Catalan Cream
Emanuele Benetti
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In this blog I will try and give account of my 7-months period in Catalonia, including places, people, food and personal considerations
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Homage to Catalonia
I hope that George Orwell will not be too offended if I borrow the title for my last entry from one of his most famous works. Of course, my homage will not be comparable to his one, but anyway I would like to offer my final thoughts about this region which welcomed me...
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Catalan Culture: A matter of independence (2)
If on the previous part of the entry I have tried and sum up the current situation of Catalonia, I am now bound to undertake an attempt of analysis of the possible reasons for independence (and of the possible sceneries it may imply). It is a fact that Catalonia has...
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23rd of February: not an ordinary day in Spanish history
It may be due to the fact that I have always been fond of studying facts, characters and customs of the past. It may be because the history of Spain is so interesting that there is really much to be said about it. Anyway, here I am, ready to bore you stiff with another...
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Catalan Culture: A matter of independence (1)
Being the matter quite delicate, I must confess that I have put off the creation of this post several times. Although, it is not possible for anyone who has lived in Catalonia for at least a few months to avoid dealing with the issue of the independence of Catalonia....
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Spanish Cuisine #8: Tortilla de patatas
Here comes one of my favourite recipes, if not the favourite one, from the Spanish cuisine. Or at least it used to be so until I decided to try and prepare it myself. Perhaps it is a sort of test which must be passed in order to be regarded as a true Spanish cook....
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Catalan Culture: Calçotada
When my colleagues invited me to a special lunch, based on a traditional food called calçots and therefore called calçotada, I accepted with enthusiasm, as I am usually keen on tasting new dishes, especially when they are typical of the place. Little did I know that...
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Catalan Culture: Valentine's Day vs Sant Jordi
It would have been really lovely if I were to write that Valentine's Day is not celebrated in Catalunya, avoiding therefore that wave of consumerism which usually characterise the week preceding the 14th of February. As a matter of fact, I must admit that, at least for...
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Spanish Cuisine #7: Escudella i carn d'olla
Better late than never. Despite a long-lasting curiosity about this typically Catalan dish, I had never tried it, neither in a restaurant nor in a home-made version. Though it might be said that I am a bit late, as the escudella is one of the favourite Christmas dish, I...
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Spanish Cuisine #6: Empanadas
I hope none of my friends from Argentina will read this entry, or at least, in case they do it, I hope they will limit themselves to appreciate the pictures without understanding the text. Apart from jokes, it was quite a surprise for me as well to find out that,...
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Spanish Cuisine #5: Montaditos de Jamòn Serrano y Queso
It may seem strange, but today it has been the first time I have bought one of the most typical (and tasty) Spanish product: the Jamón Serrano, or raw ham. Not that I had never tried it, as in the few occasions I have eaten out I'd had my fair share of this delicious...
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Spanish Cuisine #4: Fideuà
Though is obviously less celebrated than the famous paella, I must admit that this dish fascinated me more than its most famous "colleague". Of course, as an Italian quite fond of the traditional spaghetti, I was quite shocked to see one of my favourite kinds of pasta...
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17th of January: time for fiesta
Though Vilanova i la Geltrù is quite famous for its traditional Carnival, which I hope I will be able to see in a month or so, there is another fiesta which is even more distinctive and characteristic. Indeed, as a woman proudly explained to me this morning, "Tres...
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Spanish Cuisine #3: Patatas Bravas
It is a classic of the vast world of tapas, probably one of the most appreciate entries in the Spanish cuisine. When I first went to Spain, I used to regard patatas bravas as a familiar and reassuring option among the various entries of the menu. Always worried about...
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Saturday night at the bar: a football classic
It may not be the clasico par excellence, pitting the Barcelona Football Club against their arch rival, the long-despised Real Madrid team. However, the match between theblaugranaand the other main team from the capital, Atletico Madrid, is in any case a contest which...
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Leaving home (again)
Having just a couple of hours left before embarking on the plane that will bring me back to Vilanova i la Geltrù, here I am writing only a few lines. Given that when my Comenius period began, almost four months ago, I had not started my writing activity yet, I could...
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Spanish Christmas time traditions
If one the one hand it is true that, echoing a well known Italian popular saying, the 6th of January carries away all the holiday atmosphere, on the other hand it is a good occasion to make a balance of the days elapsed in Christmas time. Undeniably a special period of...
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28th of December: Día de los Santos Inocentes
With these few lines I would like to thank those of you who have followed this blog during the last month. Indeed, you are reading my last entry, as I have decided to give up my activity as a blogger due to the stress which this writing activity implies... For those of...
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No place like Home
Celebrating Christmas within walking distance from the sea would have been a bit strange for me. As a matter of fact, I am accustomed to spend the Christmas holidays in Northern Italy, with a fairly different weather (quite cold, wet, and rainy or, in the best of cases,...
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Waiting for...el gordo
If in Christmas time you hear a Spaniard mentioning the word "gordo", he is referring neither to a particularly fat person nor to the former Brazilian football player Ronaldo, who was called in that way exactly for his excessive weight. As a matter of fact, el gordo is...
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Halfway to the glory
"Molt bè, molt bè!" "¡Venga, venga, venga!" With 3 kilometres still to go, I was starting to feel really tired, and doubted for the first time about successfully concluding my race. It was the support of the numerous bystanders, who were crowding the streets of...
