My 8 day holiday has come and gone, but the week's culinary memories aren't. Families were far away. In the American tradition though, it was still a great celebration of food. For me, it lasted the whole week. If I had my way, it would last my whole life.
I'm not sure why Barcelona is the current food capital of the world, because Catalan cuisine is filled with confused meat dishes, oily overcooked vegetables, salty fish, and insubstantial bread. But there is salvation in the produce and the butcher's specials from markets, in a small candlelit Italian restaurant in Saragossa, at the foodie shops in El Born, and in the regional wine and cheese.
Here are the bollitos of spinach, ricotta, raisins and pine nuts in butter sauce at La Contadina that I spent my whole morning walk to school today describing to Emily.
The big success of Thanksgiving, besides the turnout, was the beautifully brined turkeys. I had my doubts about the outcome of a dry salt brine, even with Cooks Illustrated and Sally behind it. For two days the turkeys sat, bundled up with salt in the refridgerator waiting to be cooked for 30 some people.
I was especially nervous while Chrissy and I bathed them and then watched them sit there on a pack of ice for the quinessential breast-cooling step. But it worked so well it brought back the merit of turkey as the table centerpiece. I relaxed when David started eating more turkey than he was carving.
My 8 day holiday has come and gone, but the week's culinary memories aren't. Families were far away. In the American tradition though, it was still a great celebration of food. For me, it lasted the whole week. If I had my way, it would last my whole life. 
I'm not sure why Barcelona is the current food capital of the world, because Catalan cuisine is filled with confused meat dishes, oily overcooked vegetables, salty fish, and insubstantial bread. But there is salvation in the produce and the butcher's specials from markets, in a small candlelit Italian restaurant in Saragossa, at the foodie shops in El Born, and in the regional wine and cheese. 
Here are the bollitos of spinach, ricotta, raisins and pine nuts in butter sauce at La Contadina that I spent my whole morning walk to school today describing to Emily. 
The big success of Thanksgiving, besides the turnout, was the beautifully brined turkeys. I had my doubts about the outcome of a dry salt brine, even with Cooks Illustrated and Sally behind it. For two days the turkeys sat, bundled up with salt in the refridgerator waiting to be cooked for 30 some people.
I was especially nervous while Chrissy and I bathed them and then watched them sit there on a pack of ice for the quinessential breast-cooling step. But it worked so well it brought back the merit of turkey as the table centerpiece. I relaxed when David started eating more turkey than he was carving.
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