As I sit over a plate of eggs from our neighbors farm, with fresh basil and tomatoes from our garden, I feel, breathe, and eat (literally) the pleasure of late August air dripping with a slight hint of fall breeze. I love fall: the brisk air at night that forces lovers closer, colors changing from green to oranges, college football (I had to slip this one in there), and of course the wonderful smell of fall cooking, pumpkin being of course my favorite. But I'm not sure I want to stay in a space where fall turns to winter. I was not made for winter. I need to spend my winters discovering cultures of a warmer climate, but more specifically food culture within the cultures. While I was in Spain, I continued to say, and perhaps this is because after six years of Spanish classes, I still stumble over my own tongue, there are two things that speak a universal language: music and food.
In Barcelona, there are wonderful markets unlike anything I had seen before. It's like a side pocket of traditional culture that lingers off the main road, which is saturated with tourists and hooky popular culture. I felt like I found a little piece of magic where even though I struggled to order mushrooms, the woman in her vegetable stand still spoke the same language as me.
(thanks to Jay Cagney for the picture)
The market has small restaurants that are small stands with bar stools where everyone is talking. It adds to the vibrant culture that engulfs you as you enter. But off the beaten path a little, there was a small restaurant that we ate breakfast at two days in a row. One of my favorite things to eat there was Tortilla Espanol, which is a Spanish potato and onion frittata. With this, I give you a little piece of my Spanish adventure:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lbs white potatoes (you can also use red here) peeled and sliced thin
1 onion sliced and diced
6 to 8 eggs beaten
Glaze a pan with olive oil, and add potatoes on medium heat. Stir frequently for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Remove the potatoes, and add the onions to cook until they are a bit brown. If needed add oil to the onions as they cook. Add the onions to the potatoes with some salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the mix.
Wipe the pan out, and add oil to coat the pan. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, and pat down any layer that sticks up (specifically the potatoes). Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are golden. Flip the omelet onto a plate, slide it back into the pan to cook the other side, and allow it to set for a couple of minutes.
You can customize this to your liking, but I really enjoyed the simplicity of this with a wonderful cup of coffee. I would suggest Rosemary or some cheese as possible additions. I'm currently obsessed with Gruyere. I put it in everything.
Music to wake up and cook to. Thanks to my Spanish friends for introducing me to some new tunes:
