In the past, my idea of a pilgrimage would have been a road trip to Santa Fe or Las Vegas, hit a bunch of restaurants, and steal some new ideas. But this year Ardi and I decided to try a different road, so we journeyed off to Spain to walk the last 71 miles of the Camino de Santiago — the Way of Saint James.
Space does not allow for me to describe the rich history of this path, so I’ll just say it’s a trail of some 500 miles beginning in France and culminating in Santiago, Spain, traveled by millions of pilgrims over the last 1,200 years, and is capped by a magnificent cathedral which contains the earthly remains of Saint James — Jesus’ half brother.
Of course food was not the farthest thing from our minds, but this trip was to be more about experiencing the culture of Spain, not just the cuisine.
You can tell a lot about a country from the way you are treated by its hospitality industry, both restaurants and hotels. Probably like any place in the world we saw the gamut from rude and indifferent to gracious and caring. I like to remember the good ones.
All the hotels we stayed at offered a continental type breakfast, some of them more lavish then others with fine Serrano ham and aged Manchego cheese. So when we arrived in the lobby of the Hotel Binelde in Palas de Rei (population 2,000), we saw a sign indicating that breakfast was on the next floor down, and we headed for the stairs. The lady at the front desk almost in a panic blocked our path and directed us back to the elevator.
After taking the short trip down one floor, the doors opened, and there she was. She had taken the stairs so she would be there to greet us and escort us to the breakfast room. Major hotel chains spend millions on gimmicks to make their guests feel special. None of them as effective as this hotelier’s sincere desire to take care of us.
Then there was this farmer who was herding a half dozen dairy cows down the same path we the pilgrims were walking. For some reason the little dog that was assisting him took a nip at a lady who was walking in front of them, and it startled her considerably. After apologizing to her profusely in Spanish (she was from Milwaukee, Wis.), he gave her his own, personal walking stick, burnished from more than a few years of handling. Then he asked she say a prayer for his dog when she got to Santiago.
Stuff like that happened every day on the Camino.
Another thing that happened every day was this Santiago cake. Everywhere you went — cafes, tapas bars, restaurants, the airport — you would find this simple almond cake. And we ate it every day.
The recipe we are using is supposed to be close to the original. And in Spain the “original” goes back more than 500 years. Some say way back. It consists of just three main ingredients — eggs, sugar and almond — with a little zest and optional extract for flavoring. No flour for those to whom it’s important.
So put on a Rick Steves travel video, pour yourself a café con leche, and enjoy a little slice of Spain. Buen Camino.
TORTA DE SANTIAGO
Traditional Spanish Almond Cake
Serves 8
1/2 pound blanched slivered almonds
1 1/4 cup super fine sugar
6 eggs, separated
Zest from one orange
Zest from one lemon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
10-inch spring form pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray or butter a 10-inch spring form pan, and dust with flour.
Grind the almonds in a food processor until fine, but not a paste. Reserve.
Place the egg yolks and the sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with a whip until pale but not too thick. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the almonds, zests, and extract.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peak. Fold one-third of the whipped egg whites into the almond mixture to lighten it up a little. Add the remaining two-thirds of the egg whites and fold them in gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 45 or 50 minutes. The cake should be firm to the touch. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Run a small knife around the outside of the cake before releasing the spring form. Carefully run a large knife underneath the cake to release it from the bottom. Dust with powdered sugar. The cake will keep covered for two or three days.
Brian Shaw and his wife, Ardie, own Cafe Del Rio in Virginia City.