MEALS
After time in Valencia, we traveled down the coast to the town of Denia where we enjoyed several Michelin-starred meals, a tasting and lunch at the home of vintner Gutierrez de la Vega, noted for his sweet Moscatel wine, and short visits to the Borja ducal palace in Gandia, and the 11th century Moorish castle in Denia (under restoration). 
Shown here is the palace. Other high points included lunches at Casa Manolo in Daimus (I loved their take on caprese salad) 
and L’escaleta in Cocentaina (a really tasty sweetbread ficelle sandwich ) and the five hour extravaganza at Restaurante Quique Dacosta where we were served twenty-six different tastes or bites.
The theme at Quique Dacosta was Fronteras, translated as “borders,” but I might better call it “frontiers.” This was cuisine at its most refined and most creative, in some ways more of an intellectual experience. Precise attention to presentation and form in this meal. Everything from little puffs of cod, tuna belly with seaweed, a slice of dried octopus, to a beautiful crushed and dried tomato (the maître d’ came around with his hammer to do the crushing, one of my favorite courses), a langoustine with green curry, avocado and corn, to mushrooms served on the forest floor, a piece of completely black charred bread with romesco sauce for dipping, to a slender vase of roses with a tangle of apple in the center. Shown here the battered tomato, seaweed, part of one dish, and the wrapped langoustine. 
All quite amazing!
Coming back down to earth on our last day, we had a brisk walk in the lovely riverbed park in Valencia pausing only to gaze on Calatrava’s jarring and beautiful architectural forms: opera house, music hall and science museum. The final lunch was at a popular bar in working class neighborhood called Casa Montana. Here the food was comfortingly familiar looking. We began with sweetish vermouth over ice with tiny arbequina olives in the front of the bar. Then ducking under the counter to get to the back room (it’s a tradition to duck), we sat on high stools at longish tables for an array of tapas courses. 
From Iberian ham to braised broad beans, tuna marinated in seven spices, cod brandade, little roasted red peppers stuffed with tuna (my kind of tapa!), tiny slices of grilled beef with garlic (yum!) to several kinds of sheep cheese including a grilled cheese toast and, lastly, homemade chocolate truffles. All washed down with three different wines, a white and two reds. What could be better!
INGREDIENTS
I was both surprised and disappointed when the guide book to Spain I purchased in advance of our trip had no discussion whatsoever of Valencia and the surrounding region. This city and its environs are one of Spain’s autonomous communities and with such a richness of culture and cuisine deserve to be discovered. Like the farm to table movement, there is great emphasis on local produce and local fish and meats. Below are some of the foodstuffs that were repeated in the meals we enjoyed. And, if I had taken copious notes, I could have reported on all the many and marvelous wines we sampled!
Eel. I am not a big fan of eel, but we had it simmered with potatoes, garlic and paprika, smoked on endive, and flamed and dried.
Rice. Every chef has his or her rice dish (arroz) and in addition to two kinds of paella, we had two dry rice preparations, one with mushrooms, a soupy wet rice with chicken (delicious!), and creamy rice with pumpkin and mussels and one with pork flank and mushrooms. 
Tuna. Tuna was served in several ways: tuna belly with tuna rillettes, tuna cured in paprika, and tuna stuffed red peppers.
Pork. The Iberian ham was delectable, but we also saw pork in a creamy rice dish and shoulder of pork crusty with onion ash and charred quince. 
Seafood. Prawns, langoustines, squid, and the occasional clam or snail appeared on some menus. I like the shrimp family, but not always the squid.
Local fish. Besides cod in several forms and we also ate red mullet which I found very fishy and strong. 
Fruits and vegetables. No green salads the entire week unless you count the lettuce and sliced tomatoes on the breakfast buffet in Denia. Lots of citrus—oranges, lemons, quince—and also apples and tomato added as a flavor component of several dishes. Asparagus, beans, endive, and vegetable tempura.
Oreos. We were told that it was de rigeur that each chef create an Oreo hors d’oeuvre. These are mini size (think an American quarter) and we had one with parmesan and bacon (think the cookie was made from squid) and another from white and black garlic with salted nougat filling.
Now we’re home and after all that food and wine, it’s time to diet! And get back to our regular exercise.
All photos ©JWFarrington
Header photo–Calatrava building in Valencia
