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Batali, Paltrow eat their way through Spain
I’ve been waiting all summer for Friday. No, not because the Austin City Limits Festival gets underway (although that is reason enough to get excited), but because the PBS series “Spain…On the Road Again” starts on KLRU at 10 p.m. (A note: The series moves to 9 p.m. on Fridays starting October 3.)
The show, which of course features Willie Nelson singing the theme song, started as an excuse for buddies Mario Batali and Mark Bittman, cookbook author and food writer for the New York Times, to eat their way through a country so rich in food tradition that Anthony Bourdain must have been a little jealous he didn’t get invited.
Then Gwyneth Paltrow, a Spaniard at heart after living there in high school, asked if she could tag along (executives at first didn’t think it was a good idea). Spanish actress Claudia Bassols was asked to complete the foursome, and they took off on a dreamy four-month journey, hitting the best food stops that Spain has the offer. Imagine it: Chatting with Frank Gehry outside the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Digging for clams in the waterways of Galicia. Imbibing with Ferran Adriá of El Bulli.
Maybe one day they’ll invite me on a road trip through what is unabashedly my favorite place in this world (OK, besides Texas :)). Until then I’ll just happily watch from my couch.
So, grab a bottle of Rioja or Albariño and whip up a paella or some simple pan con tomate and join me on a little (televised) Spanish adventure.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: On the road
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By Stuart Reb Donald
September 25, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
Addie, I had forgotten this was in production. Thanks for reminding us. Mmmm El Bulli - if heaven were a restaurant.
By staff
September 25, 2008 8:14 PM | Link to this
Tell me you’ve actually been! If you have, I beg you to tell us about it! My editor made reservations for next year on a whim. No plans to visit Spain. No plane tickets. No hotel reservation. Just in case he could make the trip. Or he figured he could give them away to someone who could.