Beans, beans, the musical fruit...

“Beans, beans, the musical fruit…..”

Thanks to Bart Simpson a whole generation of 30 something’s instantly recognise the literary merits of this simple rhyming “coup d’ etat” (for those few asleep during the last twenty years this masterpiece of rhyming art, is reproduced in all its glory at the end of this blog).


Everyone has heard of, and probably even partaken of, Paella. Which, when consumed in any Guiri Costa del Britain resort, is something truly wondrous to behold. Its complete lack of authenticity, its stodginess (King Canute would definitely have held back the tide had he the foresight to build a breakwater made from the stuff – see picture, right), and thoroughly unpleasant aftertaste has me running for the nearest “Fish and Chips From Blighty” at “Del Boy’s Pub”.

At that point, most visitors to this fair land disengage from Spanish gourmandship (yes, I did make that word up!)

Back on track…

Let’s not disparage too quickly the humble pulses that are beans… The (sometimes) unfortunate consequences of overindulgence are but a mere bagatelle when compared to the other truly great Spanish culinary art that is Cocido.

Cocido, like all great Peasant Dishes can be found in a hundred different incarnations from the green coasts of Northern Spain ("Cocido Montañes" in Galicia), Madrid’s very own "Cocido Madrileño", to incredibly diverse interpretations (with Moorish influence) in Granada, Catalonia, and yes even "Costa del Britain" (sometimes correctly referred to as the "Costa del Sol").

They all have one common ingredient – the humble bean.

Whether it is Haricot, Chickpea (preferred), Kidney, or Broad bean it is this one ingredient that defines the dish. Following is just one version (my own) of this classic that uses unsalted meats….

If at all possible you should use the dried versions of these pulses (it is the time taken to prepare the dish that is important) and after soaking and boiling appropriately to remove those nasty toxins (!) set them aside.

Now for the fun part – if you are at all organised you will already have a selection of chunky meat - a half kilogram piece of shin beef, a thick wedge of bacon, 300gms of Tocino, a Chorizo or two (3, 4), and for the last half an hour of cooking, a pair of Morcilla de Andaluz sausages.

Pack all the meat in the bottom of a large stock – pot (skin side down) The Tocino will have been nicely reducing in sufficient olive oil for 10 minutes to release some fat. Lightly brown the rest of the meats (not the Morcilla) and add some rough chopped onion, a whole garlic bulb, leeks, carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns, half litre of sieved tomatoes, and sliced cabbage.

Add 2 or 3 litres of good vegetable or meat stock, the chickpeas (or other beans) cover, and simmer on the lowest possible setting for at least 3 hours – no rushing this step!!

Important Note: Whilst waiting it is important to quaff several glasses of a good Rioja (it’s considered polite to leave at least 1 glass of wine for each guest).

Half an hour from the end, add the Morcilla to the top of the, by now, wonderfully aromatic stew and have another glass of wine (this blogger recommends responsible drinking…)

When it is finished you can either serve it traditionally by serving the vegetables onto a separate plate from the meat – or, as I do, all together in a dish of "Hollywood Bowl" proportions.

And finally, as promised….

“Beans, beans, the musical fruit.
The more you eat, the more you Toot!”

"The noise was like rocks being crushed"

“The noise was like rocks being crushed,"

What had been a day of festivities for Barcelona in celebration of San Juan, turned into a night of sorrow and mourning.

At precisely 11:35 pm on the evening of June 24th, the fast Inter city train from Alicante to Barcelona was approaching the station at Castelldefels Playa. One of the last stations it was to pass through before stopping in central Barcelona to offload its burden. This was its normal routine, but the night of June 24th was to be anything but normal…..

At 11:33pm a local commuter train, travelling in the opposite direction had just pulled into Castelldefels Playa station. It was carrying hundreds of would – be revellers to an organised Beach festival as part of the day’s celebrations. As excited groups detrained in anticipation of a night of good natured fun, they were faced by a hopelessly crowded platform of people queuing to leave the station through its single, underpass exit.

It was then that a group of some 30 odd young people chose to use the other exit. Unfortunately and this time, tragically, this meant crossing the tracks behind the stopped train to get to the other platform.

The Intercity express train was bearing down on the station; the group of youngsters oblivious to its approach because the body of the train from which they had just exited blocked their view.
As one they emerged from behind the train at a pace to head across the tracks…...

Straight into the path of the high speed intercity express!!

The carnage was horrific, a scene straight from “Dante’s Inferno”.

Associated Press had this comment from a passenger on the commuter train: Sr Marcelo Cardona: "I saw mutilated people, blood everywhere, blood on the platform".

The current toll is 13 dead. Young lives tragically taken just as they were starting out on life’s journey.

16 others injured, many in critical condition.

And an entire city traumatised by the events of the night of June 24th 2010 – a night of celebration, now to be forever remembered as a night of tragedy.

I leave, as I began, with this chilling eyewitness report of the sound of the collision (as reported in El Mundo)…..

“The noise was like rocks being crushed,"

©KPBProyectos (Madrid)

Where is Don Quijote when you need him?

Where is Don Quijote when you need him?


We’ve all seen them as we drive across the Alta Mesa in Spain. Row upon row of huge majestic wind turbines, silently (well almost) turning in the wind supplying carbon neutral electricity to surrounding towns and villages.But for how much longer? Read on............




There are concerns over retro-active cuts, being proposed by the Spanish Government, to the electricity “Feed – In Tariffs” applicable to wind-farms. These “Feed – In Tariffs” are what the Govt promises to pay to wind - farm owners for the electricity they produce to encourage new “green power” developments. The proposals threaten the viability of some of the smaller wind farms, and investment targeted for new projects is disappearing as fast as the money in my wallet on pay day. This has the potential of proving to be a disastrous blow to Spain’s eminence in Wind power technology. For a nation whose economy is already looking into the precipice of “financial meltdown” it is an ill – considered and self – defeating proposition. (* shakes head in utter disbelief at this govt initiative*)

But what is all the fuss about? What does this mean for Spain’s wind – power sector?

Well, for one, retro-active legislation has always been considered a “no-no”. Ordinary folk and businesses abiding by current laws and regulations, can, overnight, find themselves liable to pay back huge sums of money, or be told that they were acting illegally, because some “Johnny - come -lately” from Town Hall decides the new regulations will be back-dated. Reminiscent of the Local Council land - grabs in the Costas where previously approved building permissions were retro – actively denied and (mostly) expats suffered as a result. But that is the subject of another article.


Secondly, the tariffs have always attracted genuine state-of-the-art ventures (and a few “Mad Scientist” types to boot) that simply would not have been able to prove their design concepts without this Government assistance. Spain is recognised (along with Denmark – who would have thought it?) as a world leader in all things connected with wind – power electrical generation. This is a position that will become unsustainable without Government encouragement.

On the upside, Gamesa and “new-kid-on-the-Spanish-block” Vestas (the aforementioned Danish Connection) are showing strong financials and a very healthy overseas order book. These giants on the scene will survive all of the government’s machinations of course – “too big to fail” – but let the Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac debacle in the US housing sector serve as a warning! Of even greater concern is the possibility (threatened) that these 2 companies will simply up-root, Lock, Stock, and Barrel for foreign climes leaving an estimated 40,000 people employed directly in this sector facing an uncertain future.



This is indeed an “Ill wind that blows no good” for anyone, as I keep scanning the horizon for a somewhat eccentric tall Knight, sword in hand, faithful companion in his wake, to “Tilt at the Government”.........










©Madrid is MAD