I just spent a week in Morocco. I haggled and bought crap in the Marrakesh market, I slept in the Sahara desert and I ate figs and dates from a man on the street who spoke only Arabic. A lot of the food was so-so, there were gypsies everywhere and I didn't have the chance to eat an entire goat. Fortunately, I have hope for next time...whenever that may be. Chomp stories will be up soon; I have quite a few pictures to look through first.
I am going to Morocco tomorrow! It’s crazy to think that I’ll be stepping foot in Africa within 24 hours. I’ll be gallivanting through the Marrakech market, Casablanca, Fez and a bunch of other places I’ve never heard of. Ever since I read about Anthony Bourdain’s trip to the desert in Cook’s Tale I’ve been dying to eat an entire goat, roasted underground in the middle of the Sahara. Unfortunately, I’ve been warned that eating at places apart from our assigned destinations (hotels, restaurants etc) could be extremely dangerous to my health and comfort. Our guide even told us that although the fruit and vegetable stands look amazing, he severely recommends not eating them. I have a feeling I’ll be able to contain myself with all the delicious dates, figs and exotic fruits and veggies. However, once I see the whole roasted goat stand in the market, I’d happily trade my stomach’s comfort for a tasty chomp. This trip may not end well.
The other day I participated in a Paella contest. Miguel, the events coordinator for my school, is a good friend with one of the fallas in Valencia—the group of folks who run the festivities in their barrio—so every year he lets the students participate in the festivities. Think of a block party where everyone starts a little campfire in the street and cooks a giant pan of delicious paella—there was even a beer truck!Since my friends here know I like to cook, I was in charge of cooking our Paella. There are a few vegetarians so we decided to skip the mainstream Paella Valenciano and cook a Paella Verduras—a delicious mess of four types of beans, artichokes, tomatoes and rice. The traditional Paella Valenciano contains artichokes, garrafone (a large Spanish bean), tomatoes, rabbit, chicken, snails and saffron for coloring and salt—that is it. Some folks toss in a bit of pepper or chile and it is considered okay. Me wanting authenticity, I tried to stick to the traditional recipe. However, everyone I spoke to before buying the ingredients neglected to tell me that additional seasoning is acceptable when making the vegetarian version due to the lack of delicious animal fat. The result? Bland and boring.Despite my failure, the dish wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t anything close to delicious, but it has potential. Even so, after all the beer I drank while the rice simmered, the semi-decent paella was a welcome addition to my stomach. I plan on brining a paellera home to I can cook up the stuff in my backyard for 4th of July and other BBQ-ing holidays. My host mother Reyes said she’d get me one as a gift. I hope I’ll be getting a personal Paella cooking lesson as well. 
It’s been some time since I last wrote, almost two weeks. In that time, I’ve done some traveling, eating and grew a mustache. All of these I think are fantastic, and I have pictures to prove it.The food in Portugal is amazing; there aren’t any crazy ingredients or unimaginable cooking techniques, only simple, delicious and well-executed food (not to mention endless varieties of delicious Porto wine—I had more than my fill). Being on the coast, Portugal has a huge fishing industry.
Salt-crusted old men like these fish the ocean for delicious creatures to put on my plate every night.
Bacalao is a salted codfish, usually served fried in olive oil. It’s like a salty piece of heaven for your belly.
There is a type of pastry well known throughout Portugal. It looks like a small, flaky muffin with a custardy inside. Every shop has a different name for it, but this one came from a shop that’s been making it since the late 1830’s.
Even the buskers in Portugal are awesome. Here is a little homeless melodica action. It has nothing to do with food but I enjoyed his tunes while enjoying a beer in the streets of Lisboa.
Among other things I went to see the corrida de toros. It’s a little strange at first, and many people don’t like seeing 6 bulls get killed before their eyes, but it is Spanish tradition. Also, it is pretty interesting to watch. The arenas, or Plaza de la Toros, are usually filled with old men, but there is a good mix of Spanish folks who enjoy the sport/spectacle/whatever it is. What I found most interesting is that after the bull is killed, they drag him in the back and butcher him up for restaurants.It takes the butchers 14 minutes and 30 seconds to get the bull from this…
(A few minutes before the final blow)
…to this.Afterwards I ate Ravos de Toro with some friends. It is literally the tail of the beast. It’s tasty, but I found out after that it cost 75 euros for three plates--that comes out to about $20-25 per person! I refused to take a picture out of anger. However, after complaining to the head of the bar I was offered ravos free! Ole!Finally, we all know that food, traveling, and bull fights are all better when enjoyed with a mustache. 
