Madrid: The Last Two Weeks Gastronomically

Where food is concerned, Spain can be an absolute heaven, but also like another planet. Some of the most amazing delicacies can be found in Spain: jamon serrano and especially jamon iberico, which are cured hams along the lines of proscuitto but drier; queso manchego, a fabulous hard cheese; olive oil, wine, and sangria; tortilla espanola, an egg and potato dish which differs vastly from the tortilla around your burrito; and many others. Spain is also perfectly situated near both Africa and the rest of Europe so fruits and vegetables of all kinds are readily avaliable. However, unless you go out for every meal, the eating can be decidedly odd.

This is the first time I have cooked for just myself. The kitchen in our apartment has a microwave oven and a four burner gas range. Unlike in the US where gas ranges have automatic lighters, we have to light our stove with a cigarette light, which makes cooking an adventure. Every person has their own method for lighting the stove. Mine is to turn on the gas, click the lighter next to the burner, and then jump back as flames nearly engulf my hand.

Then, of course, there is the question of what to cook. So far my repretoire of dishes includes pasta with fresh tomatoes, pasta with tomato sauce, lentils, a semi-successful tortilla espanola, and grilled cheese sandwiches. The lack of an oven is hurting. My usual standby in the US is to just stick something into the oven and let it roast. However, I am hoping to get a little more adventuresome as the semester wears on. I don't want to default to the tempting variety of frozen food avaliable.

As for odd food I have encountered so far, much of it has been on the plates of my flatmates. The dishes include cornflakes in hot cocoa (apparently a Spanish staple), frozen jamon serrano croquettes, a stirfry of eggs, hotdogs, rice, and greens; and bread that comes in the bag already toasted.

If anyone has ideas of dishes to cook on a stove, let me know.