Alicante Spain

My friend and former co-worker, Chef Michael Pallante, lives in Alicante Spain. Michael is a currently writing a book. He sent me these photo's and information.

Roasted veggies...2 kinds of tomatoes, olives grown just outside, eggplant, bonito (tuna), onions, peppers, celery.



Escarole empanada, quail eggs on sun dried tomato


Paella with rabbit, peppers, garbanzos, garlic and lemon

On our way up the mountain, we came across a sign 'abejas attencion'...this means beware of the bees...here was their hives, you could hear them zooming all around. They take their honey seriously here, but I'm not sure the name of the flower they are using at this spot.

Food of Spain II - Michael Pallante

My friend and former co-worker (Test Kitchen mad scientist), Chef Michael Pallante, lives and works in Alicante Spain. Michael is the chef at Senzone at the Hospes Amerigo in Alicante. He sent me these photo's and information.

Caramelized apple with foie center, almonds, foie ice cream and bizcocho (cookie). Senzone at the Hospes Amerigo (a dessert on my menu)


Arroz con leche, espuma of white chocolate, lemon ice cream, tuille Senzone


This place in the barrio of Alicante is so good, only 5 tables inside and another 5 outside..... The salad was phenomenal....pomegranite seeds, bulgher wheat.... Very tasty sweet lemon vin


Same place and yes that is sweet succulent tagine at its finest

Food of Spain

As promised, my gourmand sister has graciously sent me the following pictures and comments from her trip to Spain.

Now on to Moo
Pronounced "mow" as in mow the lawn. This place is Michelin starred. The craziest food ever, and worth every penny. Sorry my pics are so blurry - many of my food pics did not turn out on this trip. But at least this one did. This is the golden egg I was telling you about. I think that gold was spun sugar. raw egg inside on the nest of among other things, corn nuts.

Here's the green apple sorbet surrounded by thin sheets of goat cheese at Moo


Blurry, but you get an idea of what the inside looks like


Also from Moo
Cherries stuffed with foie gras. and I have to tell you that I am not
a foie gras lover - I find it too rich, so much so that i think it
loses all flavor. But this was outstanding. It was a first course and
they served it with port!



This was the mother of all cheeseplates
It was served to us in Barcelona at a place called Vila Vinoteca. It is a food shop with the best charcuterie and cheese selection in the city. We went there twice and both times we put ourselves in their hands, which was a good idea cos look what they brought us on our second visit:



Tomato Bread
So this is a local speciality - it is ubiquitous. Bread rubbed with
raw tomato and drizzled with salt and olive oil. Plus they love their
cured meats.


More Yummy Tapas
From a place called Xampanyet in Barcelona




Typical tapas bar
Just point and eat



Fries with eyes
Could not get enough of these...one of the 11 courses at Passadis del Pep.


Now on to Barcelona
And their famed snails. Vikki is a mermaid, she couldn't get enough. We ate these at Passadis del Pep (the locals-only cousin of tapas bar cal de pep). You show up, they start pouring and bringing you seafood until you say stop. We ate probably 11 courses of mostly unrecognizable seafood.

The Food of Spain

My foodie sister just returned from Barcelona. Below are some quick notes from her. NOTE TO SISTER - send pictures soon.

Notes From Dianne:

We just returned from Barcelona and Provence and boy oh boy do we have some stories and pics for you! Our stand out meal was at Moo in Barcelona (1 star Michelin) - the most inventive food i have ever eaten. Foie Gras stuffed cherries in a port wine sauce was outstanding and probably the tamest thing they served. There was also a "golden egg" which was gold spun sugar shell that when you cracked it open a raw egg was inside and when you broke it, it mixed with the nest underneath which was an unusual combo of flavors one of them being CORN NUTS! There's another one I can't even describe - it looked like a white box - when you cut into it it turns out it is thin sheets of goat cheese encasing tart green apple gelato. I kept the menu so I can make you a copy.

We went to a million good restaurants there. The barcelonians are very inventive with their yummy food. Outstanding tapas everywhere you go. A real foody city.

Then in provence, tapenade, olives, roast chicken, cheese, breads - we ate alot of food from t he markets and went to a few outstanding restaurants. One is called Chez Bru - Bistrot d'Eygalieres. Another WOW. It was a two star. It is good to get out there and see what other people are doing!