I don’t know why all of my trips to the US end up being one big eating bonanza, but I’m going to try to keep it under control this time. Operación bikini could be over before it even begins…

Heading to Niskayuna tomorrow, then Brooklyn next week. Between the Gershons chopped liver, the Johnny Macks burgers, and the wedding feast, it’s a gauntlet of decadent delights. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

I will surely post something during my days in the US, but to tide you over, why not check out this website to preview some of the foods I will try to avoid on my trip.

Have a great weekend everybody!

A new addition to our Catalan-American kitchen is the escalivada cheeseburger. We liked it, and we think you will too.

Burger Ingredients:
Ground meat (pork and beef mixture is good)
Bread crumbs
Egg
Ketchup
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Cheese for topping

Escalivada Ingredients:
Eggplant
Red Pepper
Onion
Olive Oil

Preparation:
Cook the burgers on a grill or, if you are losers like us who don’t have a grill, in a frying pan. Slice the veggies and place on an oven tray covered in aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and roast on high heat until they smell like escalivada.

Slice ciabatta bread and place burger in the center. Pile vegetables on top of burger. At salt, pepper, ketchup to taste. Devour. Repeat.

I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather this Thursday for Sant Jordi. I’m sure all the booksellers and rose peddlers were glad to see blue skies all day and big crowds mobbing their stalls. Here’s a look at some of what was going on around the city.

Showing our stripes

The city gets dressed up to celebrate its patron, Saint George (aka, Sant Jordi).

Open house at city hall

The city hall (ajuntament) is open to the public all day, so I got to see everything from the mayor’s desk (suspiciously neat) to the ancient council chamber. All of this is usually closed to everyone but city officials, so it was a rare treat to explore the place.

More treats

Everywhere I went it seemed there was something special to snack on. Sant Jordi cakes, Sant Jordi bread…Sant Jordi on a stick! Feast your eyes, or if you are in Barcelona, grab some Sant Jordi doughnuts on clearance!