Tortilla Espanola and Come Home to Mama

The leaves have fallen, the weather is getting chilly and November is here. It seems I count the days the kids have been gone and then like magic, before you know it, I’m on the countdown until they come home. I am so ready. Time flies when they are here, so like a good mother, I must be prepared. The house must be clean before the suitcases are dropped upon it. The coat hooks must be emptied so there is more room to hang their coats and I must make a new spot in the garage for the extra car. I also must put away the stuff that has not been put away since their last visit, where it was ceremoniously dumped on me. And I still have a box to send to my daughter, of stuff she wanted me to send. One box for another, huh? Thanks goodness she hasn’t nagged me.

Before the day of arrival (we know our daughter’s date, but my son’s date is not quite so exact, though he assures me he will be here by Thanksgiving) we must get out to Philadelphia to see my daughter run her first marathon. I’m not quite sure how that works, but we will be there and hopefully the weather will be good. And hopefully, I will actually see her leave the start line and cross the finish line. I am short, so I don’t do well in crowds. And I have a hard enough time when there aren’t any crowds, picking someone out in the distance. I hope she wears a bright color and a BIG number. And maybe she can grow, like a foot, so I can easily spot her above the other crazy runners!

In the meantime, my son will be arriving from California after working the wine harvest. He is officially a wine intern, though I think that means operating a fork lift (of which it apparently took four years of college to prepare for) and working a press and wearing those tall rubber boots. He went out there to be a concierge in a golf club, which really didn’t keep him busy enough and ended up working the wine, which satisfied him. He’s tasted a lot of good ones and met other interns from around the world.  Now he can add wine skills to his brewing skills. He  also can add, “I know how to get a bed anywhere in the world skills” to his incredible resume. It appears that wine interns travel the globe going from one grape harvest to the next.

His goal is to make it to China where he hopes  to work in the wine industry, while perfecting his Chinese skills. Sometime soon he will put his college degree to work, but in the meantime he heard it’s going to be a great snow year, so he is coming back for one more season in Vail. What a life, huh? But he’a  hard worker with a good work ethic, and takes pride in whatever he does. Makes me happy. But how will I prepare myself when he finally does leaves for China? OK. Don’t have to worry about that-yet!

Though he just left at the end of June, it feels like forever. And though my daughter was just home in September, it feels like forever, too. Anyway enough of forever. Before he who can find a bed anywhere left, I made this Tortilla Espanola. We were watching Anthony Bourdain in Morocco where my son once traveled  and Anthony Tony visited a little hole in the wall where he ate this. Of course he also ate it in Spain, too. I’ve always wanted to make one so I finally crossed that off the bucket list!

Being a potato lover this satisfied all my inner cravings. Soft and crisp at the same time, and slathered with garlic aioli and my favorite Heinz ketchup, my inner being was feeling warm. And happy. Potatoes put me in a happy place.These would taste great with a big bottle of red or a cold bottle of beer. And a nice side of crisp bacon. I think I’d be happy eating them in Spain. Or Morocco. But as long as my son is next to me, I’m happy just eating them here, in my green kitchen.

Here’s a link to another version of tortilla espanola that I’d like to try. It features my favorite ingredient – potato chips! Maybe I’ll make this one when they come home. And since my daughter will have just run 26 miles, I don’t think she will mind! Especially if I follow it with donuts!

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 c olive oil
3 lbs medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4″ slices (I used Yukon golds)
6 beaten eggs
1 1/2 t salt

Aioli
Ketchup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Saute onion in 1/4 cup of olive oil until very soft and sweet. In a small roasting pan, toss potatoes with remaining oil, cover and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes,uncover and spread the onion evenly over the potatoes. Cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove pan and pour off the oil, reserving it.

Heat a few tablespoons of the reserved oil in a well seasoned cast iron skillet or a nonstick pan over high heat. Season the eggs with salt and stir the eggs into the potato mixture. When the skillet is hot, carefully add the egg mixture. Allow the eggs to set on high heat for a minute while gently swirling the pan, so the eggs don’t stick to the bottom. Reduce heat to the lowest temperature and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture is firm. Place plate on top of skillet upside down and flip the tortilla on to the plate.  Reheat the skillet over high heat and carefully slide the tortilla back into your skillet. Tuck sides back into skillet if necessary. Reduce heat to low and cook the other side until it’s done, about 8 minutes or until it feels warm to the touch. You can keep this warm in an oven and also run it under the broiler if you want the top crisper. However, it you cooked it enough on the bottom it should be crisp enough.

Serve warm or at room temperature cut into wedges. Slather with aioli or ketchup or both!

Garlic Aioli
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 t Dijon mustard
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 T olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t salt

Mix all together. I love this stuff!

More to try:
Hash Brown Spud Cups
Patatas Bravas and Aioli
Two Latkes
Potato Kugel
Cajun Potatoes