It might be pretty evident that other than going out to eat and scouring the web for food-related brain snacks, I pretty much have been living under an overturned saucepot in my tiny apartment kitchen for the last five years. I don’t really watch tv other than 55, but only as background noise when I’m home alone; movies don’t do much for me; and the only real reading I do other than as-above-mentioned web, is a cookbook or maybe Saveur when I seek inspiration and the likes of Kitchen Confidential (which, I guess, I will be able to watch on tv in the fall, if I watched tv, LOL!) and A Cook’s Tour. Alright, so I did read The Da Vinci Code, but does that really count as reading?
And I did read, a very very long time ago, the first Harry Potter book – something about a sorcerer’s stone? It was so long ago, I have absolutely no memory of the plot, the characters, or even the outcome. Not to mention that I was halfway doped up on meds in recovery, which is the only reason I had the time and energy to read the thing in the first place. I only remember Mr. Potter himself and that’s it.
So what a situation I find myself in when Cook, Sister!’s End of the Month Eggs on Toast Extravaganza (eotmeote), which has now evolved into a culi-terary virtual event, has Harry Potter as the theme. Eggs hovering over toast, a la wizards and magic...
Well, the best I can do is that I have heard that at Hogwarts, it’s summer vacation right now. While some of the remedial slackers have to stick around on campus to re-take Advanced Invisibility 201, thankfully, Harry practically taught that class. He's like, a prodigy, or something, you know. So Harry gets to spend three months doing normal summer vacation things. Er, normal for wizards, that is.
So last week, Harry and pals packed everything they could in a bag that fits in the overhead compartment on their broomsticks so they didn’t have to worry about early check-in, and they were off to the place where the cool kids go for a proper vacation…Ibiza. Ten days on the sunny, sultry, sexy island off the southern coast of Spain. Wizards know how to party. ;)
Were Harry and pals awake or were they asleep last night? Because it sure felt like a delicious dream of dancing, sweating, screaming, smiling, swaying during the soft moments, then dancing some more at Space. With shades on, Harry floats back to the hotel to catch a daytime disco nap before going back out again. Tonight, Digweed Pacha. Harry Potter the wizard on the dancefloor, and Digweed spinning magic on the turntables. *sigh*
But before laying down to recharge his mind, Harry stops to recharge his body. Club cuisine cannot be bottled water alone. Just a sliver of a tortilla espanola. No silly, catch up. Not a flour tortilla for your fajitas. Cancún, Mexican was last Spring Break. This is summer, we’re in Ibiza, Spain, and tortilla espanola is a Spanish omelette with thinly sliced potatoes and sweet caramelized onions. Perfect party fuel – eggy protein for the long, luscious evening ahead, and instant replacement of all the energy he spent last night from the potatoes and toast. Light on the eggs, of course, since after their nap, Harry and pals do have to go shirtless watching the sunset from Cafe Del Mar in San Antonio first. They may be wizards, but rock hard abs don’t happen by magic.
Tortillas Espanola Recipe and Resources
Basically, I sliced potatoes and red onions into ¼" thick rounds and sauteed them in olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until they were cooked through, starting the potatoes about 5 minutes earlier. I lightly beat 5-6 eggs, hit them with salt and pepper, then added them to the hot frying pan, moving the pan around to get the eggs in between all the potatoes and onions. I cooked until the eggs were set, then slipped the omelet out of the pan on to a large plate. You should probably allow the Tortilla to cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
Resources from Around the Web (with much better instructions than mine):
- What's Cooking calls it a Spanish Omelet
- Epicurious has a recipe from Gourmet Magazine January 2000 issue
- an older show called Planet Food on FoodNetwork did Spain and made Tortilla Espanola
Anthony says
Hmm HarrE POTter
ejm says
Sarah, I hope that the next Harry Potter is half as good as your version!
-Elizabeth
ejm says
of course I meant to say "at least" half as good. -E
Anonymous says
When I was in Spain, the many times I ate a tortilla espanola, it never had carmelized onions in it, just small chunks (not slices) of potato. Though the onions sound like a good idea.
sarah says
anthony! i never even thought of that, you NAUGHTY NAUGHTY man who cooks, LOL!
and on the tortilla espanola - i actually have seen it done with both diced and sliced potatoes. whilst surfing the web, i think i've even seen it made with smashed potatoes. sliced spanish onions seem to always be included as well. mine were caramelized...because i sort of left them too long while slicing the potatoes, lol!
Anonymous says
You are TOO funny! How on earth did you think to incorporate Harry Potter and IBIZA? Funny.
violet says
okay.
this is hilarious.
and tasty. i dont know if ive ever seen hilarious and tasty paired so well.
Jeanne says
That's fantastic - I an just picture them swaggering around Ibiza, shirtless...! THanks for playing along so enthusiastically - and here's the round-up:
http://cooksister.typepad.com/cook_sister/2005/08/eomeote9.html
Anonymous says
How did you link Harry Potter and summer vacation in Spain?! you obviously were high when you read the book. Okay it sounds yummy, but you really should check your inspiration before you do anything.
Anonymous says
i dont find the tortilla as good as your cake- i don't think cooking is for you, maybe you should stick to your baking instead
-just some critical advice :P
Anonymous says
i dont find the tortilla as good as your cake- i don't think cooking is for you, maybe you should stick to your baking instead
-just some critical advice :P
Anonymous says
rawr, somebody didnt read the first book too well, did they?
=_=