Another week in food...

And yet what week do I not measure in food?  The answer is none.  If I had to write a Rent spoof (although I would never desecrate the memory of Jonathan Larson's life and life work like that), it would have to be Seasons of Food and not of Love..in cheesecakes and waffles, in prime ribs and bites of toffee...


Anyway, this week was a short one.  It was a día de fiesta or holiday on Monday so I had a chance to recuperate from the weekend shenanigans in Sevilla.  More beach and then, to bring the day to a close, one of the most delicious sandwiches I've ever had from Bo de B.  I didn't have my Iphone with me so I have no pictures so I'll just have to return and take some photos.  It's that good.





Sunday:
We got back from Sevilla in the late afternoon and I was dying for Korean food.  In spite of having only one can of kimchi and one package of chappaghetti, I opened both and shared with Diana número dos across the hall.  One word: salvation.  And that was my day.

Looks like worms, tastes like heaven

Monday:
What better way to spend a day of relaxation than going to the beach?  Well that meant having a hefty breakfast first.  I split this meal with Diana #2 as well.

Herb and gouda cheese omelette 

Grilled cheese with garlic, cilantro, and hot sauce

Like I said, my second meal that day was an amazing build-it-yourself sandwich where you order on the street to the window where a woman with the memory of an elephant takes everyone's meat orders at once, remembers in what order, and then asks you what you want in it when the meat is cooked and ready for sandwich assembly.  But more on that later.  Overall successful day.


Tuesday:
Back to classes.  Miserable.  I got myself a sandwich from the overpriced chain café on the corner, Farggi, before getting back to work on my internship assignments.  Not the best but nice to know that smoked salmon is wherever I want it whenever I want it.  Unlike Wesleyan where I have to pay $10 for a skimpy bagel and lox combo breakfast only on the weekends.  Jerks.

Salmon and cream cheese sandwich served with chips

At least I was redeemed at dinner with a homemade meal.  I should just start a family now...but no.

Yaki udon with veggies and egg

Wednesday:
I found myself low on cash and low on time so I had strawberry cheesecake gelato for lunch.  And when I say low on cash, I mean I had just the perfect 2 euro coin left to pay for my single scoop cone.  It wasn't so bad since I didn't have time for a sit-down meal anyway.  I had teaching from 4-8 pm, 2 of those hours of which I spent teaching in the bar downstairs because we were locked out of the classroom (someone forgot about their key-carrying duties...) but that's alright because we had claras (beer and lemon soda) and regular sodas while we studied the amazing (and awful) English language.


I rewarded myself at home with an amazing dinner:

Salad: cabbage, lettuce, corn, red onion, pear, gouda cheese, cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar

Ravioli: cheese stuffed with a tomato, garlic, cream sauce

Side: pan-fried artichokes in homemade tzatziki (garlic yogurt) sauce

Thursday:
I walked a total of somewhere between 5 and 6 miles today just commuting.  That means lots of food rewards.

Walking to class on the pedestrian walkway on the tree-lined center of the boulevard

Gran Vía, my home street

I didn't feel like staying outside because it was too hot and I had to go to a work meeting at 5 pm so I walked back home and stopped by at the Asian grocery on the way back.  And then I had this amazing lunch:

Grilled cheese with garlic and cilantro

Tomato and tzatziki sauce for dipping

Artichoke and cherry tomato side salad with yogurt sauce

Tinto de verano with ice

Maybe it was the 50% wine in my beverage or the lack of sleep I've been getting all week but I passed out for a siesta after that.  I was way tired when I woke up though.  Still, driven by the discipline my sisters raised me with, I made it to my work meeting but I had to take the metro to get there.  And then I walked back to the apartment a second time today.  At least I now had the ingredients for a kick-ass dinner. 

Thai green curry: chicken, bamboo shoots, baby corn, 

straw mushrooms, japanese eggplant

Garnish: lime, cilantro, scallion

I got the curry paste from the Asian grocery along with some fish sauce and successfully tackled my first attempt at Thai curry.  It was spicy to the point of major sweating.  Perfect.  Granted I had to take a shower afterwards.

I'm sorry this post is so boring but I've fallen into a beautifully mundane routine here and until my darling mother and (less darling but still lovable) stepfather get here tomorrow, I don't have much else to say.  Be patient kids, more updates to come.

What I've been listening to lately:

Seu Jorge shmexy-pants

Those are two links but you can't see him in the first so I added the second.  "Pai João" is the one I've been playing nearly on repeat for the past week.  Watch City of God if you haven't already.  I'm not bothering with a link to the movie trailer because it's older so the trailer's not very good.  Just watch it.