Asturian-American Migration Forum

Holla Amigos,

The dried, Asturian fabada beans sold by La Tienda can be ground in a coffee grinder, and the resultant bean flour can be used as a substitute for wheat flour in the making of churros, and garbanzo beans in Andalusia tortillitas. Additionally, fabada bean flour can also be utilized in the making of Asturian bread.

For added flavor, one can use the Asturian Pate de Bogavante also sold by La Tienda, and Asturian Sidra in place of water called for in the churros and tortillitas.

Further, the Asturian cheeses and sidra sold by, La Tienda, can be used and combined for a great cheese fondue and dipping sauce.

The great Asturian Chef, Jose Andres, encourages creativity and innovation in the preparation of traditional Asturian and Spanish foods. Hopefully, he and others will agree with the usage of Asturian fabada bean flour in traditional Asturian and Spanish recipes as a culinary concept. Hopefully, La Tienda, will carry Asturian fabada bean flour made in Asturias in the future.

Note: Tortillitas are an Andalusia pancake made with shrimp, and churros are a pastry that is dipped into hot chocolate.

Best wishes always, tu amigo of Asturian heritage,

Manny

Welll... yes, partially.

I'm towards the preparation in mass of white bean flour in order to be able to make more cuisine recipees; but however, I'm not towards an excessive and uncontrolled innovationism (and we all know José Andrés sometimes is such a rancher): My pronounced opinion is that it must be held within reasonable limits and respecting the basics and fundaments of each recipee to which is applied to, so it doesn't get detracted.

My two cents.

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Bueno... digo que sí a esto... parcialmente.

Estoy a favor de la preparación a escala masiva de harina de faba blanca de manera que se pueda emplear para muchas recetas de cocina; pero sin embargo, estoy en contra de lo que es un exceso de innovación, sobre todo descontrolada (y todos sabemos que a veces José Andrés es un ranchero de la virgen ). Mi opinión pronunciada es la de que cada innovación debe darse dentro de unos límites razonables y que respete las bases y fundamentos de cada receta a la que se aplique, sin que ésta se desvirtúe.

Mis dos céntimos (ya que uso euros... =P)

Jose Andres has synergised Asturian and Spanish traditional culinary heritage, and in my opinion is an Asturian national treasure.

Unfortunately, as the poor son of a poor horse trainer of Asturian heritage, I can not afford to eat in his Washington , DC , restaurants.

Manny

I, too, find his restaurant too expensive, Manuell. I guess we're not the intended audience

I think the issue Maestro Tomberi is concerned about is whether or not José Andrés' cooking respects and promotes traditional Asturian cooking. Perhaps this is like an earlier discussion we had of Asturian music. Some think that change in Asturian music is bad and the traditional music is lost, and some think that change is the only way to keep it alive for the newer generations. Both may be right in the case of the music. But with Asturian food, my experience is that it's doing somewhat better, so I wonder if this kind of change does anything to promote the survival of Asturian cooking.

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A mí, también, me parece demasiado caro su restaurante, Manuell. Supongo que no estamos el público que quiere atraer.

Creo que el tema que preocupa a Maestro Tomberi es si la cocina de José Andrés respeta y promueve la cocina tradicional asturiana. Tal vez sea como una discusión anterior que tuvimos sobre la música asturiana. Algunos piensan que el cambio en la música asturiana es malo y la música tradicional se pierde, y otras creen que hacer cambios es la única manera de mantenerlo viva para las nuevas generaciones. Es posible que los dos tienen sentido en el caso de la música. Pero con la comida asturiana, mi experiencia es que se está sobreviviendo un poco mejor, así que me pregunto si este tipo de cambio hace nada para promover la supervivencia de la cocina asturiana.

The thing, Art... and Manny..., is not just about if he does promote and respect or not the Asturian cuisine; which he does in a superb way (altough in my humble opinion he ABUSES of herbs in the way I see most anglosaxon chefs do. Alas, he triumphed in the anglosaxon market, but that's fish of another kettle)...

The thing is that I can't see; no matter how many turns I give to the matter, a faba bean flour made tortilla with prawn and making it out of the nothing an Asturian dish of all the lifetime; as an example given...I mean, something much more characteristic of Andalucía turned all of a sudden into an Asturian thing: It makes as upwards to me as an eskimo dancing a jota.

One of the things Manny (and many people, in fact, even many of my townfolks) should know is that in Spain each region is completely different to each other, and even in cuisine regionalisms are very strong. This is a key factor to understand the national culinary idiosincrasy... and a must in order to understand any regional cibary and make it evolution properly.

I encourage for the purpose to use knowledge; to document ourselves, and to make things with criteria.

Art, permitame disculparme, lo siento mucho,

As a painter and Grandson of an Asturian painter, you are aware that there is even artistic expression in food and its preparation. Great Spanish painters such as Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, and Picasso, and architects like Rafael Moneo and Antoni Gaudi have influenced and inspired some of us to find and express our own and individual culture, identity, and hopefully an enduring legacy and greatness while maintaining our traditional Asturian ways. I have not given up on supporting and maintaining the traditions of our cultural heritage.

I did not mean to be disruptive or disrepectful to my heritage while illustrating an idea of taking authenic Asturian food products and preparing them in different ways to promote the twelve food products from Asturias sold by La Tienda.

Best of all, by purchasing Asturian food products, we are helping to support the economy and farm families in Asturies. I am especially fond of the Asturian farmers like my late grandparents, Don Manuel Alvarez y Dona Manuela Alvarez de Vega de Peridiello, el consejo de Grado.

Recuerdos a los amigos,

Manny

los años han cambiado (a mejor o a peor) gracias a eso tenemos pandemia pero también tenemos bastantes opciones en washington DC para comer churros, he probado varios sitios y el mejor sin duda es Boqueria, 1837 M Street, NW (at 19th St NW), Washington, D.C.
si nos queréis salir de casa por la pandemia, siempre podéis hacer vuestros propios churros en casa con una pistola de churros
ahora, por la parte de las fabas, me pillais, no he probado un restaurante de 10 en DC donde hagan las Fabas como en Asturias, para eso, como en casa nunca......