Vanilla Salt

by Ada Parellada

  “From Frank! You know, we foreigners will end up speaking better Catalan than the locals, because you don’t care enough about what you consider belongs to you.”

  “She huffs and she puffs… so besides being an anthropologist, teacher, writer, businesswoman and cook, she’s turned into a Catalanophile as well. Bloody hell!” He grabs her wrists and tickles her with her own hair.

  “Stop!” she cries, laughing uncontrollably.

  “I won’t stop till you desist from lecturing me about food in bed and succumb to my bestial pre-Columbian Catalan desires.”

  “By the way, did you know horses don’t come from America?”

  “Enough! Enough! Enough!” Àlex fondly orders.

  They make love, slowly and gently. They’ve found their little corner of the world, a place where they belong. They’re happy. They know that nothing will happen to them on this small island, within the walls of this house in the Maresme, surrounded by friends like Frank, Òscar, Graça, Albert, Gladys and Eric. They feel as if they’re living in a bubble, but their experiences along life’s winding paths have taught them that threats are always lurking outside the bubble, lying in ambush, ready to attack, like a huge envious needle poised to prick the bubble in order to drain out the happiness inside it.

  Lying there side by side, they gaze at one another. Annette doesn’t want anything to spoil this miracle which has given her a home, a place in time and a family. Àlex has learnt to read her freckles, and knows that despite their happiness, she worries about the fact that they’re not in charge of their own destiny.

  “Tomorrow we’re going to have the salt-cod salad I started making for dinner. It’s been left half-done in the fridge.”

  “We’ve just made love, and the only thing that occurs to you is to talk about what we’re going to eat tomorrow. What a romantic conversation,” Annette complains.

  “When I was breaking up the bacallà, I noticed a very aggressive stink. There must have been a bit that had gone off in the batch we bought. Bloody hell, what a stench!”

  “Aha, the sweet nothings are getting sweeter! So we make love and, afterwards, not only do we decide what we’re going to eat tomorrow, but we also go into all the details of the rotten fish we bought. Who on earth would want to get involved with a chef?” she laughs.

  “I removed the rotten bacallà and the rest is perfect, smelling like sea and salt, and absolutely delicious. If I hadn’t got rid of it, the whole lot would have gone off.”

  “Yes, yes, you’re right. But I want some romantic words, some words of love, an ‘I love you’ and a few caresses. And all you can talk about is salt cod. What a disaster.”

  “Annette, we need to keep our noses on the alert to pick up any pong of putrefaction that gets inside things and taints everything around it. You and I have to be very attentive, so we can keep our love and save it from anything that might harm it. If we make sure that nothing rotten comes into our house, and we prevent any possibility of spreading decay, we’ll be fine. The threats come from outside, not inside.”

  “I love you, Àlex. I want us to travel together in search of the sun, defying the darkness. We won’t let any bit of rotten fish spoil our happiness. We’ll struggle against anything bad that comes along. Let’s be rebel sunflowers.”

  Àlex is in paradise watching the freckles dancing all over the body of this woman he loves so much.

  GLOSSARY

  Abadal Picapoll: A Designation of Origin (DO), fresh, slightly fruity white wine made with Picpoul (Picapoll) grapes from the Pla de Bages region of Catalonia. It is best drunk young.

  Ànima Negra: An aromatic, flavourful, oak-aged red wine made from Callet grapes from the village of Son Negre near Felanitx, Mallorca.

  Aromes de Montserrat: A herbal liqueur, containing thyme, juniper berries, lavender, cinnamon, cloves and coriander, inter alia, supposedly invented by the Benedictine monks of the Montserrat Monastery.

  bacallà: The Catalan name for the Atlantic cod. Salt cod has been popular in Catalonia since the latter half of the seventeenth century and there are literally hundreds of bacallà recipes in Catalan cuisine.

  bacallà de bany d’or: The name Àlex’s grandmother gave to her dish of salt cod and garlic, emulsified in golden olive oil.

  bellota (Spanish): In the context of ham, this word meaning acorn refers to Spain’s highly prized ham made from free-range, acorn-fed, thoroughbred Iberian pigs.

