Day 2 in Spain

Hey All!


"Woke up at 9AM. Emailed parents. Ran into some Spanish guys just coming in. Yes. Just coming in. Must have been some night. Roommate and I didn't feel like having breakfast at the hostel. Even though it's already paid for. Went out to a cafe. Had a croissant with orange marmalade. And zuma de naranja (orange juice). Orange juice in the states will never ever taste the same. Best breakfast ever. Light, flavorful, and sweet. The way that all breakfasts should be. None of that sausage, bacon, eggs, and other classic American breakfast crap. 

Shopped a bit. Got souvenirs for family. For myself as well. Took tons of pictures. LOVE the architecture. Ended up back in my room. Chilled. Drank orange Fanta. Haven't seen that stuff since my 187 days. When I bought snacks at the local bodega. Siesta.

 

Dinner time. At 9PM. Man, I love it here. No early dinners. Therefore, no midnight snacks. At least not because I'm starving. Had tapas for dinner. Restaurant called Cafe Asturias. Named after the place of my grandfather's father's birth. Picked two tapas from the array on the counter. Morcilla (blood sausage) with caramelized onions. Served on toast. Croquetta. Drank vino tinto (red wine). Morcilla was the best sausage I've ever had. Caramelized onions made that dish. Croquetta was dense. But deliciously salty. Thanks to the obscene amounts of ham in it. Vino tinto was strong. Bitter, spicy aftertaste. Perfect with the tapas.  

 

Enjoyed my second dinner in Spain to the fullest. While watching America's Best Dance Crew."

Drool on dearest readers,

D.H.  

Day 1 in Spain

Hey All!


Class + Homework + Final Papers + No Sleep = Post Delayed Until Today.


Anyway, starting today I am going to share my "food diary" with you from my time in Spain. This will include names of restaurants that I went to in Salamanca, food reviews (of course), and most importantly pictures. So, look forward to these posts for the next 9 days... (I'm still keeping the schedule of Monday-Friday).

"Arrived in Salamanca. Starving. Going to head out to La Plaza Mayor. Roommate and two other fellow students are tagging along. 

 

First meal in Spain: Bocadillo de Jamon Iberico y una copa de Sangria. Translation: Iberico Ham Sandwich and a glass of Sangria. Quite possibly the best first meal I have ever had in a foreign country. The ham was fatty and a bit chewy like prosciutto. There was this slight nutty (?) flavor that was very subtle but so delicious. Made me want to eat more. Made me sad when it was all gone. Bread was crusty. Like all good bread should be. Sangria was sweet with that hint of bitterness from the Rioja (type of Spanish red wine). It was definitely the best Sangria I've ever had. Best Sangria that one of my fellow classmates ever had too. I can tell I'm going to appreciate the fact that wine is cheaper than water. And the fact that I am of legal age here.

 

First Dinner in Spain: Croquettas, Gambas al Ajillo, Calamari, Coca Cola con Limon. Translation: Fried potato croquettes, baby shrimps in garlic sauce, calamari, and Coca Cola with lemon. Croquettas were fried perfectly. A bit too much potato for my liking. Still good though. Gambas had great garlic flavor. Great citrus background. Probably from the fresh lemons and wine. But were very salty. Saltier than what I'm used to. Calamari were crisp. Not too chewy. Delicious. Coca Cola in general tastes way better in Europe. Goes to show real sugar tastes better than high fructose corn syrup. Stupid Americans.

 

Nightcap: Cafe con Bailey's. Translation: Coffee with Bailey's. Didn't expect it to have half coffee and half Bailey's. Usually it's only a shot of Bailey's. Still. Strong, good, and tasty. Slight burning down the throat. Warm in my stomach. Perfect end to a long day."

Drool on dear readers!

D.H.

... And I'm Back!

Hey All!


I'm so sorry about the delay. I've been super busy, jetlagged, and sick. But the good news is that I am feeling much better and I'm ready to post all the pictures of food that I took in Spain. You're just going to have to wait a bit longer since class has now started...




Missed you all!
D.H.

ONE WEEK UNTIL SPAIN!!!

Hey All!


As you can probably tell from the title of this blog, I am extremely excited about my upcoming trip to Salamanca, Spain. Also as you probably know by now or can guess, I am most anxious about trying all the delicious foods. Mainly tapas. So to celebrate my final week countdown to Spain, here's a Spanish tapas menu inspired by Spain and my many trip to Manolo.

Caldo Gallego (Not quite my great-grandmother's recipe, unfortunately.)

Croquetas de Jamón 

Tortilla Española

Gambas al Ajillo

D.H.

Strange Beverages

Hey All!


To continue with yesterday's beverage theme, I found this article listing the weirdest, funkiest tasting drinks. Everything from Tofurkey and Gravy flavored soda to Celery flavored soda. Every vegetarian's and dieter's dream. Kind of. Check out the link and find some other links to strange chip flavors and bizarre ice cream flavors!

D.H.