I always said the Catalans had a way with vegetables
Browsing Catalan idioms the other day in search of the quirky, the bizarre, the downright weird – well, the bloggable – I came upon a list of food-related ones and – oh, how could I have forgotten:...
View ArticleRoom to swing a catalan
Have you noticed how popular cats are in Catalan? ‘Quatre gats’ is the expression of choice to mean ‘only a few people’. It should be uttered with a dismissive gesture: ‘Bah! Només són quatre gats.’ Of...
View ArticleHorchata saves the day
Mm, horchata. Thick, creamy, ice-cold. You either love it or loathe it. There are no half measures. Made by crushing the life out of tiger nuts (chufas) and mixing with sugar and water, you’ll find it...
View ArticleThe Car Inspection
One of my least favourite summer-in-the-city rituals is the ITV – that is, the yearly Inspección Técnica de Vehículos. Mine is always due in late July, when Barcelona is at its stickiest and most...
View ArticleTails of Creaking Shrimps
Clearing through truckloads of papers the other day, I came upon a priceless handwritten note from last summer that I’d given up for lost. Vinegar bug holes Rice with stroke Tail of quick shave to the...
View ArticleLa Jama de Yoga
My late father-in-law used to speak Catalan reverse slang, which he had originally devised with his best mate, as a young man, so that la grossa (la sogra, the mother-in-law) would not understand them....
View ArticleTurning Your Tortilla
Making a truita de patates (tortilla de patatas / Spanish omelette) is dead easy. You fry the diced potatoes in olive oil till soft. You beat the eggs in a bowl, with salt. You cook the mixture in the...
View ArticleBastons For The Banks
Have you seen the video of flamenco artists protesting with all their hallmark defiant passion and sensuality at the Banco de Santander? Banquero, banquero… How we loved their threatening wails. We...
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