Our First Home-Cooked Authentic Spanish Meal ... In Irvine, California

Espinaca con garbanzos.  We loved it in Spain and Jerry successfully reproduced it Wednesday night in Irvine.

ESPINACA CON GARBANZOS A LA JERRY.

While we were still in Spain, Jerry searched a few bookstores in Sevilla, Jerez de la Frontera, and Málaga but was unable to find an English-language cookbook filled with all the great Spanish dishes we had sampled, including espinaca con garbanzos.  So, when we got home he did some research and I then went on Amazon and ordered "The New Spanish Table" by Anya von Bremzen.  It arrived Tuesday and Jerry immediately went to work.

SALMON CON HABAS Y HINOJO, Y ESPINACAS CON GARBANZOS

The fragrances from our kitchen brought me back to Andalucía.  In addition to the spinach and garbanzos, Jerry broiled salmon that had to be the best salmon I've ever tasted.  The dish was called "salmon con habas y hinojo" (salmon with beans and fennel).  Jerry used soy beans (edamame) instead of fava beans — because he couldn't find fava beans.  That was fine with me.  I don't mind fava beans, but I love soy beans.

CAZUELAS.  MAYBE JUST FOUR FOR STARTERS.

He's now looking for cazuelas, the terra cotta dishes and covered casseroles used in Spanish cooking.  Of course, Jerry will want several cazuelas and he'll want a variety of sizes.  But he agreed that he would wait until we're in Spain to purchase them.  No need to buy them here and ship them there... although I'm sure he's already being driven crazy with the waiting.

NOT A VERY RESTFUL NIGHT.

We're supposed to be at Disneyland for the day.  It's only 15 minutes from home — so close we can hear the nightly fireworks.  But we ate a lot of garlic last night... And we ate really late... And we ate way too much.  Neither of us got much sleep.  (Garlic and overindulging.)  So instead of Disneyland, we went to Peet's for coffee and the newspapers, and we then went back to bed.  Jerry didn't even have a pastry at Peet's.  So, you know it was a bad morning.