I loves me a bit of tourist tat! My grand-mother use to hide the toilet rolls under crinoline-glad flamenco dancing dolls, wonderful! A friend of mine has an enviable array of superb fridge magnets holding up the kiddies indecipherable paintings and I’ve seen a huge collection of thimbles encrusted with tourist town names, abbeys, national trust heritage-savings and pictures of quaint thatched-cottaged villages. Oh and don’t get me started on the shiny, crystal enhanced wonders found around Glastonbury and Tintagel; I’m sure being blessed by a witch or the arch-druid increases their worth immeasurably.

Tat; pure unadulterated crap. Hate it all; especially fecking fridge magnets.

Imagine then my unadulterated joy at being led to a little mecca of such hideous offerings in Barcelona.

But there was something afoot; it just didn’t seem right. Something odd. Why would you visit such a store this late of an evening, especially when it was shut? A ring on a door bell; a girl appeared and then ushered through the back and lo, a bar! Tourist tat I don’t like. Bars I do!

A glass or two of Freixenet Cava. A little chat and a feeling still that all was still not quite revealed. And it wasn’t for under us, accessed by a lift was a little restaurant acting as a sort-a, permanent pop-up eatery. This is the Chi Ton Restaurant, sister to another similar establishment hidden behind a dry-cleaners.

Being rather image heavy I’ll keep the menu details brief. Some of the dishes were superb, a couple of others not so. The Salmon tartar with wasabi cream might have looked like a rum-ba-ba, and tasted sublime but was far, far too big in size for example. There was a vegetable risotto (not pictured) which was very nice but lacked any of the excitement found in the other dishes, while the fish dish, moist with crisp skin and delicate in flavour, was served with a seafood reduction that totally lacked in depth of flavour. But who wants to remember the poor aspects when over-all the experience was such fun! When little touches, such as the layer of romesco sauce in the calsot mousse, made the experience so superb.

I should also add that we all went in moaning that really we weren’t hungry, after a huge, late lunch, when just a bag of dry-roasted or salt and vinegar would be plenty and everyone ate everything (more or less). Plentyful wines were supplied by our hosts, Freixenet, including the rather stunning Vionta Albarino which was superb with the fish and the risotto, Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut and the Mia Red and White. The former had a rather nice chill to it; which I found rather pleasant.

Our dinner was cooked by Alexander Tabares, with only a couple of feet between us at the dining table and the stove…

The courses:

• Calcotada Mousse Catalan Spring Onions (wonderful)
• Tartar de Salmón con emulsion de wasabi Salmon tartar with wasabi emulsion (overly substantial and rich)
• Risotto de calabacín y calabaza con espuma de parmesano Zucchini and squash risotto with parmesan foam (I loves me some risotto! Perfectly cooked but uninspiringly exciting when compared to the other dishes)
• Rodaballo con topinambur y espárragos Turbot with artichoke and asparagus (lovely fish, reduction lacking in flavour)
• Filete de cerdo ibérico con boniato y verduras salvaies Iberian pork tenderloin with sweet potato and wild vegetables (stunning!)
• Cremosa de granadilla con merengue Passion fruit cream with meringue (lovely indeed. Pictured before the soft meringue was added)
• Texturas de chocolate Textures of chocolate (even after all that I ate it all!)

There was a visible frisson of excitement when we were allowed to pick our very own fridge magnet from a festooned wall on leaving. I gave mine away. Quickly.

Chi-ton Souvenirs
Provença 300 (e/ Passeig de Gràcia y Pau Claris)
08008, Barcelona
Tel: (34) 935 17 59 68

I’m sure the internet does not really require another chocolate brownie recipe; but I’m going to give it one regardless. Why? Because this recipe simply provides the best results ever – the Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Recipe. Not an idle boast as throughout my advancing years I’ve tried recipe after recipe; so much so that during idle moments the thought of setting up a blog dedicated to chocolate brownies has oft bubbled to the fore. It is so good this is the third time I’ve made it this year. But then I love chocolate.

Many is the time that recipes I’ve wished to return to have been lost – a page torn from the Sundays, or cut-out from the glossy advert strewn pages of a magazine. So rather than losing the details a record for posterity… or a fat posterior for these, I am sure, are really not that healthy!

