Paloma Julian

On Shrimp and Suds
Posted 1 year 7 months ago by Paloma Julian

My friend took his five-year-old son to the market last Saturday morning. As soon as the boy got there, he knew exactly what he wanted: a shrimp. But not for eating; that would be too savage. He wanted it for a pet.

After hearing about the pet shrimp, the thought of cooking the little crustaceans was almost painful to me. What would the boy think if he found out what I do with shrimp? That “Lobsty” was coming home with me, to be cooked and eaten? But I love eating shrimp. So, I decided to think the American way: I’ll simply remove the head from the animal and be done with it.

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Squid Ink: Toast on the Mediterranean
Posted 1 year 8 months ago by Paloma Julian

The end of summer is near, and 2012 is looming. Before the apocalypse arrives, let’s enjoy a decadent treat. The time of the “torrijas” has come.

My holidays, like many expats’, are not very exotic. They consist of going back home and enjoying (or suffering) familiar flavors, family, friends, sights, light. I’ve always thought the light in my home country, Spain, was something special.

At home this summer, I experienced an unusual convergence of friend and light.

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The Red Revolution
Posted 1 year 9 months ago by Paloma Julian

Let’s try and imagine a scenario:

An alien comes from another planet and gives you a new food to try. The food is red -- passionate red, dangerous red. The alien tells you to go ahead, cook it. Would you do it? Personally, I don’t think so. I would probably put it on a shelf and try not to think about it.

The story of the alien is actually similar to something that happened in the 16th century on my continent. Spaniards -- and the rest of Europe -- saw the main ingredient of this month’s column for the first time then, when conquistadors brought it back from the New World. Which ingredient is it? The conquistadors were inadvertently starting the Red Revolution then, and I don’t mean the Russian or Carnation Revolution. They had brought back the tomato.

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Breaking the Custard Curse
Posted 1 year 9 months ago by Paloma Julian

I can’t remember the first time I heard about Carl Warner. I probably read about him on a cooking blog some rainy day. It doesn’t matter. He’s an English photographer who recreates landscapes with real food. A lot of big companies have hired him for his originality (can you imagine? a sea made of red salmon…) If you want to check out his work, google “Foodscapes.”

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On Latin Cuisine: Spanish, Cuban, Mexican - What's the Difference?
Posted 1 year 9 months ago by Paloma Julian

 

Trying to compare Spanish and Latino cuisine is like trying to compare, well, tortilla and tortilla. They’re just not the same (more on that later).

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