A Delicious Life In Spain Susan Lewis Solomont's Story

Imagine being an ambassador's spouse in a foreign country. There's the shock of the new, culture, language and mores. For Susan Lewis Solomont, wife of the Spanish ambassador under President Obama, this was the case. Yet her love for Spain and its' food conquered those qualms. Her book ,  Lost And  Found In Spain written about her  and her husband's three and a half years there is an interesting read.There's adventure, beauty , history and , of course, food.

Her book, published by Disruption Books. is a valentine to her family''s time in Spain. It truly is a riveting read, taking this Brooklyn born girl from her and her spouse, Alan's home in Boston to the embassy in Madrid. One of the aspects that I loved is her discovery of the diverse dishes from the country's many provinces. A few times I found myself  craving jamon , the dry cured ham from hazelnut fed pigs. There is an interesting chapter about she and Ambassador Solomont dining with the great and innovative chef , Ferran Adria, the genius behind the world famous restaurant El Bulli. Ms. Lewis-Solomont  was treated to a unique feast for all the senses. Also she and her husband, along with her sister and her husband were able to get a table at a restaurant  only open for six months a year and offers one seating a night.Getting there is a whole book unto itself, because it's located in a sandy cove, dangerous to get to by any vehicle. Yet the meal was well worth it. Chef Adria is a culinary scientist , bending all the rules of physics to create amazingly singular dishes. His sloe gin fizzes came with a head of  warm foam, mimetic peanuts, a peanut shaped pastry was filled with a seductive warm peanut and chocolate filling. Another adventure included a fabulous meal in a cave(!) restaurant where Ms. Lewis-Solomont enjoy grilled lamb chops and crawfish, washed down with homemade wine.

Another famed chef, Jose Andres, the great humanitarian who brought hot food and hope to the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, is also  mentioned in this memoir. He takes Ms. Lewis- Solomont on a trip to the gastronomy fair , Madrid Fusion, very early on in her tenure. For her, a foodie through and through, this was sheer heaven. She was able to taste all sorts of foods from all over the world. Best of all the outing ended with an invitation to Chef Andres favorite restaurant, Gerardo's in Oviedos, the capital of Asturias, in northern Spain.  The eatery, first established in 1882, featured several fresh  fish courses with the fish being caught that day in the nearby Bay of Biscay.  Of course ambassadors also have promote the country 's businesses and encourage trade with the US. The Solomonts promoted Spanish olives - used for Italian and Greek olive oils. This was a surprise for me, considering I'm the first one to advise people to always use Italian olive oil. Spanish olive oil is even more flavorful, and it's something that I'll try, thanks to the book.The Solomonts also had their own phenomenal cooks on the embassy grounds, Gustavo and Rosita, Below is Gustavo's gazpacho recipe (which will be featured in tomorrow's post) As much as I love cooking and baking, I also love history. The accounts of the Solomonts' trips across Spain were  fascinating . I adored reading about Sevilla where Jews, Arabs and Christians worked and lived together to create a modern , cosmopolitan center of learning and tolerance during the Middle Ages.

Lost And Found In Spain is a definite must read for anyone who loves, Spain, traveling and food.It is beautifully and lovingly written, a true valentine to the country so full of flavor. Read it and experience the wonder and joy Susan Lewis Solomont had for this amazing nation

Gustavo's Gazpacho

For about six people

8-9 medium-large tomatoes (red, ripe)

Two cucumbers (peeled)

1 Big red pepper

½ Big green pepper

¼ Onion 

¼  garlic clove 

1 cup of virgin olive oil  (preferably Spanish)

3 spoons of vinegar  If you use balsamic just one spoon, it' strong)

½ tsp spoon salt

Cut everything into pieces and put it together in a blender, use high speed--it really makes a smooth mix. 

Serve cold

O

island Delights

The Caribbean has given us so many delicious foods and drinks. From jerk to rum, we've experienced some of the best the islands have to offer. They are a mix of indigenous ingredients and European influence. It makes for a tasty cuisine of savory, spicy and sweet.

