VittlesVamp

No Sleep Till Barcelona

Time to break out the tapas! Planning a trip to Spain for May and decided to get a head start with a little help from my friends.

Sangria was poured. Asturian cider was gulped. Pinxtos were eaten. We're talking about toasts piled with sweet piquillo peppers and rich bits of glistening sardine, skewers of baby tomato, manzanilla olives and mouthpuckering white anchovies, and more toasts with even more piquillo peppers, this time stuffed with buttery blue cheese and hot peppers for good measure.

Platters of Serrano ham and lomo, alongside Manchengo and Idiazabal cheese were nibbled. Chorizo was stewed in wine and shrimp was sauteed with good olive oil and slivers of garlic. All was consumed with gusto.

Then the Spanish Tortilla was served toasty warm from its oil slick pan, dotted with red pepper, onion, and eggplant, slathered with homemade, garlicky good aiolli.

Dessert was densely perfumed Olive Oil Cake infused with orange zest and topped with a flurry of sliced almonds.

While I'm hoping that culinary stops in Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona kick it out of the parque, it's nice to know that I can get my Español on closer to home -- or at home as it were.

Apple Sans Cinnamon

As an American, I've always thought that apples and cinnamon were a match made in heaven. But, according to my Cordon Bleu-trained Parisian friend Alexandra, cinnamon is "blech!" Goodness knows my Pastitsio would seem a travesty to her Frenchified, cinnamon-offended tastes, but even desserts with merely a sprinkle of the spice illicit an "ick!"

I never understood why.

Then a branch of Maison Kayser opened in my neighborhood. Who was I to resist the draw of a freshly baked Baguette Monge? And, then I saw it. Apple Tart, gloriously tiled slices of apple graced with a light glaze atop a thin piece of pastry. No cinnamon in sight. One bite and I knew that it wasn't necessary. This was pure unadulterated apple ecstasy.

Will I now scorn my once beloved cinnamon in stick or powdered form? Non! But I will say "Oui" to another slice of that tart.

Life-Altering Cornbread

Most SXSW Interactive attendees came home from Austin with stories about the on-stage sessions, brand activations, and virtual reality demonstrations.

Admittedly, all of those things were impressive, but I was about a different type of excitement -- and it came in a cast iron skillet.

Forget about waiting on line to get to see President Obama, to get on the Mr. Robot ferris wheel, or to check out the Samsung rollercoaster virtual reality experience. Get a move onto a restaurant called Corner in the JW Marriott and order up some of their awe-inspiring Zucchini Cornbread.

So. Not. Kidding.

This stuff was life changing. I am a new woman; a reinvigorated human being ready to take on the world.

I found nirvana in a warm, crisp, hauntingly rich and sweet slice of luscious Zucchini Cornbread.

And, you bet that I asked real nice and got the recipe.

And, if you ask real nice, maybe I can change your life by sharing it.