My first day off since I've arrived is tomorrow! I plan to go to Madrid to see Adolfo's new restaurant at Plaza de Cibeles! If all goes well I will have time to get lunch at Mercado de San Miguel, and accomplish some shopping at Puerta del Sol.
When I get back on Thursday, I will be working at Coleccion Tapas Bar for a change of pace and a chance to learn some tricks of the trade.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
New Apartment, Grocery Shopping and Mor(cilla)!
I swear I am trying to post regularly. I've changed living quarters as of early this week and attatched pictures of my new place. It's about the size of your average living room! However, it's free and it suits my needs. I can walk to work in about two minutes.
I found a wine shop that sells some local artisan beers, but due to wi-fi constraints I won't be posting reviews until I return. Look for ratings on Domus and Sagra, both Toledan specialties. I hit the local supermarket again and found more goodies! Pre-sliced queso curado (similar to Manchego) for sandwiches, canned partridge, and Jamon flavored Pringles! The bakeries here carry a fantastic dessert named after the city; Toledanas are dense pastries stuffed with sweet squash filling and crusted with crunchy pieces of caramelized sugar. I'm currently battling to keep my habit below two a day.
At work, Adolfo decided we were going to make traditional Morcilla de Buttifara, a Spanish pork sausage spiced with blood. However, it turns out he and I were to only people who have ever done this before! It was a strange feeling, to teach the people I am supposed to be learning from. The salchichas came out damn tasty none the less.
I hope to talk with el chef de cocina Sergio about spending a week at Colleccion, Adolfo's vinoteca, and five days or so in the pastry kitchen with pastelero and drinking buddy Aitor.
I found a wine shop that sells some local artisan beers, but due to wi-fi constraints I won't be posting reviews until I return. Look for ratings on Domus and Sagra, both Toledan specialties. I hit the local supermarket again and found more goodies! Pre-sliced queso curado (similar to Manchego) for sandwiches, canned partridge, and Jamon flavored Pringles! The bakeries here carry a fantastic dessert named after the city; Toledanas are dense pastries stuffed with sweet squash filling and crusted with crunchy pieces of caramelized sugar. I'm currently battling to keep my habit below two a day.
At work, Adolfo decided we were going to make traditional Morcilla de Buttifara, a Spanish pork sausage spiced with blood. However, it turns out he and I were to only people who have ever done this before! It was a strange feeling, to teach the people I am supposed to be learning from. The salchichas came out damn tasty none the less.
I hope to talk with el chef de cocina Sergio about spending a week at Colleccion, Adolfo's vinoteca, and five days or so in the pastry kitchen with pastelero and drinking buddy Aitor.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wi-fi Not?
It's proving more difficult than I thought to find wi-fi here so posts may be fewer and farther in between than normal. Work is going well, things here in Spain are different. To maintain the quality of the proteins they serve, they buy in big batches while the season is at it's peak, prepare it all in to portions, vacuum seal, and freeze it. Each individual piece is thawed gently and cooked to order.
On Monday it was a public holiday, and the staff went to Adolfo's winery for dinner. Attatched are photos of the vineyard and the banquet hall in which we ate. Dinner was traditional, jamon iberico, lomo, tortilla espagnola, guisado de ceirvo and cochinillo asado. (Spanish ham, whole cured pork loin, Spanish omelet, venison stew and roast suckling pig.) the staff had a great time, dancing, eating and of course drinking. The Spaniards are notorious for drinking at all hours of the day, as I speak I'm eating breakfast at a restaurant that offers beer to wash it down.
On my afternoon breaks I have been walking around, theres lots to be seen in Toledo, there are artisinal metalworks all over, bakeries and restaurants, as well as churches, mosques and "vendadors des productos typicos" (literally "sellers of typical products"), that offer local jamon, cheese, canned partridge, wine, beer, pastry, and olive oil.
Hope you are all having as good a time as I am, communication is proving difficult, but we shall overcome! I hope to head to a local shop to buy a few Toledan beers and give them a rating!
On Monday it was a public holiday, and the staff went to Adolfo's winery for dinner. Attatched are photos of the vineyard and the banquet hall in which we ate. Dinner was traditional, jamon iberico, lomo, tortilla espagnola, guisado de ceirvo and cochinillo asado. (Spanish ham, whole cured pork loin, Spanish omelet, venison stew and roast suckling pig.) the staff had a great time, dancing, eating and of course drinking. The Spaniards are notorious for drinking at all hours of the day, as I speak I'm eating breakfast at a restaurant that offers beer to wash it down.
On my afternoon breaks I have been walking around, theres lots to be seen in Toledo, there are artisinal metalworks all over, bakeries and restaurants, as well as churches, mosques and "vendadors des productos typicos" (literally "sellers of typical products"), that offer local jamon, cheese, canned partridge, wine, beer, pastry, and olive oil.
Hope you are all having as good a time as I am, communication is proving difficult, but we shall overcome! I hope to head to a local shop to buy a few Toledan beers and give them a rating!
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