As a veggie I've found it a limited cuisine tbh.
If I could use/cook the lovely produce myself, then fine.
If I could use/cook the lovely produce myself, then fine.
Spanish Food
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Originally Posted by suki c:
“Well, I have lived in Spain for the past ten years and, I'm afraid to say, I really don't like Spanish food on the whole
I live in a rural area inland from the coast and am usually very disappointed by the tapas served in our local village - same old choice whichever bar you go into - and the food is often so salty that it's virtually inedible Things are a little better in our nearest large town - but not a lot!
I think paella, as served in bars and restaurants very over-rated and much prefer my own. Pretty much the only way potatoes are ever cooked are as chips and, despite the vast variety of vegetables grown here to be exported to the UK and northern Europe, we are served either mushy mixed frozen or tinned veg, or a greasy, lukewarm char-grilled pimiento on the side of the plate.
This photo of a plate of typical food is proudly presented by a local restaurant on their FB page - appetising? Not!!!
http://i.imgur.com/0GEk9Y3.jpg”
“Well, I have lived in Spain for the past ten years and, I'm afraid to say, I really don't like Spanish food on the whole
I live in a rural area inland from the coast and am usually very disappointed by the tapas served in our local village - same old choice whichever bar you go into - and the food is often so salty that it's virtually inedible Things are a little better in our nearest large town - but not a lot!
I think paella, as served in bars and restaurants very over-rated and much prefer my own. Pretty much the only way potatoes are ever cooked are as chips and, despite the vast variety of vegetables grown here to be exported to the UK and northern Europe, we are served either mushy mixed frozen or tinned veg, or a greasy, lukewarm char-grilled pimiento on the side of the plate.
This photo of a plate of typical food is proudly presented by a local restaurant on their FB page - appetising? Not!!!
http://i.imgur.com/0GEk9Y3.jpg”
Completely agree with you - we hardly ever eat out in Spain as they are all much of a muchness and my OH has had some awful paella is supposedly good restaurants.
I am at a loss to understand why they continue to serve those awful veg out of jars. Spain is not the best country in the world to be veggie - I am - another reason to eat at home.
(Could not get your picture to load)
Originally Posted by goldberry1:
“Ha! I like Spanish food and have had some nice stuff there - but have also had similar experiences to the above!”
“Ha! I like Spanish food and have had some nice stuff there - but have also had similar experiences to the above!
”
Originally Posted by jazzyjazzy:
“Completely agree with you - we hardly ever eat out in Spain as they are all much of a muchness and my OH has had some awful paella is supposedly good restaurants.
I am at a loss to understand why they continue to serve those awful veg out of jars. Spain is not the best country in the world to be veggie - I am - another reason to eat at home.
(Could not get your picture to load)”
“Completely agree with you - we hardly ever eat out in Spain as they are all much of a muchness and my OH has had some awful paella is supposedly good restaurants.
I am at a loss to understand why they continue to serve those awful veg out of jars. Spain is not the best country in the world to be veggie - I am - another reason to eat at home.
(Could not get your picture to load)”
I was a bit wary of posting my opinion as I know that Spanish food is the new 'in thing' but its popularity truly baffles me. I watched Nick Stein's series avidly hoping that he would unlock some 'hidden secrets' and I could finally discover what all the fuss is about, but no such luck.
jazzjazzy, here are couple of different links to the photo - maybe one of those will load for you
http://i.imgur.com/0GEk9Y3.jpg
http://imgur.com/0GEk9Y3
(Incidently - we had a lovely meal in a Chinese restaurant on the beach today
)
Originally Posted by Aftershow:
“They've managed to turn what are essentially bar snacks into 'restaurant cuisine' over here, and charging restaurant prices for small dishes.
You don't mind putting up with it if it is somehwere genuinely good (and there are some authentic places) but the likes of La Tasca are crap.”
“They've managed to turn what are essentially bar snacks into 'restaurant cuisine' over here, and charging restaurant prices for small dishes.
You don't mind putting up with it if it is somehwere genuinely good (and there are some authentic places) but the likes of La Tasca are crap.”
You could say that about most chains though of different cuisines.
Pizza hut and dominoes are crap, as are most indian restaurants.
I enjoyed that Rick Stein programme if only for the scenery - we went for a drive to find the house he filmed in in Adalucia - Villa la Era, Casarabonela about 45kms from Malaga - and it was miles from anywhere. They were going to do cooking classes there based on R.S's book but don't know if they ever happened as a friend was interesting in doing it until she looked at the prices!!!!
Spanish cuisine is fantastic, but as other posters have said, some bars and restaurants will just sell pre-made stuff - similar to what some pubs such as Wetherspoons do here I guess.
Originally Posted by Ads:
“Spanish cuisine is fantastic, but as other posters have said, some bars and restaurants will just sell pre-made stuff - similar to what some pubs such as Wetherspoons do here I guess.”
