la asador de aranda

The reservation for dinner at la Asador de Aranda was for nine thirty. We were late as the taxi went up the hill of the fashionable Avenida Tibidado.

The taxi ride was long and for a moment we despaired, thinking that the driver had gotten the address wrong, or that the helpful hotel clerk, Veronica, had sent us off on a quest for something not as fine as we had anticipated. Then, the taxi pulled off into a side street and there rising above us was a vision of a Moorish inspired building brightly lit in the dark night.


We climbed the colorfully tilled floors of the restaurant and eyed the arched windows and timbered ceilings.

The hostess greeted us with a smile, and offered us the choice of sitting inside in the beautiful dining room or outside on the patio in the coolness of the night air. Each choice being equally as fine, we chose the patio where we were seated under an old bouganvilla vine.


For a first timer at the restaurant, the only meal to get is the house recommended dinner which consists of an appetizer plate of Spanish meats, a main course of baby lamb on the bone, and a desert of sweet Spanish liquor and a pastry.

Dining in Spain is a leisurely activity. One is seated and you talk. The waiter only comes after you have had a chance to gather yourself and admire the surroundings.

Patience is a virtue and should be practiced. Drinks come with the meal and not before as is the American custom. The servings are generous by anyone's standards and come only when the first course is completed and not one on top of the other, as so often happens in America.

Our lamb was cooked to perfection. The meat fell from the bone. The salty and sweet juice of the lamb dripped from each forkful. The desert liquor had the taste of licorice. The pastry reminded me of a Napolean.

Is it possible that each restaurant can be better than the one before.

La Asador de Aranda.

training on the eifel tower

The Eiffel Tower is Paris' most recognized tourist destination. For Will it is also a way to train as he races up the stairs to the second floor high above the streets of Paris.

No sweat.

No pain, no gain.

Just do it.

Hey, Real Madrid just paid 110 million Euros for Christian Renaldo. Not bad.

last night in paris

The last dinner in Paris was at les Halles at the Pied au Cochon, the Pig's Feet. This restaurant celebrates the pig, every single bit and morsel of it, from the ear to the foot. The experience is interesting, to say the least. Imagine shopping at Pet's Smart for treats for your dog, you know, the knuckle bones and ears, then cooking them to perfection and serving this as a dish to French palates. It works. The taste is slightly meaty, more so fatty and salty. Be prepared for cartilage, grissle and fat, plenty of it.

Everything at the Pied au Cochen is done to perfection. The staff of waiters are professional. The plates are delivered steaming hot. The wate is replaced when needed. The check is delivered when requested.

Don't foget to try the French onion soup as an appetiser. It is thick hot and tasty, a meal in itself. The portions are all large by French standards.

While the desserts look good, we left to try the ice cream at the Ile St. Louis. This is real French ice cream and not Italian gelato. The taste is thick and creamy, a little goes a long way.

Heat

Pure genius - it is the only way to describe the new book, Heat, by Bill Buford. This is Buford's highly entertaining journey into Mario Batali's kitchen at Babbo to learn the ins and outs of cooking, and in the process, the amusing story of one of America's most creative and unusual chef's, Mario Batali. The writing is fluid, the story-telling amusing - this book is a must read for anyone who likes to eat.

Buford begins his book with a story of the night in 2002 when he invited Batali to a birthday dinner for six at Buford's own house. Buford describes his own cooking abilities as "more confident than competent," yet he was eager to take on the challenge of entertaining not only the birthday guests, but the culinary giant, Mario Batali himself. The evening arrives and, of course, the tables are turned. Batali himself prepares the feast, entertains the guests with his antics and conversation, and in the wee hours of the morning, takes the party out into the streets and restaurants of Manhattan.

All great chefs are doers, they get into the kitchen and cook. Trial and error, the relentless pursuit of new and different recipes is the mark of a great chef. Like the artist Michaelangelo, a great chef moves on from one masterpiece to another, constantly amazing the viewer, or in the case of the chef, the consumer, with something new.

Genius, like that of Michaelangelo or Mario Batali, comes along only on rare ocassions, once every five hundred years or so. There are minor artist and minor chefs who fill the intervening years, but true genius is a rare thing. Genius is unique. It is the rare ability to transcend the common and ordinary and create something never before experieinced by the human race. In Michaelangelo's case, it was his ability to capture human emotions in the marble and paint with which he worked. In Batali's case, it is his ability to find within that broad category we call food, the rare and delectible treats that become truly remarkable culinary experiences.

Enjoy.


picture from Starpulse

dining with anthony boudain in basque country

Check this out if you are an Anthony Bourdain fan like me. It is a show about dining in the Basque Country. Bourdain, like Batali, recommends Arzak in San Sebastian.

dining in basque country.

Mario Batali wrote a book with Gwyneth Paltrow on dining in Spain, approprtiately tiltled, Spain, A Culinary Road Trip. In the Basque country he mentions two cities, Vitoria, the capital, and SanSebastian, a seaport on the north coast.

SanSebastian is the first city a traveller comes to, driving from France. It is just 20 km from the French border. Mario and Gwyneth mark it as the best eating city in the Basque Country. And Mario recommends Juan Mari Arzak and his self-named restaurant as the best place to eat.

Going tapeo is how to eat in Spain. In Basque Country, it is called pintxo. There are an infinite variety of pintxos, as many as a creative chef can think up. Banderilla is just one, consisting of pickled pepper, anchovy, and olive skewered on a toothpick. Also, try the peppers from Guernica, Pimentos de Gernika.

Vitoria is inland, 40 km south of Bilbao.

A guide to the city can be found at IdealSpain.com. The Catedral de Santa Maria is one of themany sites to see. As for restaurants, Mario recommends Asador Sagartoki. This is a pintxo bar where traditional Basque dishes are presented as haute-cuisine.

Near Vitiora, is the village of Idiazabal. The village is known for its nutty-tasting cheese made from the milk of Latxa sheep.

Speaking the local language always helps to make friends. To say thank you in Basque: Eskerrik asko. For more phrases, try out this helpful site.

Parisian Foodies

Will loves to cook. So, a visit to the best open air food markets is a must.

The Marche Buci, rue de Buci, 6e, a traditional French food market, is in the Latin Quarter and close to our hotel. Anytime but Monday.

Next, march over to Christian Constant, 37 rue d'Assas, 6e, for delicious chocolates.

Cheese shops (fromageries) are everywhere. A list of the best in central Paris is at DiscoverFrance. Since it's close by the Latin Quarter where Will and I are staying, check out Androuet sur le Pouce, 134 Rue Mouffetard, 5e (Pantheon, just south of the Latin Quarter) for a cheese bar, where you can have a selection of cheeses, starting at five and a price of eleven euros. If your hungry, have a larger plate. Remember they are closed from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., so plan accordingly.

For upscale gourmet products, visit Fauchon at 26 place de la Madeline, 8e. Then visit Hediard, at 21 place de la Madeline. They are close to the Champs d'Lycee so work it in with a visit to the department stores Au Printemps and Galeries Layfayette. A complete list of food markets can be found at DiscoverFrance.

The old Forum des Halles is not what it used to be, and not worth a visit.