The dishes from the islands are the first fusion recipes. African, Creole, Cajun, and Amerindian have played an important role. The European influence is felt strongly as well. Spain, England, and France were the first major impacts, along with Portuguese and Irish. Surpsingly, but not surprisingly, there is also a Chinese, Javanese, Indonesian, Arab and South Indian input.Most of the islands share the same ingredients such as rice, beans cassava,a  kind of yam, along with cilantro or coriander. Bell peppers figure heavily into it, along with chickpeas, tomatoes,sweet potatoes and coconut. Some ingredients such as  ackee and saltfish, a type of fruit and salted cod are only cooked and eaten in Jamaica. Many bigger islands such as Jamaica have influence over the smaller ones or are so close such as Trinidad and Tobago that they influence each other. Some of them such as Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Domenican Republic have variations of the same dishes, slightly varying the amount of spicings.

What are the standout dishes of the islands? Puerto Rico and Cuba have the most known and the most popular.The Puerto Ricans make arroz con gandules y lechon - pork cooked with  yellow rice and pigeon peas.There's also pork belly or chicharrones which is crispy and salty like pork rinds. There's the crunchy  tostones, fried plantains, flavored with garlic powder and salt. Cubans have the delicious rice and beans, arroz y frijoles , cooked together. There's also the wildly delicious ropa viejo or old clothes.. This is shredded beef simmered in a tomato based criollo or garlic sauce. Arroz con pollo is another flavorful and famed dish along with the well known Cuban sandwich. This last is a tasty marriage of ham and pork loin with Swiss cheese and dill pickles on a cianbatta or hero bread. Mayo and mustard  round it out.Jamaican food is also striking. Jerk is made with a variety of different meats, from chicken to goat!.It's similar to our beef jerky here in the States. The Rastafarians have contributed vegetarian salt free cuisine to the island. This is called Ital and has such dishes as curried tofu chunks and vegetable stew.

The Caribbean has given the world a variety of tasty dishes. They are spicy and  sweet, savory and crunchy. Try them for an unusual spin on eating.

Summer Eggplant

Eggplant is one of summer's most versatile gems.It can be turned into a variety of different dishes from fried to gracing a pasta sauce.It can be baked  into a type of casserole or turned into a delicious spread. Anyway you cook them, eggplants are the tastiest veggie around.

David Tanis  knows this and wrote about them in his A City Kitchen  in yesterday's New York Times Food section.He uses Sicilian recipes because the eggplant is one of the basic ingredients in their cuisine.It came to the island from the Arab influence and has remained there since the Middle Ages. Two other staples , tomato and peppers , came in through the Spanish during the Columbian period and the three mesh together nicely.It's also part of the cucina povera or "poor cuisine" where simple ingredients and a pinch of this or a pinch of that is added. There are no fancy ingredients, just veggies from the garden, olive oil and herbs.Eggplant has always been considered  cheap. Fried slices of it , coated in breadcrumbs were always known as "poor man's oysters." and this is a stand in for lamb chops in some Sicilian households. They're  also great in salads, or pickled. Stuffed eggplant is a standard and it's usually filled with rice and ground beef.

Mr. Tanis gives three eggplant recipes that are perfect for a summery dinner. The first is pasta alla Norma, named for the famed opera by Vincenzo Bellini, He  came from Cataniia where he ate this dish daily for lunch. It's simply  mixing fried cubes of eggplant with penne pasta. The seasoning , again, is pure cucina povera, It's garlic , tomatoes and basil  mixed with the cubes. Toasted bread crumbs and cheese  are usually sprinkled on top. Another tasty dish is caponata, which from the island's Arabic period.It's stewed in oil, and sweetened with sugar. The savory kick comes from vinegar, capers , tomatoes and onions cooked into a type of sauce.  The eggplant is then added and let set to allow all the flavors to meld.It should sit for at least an hour before serving.Baked eggplant parmagiana is another delicious way to cook or rather bake the veggie. The original recipe recommends layering it with tuma cheese, that highly aromatic cheese from Piedmonte but Mr.Tanis uses smoked mozzarella and fresh ricotta. Anchovies fillets are scattered on top, their saltiness bringing out the eggplant's sweetness.

Take advantage of eggplants  this summer. Use them in a variety of different dishes, They're versatile and tasty, perfect with other summer harvests of  tomatoes and peppers.