I watch a lot of cooking and travel shows. One of my all-time favorites was Made in Spain which introduced me to many of the regions, cuisines and dishes of Spain, and made me a fan of Jose Andres and his expanding empire of restaurants.
During Covid, when Andres was not juggling the survival of his restaurants and employees or managing worldwide relief efforts through World Central Kitchen, he evidently made a series of YouTube videos featuring his daughters cooking with him at home. I haven’t found those videos, but they led to the idea of a Discovery+ series of Andres and his daughters traveling, eating, cooking and bonding together through Spain. The series premiered in December 2022. I subscribed to the Discovery+ streaming service in order to watch the shows (some clips from the series are here). It’s a sweet series, with Jose’s three daughters enduring and sometimes taming his over-the-top exuberance.
They visit six cities/regions and try some delicious (and some not-so-delicious) looking food. I decided to write down their itinerary, restaurants visited and dishes featured in the series…so I can maybe someday track down some of those dishes.
Jose Andres and Family in Spain: episodes, food and restaurants:
- Barcelona. Tapas 24 restaurant for tapas: raw red shrimp, la bomba (meat-filled fritter), bikini (ham and cheese sandwich with truffle), croquetas (chicken and ham). Bar Pinotxo, Las Ramblas for breakfast: cafe con leche, xuxo (croissant but fried and filled with cream, covered in sugar), gambas. La Bouqueria market: Mar y Montana (surf and turf): cigales (prawn/lobster), chicken, truffle. Road trip to Roses, El Bulli (now a museum). Lunch with Ferran Adria. Back in Barcelona, Disfrutar (3 chefs from El Bulli, 2 Michelin stars): dinner at the chef’s table. Amazing, over the top creations, dessert in the table. Escriba pastry shop: Crema Catalana, buñuelo de Ines. Drive to Villafranca del Penedes and Sant Sadurni D’Anoia: Cava, human towers, calcots (grilled spring onions), grilled sausage, lamb chops.
- Andalusia. Cordoba. Casa Pepe: Alcachofas Confitadas con Jamon Iberico (ham, eggs, artichokes), Berenjenas con miel de cana (fried eggplant with cane sugar), gazpacho, salmorejo (bread and garlic soup), mazamorra (almond soup), moorish skewers (pinchos, lamb). Vejer de la Frontera (white town near Cadiz). La Venta del Toros: gazpacho, Huevos rotos (broken eggs with potatoes, sausage, onions). Zahara de los Atunes, end of April/early May…fresh tuna. Restaurante Antonio: smoked tuna belly, sashimi, tuna tartare, grilled tuna belly steak. Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Casa Balbino: tortillitas de camarones (crispy shrimp fritters, but thinner). Jerez de la Frontera, annual festival time, Feria
- Madrid. La Plaza Mayor. El Riojano bakery, pastel de canejo (lemon cookies), torrija de leche (french bread, spanish style), more pastries. Posada de la Villa: lechado asado (roasted baby lamb). Venta del Dulces: convent cookies. El Rastro flea/food Sunday street market in South Madrid, Bar Santurce: sardinas a la plancha, padron peppers. Next door to Aceitunas Jimenez: olive and pickle tapas, mejillones en escabeche (marinated mussels on potato chips). El Capricho Extremeño: tostas, sangria. Chocolat Madrid: churros and chocolate. Restaurant Docamar: patatas bravas, cana beer. Mercado de la Paz, jamon iberico. Cooking lunch with chef friends.
- Valencia. Casa Carmela, Paella Valenciana vs Arroz de Pescados y Mariscos. Trip to Albufera Natural Park for rice growing, other agriculture. Ca Cent Duros in Orboto, Esmorzaret (a small meal, farmers’ breakfast sandwiches…elaborate hoagies or Po’Boys). Arroceria Las Bairetas for wood-fired paella lesson, including the socarrat (crunchy rice base). Cocas (flatbreads with lots of different toppings, pizzas before pizza but no cheese) at Horno y Pasteleria Alfonso Martinez. Mercado Central for paella ingredients. Bunuelos (fried dough, doughnuts). Horchata. Fallas week, paella competition.
- Asturias. Arriondas, Casa Marcial (Michelin star restaurant), Casa Gerardo (Jose’s favorite restaurant in the world, near Gijon), Asturian tortos, fabada (bean stew), arroz con leche. Cabo Vidio, picking percebes, eat ‘em freshly boiled in sea water. Oviedo, sideria street (hard cider), cachopo (veal scallopini). Camilo de Blas pastry shop for breakfast, casadielles (pastry stick), carbayones (Spanish eclairs, sugar on sugar). San Feliz, foraging wild mushrooms, Monte restaurant, chestnut appetizer, boletus mushrooms raw, Asturian steak (9 years old), Asturian cheesecake. Picos mountains, more Asturian cheese (more than 50 varieties). Gamoneu bleu cheese, milking cows, sheep and goats, making cheese, aging in caves. Family feast at friend’s super house, prepared by Jose and the girls.
- Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Sorbets made from local fruits at a Heladeria stand. El Risco, fresh seafood: lapas (limpets), mojo (red and green), crispy fried morena (moray eel). Jose cooks lunch in the camper van: garlic shrimp (procures Gambas de la Santa and considers Carabineros from La Santa fishing village), bonita potatoes from La Tienda de Lourdes in Soo village for Papas Arrogadas, also ingredients for mojo. Harvesting sea salt from the village of Tenesar. Village of Haria for Puchero Canario (stew). Wine from Bodegas El Grifo vineyard in La Geria. A final feast at a chef’s house featuring carabineros, goat (cabrito), dragonfruit (pitaya).
Someday, I hope to visit at least a few of these places and taste some of the dishes. Top of the list items for me include: bikini tapas, cigales, calcots, Alcachofas Confitadas con Jamon Iberico, gazpacho, huevos rotos, fresh tuna at Restaurante Antonio, tortillitas de camarones from Casa Balbino, sardinas a la plancha, padron peppers, olive and pickle tapas, mejillones en escabeche, tostas, churros and chocolate, esmorzaret sandwiches, cocas, Asturian tortos, fabada, cachopo, Asturian steak, Asturian cheese, Canary fresh seafood with mojo. Just a few things to look for somewhere along the way.
