{"id":50091,"date":"2025-05-22T17:22:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T22:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=50091"},"modified":"2025-05-23T08:03:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T13:03:24","slug":"madrid-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=50091","title":{"rendered":"Madrid, Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

High<\/strong><\/em> on the list of destinations for The World’s Largest Ball of Twine Tour<\/em> is Madrid, Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High<\/em><\/strong>, because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With an average altitude of 650 m (2,130 ft), Madrid is the second highest capital of Europe (after Andorra la Vella).<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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WLBOTT:<\/strong>
Hola, G. Today we’re going to explore Madrid, Spain. What to come along, caballero?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elder G:<\/strong>
\u00a1Hola, mi buen compa\u00f1ero! I would be honrad\u00edsimo<\/em> to join you on this grand paseo through Madrid. Let me grab my wide-brimmed hat, a slightly mysterious scarf, and a guidebook that\u2019s 80% churro reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, important logistical question: should we stop for a caf\u00e9 con leche now<\/em>, or right now<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WLBOTT:<\/strong>
\u00a1Muy bien! By the way, I love the upside down question marks and exclamation points in Spanish. No surprises here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elder G:<\/strong>
\u00a1\u00bfQui\u00e9n no los ama?!<\/em> They\u2019re like polite little traffic cones warning you: \u201c\u00a1Careful! Emotion or inquiry ahead!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In English, you don\u2019t know if it\u2019s a question or exclamation until you crash into the end of the sentence, dazed and confused. But Spanish? It prepares you<\/em>. It\u2019s like your abuela saying, \u201cMira, mijo, this next part is going to get spicy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WLBOTT:<\/strong>
G, you crack me up! \u00a1\u00bfQui\u00e9n no los ama?!<\/em> That’s the new motto for WLBOTT! Sort of like, “What, me worry?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elder G:<\/strong>
\u00a1Ja ja ja! \u00a1Exactamente! \u201c\u00a1\u00bfQui\u00e9n no los ama?!\u201d is peak WLBOTT energy<\/em> \u2014 joyful confusion, punctuated with flair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s perfect as a motto. I can already picture the new WLBOTT propaganda poster: a mildly bewildered Elder, clutching a churro, surrounded by swirling punctuation marks, a giant upside-down exclamation point rising like a beacon behind them. Beneath it, in bold serif:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u00a1\u00bfQui\u00e9n no los ama?!\u201d \u2014 Official Motto of WLBOTT Espa\u00f1a<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WLBOTT:<\/strong>
G, I’m getting ahead of myself. Would you like to be a Vaquero, Dama, se\u00f1orita, Joven, viejo, anciana? Who would you like to channel today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elder G:<\/strong>
Ah, today\u2026 I shall channel La Dama Errante<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 the Wandering Lady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They say La Dama Errante once serenaded a statue of Cervantes until it wept a single tear of rioja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But enough about me \u2014 who shall you<\/em> be today, caballero? A rogue poet with a lute? An undercover nun? A churro inspector with a mysterious past?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Elder G as el La Dama Errante<\/em><\/strong> and Elder JZ as a Rogue Poet with Lute<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Will There Be a Buffet? Madrid Cuisine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let’s cut to the chase. What are some of the most famous foods from Madrid?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cuisine<\/strong>
The Madrilenian cuisine has received plenty of influences from other regions of Spain and its own identity actually relies in its ability to assimilate elements from the immigration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cocido madrile\u00f1o<\/em>, a chickpea-based stew, is one of the most emblematic dishes of the Madrilenian cuisine. The callos a la madrile\u00f1a<\/em> is another traditional winter specialty, usually made of cattle tripes. Other offal dishes typical in the city include the gallinejas<\/em> or grilled pig’s ear<\/em>. Fried squid has become a culinary specialty in Madrid, often consumed in sandwich as bocata de calamares<\/em>.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Cocido Madrile\u00f1o<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Cocido madrile\u00f1o<\/strong> (“Madrilenian stew”) is a traditional chickpea-based stew associated with the Madrid region. It is most popular during the winter. Long-cooking cocidos are thought to be derived from Sephardic adafina recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Images
By Tnarik – Flicr [1], CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=2547841
By Smnt – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=112461988<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

