Food (Comida)

I literally want to take a photo of every single meal I eat in Spain.  We'll see if that truly happens, probably not.  But I do hope to post on here about some of the amazing eats that I will encounter!
Check out what I've been eating!

CousCous

 Sushi Night

Reclett

Cocido

 Swiss Chocolate

 American Pancakes

 Lentejas - Lentil Soup

 Filete Ternera

 Membrillo y Tetilla

Fabada

Cocido Gallego

Pulpo con Cachelos 

Orejas

Rosquillas 

Bocadillo de Chipirones

Carne Asada con Patatas fritas y ensalada

Ravioli Crujiente con espuma de Boletus

Chalama de Marisco

Jaqueyvi

Filloa verde con boletus

Lentejas

Fideos con almejas 

Churros con Chocolate

Paté á maiñeira

Muar

Tortilla do Mar

Pimientos rellenos 

Gambas 

Carne Asada

Empanadillas

Langostino con caramelo

Almejas

Calamares

Tiramisú

Enchilada de Pollo

Now... this my friends is Mexican food! Some may not realize but international food restaurants exsist all over the world.  So in Spain there are Mexican, Chinese, Thai, American, Morrocan, and so many more types of restaurants.

This is a chicken Enchilada, and boy was it good!  With a chicken, peper and onion mixture on the inside of a white flour tortilla topped with a white cheese and served on top of a tomato sauce it didn't take me long to finish that one up!

Galleta de Fruta 

These are some cookies a parent made and brought into school one day.  They are regular biscuit like cookies with kiwis backed on top.  Yum!  

Tapas 

What exactly is a tapa? Great question!  Is it a cheese? Yes, it can be.  Is it a meat?  Yes, it can be.  

A tapa is essentially like an apetizer that is served with a drink at a bar or restaurant.  Generally speaking a tapa and a pincho are about the same thing, only being that a tapa is larger in size.

Crepe Dulce

Crepes are of course very.... French.  But surprisingly there are a lot of Crepe restaurants here.  There are two types of crepes, sweet and salty.  Looking at the picture above you can tell that this is a sweet crepe.  For some reason I just always gravitate to choosing a sweet crepe, I wonder why!? :P  

 Albondigas 

Meatballs are actually a very common dish made here in Spain.  It is said that they originally have Arabic decent, and because of the strong history of Arabs inhabiting Spain, this dish decided to stay.  Here the meatballs are breaded and cooked in a tomato sauce with other vegetables like peas, onions, peppers, carrots, and mushrooms.  They can be served as a main dish, but I have mainly only seen them as a tapa or pincho size dish.  Add a side of bread and you are good to go.  Enjoy! 

 Pasteis de Nata

Also another food from Protugal, these little pastries are amazing! About the size of a cupcake, they are filled with a delicious filling of custard.  Apparently this dessert was actually a international representation of Portugal.  

To learn a bit more CLICK HERE!

 Francesinha

Now this is something I must give credit to Portugal for.  Specifically Porto.  This sandwich is .... something words can almost not describe.  Bread, sausage, cheese, pork slice, cheese, bacon, cheese bread, melted cheese, and smothered in its delicious red sauce makes this sandwich a heart attack in a bite.  But seriously, when in Porto, do as the portans(?) do.  It will probably be the one and only time I try this sandwich.  It was good, but I have no desire to have that rock in my stomach again.  

  Alubias Y Salchichas

This is a mixture of beans, pork, sausage, and other meats.  Similar to a chili, but with different seasonings.  Even though I don't know the name, I can tell you it is good =)

 Pincho con Chorizo

Many times pinchos here in Spain come on toasted bread.  Here is an example of some chorizo, white mayonnaise sauce all on top of a piece of toast.  I'll be honest, I'm not very fond of mayo so this one didnt' go over very well with me. 

 Vino de la Casa

This is my friend Alex! She decided to order the Vino de la casa (House Wine), and this is what she got.  A vino tinto (red wine) in a bowl! 

 Patatas Bravas

Another favorite of mine.  Essentially these look just like breakfast potatoes covered in ketchup, but its not.  Another very common tapa, patatas braves is friend potato chunks with a spicy red sauce on top. The sauce is made with a tomato base and has ingredients like paprika.  This patatas braves in particular really had a little bit of a kick to it.  I'm surprised I even like it considering I usually steer clear of spicy foods.  I literally couldn't stop eating it even though my throat was on fire! If you check out the pictures above, depending on where you get Patatas Bravas, they can look very different.  Usually each place makes their own sauce.  Yum! 