  Bonet: This well-known brand of herbal liqueur is made in the Bonet family distillery in Sant Feliu de Guíxols on the Costa Brava.

  botifarra (1): This famous Catalan sausage made from raw pork and spices is based on ancient recipes going back to Roman times. It comes in several shapes, forms and colours.

  botifarra (2): An obscene gesture, the Catalan equivalent of the bras d’honneur, a silent but eloquent “Up yours”.

  botifarra amb mongetes: Sometimes known as botifarra amb seques, this dish of grilled botifarra served with white beans cooked with garlic and parsley is often regarded as typically Catalan, although it only dates from the nineteenth century.

  calçotada: A popular gastronomic event held in Catalonia in late winter or early spring, in which green onions (calçots) are grilled and served with romesco sauce.

  capipota: Stewed calf’s head and foot, said to have originated in the Barcelona municipal slaughterhouse where it was cooked by the workers in the early hours of the morning.

  cava: A sparkling wine, mainly produced in the Penedès region of Catalonia from the Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel·lo local grape varieties. Of Designation of Origin (DO) status, it is produced in the Champenoise traditional method but, under European Union law, cannot be called “champagne” as Champagne has Protected Geographical Status (PGS).

  chorizo (Spanish): A spicy pork sausage made with paprika, known as xoriço in Catalan.

  churro (Spanish): A fried-dough pastry which is popular as a breakfast snack, dipped in hot chocolate or coffee.

  Conca de Barberà: A region in the Province of Tarragona, well known for its fine wines and with its own Designation of Origen (DO).

  Embruix: A full-bodied oak-aged red wine made from Carignan, Grenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes in the Vall Lach winery, established in the 1990s by the singer Lluís Llach in the Priorat region of Catalonia.

  Equilibrista: An oak-aged red wine with hints of ripe red fruits and chocolate, made from Carignan, Shiraz and Grenache grapes in the Ca N’Estruc winery near the mountain of Montserrat.

  escabetx: A traditional form – going back to the fourteenth century – of conserving food (usually fish or fowl in Catalonia) in a vinegar-and garlic-based sauce, usually flavoured with bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and paprika. It seems that the name is derived from the Perso-Arabic word sikbj (vinegar stew).

  escalivada: The name of this appetizer dish is taken from the Catalan verb escalivar (cook in hot ashes, caliu). The two main ingredients are aubergine and red peppers, which are served in strips with a touch of garlic and olive oil.

  escudella i carn d’olla: The word escudella means bowl and carn d’olla is meat cooked in a saucepan. Deemed by the author and gourmet Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (and many others) to be the Summa Theologica of Catalan cuisine, this rich, complex broth is made from root vegetables, cabbage, chickpeas, meatballs, chicken, sausage, etc., simmered for hours and usually served with large shell pasta. In many families it is considered the sine qua non of Christmas lunch.

  Figueres onion: Excellent in salads, this mild, sweetish onion, slightly flattened in shape and with purple skin, is typical of the Figueres and Alt Empordà region of Catalonia.

  Foraster Trepat: A young oak-aged red wine produced in the Montblanc area of the Conca de Barberà region by the Mas Foraster winery. Trepat is a grape variety that is unique to Conca de Barberà.

  Godello: A variety of white wine grape grown mainly in Galicia, in north-western Spain. Fine white wines are produced from this grape, notable amongst which are tho
se from Valdeorras.

  gratapaller: Literally meaning “haystack scratcher”, this is a particularly prized free-range chicken.

  higo chumbo (Spanish): The fruit of the cactus Opuntia ficus-indica. Some common English names for the fruit are Indian fig opuntia, Barbary fig, cactus pear and prickly pear.

  Joselito: Jamón Joselito is considered by many famous chefs to be the best ham in the world. The acorn-fed pigs are raised in Extremadura and the ham is cured in the Guijuelo factory, in the Province of Salamanca.

  Kripta: A fine brand of cava made in the Penedès region of Catalonia by the Agustí Torelló Mata winery.

  Lepanto: A brandy made by the company González Byass in Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia and notable for its golden colour and the toasted almond, vanilla and caramel notes in its flavour.

  ‘L’estaca’: A song by the Catalan composer and singer Lluís Llach. The word estaca means “stake” which, in this case, is extrapolated to mean “without liberty”. Composed during the Franco dictatorship, it is a call for unity of action to achieve freedom.

  llonganissa: A very popular long pork sausage, typically made in the Osona region of Catalonia.

  Mas Comtal Petrea: A prize-winning oak-aged red wine (Merlot) from Avinyonet del Penedès (Designation of Origin Penedès) in Catalonia.

  migas: (Spanish: crumbs) a typical dish of Spanish cuisine using leftover bread, soaked and cooked in olive oil with paprika and, depending on the region, spinach, pork ribs, chorizo, bacon and sometimes grapes.

  mongetes: A generic word for beans, qualified by an adjective, for example mongetes tendres (green beans). In this case (botifarra amb mongetes), the reference is to white beans, often served with botifarra and bacallà.

  Nacarii: A brand of caviar from sturgeon raised in the Vall d’Aran, 700 feet above sea level in the Pyrenees.

  nyora: A small, round variety of sweet pepper, usually used in its dried form.

  patxaran: This liqueur made from sloe berries and coffee beans and flavoured by a vanilla pod, is popular in Navarre, the Basque Country and the Pyrenees. It is usually served chilled or on ice.

  pebrots: The Catalan word for peppers (and also testicles).

