Madrid

I´m in Madrid. That should explain everything. I come back home and it´s all a non-stop whirl of seeing friends and family, hopping in and out of bars and museums and little shops, and more bars and a few galleries. And also cramming in a few meetings with clients, and taking the kids to the circus and the merry-go-round. A bit of sleep, now and then, when I can. No blogging. And now we´re off to Lisbon.

So I thought that instead of a recipe, I´ll post a few addresses of favourite places.

Above is a drawing of some of the pinchos served in Cuenllas, a very good (and expensive) bar in c/Ferraz where my father takes me for champagne and canapés. Go for the bone marrow, the anchovies and the butifarra.

In c/Ponzano, Fide and El Doble, for the best cañas and seafood. Ask for the shrimp in Fide and the mojama in El Doble.

For coffee with a view, the coffee shop in El Corté Inglés at Callao.

Don´t miss the exhibition at the Juan March right now, Alexandr Deineka.

Great churros are to be had in the morning in c/Santa Engracia, cafetería Forum.

Gin&Tonics that will floor a grenadier in c/Apodaca, the bar just opposite nº6.

More to follow when we´re back from Portugal.

Red cabbage with sausages

I wrote this post last year, braised sweet and sour red cabbage.

For some unfathomable reason, I only eat red cabbage on special occasions. This must be remedied inmediately, because it´s very easy and really great.

Especially since I have discovered a great variation: braised red cabbage and sausages. Braised together, that is. How can that not be great?

The recipe is simplicity itself. While slicing the cabbage and onion and apple you let the sausages brown in the pressure cooker. I´m usually too lazy to brown, but in this instance it´s pretty painless. By the time everything is prepped, the bangers are golden and smelling a treat.

Proceed with the recipe and in ten minutes or so (because, unlike some sneaky pressure cooker doyennes, I count the time it takes for the pot to come up to pressure) you have a warming, wonderful dish.

If you´re a pressure cooker geek, then you can use your other one to make smashed potatoes. Serve with sweet mustard, rye bread, and beer and thank heavens it´s so cold.