“Spanish cuisine is fantastic, but as other posters have said, some bars and restaurants will just sell pre-made stuff - similar to what some pubs such as Wetherspoons do here I guess.”
Avoid the bars and restaurants in Spain which display pictures of their food on their menus.
There used to be an excellent tapas restaurant on Pepper St in Docklands. Their baby squid in morcilla was fantastic.
Originally Posted by Kiko H Fan:
“Avoid the bars and restaurants in Spain which display pictures of their food on their menus.
There used to be an excellent tapas restaurant on Pepper St in Docklands. Their baby squid in morcilla was fantastic.”
“Avoid the bars and restaurants in Spain which display pictures of their food on their menus.
There used to be an excellent tapas restaurant on Pepper St in Docklands. Their baby squid in morcilla was fantastic.”
I once went to a restaurant in Barcelona that had massive pictures of the food everywhere because my Time Out guide said it was excellent. It was pound for pound probably the best meal I've ever eaten.
Have put on a couple of pounds after eating home made Spanish food - have suddenly remembered the slim Spanish girls but their rotund mothers - maybe a period of time eating something plainer and less greasy will help.....
Originally Posted by suki c:
“Well, I have lived in Spain for the past ten years and, I'm afraid to say, I really don't like Spanish food on the whole
I live in a rural area inland from the coast and am usually very disappointed by the tapas served in our local village - same old choice whichever bar you go into - and the food is often so salty that it's virtually inedible Things are a little better in our nearest large town - but not a lot!
I think paella, as served in bars and restaurants very over-rated and much prefer my own. Pretty much the only way potatoes are ever cooked are as chips and, despite the vast variety of vegetables grown here to be exported to the UK and northern Europe, we are served either mushy mixed frozen or tinned veg, or a greasy, lukewarm char-grilled pimiento on the side of the plate.
This photo of a plate of typical food is proudly presented by a local restaurant on their FB page - appetising? Not!!!
http://i.imgur.com/0GEk9Y3.jpg”
“Well, I have lived in Spain for the past ten years and, I'm afraid to say, I really don't like Spanish food on the whole
I live in a rural area inland from the coast and am usually very disappointed by the tapas served in our local village - same old choice whichever bar you go into - and the food is often so salty that it's virtually inedible Things are a little better in our nearest large town - but not a lot!
I think paella, as served in bars and restaurants very over-rated and much prefer my own. Pretty much the only way potatoes are ever cooked are as chips and, despite the vast variety of vegetables grown here to be exported to the UK and northern Europe, we are served either mushy mixed frozen or tinned veg, or a greasy, lukewarm char-grilled pimiento on the side of the plate.
This photo of a plate of typical food is proudly presented by a local restaurant on their FB page - appetising? Not!!!
http://i.imgur.com/0GEk9Y3.jpg”
Further to my post above re the lack of veggies - here's the latest offering from the same restaurant for their special Valentine's night dinner, pork tenderloin with moscatel sauce.
Apart from it looking totally unappetising, with that greasy thick sauce, - who on earth would serve rice and potatoes on the same plate and NO veggies? Ah well - I suppose at least the potatoes aren't chips for a change
http://i.imgur.com/ATTJeZD.jpg
If only the rice was just in a mound on the plate and not in a mould then it could have been one of my offerings 
Seriously though, even I don't serve rice & potatoes together (well not that often - and I do like a lasagna with chips and garlic bread)
Seriously though, even I don't serve rice & potatoes together (well not that often - and I do like a lasagna with chips and garlic bread
)
Granada IMO is the best place for tapas. Always a free tapa with a drink. Obviously some will be more to one's taste than others, but generally are palatable and generous.
I was with my son at a village bar in the lecrin valley recently and we were served an absolutely huge plate of jamon with two beers. The bill was less than 3 euros.
I was with my son at a village bar in the lecrin valley recently and we were served an absolutely huge plate of jamon with two beers. The bill was less than 3 euros.
Originally Posted by suki c:
“Further to my post above re the lack of veggies - here's the latest offering from the same restaurant for their special Valentine's night dinner, pork tenderloin with moscatel sauce.
Apart from it looking totally unappetising, with that greasy thick sauce, - who on earth would serve rice and potatoes on the same plate and NO veggies? Ah well - I suppose at least the potatoes aren't chips for a change
http://i.imgur.com/ATTJeZD.jpg”
“Further to my post above re the lack of veggies - here's the latest offering from the same restaurant for their special Valentine's night dinner, pork tenderloin with moscatel sauce.
Apart from it looking totally unappetising, with that greasy thick sauce, - who on earth would serve rice and potatoes on the same plate and NO veggies? Ah well - I suppose at least the potatoes aren't chips for a change
http://i.imgur.com/ATTJeZD.jpg”
It is quite usual to have a large salad served with such a dish. In my experience vegetables are served as a seperate course. Meat and two veg (on the same plate) is not a Spanish tradition.
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