If truth be told I didn’t learn a thing. I didn’t absorb a single word that our rotund little chef said, nor did I engage in any of the pasta rolling exercise or anything else that our little group was instructed. I was too busy taking photos. And eager for lunch.

An early morning visit to the Arnaldo-Caprai winery in the Montefalco region of Umbria was all part of the International Wine Tourism Conference and culminated in a visit to the kitchen and then a rather lengthy, indulgent and tasty lunch. One of the better types with various courses and differing wines for each. If I was so intent on taking photos for the whole of our visit why did I only return with a solitary photo from the meal, the starter, and not a single snap of the other courses? Hopeless…

Diane, whose bejewelled hands are featured rolling the pasta, writes on the IWinEtc site that

“his [the chefs] message was clear: if we wanted to eat, we must work. We laughed at our efforts, where some of our noodles were too fat and some too thin. In the end, the Umbricelli pasta was delicious.”

Salvatore, once the respected owner of a restaurant in Foligno, is originally from Sicily and keeps his cooking simple with basic ingredients of the local and freshest kind. We we were supplied with Salvatores recipes for the Umbricelli pasta and pork Ragu which, one-day I’ll endeavour to replicate…

Usually it is spicy minced beef and handfuls of full flavoured grated cheddar that ends up in my tacos with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of lettuce as a final flourish. Lovely, tasty and quick to prepare but far from a healthy option.

So a quick seafood for meat substitution, more salad leaves, no cheese and the addition of a ripe avocado and this little zesty number is born – Prawn, Lime and Avocado Tacos. The dish still utilises most from the (ubiquitous) Old El Paso Taco Kit, only the tomato based salsa is ignored.

The refreshing burst of lime and the spicy edge from the packs seasoning calls for a wine equally fresh and vibrant and I think I might just have found the perfect match in the form of Caliterra Tributo Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.

The Angel and Crown brought to mind that rather excellent little restaurant in Dublin I wore an iron-burnt black shirt to last year. (The shirt has no relevance to anything I should add). Like the Winding Stair a narrow climb leads you to the dining rooms on upper floors. The décor is similar, less of a book theme in the Angel and Crown, but still ‘shabby chic’ with Georgian period features. The Angel is small, intimate almost, and at street level distinctly pubby. Nice that they have managed to reinvigorate such a lovely old building mind; but not without cost and troubles by all accounts.

The pub downstairs is all hanging tankards, antlers and pints. Although, this technically being Covent Garden, there is a wine list and cocktails. It just didn’t seem right though drinking a poncy-glassed cocktail in a pub. While the on-tap beers were tempting a class of the house red was ordered (with a wine tasting that morning under my belt, I felt mixing ones drinks would have been a little risky).
A couple of frantic “I’m so lost” texts from Dougie Boy passed the moments until he tripped through the door. Late, but only marginally so. Just glad he turned up at all to be honest, for I do so detest eating alone…

And eat we did.

To start – potted Dorset Crab with Melba Toast (£7) and Salt Beef Croquettes with Sauce Gribiche (£7) (which is a tarragon, chervil, caper, egg mix in a mayonnaise). While Dougie-boy commented(?) criticised(?) the croquettes for tasting like corned beef I was wondering if their powerful flavour could have benefited from a touch more oomph from the sauce. A little more vinegar, a few more chopped capers? What they certainly did have was a substantial size. I enjoy a decent croquette. I tasted Dougie-boys Crab dish, handsomely presented in a lidded jar. It was deeply flavoursome and nicely textured, nice, but then I’m not the greatest fan of crab.

The mains – I was a touch full at this point I have to admit. Usually lunch doesn’t amount to much; the addition of a third croquette would have probably sufficed. But I ordered a burger and chips (£13). It was huge. Certainly, as we discussed, the portion sizes, the style of cooking and the ingredients have a masculine feel. On the other side of the cruets a nice fillet of Smoked Scottish Salmon sidled up to a mound of broccoli surrounded with a few crayfish in sorrel butter (£15). Did I mention the burger was on the large side? Plenty of melted cheese, a rasher of bacon, some pickles (which again lacked a sort-for crunch and flavour bite) and, after inspecting the photograph, a little tomato salsa (?) which lacked in flavour. The chunk of meat cooked so it was vibrantly pink in the middle and slightly charred on the exterior. Lovely. Dougie-boy also ordered some onion-rings but didn’t eat them. They were a rather pretzel-like colour. I rather enjoyed them. I ate all the burger, plus a majority of the chips and several of the onion rings.

