Strike!

Human Highlighter Suit Tally:  6

On Wednesday, Barcelona had a general strike—the first in many years—so the kids had no school and we were encouraged to telecommute. I met with Manuel in the morning, walking about a half hour from our apartment to his in the middle of the city, and there did not seem to be much activity. No more traffic than usual, and most businesses had decided to open. I will do my best to read the paper today and see what the post-mortem is.

Given that we had nothing else we had to do, it was also the perfect opportunity to continue my birthday celebration!  I had not yet had cake, after all.  It was Myron and Raquel´s last day, so we decided to have a birthday lunch, since they were not around for my actual birthday, and headed up to the hills to a restaurant called Can Martí, that is near the trail where I walk, way up above the city. Lisa, Jaume, and their kids joined us too. Beautiful view, casual, and decent food. Perfect for the kids, who ran in and out the whole time. At one point an aging spaniel circulated under the tables, brushing against our legs and looking for tasty crumbs. Alec had ordered a cake from a bakery that makes old-fashioned American style layer cakes, and also sells things like liquid vanilla and confectioner’s sugar, that are difficult to find here. Almond cake with praline filling and chocolate frosting. Delicious.

It was another in a string of truly gorgeous days, and so we took a nice long walk on

the Carretera de les Aigues afterwards, going as far as a point at which you can see the whole city spread out below you.

We got home at about 6:30, and there was a Barça game on, so we flopped on the

couches and watched. C.C. made some dino videos and worked on a new animation

program I gave her—stay tuned for some animation! We were tired, and I was not

feeling particularly well—some stomach upset—so hit the sack early.

Myron and Raquel headed back to Vigo yesterday morning, and I think we were all sad to see them go. We still have a lot of pig leg left to eat!

When I showed up at my office on Thursday, the front of the building had been spray painted by the strikers—apparently we were nowhere near the real action.

And today, in a sort of supreme irony given that I have been doing more yoga and Pilates than I have in a long while, I wrenched my back in the middle of a yoga class.  I hope I’m not on the DL for too long, because it’s been feeling really good.

Photo of the Day

Belated Birthday Post

Human Highlighter Suit Tally: 6

There are not many days of the year that you can get your loved ones to do things

they´d rather not do. In fact, I can count them on about half a hand—your birthday,

Mother´s day…. Maybe that´s it. Well, Sunday was my birthday so I played my “special day” card and asked Alec to plan a day around a Pumpkin Festival taking place in Sant Feliu de Codines, about 40 minutes outside of Barcelona. I like celebrating the harvest, and recently discovered a website that will tell you about all of the pumpkin, mushroom, apple, and garlic festivals happening in Catalonia from now until Christmas. I could be pretty busy.

Given how much Alec likes to connect to the earth through his cooking, I was surprised that he was not as excited about my discovery as I was, but he was a good sport. After a good long sleep, the kids woke me up for a late breakfast.

“Do you want breakfast in bed, Mama?” Milo asked. “Because if you do, we all get to

eat breakfast in your bed!”

I thought better of it and decided to eat at the table. We all had French toast made

with yummy brioche, and then opened presents. Alec presented me with a lovely

set of sheets, which may seem mundane but, frankly, they are beautiful and will also

save me from rushing to get the one nice set we have washed and dried and back on

the bed between when we get up and when we go to sleep. Alec would sleep on burlap if he had to, so although he benefits from his gift, it is really a gift for me. Milo made me a coupon for a “mama style bath,” which means bubbles, a candle, very hot water, and no children. And C.C. had made me a coupon for a spa day at the Bliss Spa at the W hotel.

I think I have mentioned that the kids love the cartoon Phineas and Ferb who had,

coincidentally, created a spa on one of the episodes. So Alec video´d them explaining

to me what the day would entail—someone walking on my back, lots of cucumbers for my eyes, a mud bath or chocolate bath—they are not sure which.  I will attempt to attach the video, and perhaps you can decipher it.  If you can hear what they are saying, it’s pretty funny.

After a little yoga, we headed out to Sant Feliu de Codines. The day was gorgeous and the drive easy. We did hit some traffic as we approached, however. Apparently we were not the only ones who thought the pumpkin fest would be a good idea.

The central part of the festival was a contest for the biggest pumpkin—the winner was nearly 600 pounds. Not really sure how they got it there, but I have never seen such a big pumpkin. There were stands selling all kinds and colors of pumpkins and gourds, pumpkin jam and honey, jewelry made from pumpkin seeds, you name it. Pumpkin carving and painting, sausages flecked with pumpkin, and two enormous cauldrons attended by men making some kind of pumpkin stew. It smelled heavenly but we did not make it long enough to try it.  There was even a guy handing out flyers for another pumpkin festival in another village that happens in a couple of weeks.  In case there were any pumpkin junkies in the crowd, I guess.  I wonder if the winner of this pumpkin contest travels around from village to village all fall trying to win the big prizes?  Or maybe there are other pumpkins still growing in the fields that can top his.  The first prize was 400 euros, which is no joke.

