We made it to our hotel in Evora late afternoon -- it was an easy drive from Alcobaca. After a short stint on some beautiful (and narrow) country roads, once we hit the highway, I was doing 85-95 mph. Hardly any cars on the highway, no potholes, and no police make driving the highways a dream. (Editor's Note: You've mentioned it. Writer: Just trying to get myself ready for my next drive on I 95).
It's funny. Nadia, our tour guide in Coimbra, was stunned that we would be driving from there all the way to Evora. . .and with two stops, it wasn't even the most direct route.
Started in 1458, our hotel is a former Convent just a few miles outside of Evora. It was were King Manuel received word that Vasco de Gama reached India, starting Portugal on its road to greatness.
Anyhow, we relaxed a bit and then got ready for dinner. I had signed us up for our fourth ever Traveling Spoon. We've done them in Marrakech, Hong Kong, and Barcelona, and they have all been very good to great.
Sofia and Joaquim were our hosts. They have a sprawling house with a fantastic kitchen just on the outskirts of Evora. I know I mentioned the fantastic kitchen, but Carol and I were both in awe of it!
Sofia and Carol in the kitchen. Look
at the size of the kitchen island!
The stove is to the left.
First we made (well, Carol, she did 95% of the work that "we" did) burning chorizo, which will be a new party trick for us. We bought a dish for it in Obidos, and, since we've been home, we already made one. It's great. . .you cover the bottom insider of the dish with alcohol, score the chorizo, put the chorizo on the ribs of the dish, light the alcohol, let it burn out, and enjoy!
Look at the flames. . .also, we learned last
night at home not to do it outside on a
breezy day!
Then we (Carol), under the direction of Sofia, made additional tapas, including a slightly cooked carrot salad, two kinds of baked cheeses (a goat -- fabulous, and a sheep cheese -- not so tasty), and mushroom caps that were peeled with salt and olive oil added. Of the latter three tapas, the mushrooms were my favorite -- simple to make yet tasty to eat. Carol and I had never peeled mushrooms before.
Sofia readies the baked cheese platter.
All of them were relatively easy to make. (Editor's Note: Easy for you to say, Glen, as you did next to no work. Writer: Hey, I'm a grill guy.)
Pork shoulder before Joaquim and
I sliced them into smaller pieces.
The triumphant cooks with their main course
of pig shoulder, clams, and fried potatoes,
a regional speciality.
We look forward to making the main course at home, as well as some of the tapas. I've already forgotten the dessert. It was a fun meal and I would recommend that, for any trip you plan you go to the Traveling Spoon website and see if there are any spoonsters where you are going. We've always had great food and lots of fun. And, if you are ever going to Evora, do the Sofia and Joaquim Traveling Spoon evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment