Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Madrid


Although modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times with archaeological remains of Carpetani settlement, Roman villas, a Visigoth basilica and three Visigoth necropoli nearby, the first historical document of an established settlement in Madrid dates from the Muslim age. At the second half of the 9th century, Emir Muhammad I of Córdoba built a fortress on a headland near the river Manzanares, as one of the many fortresses built on the border between Al-Andalus and the kingdoms of León and Castile, to protect Toledo from Christian invasions.  As today we use the phrase, "Holy Toledo!", we know how well that worked for him.  With the surrender of Toledo, Christians conquered Madrid in 1085.  In 1561 Philip II of Spain moved his court from Valladolid to Madrid.  Madrid then became the political center of the monarchy.  During the reign of Philips III and IV, Madrid saw a period of cultural brilliance, with the presence of geniuses such the painter Diego Velázquez and authors and poets Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco de Quevedo and Lope de Vega.  It was also flooded with gold from Mexico.  Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities of Spain in the Civil War (1936–1939). The city was a stronghold of the Republicans from July 1936.  After the death of Franco and the start of the democratic regime, the 1978 constitution confirmed Madrid as the capital of Spain.  Which brings back to the present.  With buildings with green walls or missing ground floors.






Many consider Madrid one of the top European destinations for art, known for the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado which comprises of three museums in order: the Prado Prado Museum, known for such highlights as Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas and Francisco de Goya's La maja vestida and La maja desnuda; the Reina Sofía Museum, where Pablo Picasso's Guernica hangs; and The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum that fills the historical gaps in the others collections.  If museums aren't your thing and you trash your time watching shows about celebrity lifestyles you could check out the Royal Palace.  Same opinion goes for the Plaza Mayor unless there's an event, much better, just a block away is Mercado San Miguel.  For a walk in the park, Retiro Park would be well worth the time spent.  Below are a few shots inside and outside of the the Reina Sofía Museum.


Picasso's Guernica







Tuesday, October 4, 2016

La comida en DSTAgE en Madrid (Lunch at DSTAgE in Madrid)


Un feliz grupo acerca de ser tan feliz como una almeja.
A happy group about to become as happy as a clam


Ceviche de almeja de la navaja de afeitar sirvió en las cáscaras presentado una cama de alga con del humo del hielo seco.  Más tiernas almejas que he tenido jamás.

Razor clam ceviche served on the shells presented on a bed of seaweed on top of a bed of dry ice smoke. Most tender clams I've ever had.





Quisquillas o gambas cocinados en una sal bloque con cebolletas luego sirvió en un una galleta hecha del camarón y rellenar primero con una leche de ceviche, entonces una salsa hecha de extracto de cabezas de camarón y chile y la ralladura de limón.

Quisquillas or gambas (who's quibbling?) cooked on a salt block with scallions then served on a cracker made from shrimp and topped first with a leche de ceviche, then a sauce made from extract of shrimp heads, and chili and grated lime peel.


Pato de Pekín, el foie gras encajonado entre hojas de gelificado pato esencia.
Peking duck, foie gras sandwiched between sheets of gelled duck essence.



Pandan sirvió tres maneras, como un té mezclado con lemongrass y las micro verduras, servidos como un polvo en una hoja y como un gel que rodea un centro de crema de coco. Pandan es una hoja usada en la cocina del Sureste asiático como una hierba.
Pandan served three ways, as a tea mixed with lemongrass and micro greens, served as a powder on a leaf and as a gel surrounding a coconut cream center.  Pandan is a leaf used in SE Asian cooking as an herb.


El aguacate con el chile sirvió caliente en un caldo de zumo de la Yuca fermentado.
Avocado with chili served warm in a broth of fermented Yucca juice.


Pulpo y tomatillo y polvo del chile con una espuma hecha de pulpo.
Pulpo and tomatillo and chili powder with a foam made from pulpo.


Ravioli de frijoles negros con papel de arroz para los tallarines servido con 'las alubias' del puré del chorizo envuelto en un gel molecular en un caldo de la col. 
(No intente hacer esto en casa)
Ravioli of black beans using rice paper for noodles served with 'beans' of chorizo puree wrapped in a molecular gel in a cabbage broth. 
(Don’t try this one at home)


Mejillas de cerdo cocinado en una hoja del plátano cubierta de arroz soplado tostado y camarón seco sirvió en un caldo de cerdo.
Mejillas de cerdo cooked in a banana leaf coated with toasted puffed rice and dried shrimp served in a pork broth.



El caldo del apio nabo espesado con la yema de huevo y ralló la trufa adornada por tupinambo crudo, canterelas, fuego tostada cebollines y micro verdes.  El caldo llegó a la mesa en un recipiente del raíz de apio con todo lo demás terminado al lado de la mesa.

Celery root broth thickened with egg yolk and grated truffle garnished with raw sun chokes, chanterelles, fire roasted scallions and micro greens. Assembled table side.  The broth came to the table in a celery root bowl with everything else finished table side.


Bacalao asado a la parrilla con caviar hecho de caldo de 'iberic kombu' y oxsalis cítrico. El sabor del caldo gusto maravillosamente de jamón ibérico.
Grilled cod with caviar made of 'iberic kombu' broth, and citric oxsalis. The broth tasted wonderfully of jamón ibérico.



La carne de vaca ahumada con una parte de puré de raíz de cilantro adornada con flores y micro verdes y una hoja de México que se denomina hoja del regaliz Azteca. Hoja de regaliz Azteca o, más correctamente, Phyla dulcis es una hierba perenne, originaria de sur de México, el Caribe, América Central, Colombia y Venezuela. Es conocido por varios nombres comunes, incluyendo Aztec hierba dulce, hierba dulce y tzopelic-xihuitl (Náhuatl). Sus cogollos se venden también como botones de dulce.

Smoked beef with a side of coriander root puree garnished with flowers and micro greens and a leaf from Mexico that they referred to as Aztec licorice leaf.  Aztec licorice leaf or more properly Phyla dulcis is a perennial herb, native to southern Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela.  It is known by several common names, including Aztec sweet herb, hierba dulce, and tzopelic-xihuitl (Nahuatl).  Its buds are also sold as dulce buttons.



Hoja de la begonia, gel del cóctel de margarita y un puré de la manzana y el apio.
Begonia leaf, margarita cocktail gel, and a celery and apple puree.



Uno lo come agarrando el algodón de azúcar y envolviéndolo alrededor del gelato.
One eats it by grabbing the cotton candy and wrapping it around the gelato.

Maíz helado cubierto con confitadas palomitas descansando como un huevo en un nido de algodón de azúcar.
Corn gelato covered with candied popcorn resting like a egg in a nest of cotton candy.


Caramelo con varias especias y secado de polvos, canela, cardamomo, bayas de pimienta seca, frambuesa, un polvo de mole poblano y un anís estrellado pequeño de ganache de chocolate.

Caramel covered with various spices and dried powders, cinnamon, cardamom, dried pepper berries, raspberry, a powder of mole poblano, and a small star anise made from chocolate ganache.


Merengue de ajo con un centro de ganache de chocolate.
Garlic meringue with a chocolate ganache center.