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THE NEW CUISINE OF SPAIN
In spite of the diversity of the cuisine, several dishes appear everywhere in Spain. One is the Tortilla (nothing to do with the Mexican tortilla), a round, flat omelet made with chopped potatoes, and a favorite fare in bars specializing in tapas, those small, bite-sized dishes served with drinks. Another is the Cocido, a meal-in-a-pot with meat, vegetables, pulses and sausages, typical home-cooked food, as is Sopa de Ajo, garlic soup, which though it varies slightly from region to region basically consists of little more than bread, oil, garlic and water. Of solid peasant origin, the soup is better than the sum of its parts, like that other simple soup, Gazpacho, a nutritious and delicious concoction of fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and garlic, served cold in summertime. Spanish cooking is emphatically home cooking, based on local produce and prepared to recipes handed down through generations, but some of the best of Spanish cooking today is being created fresh by the country's innovative restaurant chefs. They take inspiration from the traditional dishes and ring changes on them. Why not pair on olive oil sauce and a butter-based hollandaise for a succulent grilled fish? Or add scraps of truffle to an old-fashioned lamb stew? Or turn those perennial Basque favorite, tiny elvers, into a salad? Some of it is whimsical and fun, some approaches high art. It these are not the típico dishes of Spain, they do make dining out in this magnificent country an exhilarating experience. |
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