Brunch & Cake, Eixample

My first impression of Barcelona was that there were so many cafes, delis, bars and restaurants that you would have to be a fool to consider entering the local food and beverage market. But now that the dust has settled on my move and (most of) the boxes have been unpacked, I am retracting that sentence.  The bars with neat rows of tapas are endless, the paellas, the plates of fideua are everywhere.  Good coffee?  Non-existent (seriously, I have identified 6 shops in Barcelona that use La Marzocco coffee machines (their official distributor for Spain is a company called Coffee People and they list all their clients).  Breakfast places? The ones that do an epic layout a la what I was used to in Berlin, not so much.So I am not at all surprised by the cluster of people I always see outside Brunch and Cake (who are one of the 6 to have a Marzocco).  Their breakfasts are American style and then some.  A perilous tower of pancakes.  A wedge of cake, thick as a dictionary.  The so-called bagel turns out to be the size of my (Smart car’s) steering wheel.  There is also a leaning towards the strange combinations that are widely accepted in the US.  My poached eggs on waffles for instance comes on sweet waffles, with hollandaise sauce – it’s really too weird for me.  And I have always struggled with overly large portions of food, finding myself feeling bloated and defeated before I have even started eating.

Pear Cake

Due to extreme sleep deprivation, a plummeting bank balance and occasional (Full disclosure? Frequent) boredom, this baby machine is now closed for business.

Subsequently, I have given away my maternity wear, pillows, baby books, to anyone who looks remotely pregnant- even if they are just fat.

Except for my underwear. The hideous ones with the high waist, cut low on the legs, I’ve still got those.

Uncomfortable underwear, shoes and mascara (that stuff hurts more than you can imagine when sharp bits flake off and drop into your soft eye) make me question the existence of feminism.  Forget the glass ceiling or pay disparity and consider the string.  

Spiced Plum Streusel Cake with Toffee Glaze – David Lebovitz

One of the blogs I visit frequently is David Lebovitz’s Paris based site.  I went to University in Paris and I still find it to be the most charming city in Europe.  Yes, it’s true, Parisians work in mysterious ways and it can take you a lifetime to finally get clued up on all the intricate do’s and don’ts (I gave up after 4 years) but the wealth of culture to be found is incredible.   Since I have no plans to move back to the Paris in this lifetime, it’s nice to be able to live vicariously through David.

I like that his site gives me access to a professional chef’s experience, recipes, tips and adventures.  There are so many great food blogs out there.  The overwhelming majority of which are run by enthusiastic amateurs and a lot of them are really charming but really,  who wants to learn from a novice?  David Lebovitz worked at Chez Panisse for 13 years!  He is someone I want to learn from.