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Almodóvar must have spent much of his childhood in a kitchen, as he consistently elevates them to a starring role in his films. From the grotesque kitchen in What Have I Done to Deserve This?  (1984) to the sleek one in Pain and Glory  (2019), the variety of kitchens in his work is striking. This is especially intriguing given that in traditional Spanish homes, kitchens were neither open-plan nor particularly glamorous. Almodóvar first ground-breaking kitchen was the one in "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" which predated Spanish modern kitchens by thirty years at the least. The fact that so many pivotal scenes unfold in these spaces is fascinating. There are some clues to his fixation: in the iconic Spanish cooking show Con las Manos en la Masa , Almodóvar once remarked, "En la cocina se pasa mucho tiempo y uno es incapaz de mentir... Ahí uno se sincera," which translates to, "You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and there, you're incapable of lying... It's where you come clean." I am a big fan of reds, bold prints and yes, I admit a bit of kitsch, so no wonder his kitchens always attracted me. If you look closely at his films with an eye out for food you can find both sensuality and repression. One of my favourite examples of the latter is the burnt chicken prepared by Gloria (Carmen Maura) “What have I done to deserve this” that seems to channel all the anger of the Franco years repression against women. This is one of my favourite Almodóvar films, dark, angry with a kitchen that could pass for a jail… so let’s turn our attention to the more contemporary and airy kitchens in a film like Julieta, his movie based on a series of short-stories by Alice Munro, which is nevertheless heartbreaking (you have been warned!). "En la cocina se pasa mucho tiempo y uno es incapaz de mentir...Ahí uno se sincera" which translates as you spend a lot of time in the kitchen and one is incapable of lying there...that is where one comes clean. Pedro Almodóvar There are many kitchens in this movie. The first one is Julieta’s minimalist kitchen in Madrid. Apart from some splash of red on the wall, the kitchen is not a cook's one neither is it the one of a gourmand. It has some planetary magnets on the fridge as the only concession to playfulness. Wine features prominently but there are no spices or pots on display. You can assume she eats out a lot (she lives in either Barrio Salamanca or Chamberí in Madrid) with the sustenance of wine and coffee at home. The break-up scene with Lorenzo, the Argentinian masterful actor Dario Grandinetti, occurs in the spartan kitchen, which serves as an echo to her empty life. The heartbreaking scene because he really does not know understand why he is he being shut out. Grandinetti is good in the role of soothing lover but Almodóvar missed out on all his comic strengths that can be seen in other movies like “Wild Tales”and “Despido Procedente” both Argentinian/ Spanish films. Just imagine Darío in one of Almodóvar more comic films like “Women on the Verge”. He would be perfect no? Julieta’s kitchen in Madrid The kitchen in Xoan’s house is a reflection of Galician family heritage. It’s not an expensive kitchen rather it feels like a Spanish 80’s kitchen with the frosted glass doors. If you look at the tiles, there are shells and fish. The shell is the symbol of Saint James, patron saint of Spain and Galicia where Xoan lives. It is in Santiago de Compostela where his remains lay. So the shell signifies Galicia, the Camino de Santiago, strong heritage, the simple seafood and the fishing that Xoan so loves and is his metier. Xoan’s kitchen in Galicia Next to the kitchen there are ceramic pieces from Sargadelos, the ultra famous Galician ceramic manufacturer. The pieces are immediately recognizable and Almodóvar has featured them in other movies like “The Skin within me” with Antonio Banderas, another movie that prominently features Galicia. I imagine the Sargadelos  pieces are wedding presents from Xoan’s first marriage or family heirlooms. The first time we see the kitchen when Julieta arrives in Galicia there is a “botijo” on the kitchen table. If you don’t know what a “botijo” is it’s an old-fashioned clay water cooler. I always associate it with a joke I was told when I was a little girl, that made me sad. A father asks his child to bring him el botijo and the kid responds “Why Dad? Are we moving?”. This joke is representative of post-war when Spain was a very barren and poor place. It of course implies that the botijo is the only possession they have. I love this kitchen with the spectacular view of the sea, the blue tiles and the red patterned table cloth. There are knicknacks everywhere. It feels like there is a lot of life in the house. It is in this kitchen that Julieta prepares a “tortilla”, or omelette, a constant of the Almodovar recipe book, on the night that Xoan dies. The third kitchen is close to my heart as it has a strong Andalusian feel. Julieta’s Dad lives in a small town and his kitchen is refreshingly white with masonry units. There are lots of colourful vegetables from the orchard and decorative curtains to hide the pots and pans. There are also a lot of preserves which you see a lot of in this movie but that in my Andalusian experience are not that common anymore. Beatriz, Antía’s friend, has a beautiful and glamorous vanilla coloured apartment in Madrid. No wonder she ends up working for Vogue! The kitchen is modern and functional and has a uniformed domestic helper (a double cameo of the famous designer Elena Benarroch and her kitchen). The 90’s in Spain saw a big increase in domestic helpers thanks to Zapatero’s open immigration policy and the uniform was a requirement of the upper classes and its contenders. Beatriz’s mom has a tea set that although beautiful it does not really match with the modern aesthetics of the house perhaps a reminder of an aristocratic past. Julieta and Antía’s kitchen in Madrid is the last one. It is painted blue and yellow and in it we find again the Sargadelos ceramics that were in the house in Galicia. One of the only material objects that Antía seems to have brought back from her last visit to Galicia. Once again, it’s a real kitchen and it looks lived in. It is one of the last scenes where we see the mother and daughter together which made it very poignant the second and third times I saw this movie. Julieta & Antía’s kitchen in Madrid As a small aside, note how Julieta’s cakes for Antía’s birthdays are never home-made like other more baking friendly countries like the USA. Julieta very likely bought the cakes in Mallorca , the most popular cake shop and cafeteria in Madrid as is customary in the city. We see 3 cakes: a framboise gelatine one, a chocolate almond one and a fruit and almond one. In Almodóvar universe all the food details are rabbit holes. If you love the Almodovar Kitchen Universe as much as I do. Mei Chin, my Spicebags podcast co-host and I did a mini podcast about it. Next up kitchens will be "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"

