Tortilla Española

After paella, tortilla Española is Spain's most well known dish. Similar to an omelette, this tasty dish of eggs, potato, and onion is consumed day and night, hot or cold, all over the country. I've had many tortillas in my life, but none are as good as Santos's famous tortilla. I was recently in Spain and was lucky enough to chat with 80 year old Santos. He still frequents his bar everyday for a slice of the tortilla that's four inches thick.
The balance of the simple egg and onion flavors is sheer culinary bliss. Located next to the historic Mezquita, this crowded bar is a landmark in itself. Santos refused to reveal the secret to his tremendous tortilla, but I'm assuming practice and love are two of the ingredients. To take a look at a recipe and all of the pics from my afternoon excursion to Santos, read more

Food plays an important role in the film that got Penelope Cruz a best actress Oscar nomination, Volver. Raimunda, Cruz's character, receives food from her deceased mother and ends up running a restaurant in Madrid. The food in the movie, like that in the Spanish culture, symbolizes a sense of community, family, and tradition. Instead of hiring a restaurant or caterers to prepare the food in the film, director Pedro Almodovar recruited his two sisters to cook authentic dishes from his childhood in La Mancha. In the movie, Tortilla Española, perhaps the most common traditional dish, is paired with my personal favorite Spanish dish, Pisto Manchego (I like to eat my pisto the Andalucian way with a fried egg and French fries). For the recipes and to watch the trailer for Volver, read more