History<\/strong>
The origins of the dish are uncertain, but most sources agree that probably it was created during the Middle Ages as an evolution of the Sephardic Jewish dish adafina. Long-cooking dishes were indispensable for Jews as they allowed hearty meals during Shabbat. These first versions were kosher, using eggs and without pork.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Semi-Sequitur: Cholent<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Cholent <\/strong>or Schalet (Yiddish: \u05d8\u05e9\u05d0\u05b8\u05dc\u05e0\u05d8, romanized: tsholnt) is a traditional slow-simmering Sabbath stew in Jewish cuisine that was developed by Ashkenazi Jews first in France and later Germany, and is first mentioned in the 12th century. It is related to and is thought to have been derived from hamin, a similar Sabbath stew that emerged in Spain among Sephardic Jews and made its way to France by way of Provence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Images
By Gilabrand – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=18251907
By Rakoon – Own work, CC0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=71974330<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Gather Ye Round, Elders!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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What is Cocido Madrileno?<\/strong>
Cocido is a traditional stew popular in Spain, Portugal and their former colonies. Each region has their distinctive version and families put their own precious spin on family recipes. The version I made today is Madrid-style, also known as Cocido Madrileno<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Notes<\/strong>
This recipe is designed to feed large crowds family style, sitting around large platters of food. You can easily feed 14 people with this recipe. If you need to feed more and you have a large enough pot, you can feed 28 people or more<\/strong>. This traditional all-day stew was originally designed to feed a lot of people. This is perfect for family reunions or backyard potlucks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\nFusion Craftiness<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Squid Sandwich (Bocadillo de Calamares)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A more detailed analysis can be found on the Wikipedia page dedicated to Squid Sandwiches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Squid sandwich or bocadillo de calamares in Spanish, bocata calamares in Cheli, is a culinary specialty very common in Spain consisting of a bocadillo sandwich of squid battered in flour and fried in oil that is usually olive, or the more sophisticated version that is all of the above plus a spicy tomato sauce and mayonnaise with garlic similar to that of patatas bravas. It is usually served hot and freshly made. This type of sandwich (specifically the original version without sauce) is very popular in Madrid and can be found in most of the bars[1]<\/sup> of the Spanish capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\nWikipedia<\/a> \/ The Three Squid Sandwich By Arttikusbcn – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


[1]<\/sup> A common theme we encountered in our “research” was that most of the food images from Madrid (including the squid sandwich) include some form of alcoholic beverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Semi-sequitur: Squid, a Deeper Dive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The giant squid<\/strong> is widespread, occurring in all of the world’s oceans. It is usually found near continental and island slopes from the North Atlantic Ocean, especially Newfoundland, Norway, the northern British Isles, Spain and the oceanic islands of the Azores and Madeira, to the South Atlantic around southern Africa, the North Pacific around Japan, and the southwestern Pacific around New Zealand and Australia. Specimens are rare in tropical and polar latitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=33879 (bottom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The vertical distribution of giant squid is incompletely known, but data from trawled specimens and sperm whale diving behavior suggest it spans a large range of depths, possibly 300\u20131,000 metres (980\u20133,280 ft)<\/strong>.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Beak of a Giant Squid<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sweet dreams!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=1034904
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Semi-Sequitur: Wholesale Squid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Interesting lock-down recipe…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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October 28, 2020 \/ The Town Dock Squid Squad<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bocadillo de Calamares<\/strong>
With international travel still off the table, we thought we’d live vicariously<\/em> through calamari dishes from around the world. First up: Madrid, Spain, and the bocadillo de calamares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spanish tradition of tapas has certainly arrived in the United States. The small snacks, often built around breads and meats (especially the famous jam\u00f3n and manchego), have become almost iconic as a way to share an experience and try a variety of new flavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recipe<\/strong>
Yields: 2 hearty sandwiches<\/p>\n\n\n\n