 Paella

Last Thursday night, I went to a bar to meet some friends for a drink.  The place that we met at just so happened to be having a private party inside.  The group was so kind to let us stay where we were, and even shared a little bit of their food! This is Paella.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the large pan that covered the entire table full of paella.  

Paella is a traditional dish that is very well known in Spain.  Generally when someone thinks of true Spanish food, they think of Paella.  It is a large pan, the size of a table usually, that cooks with rice, peas, shallots, spices, and an assortment of seafood.  Most of the paellas that I have eaten have had seafood in them, but you can also order it with chicken or other meats/vegetables.  As you can see above it has a side of lemons that you squeeze overtop as well.  

This is a picture of what the entire dish usually looks like: 

It really is one of my favorite dishes, but it is usually only prepared on special occasions.  

For a little more information on Paella... Click Here! 

 Croquetas Y Gamba Rebozada

Every Tuesday I have a short day of classes.  So instead of waiting 3 1/2 hours for my ride back to Vigo from school, I walk 20 minutes to the ferry which makes its way across the Ria to Vigo.  I usually have to wait a bit and stop to get a water at this cafe on the port.  I pay 1Euro for a water and they bring me a small meal every time! This was two croquetas and a batter fried Shrimp.  With bread of course! 

 Ensalada de cangrejo

I won't lie, I did not like this.  This was a pincho that I got at a restaurant one afternoon.  Its like a crab salad with peas, potatoes, crab, and tomatoes in it.  Its covered in a mayonnaise sauce (which is the reason I don't like it).  To some of you, this may look spectacular.  For me, I could have done without the small bite I tasted.  But at least I can say, I tasted it =) 

 Sangría

I'm sure there are a few of you that have been waiting for me to post about this.  One of my favorite drinks here in Spain.  It literally tastes nothing like any sangria you can purchase in the U.S.  As you can see, it is generally served in a pitcher like this, filled with fresh fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, apples, and sometimes even pears.  

 Chinese Buffet - Vigo Style

 Why yes.  They do exist here.  Now I know that this may blow your mind but, in Spain there is actually a very diverse population that lives here.  There are many people from Africa, Asia, North American, South America and Europe that all live here in Spain.  That being said, yes. There are China Buffets here.  And I like what they've done with them.  My roommate and her boyfriend Pablo took me to this one specifically because it has fresh fish.  As you can see above, each white tray is filled with a different kind of shellfish, prawn, shrimp, fish, mussel, or meat.  You load your plate up with these raw beauties and head on down to the grill.  There a very kind man will fry up your fish, throw some seasonings on and kaboom! You have some awesome Chinese food.

Note: I have observed though, that the chinese food here has actually grown/developed based upon the local cuisine and what is readily available.  For example at this china buffet there was no white rice, Crab Rangoons, or eggrolls.  It makes me wonder, has the food I have grown up knowing as "chinese food" been influenced by the American culture and therefore I really have no idea what chinese food really is? Mindblowing. I know. 

Chocolate 

So since I have moved into my new piso here in Spain, I have started to get to know my roommates a little bit.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) my roommate Raquel loves to cook! A couple of weeks ago she made this Chocolatey goodness for a party she was going to.  There was a ton left over and she oh so conveniently left this in the refrigerator while she was gone on a business trip for the last two weeks. Well needless to say, I had no problem taking care of this for her.  It has a graham cracker crust on the bottom followed by a layer of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate on top.  Yum! 

Pastel de Chocolate

Mmmmm Pastel de Chocolate or.... Chocolate Cake! I felt like treating myself one day and ordered dessert.  This cake had layers of fudge, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream on top.  Worth every penny.  =) 

Lasaña

I know what you are thinking.  She goes to Spain and eats LASAGNA!?!?!?!? Well I had to.  I was craving Pasta.  But just so everyone all knows, this Lasagna was different.  It had a rich white sauce on the inside instead of so much tomato sauce.  And I also wanted to make a point that, even thought I am in Spain, I can still find familiar foods.  There are fast food pizza joints, italian, mexican, chinese restaurants and so much more.

Quiche de cangrejo

Well I'm taking a shot in the dark and saying this is something like a crab cake.  I ordered a coke the other day at this cafe on Rue Urzaiz, and this is what they brought out as a "pincho".  A Pincho is something small that you snack on.  You can usually eat it with a toothpick.  

Crepe Adventure

 Towards the front of the restaurant was a bus. That's right people, a bus.  This was the waitress station/bar area.  I just couldn't believe they recycled something so cool to make into such an awesome looking restaurant.  

So we sat down, played a little game of MASH on the table cloths and ordered some Crepes.  