After buying pumpkins to cook with and decorate with, we headed up the hill to a very nice restaurant—almost too nice for the kids—where we had a tasty and enormous late lunch/early dinner,  Of course the menu featured pumpkin. I did not eat again until snacking on a piece of toast at 11 pm.

We arrived back home around 6.30 and had a lazy evening watching the rest of the

previous night´s Barça game, and just hanging out. So, I’m 46 and, although I’m having  a little trouble figuring out what happens in my own next chapter, it feels pretty good.

Birthday Video

Tortilla 101

Human Highlighter Suit Tally:  6

I remember the first time I had Raquel’s tortilla.  I had heard about it from Nicholas—it is his favorite thing that she makes, which is saying something because she cooks up a lot of good food.  Honestly, I couldn’t figure out what could be such a big deal; my experience with tortillas was limited to the flat kind from Mexico and Central America that you use to make quesadillas and burritos.  I didn’t know there was any other kind.  Boy was I wrong!

It was Christmas Eve, and we arrived at 355 Central Park West early to help set up.  Which really meant that we gathered in the kitchen, where Raquel was surrounded by bowls and plates of delicious morsels, to do quality control.  She popped a warm, little yellow cube of something into my mouth—salty, potatoey, browned, eggy.  I wanted another one.  And then I found out that this was Spanish tortilla, which has almost nothing to do with the other kind.

My Spanish cookbook has a whole section on tortilla, with detailed descriptions for how to make one.  I have not read this section.  Why should I, when I have Raquel to train me?

On menus, tortilla is generally translated as “potato omelette” which does not sound terribly appetizing.  In catalan the word is “truita” which always makes me think of trout.  You can find them with all kinds of things added to them—mushrooms, eggplant, peppers.  Raquel believes in keeping it simple and classic, and this version has only five ingredients:  onion, potato, egg, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  That’s it.

I had asked Raquel to teach me, and today was the day.  An elderly aunt of Raquel’s is coming over tonight, along with her son, his wife, and their children.  So she wanted to whip up a couple of tortillas anyway.

By the time I got home with the kids, she had chopped the onion and peeled the potatoes—for this I was grateful.  She set me the task of slicing the potatoes, which involved holding a potato in one hand and shaving thin slices off of it with a knife held in the other hand.  After a couple of minutes she came over to inspect my work.

“Oh, Lisa!” she cried.  “Much too thick—these are for a stew!  Voy a mostrar te otra vez.”  Raquel often lapses into Spanish when she’s talking about food, and cooking.

So after my second demonstration, my potatoes passed approval.

Raquel took a large skillet and poured in about a cup and a half of olive oil.  Once it got hot, she added the onion (half an onion, diced quite small).  The onion should get soft but not browned.

Toss the potatoes (about 2 pounds) with a bit of salt, and then add them to the onion.  As the potatoes cook, you sort of mash them down with the edge of a spoon—you don’t want the pieces to get too big.  I know it sounds crazy, but you might need to add olive oil at this point.  There should be plenty—the potatoes are basically frying in it.  They should cook through and begin to brown.  The potato/onion starts to form into a cake at this point.  When the potatoes are cooked, pour off the excess oil.

Then, beat 6 or 7 eggs and pour them evenly over the potatoes.  Poke through the potatoes to make sure the egg seeps through to the bottom and doesn’t just stay in a layer on top.  Fold the edges of the tortilla toward the center to make the edges neat and rounded.  Once it’s basically cooked, put a plate on top so that you can flip the tortilla onto the plate, and then slide it back into the pan.  Cook until just browned on the other side and slide onto a serving plate.  You can cut in cubes—as I first had it—and serve it with toothpicks as an appetizer.  Or you can cut it in wedges.   With a salad and some bread, it makes a great lunch or light supper.  It’s just as good hot as it is warm or at room temperature.

Let me know if you try it!  It’s easy, impressive, and a crowd pleaser!!

Photos of the Day

For the gal who has everything

Human Highlighter Suit Tally:  6

So, I wrote a whole post about my birthday, and then left it on another computer and forgot to email it to myself.  I can’t face rewriting it, so you will just have to wait.

However, I can tell you about the most unusual gift I received, which actually arrived on Thursday.  That’s the day Raquel and Myron came, and they came bearing… a pig leg.  For me.  It’s called a lacon here, and it is an entire leg of a pig, from thigh to hoof.  After a few trips to the market you get used to seeing scores of them hanging, hoof up, behind the butcher’s counter.  There are several grades of pig leg, and my lacon is one step below the famous pata negra—or black foot.  As you can see from the photo, my hoof is black also.  At the market that afternoon, Raquel also bought me a special pig foot stand to go with my pig foot.  You kind of set the leg into the stand so that you can cut it more easily.  Right now it’s sitting, in its stand, on our kitchen table.  It’s covered in a cloth to keep the meat from drying out.  I’ll attach a photo of the whole setup another day, but didn’t want to use all of my firepower at once.

Hands down, this is the most unique gift I have ever received.  And perhaps the most delicious.

Birthday Photos!