When you’re an American expat there are two topics you find yourself talking about nearly incessantly.  The first, obviously, is travel.  The second is food … lots and lots of food.  From the haute cuisine of the major cities to the traditional “peasant” fare of the rural countryside – my husband and I have gleefully tried it all.  (I’ve had to run three marathons to keep myself managed, but it’s been worth every mile to sample the world’s best).  

One question I get asked a lot is, “What country do you think has the best food?”  Hands down, my answer is always Spain.  Spanish food is incredibly diverse, innovative, fresh and healthy.  It’s also fairly simplistic and utilizes the best of the land and sea.  If you’re a fan of seafood … plan a trip to Galicia in the north or the Costa del Sol on the Mediterranean.  If you love pork – head to Segovia for their speciality, suckling pig – it’s slow cooked all day and is so tender it can be cut with a plate. 

One of my favourite “peasant” dishes, which is actually an import to Spain from it’s once colony of Cuba, is an easy little dish called huevos a la cubano (Eggs Cuban-style).  Here’s how it goes (with some interpretation):

For the Tomato Sauce:

5  large plum tomatoes, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

fresh basil, chopped

salt

ground pepper

olive oil

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Drop in garlic and saute until golden brown. Add in the tomatoes, basil and salt/pepper to taste.  Use a potato masher to mash them up a bit. Cover the pan, reduce heat and cook until tomatoes are nice and soft.

Rice

1 1/2 cups rice (white or natural, your choice)

3 cups water

2 tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. hot curry powder

1 tsp. salt

1 chicken bouillon cube

Follow the rice cooking directions  - usually bringing everything to boil and let simmer for 30 mins. 

OK … now you’ve got the Tomato sauce gently cooked and simmering down and the rice ready and fluffy.  Time to add a few Huevos (eggs).  

Egg(s)

1 to 4 eggs (depending on how many you’re feeding and how hungry they are)

Fried, sunny side up (leaving yolk intact) in a little olive oil.

To serve …. Place a bed of rice on your plate, ladle on a few heaping spoonfuls of the tomato sauce and then place the fried egg right on top! 

In Spain this is generally served with a mixed side salad of lettuce, corn and white onion (with a little olive oil, vinegar and salt stirred in), some Spanish style bread (see recipe below) and your choice of beverage – Sangria is always good! 

Spanish “Crusty” Bread:

I’d like to thank Rafael and Debbie Rodriguez of Garrettsville, Ohio and Segovia, Spain for passing along this recipe.  In my not-so humble opinion, this is the best bread recipe in the world!

1 1/2 tablespoon of bread yeast

5 cups white bread flour

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil (or you can also use melted butter)

2 tsps. Salt

1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

Mix the yeast in the warm water and let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes. 

Add the salt to the flour and sieve into a large bowl.

Using your fingers, mix in the olive oil and honey. 

Slowly pour in the dissolved yeast and water … work the dough with your hands until it becomes a nice, firm dough with some elasticity.  

Next, place the dough on a flat  lightly, floured surface.  Knead the dough again until it becomes firm and elastic.

Butter the bowl and place the dough back into it.  Cover the bowl with a warm, damp tea towel/cloth and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume (usually about an hour or so). 

Once dough has doubled in size, remove the dough & knead it again on lightly, floured surface, knock back to remove air pockets – the dough should start to feel nice and smooth. 

Now, you can make rolls with this dough, or you can roll it lengthwise and then wrap around to form a circle (about a foot or so in diameter).  OR … you can do one long baguette. 

Take an egg,  beat it thoroughly and gently brush the top of the bread with the egg to give it a nice “shine.”  Sprinkle with a little cracked sea salt. 

Place the bread in a cooking sheet and then place it into a cold oven.  Turn the temp to 450 degrees F and let the bread cook for 30 minutes, or until the top becomes brown and “crusty.” 

Salud!