(This is also where I got my sidra)

I ordered a Crepe con Nutella.  

Alex got the Chocolate and Whipped Cream Crepe.  

Needless to say they were both delicious! 

Sidra

Mmmmmm Sidra.  I first had this drink when I came to Spain in high school.  We lived in the town of Oviedo, Spain in the region of Asturias.  Apparently this drink is very popular there.  When I saw it on the menu here I had to take a try.  It wasn't exactly like how it is served in Asturias, but it still tasted good.  Essentially it is like a cold apple cider drink (with a tidge of alcohol).  

The really neat part about sidra is that if you ever get a chance to go to a sidrería I would recommend it. There is a certain amount of tradition that coincides with the drinking of sidra there.  In a glass, it is drank in very small amounts.  The glasses are poured from a bottle that is held way high in the air while the other hand is held down low with the glass in your other hand.  The reason for this is so that the sidra can be exposed to as much air as possible in order to make it bubblier like champagne.  Once you drink the sidra you have to be careful not to finish it all.  You must leave a few drops at the bottom of your glass and dump them onto the ground for good luck.  If you drink all your sidra and don't dump the last bits on the floor, it is bad luck.  

I stole this photo from online but I thought it was a good example to show you how sidra is poured.  

Chorizo

So, this is Chorizo.  Some of you have probably heard of it.  It isn't as common in the U.S. as it is in Spain.  Basically what makes it so different from other sausages is that the pork is ground up and then marinated in spices like paprika. Then it is mixed with pork fats and made into a sausage like you see above.  It has a little bit of a bite to it but its pretty good.  Usually people will either eat it plain like this, or take a piece of french bread and make a sandwich out of it.

Jamón Iberico

Here'a a plate of Jamón Iberico.  This stuff is super popular in Spain.  Instead of eating sandwiches with Ham like you find in the U.S., they use this stuff.  It is also eaten plain like this with a side of bread.  Since I'm not an Jamón Iberico expert.  Here's a link if you'd like to learn a little more about Jamón Iberico!

Pan

Pan. or (Bread) is a huge part of the spanish diet.  Whenever you order a sandwich or something to eat, you almost ALWAYS get a basket full of pan.  I love it.  I love bread and it is so filling.  I don't think I'll ever get sick of this part of Spain =)

Pechuga de Pollo con Bacon, Queso, y pimiento

This is a Pechuga de pollo con bacon, queso, y pimiento.  Literally chicken breast, bacon, cheese, and pepper =) A little fact about the meal schedule in Spain.  Lunch is the largest meal of the day.  Which in my mind actually makes sense.  The Spanish like to sleep in, have a light "breakfast" around 11 or 12 and then they eat lunch around 3 in the afternoon.  Then they have the rest of the day to work off all those calories they ate at lunch by walking a ridiculous amount around town.  This sandwich was HUGE.  I had to take half of it home and ate it later.  Looks like I'm still adjusting to this big lunch thing as well! 

Croquetas

This is one of my most favorite tapas EVER.  I tried an attempt at making them last christmas.  They are called Croquetas.  When you eat them you think they are like a cheesey potato ball of yummyness.  But what I found out last Christmas is that there isn't potato or cheese in them at all.  Its simply a mixture of flour, water, egg, milk, olive oil, chicken broth, and an assortment of spices.  In some places you can get croquetas de jamon iberico or croquetas de chorizo.  It is basically the same thing only adding ham or chorizo sausage to the mixture.  Yum! 

Tinto y Pincho 9/22

Tonight for ¨Supper" we ordered two glasses of vino tinto, and this is what comes with! Chips, Olives, and a sampler platter of mini chorizo with cheese on bread (Chorizo, queso, con pan), Potato omelette (tortilla española), and deep fried balls of yummyness (croquetas).  For a whole 4 Euro we ate (and drank) fairly well!

Hamburguesa Derby

Supper Friday night we order drinks, and they bring a complimentary basket of chips for you.  Not to mention a lemon in your coke! 

Here you go... Spanish Kechup. 

I ordered the Hamburguesa Derby.  Original I know.  But I was hungry and this thing was HUGE.  Lettuce, Tomato, Beef Patty, Fried Egg, Cheese and Massive Bun.  It was Delicious! 

Bocadillo de Jamón Ibérico

Here was my first meal in Spain.  A Bocadilla de Jamón Iberico.  Essentially it is a piece of bread with thin slices of cured ham in the middle.  No cheese, no mayo.  Meat and Bread.  This is what I had for breakfast at the Madrid Airport! Cost me 4,95 Euros.