Dessert – Cashel Blue Cheese with a truffled honey dip on the tables far side while on my place-mat a slice of Lemon Tart. Texture-wise lovely but could have done with a smidgeon more zesty lemonness. More zip and nerve required. All desserts come in at £5.

The wine – The class of house red was fine (£4.10 for 175ml glass); an easy drinking blend of Cabernet-Syrah-Grenache, with a little tannin holding it all together in a ‘can be drunk with food’ type way. With the meal a delectable bottle of Priorat from Spain – Zeta Priorat 2007 [Adegga / Snooth] (a fine blend of Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon, £39). Not sure how well it accompanied the salmon but it leant a certain refinement to the ‘lightly toasted sesame brioche’ encased burger.

For more on the Angel and Crown do have a read of Cooksisters ‘bloggers sampling visit’.

This was a complimentary meal as part of research for a Via Michelin article I need to get written pdq!

Angel and Crown, 58 St. Martins Lane, London

As an update, a link to an interview with the owners that details the state of the property when they first took it on.

The recipe is from the little free paper that Waitrose pushes out each week (wish they would bring back the full TV listing pages!); a simple but tasty ‘Sunday Afternoon’ cake recipe. I have to admit using the articles photograph as inspiration – should have cleaned that old Ebay-purchase dknife better though; food stylist I aint! It was a day of baking actually, witness the cheese and bacon muffins used in the background. The Hovis bread tin wasn’t actually used in the making of this cake. It is another EBay purchase, but a bit too grubby to use in ‘real life’. The size is the same as the plain and dull one used.

Not the normal type of thing I post on SpittoonExtra but this stop motion video is just so good I felt compelled to share! The use of everyday objects to ‘make food’ is genius with the post-it notes a particular highlight… and is that bubble wrap for boiling water??

And another…

One of the disadvantages of living out “in the sticks” as Jeanne refers to my quiet and picturesque corner of Oxfordshire is the problem of getting home from London. During the week the last bus from Reading leaves at a few minutes after 11. If I miss it there is a £40 taxi fair to pay. This all means I generally have to leave whatever fine event I’m attending early for a mad dash to Paddington. Last night I excused myself just after the dessert course arrived. I did manage a tiny spoonful of each but was so tempted to slip the whole plate into my camera bag.. you know, just for sustenance during the journey home. As it was a sweat-inducing dash up Baker Street was required for that last train…

The evening had been spent exploring the new Tapas food range at the Montagu Restaurant in the Hyatt Regency. Under the gaze of Saatchi-loaned art works (One Giant Leap exhibit running until May) including the imposing 3 metre tall sculpture of two bearded men, myself and a couple of other writers endeavoured to try tapas and fuller fare against a variety of wines form the Riojan-based LAN winery. (See Spittoon for details of the wines)

The variety of dishes presented, to me, worked much better with a white wine. Not a Riojan white but one from Rias Baixas, an Albarino. The crips, lemony, herby palate complemented the mix of seafood, croquetas and vegetable dishes much better than the reds.

As the evening continued the lights were lowered hence the rather poor quality of the dessert shot in the gallery below. Each of these dishes, smaller than the sharing plates we were served, will come in under £5; good value I thought, especially for a 5-Star hotel restaurant.

With the aim of bringing the traditional flavours of Spain into the West End of London, Bodegas LAN and the chefs at Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill have created a unique collaboration that combines seasonal dining with traditional Rioja winemaking, both delivered with a philosophy of high quality and creative execution.

For an ‘unforgettable culinary treat’, the Chef’s Table overlooks the open plan kitchen at The Montagu restaurant. It offers a front-row seat to see the fast-paced life of a chef at a five-star hotel. With personal, one-to-one interaction whilst watching the masterful chefs’ artfully crafted dishes come to life, diners at the Chef’s Table are treated to an experience like no other, tasting dishes presented by the chefs themselves.

