This text belongs to the 'Comer' newsletter, which Cristina Jolonch sends to La Vanguardia subscribers every Friday. If you want to receive it, sign up here.
It would have been easier to convince the French food critic Philippe Regol to share a table with a succulent dish than in the studio where we had the conversation for the Stay to Eat podcast. But we did it, and the result was a succulent conversation in which he analyzes many of the things that happen in restaurants.
A talk in which he defends the enormous power of gastronomy to surprise and excite from a medium as simple as the plate, without having to resort to a show - in reference to the Danish restaurant Alchemist, where the experience includes projections, music and a peculiar lighting - which for him does nothing other than distract the senses of smell and taste. "Sight and hearing are stronger and will always win the show."
- Families that united the Catalan and Galician coasts. Starting in 1750, hundreds of Catalan families moved to the Galician coasts, where they settled to explore fishing and salting sardines. That business was the beginning of relationships that have left numerous Catalan surnames between A Coruña and Ferrol or on the Costa da Morte. A fascinating story that journalist and historian Jorge Guitián explores in this report.
- Eating without asking permission. La Vanguardia journalist Albert Molins has just published Comer sin asking permission (Editorial Rosamerón), in which he defends hedonism and enjoying eating without remorse. Here we publish an editorial preview, extracted from the fourth chapter and focused on abstinence and how to skip it. The very interesting book will go on sale on April 10.
- A museum for noodles? It is the CupNoodles Museum, located in Yokohama (Japan) and it is, yes, an exhibition center dedicated to instant noodles (it is not the only one in the country). We are talking about a product that Momofuku Ando invented in 1958 and that is fundamental in Japanese culinary history. Iker Morán has visited it and tells us all the details.
- Small Gaig Committee. At the head of his Little Gaig Committee, maestro Carles Gaig continues to prepare dishes that have already become classics and which for the first time he has just collected in a volume, The best recipes of Carles Gaig (Columna), which last week presented the journalist Carme Gasull accompanied by two of the Horta chef's great friends and colleagues: Joan Roca and Nandu Jubany.
- Stewed pig's trotters. The recipe that Ana Casanova teaches us to prepare today requires time, but the result, do not doubt it, is worth the effort. And turnip is an ingredient that combines perfectly with the gelatinous meat of pig's trotters. Cheer up.
