Comments

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  José Balido August 28, 2010 at 12:30am

  How primordial, Jose: lamb, fire, olive oil, sea salt. I must try it next time we're in Spain. As for tripe, Darryl, not too sure about that, but I guess I should never say never!
  
  And as for Corkscrew Swamp, maybe we should get a group of South Florida Tripatinos out there in January and stop at SeaSalt for lunch!
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  Jose R. Garrigo August 28, 2010 at 12:18am

  Jose (the other Jose) Corkscrew Swamp is owned and managed by the Audubon Society of Florida. It's great to spend a day there but do it in January when the mosquitoes are not biting and the birds are aplenty. Check with them before you go. They also show an interesting movie and a fine book and gift store.
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  Darryl Musick August 28, 2010 at 12:18am

  Those are the best experiences. My in-laws have made me a lover of Mexican food. I remember the first time I had tripas as I watched my brother-in-law's wife's dad uncurl the intestines on the grill. "You don't really want me to eat that, do you?" My wife persisted and now I'm hooked. Pretty much the same thing the first time I ever went to a crawfish boil.
  Moral? Never be afraid to try new things.
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  Jose R. Garrigo August 28, 2010 at 12:14am

  Hey guys, sea salt is commonly used un Spain and every time we go there we bring 2-3 bags (one kilo each) of Sal de Mar Gruesa.. Fairly inexpensive there. Not only the flavors it imparts but even the crunchiness melting in the mouth is delicious. Try it on a salad of greens with olive oil. But... sea water... that's something I have to try. Intriguing! By the way, the famous "corderito lechal" (baby, milk-fed lamb) they serve in Castilla is cooked in the fire oven with only sea salt, olive oil and water. No other condiments.
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  José Balido August 28, 2010 at 12:14am

  I definitely will, JoNell! This winter I'd like to finally make it to Corkscrew Swamp, I've always been curious to see it, and lunch at SeaSalt would be a great way to fortify before the adventure!
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  José Balido August 28, 2010 at 12:12am

  Well, it's almost dinner time, Darryl... Oops! You're on the West Coast! Guess you'll have to wait. But you have no shortage of superb restaurants out there. Still, there are experiences that mark you, and that lunch at that parador will be with me through at least two more incarnations! That was also where I ordered a "flan de queso", or cheese flan. My mother assured us she didn't like cheese flan and wasn't having dessert. I encouraged her to try just a teeny bite... and she practically swooned herself! Long story short: I had to order another cheese flan for myself, because she practically inhaled (that's no exaggeration!) the first one! That story, of course, has been told a few times in our family, but it truly was... can I use the word "heaven" twice in the same meal? The silkiest, smoothest, eggiest, cheesiest, sweetest, custardiest delight you could ever imagine. I need to get on a plane...
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  Darryl Musick August 28, 2010 at 12:02am

  OK Jose, now you've made me hungry...
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  JoNell Modys August 27, 2010 at 11:56pm

  Jose next time you're over in Naples you'll have to go by chef Aielli's restaurant SeaSalt. They sell many varieties there in their market and always have a selection of three on the table.
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  José Balido August 27, 2010 at 11:52pm

  Like sea salt, indeed! The sea water must impart, as Anil says, an other-worldly taste, but to me even sea salt is almost a religious experience.
  
  I never forget the first time I discovered it, it was love at first bite: in a a parador set in an ancient castle in the town of Salas, in Asturias (northern Spain). I'd ordered a grilled steak, and when I bit into it I practically swooned. I called the waitress over to inquire what sauce, what exotic marinade had the steak been steeped in. Her reply: sea salt. I've been an avid, not to say fanatical, user ever since, even if it means taking kelp supplements to replace the iodine that's added to table salt.
  
  When I got home from that trip, I went to Delicias de España, a local Spanish grocery/restaurant that imports much of its goodies from Spain, and bought a container of Spanish sea salt (Bevia brand), coarse crystals of course. Every time I bite into one of those coarse crystals it's as if the heavens opened up on my tongue (yes, I know that sounds crazy, but try it). I truly can taste the full richness of the ocean.
  
  Now, of course, I'm very curious to try pasta cooked in seawater. Wonder if any place in Miami does this...
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  JoNell Modys August 27, 2010 at 11:46pm

  Chef Aielli used to do this with his family in Italy when they'd go to the beach for the day. We teamed up since it DID have the ability to attract attention to that fact that Naples' Gulf coast is clear and did not get impacted by the oil spill. The video is also the premiere for our new Web video series. Still, the dish was delish.