Author: Julia B. Wilde
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Bacalao at Taberna El Balconcillo
Our first experience with salt cod was in a little French restaurant in Virginia. The cod was mixed into a creamy brandade, a rich dip that we recreated over and over for anyone willing to eat at our house. Finding good salt cod in grocery stores in the United States was a challenge. It was…
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Finally, the Three Kings arrive in Valencia
2017 started with a bang, and a light show, and a techno beat. Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) found us in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, our pockets loaded with grapes. A crowd of people surrounded the town hall, drinking cava from plastic cups and dancing to the techno music under the pyrotechnic light show. The town hall…
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Feliz Navidad!
Today was very peaceful in Valencia. Christmas Day is a national holiday in Spain, but it is celebrated at home with family and friends. I suspect that the local Valencians were sleeping in this morning to make up for a late night. On Christmas Eve, which is called Nochebuena, it is traditional for families to have…
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Zarzuela de Mariscos
Valencia may have 320 days of sunshine a year, but sometimes it has to rain. We’ve had a spell of dreary weather with cold temperatures and rainy days that has us craving comfort food. We searched for a dish loaded with seafood that would also be hearty enough to warm our bones. We found Zarzuela…
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It’s Christmas Time in Valencia
How do they celebrate Christmas in Spain? It’s all going to be new to us, so we thought we would share the experience along the way. December 8th was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrating the conception of the Virgin Mary. It was also the official start to the season of la Navidad, as…
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Old Town Valencia Tapas Bars
November 5, 2017: It’s been nearly a year since we first published this post in December 2016. We’ve eaten a lot of tapas since then. Some of our favorites tapas bars have closed and we’ve discovered new ones to take their place. It’s time to update, reorganize, and expand. A seemingly endless number of tapas…
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Spanish Tortilla
The Tortilla de Patata, known elsewhere as a Spanish Tortilla, is a simple and satisfying dish loved by all in Spain. I would be willing to bet that every Spanish restaurant in Spain makes tortilla. You can order a slice of it as a tapa or pincho, but most people here seem to like it…
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Old School Tapas in Valencia at Casa Montaña
We were excited to show off our new city of Valencia to our first visitor from home. Casa Montana is one of the oldest taverns in Valencia. Located in the old fisherman’s quarter of El Cabanyal, Casa Montana offers a traditional Spanish experience of tapas and wine.
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Craft Beer in Valencia
Updated January 2018 You will have no problem finding beer in Spain. It is available in every restaurant, cafe, and coffee house. It is a staple beverage for Spaniards, with 50 percent of the population drinking beer compared to only 20 percent consuming wine. However, most places serve just a single beer on tap, usually…
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Day trip to Utiel Gastronómica
Much of the food and wine that we enjoy in Valencia comes from the small towns surrounding us. The train system makes it really easy to take day trips to the Valencian countryside. This past weekend we jumped on the train to Utiel, a little town about 50 miles west of Valencia. Utiel is part…
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