Viaje por España: Moorish tiles

We were really impressed by the Moorish tiles in Seville. The most elaborate patterns we saw were at the Alcázar palace, which was originally a Moorish fort. The palace is said to be one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. The tile patterns ranged from simple geometric Moorish patterns of stars to styles with saints and royal coats of arms, during the Renaissance and Christian period.

It was the most beautiful building I've ever seen, with room after room of intricately carved patterns and tiles. I kept trying to imagine how many different artisans and craftsman must have worked on this building over the course of it's construction and additions under new rulers.

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SHOPPING FOR TILES

Head to Triana, the old Gypsy enclave on the left side of the Guadalquivir river. Its streets are lined with ceramics shops, often with their wares displayed flamboyantly on the facade.

• Cerámica Santa Ana (San Jorge 31, 34-95-433-39-90)

Viaje por España: The Art of Tapas

I was very excited to explore the regional food in Spain. One of the most common Spanish customs, was the hanging ham legs in every restaurant and bar. If you ordered some jamón and cheese, the waiter would go back and slice off some pieces from the leg. Another eating custom is tapas, which even has it's own verb, 'Tapear'. Tapas are small plates of food served with vino (wine) or cerveza in bars. Surprising to me, there are so many different regional varieties of tapas. One can also order raciones, which are somewhat larger versions of the tapas and are meant to be shared by a group. Eating in Madrid seemed to be a very social enterprise. Food isn't about individual courses, but about sharing plates. We also found that people tend to eat very late in Madrid. Lunch starts around 2:00pm and dinner around 9:00pm (at least on the weekends). And getting on the Spanish eating schedule is crucial to getting a good meal. We found out the best places to go, were always the ones with the long queues out the door. Our favorite dishes were the croquetes de jamón, (which we ate in nearly every bar). Also tastey were the bocadillos (small sandwiches of cheese & jamón or seafood), and the egg tortillas. We also tried some new dishes like foie gras (goose liver pate), and pulpo (sautéd octopus). We explored the areas around Plaza de Santa Ana, Chueca, and along the calle Cava Baja.

EATING IN MADRID
• Orixe -We loved this place which served traditional tapas of cheese and meats on bread, that was heated up in a toaster oven when you ordered at the bar. C\ Cava Baja 17, 28005 Madrid
• Baco y Beto -Delicious dinner of salad with strawberries & grapes, and a series of tapas and pulpo (octopus). Small hole in the wall, but with really good food. c\ Pelayo, 24 - Chueca -28004 Madrid

EATING IN SEVILLE
• Enrique Becerra (Arenal neighborhood, c/Gamazo, 2). This well known restaurant also serves excellent tapas in its downstairs bar. Amazing tapas! We loved this place and ate there twice.
• Cerveceria Internacional (c/Gamazo, 1) Great place to sample a selection of beers from all over Europe.
• El Rinconcillo (Calle Gerona, 42). This is Seville's oldest bar (founded in 1670). An atmospheric locale offering a limited but good selection of tapas.

Unusual Tree Sculpture

While walking around our neighborhood (Park Slope), we discovered this unusual tree sculpture with bronze human hands sprouting from the branches. Rather unique!

NEW Room Accessories!

Ok, these aren't so new now. But we did get this great new square lamp earlier this year. The black and white photo of an agave cactus on the wall, was taken by me in Costa Rica.

The little black kitchen table, we bought at IKEA last summer. The table wings fold out to allow 4 people to sit. Most of the time, we just keep it closed and leave my lap-top on it.

Blueberry Oat Scones

These delicious baked scones turned out wonderfully! A muffiny-type of desert that we have the Scottish to thank for, is great for breakfast. Unfortunately, they didn't last very long. By the next morning, they lost their fresh-baked crispiness and became stale and a bit soggy. Oh well, you can cut the recipe in half for the morning.

I found the recipe on Epicurious. It's great! Here's the link:
Blueberry Scone Recipe

pumpkin carving

happy halloween! my very traditional pumpkin carving. i attempted to make it cross-eyed, but that didn't work out. It was a team effort though - I handled the creative end, while Justin Denune did the gutting and final cleanup touches. How did I get out of that part?

NY Law License Ceremony

It was lightly raining on the Wednesday morning of September 15, 2009 when Roderick finally received his official NY Law License.

Roderick standing proudly outside the courthouse in downtown Brooklyn where his swearing in ceremony occurred. The ceremony was short and sweet with a brief speech by two judges. He will receive his official license on parchment paper in only 6 - 9 months.