Xocolata Amb Xurros (Chocolate with Churros)

Kilian and I went out for the most sugar-filled breakfast imaginable: xocolata amb xurros.

Xurros with lots of sugar!

When the weather turns to autumn, xurro trucks, xurrerias, begin to pop up in different places around Catalonia. These trucks serve freshly deep-fried xurros, which are different from porras, which the Catalans seem to love (according to Wikipedia, this is most popular in Spain and Italy).

Xurreria at night, courtesy of Flickr

The first time I heard about churros was in my middle school Spanish class where we learned about "Mexican" food, including churros. We had a celebration where we could try these desserts, along with a variety of other typical eats. Those churros from the States are not the xurros of Catalonia. These ones are markedly softer, served fresh and warm with hot xocolata desfeta (melted chocolate), a very dense, dark, rich hot chocolate beverage.

As I mentioned before, this meal is served at breakfast. I'm not sure I would call it a meal; to me it is more like a dessert. But this is typical here and when in Catalonia, do as the Catalans do, or so they say.

Xurros are the small and thin ones. Photo from: CocinaRecetas)

Having tried xurros from different places, I find that there can be a huge difference in taste and texture depending on a number of factors including how long they are fried for, the dough, and the amount of oil/sugar ratio when served. For me, overly oily xurros are too much for my stomach to bear for very long.

The type of xocolata also makes a difference. Since there are both milk chocolate and dark chocolate variations of xocolata desfeta, this contributes to the richness of the meal, as well as the consistency of the xocolata desfeta. A more liquid xocolata will go much further than the thick, pudding-like kind which is heavy in and of itself but a very rich dark chocolate won't make it as long (for me and my tummy) as a less intense milk chocolate.

Milk chocolate (left), xurros, dark chocolate (right)

This combination is very heavy and sweet; not for the faint of stomach. Eaten with moderation, it makes for a quite delicious breakfast or afternoon snack.

The Castanyada: a Catalan alternative to Halloween

Every year on the eve of All Saints Day, which happens to also be Halloween for America, Catalans celebrate the "Castanyada," a dinner of sweet potatoes, roasted castanyes (chestnuts) from which the word "castanyada" is derived and panellets (almond-based cookies). It is traditionally served with a special wine. This Catalan holiday differs from many others in that it is celebrated in the home with family over dinner rather than in the streets with music, dance and other activities.

Sweet potatoes, chestnuts and panellets

Enjoying the Castanyada dinner with family

A large selection of panellets.

During this time of the year, walking through Barcelona and surrounding towns, one will find street vendors roasting chestnuts and sweet potatoes where long cues form to get their hands on these sweet and healthy treats. Since the weather drops quite a bit at this time of year, it is a real delight to warm up the body with these piping hot, freshly-roasted snacks.

Anyone in the mood for chestnuts? Photo credit: Barcelona Street Times

The traditional figure from this holiday is the castanyera (the chestnut-roaster), depicted by the image of an old woman in a skirt with apron and a headscarf, bent over a grill. This image is part of the collective memory of the origins of the Castanyada and has been immortalized in popular children's songs as well as through drawings and stories.

Photo credit: L'Elefant Tropeta

Musica a la Vila in El Vendrell

Band from Valencia

For those of you who are interested in visiting Barcelona and getting out of the city for the day, you can easily take the train to El Vendrell. Every Wednesday in August, there is this Música a la Vila festival, where traditional music from the Catalan countries is performed. This is provided free of charge and takes place in one of the town's many plazas.

Every week the music is different and this week we heard a Valencian band play traditional music with hand drum, banjo, cello, flute and other instruments. Pretty awesome.

Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló in Barcelona

At first, modernist architecture did not appeal to me much but with time, it's growing on me. This week, I was able to visit Casa Batlló with my friend Roxanne and it was gorgeous! Every room was different, unique and full of subtle details. The visit comes with an audio guide, which provides helpful insights into these details that would otherwise be missed. These are just a few snapshots from our visit.

Also, fun fact: the verb "gaudir" means "to enjoy" in Catalan. Que gaudeixis!

Spine-shaped wood and ergonomic handrail at the main entrance of the home.

There are no straight lines in this home; every surface is curved.

The chandelier from the room with the mushroom fireplace.

This living room has a very sea-like theme - the ceiling reminded me of a shell.

Some of the shades of blue from the living room.

The tiles on the lower levels are a very light blue whereas the higher you climb, the darker they become. This has to do with the need to lighten up the space based on how close it is to the natural light.

Here you can see the darker tiles. The windows also became smaller on the higher levels.

Gaudi used recycled pieces of glass for this detail.

Gaudi-style flower pots on the patio.

Some roof details...

If you decide to visit Barcelona, I highly recommend visiting this site. For more information, visit the official website.

A view of the exterior of the home on Passeig de Gracia (it's third from left).