Introducing Fira de la Candelera 2019

I knew what Coradella was last year, when the readers of Cuina magazine chose it as the favourite dish of Catalans for 2018.

A quite difficult dish for many people because it is made with lamb offals (heart, blood, liver...). A typical dish for countryside people that become a symbol of  Molins de Rei. This year is the star of Fira de la Candelera.

At the presentation, Marc Morro (from El Taller restaurant) cooked it, at Mercat de Molins de Rei, in a version, Curàmpling (Coradella dumpling), with three different styles: fried...

... steamed...

... and grilled.

The truth it is a wonderful way for starting eating Coradella for those with some problems.

Immediately, we went to Sala Gòtica del Palau dels Requesens, where there was the presentation of Candelera activities for this year.

Activities marked by gastronomy, because the goal is give a gastronomical mood for a city that it is fighting for it.

It is remarkable it is a fair of fairs, where there are some of tjem as the one of wine, the oldest in Catalunya. This year the invited D.O. is D.O. Costers del Segre.

At the end of the morning, it was time for prizes for the best Coradella.

As traditional recipe, won the restaurant El Tast.

El Pati de Molins won the prize for the innovative recipe with "Scallops with Coradella and caramelized onion"

And there was a special mention for the recipe of restaurant Diana.

Tararot, was chosen as the best D.O. Costers del Segre wine for maridating with Coradella, for being young and fruity.

Everybody is invited to visit Molins de Rei from february 1st to 3rd!

Tast a a la Rambla 2018

If there is an annual event I wait for with an special interest it is "Tast a la Rambla".

The Rambla de Santa Mònica de Barcelona is, during a little bit more than a weekend, a centre of gastronomical attention. Usually with good weather, anybody can experience what many well known names of Barcelona fires cook in their kitchens.

The offer is big, and I think anybody who want to taste all must have lunch and dinner there during all days of the fest.

This year, I tasted:

A delicious baby cuttlefish sandwich. Not oily at all Casa Nova (Passeig del Born, 27).

Mano Rota (c. Creu dels Molers, 4)  offered a soft shell crab sandwich. I asked for it because of curiosity. I had never eaten than crab and I was pleased with the result.

The roasted pork with pickles sandwich by Bicnic (c. Girona, 68) was very tasty.

And Tandoor samosa (c. Aragó, 8 - Barcelona)... delicious!!!!

A sure bet is the rice by Xerta (c. Còrsega, 289). This year, it was a delicious duck rice.

La Barra de Carles Abellán (Hotel W) cooked a ray with a sauce that remembered "callos con garbanzos".

The chocolate moment was by Canal (c Calvet, 15) with a Sacher.

Obviously, I could not resist to go to Essence Espai Sucre (c.Sant Pere més Alt, 72) and taste their refreshing cheesecake.

Restaurant Batecs

In the activities of  "Molins de Rei B de Gust" there was the chance of eating menús specially designed for the event by some restaurants from Molins de Rei.

I was lucky for being invited to experience the cooking of "Batecs" (Passeig del Terraplé, 35 - Molins de Rei, Barcelona) a little restaurant that worths to be visited. Its cooking is based on tradition and the products of Parc Agrari del Llobregat.

First, there was an apetizer consisting in a Salmorejo, tasty and creamy but not strong.

Immediatley, clams with vegetables from Parc Agrari... touhing heaven!!! Everything was cooked in its correct point and the basque sauce joined all in perfect simphony. I let the dish clean: bread helped.

After it, a juicy rice with cap i pota (beef head and leg) and red prawn. Wonderful. With a point of butter to make it creamy. Prawn, cooked with the rice temperature.

The roasted Pota Blava (chicken) with fruit and wine remembered traditional flavours. It is a Big Day recipe. 

And as dessert... ohh!! A light foam of catalan custard (so tasty) covering a refreshing tangerine ice-cream on a crumble.

For drinking I chose a Petit Caus Blanc, by Can Ràfols dels Caus, a very good wine that cleaned the palate without any astringency.

Batecs is at 30 minutes from Barcelona city centre in train, so it is a good option for the ones who live in the city, or will be during a time. I would like to end with a sentence: I ate the same way as the restaurants catalogued as "Michelin star without star".

Cook and Travel Fest 2018

Last week there was the first "Cook and Travel Fest" edition, an event that wants to join travel and cooking, specially travelling through different countries with food, without coming out from Antiga Fàbrica Damm.

There was a generous number of entrepeneurs offering products from all around the world...

... also, more than than a dozen of restaurants from different countries showing their cuisine.

Brazil was represented by João Alcantara (Fogo), with a delicious "pão de queijo" with smoked rib.

From Israel cuisine (Shaq Shuq), I tasted a delicious shawarma.

Mosquito, was with its delicious asian dumplings. They are awesome!

From Vietnam, Món Viêt restaurant brought so fresh and light rolls.

Also, there was a big programme with talks and showcookings so interesting, because not every day one can hear people like Takashi Ochiai or Daniel Jordà.

As every event, specially the first edition, there were many things to improve as making all entrepeneurs be in a cover place (to avoid visits not desiderable as rain) and put some bars at restaurant area to allow people to eat standing up, because tables and chairs were a treasure at the moment of eating. But it is sure it will be solved next years.