"Mari" is short for "María," and since every other woman here is called "María"-something (María José, María Carmen, María María María!), it's a term of endearment that practically any woman will respond to-- caution, use among friends.
Let's move onto a familiar topic... Food. I live in Spain where the fruit and vegetables are so fresh, the fish and seafood abundant (and aslo very fresh), and the variety of food is so different from my "norm." I live with people who know their stuff in the kitchen and are more than willing to teach me the ropes or share their comida with little inexperienced me. However, that inexperience is quickly fading. Here's a little insight into what's been on my Spanish menu recently:
- Dessert Pizza: Tani's (Rebeca's friend) creation-- Pie crust used for pizza dough with a combination of onions sautéed in red wine and sugar baked with cream (nata) and goat cheese on top. So easy, and so scrumptious.
- Potaje de lentejas: A lentil stew courtesy of Rebeca and her talent for soups. Correction- potajes (stews). She's going to teach me the recipe before Christmas because I know it's perfect for Dad.
- Pan de carne (Meatloaf): Alright, not a "Spanish" dish, but I made it for the apartment. A little taste of home.
- Ground beef & red wine reduction, cauliflower, and zucchini: Yesterday's lunch, and a Rebeca and Kate original. We knew we had ground beef (leftover from the meatloaf) and lots and lots of vegetables that were going to be podridos (bad) pretty soon. So, we threw the ground beef in a pan with carrots, peppers, onion and garlic and let it reduce in red wine. I battered and fried the zucchini in olive oil, but the cauliflower was by far my favorite. After cooking the cauliflower, Rebeca covered it in cream, small chunks of Iberian ham and- ingeniously, ground nutmeg.
- Now, for the pièce de résistance- a meal of mariscos: Clams, mussels, shrimp (with their heads), salmon, swordfish, shrimp salad... a meal for champions! Can't forget the wine:
From L to R: Giovanni (Rebeca's boyfriend), Rebeca, David and Antonio:
As the night wore on, our bellies filled with seafood, our glasses never empty, and listening to music ranging from classic flamenco to Axel Rose, we played a board-game (in Spanish) called Party & co. Trying to lip-read spanish phrases and act out or draw Spanish words was entertaining, to say the least. Naturally, I was on the winning team. Later, we moved onto a game played with dice called Mentiroso. If a player rolls a 9, the next player has to roll a higher number- if they don't, they lie (mentir) and hope the next player doesn't catch their bluff. If they do, you get an "M" and so on until you are a "Mentiroso." All in all, a great night with my Spanish family.
Next up (I hope): The renowned tortilla de patatas, a Spanish classic... And I'm told easy enough. The plate-pan-flip worries me a bit, I'll admit.
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