Jamón slicing, date-eating Iberian pigs and other reasons to say hot diggity!

I love this Spanish jamón slicing guide that I got from the blog of my friend Santiago Orts, botanist extraordinaire and co-founder of the amazing company Huerto Gourmet.

Though Santiago is known for the incredible and often rare heirloom fruits and vegetables that are found in his orchards in Elche (Alicante), he recently made a foray into the world of Spain’s most delectable treat: JAMÓN (nectar of the gods).

At recent gastronomic event Madrid Fusión, Santiago got together with noted Guijuelo (Salamanca) Ibérico ham maker Atanasio Carrasco of Carrasco to present their fascinating new collaboration, the product of three years of experimentation and “research”, which I am sure often came down to getting together and eating a lot of ham. Poor souls.

Basically, the new project consisted of raising Iberian pigs on the fresh dates that Santiago’s orchards are so famous for, instead of the usual bellota (acorns).

I got to taste the results first hand at Madrid Fusión, biting into the sweet and somewhat creamier textures of first salchichón and then ham made from these pigs.

Mega close-up of date-fed Ibérico salchichón

Though the two confessed that there are no immediate plans to retail these products, and also that it costs ten times more for the pigs to eat fresh dates than the coveted acorns, I still find the idea fascinating and more than worthy of an enthusiastic “hot diggity”.

With regards to the ham-slicing chart, it is worth a study. In fact, few people realize just how difficult a task it is to slice a ham, and particularly to slice it well.
At home, we usually have to watch the same YouTube instructional guide several times before attacking the Christmas jamón, and then after slicing for a few days (very painstaking and tiring work – particularly when you are salivating heavily), we give in and take it to our local market where they slice what is left and put it in vacuum-sealed bags for us. I should point out that I say "we", but I really mean E.
What???  It’s called division of labor!

Food Drama at Madrid Fusion

Burrata Marina by Ángel León of Aponiente. Photo by Álvaro Fernández Prieto.

Madrid Fusion came and went again this year, leaving me with a bunch of blurry photos taken with my iphone and a notebook full of impressions that I am little by little hoping to share.

By way of a start, the following will take you to the article that I wrote about the event for El País (English) - found within the International Herald Tribune:

Creativity Blooms at Madrid Fusion

A Comer y A Beber: a tasty read by Guillaume Long

Photo: courtesy of the Instituto Francés

Last week I had the pleasure of presenting the newly released book A Comer y A Beber (Editorial Sins Entido) by Swiss illustrator and food enthusiast Guillaume Long. 
I am ashamed to say, however, that after a hectic week of food, food and more food presentations at Madrid Fusión, all I can think of to say right now is, "It is a great book, you should buy it"; but at the time, like the studious gal nervous for her first book presentation that I am, I prepared a list of some of the highlights from this fantastic gastronomic-comic.

Here are just a few of them:

- This book made me very hungry and also made me want to go to the market and then start cooking.

- It is not just a comic book about food, or a cookbook with illustrations. It is also a dictionary of food terms, an encyclopedia of interesting facts about things like vegetables abd regional cuisines, an autobiography, a guide for where to eat in what city and an emotional roller coaster of Guillaume's culinary triumphs and defeats.

- It has a back page that you can tear out and hang up in your kitchen showing fruits and vegetables classified by season. It would be very useful if your husband would let you tear out pages from comic books.

- Guillaume loves making lists: lists of ingredients, recipes, behavioral tips, advice, etc. His lists are not always about wonderful, fabulous things. Sometimes he also makes lists of things he doesn't like. I also love to make lists, usually when I'm procrastinating. I wonder if Guillaume ever procrastinates?

- Despite the meticulous quality of his recipes and instructions, I can relate to how excited and over zealous he can get in the kitchen or when dining out. I have also been known to declare something, "the best in the whole wide world", or "the best I've ever had in my entire life", several times in one meal. I also understand what he means when he talks about how one amazing dish in a restaurant has the power to make everything else about the experience more wonderful (the waiter is suddenly nice, the wine is suddenly better, the cockroach is suddenly a pet, etc.)

In short, this book is a perfect kitchen or travel companion that I would never want to damage with sauce or stuff into my suitcase. Be sure to check out the source of this wonderful content on Guillaume's blog on the online version of Le Monde.

(uncomfortable pause)

Oh dear, I did just check it out, and the latest entry is apparently what Guillaume took away gastronomically from Madrid. What he doesn't realize is that I have hard photographic evidence of him eating more delicious things while here.

Actually, it seems I don't have any evidence after all, other than this photo of him in El Abuelo drawing, not eating, with a whole bunch of shrimp peels on the floor behind him.

Maybe it was my fault. We did make him draw us all postcards...

A Comer y A Beber
by Guillaume Long
Editorial Sins Eentido

Gastrofestival Madrid

A first taste of Degustapas at the presentation this morning.

This morning I attended the official presentation of this year's edition of Gastrofestival at the Museo Thyssen. In its third year, this citywide event is an offshoot of the marvelous annual gastronomic conference Madrid Fusion, which kicks off tomorrow. While the three days of conferences that make up Madrid Fusion are mainly directed towards chefs, restaurant professionals and intense foodies, Gastrofestival was conceived of as a way of involving the rest of the city's citizens and tourists in this yearly celebration of gastronomic culture and all things edible.

Establishments all over the city will be participating in the many different facets of this festival. Degustapas, consists of dozens of bars and taverns that will be serving up a special tapa and a small bottle of Mahou beer for 3 Euros. Additionally, a long list of restaurants will be offering special menus priced at 25 or 40 Euros. However, my absolute favorite initiative (which admittedly I have yet to try) is called Cena con Las Estrellas (dinner with the stars), during which several of the visiting international chefs from Madrid Fusion are paired up with restaurants in Madrid, where they prepare their special (75 Euro) menus for only a day or two.

Of course in addition to all of these opportunities to eat eat eat, the festival also provides Madrileños with plenty of culture culture culture. Held from January 23rd -  February 5th, Gastrofestival extends beyond the restaurant scene and into gastronomically-themed expositions in museums and art galleries; special offers, courses and lectures in specialty shops and cooking schools; and even a food-themed film series at the Filmoteca Nacional.
Needless to say, this is the perfect opportunity for me to shamelessly plug the participating exhibition in my mother-in-law's art gallery, Pelayo47,  by José Manuel Nuevo entitled Cosas del Comer.