laocook

King, my brother, took a few days off his hectic schedule in London to enjoy a week or so back in sunny Spain (well, it rained for the first two days) :(

Anyway, that didn’t stop us from enjoying ourselves, especially on the food front. :)

Seeing as Oyster season is well and truly here, we couldn’t resist a dozen or more of our favourite mollusks.

When the sun showed up, we headed immediately to the beach.

IMHO, the best time to hit the beaches in southern Spain are late September and early October, they are empty and the weather is still great to get a tan!.

From the beach we moved inland and headed to Ronda, one of my favourite towns, that is also home to one of my favourite restaurants, Tragabuches.

Rose, me and King, at the beginning of a fabulous “Menú Degustación” (Tasting Menu).

I would spoil the surprise of this menu if I posted all of the dishes that we had, but I wanted to post two of my favourites.

“Royale” of Ceps and Mushrooms with Almond Foam.

Everyone complained that this dish was TOO SMALL!

Benito, the Chef is a friend of mine, and he prepared a few extra dishes, that were not on the menu for us. :)

Jellied Large Clams with Gazpacho.

The Clams are set in jelly (made with their own juices). A cool Gazpacho (cold Spanish soup) was then poured over them (not pictured).

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Back in our town, and we headed off for dinner at a local restaurant, where Brava Beef is cooked on a hot stone. Taking advantage of the hunting season, that night we opted for some Venison Fillet. And it was King´s turn to cook.

As is customary with all Laocooks, a night on the town is mandatory.

Junior, King and Suri, at the beginning of a long night…burp… ;)

Away from the hot kitchens, some of us have been enjoying ourselves. ;)

Kuchi and Khamhoung met up in Laos for a few days during their recent holidays.

Kuchi crossed over from Nongkai and spent a few nights in Vientiane before visiting the former Capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang.

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Snakebite is a name that is normally associated with a cocktail drink (50% Lager Beer and 50% Cider). But the photos below bring a whole new meaning to the word.

If Snake is not your tipple, how about Giant Centipede?

:)

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Meanwhile, back in Spain and the Kitchens, work continues.

Nuts About You, was the name given to one of our new Amuse Bouche. Cashew Nuts are dry roasted before being fried with Garlic, Shallots, Chillies and Herbs. They make a great accompaniment to a cold beer or a Snakebite ( ).

Sushi Dragon Rolls make a welcome appearance. The velvety softness of the Avocado followed by the crunchiness of the King Prawns that have firstly been deep fried in Panko Crumbs.

This dish also includes Amadraba Tuna Sashimi, which has a “melt-in-the-mouth” texture.

Finally, a preview of one of our new dishes which evolved from our New Style “Goong Che Nam Pla”.

This small dish is being tested for our 7 Course Gala New Year Menu, and will no doubt go through some changes before being served at the last dinner of 2007.