Here's an idea for the kids if they want to impress me at Christmas. (At least I'll know their reading my blog!) And I don't much care if I get the entire package or just one part this time. In order of favorites I'd take the CD, the DVDs, and finally the cookbook. I've been watching with some glee the show "Made is Spain" on PBS. You know the one where chef Jose Andres travels around those wonderful places in Spain eating drinking and dancing his brains out. My kind of guy! I'm a huge fan of the show too.
Now I'm kind of lucky, my work with Grand Prix Cities gets me to Spain at least twice a year, specifically to Valencia and Barcelona but I must say as far as travelogues go on TV, this one seems to capture the true essence of the destinations it covers. So much so that when Jose decides to go back to his "Kitchen in Washington" an annoying contrivance in an otherwise magical program, I always hiss and howl at the TV. Not because I don't want to learn to cook the regional cuisine he's famous for, it just that the scenes shot in spain are so alive with energy that I don't want to leave. On the DVDs I can skip the cooking, leaving it for another time, when I've got my chef's hat on, and keep up with the interesting guide through a land that not enough people have thought to explore further. This DVD collection will allow that with a mouth watering twist. And I know after each episode I'm looking forward to returning to that most interesting of countries, armed with a list of things I gotta try and places I must stop and visit.
Ah, but you ask, if you bothered reading the introductory paragraph, why, if I have to break up the multimedia package (2 seasons of the show, the CD and the cookbook) would I choose the music first (cover illustration above). Well, because the music is so fantastic and reminds me so much of why I enjoy Spain. The DVDs I could live with or without since I'm happy to enjoy Jose in installments and must trust that my DVR will faithfully capture one show at a time until it covers all the programs. And as for the cookbook, sure, the guy can cook, hands down, but if you watch the show enough you get the idea that with Jose it's not a recipe you need but an attitude. I find myself watching him cook, after I get over the shock of being "transported back to Washington", and saying "that's a good idea I got to try that" rather than "I should write down all these ingredients and mess with measurements" It's like "Paella is as Paella does".
The CD features some lovely Spanish pop with many traditional overtones of flamenco, and is as upbeat and endearing as the host. Look up some of these artists on at your favorite CD store, or my favorite CD store, esflamenco.com.
The show soundtrack CD set list is as follows, my favorites in bold:
1. Jarabe De Palo - Adelantando 2. Melendi - Caminando Por La Vida 3. Jarabe De Palo - Depende 4. Jose Luis Encinas - Baila, Esmeraldo 5. Jarabe De Palo - Pura Sangre 6. Amaral - Marta, Sebas, Guille Y Los Demas 7. Hevia - Fandangu Los Llobos 8. BeBe - Siete Horas 9. Macaco - Con La Mano Levanta 10. Calima - Chupino 11. Luz - Un Nuevo Dia Brillara
Jose Andreas would make a wonderful teacher, in my estimation, because he spends a little time explaining why stuff is done during cooking, rather than concentrating too much on how it's done. This encourages learning. I love the guy, and more than any TV chef when he careens with pleasure after a mouthful of food, he's cooked or he's highlighting, you really believe its THAT good.
At a rough guess the complete package (2 dvd, cd and book) costs around US $80.00 but there are various ways you can bundle the stuff as you'll see at the PBS.org store. and more than one of his books to choose from including the related merchandise book from the show.
And it's much cheaper than the alternative of the kids flying me to Washington to eat Tapas in Jose's restaurant, The Jaleo Tapas Bar or his soon to open Bazaar in Los Angeles.
I hear too that a new series by Jose Andres, "Spain . . . On the Road Again" is about ready for airing on PBS. I'd better set the DVR for tha too!
OK, There's an idea for a gift that's guaranteed entertaining and instructive. Enjoy the joy.
Godspeed on all your adventures, Cvetko Ostroznik.
Related Links:
- Made in Spain Page at PBS.org (where you can find out more about Jose, but not why he never changes his shirt after "supposedly" flying backwards and forwards across the Atlantic - The Titanic didn't have such a budget! )
- Hotels in Spain (if the show inspires you to head out that way)
- Hotels in Washington DC. (If you're that keen to go to Jaleo - )
- Hotels in Beverly Hills (including the SLS Hotel where the Bazaar will be located. (if you're invited like me to the opening, hint hint)
- Check out more Jarabe De Palo and other artists on the cd (I linked above to bebe) at Last.fm or your fave listening post.
No comments:
Post a Comment