Sweet Simplicity
- ellenday2002
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
The first destination was Valencia- a place I’ve visited every year for the past three years, and each time I grow to love it more! My favourite thing about Spanish food is that it's usually no-frills. Take one of its most famous dishes, pan con tomate- essentially tomato rubbed onto a piece of bread. It sounds pretty ordinary, but that's exactly the point. Drizzled with some quality olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt and you have the best breakfast. Its simplicity is what makes it shine. A market bought fresh bread roll and salty, savoury serrano reserva is without a doubt one of the best lunches you’ll likely have. Joined by some fresh gildas- juicy olives, fresh and salty boquerones and piquillo peppers skewed onto a cocktail stick, and happiness is pretty much guaranteed. It is not complicated nor expensive, but it will leave you feeling very satisfied.
Despite always wanting to just stick to the classics, one must venture away from their comfort zone to find even more Spanish delights. Orange vermouth was one of these ventures- sweet, refreshing, with slightly smoky notes. It is very hard to enjoy only one of these. Paired with some ‘berenjenas en miel’- slices of fried aubergine covered in honey and some walnuts sprinkled on top. This is one I’ll be recreating at home.
Saving the best for last- ensaladilla de rusa. A picky eaters worst nightmare. Thank god I’m not one. A delightful mixture of tuna, olives, mayo, guajillo peppers, onion, potato, carrot. A slightly strange mixture of ingredients on paper, but becomes a harmony when put together, particularly when served with crunchy mini breadsticks. I am sure this dish varies depending on the tapas bar, but the two we ate were both equally delicious. Washed down with an ice cold caña. If you see this on the menu- give it a try. You won’t regret it.
We then ventured across to another country which prides itself on incredible food- Italy. More specifically, we found ourselves in Verona. A region in the north of the country, well-known for it’s roman history, stunning architecture and, of course, it’s food!
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Italian food is also often deceptively simple .The produce, meats and bread are so amazing, that letting them shine is always the best port of call. I’m talking about sweet, juicy cantaloupe melon, eaten with salty, rich prosciutto crudo. Fresh courgettes grilled, getting that perfect charred flavour. A mixture of prawns and octopus, deep fried in a light batter and served with a squeeze of lemon. Cherry tomatoes with olive oil. These tomatoes put all others to shame- the sweetness was off the scale. Bigoli pasta with tomatoes and fresh, salty sardines from the nearby Lake Garda.
A day trip to Venice introduced us to cicchetti- small slices of bread with varying savoury toppings to choose from- combinations of tuna and olives, mortadella and burrata, soft brie-like cheese with orange marmalade. Pair them with a spritz of your choice and you’ll be both refreshed and content.
None of these are what I’d describe as fancy or posh- nor would I want them to be. When the quality is there, simplicity is hard to beat.
We were able to enjoy these beautiful meals whilst staying with a friend’s family and experiencing prime Italian hospitality from Chiara and her parents Giorgia and Claudio (grazie a tutti!) . Sitting at the table, enjoying the tasty food with local wines (including a lovely dessert variant called Recioto) was a great pleasure, or a ‘grande piacere’ I should say!
I'll leave you with a lesson I learned from Claudio: an espresso should be enjoyed caldo, comodo e in buona compagnia- hot, comfortably, and in good company. Of those three, the last is perhaps the most important, and we were lucky enough to have no shortage of good company on this trip!
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