  Los Peperetes: A Galicia-based (in Vilagarcia de Arousa) brand of high-quality tinned foods.

  Périgord truffle: This valuable black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is named after the Périgord region in France where it grows with oak and chestnut trees.

  pernil de gla: Ham made from acorn-fed pigs (see bellota).

  picada: A unique element of Catalan cuisine. Used since at least the thirteenth century, this thickening and flavouring agent is made of such ingredients as nuts, garlic, fried bread, olive oil, herbs, spices and sometimes a touch of dark chocolate, pounded together with a mortar and pestle (one of the meanings of the verb picar is “crush”). It is usually stirred into the dish a few minutes before the end of cooking.

  pijama: An over-the-top Catalan dessert, typically including tinned pineapple and peaches, crème caramel, ice cream and cream.

  Priorat wine: The Priorat, a region of Catalonia with unique black slate and quartz soil, is famous for its full-bodied red wines. It is one of only two wine regions to receive (together with Rioja) the highest Spanish qualification for a wine region (DOC). The main grape variety in the region is Grenache but Carignan, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are also grown, together with four authorized white varieties.

  El Puntido: An oak-aged red wine (100 per cent Tempranillo) made by Viñedos de Páganos in the Rioja region.

  Raimat Cabernet: Named after a locality in the Catalan Province of Lleida, the Raimat winery produces wines that have been granted a Designation of Origin (or Protected Geographical Status) under the name of Costers del Segre. The Raimat Cabernet Sauvignon is oak-aged and greatly appreciated for its satiny palate with forest-fruit touches.

  romesco: This sauce from Tarragona is typically made from any mixture of almonds, pine nuts and hazelnuts, roasted garlic, olive oil, hot peppers and nyora peppers. Roasted tomatoes and red-wine vinegar may also be added.

  sardana: A circle dance, originating in the Empordà region, going back to the sixteenth century according to some scholars, which became popular and extended throughout Catalonia with the Renaixença cultural revival movement which began in the Principality of Catalonia in the first half of the nineteenth century. The music is played by a cobla, a band consisting of ten wind instruments, a double bass and a small drum.

  Sauternes: A sweet wine from the Sauternais region in Bordeaux. It is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscedelle grapes that have been affected by “noble rot” (Botrytis cinerea), which causes the grapes to become slightly raisin-like, giving the wine a concentrated, distinctive flavour.

  sofregit: A simpler Catalan version of the Spanish sofrito and the Italian soffritto, is made of onions and (usually) tomatoes and cooked in olive oil to a jammy consistency. It may also include garlic and other vegetables, for example leeks or red peppers. It is used in hundreds of Catalan dishes.

  suquet: A fish and potato stew from the Empordà region. The name comes from the verb suquejar, meaning to seep or exude, suggesting that the fish flavours ooze into the sauce. The quality of the ingredients is very important in this delicious simple dish.

  Terra Alta: This Designation of Origin (DO) wine-making area is in the western part of the Province of Tarragona. The name means “High Land” and the region is known today for its Grenache Blanc white wines and a growing red-wine production.

  Les Terrasses: An oak-aged red wine made from Carignan, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz grapes by the Álvaro Palacios winery in the Priorat region of Catalonia.

  trinxat: This dish from the Cerdanya and Alt Urgell regions, and Andorra, is made from boiled potato and cabbage, which are mashed together, mixed with pork belly and fried in olive oil.

  Tudela asparagus: The white asparagus from Tudela de Duero in the Valladolid region. It is so famous that the town holds an Asparagus Festival every year, on the last weekend of May.

  Vall Llach 2007: The year 2007 saw an excellent vintage in Porrera, in the Priorat region where the Vall Llach winery is located. With black currant, ripe berry and toasted almond overtones, and a silky finish, this red wine is made from Carignan, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

  Verdejo: A very old variety of white-wine grape which was brought, probably by Mozarabs, to the Rueda region (Castile-León) in Spain, which has Designation of Origin (DO) status. Wines labelled “Rueda Verdejo” must contain 85 per cent of the grape but they are often 100 per cent Verdejo. They are aromatic and full-bodied. The grapes are usually picked at night to avoid, thanks to the lower temperatures, oxidation or browning.

  Vichy Catalan: A well-known brand of mineral water of high mineral content and natural carbonation from Caldes de Malavella, which was known for its hot springs in prehistoric and Roman times.

  Xarel·lo: A sweet, small and compact white-wine grape variety, typical of the Penedès and Camp de Tarragona regions, used in the production of cava.