I was asked to write a little newsletter about my trip for the store I work at in Marin. Here's last week's newsletter.
Only one thing pops into my head when I think of the magical city of Sevilla. Oranges. I could also say almonds and olives, since there are so many in the areas nearby like Estepa, which is famous for its mantecados and polvorones. I could say bullfights and flamenco, which are both important to its history and culture. 
But I’ll stick to oranges because it’s hard to ignore the bright orange globes dangling from the trees that line each boulevard and the calles during the winter months.
Although they are not sweet oranges, I was tempted a few times to pick at least one. Luckily, there are many alternate ways to eat Seville’s bitter oranges. My personal favorite: candied and covered in dark chocolate. I had intended to bring some back home with me from the Confiteria Los Angeles in the city cente r, but they never even made it back to Barcelona with me. 
Another one of my favorite methods of enjoying the bitter oranges is by eating Ines Rosales Tortas de Aceite, which I was so happy to see again at The Spanish Table in Mill Valley when I returned. With a little bit of oil and a little bit of sugar, there’s just enough hint of citrus to make your taste buds work a little. I like it with some creamy cheese, like Tetilla, that blends in with the bitter orange.
You can’t really starve in Seville, and you definitely can’t go thirsty either. We spent a whole afternoon “tapiando”, as my cousin calls it. Tapas are such a big part of Spanish culture that she says they’ve turned it into a verb as in “Vamos a tapiar” or “Estamos tapiando”. Basically it’s bar hopping in the middle of the afternoon, drinking lots wine, beer, and sangria while enjoying quite a few bites of deliciousness.
We started in the Santa Cruz neighborhood with beer and paella that was being cooked on a Butano. Then we headed down the street to the square in front of the Cathedral for croquettes and a glass of Rioja, followed by sangria and “surprise tapas” consisting of potato salad, fried anchovies and chicken Seville style. My poor cousin is vegetarian, not an easy thing to be while studying abroad in Spain. It took her a while to adjust, but she now has found that her favorite Spanish dish is Patatas Bravas, which we ate lots of. I’ve made some since getting back home using the Mi Conserva Salsa Brava, which reminds me the most of the sauce used in Seville.
After wandering around the streets most of the day, it was time for some coffee and sitting at a café to watch people. I think its wonderful how in Spain after 18:00 hours everyone heads out in their best attire and the streets are crowded with some of the best-dressed people who are out to see and be seen during the evening paseo down Calle Constitucion. That’s also when everyone does their evening window-shopping. We came across Felix’s Posters, an awesome little shop with vintage Flamenco and bullfighting posters. My favorite one is the Cruzcampo Beer poster from the 1930s.
Sometimes while traveling throughout Andalusia you don’t get much time to eat a whole meal, especially if you have a bus to catch or need to stay focused while driving. I’ve always been a fan of sandwiches, but the Spanish bring a different sophistication to their bocadillos.
Since I’ve been back home I’ve been making myself some fun bocadillos for lunch. I get a sweet baguette and a jar of El Navarrico Salsa Tumaco con Ajo. Then I just add whatever I want to it – slices of Manchego, Jamon Serrano, or Ortiz Bonito tuna. It’s a simple and fun way to make bringing lunch to work a little more exotic. Plus, it makes the whole adjustment back to reality a little easier to handle.
Until next time . . . Buen Provecho!
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