Fiesta de Jamón Ibérico de Bellota
Need I say more…?
Well okay, you also get two glasses of fino with each 15€ plate of 5 Jotas jamón ordered (which is a great price even without the free wine) and if you check in on either 4-Square or Yelp during the fiesta you’ll receive a 375 ml. bottle of Osborne fino. See you there!
Ensaladilla de gambas at Puracepa and Petit Comite
Most people who know me also know that I don’t much like ensaladilla (aka ensaladilla rusa). To me it tastes like bland over-cooked potato chunks slathered in cheap mayo, which is supposed to be enhanced by the flavours of either gambas or tuna. Usually it just tastes like a gloopy mess of tired potatoes and commercial mayo that maybe – just maybe! – spent a short amount of time in the same room as a gamba. So yeah, why eat this calorie-laden mess when I could eat other delicious tapas that are totally worth it? And why is it considered to be one of Sevilla’s most prized tapas to the extent that there are competitions to find the Very Best ensaladilla in town? Well, the mind reels.
Happily I have discovered two – and so far only two – ensaladillas in Sevilla that pass muster, which are also featured on the front page of Sevilla Tapas this month. One has been my favourite since I first discovered Puracepa back in 2009, and it has remained my favourite until just very recently. Why? Because it has chunks of nicely cooked potato mixed with a good mayo and an absurd amount of juicy plump cooked prawns, and then it’s topped with hard-boiled quail eggs and strips of roasted red pepper. Heaven.
Then back in June I tasted the fab ensaladilla at Petit Comite with gambones and basil oil. The potatoes are cooked in the water used to boil the king prawns, which adds amazing flavour and is enhanced by the touch of basil. Loved it at first bite.
I can’t say one is better than the other because I actually love both of them – go and try them yourself and let me know what you think. What I can say is that these two ensaladillas are the only ones that have ever made me want to finish the entire dish and to hell with the calories. But I’d be interested to know what ensaladilla is your favourite and where it can be found.
Well this came as a pleasant surprise! I have been chosen to be one of the five gastronomy experts to do the final judging for an ambitious new project headed by the Sevilla Tourism Board to promote Sevilla’s Gastronomic Heritage, AKA the tapa, as a tourist attraction.
From today until September 5th, locals and visitors to Sevilla can vote on both their favourite tapa and favourite establishment. The list of tapas on the Visit Sevilla Facebook Page starts with around 18 dishes but voters can also add their choices. After the judging has taken place this will become a list of the top 14 tapas in the city and the best places to try them, which will then be included in a guide book.
The other expert judges chosen are:
So as you can see I am in excellent company. And as you can also see in the photo below taken at this morning’s presentation at City Hall (photo courtesy of Raúl Doblado ABC Sevilla) I’m not only the only non-Spaniard, but also the only woman. One step at a time…
Best individual Twitter account about Gastronomy in Sevilla
So this is it… my first ever award! I tell you, nobody was more surprised than me when I found out I had been nominated for this (by whom??). And then I won! Well, that really blew me away. This is so meaningful to me for many reasons, not least of which is that I was the only non-Spanish person to win (and possibly to be nominated). As most of you know, my Sevilla Tapas blog (which is now more of a listing or guide than a blog) began by accident about six years ago. Then I started with the @SevillaTapas Twitter account in 2009 and since then what began as a hobby eventually evolved into me doing the Sevilla Tapas Tours, and of course, becoming the Queen of Tapas. 😉 But seriously, being recognised like this by my adopted city and True Home in this world really means a lot to me. I am thrilled to pieces.
This year the 3rd @Blogosur Gala (#3GalaBlogosur) took place at the splendiferously elegant Lope de Vega Theatre. Journalists, designers, entrepreneurs, politicians, and of course bloggers and social network enthusiasts, gathered there on Monday for the event. I wasn’t able to attend because – natch! – I had a tapas tour booked that evening. And so my friend @SarayPineda who works for the Sevilla Tourism Board @CiudadSevilla and specialises in promoting gastronomy as a tourist attraction, very kindly agreed to go to the gala in my place. Which really was a blessing because although I was so happy to be nominated and would have loved to be at the Gala, I probably would have had a nervous breakdown having to go up on stage and look out over a full theatre of people looking back at me. Eep! Much better to have a poised and articulate person up there representing me! And one who shares the same goals.
The categories for best Blogs and Twitter accounts were: News, Fiestas, Culture, Technology, Personal, Fashion, Sport and Gastronomy (that last one was just added this year!). For a list of all the winners have a look at the Blogosur Blog.
Many thanks to everyone at the Blogosur Group and Twitteros de Sevilla – and Saray! – and also to D.O. Estepa for the lovely prize. And of course my heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful tapas bars and restaurants that have made me feel so welcome over the years and have allowed me to become a part of their world. Together we are showing the rest of the world that the gastronomy of Sevilla is not only diverse and delicious but is even a reason in itself for visiting this beautiful city.
Below is the prize that came with my award. I’m not sure whether to sprinkle it over my salad or dab it behind my ears. Isn’t it fab? 🙂
Extra Virgin Olive Oil from D.O. Estepa @doestepa
