Lluís Plà, age 87, is the host of La Carbonera de Forallac, part country barbecue, part Burning Man Project, a wonderfully odd happening that runs 24/7 for nearly three weeks every October. A sign on the road connecting La Bisbal to Palafrugell, hardworking inland towns near Catalonia’s Costa Brava, points the way to the celebration. My friend Assumpta and I showed up mid-morning last Thursday during a lull in the action that allowed Sr. Plà to tell us about what appeared to be a woolly mammoth, alive and snoring steamily at his feet––the centerpiece of La Carbonera. (more…)
Let the txotx season begin! Today is the day they tap the ’08 harvest kupelas in the Basque Country. Astigarraga, just outside Donostia, is, of course, the place to be.
More specifically, the place to be is probably Sidrería Petritegi. That’s where, this year, after the Mayoral speechifying whereupon the virtues of the most prodigious (10 Million kilo) and most aromatic apple harvest in 30 years will be extolled, and after the apple tree planting (if you want the bounty, give back to the land) is done, at 1:45pm, the txotx season officially opens with a shout of “Gure Sagardo Berria .” That’s so many daunting Basque words for: we’re talkin’ cider here, folks, the hard stuff, come and get it — fresh and fruity and flowing from kegs all over town. (more…)
They have lulled you into believing, perhaps, that jamón Ibérico de bellota is the only smuggle-worthy delicacy produced in Spain. Well, I’ve got news for you: the farmers of this peninsula’s northern provinces are over there in their little mountain villages quietly making more and more fabulous cheeses. (more…)
If you thought the pimientos you ordered in New York or Madrid this winter were good, belly up for another round pronto. What you get, especially if you happen to be in Galicia, in the northwest corner of Spain, will put those wimpy winter peppers to shame. Midsummer is the season for the intensely flavorful, rarely spicy Pimiento de Padrón. (more…)
This little bean, the fesol de Santa Pau, is a big deal in Catalonia. Tender and flavorful, fesols grow well in the volcanic soil of the Pyrennees foothills region of La Garrotxa, where there’s an association of growers dedicated to reviving the traditional crop. They’re celebrated every winter at the “Fira de Sant Antoni, Fira del Fesol” in their hometown, Santa Pau. This year, the party’s on for January 19th and 20th — next weekend. (more…)