The Magic of Málaga: An Ancient Quintessentially Andalucian Port City With An International Outlook Is Rapidly Becoming a Not-to-be Missed Attraction (Part Two of Four)

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The Magic of Málaga: Part Two of Four

 

 

Plus

Gazpachuelo: A Fish Soup from Málaga (Thickened With Mayonnaise) and Sardinas de Espeto (sardines roasted on a spit over a wood fire) at El Balneario de los Baños del Carmen and with Cookbook Author Janet Mendel at Her Home in Mijas (Málaga), Spain 

 

  Text & Photos by Gerry Dawes©2021

Drawing of Málaga-born Pablo Picasso, Restaurante El Chinitas, Málaga

At the superb open-air photo exhibition of 44 photographs, albeit mislabeled "alta cocina" instead of cocina de vanguardia (avant-garde cuisine), with creative pictures of some of Spain's top chefs and their dishes on calle Larios in the old quarter of Málaga during the Málaga Gastronomy Festival, May 4-7, 2017.  In the foreground right is Catalan Chef Albert (Tickets, etc., Barcelona) and left Chef Andoni Aduriz (Mugaritz, near San Sebastián).   Photo of the photo exhibition, copyright 2017 by Gerry Dawes.

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When I received an invitation to attend the Málaga Gastronomy Festival in early May, I booked my flight from New York to arrive a day or two earlier than the rest of my media fellows, since group therapy on jet lag has never been my thing. I arrived at Málaga airport at mid-day and, though I was tempted to try the well-regarded airport train into the city, I opted for a taxi that took me directly to the Hotel AC (Marriott) Málaga Palacio, where I. had never stayed, was an excellent choice. The Palacio is strategically located just steps from the old quarter, the Cathedral, the Picasso Museum and a slew of very colorful restaurants, almost all of which have outdoor seating and offer a broad array of traditional Malagan dishes. And straight down the Alameda---or just several colorful blocks winding your way through the old quarter--is Málaga’s wonderful 19^th-century wrought-iron structured Mercado de Ataranzas with its 14^th-century Moorish entrance portal.

Read the rest of the article here

And Part One below:

The Magic of Málaga: A Quintessentially Andalucian Port City With An International Outlook Is Rapidly Becoming a Not-to-be Missed Attraction on Any Discerning Traveler’s Tour of Southern Spain (Part One of Four)

El Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid. Sea Urchins, Carabineros, Fried Seafood, Tapas Oct. 10, 2013

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Carbineros (scarlet prawns) al la plancha with sea salt.  

El Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid, Oct. 10, 2013. 

Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com.  Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

 

Erizos del mar, sea urchins, El Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid.  

Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com.  Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

 
Fried fish:  Boquerones (fresh anchovies), calamares (squid) and gambas (shrimp) sold in paper cones at El Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid.  

Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com.  Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

 

Cleaning erizos del mar, sea urchins, El Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid. 
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com. Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

 
Raciones (portions) of oysters, shrimp, prawns, octopus, percebes (goose barnacles), clams, etc. with Cava (Spanish methode champenoise sparkling wine), 
El Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid.  Oct. 13, 2013
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2013 / gerrydawes@aol.com.  Canon EOS 6D / Tokina 17-35mm f/4.

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“The American writer and town crier for all good Spanish things Gerry Dawes . . .the American connoisseur of all things Spanish . . .” – The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge and The World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese

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"Gerry Dawes, I can't thank you enough for opening up Spain to me." -- Michael Chiarello on Twitter. Chef Chiarello toured northern Spain with me in October 2011 and was just in Barcelona again in January 2013.  He is preparing to open his new Spanish inspired restaurant, Coqueta, at San Francisco's Pier 5 in April.

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"In his nearly thirty years of wandering the back roads of Spain," Gerry Dawes has built up a much stronger bank of experiences than I had to rely on when I started writing Iberia...His adventures far exceeded mine in both width and depth..." -- James A. Michener, author of Iberia: Spanish Travels and Reflections

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About Gerry Dawes  

Gerry Dawes's Spain: An Insider's Guide to Spanish Food, Wine, Culture and Travel  

Gerry Dawes was awarded Spain's prestigious Premio Nacional de Gastronomía (National Gastronomy Award) in 2003. He writes and speaks frequently on Spanish wine and gastronomy and leads gastronomy, wine and cultural tours to Spain. He was a finalist for the 2001 James Beard Foundation's Journalism Award for Best Magazine Writing on Wine, won The Cava Institute's First Prize for Journalism for his article on cava in 2004, was awarded the CineGourLand “Cinéfilos y Gourmets” (Cinephiles & Gourmets) prize in 2009 in Getxo (Vizcaya) and received the 2009 Association of Food Journalists Second Prize for Best Food Feature in a Magazine for his Food Arts article, a retrospective piece about Catalan star chef, Ferran Adrià. 

 In December, 2009, Dawes was awarded the Food Arts Silver Spoon Award in a profile written by José Andrés. ". . .That we were the first to introduce American readers to Ferran Adrià in 1997 and have ever since continued to bring you a blow-by-blow narrative of Spain's riveting ferment is chiefly due to our Spanish correspondent, Gerry "Mr. Spain" Dawes, the messianic wine and food journalist raised in Southern Illinois and possessor of a self-accumulated doctorate in the Spanish table. Gerry once again brings us up to the very minute. . ." - - Michael & Ariane Batterberry, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher and Founding Editor/Publisher, Food Arts, October 2009. 

 

Mr. Dawes is currently working on a reality television series  
on wine, gastronomy, culture and travel in Spain.
 

Experience Spain With Gerry Dawes: Customized Culinary, Wine & Cultural Trips to Spain & Travel Consulting on Spain  

Gerry Dawes can be reached at gerrydawes@aol.com.