Flan is one of my favourite desserts. I adore how it quivers and the slightly bitter caramel brings back memories of all my aunts from Granada who had their fridges stuffed to the brim with cold and expectant flan-pregnant metallic tins just waiting to be unmolded. This is the traditional recipe. Dainty individual flans are preferable to a large one, which takes longer to cook and does not look as pretty when served. Also I am very partial to whole milk especially organic milk from cows that are pasture-fed. There are many recipes made with condensed milk which give flans a different texture and in my opinion a too sweet taste. Condensed milk is perfectly fine if you have no access to fresh top-notch milk. Flans should be quivering so the proportion of milk to eggs has to be just right. Too much egg or egg yolk at it becomes too stodgy and gelatin-like. Also watch your oven temperature if your flan is covered in little indentation bubbles it was too high. Unmolding the flan should not be effortless after all it’s not a gelatine. Flans are texturally delicate affairs should dip briefly in hot water to release.The best ones should not have little indentation bubbles around them, although some chefs do this for effect as a link to the past and their mother's uncalibrated ovens. Getting the right color, a not too pale caramel is very important. You want a slightly dark caramel which will taste slightly bitter to offset the sweet quality of the flan. The texture should be closer to Japanese Chawanmushi, creamy and silky, never stodgy. I serve them on their own but feel free to garnish with some ripe strawberries or poached plums. I adore how it quivers and the slightly bitter caramel brings back memories of all my aunts from Granada who had their fridges stuffed to the brim with cold and expectant flan-pregnant metallic tins. Traditional Caramel Flan Ingredients For caramelising the moulds 75g sugar 40g water For the flan: 500g whole-milk 2 egg yolks 3 eggs 175g sugar Prepare and ice bath to stop the caramel. Put the water in a small stainless steel pan with the sugar and bring to a boil. Do not stir. Lay the molds in a baking tray. When the sugar becomes light brown wait for the color to turn a little bit darker. Stop the caramelising by putting the botton of pot in the ice bath (just the bottom!). Work quickly to coat all the molds. It will coat around 6. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Bring the milk to a boil and put aside. Whisk the egg yolks and eggs with the sugar. Incorporate the milk little by little. Strain through a small mesh strainer into a jug. Fill each mould with the mix. Boil a full kettle. Place the deep baking tray in the oven. Carefully fill the baking tray with water reaching up to half the mould. This is called a bain marie. Close the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until just set. Very carefully take the baking tray out of the oven and cool down. Place in the refrigerator and unmould just before serving. I place them in slightly hot water to do this. Enjoy!

I often think of making Spanish tortilla: its beautiful portability, its golden colour and the sizzling sound of frying potatoes transports me to Spain. But more importantly although a bit messy, it is a one pot-dish that everybody loves. Tortilla is iconic Spanish food and one of the few recipes all of my countrymen agree is truly national. But it is also divisive; the "con cebollistas" without onion and "sin cebollistas" with onion have a long standing culinary feud. As do the runny versus the dry camp. I am firmly in the "con cebollista" not runny side (not a fan of raw eggs!). Tortilla is adaptable to every dining situation from the fancy dinner party to the "bocata" or sandwich that is often eaten hastily mid-morning on the counter of a local bar but it does take a bit of work. Tortilla used to be the staple recipe of every mom, granny and aunt. Now it is often bought in the refrigerated section of the supermarket wrapped in plastic, all identical with no differentiating culinary personality. I admit ready-made are ok, especially in the height of Spanish summer when we can't bear to turn the stove on. Recently chefs have developed the tortilla in a tin, which needs no refrigeration, I have yet to try it. I keep a non-stick pan reserved for making tortillas (that invariably gets used for other purposes). When you have seen enough tortillas and attended a tortilla contest or two you can almost recognise a person's traits in their tortilla, if they strive for a perfect shape (engineer), if the tortilla is speckled golden brown (learnt cooking from their mother), if the tortilla is ghost colored (too careful), if the tortilla is not flipped (lazy). To flip the beauty that is tortilla de patatas, don't fret about getting an ugly plastic tortilla flipper that many Spanish people have hidden in their kitchen cupboard. A plate will not do unless you work as a circus juggler! And although the fancy ceramic one might look tempting it often ends up broken into pieces along with your tortilla on the floor. I admit the shards of pretty broken ceramic can make the nerve-wracking scene more cinematic as if you are the star of an Almódovar film. Make tortilla with this basic recipe and remember Spanish egg yolks are more yellow than in other countries. The hue you see in bars is hard to replicate but if colour is important to you and you have money to spare infuse the eggs with powdered saffron or replace two eggs with four yolks. If you are into "cheffy" tortillas, Martín Berasategui adds a green pepper and a minced onion to this basic mixture whereas Luis Andoni Aduriz makes his omelette with 6 eggs, 1 green pepper, 1 tender onion, 100 grs diced unsalted cod and 5 egg yolks. After all the Nueva Cocina Vasca (New Basque Cuisine) of the 70's was obsessed with green peppers. "Tortilla is adaptable to every dining situation from the fancy dinner party to the "bocata" or sandwich that in Spain is often eaten hastily on the counter of a local bar but it does take a bit of work." Traditional Tortilla Ingredients Serves 4 6 medium sized  potatoes 1 onion, sliced 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 8 large free range or organic eggs salt Peel and slice the potatoes thinly (I use a Magimix slicer), wash in plenty of water, drain and dry. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and allow to cook gently for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until soft, they should not brown. This will take about 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness. Drain the potatoes well and keep the olive oil.  Beat the eggs in a bowl with the salt. Combine the potatoes and onion with the beaten eggs. Add a little oil to the frying pan and when hot, pour in the mixture of eggs and potatoes.  Cook the tortilla over medium high heat, for 1-2 minutes until set on one side. Shake the pan to keep the tortilla loose on the bottom. Place a big lid on top of the pan. Hold it tightly and reverse the pan. Add a little more oil and slide the tortilla back on to the pan to cook on the reverse side. It will only need a few minutes more. Serve warm with crusty white bread.

Bizcocho is the king of Spanish meriendas or afternoon snacks. Similar to a genoise the basic recipe is composed of eggs, sugar and flour. The advent of individual yogurt pots made it a household staple when women shared a recipe based on the yogurt pot measurement. This same cake is popular in France and Italy with different slight variations. I like the sweet and slightly bitter combination of adding a whole pureed orange, the tanginess of the yogurt, along with the moisture that the olive oil provides. This is an enormously popular recipe in Spain where it is often baked in a loaf tin. You can replace the oil for vegetable oil but I use late harvest extra virgin olive oil, because the pepperiness offsets the sweetness. Late harvest is normally what you buy in the supermarket as opposed to fancy estate bottled evoo for which the olives are harvested much earlier in November. Feel free to replace the orange for a combination of orange and lemon or orange and preserved lemon or any citrus fruit you have floating around the kitchen. Bizcocho is the king of Spanish meriendas or afternoon snacks Orange Olive Oil Bizcocho 250 g sugar 1 orange, cut in quarters 3 eggs 125g plain yogurt 100g extra virgin olive oil 250g plain flour 15g baking powder 1 pinch of salt 3 tsp. baking powder Put the orange in a blender and transfer the pulp to a bowl. Preheat oven to 180 degreesIn a large bowl, add the eggs and beat with electric whisk until combined. Add the sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is thick and the colour has turned paler. Take the bowl off the mixer. Add the yogurt, flour, baking powder and salt and gently mix with enveloping movements. Add the orange pulp and stir in with a folding motion. Spray a bundt cake tin with a non-stick spray (if not using a bundt use a 25cm spring form tin and line with baking paper, making sure the paper is at least two fingers taller than the tin. Fill the mould with the cake mixture. Place the mould in the oven preheated to 170ºC for about 45-50 minutes. Bundt tins are a great investment but you run more risks than using a normal spring form tin. I do like the look of this bizcocho wrapped in baking paper. Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes and unmould very carefully. Dust with icing sugar. Serve the orange cake as is or with a chocolate sauce or chocolate caliente (Spanish drinking chocolate)

An easily achievable Spanish rice you can make on a weekday is this typical San Sebastián arroz con almejas or rice with clams. Decades ago I tasted this dish in a restaurant called Clery in the city when I lived in the Basque Country. I was captivated by its elegance and simplicity. So few ingredients, no dreaded socarrat (sorry Paella Valenciana) and no expensive saffron makes this my go to rice when I am able to get high quality clams. f you go to a fishmonger they will give you free parsley too! Be aware that with rice you need to have more stock (or in a pinch water) in case the stock has evaporated and the rice is still not cooked. So few ingredients, no dreaded socarrat (sorry paella valenciana) This recipes feeds 4-6 Arroz con Almejas 1 onion, finely chopped 1 green pepper, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced A handful of parsley, finely chopped 300 g. Spanish rice (preferably Senia) or Carnaroli 1 litre of fish or shellfish stock plus extra in case ¼ cup white wine 1 kg. Clams Clean the clams by rinsing them under water. Most cultivated clams don’t need to be soaked in salted water to get the sand out. In a pan of approximately 25 cm to 35 cm. Make the sofrito, or fried base by adding the oil and saute the onion and pepper until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and half the parsley and saute for a couple of minutes. Season the “sofrito”. Add the rice followed by the stock, making sure it is seasoned but not too salty. Cook the rice for 10-12 minutes checking to make sure the rice is cooked through. Add more stock or hot water if too much liquid has evaporated and the rice is not cooked. Meanwhile in a medium size pot (with a lid) you add the wine and the clams. Cover and bring to a boil until the clams are open approximately 3-4 minutes. Pour the clams and juice over the rice and dust with the parsley. Serve with a bottle of txakoli!

Peru in South America is the homeland of genuine fusion food. Without any artifice, the country’s foods are a result of a history in which extensive Chinese, Japanese, native Indian, Italian and Spanish influence have given birth to one of the most original cuisines in the world. There are abundant Chinese restaurants called “chifa” from the Chinese chi fan, “criollo” ones with traditional foods, Japanese fusion and indigenous foods ones. High-end Peruvian restaurants are opening in all major cities and Gaston Acurio, one of the country’s legendary chefs is quickly becoming world-renowned. Visiting Peru is the food adventure of a lifetime and you can also include a trip to Machu Picchu, the sacred site of the Incas, or fly over the Nazca Lines, a series of giant designs carved on the soil. Ceviche is Peru’s national dish. Four ingredients are all you need to make the basic version of this dish: fish, lime juice, onion and salt. This version uses cooked seafood but the majority of ceviche recipes are made with raw fish. Ceviche Serves 4 Ingredients 2 boiled medium sweet potatoes 1 boiled or steamed corn on the cob 250 g ounces squid, cut into rings, tentacles chopped 250 g peeled shrimp 250 g scallops 1 red onion, medium 1 green chili or similar 6 limes, juiced* salt Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add salt. Cook the squid by putting in the water and cooking it for one minute approximately. Take out and put aside. Cook the shrimp using the same method as above. Take out and put aside to cool. Next cook the scallops. Take out and put aside. Slice the onion thinly and wash with salt**. Chop the chili. Mix the seafood with the lime juice, the onion, the chili and the salt together and add some ice cubes to refresh. Serve decorated with the sweet potato slices and the corn. *you can use lemons instead if limes are unavailable. **to wash the onion put sliced onion on colander and sprinkle with salt. Wash, rinse and drain.

This cupboards bare recipe is the quintessential Spanish recipe that showcases the simplicity of our cooking. Purchase the best eating oranges and an early harvest olive oil. I love arbequina or hojiblanca. In a pinch you can use store-bought candied oranges. Here is a list of my favourite Spanish food shops in Dublin Photo: Blanca Valencia This cupboards bare recipe is the quintessential Spanish recipe that showcases the simplicity of our cooking. Ingredients Serves 6: 8 oranges 1 cup sugar 1 cup water ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Maldon Sea salt Peel the oranges making sure you remove as little of the white pith (which is bitter) as possible. Julienne the orange zest ( I use an Oxo Good Grips zester)and blanch in boiling water for a few seconds. You can use a microplane also, but the texture will be slightly different. Make a simple syrup by boiling water and sugar for 5 minutes and add the blanched peels.  Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes and allow to cool.  Pour over the oranges and refrigerate Before serving sprinkle with some very good and fruity extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon salt.

In the spring when the first punnets of strawberries appear I don’t think of cryspy pavolovas and fatty cream I think of gazpacho. Gazpacho was always made with tomatoes and made it at home by a very patient mom. Dani Garcia was one of the first chefs to revolutionize it. These days flavored gazpachos are on every supermarket shelf and in many fridges. But I am not going to lie and say that the best strawberry gazpacho is made with fresh strawberries since it is not. Chefs use prepared (yes expensive fruit purees) to give their gazpachos that je ne sais quoi that you just don’t get from fresh strawberries. In order to make this pre-summer gazpacho follow a traditional gazpacho recipe and add the strawberry puree. I love to serve them in little shot glasses about 50 cl. Strawberry Gazpacho Gazpacho de Freson                      Serves 4 – 6 500g. of strawberry puree 500g. of ripe tomatoes 1 small green pepper or red pepper, chopped ½ onion, chopped 1 garlic clove 1/2 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and chopped 1 cup of baguette bread cubed 2-4 tbsp of sherry vinegar ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil water to thin down salt pinch of sugar (if needed) 4 strawberries chopped finely for decorating extra olive oil for decorating Soak the bread with the vinegar and half the water. Blend all the vegetables, bread, rest of the water and strawberries in a blender. With the blender running at the highest speed, drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube until emulsified. Let rest for a couple of hours or preferably overnight. Correct seasoning. Garnish with the chopped strawberry and drizzle with a little oil.

Shortcrust base filled with melted membrillo and filled with a traditional recipe of ground almonds, eggs and sugar scented with lemon and orange zest. I loved using a rectangular mould for a slightly different feel to the traditional round one. I have promised myself this pilgrimage as soon as I can.

I wrote this article for the Food and Wines from Spain Portal about my favourite luxury Spanish products. https://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/en/food/articles/2021/november/blanca-valencias-top-10-spanish-luxury-products

Many a Spanish tapa trail starts with exceptional canned seafood and an Albariño. In Dublin, we have spotted the trend in places like Uno Mas and The Woolen Mills.Splurge on 3 or 4 cans of nice seafood, serve with some lemons, plain potato crisps, sliced piquillo peppers (or roasted peppers), guindillas (pickled chilies), etc. and don’t forget the toothpicks. Uno Mas, Sheridans and Taste of Spain all offer great cans. Uno Mas has the coveted Galician brand Portomar and Sheridans has Ortiz from the Basque Country and Ria de Arosa from Galicia. Irish brand Shines has some delicious canned seafood too! You can also find canned seafood in your local supermarket. Add some smoked salmon or a trout pate also if you wish. Recipe Developed for Rias Baixas DO Ireland Campaign CAN PARTY INGREDIENTS 1 Ortiz bonito tuna or Shines tuna can1 bottle piquillo pepper (or bottle roasted peppers) 1 can of guindillas (green pickled peppers)1 bottle of anchovies in oil 1 Ortiz sardines in olive oil Bag of Keoghs sea salt potato chips 1 Portomar mussels in scalllop sauce1 Portomar squid can 1 sliced baguette 1 avocado, smashed Tomato “caviar” from 2 tomatoes (recipe below) Olives Lemons, quartered METHOD To make “tomato caviar”, take out the seeds out of the tomatoes carefully without damaging them and put them in a bowl. Peel and de-stone the avocado, place in a bowl and mash. Open the cans and place on wooden chopping boards. Slice the piquillo peppers or roasted canned peppers and place on a small plate. Place olives in a bowl. Serve with quartered lemons, crips and toothpicks. People can mix and match their own tapas. Some favourites: Pepper and tuna tostas, Potato crisp with a mussel, toasted bread slice with piquillo peppers and bonito.Gilda: pickled pepper, anchovy and olive Toasted bread slice with avocado, sardines and tomato seeds.