Last Sunday I was wandering through the farmers’ market when I spotted a basket overflowing with beautiful little sweet peppers. They were bright red, yellow and orange, and I couldn’t walk past them. They looked too beautiful not to take home. As soon as I saw them, I knew I wanted to fill them with…
Category: Tapas
Venetian Sweet and Sour Sardines (Sarde in Saor)
We ate Sarde in Saor standing at a little bacaro in Venice, spritz in hand, picking up silky sweet-and-sour sardines with tiny forks while people spilled into the laneway around us. It was one of those perfect travel food moments where something simple becomes unforgettable. If you’ve never had it before, Sarde in Saor is…
Spanish Garlic Chicken (Pollo al Ajillo)
Some dishes instantly take you back to a place. For me, this one brings back a tapas stop in Malaga — cold drinks on the table, warm evening air, and one of those gloriously garlicky dishes that arrives with absolutely no pretence and disappears almost immediately. The version I had was closer to tapas-style chicken…
Gilda (Classic Basque Pintxo)
During my month travelling through Spain, I noticed one thing every pintxos bar had in common: a plate of Gildas sitting proudly on the counter. Just a simple skewer of olive, anchovy and pickled green pepper — nothing fancy, yet somehow the first thing people order when they sit down with a drink. I loved…
Spanish Octopus (Pulpo a la Gallega)
One of the best things I ate in Spain was Spanish Octopus (Pulpo a la Gallega)— a Galician-style dish that’s as simple as it is delicious. The first time I tried it was at Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona. Served warm on a wooden plate, dressed with nothing more than olive oil, sea salt,…
Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Potato Omelette)
No trip to Spain is complete without eating at least one slice of tortilla de patatas. You’ll find it everywhere—from bustling market bars and family-run bodegas to petrol stations, where it’s served by the slice with a side of crusty bread. It’s a dish that speaks to Spain’s genius for making something extraordinary out of…
Pan con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)
Pan con Tomate is one of those dishes that shows how a few perfect ingredients can create something unforgettable. You’ll see it everywhere in Spain — at tapas bars, markets, and casual terraces — but one of my strongest memories is sitting in the hot afternoon sun in Seville, drink in hand, watching the world…
Chorizo with Chickpeas and Cider: A modern twist on a Spanish classic
I’ve been writing a series of recipes inspired by a recent trip to Spain, and one of the things I loved most was the variety of regional tapas—small plates that vary wildly depending on where you are. In northern Spain, particularly Asturias, cider features heavily in cooking, often paired with chorizo and beans or chickpeas…
Spanish Garlic Clams with White Wine (Inspired by Barcelona Markets)
Perched elbow-to-elbow at a bustling bar inside Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, watching the chefs work their magic behind the counter. Among all the vibrant seafood and sizzling plates, one dish stood out for its simplicity and unforgettable flavour—clams, cooked fast and served hot with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices….
What to Eat in Spain: Regional Dishes, Food Memories & Recipes to Recreate
There’s something special about stepping away from your usual routines, especially when you get to do it for a whole month—and especially when that month is spent in Spain. We’ve just returned from four glorious weeks eating our way across the country, and while I’m still unpacking (literally and figuratively), I wanted to take a…