Palma Mallorca Spain

Today was spent wandering the old streets in Palma. First a hop on hop off double decker tour for orientation then a nice relaxed lunch, a stroll through to old streets and up to the amazing imposing cathedral...and to finish the day a wine looking back at it across the water way at the foot if the cathedral.

Farm to table at sea!

A class in the on board kitchen.

Today a basic farm to table concept class with an entrée of roasted Carrot Soup, A salad of broccoli and baked ricotta, ending with a tart with lovely currents.

We will post the recipes in the coming days they need a bit of deciphering!

 

 

 

 

Special night on board shared with our new Tassy friends.

Special night on board shared with our new Tassy friends.
The plating is stunning.

 

Starters were little taste bombs

Lobster salad

 

Lobster in a seafood bisque

 

Pork belly with avocado

 

Beetroot risotto with sweetbread's

Sea bass 

Cod

 

The desert a deconstructed apple pie, it was all edible.

The star anise, vanilla pod and the cinnamon sticks were made to look real but were a gel and tasted as they looked!

 

 

Cute Bed Art

Bacolao and Eusaladilla Rusa

 Bacolao

 

In Spain, this dried salted cod is everywhere … not a big fan, yet, but its early days and as it is also in Sicily in the south Italy I'm sure we will see and try it again again.

Mission - try again and report back if my next try is a better experience!!

 

Eusaladilla Rusa
Spain's Favourite Salad

 

This is a Russian salad and being a little bit curious when I found a English speaking Spaniard waitress I had to ask the question.

The answer was … the only connection this salad has to Russia it that this salad is served cold and so is Russia! Ok then, thanks for that…

We have had this several times as part of a tapas with bread, as a spread or today it was served wrapped in smoked salmon.

 

So still looking at how to make it.

Hint one

I know it has eggs on it !!!
I could see small carrot cubes
real detective Pete
Plus could taste of potato, mayonnaise and tuna

 

 

 

Old and New

Complete contrasts the old and the new arenas here in Cartagena.

It’s up on top of the hill in the centre of the old city and I can only imagine how great the sound would be … just filling the air on a barmy night.

 

 

 

Maybe one-day Kylie or Madonna will sing for me here hmmmmm … dream on Pete

Looking Up in Spain

Walking the smooth pedestrian streets of Spain

 

 

The architecture is just amazing and I’m getting a stiff neck from always looking up, its just so beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The marble is everywhere

 

Loose Sherry

The local Spanish food markets are great places to get your daily bread, but is also a great place for tourist Sandy and Pete to get thy daily Sherry! as they say when in Spain … or is that Rome! anyway after a few glasses let’s not get to geographical!

 

Pedro Ximenez by the litre … simply heaven and in easy accessible stainless steel, how convenient.

 

 

For my non-sherry drinking blog readers, yes! … sad I know, there are people out in blog world that are yet to experience some of the delights of the palette, but who doesn’t like sherry, it so versatile. After my sherry and food paring day the other day … now I’m sooooo learn er ed ( hmmm can’t spell it … but someone will correct my spelling via the comments )

 

“Pedro” or if we were to translate that it would be “Pete”, so “Pedro” being nothing like his name sake! is sweet, with intense raisin flavours, is syrupy and a little bit moreish…  and at 4.90 E a litre a true bargain.

 

Now Moscatel a grape that I haven’t head of since I was a kid, well our wonderful assistant guided us to blend both sherry’s 50/50 wow what a blend … 2 happy tourists.  

 

Paella Cooking Class

Paella soooooo Spanish

Look at that smile ... someone LOVES to cook

 

 

Look at that smile ... someone LOVES to eat!!

 

 

Simple once you know a few of the tricks

Trick one get Spanish help ... meet Amparo our chef for the day

 

 

1st get the stock on ... but here in Spain turnips are included and no celery.

 

 

 

 

Oil and garlic

 

 

Green chilly and salt

 

 

Now chicken

 

 

Cook a bit on low heat to start to cook the chicken (don't brown)

 

Red capsicum

 

 

 

Tomato pulp

 

 

 

Create a sauce add to the garlic and parsley in the pestle and mortar

 

 

 

 

Flood with stock

 

 

 Get more advice on the heat

 

 

 Make it look pretty

 

 

Stand back and let it cook for 20ish min's

 

 

 

 

Open a bottle but no for the Paella ... this one's for the cooks

 

 

So the tricks

"look and listen to the Paella"

Look that the heat is not to high and listen till you hear that the sound of the Paella changes from bubbling to sizzling as we are wanting a crust on the bottom and DONT stir one the rice goes in once you hear the sizzle turn the heat off and  

then cover with foil and a cloth

 

 

Open another bottle as we have another 20min's top wait

 

 

 

Happy Days!!!