For one of those years, I had 2 English roommates (I’m from the US) and had the horrible experience of their not rinsing dishes! Yech!! It affected the tase of food. They would argue with me about rinsing. I’d later return to the kitchen and take the dishes back out of the cupboard and rinse them to suit myself! OTOH, here in the US, we think dish towels can be unsanitary and prefer to let dishes air dry in the rack before putting them away. My English roommates thought that was untidy! It think it beats the socks off unsanitary or soapy!

The tortilla paisana I ate usually included chorizo and/or ham as well as peas. I never in all those years, either in a private home or a restaurant ate a tortilla that was ‘juicy’ in the middle. They were always cooked through.

I also loved tortilla de gambas (prawns)

I’m looking forward to more from you! You make me homesick for Spain, a place I have not forgotten in 30 years.

I am here again…So about the word “Zucchini”…
Is a new word for Americans too, originally was a only a “summer squash” and later “italian squash’.
Until the influences of the Italian immigrants and the habit that the Americans have to rename things (so they “sell” better), introduced the new name for the squash in Italian: “zucchini”, which is “zuccha” in a diminutive and plural form (small squash).
Like Spanish people also says “calabaza” and “calabacin”.
And sure there’s many varieties of this fruit as we know.
But no matter how is named, I love this sensational fruit is so yummy and you can do so much with it.

PS: Isn’t that great?
When food, foreign languages and cultures get people together?

My mom used to say two things that I love :

_ Food and the table keeps the family together.

_The short cut to ones heart is trough the stomach.

Love

Tanti baci a tutti

I loved your version of the “tortilla de patata” very creative to add Bell peppers.
I have seen Spanish adding chorizo, jamon Serrano, cheeses and sometimes even a call for tomatoes.
So I guess there’s a variety of recipes of the traditional “tortilla” espanola.
I normally make it plain and add the others items as “tapas” ( adding as a topping).
But I will try this one, its sounds a great conception of the tortilla .
So let me ask you…You don’t really add milk to make the frothy texture that gives a more consistent texture?
Does it hold it together fine more as a “Omelet” right?
I am used to make the “tortilla de patata”, but I do make a different version from Valencia, that we eat normally with tapas.
I love the idea of cheese and bell peppers and will for sure give a try to one more new taste of “Madrid’s” great food.
Way to go!!!
Thank you.
Ciao

1. Beth Smaligo Says:
March 28th, 2006 at 2:12 pm

Hola, Ben i Marina. Como estas? (That’s about as far as I can go in Español-can’t converse yet by any means!) OK, I should never listen to the cooking cast early in the morning (I am a morning person) just before eating breakfast. I ate my breakfast entirely too fast, and now I’m not feeling so great. Oh, well. I guess I’ve learned my lesson. I’ve never had Spanish food. It sounds very interesting and delicious. I love anything with olive oil. If either of you have had Italian food, it is great. This past weekend, I went to a restaurant called Macaroni Grill. I ordered their Create Your Own Pasta. I had whole-wheat penne pasta with pesto sauce (olive oil mixed with basil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese), with extra pine nuts thrown in, and pieces of grilled chicken. Oh my word! Let’s see, how to describe this in Spanish (the very limited vocabulary I have)…..mui bien!

2. Marina Says:
March 28th, 2006 at 2:31 pm

Hi Beth,

Ben and me really enjoy eating pasta;-)

Next time you can try to find a Spanish restaurant instead so you give it a go!!!!
If you do, please write a comment with your opinion.

Hasta pronto.
Marina

- Leaving all that soapy soup on them without a final rinse in clean water-

For us in Spain it is disgusting! When I found about it I had to force myself into thinking that all those restaurants I had visited, even during the trips to London in my youth, had to be using a dishwasher… wern’t they?