Spanish Food Porn
Dear Big Matty,
I never thought this could happen to me. I was in a little place in Sevilla, hanging out with friends, sipping a sherry, when all of a sudden they arrived.
They lay all together, bathing in hot Spanish olive oil. The warm, sensual scent of garlic kept rising as their bodies slid seductively against each other. My taste buds stood to attention as I heard them call out:
"Eat us! Eat us now!"
Yes, it was a big earthen bowl full of Gulas al Ajillo, and I was their new love slave.
I spooned them with gusto and tasted their juices lustily. They told me to dip the bread into their sauce and I complied with ecstatic abandon. I was drawn by all of my senses: the sight of their white undersides, the sound of heating flesh, the slithering softness as they caressed my tongue and slipped down my throat.
What are Gulas? They are the imitation cousin of the rare - and really exensive - angulas, which are tiny little eels found almost exclusively in Spain. As I am but a humble traveller I did what a lot of Spaniards do and got the next best thing to angulas. And as anyone who has been to a really good drag show will tell you, sometimes the imitation can be just as exciting.
Signed,
Feelin' it in San Francisco
Dear Big Matty:
As a guy who didn't grow up near the sea, I never had much interest in seafood. I've come of age since then, and take pride in my love of the fruta del mar. That's why, when I met the dish pictured above, I knew I was in for a tasty treat.
Her name was Bacalao. Bacalao y Naranjas. The richness of her salty white flesh was perfectly balanced against the citrusy tang of her juicy orange wedges. Bathed in the finest Spanish olive oil and studded all over with hot bits of white onion, she was simultaneously naughty and nice.
As if she wasn't almost too much to handle, she invited her friend Salmorejo to join in the fun. Salmorejo is Gazpacho's Andalusian cousin, and she is a beauty. Yes, she is made of cool tomato purée, but she is creamier than her cousin and today she was sporting a whole boiled egg. Already at a fever pitch, I just about lost it all when she covered herself in tasty little bits of jamón.
I went at them both with fork, spoon and bread. It was an Andalusian threesome I will never forget.
Signed,
Still Salivating in San Mateo
Dear Big Matty:
I had always been told it was dirty. But I had experimented with it now and again. There was an encounter in Hong Kong in the late 80's and again in Seattle a few years later. In '96 I had some in Madrid that really opened my mind. And the time in 2009, in Boadilla del Monte, at Easter, with family involved no less, turned this taboo into a passion that could no longer live in the shadows.
YES, I HAVE A THING FOR TRIPE AND I AM NOT ASHAMED!
Look at the spongy rich texture. See how that flavor-loaded sauce drips through those nooks and crannies. Spy the patatas on top, mingling their salty crispiness with the silky texture of the tripas. It is a love I cannot deny and the dish featured above may just be my favorite version of it yet.
I was able to freely express my love while I was in Spain. Since I am back home I am finding myself living not quite in shame, but in a state of shyness. Are there others like me in my neighborhood? Maybe even at work? How can I find out? Who can I talk to? Is there a Web site I can go to?
Please help me find others so I can share this strangely wonderful sensation.
Signed,
California Tripe Lover.
Do you have a tasty love that dare not speak its name? Leave a comment below...