Chef de Cuisine Carlos Machado and his team have created a spectacular menu in a pairing that highlights the “La Rioja” region wines of Bodegas LAN through the use of traditional Spanish cuisine, combining tapas with a variety of main courses.

Tapas Dishes

• Chupito de Gazpacho y Gamba – Gazpacho with Prawn Skewer
• Tosta de Pimentos de Padron con sardina a la sal – Fresh Green Peppers and Toast with Salted Sardines
• Tostada de escalibada y seta – Honey-roasted Vegetables and Toast
• Morcilla de burgos con huevo pochado de codorniz y guisasntes – Spanish Blood Sausage with Poached Quail Egg.
• Tortilla de Patatas – Traditional Spanish Omelette made with Potatoes
• Pulpo a la Galega – Delicious Strips of Octopus Marinated with Sweet Paprika and Olive Oil
• Jamon Iberico de Bellota, Pan Tostado, Tomate Rallado – Iberian Ham served with Toasted Bread and Finely Grated Tomato
• Croquetas de marisco o jamon – Crispy Seafood or Ham Croquettes

The ‘Mains’

• Caldero de Bogavante – A Lobster Stew with Spanish Rice mixed with Herbs, Green Peppers and Spices.
• Sorbet de Naranja – An Orange Sorbet Dripped with Liqueur 43 in preparation for the main course.
• Secreto de Cerdo con Trompetas de la Muerte y pure de Romanescu – Labelled as ‘secret’, this fine cut of pork used to be kept by butchers for their own personal use.With black trompete mushrooms used to entice the full flavours of the meat and a light Romanesco puree to accompany it.

Now I loves me a little morcilla and, while the quail egg was hard rather than soft and runny, this was a delicious little serving. The Octopus was hot and spicy (it killed the red wines) and, finding a quibble, the rice served with the lobster I thought too salty. But overall rather good.

And then the hurriedly tasted desserts..

• Crema Catalana – a Catalan Crème Brulee
• Tarta de Almendras – Almond Cake with Custard Filling
• Torrijas con helado de manzada asada – Slices of Toast, Soaked in Sweetened Milk and Vanilla with Baked Apple Ice Cream
• Arroz con Leche – Hot and Sweet Rice and Milk Pudding
• Fresas Frescas con nata– Fresh Strawberries served with Cream

The Montagu restaurant’s Wine Bar will be offering up a Tapas menu from GBP 4.00 per plate with the Bodegas LAN wines available by the glass and by the bottle. The Bodegas LAN Chef’s Table launches on Wednesday, 29 February 2012 and will be available until 9 April 2012. The Chef’s Table seats five to nine people and is available at lunch or dinner throughout the week at GBP 55.00 per person for five-courses, including Bodegas LAN wines. An optional 12.5% service charge will be added to the bill.

With such a fabulous view of the kitchen I managed to snatch a few photos of the staff working. These I’ve put together as a little essay on my photoblog (and also on 500px).

My last meal in Naples was a simple pasta lunch at a little family run restaurant down near the docks. A seemingly long week of never ending wine and superb food had left the palate and body somewhat jaded and tired, so I didn’t pay much attention to the dish let along photograph it (as I would normally), but I do recall how tasty the sauce was. I also thought at the time how little meat and sauce was served over the pasta. At home I would have smothered some penne with plenty of mince and lashings of tomato laden sauce but here it was spartan, but rather delicious in it simplicity and, I expect, glorious in its peasant origins.

This recipe, Ragù alla Napolenta, isn’t the dish I had in the nameless restaurant but is pretty close to a dish from the region. If I read my scribbled notes correctly, the pasta should be dressed with the sauce as a first course with the meat served after, with just a little more sauce, as the next course.

The joint of beef used was a rolled beef brisket, one of Waitrose’s forgotten cuts that just happen to be several pounds cheaper than regular joints. This method of cooking left the meat wonderfully moist and superbly tasty. There was plenty of sauce remaining and, liquidised, made for a flavour packed base for a minced beef sauce.

I didn’t record all their names but included in this little collection of people shots are various chefs and cooks, participants, winery people, cheese makers and smiling friends. All met and snapped during the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference in Italy. Just a few short weeks ago. Seems an age now as we all slip back into the daily routine…

(This link should take you to the initial set of IWineTC people photographs.)