettable dining experience just by throwing a little adventure into the mix. Such is definitely the case with é by José Andrés, a tiny eight-seat restaurant with the best disguise we’ve ever seen: it’s hidden inside another restaurant.
The Spanish New Year's Midnight Tradition Explained
Eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve is both a tradition and a superstition in Spain. Rare is the Spaniard who will risk poisoning their fate for the coming year by skipping the grapes, one for each stroke of midnight.
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.jpg "Make these portable empanadas for the apple pie-eater on the go.")
